#i agree with you but i do get where different reads play into roman as well

[pynkhues]

Unpopular opinion anon. I really enjoyed Roman but I think I watched a different character than everyone else lol. The big one that's getting me right now is I don't really get the masochism takes? I didn't really read him as seeking punishment or only understanding love through pain... I don't feel like he was really seeking that out for the majority of the show. Also I think I may be alone in thinking Roman has kind of a normal(ish) relationships with both of his full siblings?? Like I don't get why everyone thinks the golden trio abused each other. Roman is such an asshole younger brother who turns protective the second Kendall is actually down. Like Roman can be terrible to them but also he loves them so much and it's the switch from jerk to "drop me a pin" that's I think is a core aspect of that character.

I just don't think I understand the fandom version of Roman or maybe I made up my own version and that's the one I like? At this point I honestly don't even know haha

I thought it might've been Roman you were thinking of, haha.

Yeah, there's a lot of interesting interpretations of him in fandom, and I think in some ways he's probably one of the more ambiguous characters on the show. I was just reading this little interview snippet actually and thinking how the interviewer's read of Roman as someone who has a lot of crazy adventures is so antithetical to how I see him. I tend to agree with both Kieran's reply and the OP's tags there though that Roman likely has a pretty good ear to the ground socially in order to project a certain image, but doesn't necessarily actually live it.

While it's not my personal read either, I do get where people are seeing it when it comes to the masochism factor. I think there's a valid interpretation of canon there between Roman courting violence with the protestors after Logan's funeral, and the complex scene with his and Kendall's hug in the finale, and I can see why people draw a link between that with things like the dog pound and Roman getting off on Gerri berating him.

There's texture there, y'know? Even if personally I agree with you and don't think they're especially linked. I tend to view Roman's seeking punishment or the murky tie between violence and love in 4.09 and 4.10 as being very explicitly tied to Logan's death and the void he's left, especially because we don't see it at any other point in the series. I also tend to view the dog pound as kids being kids (more on that in a sec), and I also don't know if I think Roman would get off in that particular masochistic way if it wasn't specifically Gerri doing it (I feel like that particular storyline and romance was that perfect storm of the taboo of it all, the hiding in plain sight, his mommy issues, and also just him generally being really into Gerri).

As for their childhood, yeah, I agree with you there too. It's one of the things that I love about the show actually is that the siblings can be mean, can squabble and set each other up to fail, but the love there is real. Like all their feelings for and about each other can be really complicated, but the love they have for each other just isn't. Gosh, Shiv even says it in the finale - she loves Kendall, but she can't stomach him.

That read of the kids abusing each other I do think tends to directly come from the dog pound game, or setting each other up (Kendall and Roman leaving Shiv with the chocolate milk, Kendall and Shiv leaving Roman with the water pistols, etc.) which I really think is pretty normal sibling behaviour. In particular, I've talked about the dog pound game a bit, namely here and here, and about fandom reads of Roman as the most abused here and here if you're interested in reading more!

But yes! I don't think you made him up. I think he's a character where a lot of different readings are possible because he does carry a little more ambiguity / we know less about his past than we do Kendall and Shiv's which invites more speculation and, sometimes, projection too. I think my read of him is pretty close to yours though.

#i do think as well that some of the interpretations of the kids' childhood dynamics can come from people who don't spend #a lot of time around small children #because as someone who was a guardian to her younger brother spends a lot of time now looking after her nephews #and has dayjobbed off and on with kids for the last 15 years #kids are evil lmao #even the sweetest ones you know can be absolutely diabolical to each other #that's literally the point of childhood #kids aren't born with morality they learn it #and very often trial and error it out on their siblings #it's extremely normal #and literally crucial for childhood development #plus studying the brain's development in pd at work at the moment #honestly that shit is WILD #i don't know how any of us make it out of childhood in one piece #but yes anyway haha #i agree with you but i do get where different reads play into roman as well #roman roy #hbo succession #succession meta #welcome to my ama

[certifiedlibraryposts]

re the palestinian bird thing: different anon here, idk what they meant but it’s worth noting that, in addition to political fuckery, that the campaign to remove the word “palestine” from the bird's name might have partially been an attempt to correct a bit of historical revisionism. the only reason that region of the world is commonly known as palestine today in the first place is because the roman empire renamed the area to “syria palaestina” after the roman-jewish wars. they had previously allowed the province to be called judea/judaea, as in jews and the jewish kingdoms that existed there before being conquered. and it wasn't until much later that the arabs now known as palestinians came to be. (disclaimer: I don't speak hebrew and can't be bothered to track down hebrew articles from a decade ago to translate by hand to fact check how much this played into the bird thing but it is a reasonable possibility and an understandable one, as jewish heritage has been so often destroyed and erased. regardless, the palestinian response to make the bird a symbol is equally understandable.) relatedly, be careful about the phrase “from the river to the sea”, because while it's sometimes about palestinian liberation, it's also often used as a dogwhistle that means “kill all jews in the levant”; and the dogwhistle version has become increasingly common as of late. look into the organization called standing together for antisemitism-free activism and jewish/palestinian solidarity.

I see what you mean, the history you mentioned seems to check out and it's unquestionably been a tumultuous part of the world that's been given a lot of different names over time. However I don't really feel comfortable in agreeing it was combating revisionism because it happened during what I understand to be a violent occupation. Without a source or truly knowing the intentions it's just kind of speculation.

"From the river to the sea" was used in that post in the context of Palestinian freedom and peace. Related to that point, I also received another ask concerned with my use of the word "zionist" as it has historically described a very wide range of ideas, and has also been used as an antisemitic dogwhistle. That was not my intent, it's the word I was most familiar with to get across my point that I don't support violence against or the erasure of Palestinian culture. Those using violence and calls for peace to excuse antisemitism are despicable. One can and should be an ally of both Palestinians and Jewish people.

I looked up Standing Together, I can certainly get behind their message of peace and cooperation, and people in Israel who are working to end the genocide deserve so much respect and admiration. It seems like reception to the movement has been mostly positive, but I feel it'd be irresponsible not to mention that the PACBI wing of the BDS movement has taken issue with it in the past week. I don't feel qualified to take a definitive stance either way, especially as I also can't read Hebrew or Arabic to get more direct contex. I encourage anyone interested to learn more and come to your own conclusions.

My overall point is that I do not support the genocide the Israeli miltary is enacting on the Palestinian people. I want to share more posts about Palestinian culture, art, and joy in a time where there is effort being made to erase it.

Finally, while I do my best to make sure what goes on this blog is accurate, I just wanna make it clear that I'm neither an expert at research, nor am I able to be a definitive resource for this topic (or frankly most things).

#As a sidenote i have anon asks turned off for the time being. Probably will not be permenant #Mostly its for if anyone else would like to make claims in the near future I want to know who theyre coming from yknow #And also i did recieve a lot of anons in a short time span last night and it was pretty overwhelming #Dont worry i didnt get anything nasty everyone was respectful #Thank you to those who sent kind words. I teared up a little reading them <3

[sleeplesssmoll]

So I've been reading the traces recently and came across a line that seems like it should be important to well at least something but I haven't seen anyone talk about it? Here's the line btw:

It's specifically the "you're imitating the Messiah" Part that's like making me think. So uhh yeah I just wanted to share it.

Sorry if it's a strange thing to send I wanted to see someone else's opinion on it.

Reverse1999 loves to put Vertin in the position of Jesus. We saw this at the end of Chapter 2 where she was sitting in Judas's position and Schneider was in Judas's spot. Arcana calls her "the savior" and describes Vertin in an almost biblical manner whenever she's interacting with her. Even her little Suitcase is called an "ark". However, this instance is a bit different.

Disclaimer, Idk much about religion but I did try to look this bit up because it reminded me of something too. If anyone has more experience in the matter pls feel free to correct me or add on. I will do my best but I might get stuff wrong.

Note: Vertin was placed in a coma because the Foundation wanted her out of the way. This is relevant to the theory.

Here is what I found:

Source

The Jewish high priests were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of Jesus. As the revolutionary leader of a new movement that challenged the religious status quo, he posed a threat to their power. But they couldn’t just take action themselves. Ultimately, sentencing was up to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at the time. And they needed to provide him with a legal justification for Jesus to be crucified. The trial of Jesus A number of witnesses testified against Jesus before the Sanhedrin, a Jewish court. Although the Gospel of Mark says many of them gave false testimony, Jesus didn’t confirm or deny their accusations. In fact, Jesus remained quiet through most of his trial, refusing to respond to the charges leveled against him. But he did respond to one question. Asked, “Are you the Messiah?” he seemed to admit that he was. Caiaphas, the chief priest, called this blasphemy. And then the others agreed that Jesus should be put to death. 

This trial parallels Vertin's story.

Moving on, this trail is in the chapter where Madam Z is playing ping-pong while trying to convince her friend to vote for her decision. The whole thing is an analogy to referring to how Vertin started off as the simple Timekeeper who kept records of the end of eras and now she plays this pivotal role that is rocking Foundation's core. She is the real ping-ping ball being batted between two factions of the Foundation. She has no say in the matter because she is now an object in a bigger game. Her fate relies on the people around her. Poor little Vertin is always a pawn in someone else's game. I highlighted some bits in red from the trail posted below that helped me put it together in my head. You can see it if you click "Keep reading." I hope this helps!

Also, thanks for giving me a chance to really look at this. I glossed over it the first time but the scene is even more intense now and I have a deeper appreciation for it. Any corrections or additions are welcome cause I'm out of my depth here.

Source: Chapter 4-16 Ball Game

Ping, pong. Ping, pong. Ping pong ping pong ping, pong. Ping. Pong.

An imitation show?

Yes, an imitation show. A ball imitation show, little thing.

You're imitating the Messiah, while I'm imitating an orange ball made of plastic.

Being pushed back and forth by two rackets, I have nowhere else to go. Once they apply a force on me, I can't help bouncing to the sky. 

You can see how the air flows across my dry, wrinkled skin ...

Oh, what a coincidence! Aren't you in the same situation as mine now!

Ha! Look at your frowning face-

Your face wrinkles from the eyebrows to the nose tip, but people can barely see those light furrows. We know what that means. You have a poker face, and it's never your fault.

But for now, your face is not the thing that matters. Well, maybe for someone it is, but still, it's not. You know what really matters?

The game! Yes, it's the game, of course the game matters!

Everyone loves the game. They gather at the stadium, yelling or roaring vehemently. They choose one team to become its fan and spend good money on a team uniform or an autographed ball.

Yet, it's just a ball. You see where I'm coming from?

Just a ball. Its outline, a circle, could be found in any geometry textbook and anywhere in this world. When the first hominid picked up a coconut and threw it to the sky-and caught it—and threw it—and caught it-and threw it again, when she felt joy and yelped, had she ever thought of the future?

The future where a simple ball has become so complicated and enchanting, now we call it the present.

Complicated and enchanting?

Hahahahahaha! Yes, sure! Complicated and enchanting!

Use your silly and smart head to think about this ball game carefully.

The complex scoring rules, the harsh requirements for reactive agility, the countless possible foul points ... Your fingers, your wrists, and arms, a correct way of using them will lead to victory!

What matters more is, like every ball game, it focuses on how you serve the ball and hitting it back.

It's not an easy job as it sounds. When you are in the game, you need to concentrate. Where will the ball come from, and how will you return it to your opponent-you need to figure that out within half a second.

Use your power in a proper way, move your feet in a stable pace, inhale and exhale at the right timings.

Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong...

The sound will last forever and ever until that bouncing little thing falls to either side of the court.

#reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 lore #ask #religion is everywhere #everywhere

[cto10121]

Re-watching the New Moon movie and I have many Thoughts(tm), namely

Why is the cinematography is so warm toned compared to the first movie when New Moon is the most depressing book and truly the worst era of Bella’s young life: A Mystery in 2 Hours

At least Pattinson!Edward looks a little better than usual. They put him in these crisp suits. Very nice (Edit: Never mind, that awful Volturi bathrobe with the pasty-ass makeup was horrific yuck, yuck, yuck)

They just had to introduce Jacob this early on, didn’t they? And ofc Bella is much more emotive and gets all the witty dialogue with him (!!). In the books she is much more romantic and wittier with Edward as a whole. Jacob tended to bring out her immature side

“How come Jacob Black gets to give you a gift and I can’t?” “Because I have nothing to give back to you” Nice to know the screenwriter(s) still doesn’t understand the Bedward dynamic. And by nice I mean horrific

…What film version of R&J are they watching??? It’s not the ‘30s version and definitely not the ‘60s or ‘90s one. Is it the ‘70s BBC one? In the book it was the ‘60s version, which is the correct answer. Did they not get the rights? Also, also, why are the human characters much more affected by R&J than Bella and Edward????

“[Romeo] Killed his only love out of sheer stupidity” “Yeah” Oh no, no, no, no, movie, you are not going to make Bella, a close Romeo iteration, agree with Edward!!! Edward is meant to be 100% wrong by his take. Dumbass script!!!

Edward: “Eyes, look your last” 😐 Couldn’t Pattinson just inject a little bit more feeling into his line reading? Most of Edward’s objections were Romeo’s actions, not his suicide. These are the lines Edward can and should relate to.

The movie people garbing the Volturi in 18th century clothing when they are older than the Romans is just laughable

“Dating an older woman. Hot.” Okay, Emmett is 💯, no notes. Definitely erred on the side of frat boy, but you know what, it’s fun and ho boy do these movies lack it

Bella holding up her whole bloody finger in a coven of vampires 💀 Why, movie

Stewart!Bella’s chemistry with almost everyone else in the cast (that scene with Carlisle tending her wound!!!) but Pattinson!Edward confirms what I have known all along: Film and real life chemistry are very different and they shouldn’t be confused. The proof is in the celluloid.

I’m just going to call it: Stewart and Pattinson are modern subtle quirky actors playing what are essentially neo-Gothic star-crossed lover roles. They absolutely should never have been considered for these parts at all by a competent director. Absolutely not fitting at all

“You’re just not good for me.” Hmm, this is what Bella believes about herself, not Edward. I suppose Edward could have done it on purpose, but the fact that he was flabbergasted his lie worked indicates that he doesn’t. Movie just straight up portrays him as more manipulative than in the books, where he just lies baldly

Oh God the months-on-the-screen thing was terrible. This movie fails so much at portraying Bella’s depression, it hurts. It’s like visual SparkNotes

The Bella-writing-to-Alice device sucks. Not too badly, but still. We had her voiceover in the first movie without any problems but for this one, we need a justification? Also, it fuels the Bella/Alice fan dumb something awful

Really dislike the way they did Hallucination!Edward with the ghostly transparent effect. It’s corny and also…way to pass up a chance at some mystery and intrigue by just having Edward be there without any special effects (maybe keep the echoing voice). I guess they really didn’t want people confused and think he returned when he didn’t. But c’mon.

Movie Bella going off with the biker 🤮 Book Bella at her most insane would never. The only good thing about it is that it does lead to Bella having an interest in motorcycles. Efficient movie storytelling and all that.

“Bella, where the hell have you been, loca?” Wonder why this line became so meme-worthy. It’s by far not the worst (“spider monkey” is perhaps the most awful) and Lautner’s delivery was natural enough. Is it the random Spanish? It is random.

Bella is already smiling at her first scene with Jacob…this movie is just awful at selling her desolation. Meanwhile Jacob’s first thought was how awful Bella looked

The Quileute characters are well-cast and nicely played so far, and their banter is good. Emily especially is beautiful and her scar makeup was convincing. Great

Book: “He took off his shirt” Movie: He took off his ~~~~shirt 😍

Laurent’s arrival and his death should have been a much better and weightier scene than we got. God, the pacing is so bad in this movie. Jacob becomes a werewolf, Bella finds the meadow, Laurent suddenly arrives—all within a minute or so. Ugh

“As soon as you put the dog out.” Damn, why, movie? Book Alice did not begin the slurs until she was well and truly angry. But sure, let’s do some really obvious racebaiting 🙄

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jacob KNEW he was talking to Edward and not Carlisle????? Movie, wtf? And all to save up on some screen time…sigh

Bella: “I can let you go now.” What. The. Fuck. Movie????? Not only could she not let Edward go, Bella never wanted to let him go. That was and had never been her arc!!! She would have gone to Edward regardless of anything!!! I hate this, I hate this oh GOD

No, I’m not done, I need another bullet point for this BS. The whole reason why Twilight was picked up to be adapted in the first place was because Hollywood execs saw “Ooh Romeo and Juliet with vampires 🤑” written all over this one…only for the actual filmmakers to just say, “Actually her whole ~journey this movie is letting go of Edward uwu” Poor Meyer…she just had to grin and bear it until she became the producer, I suppose

*Bella and Edward having a whole-ass conversation and making out* *Felix and Demetri watching in the shadows*: “So…should we interru—” “Don’t you DARE” “Felix” 🤣 I’m sorry, but this whole “I lied I do love you” convo should have been in the bedroom scene proper; there are literal Volturi about!!! Also, also, no “Amazing. Carlisle is right”!!! No Romeo quote!!!! Fie, for shame

Dakota Fanning as Jane…Well, probably not perfection, but she is great as usual. The Volturi got done so dirty overall, though—they look and act like Vampire Diaries rejects.

THAT ELEVATOR SCENE, OH GOD. So much meme potential. Why does this series keep injecting humor and comedy where there shouldn’t be and just ditching the actual humor and comedy of the actual books?????

Again, these Volturi gives me discount Vampire Diaries. Also, that chamber is so damn small. Where is the mystique, the grandiosity?There should be a crowd of vampires around, it’s their dinnertime.

Michael Sheen is just too British for the la tua cantante, lol. He also says something else (“Forse le vostre l’uno per altro”??? The accent is just too thick). He’s way too handsy (movie, they’re regular vampires who are sharks!!) but overall I guess his creepy-genteel approach works. Again, the cringy script fucks him over, as it does everyone. The movie has him touch Edward only now and not immediately when he meets him. Oh, God.

Edward just stumbling forward to Jane’s demonstration on Bella 💀 Jane saying “Pain” and Edward just standing there instead of collapsing 💀 Stewart!Bella freaking out and begging them to stop…actually, no, there she did very well, I liked it

Edward and Felix fighting ewwww…and with that awful slow-mo. What’s with these movies and including non-canonical battle shit???? Also, Aro would not order Bella’s execution if simply because he wants to collect Edward/Alice and Bella once she turns (it’s obvious she is a shield).

Of course fucking Alice speaks up at the very last minute before Aro chomps on Bella!!! When she would have had a vision of this exact scenario!!! This movie I swear!!!

THEY ACTUALLY SHOW THE VISION OF VAMPIRE BELLA, OH GOD. AND WITH THE CORNY SLOW-MO. KILL ME

“Once Alice changes me, you can’t get rid of me.” Okay, Movie Bella is officially more interested in immortality than Edward, the exact opposite of her book counterpart. Dishonor on your cow, Rosenberg.

“Jake, I love you.” Aaaaaand it’s official, the movies are definitely Team Jacob. Fuck you, too, movie

#new moon #twilight #cristina watches #the twilight saga #it’s a special kind of trainwreck apart from the first movie #also what was with patt!edward’s makeup here ew #they ruined the volturi why #also this movie was so team jacob it wasn’t funny #billy burke once again being the best #poor meyer…i mean it could have been worse definitely #also the scoring sucked #super generic and anemic

[claymorexpunisher]

Liberación (Ch. 8/?) (WWE Fic) (18+)

Fic Summary: Harper and Drew started Liberacion as a way to heal. And it slowly became bigger than they could've ever imagined...

Chapter Summary: A week after Harper and Drew's first play session, Harper places herself in a position where she's forced to face her own past demons as well.

DISCLAIMER: This fic discusses past instances of abuse and mental control. Be warned. This is also NSFW and will feature various different kinks and fetishes. If that's not your thing, keep scrolling. I try to tag things as best I can. If you choose to read my work, do so at your own discretion. Apologies for any grammatical errors as well. Hope you enjoy!

Main Pairings: Drew McIntyre/OFC, Damian Priest/OFC, Roman Reigns/OFC, Liv Morgan/Rhea Ripley.

Side Characters: Mercedes Mone, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Jon Moxley, Renee Paquette, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Baron Corbin, Dominik Mysterio, and more...

Tags/TWs: 18+, praise kink, daddy kink, size kink, kink negotiation, consensual kink, consensual non-consent, BDSM, knifeplay, light blood play, bratting, hair-pulling, breeding kink, and more.

Word Count: about 2,058

“Shitshitshit!” I mumbled to myself as I ran around my home after I received Cat’s text. I somehow had completely forgotten that Priest had agreed to do a demonstration on… sensual choking. Today. In a few minutes from now.

Shit.

Like Drew, Damian was also well respected within the BDSM and Kink scene. Come to think of it, everyone who walked through the doors of Liberacion was well-known and respected for some reason or another. We made sure to provide the best of the best when it came to knowledge, safety, and fun.

And Liberacion was about to have one of the best of the best lecturing in like… 30 minutes.

Everyone at the club swore that Damian and I had something going on. But truthfully… he was one of the most famous Dominants in the scene. He was a Dom through and through, so there was absolutely no way there’d ever be anything between us.

No matter how much of an absolute dream he was…

Our relationship was playful and flirty at most but nothing more. And despite our mutual friends pushing for more, I was more than happy for it to stay that way.

No way in hell was I going to put myself in such a vulnerable position as a Submissive ever again. Absolutely not. Even if…

 Even if Damian’s presence alone made me wanna fall to my knees and his deep baritone voice made me wanna fold like a fuckin’ flip phone to his every whim.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I started to look for an outfit to wear to work. I had to physically stop myself from going overboard with getting dolled up and instead, I picked out my usual comfortable jeans along with a turquoise hoodie and a white t-shirt underneath.

Again, I put on one coat of mascara with a light layer of baby pink gloss, paired with dainty diamond earrings and I slipped an equally dainty silver heart-shaped ring onto my middle finger before I put on some black Vans and made my way to work.

Here goes nothing…

~~

“We have a problem…” Cat said the moment I walked through the doors of Liberacion.

That’s not what I like to hear. Ever. But especially not on a day filled with lectures and demos.

“What’s wrong?- Hola, papito…” I purred as I shifted my eyes towards Damian, letting them trail over his statuesque body appreciatively. I forgot about Cat completely as Damian came over to take my hand in his and he gave me a kiss on the cheek as a greeting.

“Hola, Mamita.” Damian replied. He wore a tight grey tshirt, some dark wash jeans, thin-rimmed glasses, and a playful smirk on his face that had me blushing from head to toe.

Cat snapped us both back to reality with a pointed clearing of her throat and we focused on her once again.

“Like I said, we have a problem. Rhea was going to help with Damian’s lecture today, but she got called in to do some media stuff for WWE. And there’s literally no one else who can fill in. Everyone’s got something going on or they’ve got multiple demos-“

“I can fill in for Rhea.” I replied without thinking. My eyes widened slightly when I registered my own words, but it was too late.

“What.” Damian and Cat said. They both didn’t know a lot about what my ex-husband Jason had put me through. But they knew enough to be left completely dumbfounded at my sudden enthusiasm to put myself in such a position, even if it was just a demo.

“Yeah! I don’t mind. I mean I’d have to move some things around in my schedule, but it’s no biggie.” I smiled confidently at them both, partly to convince them and partly to convince myself that this was gonna be a piece of cake.

What the fuck did I just get myself into?...

~~

I took about 5 minutes to collect myself in my office after I agreed to do this demo.

What the fuck was I thinking?!

There was no way I could get through this… there was no way I’d get through this without thinking about-

There was a knock at my office door.

“Harp? Muñeca, can I come in?” Damian’s silky deep voice called from the outside of my office.

“I’ll be out in a sec.” I replied, my voice sounding a bit frazzled to my own ears.

“…Alright.” I heard Damian sigh deeply before his footsteps got farther and farther away.

I didn’t want him or anyone to see me on the verge of a panic attack. What good would that do?

‘Get it together, Harper Marie. You have a job to do and you’re gonna do it. Get it together.” I mumbled to myself until the tremors in my hands stopped, and I was more present. Then I plastered a smile on my face and met up with Damian and everyone for the demo.

My legs threatened to buckle underneath me as Damian introduced us both to the class and he started to give a rundown of the basics of sensual choking. He told the students that he’d give a bit of a q&a at the end of the class if they had any doubts or concerns.

Luckily my job as his “assistant” was mostly to stand there and look pretty. If I were the one giving this class, I don’t know if words would come easy.

Especially once Damian’s hands gently slid around my throat. Up until that point I had completely tuned out from the class for my own sanity and embarrassingly, I flinched at the soft skin-to-skin contact around my neck.

“What’s the matter? You scared of me?” Damian joked, trying to lighten the mood and I was so grateful for it. For him. For him and his comforting touch and warm gaze silently coaxing me to relax. A few people in the classroom chuckled as I blushed and let out a soft giggle, not meeting Damian’s eyes for a moment.

He wasn’t Jason. Not even close. My heart knew that even though my mind couldn’t reconcile it for a few seconds.

I’m not sure what the hell was in the air, but I let myself fully relax and I let Damian’s good-natured humor wash over me until I was joking right back. I hadn’t felt that safe in what felt like forever.

Damian was a friend, sure. And we were doing nothing but a demonstration. But this felt… entirely different.

Charged. Energetic. Magnetic… terrifying yet I had never felt safer.

“How I’m doing this right now- that’s not what you wanna do. You can, but just be mindful that that’s how unfortunate accidents can happen. You wanna make your partner come, you don’t wanna murder them.” Damian droned on, again causing a peal of laughter amongst the class and myself.

“Unless they’re into that.” I quipped, causing even more laughter. Damian turned to me with his brows raised in slight surprise and his eyes lit up with that ever-present playfulness that always seemed to be there whenever we were in a room together.

“Or unless you’ve got a little brat that you need to set straight. You can just-“Damian paused his words to fully wrap his hands around my throat. Firmly. And he gave me a slight jostle, bringing me closer to him til we stood almost chest-to-chest, making me gasp softly.

Oh, I was gone by then. And I knew it. He knew it too if the slight twitch of a smirk was anything to go by.

“But not too hard, of course. All ways of choking can be dangerous, but this one especially is. The windpipe is right in the middle of the throat so you can cause serious damage if you’re not careful or you don’t know what you’re doing… but if this is something your partner wants- always, always communicate. You should be doing that anyway, but like I said, this is especially dangerous… Hand signals are a great way to communicate if need be. But talk beforehand, see what they’re comfortable both of you are comfortable with and for how long.”

Damian suddenly stood behind me and slowly wrapped both his large hands on either side of my throat and I swore I was floating onto another fuckin planet. Forcing myself to come back down from that floaty space that felt cozy yet terrifying all at once, took every inch of my will.

“This is much safer. Your fingers are nowhere near the windpipe, but you can still apply enough pressure to make it pleasurable without doing significant damage. But again, communicate… personally, this is one of my favorites ways of doing it.” I heard the smirk in his voice and face heated up even as my mouth moved of its own accord.

“Is it, Sir?... hm. Ya learn somethin’ new every day, huh?” I smirked at the students, and I heard a few of them chuckle and giggle in response.

Instead of answering my question, I was shocked into silence as Damian gave me another gentle yet firm jostle, pressing our lower bodies flush together.

“You can get some nice leverage too, if you catch my drift.” His velvety voice went husky, somehow impossibly deeper than usual and I felt my skin burn with arousal.

God it must be about 200 degrees in this room right now. It had to be. I even caught some of the students blushing every so often.

“Behave.” Damian whispered in my ear, and the urge to be combative almost suffocated me.

What the fuck was wrong with me? Not even a few minutes ago I was thisclose to puking my guts out with anxiety at the prospect of being at someone else’s mercy- no matter that it was just a demo and not a full-on scene. And now I was acting like a brat who wanted to poke and poke and poke until-… until what?

I didn’t wanna think too hard about that answer. But… this was fun.

But it was over way too quickly for my liking.

Before I knew it, Damian was doing a final q&a with the students, and I was on my way back to my office to do make some phonecalls.

But I was walking on legs that felt like they were made of play-doh.

Tammie quickly caught up with me. Alongside her was Liv, who had stopped by for a bit, and Catarina.

“What was that?” Tammie asked as she smirked like the heathen she was.

“Seriously, I felt like we were all intruding.” Cat laughed. “That was hot!” she added, and Liv added in her two cents as well.

“I almost went into subspace! Guys. That hasn’t happened in…ages! What the fuck.” I exclaimed as my heart threatened to burst out of my chest.

All three women followed me into my office, taking up the couch as soon as I shut the door behind me.

“What the shit!” I exclaimed again, trying to make sense of what just happened while the girls just watched in light amusement.

“Are you okay?” Cat asked tentatively, now assessing my pacing form as I wore a hole into the carpet of my office.

I didn’t know how to answer that.

“I don’t know how to answer that.” I replied honestly, voicing my thoughts, which was a rare occurrence when it came to my deepest feelings which I held onto with a vice grip on most occasions.

“It’s okay to take time to process. That would just be a demo to most of us. But for you it’s different. That took balls! Considering…” Tammie said, letting her words hang in the air as I finally sat down on the far end of the couch to her right. “Priest asked me to tell you to text him when you can. He wants to know that you’re good.” She said, and my heart gave out a little.

What the hell does this all mean for me and for the promise I made to myself that I wouldn’t submit to a man’s desires ever again?

What the hell does this mean when doing so- even for a fucking demo- felt so damn good with Damian.

So damn right…

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#wwe fic #liberación #wrestling fic #my wip #wwe smut #wwe fanfic #damian priest #damian priest fanfic #wrestling smut #ofc harper x damian priest #harper x damian #damian priest x ofc

[cakebatteronabrickwall]

this is random and very late, but ngl i still feel like s4 was such a good roman season like right until the finale, his ending and kendall and shiv’s were unsatisfactory in different ways, as in, no one won (obviously) but roman’s conclusion in comparison feels a bit? less impactful? i felt like there had been a build up to something bigger (character-wise, not like an in-universe win) and then ? and i dont think it was just me bc throughout the release i saw this expressed a lot, by casual viewers as well

and sure one can say “he’s just not as important” and leave it at that, but i never felt that to be the case, and still dont but then jesse’s vision on the character only made it all more confusing lol

Don't worry, it's not random! But I hope, by asking me, you know you're in for a worryingly long answer.

First of all, Jesse Armstrong's vision and interpretation are his own and I don't think it matters very much in the grand scheme of things. I'm not saying this in a resentful way (really not!), but he seems to see these characters through the lense of season 1 and, I would argue, there is a very significant shift in the second half of the first season in how they are written and the path they are intended to go down. Problem is, Armstrong is the only one they kept asking after the last episode aired, and I can't fault him for a) being stuck with the original read of the characters and b) having comperatively less complex views on Shiv and Roman, because it kinda makes sense to me that he would have more to say on Ken. For example, Georgia Pritchett has talked about queerness in these character before, I don't think I've ever heard anyone else mention that. And so on. Essentially, there are other writers and actors who made the characters who they are, more so than him.

With that out of the way--yes. I do agree that season 4 gave Roman (and Shiv) so much more to do, all in all a great season for everyone not named Kendall Roy, lol. For Roman especially, I think it did what had been an ongoing theme since season 2; which is to really break him down and disassemble him as a character. I think it's really interesting to look at Roman's overarching arc in the show which, to me, is about sort of finding back to his actual personhood. He is told he isn't real (and fair enough, a lot of him is a performance act), he is told his past and memories aren't real or not important, and so on.

Season 4 is the first time the disjointment of Roman is made much clearer to even more casual viewers and I think, once you see it, you can't really unsee it. You want there to be resolution. And I understand that it might be disappointing to not fully get it, but I do think it's there. Here is the thing- If you accept "finding back to his actual personhood" as Roman's series arc (and you do not have to), then how does it conclude? At the funeral, right? We, as observers, have understood that it was never about the firm for him, but his father. His father is gone, and while he holds onto him in form of the firm, he finally comes to this breaking point of letting grief in.

Like, everyone saw him break down, there is no going back. More importantly, he doesn't really seem to want to go back. The final episode for Roman plays a little like a mixture of epilogue/prologue, if that makes sense? Epilogue: the end of an era (waystar), a shift in the sibling relationship (maybe not for long though). Prologue: someone who has genuinely begun the grieving process, finally in a position to let go, who knows what lies ahead.

The last episode isn't really an ending anyways, it's just where we leave the characters be. Do I think Shiv and Roman could have carried another season? Yeah, honestly. Shiv, because there is a lot of narrative plot possibilities (and hey, I do so want Shiv and Tom to reenact The Great), and Roman because he would have found himself in a completely new position. I'm tempted to say a sort of progress/healing moment would be inevitable in the future. But maybe that's the problem; Succession isn't the kind of show to portray that. They would have found a way, surely, but it would have been a very different direction.

#honetly thank you for asking because i accidentally stumbled across that whole roman's series arc part by accident #kinda loving it though <3 #succession #succession season 4 #roman roy #roman and shiv #shiv roy

[comfy-whumpee]

Jane 3

Whumptober 19 - Psychological + one other. Continuing this arc.

CN: BBU, some ableism.

-

Kamala stopped at the doorway.

“I don’t understand.” The new rescue was sitting on Florence’s bed. She was wearing her collar still, but had changed into a fluffy dressing gown that Avis had loaned her, and some leggings that were too short. She spoke quietly, voice a tremor. “Is it my fault?”

Florence was staring at her blearily. They didn’t have their glasses on. They normally slept for another two to three hours.

But there was Jane, twisting a strand of long, dark hair around a manicured finger. She was the picture of worried dejection, legs pulled up to her chest, long lashes low over her eyes as she fretted. “They didn’t speak to me, I thought it was just them being nervous…”

“Good morning,” Kamala said. She was sure Jane had to have noticed her, but had been to focused on the reassurance she needed. “Are you okay, Jane?”

The new rescue looked up at her with a shy smile. As Kamala watched, the hand playing with her hair flicked it elegantly into place over her shoulder, which she had probably been trained to do. “Good morning.”

Florence managed this much, sleepy as they were. “Good morning, Kamala. Jane is scared that Boo is gone.”

“I just wondered if it was because of me,” Jane interjected quickly, one hand moving to rest on her cheek timidly. “Because I came unexpectedly.”

She had still come into Florence’s bedroom while they were asleep, which wasn’t okay. But, Kamala reasoned, she was a Romantic. She would have different boundaries, like Florence had. This was probably the safest place in her mind. And at least she didn’t seem to have initiated anything.

Kamala smiled at her reassuringly. “Boo doesn’t normally go out, but they have done before. The unusual thing today is that they went alone. Avis is going to try and find them, to make sure they are alright. Boo doesn’t speak or write, so wouldn’t have let anyone know, so we don’t know that anything bad has happened yet.”

“Oh…” Jane looked at Florence, who had managed to get their glasses on, and nodded. “Oh, but… It could still be because of me. I’m sorry. Before, with my owner, I… I would get left alone for a long time. He would go work on a project where pets couldn’t come. I would be left alone…”

“The worst thing is being alone,” Florence agreed to the unspoken pain. “That’s why I always have Kamala.”

Jane looked up at Kamala, and Kamala could read perfectly well what that look meant. She had seen that look in other Platonic trainees, and in Roman too. Jane wanted to be liked. Needed it. She was too unsure to ask outright.

“Florence and I have been here the longest,” Kamala explained, wishing she knew a way to get them all out of Florence’s private space.

Jane glanced back at Florence, and tugged on the end of her hair. “I… I like knowing that,” she admitted bashfully. “I like knowing you’ve been here for so long. Even though you were made like me. Even though it, it’s so scary to be without y-your owner. I’m scared. But you’re so strong,” she added admiringly.

If Florence understood what they were being offered, they showed no acknowledgement. They got up, reaching for their robe. “It’s time for breakfast.”

-

The Romantic escapee seemed barely conscious, even long after waking up. They drifted around stating the obvious and barely reacting to their surroundings. Jane wondered how such an idiotic creature had ever managed to escape.

Over breakfast, Florence ate slowly and seemed utterly focused on the sensations of eating. Afterwards, they returned upstairs and spent nearly an hour getting dressed, while Jane endured cartoons with Kamala. On their return, they went into the back garden and sat on the grass, unmoving and unspeaking except for their fingers playing with a single leaf.

Jane sat down next to them. Kamala obviously thought her too attached, but she wouldn’t intervene with the precious new rescue. She had chosen to present as a Romantic for this reason; obviously she would want to be near Florence.

The other Domestic was out with Avis, searching for Boo. The blond one was nowhere to be seen. But Kamala was watching like a hawk, clearly not trusting two Romantics together. That was a problem.

Florence, as they were now known, had dressed in a gauzy white sun dress, even though it wasn’t warm enough for one. Their hair was loose around their shoulders and behind their glasses, their eyes stayed focused on the clouds.

She had to make progress quickly. That meant, while Avis was absent, she needed her opening.

“Is Kamala your owner now?” she asked with innocent curiosity.

Florence didn’t look at her. “No.”

Kamala was inside, probably still watching her cartoons. She was interested in superheroes, Jane had learned. She liked stories where one person could change everything that was wrong with the world. It was painful to watch her face light up at the heroics. Such good things wouldn’t last in the real world, not for pets. She should have known that by now.

But Florence understood. “Can I ask a question?” she began, leaning closer so that their shoulders brushed. “Do you miss your Sir?”

“No,” Florence murmured. Their eyes followed the trail of a plane.

“Do you think he misses you?”

“No.”

Irritation prickled. Were they stupid? Her voice betrayed none of it. “I worry. I’m happy to be away from him, but… I think about him, all alone.” She wilted slightly, with pain and sadness. “He gave me so much, just to make me worthy of being by his side. I was never so beautiful or so loved. I don’t think anyone will ever feel that way about me again.”

Florence’s green eyes remained high in the clouds, unaffected. They weren’t controlling themself like Jane was. They hid nothing because they had nothing.

“I’m never going back,” they told her. It sounded apologetic, sorry that they couldn’t relate to her.

She decided to pitch her voice more quietly. “Even if he came to find you?” She rested a hand on theirs over the lawn. “Even if he knew where you were, and came for you himself?”

They didn’t move their hand. They looked at it, trapped beneath hers. “Even if he did,” they said softly, less sure now, “he would think I’m ruined.”

“But you were made for him,” Jane argued gently. “That’s what they do to us at Refurbox. They make us out of something nobody wanted. They made us worthy again.”

Florence’s shoulders curled forwards, their head still bowed. Jane watched in satisfaction. The shelter here might have felt like a whole separate world, but it wasn’t really. Florence couldn’t escape reality. They lived on a planet that treated both of them like nothing. They had no hope without their purpose. They had no control.

A little reprieve would never last.

“I think my Sir will always be with me,” she said peacefully. “On the inside. I’ll always be his, because he’s the reason I exist. That gives him the right to own me.”

It was Refurbox training, directly quoted. Florence shrank further.

“They say that about us. That Romantics go back. Nobody would blame you if you did.”

They looked down. Not at the clouds anymore.

“Think about it,” she concluded.

“I have.”

Jane looked over in surprise.

Their eyes were closed. Tears budded under their lids, even though their voice and expression remained serene. “I’m not as stupid as you think I am. You’re not a Romantic. And I never told you I had a Sir.” Their eyes opened again. Green as the leaves. They focused on her, in a way that Paris in the pictures had never done. “I didn’t know what you were pretending for. But I know now. Boo knew too.”

Jane fought to keep her calm. They were just doing as they had done before. Stating the obvious. Saying things that Jane already knew, things that were under control, things they weren’t meant to figure out because they were just a stupid, refurbed Romantic…

“I won’t go back,” they told her. “I want to. But I’m not perfect. I’m not who he deserves. And I didn’t want him.”

Florence, who was Paris, who had tipped their head to beguile as soon as Jane had walked through the door…

“I hope he has a new pet who is good,” they added. But then, they had already lied about doubting. They could be lying about this too. They could by lying about it all, and this is just a stalling tactic.

Jane grabbed their hand more tightly and pulled them to their feet. She turned back to the house. The stolen knife was still in her robe pocket.

“You don’t get a choice,” she said.

#whumptober2023 #no.19 #psychological whump #bbu #pet whumpee #recapture whump #escaped whumpee #florence #kamala #my fic #the birdhouse #we're running close to the wire for the last stretch!

[myplasticadversary]

Sorry to turn your blog into the dog pound ask game but just to offer up an alternative read, while I think there are plenty of times Kendall was not a good or even decent big brother I actually didn’t read the dog pound as super sinister because I think it’s actually kind of (at least conceptually) a common game kids actually do play at that age. While I understand the interpretative view that harmless things that are normal in other families are often twisted funhouse versions in the Roy family, I think there’s a valid reading that this wasn’t one of those times. While S3 was airing Kieran Culkin gave a great interview where he talked about dog pound and described it as something rewritten in Roman’s mind. (“The dog-cage moment, Roman had rewritten it as he had been bullied by Kendall. I don’t think he ever was, but I think there was something in him as a kid that felt like a victim that as an adult he has tried to process and make into something else.”) Apparently, he and Jeremy agreed on that interpretation, and I think that’s a fair way to read it (noting of course everyone is allowed their own interpretation and there is no one/right/best way to interpret a scene). Personally, I viewed the hug and sibling brawl in S4 as variations on a worsening lifelong theme – semi-new steps in a progression as opposed to one-to-one evidence of how the characters behaved in childhood but that could totally just be me…anyway, happy to provide a link to the Kieran interview if anyone is interested. I just feel that in all the dog pound discourse I almost never see anyone reference Kieran’s take on it which I do think is interesting as it really goes to that whole “what even is the past” thing the show likes to play around with but in a slightly different direction than I usually see on tumblr.

Ah right, that's a valid point too. Tbh I think I do tend to pick and choose when I factor an actor's interpretation into my reading, and maybe even some part of me is weirdly overcompensating for being a Kendall girl by fixating on him doing fucked up stuff.

At the same time though, while I do believe things had gotten much worse than they'd ever been after Logan's death because of how he and Roman had both differently felt compelled to fill that hole, I don't really see it as all that unprecedented either. Like, there was him brushing off Roman being upset about Shiv saying one day he's got to fuck something, Kendall saying "he loves it" and that he's probably jerking off over it, there was the "who'd you suck off to get out" when Roman came back from the hostage situation, the famous "you're not a real person", etc.

But also, I think part of how I view Kieran's take is that Roman is recasting Kendall as the primary aggressor in their childhood because he happens to be a safer target of his anger than Logan or any of the other people who may have hurt him or made him feel inferior. After all, he did feel comfortable enough with Kendall as a little boy being taught how to pee standing up. So it's not that he was ever purely an abusive presence in Roman's life, but these things are rooted inside of them and come out whether they mean it or not.

#roman roy #kendall roy #the roy family sickness #succession

[apoptoses]

Hi! I hope this isn’t a silly question but I was wondering if you have any advice for getting over the fear of mischaracterizing/having characters be ooc in fic? I want to write for vc, i have a few ideas but haven’t started any yet because I’m so nervous about getting it wrong

I do, in fact! So when I was first thinking of writing some VC stuff I made it really low pressure for myself. Like if I got an idea I would write it out in my notes app on my phone, and if it didn't go anywhere then whatever, it didn't matter because I didn't intend to post it to begin with. I messed around like that for a good month and ended up with like fifteen little snippets of nothing that were just me figuring out who the characters of Armand and Daniel were and how they sounded. Which I think was really important because that gave me room to practice writing without the concern about getting it 'correct' on that very first go. Then when I felt like okay, maybe I have something with this concept I'm playing with, I knew I had to have someone do a sanity check lol I just put it out there that I wanted a beta reader and thank god @cup-of-lixx responded. And now this is the key- you have to be open to suggestion. Tell your beta reader buddy you're worried about characterization and hopefully they'll have some kindly worded suggestions for you. The truth is, what is 'in character' really comes down to two things: character voice, and knowing your basic facts. Everything beyond that is subjective and relies on the writer's ability to build a case for why this character wants to do this thing. Say, for example, you want Marius to ride a carousel. On paper that looks out of character, right? That serious old Roman on a carousel? lol But the thing is, if you can nail his voice (he doesn't talk like a valley girl, he's not going to use contractions like 'gonna' and 'wanna', he's probably going to make some references to history in his internal dialogue) and nail the basic facts (he's a vampire, he's got blond hair, he can only come out at night) then…you're halfway there. The rest is all about building up why he's doing this. Would he hop on for funsies all alone? Maybe not. Could you make up some back story about the first time he saw a carousel and thought about all the innovations man had to make since he was a youth in order to create such a thing? And that maybe he first saw one with Pandora and was feeling nostalgic? Sure! Your job as a writer is to convince your audience that this isn't out of character and you do that by building up the character's desires and motivations. The other thing you gotta remember is, there's a difference between canon and fanon. Sometimes in fandom some writer does a really good fic where Character X loves popsicles even though in the books character X never eats a popsicle, but people love the idea so much they repeat it in their fics and headcanons until that act is part of the Fan Lore and people confuse it for canon. And going against Fan Lore can be intimidating, and make you feel like you're doing something 'ooc' for the character but like…if it's not in the source material then it's not Fact and you can do whatever you want. But essentially if you're reading fic and notice a trend where Lestat always wears boxers even though in the books he never puts on a pair, and you don't agree that he would wear boxers? Don't worry about it, it's fan lore, do your own thing. I assure you, there's plenty of people out there reading fic who also don't think Lestat would wear boxers and will be relieved you wrote it. Basically. All of this to say- care about characterization, but don't worry yourself sick over it. Get someone to check your work and then, at the end of the day, go wild. They're fictional people, they're little barbie dolls you as a writer can play with, and as long as you nail their voice and stay true to the basic facts you're free to do whatever else you want. Writing is supposed to be fun, we're not getting graded here. And you can't get it 'right' until you churn out some rough drafts wherein you get it 'wrong' first.

Have fun ♥ I hope that helps.

#apoptoses answers

[pynkhues]

So I know people tend to have lots and lots of opinion about dog pound but more often then not, I’ve seen a tendency for folks to give Roman’s recollection of the game (that dog pound was bulling/abusive/messed up in some way shape or form) the most weight…and this candidly baffles me for a bunch of reasons. I know the actor's opinions don't need to be given weight, but I see tons of weight given to actor interviews for Succession in other contexts and both Jeremy and Kieran (per an interview with Kieran around S3) signed on to the read that dog pound wasn’t traumatizing but was instead a rewritten memory because Roman generally felt like a victim and I tend to agree with that read. It also kind of fits in more with the dynamic we generally see Kendall and Roman have throughout the show and especially in Seasons 1-3. Add to this that Roman was around 4 when this took place if we're taking his word for it (making Kendall under 10 and Connor early 20’s-ish?) and again I’m wondering why his memory is given so much more weight than Connors.  Do you have any view or thoughts as to why Roman is treated as the more reliable narrator when it comes to dog pound and more broadly how do you tend to think about the siblings various contradictory childhood memories?  

It's an interesting one, isn't it?

I agree with you (and the actors, haha), that I think the dog pound wasn't traumatising or that it even really meant anything at the time they were playing it. It's just a children's game that took on a different meaning in their adulthood as Roman and Kendall's particular dynamic crystalised. I talked about it a little bit in this post about games on the show if you're interested in reading more about that in particular!

I do think the context of Roman bringing up the dog pound game when he did is also important and not talked about as much as it should be. After all, Kendall's kind of seen to have the more defined arc over these episodes between the failed coup, his relapse, then the upswing of him getting in bed with the enemy (Sandy and Stewy).

Roman though has a really complicated arc too - it's his inability to stand with Kendall which makes the coup fail, and his elevation as prized son in Austerlitz is undermined by what I tend to interpret as a mix of guilt and shame first over letting Kendall down and then over his relapse, which bleeds into a degree of protectiveness which we don't usually see from him, both in that episode and in the next (it's an underrated moment, but Roman offering to make everyone stop doing drugs at the party before they go in in 1.08 is very special to me).

But there's a shift then in 1.08 which is triggered by Stewy pretty blatantly cutting him out of something and folding Kendall back in. It's this teetering new power dynamic where any guilt he felt is swallowed up by the realisation he doesn't want to lose this new station as the dog at their father's side, and I think he uses this distorted memory from childhood to justify his anger and try to reinforce this position. Kendall thought Roman was the weak dog once, but he's not, Kendall is. Kendall's the one out, Kendall's the weird one, Kendall is, as Shiv aptly put it in 1.01, not emotionally strong and has addiction issues.

(Interestingly too, while it's not in the episode, in the 1.08 script it shows that Roman's there when Kendall realises their dad's sent Greg to keep an eye on him, and I think there's this interesting emphasis there in Roman realising Kendall needs a babysitter twice - himself in the last ep and Greg in this one - which for him reinforces Kendall as the 'weak' one.)

He weaponises a long past memory that he treats as an immovable truth to not just play victim, but I think as a yardstick to show how far he's come, and how far Kendall's fallen.

As for why Roman's treated as the more reliable narrator, I think there are a few reasons for it. In particular, I do think Kendall is the Known Liar of the show, haha. All the kids lie to varying degrees of course, but Kendall really lies in a way that I tend to think can feel more insidious, particularly as he lies in such a wildly broad spectrum - sometimes it's aching self-flagellation, sometimes it's mortifying self-aggrandisement, sometimes it's just straight up pathetic, and sometimes it's just the awkward vulnerability of trying to save face (particularly when he's relapsing).

We don't see Roman explicitly lie all that much on the show, at least not in the way many of the other characters do. In some ways he's actually the opposite to Kendall because Kendall tends to use lies as a means of defense or a way to hide while Roman absolutely and often weaponises a truth. Orrr at least I'd say that's what he would like to think of himself? I actually think Roman lies all the time, it's just less through actual lying like Kendall does, and more through undermining the truth or playing around in the grey of it. He likes to lean on a question and see what it does to the truth, like he knows that it's malleable and wants to see the shape it could take, and that's overall something I find super interesting about his character, and I think feeds into a distortion of truth / memory.

But back to your question about why people see Roman as the more reliable narrator of their shared past, yes, I think it's viewed through the prism of Kendall being the one more likely to lie, but I also think it's due to Roman's abuse being easier to understand and more textual than Kendall and Shiv's. We see him get hit, both Shiv and Kendall talk about Roman being hit, Roman jokes about it and diminishes it, and even in 3.09 blames Kendall and Shiv for it (I actually think there's such an interesting parallel there to Roman being abandoned with the waterpistols and the story of Shiv being abandoned with the chocolate milk in the car, but that's a whole other story, haha).

We get childhood stories from Roman more than any of his siblings, so he feels like the one who thinks about it the most. Is that true? I don't know, but I get why that would make people put more stock in his role as the narrator of it.

As for the contradictory childhood memories, I do think the show is interested in the subjectiveness of memory overall, and the way people influence the past and make history malleable, and I think that exploring that through the very specific context of a family like the Roy's, who have a loose relationship with the truth at the best of times, is a pretty remarkable way to do it.

#my nephews were playing puppy and person again last night while i was facetiming them and the 5yo licked my sister's phone screen lmao #the look on her face in the background was hilarious #i actually just wrote up a huge second part of this about trauma on childhood brain development in regards to the roy's but it was long #and kind of off topic #and also a bit science-y #so i took it out #but let me know if you'd like to read that too #i've just been working in that space again so it is f r e s h #haha #succession meta #kendall + roman #i'm also always interested of these little moments where roman actually is protective of kendall #and particularly how shiv weaponised it against him in living+ #kendall roy #roman roy #hbo succession #welcome to my ama

[two-am-outlines-only]

Just How Lovely He Is

Summary: Logan gets lost in thought as he thinks about his life with Virgil, deciding after that a kiss is definitely needed.

Warnings: very brief, non explicit sex mention.

Ships: Romantic Analogical, Logan x Virgil

Word Count: 1, 573

AO3 Link

Logan smiled softly as he watched Virgil from over the edge of his book. He hadn't turned the page in a while but thankfully the younger man hadn't seemed to notice over the music playing on the counter beside him. Evanescence played a rolling beat to accompany the clanking of dishes Virgil had insisted on doing, bowls and pans from their late lunch of valiantly attempted vegetable stir fry stacked gleaming in the drip rack. He still wore his hoodie, albeit with the sleeves scrunched up tight above his elbows, tendons tensing and releasing in his thin wrists as he scrubbed at a patch of rice stuck burnt to a pan's bottom. Logan's smile grew wider as the other huffed at his long bangs that had fallen into his eyes to make them fluff away for a moment only to let them fall back again.

His hair was just as long as when Logan first met him, all bite and almost no show as his sarcastic quips kept people at a comfortable arm distance, preferably more if he could manage it. But he had needed help and Logan was right there. He remembered how the darkly dressed boy had turned to him angrily, false bravado flashing in his eyes but fingers twisting in stretched out sleeves telling an entirely different story. The math had been hard, calculus being new to both of them and Logan with only the tiniest step up in understanding to really add to Virgil's confusion. They had both stuck it out though, too stubborn to give up on what they had silently agreed would be a one time thing anyway and as long as they had worked together in class they may as well puzzle out their homework together at the library.

The library had turned to the common area, and the common area Logan's dorm room where Virgil had discovered his self edited poster of Ellie from Up pointing to a NASA logo exclaiming "Adventure is out there!". Virgil had laughed, calling him a nerd to which Logan had immediately bristled but quickly calmed when the emo began rambling about his old dorm mate that had been obsessed with all things Disney and Pixar, Up being a movie Roman would cry in the beginning for every single time it was put on. He went on to talk about debates the two would have and the arguments that would often break out about the true meaning behind the films which had then dissolved into conspiracy theories that Logan was quickly sucked into, homework forgotten as they chatted long into the evening, only shutting up once their stomachs growled and they had laughed at the hours that went by, mutually deciding pizza over calculus was the way to go.

The first time Logan remembers thinking Virgil was beautiful they were eating at a park bench trading class gossip back and forth when he had said something particularly relatable, making Logan's eyes light up as he dug out a flashcard he had just made without thinking, nodding to himself before quoting "same-sise". Virgil had looked so confused as Logan registered what he had done, quickly hiding the note card against his stomach and looking down in shame.

"What did you just say L?" He had said.

"I was...I had read the slang word a few times and looked it up since it seemed relevant. I'm not...the most proficient at new social terms."

"Hey it's alright, honestly. Can I see?"

Reluctantly he had handed over his cards and watched as Virgil read the word over. "It's pronounced same-seas. But you used it in the right context. Some of these are outdated though...I could teach you the new ones people use now if you want? So you can keep up with conversations and stuff."

Flabbergasted Logan could only nod, watching as a huge grin broke out on Virgil's face, one of the few genuine smiles he offered. No judgement, not even a hint of disdain were found in his gray green eyes, making Logan's stomach flip with an unfamiliar feeling at the thought of being listened to, wanted, and only one thought graced him with its presence as Virgil began talking again.

'Beautiful'

Later on Logan learned about Virgil's panic attacks, helping him through several and regularly guiding his breathing before tests and after classes. Virgil learned of his own pent up anxiety attacks and was always there to lay a careful hand on his shoulder or words of encouragement from a safe distance away. They learned it was okay to lean on each other, asking for help at two in the morning or a hug at three. Virgil found tight hugs and soothing backrubs grounding while Logan found he very much enjoyed the others pale fingers carding through his dark hair. They weren't always physically affectionate, sometimes they couldn't be as touch could be too overwhelming, so quiet 'heys' were exchanged with soft looks instead.

The first time 'I love you' was said it was whispered so quietly Logan had almost missed it, tucked under the blankets with his legs tangled with Virgil's and fingers threaded together. His heart had nearly stuttered to a stop, emotions overflowing as those three words hit him harder than anything anyone had ever said to him. It hurt, how much he loved Virgil, with his despicable music taste he had grown accustomed to and had downloaded to his phone. His dyed purple hair that he grumbled about staining the towels. The way he always had the AC cranked up because of the oversized hoodie he wore everywhere all year long since it was his favorite comfort item. His chipped fingernail polish and dark eyeshadow that did nothing to hide the bright smile that had slowly become more and more common. He had choked on his sobs, Virgil's breath hitching as he began to stutter out an apology before lips were being pressed to his own even as tears dripped down to splash against his cheeks. Logan had pulled back, embarrassed, just managing to gasp out his long belated confession.

"I love you too. Virgil, I love you so much-" Their lips had met again, softer and sweeter and nowhere near perfect with snot dripping from Logan's nose and Virgil's palms sweaty with anxiety but it was fine because Virgil loved him.

Virgil loved him.

And Logan loved Virgil. From chaste kisses shared (not so) discreetly in the halls to heavier ones shared between moans behind firmly shut doors. Logan held Virgil's hand or linked pinkies or pulled him down on his lap as he read. Virgil wrapped warm and safe arms around his shoulders or held his face between cold palms or brushed their shoulders gently in passing. They shared friendly banter and heated arguments alike, both too stubborn to admit to a wrongdoing in the moment and having cool off separately for however long it took for one to miss the other, which was never that long at all really.

Unfortunately life had gotten in the way. Different jobs across the town and neither of them owning a car meant Virgil stayed in an apartment building close to his work while Logan did likewise miles away. Still more often than not they enjoyed each others company in either apartment, Virgil's being smaller and cramped while Logan had yet to disclose he had rented a two bedroom much closer to a mid way point between their respective jobs. They had discussed it earlier but at the time neither of them had had the finances so it was put in the back burner. Until now.

Logan came back from his reverie to see Virgil finishing up drying the dishes, mouthing along to a new song as he bounced in place slightly to the tune, making Logan smile yet again. Everything Virgil did was infuriatingly adorable, from his hips swaying slightly as he bent to put a pan back to the way he tried to be subtle about pushing back the hair he knew had grown too long from his face. Mind made up, Logan stood and smoothly took away the towel to place it on the counter, reaching up to gently brush Virgil's bangs from his beautiful eyes staring at him in question. Instead of answering Logan brought both hands up to the others cheeks, brushing them over softly with his thumb as he leaned forward.

Their lips met as Virgil twisted Logan's shirt in his fists to pull him closer, closed mouth kiss long and lingering as they smiled into it. Logan brought his hand around the back of Virgil's neck and tipped his head slightly, deepening the kiss with a simple swipe of the tongue, teeth carefully avoided with practice and mouths moving in sync. Logan pulled away first only just enough to lean forward and press their foreheads together, still holding the other as gently as he would a treasure, eyes locking as Virgil's eyes crinkled with adoring amusement.

"What was that for you sap?" He asked softly, rubbing tiny circles against his stomach through his now wrinkled shirt.

The extra apartment key felt heavy in his pocket with the added storm cloud keychain he had had specially commissioned, weighing his pocket with a promise he couldn't wait to make. "No reason."

Smiling he kissed the other again and again, making him laugh and bat playfully at his face.

No reason at all.

#oren writes #sandersides #sanders sides fanfic #virgil sanders #sanders sides virgil #logan sanders #sanders sides logan #analogical #virgil x logan #virgil sanders x logan sanders

[pyramidmedia369]

The Unknown Origins of Christmas & Christianity

Original post: The Unknown Origins of Christmas & Christianity (pyramidmedia369.com)

There is a wide variety of artifacts below that detail the origins of the Christmas ritual. The information below will be quite alarming, because it can cause deep confusion depending on where you stand in your spiritual journey. There's a lot to uncover here. I'm only here to make you think. Lets get to it. 

We will address the following:

Christ-Mass

Saturnalia

Saturn Worship

ACTS 14:12 + GENESIS 11:5-9 in the Bible

Who is Nimrod? 

How does Nimrod tie to the story of Christ?

The original Virgin Mary story

The Winter Solstice

Christ-Mass & the start of Christianity

The word "Christmas" is a derivative of "Christ-Mass". With Mass being a common practice in Roman Catholicism, having a nature specific to certain dates for more than just astrological reasons. The roots of Christmas were first planted in ancient Rome with Saturnalia: the original ritual of Christmas. In 336 AD, Pope Julius I decided to call December 25th "Christ-Mass", in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. This is just 11 years after the beginning of Christianity, which started in 325 AD by Constantine The Great at the Council of Nicea. At the CON, Constantine stated that religious peace could only occur if a single religion is imposed throughout the empire, therefore no one could leave the empire until they agreed on a Universal interpretation for Christianity. There were only 5 priests who disagreed with him. Therefore, the bible doctrine we read today was subjugated by votes. Meaning, the stories/scriptures they would or would not include in the bible had to be voted for by the Council of Nicea. Which is why 75 books were removed from the bible as Christianity was created. 

I wonder, why didn't Christianity evolve as its own semitic denomination? Yeshua (Jesus) was a Jew from the tribe of Judah by lineage, and the New Testament states his crucifixion was ordered by the Roman Catholic church. Why is Christianity a denomination of Catholicism, and not Hebrew customs? Weird. 

Saturnalia

Saturnalia was originally a celebration of the god 'Saturn', which would last from December 17th through December 25th. I do recommend that you research the nature of these festivals on your own. Before it was Jesus Christ's birthday, it was Nimrod's birthday and was widely celebrated similar to the way we celebrate Christmas. To the Romans, Nimrod was called Saturn; the Greeks called him Kronos; the Egyptians called him Osiris; the Phoenicians and Canaanites called him Baal. Interesting, isn't it? 

Saturn Worship

It's not just ancient Romania; Saturn does play an important role in our spiritual evolution for many different reasons. For starters, Saturn is associated as the Lord of Karma and Time. Honoring Saturn is not merely just a pagan practice, hence why the Hebrew Sabbath day is on Saturday, the day of Saturn. If you look up any Pre-Copernicus astrological facts, you will find that Saturn is revered as the highest heaven of all the planetary bodies. Yes, each planet is considered not just a god/goddess, but also a heaven and dimension. The energetic nature of these planets are described through the personification of said deities.

You can learn more about how the roles the planets played in the ancient pantheons of spirituality and astrology here: "How The Days Got Their Names?"

Saturnalia is an ancient Greco-Roman festival, which also explains why the Bible stories include characters/gods from Greek-Roman pantheon. For example..

'Acts 14:12' in the Bible

King James Version:

"And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker." 

New International Version:

"Barabas, they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker."

Mercury is the planet of communication, while Jupiter is the planet of rulership.  Barnabus and Paul were appointed these names because of the social role they were playing among their tribe and society. This means that at a point in time, astrology was highly implemented by the progenitors of these said religions.

Who is Nimrod? 

Nimrod is a son of Cush, grandson of Ham and great grandson of Noah. "He was a mighty hunter before (against) the Lord" - Genisis 10:9. He was rebellious to the God of the bible, YHWH/ENLIL. Nimrod was the architect and main builder of the Tower of Babel. In Sumerian language, this tower is called Etemenanki, "the stairway between heaven and earth". The purpose of this tower was initially built in dedication to Enlil's brother, ENKI, to go high enough to see the gods. It was built in a spot the Babylonians believed was the very center of our Universe. Rome, which is just Babylon in a different time, was the original city of Saturn. 

During the construction of the Tower of Babylon, the peoples of the earth remained undivided, with one language and culture. But this was against God's orders. Read Genesis 11:5-9, where it describes how God made the builders scatter and divided their languages and kept them from being able to understand one another. This led to the final destruction of the tower. 

How does Nimrod tie to the story of Christ?

After Nimrod's death (c. 2167 BC), his wife Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god. She claimed that she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of the roots of a dead tree stump, symbolizing the springing forth of new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, she said, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. His birthday fell on the winter solstice at the end of December. This is how the Christmas Tree tradition originated. 

Traditionally, a yule log was burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve and during the night as the log’s embers died, there appeared in the room, as if by magic, a Christmas tree surrounded by gifts. The yule log represented the sun-god Nimrod and the Christmas tree represented himself resurrected as his own son, Tammuz who is Horus/Heru. Remember, the names are different because of the languages used throughout different kingdoms.

This story can also be found in the Sumerian story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, who is also Nimrod, who is Horus, who is Heru, who is Hercules. This is where the word "HERO" comes from! Let's get back on topic now...

The original Virgin Mary story

Osiris's story is almost exactly the same, just a few details make it more of a different story in other cultures. Nimrod's story is only missing the details of how his wife Semiramis, who is Isis, was able to conceive this miracle child. This is how the concept of the Holy Trinity began.

Nimrod-Semiramis-Tammuz version:

"Nimrod's uncle Shem killed Nimrod and scattered his remains across the land. When his wife became pregnant five month's later, she proclaimed that she was made pregnant by the rays of the Sun, which was supposedly her husband Nimrod."

 Osiris-Isis-Horus version:

"But one night Set, hunting by the light of the moon, found the chest, and, recognizing the body, tore it into fourteen pieces, which he scattered up and down throughout the land. When Isis heard of this, she took a boat and gathered the fragments of Osiris's body. Wherever she found one, there she built a tomb and pieced Osiris back together, who was then brought back to life. At this moment, Isis conceived Horus who later avenged Osiris's death."

The Winter Solstice

Ironically, the Sun cycle dies for 3 days. Its cycle is renewed, and the Sun begins to rise again on the 3rd day. Sound familiar? Throughout these 3 days, the Sun is at its lowest point out of a complete 365-day year. On December 25th, the Sun moves one degree northward and is symbolically born again! 

"The New Testament stories are based on the initiation ceremonies and esoteric secrets including astrology and Sun worship that were performed and communicated in the Mystery schools of Sumer, Babylon, and Egypt. In modern times, they are performed in Freemasonry, Order of the Eastern Star, Rosicrucianism, Order of the Golden Dawn, Thule Society, etc. But they are presented as a literal story to fool the people; especially Christianity, Judaism and Islam." - David Icke

Conclusion:

So Nimrod's story is Osiris's story. Considering that Horus is an incarnation of Osiris, the Horus legend also belongs to Nimrod as well. I can see how the confusion begins for many of us. Because Nimrod was killed by his own uncle - and Horus sought revenge on his uncle Seth who killed his father, Osiris. I know you're like, "How did he kill the person that killed him?" LOL there's so many empty blanks to fill in!

The ancient story says Isis used the pyramid of Giza to draw Osiris's spirit down into his body once she put him back together, after being killed and dismembered by his brother Set. It is also said that the Egyptians used Orion's belt as a gateway aka portal to travel to Earth's dimension with the use of the Pyramid. These are the missing details in the other stories. I shall return!

Thank you for reading!

If you do not truly understand how the planets, ancient Gods, and humanity are all connected, please feel free to reach out to me and ask any questions you may have at [email protected]. I try to leave clues in my previous articles, but I understand information has to be organized based upon your questions and needs. - Phoenix Son

#esoteric #shadow work #pyramid media #peace #higher self #mantra #nature #inner peace #meditate #spiritualism #Christmas #holidays #xmas #festive #christmas tree #happy holidays #saturnalia #traditions #yule #yuletide #pagan holidays #happy yule #Nimrod #Enki #Enlil #Sumeria #mesopotamia #Ancient Egypt #Egypt #Osiris

[missytearex]

Happy 28th! Here’s what I read and loved this month. Remember to leave kudos and comments if you check these out!

🌸 1D 🌸

🤍 Darling, so it goes by @disgruntledkittenface --- [fic post]

larry | 195k | explicit

Harry Styles is a world-famous actor at the height of his career but a personal low point when he meets His Serene Highness Prince Louis of Monaco by chance. He doesn’t think they’ll ever see each other again, but after striking up a correspondence, it turns out they have more in common than he thought. Then they start to fall for each other. Louis is different from anyone Harry has dated before and their relationship moves fast as Harry realizes he’s ready for a change. Soon Harry finds himself adapting to an entirely new life, in a country where he doesn’t know the rules, the customs, even the language. Harry is used to people underestimating him, and he’s more determined than ever to prove them wrong.

He just needs Louis to meet him halfway.

Grace Kelly AU.

🤍 A Fantastic Wreck by 13ways

larry | 134k | explicit

Prince Louis William Tomlinson, heir to the Kingdom of Doncaster, has arrived in Rome to make an important announcement— his betrothal to Princess Eleanor of Anesidora, whom he barely knows. His grandfather, King William, lies gravely ill, and the country’s fate is in his hands.

What harm could it possibly be to leave the embassy for one day? Prince Louis has never fallen in love, mainly because he has a secret that cannot be disclosed. He’s never even had a proper kiss.

When he bumps into a journalist named Harry Styles, their mutual attraction is undeniable. But Harry, too, has a secret.

A Roman Holiday AU

🤍 we can take the long way home by @eleadore --- [fic post]

larry | 27k | explicit

“Fertile,” Louis says, and then laughs because it sounds stupid to say out loud. He hasn’t ever really thought of himself in those terms. Baby-making terms. It’s just one of those things his body can do, like exercise, or go without tea. Doesn’t mean he will.

🤍 build a nest for us to sleep in by blackwayfarers

lilo | 24k |  explicit

"It'll be fun," Louis tells Liam quietly. If it was anyone else's break-up, Louis would know exactly what to do, what balance of fondness and foolishness he'd need to give, but he's totally lost with Liam. Louis has no idea what he might need, what could make him feel better, so in the end he gives Liam the only thing he has: "We can order take away and play videogames and fuck about for a few days. I'll get Harry to bring us groceries, we won't even need to leave the house. Come on, Liam, come live with me."

🤍 Dancing Barefoot by @quelsentiment --- [fic post]

zouiam | 18k | teen and up

Liam, Zayn and Louis are the only parents who agreed to come and supervise a school trip to the seaside. They get way more out of the deal than expected.

🤍 It's Been Ages by @2tiedships2 --- [fic post]

larry | 13k | not rated

“We need to talk,” Niall said as he plopped down on Louis’ bed. “It’s you and Harry. You like him, he likes you, it’s a match made in heaven and you will one day be mates,”

Louis shook his head in exasperation. “If you’ve been watching, you would see that Harry is interested in, like, alpha alphas. Not me.”

“What the fuck is an alpha alpha?” Niall asked with furrowed brows.

“You know what I mean,” Louis said, giving Niall a pointed look.

“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.”

🤍 The Risen by @creamcoffeelou

larry | 11k | explicit

In search of the next breaking story, Harry goes off to do something no one else has been able to do: get the scoop on Louis Tomlinson and his devoted group of followers.

🤍 When All I Want Is You by estrella30 

zarry | 9k | explicit

Zayn and Harry move in together and don't have a lot of money and everything falls apart (and then gets put back together)

🤍 Faire boum boum crac crac by catholicschoolgirl --- [fic post]

zarry | 9k | teen and up

Harry's in his seventh year when the Triwizard Tournament returns to Hogwarts. Normally Harry wouldn't care about weird magical tournaments, but Zayn Malik, a student from Beauxbatons, very quickly captures his attention.

🤍 We Might'a Took the Long Way by @evilovesyou​ --- [fic post]

larry | 8k | general audiences

The story of a perfect first date, a mind-blowing first kiss, an interfering lawsuit, a lopsided bowl, flutes of champagne, a little bit of heartbreak, a fated tiktok, and lots and lots of art.

🤍 From Now On by @this-onegoes --- [fic post]

zarry | 7k | explicit

On this night, Christmas Eve, to an outsider looking in, the famous Harry Styles is nothing but a pair of legs, awkwardly sticking out from under the Christmas tree he's currently laying under.

🤍 All The Small Things by @restless-rebels --- [fic post]

lilo | 6k | not rated

Louis finally looked up, staring at the same boy from the laundry room, his hair dry and soft looking, a short quiff at the top of his head. “Hey, uh, Liam, right?”

The tall alpha nodded. “Not a problem, Louis?” The omega nodded. “Is your wrist okay?” Before Louis could answer, he felt a rush of calm wash over him, as though he took a shot of whiskey. He watched as Liam closed his eyes and smiled.

Louis cleared his throat, having forgotten for a second that he had even fallen. “I think so. I didn’t put all of my weight on it, at least I don’t think I did. I’m sure Harry will insist on wrapping it when we get upstairs either way.”

“Good, that’s good.” They stood there awkwardly, Liam’s hands still holding Louis’s arm, both just staring, neither saying anything.

🤍 Five Times Zayn Didn't Speak to Harry (and One Time He Did) by @writsgrimmyblog --- [fic post]

zarry | 6k | explicit

A ‘five times’ fic, in which Zayn and Harry find it easier to fuck than talk.

🤍 Beyond the Sea by writeivywrite 

zarry | 6k | teen and up

Written for the prompt 'Zayn is a famous actor who has to film in a small town for a couple months, and Harry is one of the locals.' I went slightly off brief but I hope you enjoy where this ends up.

🤍 i fall in love whenever we meet by @leighbot --- [fic post]

zarry | 5k | general audiences

the one where Harry has temporary amnesia after surgery; he doesn't need his memories to know he loves Zayn.

🤍 i want to see you a little brighter now by merryofsoul 

ziall | 2k | teen and up

Niall would just like to do his job. Now, if the new firehouse candidate could just stop staring at him, he wouldn't be so distracted.

🤍 In Case of Emergency by @musiclily

ziam | 2k | general audiences

Harry and Louis have a PJ party that....goes a little awry

🤍 Maybe This Time by @flomps --- [fic post]

zarry | 2k | explicit

a brief au in which zayn is a writer, and they fell in love when they were teenagers. this is set years after that and is mostly angst, intimacy, and sex.

🤍 World Standing Still by @afirethatcannotdie --- [fic post]

larry | 2k | teen and up

AU. A first meeting in a pub doesn't go so well.

🤍 Virginia is for Lovers by @haztobegood --- [fic post]

narry friendship | 1k | general audiences

Harry and Niall go hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

🤍 For Ten Minutes Straight by @a-brighter-yellow --- [fic post]

larry | 1k | explicit

Louis has a ritual for when Harry's away – and a good reason for keeping it private.

🤍 It's Just a Song on the Radio by @afireinsidethoseeyes --- [fic post]

nouis | 890 | general audiences

Niall is finally starting to feel okay again after his break up with Louis. Until he hears Louis' song on the radio. Suddenly, he can't get Louis, or the cause of their breakup, out of his head.

🌸 HP 🌸

🤍 The Compact by @astolat --- [fic post]

drarry | 64k | explicit

Hermione frowned. “The real question is why the magic of Britain would be failing now, in fact.”

“That is not the real question!” Ron said loudly; he’d woken up fully by now, and Harry had too; it was starting to sink in that they’d found the problem. “The real question is, how do we fix it?”

#28th appreciation #june 2022 #fic rec #my recs #my lists

[vinbee631]

10 - Intermission: How Would You Like a Friendly Competition? (Let’s Take On the Song) 

Prodigal Sons and Daughters Alike

“Remus!” The art student in question jumped out of his skin as his twin burst into his room one afternoon. “Jesus, who died?! Or, is it good news? I can tell from just- screaming.”

(The school van in question later in the fic, they're good for wheelchair transport, but riding in the ones they convert to hold 14 students for field trips is my personal hell)

Chapter title from Me Against the Music - LP Version by Madonna and Britney Spears, the better version to me :) Also, cw, they do play laser tag, so like- gun violence? But for high schoolers? Nobody gets hurt but it's a pretty in depth description if that bothers you

“Remus!” The art student in question jumped out of his skin as his twin burst into his room one afternoon. “Jesus, who died?! Or, is it good news? I can tell from just- screaming.”

“Quit teasing, this is important!” Roman declared, hopping on Remus’ bed and crossing his legs.

“Sure, just make yourself comfortable, I guess,” he joked, “but go on. What is it that you’re dragging me into this time?” 

“You say as if you don’t regularly drag me into shit all the time. You dragged me into this school,” he pointed out helpfully.

“Alright, I get it, just cut to the chase! I’m invested now,” Remus urged with a smile.

“Okay, okay! Soo, I found another poster, and it’s even better than the hike one! There are these, like, mini field trips they’re gonna start doing tomorrow, and they go to all kinds of cool places! I was gonna invite the others, too, but I wanted to bring it up to you first!” 

“Uh, yeah sure!” Remus agreed instantly with a smile that didn’t quite reach is eyes. “We inviting Virgil, too?” 

Roman started, starting at his brother as he processed the statement. Something was… off about him. And he could tell exactly what, and who, it was related to.

“You know what? No, we’re not doing this. The others can go as a group of three, or four if they wanna open that can of worms, but this is gonna be a sibling day. You’re so- keyed up over this Virgil situation, and I am not going to watch as you wear yourself to the ground! We’re taking a break, and we’re doing it twin style!”

“And you’ve just… decided this for me? Bet, I guess, where are we going?” Remus chuckled, though Roman was relieved to see some of the tension leak out of his shoulders and frown lines.

And then, he grinned brightly, tugging his flustered twin out the door. “Well, we gotta sign up first! That’s what I was trying to tell you! There are a couple of different places, and initially, I was gonna get everyone’s opinions but starting with you, but now we can just decide together, c’mon!” 

Remus hopped along behind him, haphazardly tugging on his shoes and slamming the door shut behind him. “Jeez, okay, okay! I’m coming, slow down!”

Roman laughed, racing down the hall with his brother in tow. They skidded to a stop in the lobby, where a small group of freshmen they didn’t know were gathered around a clipboard. 

“So, there are different clipboards for different grade levels, so we might have to wait a bit, but…” Roman paused, craning his neck to read the announcement, “We can choose from a trip to a little shopping center in Gainesville… an- I think that says laser tag? And a ‘nature hike’ at the one nature center that we drove past on the way here. But, I mean, we kinda already did that.” 

Remus perked up. “I dunno about you, but if we don’t do the laser tag, I might lose it,” he decided. Roman quickly nodded in agreement and they rushed to fill out the paperwork they needed. 

“At least we don’t have to convince Mom and Pops this time,” Roman huffed, making his brother laugh. 

“Exactly! All we have to worry about is having fun! Oh, and me kicking your ass at laser tag.”

Roman huffed. “Says you! I believe it will be me doing the ass-kicking here!” 

The whole walk back to their dorms, the boys bickered halfheartedly about supposed asses being kicked, but Roman wasn’t all too worried about that anyway, when his brother was smiling bigger than he’d seen in days.

…

Remus was happy he loved his classes so much, otherwise the waiting for them to be over would have been torturous. 

The field trips here didn’t work the same way as in other schools. The laser tag trip wouldn’t get them out of class. Instead, it gave them something to do in the afternoon.

It didn’t make waiting for it particularly easy, but Remus did appreciate that he didn’t have to miss out on the best class schedule he ever had to hang out with his brother. 

That was, arguably, the best part, having some (somewhat) private time to bond with his brother. Roman was the reason he’d been brave enough to come to this crazy place, anyway, and they’d barely had time to hang out alone since they got there!

And then, of course, the whole Virgil thing had been happening, so Remus had been a bit too distracted to think about quality time with Roman. 

Now, there was nothing stopping him from that time! He wiggled excitedly at the thought as the bell rang for the end of his last class. 

He met up with Roman less than a minute after the bell at the front of the school. There were a few other kids coming, but Remus didn’t recognize any of them and Roman was too excited about brother bonding time to worry about any of them. 

The twins easily recognized the school van they were giong to be taking on this trip, considering it was shockingly similar to public school vans. It briefly made Remus wonder where you could even buy one of these things, not that he wanted one. They were the kind of ugly only a school transporation vehicle could be.

He hadn’t noticed, but while he was lost in thought, they had started moving, and Roman had started talking. He tried to zone back into the conversation, but being zoned out in the first place tended to open up his mind to wandering- very far away… and now he was thinking about Virgil.

It probably wasn’t fair to be upset with him, and Remus wasn’t really. He was simply… frustrated about the hoops he had to jump through to talk to him. Virgil was excruciatingly closed off, and if only Remus knew why. That would certainly help him figure out a better way to ease him into communicating. 

But that was also kind of exhausting, and he had plenty of other things he should be putting that energy into instead. It was totally worth it to put energy into caring about his friends! But when that energy wasn’t being reciprocated, it was going to get to a point where this wasn’t a healthy exhange.

Remus really didn’t want to give up on him, but it was starting to look like he might have to eventually. 

He zoned back in to see Roman leaned very into his personal space, making eye contact to try and break him out of his brain. His twin smiled when Remus met that gaze. 

“So, you’ve obviously still got something on your mind,” Roman stated, leaning back to sit next to him once more, “and you’re gonna talk about it. Right now, preferably.”

“I… yeah. I’m still stuck on the Virgil thing, I guess. Like… I’m not upset about it, but I… I’m just confused. Being shy is one thing, and not liking me as a person is another, but we’ve barely talked! And he wouldn’t even tell me he was uncomfortable until I’d already done something wrong! I just… really don’t get him, y’know? And I want to get him, in a healthy way, but I can’t!” 

Roman frowned, shifting a bit closer to him. “Well, it might not be a bad time to talk to Dr. Picani about it. You don’t even have to tell him it’s Virgil, but I mean, from what I’ve heard, he gives pretty good advice, maybe even better than mine!”

Remus didn’t fall for the bait of the tease, but he did smile a little. “I- yeah, maybe I will. It’s something to consider, at least. I just wish it was… easier. Being a teenager with emotional problems is hard enough, and when they involve another person, it’s just… ugh, anyway, thanks, Ro. I’ll think about it.” 

“Anytime, Re. And yeah, I get it. Just… don’t wear yourself out worrying about someone else, and honestly? I think it’s gonna work out, anyway.” Roman smiled at his brother as they got comfortable for the rest of the ride home. Maybe he couldn’t help his brother fix all his problems, but he could certainly be there for him everytime. 

And then, their fond moment was swiftly interrupted by their excitement of reaching their destination. 

The boys practically dragged each other out of the back of the van abomanation, only stopping to pay attention to when they had to leave and where they were supposed to meet their chaperone at the end of the day.

And then, they, along with the rest of the group of course, were off. 

They were allowed to play five rounds if they wanted, and they could take breaks in between for snacks, or to check out some of the games nearby as the laser tag place doubled as an arcade.

The twins weren’t really focused on those parts at the moment. They were focused on the fastest way possible to decimate each other in a little friendly competition.

It took a minute to get suited up, and to request being on different teams, and then they had to wait for a full room of other players, which took another five minutes. Then, finally, they were released into the dim space, obstacles speckled with glow-in-the-dark paint flecks and tainted with a distinctly ‘arcade-y smell.

The countdown ended, and they were off.

Remus glanced at the infrared camera in his corner, watching another person on his go sprinting past. No sign of Roman yet, so he turned past one of the odd foam towers and turned to the edge of the space, trying to map out the area in his head.

Roman had started in the opposite corner. If he was strategizing like he normally did, he was most likely searching for other people that were easier to snipe than his brother, to get himself on the leaderboard before finding his actual target. 

He broke out of his momentary brainstorm to jump past another opposing team member, zapping the back of their vest in the process.

One point, Remus. 

A glance up at the scoreboard confirmed he needed to be faster than that, though. He zipped past someone crawling on the floor, jumping over them and scoring another point along the way.

There was a set of kids standing back to back. Remus used two hits in the same spot where their vests touched. 

He was up to four points, Roman was only at three.

Where was he?

Remus turned, flattening himself against a wall and listening to the room. He’d almost done a full lap already, and no Roman? Almost like, his twin was circling at the same time-

*ZAP*

“Oh, you motherfucker!” Remus laughed, squinting at the bright red light pulsing from beneath him on his vest. He had been followed the whole time! 

He shot out in the dark when the red pulsing finally faded, managing to hit someone running past a gap in two obstacles, but not Roman. 

Sensing his twin had made himself scarce for the time being, he took another lap, darting around, and accidentally running into a wall to avoid running into a stranger.

Roman had six points, and so did he.

They were halfway through the round already, only five minutes left to get his brother back. He just needed to find him first.

It was risky, but he took a chance with one of the raised platforms, climbing up and laying on his stomach at first. He took a breath, then jumped up to see who he could find Two…four… five people, he ducked back down. No Roman, but at least he hadn’t been hit.

He jumped down and took another, much more cautious lap.

And there it was, a glint of white in the corner of his eye. He feigned the other direction, and when Roman’s vest popped out, he turned around and shot him right in the chest.

…Yeah, if this wasn’t laser tag, that would have been kind of grim.

He shot away from the pusling red with a gleeful laugh, despite the attention it was probably going to attract. He was one point ahead, but he was tied with his brother in spirit.

Three minutes left.

They ended up circling each other, lasers ringing out and point totals ticking up as the time ticked down. With thirty seconds left, Remus was a point ahead. But that wasn’t enough.

Roman was on his tail, he could feel his eyes. He crouched low to the floor and listened. 

Dumb idea.

Being crouched slowed down his escape, and when his brother pounced, turning a corner and firing his laser, Remus’ only option was to flatten to the ground and try to roll away.

His vest turned red as he lay prone, and the lights turned on

“ROUND OVER. CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM RED.”

Remus groaned, keeping his face pressed to the floor to avoid Roman’s gaze. His twin laughed, offering a hand to help him stand.

“I almost found you, and we tied, anyway!” He complained, jumping up and walking in step with his giggling brother. “Yeah, but ya didn’t, and my team won! Close though, wanna go again?”

“Uh, of course, I wanna go again, I have to win back my honor!”

Roman laughed again, and Remus found that, despite the little disappointment he had and how he was slightly out of breath from running around, he was still able to laugh along.

#sanders sides fanfiction #tss storytime 2023 #cw gun mention #cw gun violence #kinda??? #it's laser tag ok #let the twins have fun for once #remus sanders #roman sanders #cw cursing

[mineofilms]

War of Bantha Poodoo

Israel vs Palestine - My opinion is probably different of it than most. I already posted a blog on this topic about two weeks after the events of 10/7/2023. I took those two weeks to heavily research the disdain both groups have for one another, in that blog, as if I were a freshman in College again, doing a research paper on the subject. If you all want the history lesson you are going to have to read that blog. I am not going to regurgitate it in full here. I cover a lot of what happened before 10/7/2023 there. Here, I am more focused on one Government that is considered by most World Governments as a terrorist group invading another Government that is a sovereign one. Killing its innocent citizens, kidnapping the ones they didn’t kill, murdering of young children and the raping of Israeli women and have that act celebrated as some sort of important claim to independence for Palestinians. Most agree this is and was a horrible act committed but there is a faction that feels the Palestinians of Hamas are just for executing these actions in this fashion. The blog on the history and my feelings up to that point can be found below.

—See— —Eradicatio— Latin for Eradication https://mineofilms.me/121-2/ —Historical Topics That Are Relevant, See—

• 1000 BC – Roman Empire rebranding the territory Palestine. • 1923 – Britain. When we finally get to “modern-day.” • 1948 – "al-Nakba" – Creation of the state of Israel. • 1967 – 6-Day War. • 1987-1993 – The First Intifada. • 2000-2005 – The Second Intifada. • 2018 – The relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem.

There is quite a lot of back and forth by both sides. Both sides are not innocent here on how it came to this. Cause and Effect has had, and will have, its say when the dust settles, if the dust settles. History says, it will not settle any time soon. These people have an over 1,000+ year rich history of hatred towards one another; along with stretches where they lived together without much conflict. Much of the sentiment stems from the aftermath of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. As I said, read that blog for the history regurgitation. I came to the conclusion that there isn’t a whole lot of difference between this struggle and our own binary positions, specifically with American politics being so polarizingly binary: yes/no, us/them, good/evil, right/wrong, left/right, zero/one, gay/straight, black/white, man/woman, Jew/Muslim, Life/Death. You get the idea. Sources are biased, especially ones from the legacy news media from both left/right sides. Both are spinning their takes as political pandering of right/wrong vs what right/wrong actually are.

All of a sudden our society in the 2020s treats right/wrong as a subjective experience. If I would have said that back at Venice High School in 1996, they never would have allowed me back into the school. I personally will not accept right/wrong as a subjective experience. That right/wrong are definitive things that have definitive meanings. Not subjective ones. I will not concede the concept of right/wrong is based on my mood and how people talk to me in the morning after sleeping two hours and I haven’t even pissed yet. It should never require a master’s degree in ‘semantics’ to understand what right or wrong is. Why Right/Wrong are now as difficult as reading/interpreting the law? We all may never know. We can speculate all we want, but is that speculation subjective or objective? I am seeing a whole lot of things out in our everyday society, mainly from and on the INTERNET, coming from mostly large cities, and younger people who really do not have an intellectual grasp on this subject; that are basing their opinion on subjective experiences/feelings on the matter. Where the last thing we should be doing as a species is pandering to subjective feelings. Anyone can look at a map and say: “oh, these two groups are not going to play well together in the sandbox.” It’s literally a sandbox they are fighting over. Nothing grows in the sand. Not even hope. We can only think retrospectively that in 1948 they never should have allowed these two groups of people to be so close to one another. Retrospectively, I do not know how anyone thought this was a good idea?

The more we are ALL supposed to know…

The Pro-Palestinian movement has picked a terrible opportunity here to use ‘rhetoric’ as ‘semantics’ to gain sympathy towards their cause. I never learned much about the Palestinian struggle. I wasn’t interested. I am still not very interested. I looked into this because I wanted to comment on it and I needed a solid understanding of both points of view. Now in order to really understand this FK’n mess we need to define a few words here. There needs to be a clear understanding of what these words mean and represent.

—Context— —Rhetoric— —Semantics— —Shall We Begin—

Context – often overlooked… The linchpin of meaningful conversation… Dictionary-defined as the circumstances surrounding a statement. Understanding what's really meant. Without it, conversations turn into chaotic word games that go in circles or nowhere at all.

• Sometimes Start Fights… • Sometimes End Friendships… • Sometimes End Marriages… • Sometimes Creates Drama Where None Existed Before… • Supposed to Create Logical UNDERSTANDING…

To engage in meaningful discussions, 'context' must take center stage. It's not just background details; it's the key to unraveling the maze of misunderstanding communication at all. Intention and Context may not be one in the same, all of the time, or even some of the time. If you do not have an understanding of the contextual value of something the opinion you may have from that lack of understanding may not actually represent what you want it to represent.

Rhetoric – A classic definition of ‘rhetoric’ is the art of persuasive communication or the study of effective persuasion and speaking. It involves using language and various communication methods to influence an audience or individual. However, it's important to note that ‘rhetoric’ isn't just about playing with words to manipulate others. It's about honest and effective communication, aiming to persuade based on the merits of your argument rather than relying solely on magic tricks with words. ‘Rhetoric’ should be used ethically and persuasively to convey meaningful ideas and engage an audience. ‘Rhetoric’ may involve other means of communication to influence others, either orally or in writing. It encompasses various techniques and strategies for convincing, motivating, or engaging an audience through the skillful use of language and persuasive tactics. ‘Rhetoric’ is not limited to just persuasion but also includes elements like the organization of arguments, the choice of words, and the appeal to emotions, logic, and ethics to make a compelling case. Talking or writing in a way that's really good at convincing people about something. It's all about using words and other ways of speaking or writing to make people believe what you're saying. It's not just about talking nicely, but also about arranging your ideas, choosing the right words, and making your audience feel something, think something, or trust you more.

So, it's basically about being really good at talking and writing to get your point across.

Nothing in that definition says that the person’s merit has to be based on actual evidence-based facts, merely that the person or group spewing the ‘rhetoric’ is good at articulating words in such a way they could convince an audience that 1+1=3 and the human race has had it wrong for thousands of years. It is important to note that ‘rhetoric’ doesn’t mean or even imply that the information being presented is accurate data. Only that the argument has structure ‘to possibly sway’ public opinion on the argument. When used out of context as ‘semantics,’ disguised as ‘rhetoric,’ you could have a completely false narrative, with bull shit data and “pseudo-facts,” whereas, the word ‘pseudo’ literally means “made-up…”

Semantics – The classic definition of ‘semantics’ is the study of meaning in language, which includes how words and symbols represent concepts and how they relate to one another. It focuses on understanding language at a fundamental level.

If someone is using ‘rhetoric’ and trying to pass it off as ‘semantics,’ it's essential to clarify the difference. ‘Rhetoric’ involves using persuasive techniques to influence an audience, often focusing on style and the emotional impact of language. ‘Semantics,’ on the other hand, is about the actual meaning of words and their relationships. So, it's important not to confuse the two. If someone is more interested in persuasive language, they might be leaning towards ‘rhetoric,’ but ‘semantics’ is about the core-elements and concepts of meaning in language.

Now that we know what these three words mean we can actually talk about this stuff.

In politics, it's as if the entire landscape has succumbed to binary thinking, obscuring the subtleties of complex issues. ‘Rhetoric’ lacks a three-dimensional approach to understanding, focusing on concrete facts, evidence, and genuine knowledge. However, concepts are thrown out there claiming to be ‘semantic’ in nature. A terrorist group, that claims to be a Government for its people, illegally invades a sovereign country, kills 1500 of its citizens and capturing another 237. Sexual assault on women and killing of children on top of that is somehow being spun as a good thing for freedom. If that happened in the United States there would be a massive hole where the group that perpetrated this once stood. However, for some reason because there have been bad choices by both groups over the years, on how to deal with one another, and each other’s grievances. It is ok to commit outright terrorism and because this group his hiding among the public of the area they control that they should be given some sort of immunity or special treatment. Morally, they are expecting Israel to play by a special rulebook while Hamas and Palestine play by their own or openly break the rulebook that is supposed to be followed during situations like this.   

Israel is very capable of handling this on their own, at their own pace. They really do not need the United States’ assistance here with the physical part of this conflict. We would only need to intervene if other Palestinian Governments decided to join forces and attack Israel, specifically Iran. Iran has been attacking US military installations in the area for some time now and most of it is not being reported. Israel has been prepping for this war for a while now and were just waiting on their version of 9/11 to get the war going. Israel is one of the most heavily protected boarders on the planet. A cock roach couldn’t shit within 1,000 feet of the boarder without the IDS (Israeli Defense System) detecting it. How exactly did Hamas soldiers in paragliders and hundreds of missiles have made it past the IDS and the Iron Dome Missile Defense System? Could they have allowed this to happen? I do not know… Israel may very well sacrificed its own citizens as an excuse to commit this eradication of Hamas. Is that fair?That isn’t for me to know and even if they did, what business is it of ours? Both sides really do not want peace. Both sides prefer it this way. I was told that if I am neutral that I am part of the problem. Being Neutral here is not part of the problem. Choosing sides, however, is a huge part of the problem. It’s in their actions, perhaps not their words directly. However, Palestinians are not shy about their true feelings here about how/what/why they hate Israel.

I am overly exhausted watching people who are supposed to represent all of us use emotional arguments (subjective-feelings) from ALL peoples to handle problems that need more logic, common sense, and critical thinking and less political pandering and emotional feelings without allowing factual data into the argument. You cannot argue or debate ‘semantics’ with “political pandering rhetoric” and expect people who use logic, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to accept that ‘rhetoric’ as ‘semantics.’ Go back and reread those definitions. ‘Rhetoric’ does not have to include factual information. ‘Semantics’ is about the actual meaning of a word or the phrases. The actual meaning would be based on factual information. ‘Rhetoric’ only needs to appear factual. To argue or debate using “political pandering rhetoric” as if it were ‘semantics’ can be misleading and will not be accepted by those who rely on logic, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to analyze language and its actual, real, meaning.

INDEED, a rich history to say the least between these two groups of people. It is not entirely fair what we have here and I do feel for the non-violent-disposed-innocent-Palestinian people that are suffering and would have no issue living in a community with their fellow Jew. However, their argument is null and void when their resolve is to wipe Israel and Jews off the planet, rape girls, kill old people and behead babies. Granted not all Palestinians are filthy baby killers or Jew haters. However, it is heavily implied and Israel, who is the only democratic state in the region is just turning the other cheek here. Is it fair? No… Is it right or just? Subjective…

I say this a lot; that a thing is not deserved. However, it is earned. Cause and Effect… Both sides did the causes to warrant the effect. No one in the area and culture deserves this. However, they earned it… They did the “hard” work to get here. If Mexico was labeled a terrorist group, they should be, and then a sub group from Mexico that are Mexicans, and say they represent all of Mexico, attacked United States citizens on US soil. How do you think the USA would react to this? 10/7/2023 happened. On 10/8/2023 The Gaza Strip would have been a nuclear wasteland. Is that reaction warranted? I really do not know. Really, I don’t… I know that if it were me, I would have made an example out of this area so that all groups in the area now know, definitively. “F**K AROUND AND FIND OUT…”

There is a potential here for this conflict to get so out of hand that World War III could start. Just like in Star Trek their fictional-reality of Earth’s World War III, a series of events happened that help to kick off the war. In that reality it was the Eugenics Wars, which seem, now, not to be wars at all, but more like political conflicts and when the dust settled the World Powers then went to war, years later that left the Earth a near wasteland till the events of Star Trek: First Contact and Warp Speed being invented. The logic is sound that if Iran decided to get even more involved than they have been that this could be the event that kicks things off. However, it wouldn’t be Iran that literally started this war but the one’s that pushed over the first domino. One side says Jews/Israel and one side says Hamas/Palestinian/Muslims. So we’re back to that binary mechanism again. You are trapped in a room. Air is free… However, you must choose the odor in which you breathe. Your choices are Pooh or Piss. You must choose one or the other. You cannot NOT choose or you cannot have a third choice. If you want air at all you must pick the odor from the binary choices given. Now choose… That is my whole point. “I’m neither a DEMOCRAT nor a REPUBLICAN.” Binary information systems are only logical if both sides of the coin keep believing one side is right/good and the other is wrong/bad. Once you eliminate that as the-be-all-end-all it is very easy to see a triangle as a pyramid, a sphere rather than a circle, and/or the puppet master pulling the strings of the coin’s favor. Is it a heads or tails? Piss or Pooh? No other options exist! What say you? What do we know about this process of taking binary mechanisms literal? It is never that simple, nor will it ever be, but we still play the pretend game that we have a choice. People ask me all the time what side I am on. I am on the side of logic… Bad answer if ones’ believe good/bad, right/wrong exist as the only choices.

I am afraid we may just be going in that direction of a bigger conflict. This might not be so much World War III but perhaps just part of this “great reset” I keep seeing here and there. The question I have is if this does get worse and the USA does get involved; is the United States of America going to finally layout its technological advantage we have on the planet? Are we gonna continue to play it like we are not really capable of handling things like a war anymore? I feel like, if we wanted to, we could squash this pretty quickly once we lower the veil on our actual and real technological military might. We absolutely do not have the stomach for it politically anymore. However, the toys we show off to the global stage are not the actual toys we would use in a major conflict with other militaries that say they have comparable military power. I don’t know much about this international stuff. I felt like we should have gone back to isolationists at the turn of the century and lock the borders down, shoot on site if anyone tries to cross over illegally. I know that isn’t a popular take but it is what I think we should have done, be doing currently. America first… Then we can try to save the world… I know that if one side plays dirty, why is it a surprise when the other side does the same thing? On 10/7/2023 Hamas broke “The Geneva Convention.” However, for some reason that fact isn’t just overlooked, it is downright ignored by the Pro-Palestinian contingent of young people in the United States protesting.

As we mush on with this communication there will be more instances where Israel has tried to make peace and most of Palestine has rejected and walked away from negotiations every time. If anyone wants to prove me wrong at something they have to match what I have presented. They have to show me where/how/why/what I am wrong about. Simply saying I am wrong and then calling me names because you may not be happy with what I got to say doesn’t change what I am saying as right/wrong. Just from your point of view of subjectivity. They have to have some logic to it. If it’s just ‘rhetoric’ trying to be ‘semantics’ it will show. It will come out. Staying neutral is my protest against both groups who use ‘rhetoric,’ religion and social media to garner a response from all of us. I refuse to play into that binary game. I am not intimidating… Others are just the intimidated. There is a difference. I am not mean, hostile or aggressive. I am direct, honest, logical and assertive. That makes weaker minds uncomfortable. It is not ME that makes them uncomfortable, my LOGIC challenges their comfort. I might as well be a Jew in the eyes of a Palestinian or Pro-Hamas supporter and therein lies the problem. I will not be less for anyone so they may feel superior and feel better about their situation. I am not wired that way. I never was… Other’s weaknesses are not my weaknesses just like my strengths are not their strengths and vice versa.

On 10/30/2023, alternatively the day before Halloween, sometimes called “Devil's Night,” or known as “Mischief Night;” the well-known American conservative political commentator, author, lawyer, and public speaker, Ben Shapiro, was invited to speak at the Oxford Union which brought a ton of backlash from protesters. Ben spoke in depth, as always, on the conflict taking place in Israel and Gaza at the famed hall. Below is a very important exchange here with a Pro-Palestinian Woman. This conversation is full of ‘rhetoric’ being claimed as ‘semantic’ in nature. What Ben did here is, almost effortlessly, like a Savant Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man.” Almost emotionless, breaks down the points where both Pro-Palestinian sentiment fails and why Hamas is failing. He does it with logic and common sense, but also a little cutthroat ruthlessness as he should be. 10/7/2023 happened. People, with lots of FK’n money, are pissed off AF… The Jews want Hamas’s heads on sticks, all lined up for Palestine to take notice and as a warning of future attacks. Israel is using this attack as an excuse to bomb how they bomb and make those heads appear on those sticks. Yes, civilians are caught up in the crossfire, they are, but so what? Israel is within their rights to do so. Is it fair? Is it right? Is it just? No… Of course not. Pro-Palestine says Israel is targeting innocent citizens, where Israel is saying it isn’t purposeful that Hamas is using innocent citizens as human shields. Hamas should give up. If they really care about Palestine, the cause, and care about peace they must surrender. That is the only way this ends with some of them left alive. Israel no longer gives any FKs. Ok, some FKs… Ben breaks it down on the whys where the woman stumbles over her words and tries to make loose connections from a limited or unrepresentative set of evidence, which can lead to inaccurate or biased beliefs. See, "hasty generalization" or "jumping to conclusions." This type of logical fallacy where someone draws a broad conclusion from a limited or unrepresentative set of evidence, which can lead to inaccurate or biased beliefs and Ben throws it right back in her face. It's important to encourage logic, critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning to avoid falling into cognitive traps like this. Very rarely do people get a drop-mic moment against Ben Shapiro. The man is a wizard debater and always comes overly prepared.

The exchange is about 2-3 minutes and I implore everyone to watch it if they actually want a real opinion on this conflict. I may write an entire blog on this exchange due to it being a great example of using ‘rhetoric’ displayed as ‘semantics,’ with the expectation the ‘rhetoric’ being spewed is based on real facts on the subject. This maybe important down the road if the conflict continues to grow. So we will see if I ever get around to writing this in full or not. I have my own thoughts on the specifics of the conversation. The points here are very important and are associated to my first blog on this subject, this is likely, my last blog on the subject. I need to move onto other things but this was an interesting exchange and I feel like the points are very important…

Ben Shapiro at Oxford: https://youtu.be/-1NFirxhXWE?si=8HrOgXfN5YEfICaK&t=638 A Brief Summary of the Main Points of the Debate:

Pro-Palestinian Woman:

• Israel’s justification in the deaths of civilians due to 10/7/2023. • Rhetoric on what Israel has done to Palestine. • Rhetoric on Israel does the same thing as Hamas. • Rhetoric on Gaza being densely populated by Palestinians. • Rhetoric on the death toll of Palestinian children in Gaza by Israeli attacks. • Rhetoric on where are the children supposed to go. • Rhetoric on moral equivalency of the death toll comparisons. • Rhetoric on this isn't a conflict, this is one-sided ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. • Rhetoric on Britain wasn't bombing civilian targets during World War II. • Rhetoric comparing Israel to the Nazis for how they are conducting operations. • Rhetoric on Israel killing civilians for the past 75 years. • Calls out Ben for his responses. • Answers Ben’s question to her; on there would not be a Palestinian state. • Answers Ben’s question to her; all of Palestine but not for the destruction of Jews. • Semantics on Palestinians and Jews living under one state with equal rights for all.

Ben Shapiro:

• Semantics on death toll and cost of war. That is just a reality of life in war… • Asks question on moral difference between what Hamas does to civilians vs war. • Asks question on Hamas’s immunity being in a densely populated area of civilians. • Semantics on Hamas’s violation of the Geneva Convention. • Asks semantic question on moral difference between World War II civilian casualties. • Semantics on that Britain did actually bomb civilian targets in World War II. • Semantics on is it just to commit 10/7/2023. • Semantics on Israel does not purposefully kill civilians, Palestinian terrorists do… • Rhetoric on if Israel put down their guns tomorrow there would be a second Holocaust. If the Palestinians put down their guns tomorrow there would be a Palestinian state. That is the reality… • Asks woman question on “Which part of Palestine is occupied?” • Response to woman’s question with: thanking her for expressing her full genocidal intent for the Jewish people living between the river and the sea. • Rhetoric answer to woman’s question on a one state where those governing the Gaza Strip where currently zero Jews live could work or not.

My Interpretation of this Section of the Debate:

I mean Ben’s not wrong here. He is just calling a spade a spade. I still do not agree, verbatim, that Israel is totally innocent on how we got here. Cause and effect, but they have tried over the years to ease tensions and have offered many proposals over the years to attempt to have more stability in the region between the two groups. Violence... This... This is ALL what Hamas and groups like Hamas understand. To the people that say violence never sorts out problems. Tell that to these two groups of people. It's all they know. For all the word salads of ‘rhetoric’ that the Pro-Palestinian sentiment is spewing. What Ben says here is correct. A Free-Palestine needs to separate itself from Hamas, groups like Hamas or their argument will not be heard. They are sort of like the Republican Party, as a whole, in that respect. They cannot unite. There are a bunch of smaller groups within the main group with their own understanding and goals. They end-fight to death with one another and then you get sprinter groups pulling a 10/7. If Pro-Palestine didn’t doubled-down on stupidity over trying to unite with Israel to get rid of Hamas and other Terrorist groups like Hamas. This story would have a much different ending. Now innocent people have died. More innocent people will die.  That doesn't scream narcissistic-sociopathy or anything...

Ultimately the Palestinians have rejected just about ALL attempts at a peaceful resolution over the years.

—See— • 1937 – Peel Commission. • 1947 – Jerusalem Internationalized (Resolution 181 (II) of 1947). • 1993 – Oslo Accords. • 1998 – Wye River Memorandum. • 2000 – HUD Barracks and the Second Intifada. • 2008 – The Annapolis Conference, Olmert’s offer.

Every single peace deal that has been proposed by Israel, the United States of America, the United Nations or anyone else has been rejected by the Palestinians. The alleged reasoning for this is Palestinian groups, Governments, countries in the region do not accept that there should be a Jewish State anywhere in the region of Palestine. As long as that's the case there's literally nothing to argue about from the perspective of Israel. They are a sovereign country just as the United States of America is and should be allowed to defend its borders, attack other countries who plan, sneak attack them, openly murder 1500 of its innocent civilians, in their own territory, take 233 of them, at last count, herd them into tunnels, rape the females and massacre the children and babies without the World pointing fingers at them as “Evil People.” Based on that criteria who seems evil here? Not all Palestinians want the death of Israel. However, many of them do. Many of them, this is their way of life.

• They use ‘rhetoric’ as ‘semantics.’ • They use other phrasing and subjectivity to justify their stance on Free-Palestine.

What we are not doing very collectively is point out that this sentiment is really about the destruction of Israel as a sovereign state by any means necessary. Have we all forgotten 9/11 so soon already? Does the average American still look at Muslims without suspicion? There is an idea of peace, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real peace, only an entity, something illusory, and though we can hide our cold gaze and we can shake our heads and feel love, hate and maybe we can even sense our lives may actually be comparable: we simply are not there. We are not listening. We have all the characteristics of human beings—flesh, blood, skin, hair—but our tendencies to depersonalize is so intense, had gone so deep, that our normal ability to feel compassion had been eradicated, the victim of a slow, purposeful erasure of humanity, life, love and then death. We are simply imitating reality, a rough resemblance of human beings, with only a dim corner of our minds, bodies and souls functioning.

“Is evil something you are? Or is it something you do?” ~Patrick Bateman in Bret Easton Ellis’s, American Psycho

War of Bantha Poodoo by David-Angelo Mineo 11/9/2023 4,865 Words

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[alyjojo]

Past Life 🗿 Karmic Spread August 2023 - Taurus

Gender I’m Picking Up On (in the past life): Male

Who You Were: Judgement

What You Did: 3 Cups & 4 Wands rev

How It Ended: 4 Swords & The Fool rev

What Karma Was Brought With You: Justice & 3 Pentacles rev

Who You Brought With You: King of Pentacles & 4 Pentacles

Additional energy: 9 Pentacles

Past Life Oracle: Wars and Battles, Greco-Roman, Imprisonment or Slavery

Dreaming Way: Child & Key

Charm:

Bloom 🌸 on King of Pentacles rev

Apple 🍎 on King of Swords

Key 🔑 on Child

Romantic Music 🎼 on 3 Pentacles rev

Whew, I’ve been waiting for this one! Cap was similar, the way you earth signs have me researching things I know nothing about. You two put me to work 😛 I eat it up. If I have an inkling, a hint, a clear impression, something that stands out, I jump right down that rabbit hole trying to find more, and your reading gave me enough to run with. Information and the Wiki link is posted at the end, I’ll refrain from repeating too much of what you’ll read on that page.

How I found you, Europe, freedom/rights for prisoners of war, highly intellectual, and “Child is the Key”, which is here for you twice. You were first a child prodigy, exceptionally brilliant and earning your place at the adult scholar table at 11 (whaaat?), publishing your first book at 16, and later a prisoner that escaped in a trunk of books, then used that experience to make an impactful change on how prisoners are treated, and a master of many different things throughout your life. A scholar, writer, jurist & teacher above all, you were extremely clever in strategy & application of your knowledge & personal philosophies, especially towards politics, and human “rights” or the lack of. You had a way with others and often worked with others that agreed with you and shared your influence, in order to achieve a greater end.

How you died was of injuries following an accident, shown as a shipwreck via Wiki, and you were already dealing with illness before this occurred, it was just the nail in the coffin.

In this life, you do extremely well for yourself financially, and probably come from a higher class or “important” family. There is a divorce here, likely your parents. Both parents are from past lives with you, clarifying showed The Empress too, but only your father was in this one being described. He is where you get many of your traits from, both positive and negative. Positively, he is a brilliant and responsible businessman with old fashioned and conservative morals & beliefs that one would regard as “regal” or even “snobbish” on some level, the negatives are that he is so far disconnected from the reality of life, love, family, struggle, spirituality outside of a box (or a book), he’s downright greedy. Greedy with finances, emotions, his time, he tends to look down on others as if they would need a purpose for even speaking to him, or they are wasting his time. He is likely another earth sign, your mother shows up as one too possibly.

Where the song or music fits in, only you will know, it’s attached to sadness and loss of this bond, the family unit. Could’ve been their wedding song and it’s one of your favorites or there’s a particular song you played a lot while going through this separation. Someone may be a musician. It could be separate entirely. Because 4 Swords shows up in both lives, it could be a scar or injury you’ve always had that’s made it difficult to play music, or you had to quit music and it is a deep wound. If physical, it’s in the same place you were injured before death. You could simply have tried dipping your toe into the music scene and couldn’t get the cooperation, band mates & fans necessary to take it further. If so, it was karmic. You had many helpers and fellow scholars in the last life, this life feels more solo & family directed.

Your mother is the catalyst for the divorce, she is completely financially stable and secure on her own, and encourages you not to get married, due to finances and things not working out. There is a coldness between the parents that stem from your father and bleed into your mother…I think she intended on forever, but was married to a checkbook with a heart of stone - that’s what I’m getting from her. She wants romance & emotional expression.

Where you come in, is you seem to have your father’s sense of emotions, morals, values, financial sense & love of business. He is successful and so are you, you could work together, this could be a family business. But your lesson is to flip this King of Pentacles rev with Daisy, recognize the flaws of your father within yourself with a high focus on putting work & money over family and love. It’s shadow work. Think back to childhood and the things you wish you could’ve done with your father, or times when he “dismissed” you and you felt small. Then apply this to yourself. The flower shows growth is possible after it is faced, and you may even be a catalyst for change or realizations in your father too, just by being an example. Your whole karmic purpose here is generational healing, which I see a lot with Taurus energy. 2 Wands shows you have a choice, nothing is set in stone, you can be exactly like your father, or consciously choose to be kinder, more generous, softer, loving, while still holding on to the values & gifts you both share. I do get a family for you, children, whether they’re here yet or not idk, and the difficult dynamic between you & Dad can end if you want it to, or your own children may carry on the tradition and act in the same ways, mirror the same experiences. This is where your control really lies 🙏 Or maybe when you realize it. Again, you’re playing a more “humane” role in a situation that has been too harsh, rigid, and conservative, as you did in the past, just in a different way.

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(The first formal call for the humane treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) came in 1625 from the Dutch lawyer Hugo Grotius in The Laws of War and Peace, for which Grotius has been called the "father of international law".)

#taurus tarot reading #past life #karma #karmic #past life reading #august 2023 #Taurus #tarot