Tumgik
#complete desperation for more twilight blog content
Text
ATTENTION TWILIGHT BASED TUMBLR USERS
please please PLEASE like this post so I can follow you because I need more twilight content and I can only find so many blogs by myself. make yourself visible you bunch of bloodsuckers
Tumblr media
ft. my favorite pic of bella and edward because nothing is better than her angry sass and his little knowing smirk
375 notes · View notes
therealvinelle · 2 years
Note
ive always volturi are necessary to vampires/humanity being balanced u tellin me ppl on tumblr really think theyre the villains??? i thought we were past that....
Anon was rendered scandalized by this post.
And I am rendered bamboozled by anon. I desperately want to know which Twilight blogs you've been following, because most of the ones I follow still very much maintain that the Volturi are evil, Aro has vampire dementia, the guard is enslaved, and so on.
The idea that the Volturi are good guys, that Aro is a necessary evil at worst and a good and wise ruler at best, is very much a heretic one. It requires disowning the movies completely (as the Volturi are very much hammy evil in the movies) and taking quite a few steps back and tilting your head to examine the events of canon as neutrally as you can.
It also, quite frankly, requires agreeing with me and @thecarnivorousmuffinmeta. Obviously people could come up with these answers by themselves, but so far as I can tell it was Muffin and I that originated the thought that Aro is a genuinely good person, the whole Othello idea, that the guard are likely not enslaved, that it's unlikely Aro had anything to do with the Eclipse debacle, and that the Volturi are necessary. I never saw anyone claim these things prior to Muffin and I entering the playing field, and I've read a lot of fanfiction and lurked in fandom a lot. I think Immortalicum (GREAT fic, I strongly recommend it) by HallowedHuntress pins Eclipse on Caius, but that's all that comes to mind. And I've consumed a lot of fandom content, both in terms of metas and fics.
Point being, while it's completely possible others had these thoughts before Muffin and I did, I never saw it and I never saw anyone put it together to form the specific narrative that Muffin and I did. Which makes it different from fandom-wide theories, the ones that are crowdfounded organically by a group of people. Agreeing with this narrative means saying "Yup, I subscribe to the Muffinelle newsletter", which in turn carries implications for "I agree with the other nonsense as well".
And there's a lot of nonsense on our blogs.
I imagine there are plenty of people who have seen one too many Paranoid Bella posts and decided "yeah, those people are nuts" and frankly, uh, hard agree.
And I imagine a lot of people plainly disagree. Muffin and I interpret canon in a very specific way, others interpret it differently, and it has nothing to do with the movies or with how you examine the events of canon. Look at other people's fanfiction, at other tumblr blogs, and see for yourself. And the thing is, they're not wrong, any more than Muffin and I are wrong.
I disagree with the notion that the Volturi are evil, and will happily argue against it, but at the end of the day there are no real Volturi, and so they can be neither good nor evil. There's no right answer, only thought experiments and canon interpretations, and that's the fun of it.
89 notes · View notes
luimagines · 3 years
Note
Maybe you caring for the chain? Like doing small things like helping tend to their wounds or brushing their hair. Love the blog btw!
Masterlist
A little TLC?
A little Fluff?
That's my JAM! You got it hun!
It's gonna be in bullet point list because I can.
Content under the cut!
Time
Can you imagine this guy?
It's late at night and you wake up unexpectantly.
It was supposed to be your shift but it's way past that
It's even past the shift after yours
Time is still by the fire pit
Awake
You get up
You walk over to him
Place a hand on his shoulder
He looks up at you, tired as hell
He knows he's been caught.
"It's past your bed time Old Man"
"I just wanted to give everyone a little break."
And like?!
You push him aside gently and he lets you sit next to him.
You pull him towards you and you place his head on your lap
"What am I going to do with you?"
"It's not your job to take care of me."
"Someone has to. Malon will have our heads if you come back home any less than how you left."
You start running your fingers through his hair and he closes his eyes in bliss.
It's quiet and neither of you say anything.
Time quickly falls asleep from your touch and you stay up to take your watch.
You take the next watch after as well.
Soon enough the sun rises.
And you let Time sleep in.
Twilight
What about Twilight?
Twilight was mid battle, fighting multiple bokoblins at once.
At some point he had lost his sword.
This boy hunkers down and starts swinging.
It's a one on five boxing match.
Twilight, to say the least, is not unharmed by the end of it.
You notice that he's not stable on his feet and has a few bloodied patches on his clothes, not to mention the (hopefully) small cut on his forehead.
It's more blood than you'd like to see.
You're quick to help and let him lean into your side.
You bring to the side of the fire, quickly taking out your personal med pack and begin to clean his face.
He's not seeing straight so he starts to speak nonsense.
"Twilight honey, please, don't." You try not to laugh.
"Have you seen them though?"
He's talking about you.
"They're so amazing. Did you know that? They're so cool. They know so much about history and animals and plants."
"Twilight please, I can't reach the cut. I need to disinfect it."
"And animals and Epona and Epona likes them so much. I want to show them my home and my family. Colin would love them. And I think they and Illia would be best friends."
You're blushing but it's soft and you're smiling because Twilight is smiling and he looks so happy at the thought.
You wave away Hyrule when he comes to check on The Rancher, letting him know that you've got it covered.
It's sweet.
Wild
His is a little more obvious
"Wild, what on earth?"
He comes back from an afternoon adventure.
He's absolutely filthy.
There's at least three sticks in his hair.
At least those are the ones that you can count because they're sticking out.
Multiple leaves.
You think you see something move.
"What?"
He doesn't care.
You sigh and stalk up to him.
You grab his arm.
"You're my prisoner now"
Wild tries to fight you but you're determined.
You sit him and take out a brush, taking his pony tail down.
It's a long battle.
But after at least thirty minutes of fighting the branches and leaves and what might have been a tiny mouse like creature.
The mouse thingy just ran away.
You're trying to be as gentle as you can but Wild has a hard time sitting still.
Some leaves leave easier than others and there were actually seven separate branches in his hair that you take out one by one.
But when you get past the battle and clear the foliage, Wild relaxes.
Soon you're only brushing his hair.
He needs to wash it.
But you're not anywhere near any body of water so it'll have to wait.
Wild hums every time you pass the brush pleasantly through his hair.
Within moments his hair is soft and tangle free.
You look around him to look at his face.
He's calm and blissful.
You smile and go back to brushing his hair.
It's a calm afternoon from then on out.
Warrior
Warrior isn't one to accept TLC in public but-
It's after a battle.
And you look over to Warrior who's taking off his armor at a painstakingly slow pace.
It takes him a while.
He grimaces in pain and begins to rub his neck and shoulder.
You bit your lip and sigh.
You make your way over to him.
"Need a hand, soldier boy?"
"What?"
He's confused.
"If you got pain, I can help with that."
You don't want to make it a big deal or weird.
"How?"
"I want your permission first. I'd have to touch you."
"Sure. Why not? Do it."
You nod and get behind him.
Soon enough you start kneading his shoulders and lower neck.
He grunts at the pressure you put on it but otherwise lets you continue.
He's stiff as a brick.
So you're there for a while.
But when you get tired or when he's better off than how you started (whichever comes first) you let him go.
He rubs absentmindedly where your hands just were and smiles in relief.
"Thanks."
You grin.
"Any time."
Sky
Now Sky is a bit different
He's not shy about TLC
He's frequently the one to take care of the others
You however notice something off one day
His hand was always in a fist and you pulled him aside.
"You ok? What happened?"
Sky sighs, and opens up his palm
A large cut down the middle
It cut through his leather and gloves and was bleeding through the cloth Sky was holding.
You gasp and begin to help him out then and there.
"How did this happen?"
"It's not that big of a deal."
"It's your hand!" You take off the gloves as gently as you can and bring out your med pack. "You kind of need that."
You sit him down and clean it off.
He's quiet as you work, watching you tend to his wound.
He flinches slightly at the disinfectant and hisses.
You begin to wrap his hand with a clean bandage.
You're meticulous in wrapping it up completely.
It's slow and you're losing progress in travel time but neither of you care.
"You don't have to do this."
"I want to. You can't stop me."
"I'm pretty I could if I did."
"Yeah, probably."
More silence.
You take moment to study your work and gently turn his hand over.
You give it back to him.
"How did you even manage that? You're usually so much better at this."
"It's... embarrassing..."
"Do I even want to know?"
"...No... Thank you... For helping."
"Of course."
Legend
"Legend, sweetheart, what are you doing?"
He's the kind to avoid public soft and gentle actions
Even if he's the kind to desperately want them
He'll push people away and fail to satisfy himself by yearning from a distance.
One day, you have enough.
He's trying to sit next to you and he's fidgeting, internally fighting himself over something but it's too close to you to not notice.
You sigh and pull him close to you, wrapping both of your arms around him even as he tries to fight you off.
He's trying to struggle out of it but you just snuggle into his shoulder.
He doesn't fight you for long.
Legend borderline melts into your embrace and he hugs your arm in return.
"You've got a weird sense of pride, you know that?"
You start to run your hands through his hair.
Legend scoffs
"You're the one being weird."
"Mh-hm."
"You are."
"Just say you want a hug."
"....No."
"Well I guess I have to hug you more often then."
"........No."
"Yes."
"Ok."
Hyrule
Now, you're pretty sure that The Traveler's love language is touch, so he's not shy about keeping his hands to himself.
There's always a hand on your shoulder, a comfortable hug when your sad, gentle fingers to wipe away your tears and he's doesn't mind when one (or three) members fall asleep on him.
"Oh my- Hyrule" You drop your defensive stance from being startled and stare at him.
He's bleeding from at least three different areas.
"Hyrule, sugar, sit down!" You rush over to him and help him get into a sturdy position.
You're quick to pull out a potion and help him drink it.
His hand makes its way onto your shoulder as he settles himself down.
You push his hair out of his face with frantic but gentle fingers.
"Hellllllloooo." Hyrule attempts to smile but his head swoops to the side, too heavy for him to keep it up.
"Oh, what happened?" You push up his sleeve and begin to treat the nasty scrape on his forearm.
You know the potion will eventually take care of the injuries
But you're impatient.
"I... Got caught up in a cave."
"Why did you go alone?" You stress as you begin to clean the blood off.
"...Couldn't find Wild."
"Oh my goodness, take me with you next time." You nearly shake him. "Don't go alone."
Hyrule nods and sighs in relief, as the potion begin to effect.
"That sounds like fun."
"Can you not get hurt, for just like... five minutes..."
"I can't make that promise."
"Promise me, you'll at least tell someone that you'll be going somewhere."
"I can do that."
Wind
Wind is down for anything.
He's not afraid of any sort of TLC.
You're sitting next to each other one day for dinner
You both eat until you're full and lean up against each other.
The warmth of the fire heats both of you like a comfortable blanket.
Wind leans up against you and sighs.
You smile and wrap one of your arms around him.
Wind then snuggles closer and hums happily.
You set your plate aside and begin running your fingers through his hair.
Within moments Wind starts to fall asleep against you and he lets himself fall even more against you.
"Sleep hon, I got you."
" 'mkay." Wind adjusts himself one more time and lets his breath even out.
You let him sleep against you for a while until you also decided to hit the hay.
One of the others sets up his bed roll and you pick up Wind.
You begin to make your way over and set him down but your resident pirate holds onto your arm
"-Don't." Wind whines.
You hide your snickers and try to get him to let you go.
He doesn't.
Welp...
You bite the bullet and ask Hyrule to bring over your own bed roll.
With the help of some of the other boys, you get it set up as close as you can get it.
Adjusting your grip, you lay on your side and pull Wind close.
It's bedtime.
So you fall asleep next to him.
Four
Four is actually little more like Legend in terms of initiating contact than he cares to admit.
He's not going to push anyone away if they come to him.
Even if he wants something as simple as a hug, he won't be the one to go and hug someone.
Someone will have to hug him.
But this boy yearns.
And he's bad at hiding it.
You take it upon yourself when he's being a little off to talk to him
Brush his hair
Hold his hand
Hold him close with your arm over his shoulders, a side hug when your both walking.
He lets you.
He leans in closer and tilts his head in your direction.
A silent request for pats.
If you've been playing with his hair for long enough, he'll let you braid it.
You take the time to keep it out of his eyes and occasionally put flowers in it when there's more down time.
Four won't say it but it's one of his favorite times
He wears his flower braids with pride
It's not something that he would do for himself but he wouldn't change it for the world.
It makes him feel special.
394 notes · View notes
midzelink · 5 years
Text
fic rec masterpost
I finally have enough fics to start compiling them in one place!  Just a few notes before we get started:
This list will be updated in the future!  I’m putting everything under a cut, so I can add, edit, and remove things to my liking.
All fics are complete, unless otherwise noted.  
Feel free to send in your own suggestions for additions!
Some of these fics didn’t have proper author-ordained summaries, so I wrote some of them up myself, or edited them to be more summary-like.
No matter how good the plot, dialogue, or prose is, no fic containing explicit sexual content (read: smut) will make it onto this list.  Sorry!  I’m not into that sort of thing.
————
And now: to the fics!
(Re: the “relationship” segment - I’ve taken to using AO3′s tag system here, so a forward slash ( / ) indicates or hints at a romance, while an ampersand ( & ) is meant to be more familial or platonic.  And don’t worry - if there’s a slash between two characters who are children, there won’t be anything nasty in there.  They’re just kids!) 
twilight princess
title: Chiaroscuro
author: Xekstrin
words: 1,861
tags: Post-Canon, Drama, Bittersweet
relationship: Link/Midna, Link/Zelda, Midna/Zelda
summary: Zelda and Link learn how to talk to each other. They paint a picture of someone they miss.
notes: Don’t shy away from that weird title!  A beautiful depiction of Link and Zelda’s life after the broken mirror that involves them continuing to live their lives.  And not, y’know, wallowing in angst.
————
title: From the Shadows
author: Ophelia_Black
words: 59,438 (**ONGOING**)
tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Ending, Marriage of Convenience
relationship: Midna/Zelda
summary: The Shadow Invasion left wounds across both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, and neither Zelda nor Midna are eager to face the task of binding them up. Old prejudices and weaknesses are laid bare, and the idea is posed of reuniting the two realms to prosper together. Is their plan a folly born of desperation, or the most revolutionary undertaking either kingdom has seen in centuries?
notes: After putting it off for a long, long while, I finally dipped into this bad boy, and man oh man, I was not disappointed.  There is so much attention to detail and care that has gone into breathing life into a world we get such a small glimpse of in the game, and Ophelia kicks ass at writing even the simplest of actions.  Did I mention Midna and Zelda are gonna get married?
————
title: Fairytales
author: UnderTwilight
words:  515
tags: Humor, Fluff
relationship: Link/Midna
summary: Link believes he has the solution the imp-sized problem his companion faces.
notes: Short, sweet, and not as incredibly out-of-character as so many other fics like it.  Worth a minute of your time.
————
title: not irreversible
author: Elendraug
words: 3,603
tags: Post-Canon, Happy Ending
relationship: Link/Midna
summary: The Mirror’s destruction was not inevitable, but destroyed it very much was.  He’ll find his way back to her.  No matter how long it takes.
notes: The very first Midlink fic I had the pleasure of reading, and still one of my favorites.  As of this writing, the only reunion story I’ve read that didn’t feel cheap and lazy.
————
title: Bartending 101
author: khaki knight
words: 2,538
tags: Post-Canon, Drama
relationship: Link/Midna, Link/Ilia (Implied One-Sided)
summary:  “A bartender is only ever as content as her customers…” In the aftermath of Twilight, Telma receives an unexpected guest in need of some guidance.
notes: What can I say?  I love me some Telma.  Is it because she’s a bartender?  That’s it, isn’t it?  I blame the DnD lover in me.
————
title: Seeing You
author:  KaeStela
words: 840
tags: Post-Canon, Bittersweet
relationship: Link/Midna
summary:  Maybe "see you later" can happen after all.
notes: Who knew that first-person could be written well after all?  This is the kind of stuff I live for.  Thematic, succinct, mute Link, happy but not “she found her way back after like a year and they got married and had babies” happy.  Simply beautiful. 
————
title: The Ever Under
author: AzarDarkstar
words: 2,031
tags: Alternate Ending, Drama
relationship: Link/Midna
summary:  In a world where Link followed Midna through the Mirror of Twilight, now shattered beyond repair, happy endings are what we make of them.
notes: This one hits hard.  That’s all I’ll say.
————
title: No Such Counsel
author: Guardian1
words: 2,753
tags: Post-Canon, Drama
relationship: Link/Midna, Link/Zelda (Implied One-Sided)
summary:  “Wolf or dog, what does it matter?” “Dogs, Princess–dogs wait forever!”
notes: Admittedly, I don’t much like the way Zelda is characterized here (TP Zelda is obviously a lesbian, and damn, leave poor Ashei alone!), but I’m including it because it’s written fairly well and the ending is humorous and clever.
————
title: You
author: godtierGrammarian
words: 4,272
tags: Alternate Universe (Modern), Happy Ending
relationship: Link/Midna
summary:  When Link is eight, new neighbors move in across the street, and so begins the greatest adventure of his life.
notes: This fic was so damn good I made a FF.net account right after I read it for the first time just so I could review it.  Can you believe that?  Making a FF.net account in 2019?  I didn’t even think a modern AU could be good!
————
title: no matter how long it takes
author: Elendraug
words: 1,128
tags: Mid-Canon, Fluff
relationship: Colin/Ralis
summary:  Colin promises to watch over a sick Prince Ralis after he is brought to Kakariko.
notes: This is one of the first rarepairs I ended up getting swept up into around the time I first started this blog.  I am eternally grateful that even a single fic exists, and that is was written but the same person who wrote not irreversible, because that’s just damn good writing.  Anyways, Colin is a Young Gay, change my mind.
————
majora’s mask
title: King of the Fishing Hole
author: Ibijau
words: 4,281
tags: Alternate Universe, PTSD
relationship: Link & Ganondorf
summary: Ganondorf owns the Swamp Fishing Hole, a good way to stay near his aging mothers. It's quiet work. Until the moon starts falling, and an odd child comes visiting.
notes: Ganondorf is just A Dude in Termina - honestly, this is how the game should have been.  A real missed opportunity there.  This was such a fun and interesting read, so much so that it earns its spot as the first non-TP fic on this list!
————
minish cap
title: Stoneheart
author: Ophelia_Black
words: 6,675
tags: Canon Compliant, Angst with a Happy Ending
relationship: Link & Zelda
summary:  The prophetic visions and blind musings of Princess Zelda as she waits, sealed in stone, for a rescue that might never arrive.
notes: I’ve never given Minish Cap much more than a single playthrough without a spare thought, and this made me cry. You’d think a story told from the point of view of someone who has been turned to stone would be boring.  You’d think wrong.
————
other
title: Don’t Say That I Didn’t Love You
author: Ophelia_Black
words: 4,000
tags: Canon Compliant, Angst & Hurt/Comfort
relationship: Midna/Zelda, Link/Midna, Hilda/Zelda, Link/Marin
summary:  It’s hard to say goodbye. A series of 500 word drabbles, in which final farewells are said to Fi, Ezlo, Navi, Tatl, Midna, Aryll, Marin, and Princess Hilda.
notes: Like it says on the tin.  There’s not much I can say here, except, y’know, read it, because everything Ophelia puts to paper is pure gold.  Spoiler alert: the Link’s Awakening one hurts the most.
54 notes · View notes
callunavulgari · 7 years
Text
heather recs things pt. 2
This isn’t everything else. I could actually update that fic recs blog that I have daily and it still probably wouldn’t be enough. However, this is a list of my All Time Favorites. Most of them are from the actual tag, but some of them are too new (or not found on Ao3) or too old.
Boys by @caseyvalhalla. (Kingdom Hearts; Axel/Roxas, Sora/Riku) If you know me, you know that I’ve been yelling about this fic for the better part of a decade. Even now, years after I slowly drifted from the KH fandom, I can say without an ounce of doubt that this is my favorite fic. This is the one. And after nine years, I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon.
Freedom’s Just Another Name For Nothing Left To Lose by @ synecdochic (SGA; Mcshep) By now, I’ve trawled through a lot of SGA fic. I’ve combed through old rec lists, gone through page after page on Ao3, and can say with confidence that this is the best one I’ve read. This is probably going to be the one that I take with me and it doesn’t even. God. I can’t even get into how much I adored this. How perfect and sad and raw it is, and how the day that I read this, Rodney McKay was completely changed to me.
Under the Table and Dreaming by snooter (Toy Story; Sid/Andy) is one of those fics that you can’t really explain with words. Because, I mean, c’mon. Toy Story? Really. But seriously. Go. Read it. Marvel in wonder over slash fanfiction for a Disney movie, because it’s in my top five.
Towards Zero by mirabella (Inception; Eames/Arthur) The first. The best. The only one that I still regularly think about. Arthur meets Eames projection before he meets him. It’s angsty and sexy and all kinds of awesome.
The Student Prince by FayJay (Merlin; Merlin/Arthur) Another fic that outlasted my interest in a fandom, this one has been reread almost as many times as Boys. Reincarnation, Arthur as a prince, and modern day magic. I was always going to fall for this one.
Arcana by rosa_acicularis (Sherlock BBC; John/Sherlock) Okay, so much like Doctor Who, over the years I’ve fallen out with Sherlock. However- this remains to be one of the best things that I’ve read. John Watson is Joanna. She is also a witch. The world building is excellent and Joanna herself is perfect. Hell, even Sherlock is perfect, okay.
Magpie by @waldorph (Star Trek AoS; Spock/Jim) is a Star Trek AoS fic where Jim and Spock pretty much grew up with each other. It is so incredibly gorgeous, almost 60k of, you guessed it, found family and friendship and a slow, slow burn that will leave your toes curling by the end. Also by waldorph is  strive seek find yield, which is basically a royalty AU. In space. It’s magnificent.
Inertia by @the-apocrypha. (Teen Wolf; Derek/Stiles(/Cora)) I know for a fact that I’ve talked about this one before, because it’s slowly and carefully inserted itself in with all the other fics that made my top ten fics years and years ago. You guessed it, this fic mostly focuses on friendship and emotional healing after various traumatic experiences for the three main characters. The fact that it’s roadtrip fic only made it more enticing. This is my feel good fic. Well, one of them. The one that I read when I need something to drop me straight into that syrupy sweet state of mind when you’re just quiet and slow and content. Lawrence of My Labia, the cracky mixtape made for the fic has also seen me through some shit, not gonna lie.
Not Easily Conquered by @drop-deaddream​ and @whatarefears​ (Marvel; Captain America; Bucky/Steve, Steve/Peggy) clocks in at over 100k as a whole and is one of my very favorite fics. It’s basically a canon divergent AU where Steve crawled out of the ice and married Peggy Carter instead of being frozen in ice for decades. Almost twenty years later, the world finds out about the lost letters of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, which throws Peggy and Steve’s marriage into freefall. I can’t seem to find the words to do this fic justice, but just know that it’s one of those where you’ll have snippets from it pop into your head years after you read it, and you’ll still smile.
Heroes by @ryttu3k (Legend of Zelda; Zelda/Link/Groose) Before this fic, I never considered Skyward Sword as fanfic material. That was for Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, hell, even Twilight Princess. Those were the fics that I read and wrote. And then I read this in its entirety in the span of one very long night and never looked back.
to the sky without wings by @leupagus​. (Star Wars; Poe/Luke) Okay, okay. If you’d told me going into this fic that I would emerge from it shipping Luke Skywalker and Poe Dameron I probably would have... well, okay, I would have shrugged at you and said that anything’s possible, but I would have been pretty damn doubtful about it. I stumbled into this one blind, not knowing a damn thing about it, just that it was 80k of Poe Dameron backstory and as I was trying to write him at the time, desperately needed him to start clicking in my head. It’s a truly beautiful fic, fleshed out and horribly sad and exhilarating. It also contains one of the hottest damn scenes I’ve read in years, so look forward to that.
we built this city by @fahye​ (Raven Cycle; Gansey/Blue/Henry) is a Raven Cycle fic. Now, I haven’t read much fic for the series because somehow Stiefvater achieved literary nirvana and I was so satisfied by the books that I never actually went looking for fic. I was just content to let it stand. And now, I can’t remember when I actually started reading Fahye’s stuff, but I’m pretty sure it was back when I was into things like livejournal and Ouran High School Host Club. So it’s been awhile, and I can pretty much guarantee that I’ll always like the things she’s written, so I read it, because I had a bit of a hankering for Gansey/Blue/Henry and I figured she could satisfy that. And my god, was I right. This fic is beautiful.
164 notes · View notes
Text
Donald Trump's Superficial Patriotism At The Twilight Of U.S. Empire
New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/donald-trumps-superficial-patriotism-at-the-twilight-of-u-s-empire/
Donald Trump's Superficial Patriotism At The Twilight Of U.S. Empire
Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.
– Juvenal
Despite the title, I don’t want this post to be all about Donald Trump. The truth of the matter is all politicians love superficial patriotism. It’s why they all claim to care deeply about the troops, yet allow veterans to wait weeks or months to see a doctor after sending them to fight pointless imperial overseas wars based on fabrications. All these disingenuous politicians are total frauds, but they tend sell the same destructive policies in different ways. As such, it’s important to understand how they manipulate and divide us.
First and foremost, standing for the National Anthem, saluting the flag or cheering a military parade is not “supporting the troops.” If you think such trivial and superficial acts represent anything beyond lazy surface level virtue signaling you’re a huge part of the problem. Your thoughtlessness and fake patriotism is exactly why our young kids are being sent off to die and murder other young kids halfway across the world to pad the coffers of plutocrats and the egos of empire obsessed sociopaths in D.C. Not only are such acts not patriotism, your phony gestures help grease the wheels of global death and destruction.
Having a strong military for national defense is a necessary thing, but the purpose of such a force should always and in all circumstances be defense. A major problem arises when you have a global empire coupled with the strongest military on earth. Such a situation results in an overwhelming temptation to use this power for offensive aggression, and that’s exactly what our so-called “elites” have used the U.S. military for throughout the 21st century. The attacks of September 11, 2001 merely provided an excuse for the most twisted people in Washington D.C. to live out their most deranged power fantasies. George W. Bush got the ball rolling, Barack Obama stuck to the script, albeit with a more slick sales pitch, and Donald Trump’s set to take us to the inevitable end, which is imperial collapse.
In many ways, Donald Trump is the ideal President to usher in the end of U.S. empire. While the more gullible slice of his support base credulously believed he’d “Make America Great Again,” his more jaded and realistic voters merely hoped he’d just burn the whole thing down, metaphorically speaking. He needed a combination of these two groups to win, so it’s very important to not think of his voters as a monolithic entity. Many of them don’t even like Trump, they just wanted to throw a grenade into this corrupt system and knew he was the best of the two candidates to do it. In many ways, they were correct.
They weren’t correct because Trump meant anything he said on the campaign trail. He clearly didn’t. It’s obvious Trump loves Wall Street, after all, the first thing he did was surround himself with former Goldman Sachs partners. On foreign policy, he’s embraced some of the most barbaric and despotic regimes on earth, such as Saudi Arabia, with the enthusiasm of a little boy with a grade school crush, and appears disturbingly eager to start a war with Iran. That said, Trump’s Presidency’s may still lead to the effect desired by many of his more cynical voters.
For example, things really are coming apart at the seams, largely due to the transparently hysterical and demented reaction of neocons and neoliberals to his election. This faux “resistance” movement is such an obvious superficial sham it’s caused everyone with a somewhat functioning brain to recognize that most of the dominant aspects of this culture are shams. This realization is becoming harder and harder to deny, especially for younger generations. Which brings me to the next issue. Trump’s military parade.
By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about Trump’s desire for a grand military parade. This longing was apparently inspired by a trip to that paragon of global military might, France, where he witnessed such a dazzling performance it committed him to bring such a spectacle back home.
We leaned that:
Surrounded by the military’s highest-ranking officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Trump’s seemingly abstract desire for a parade was suddenly heard as a presidential directive, the officials said.
“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France,” said a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the planning discussions are supposed to remain confidential. “This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.”
The inspiration for Trump’s push is last year’s Bastille Day celebration in Paris, which the president attended as a guest of French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump was awestruck by the tableau of uniformed French troops marching down Avenue des Champs-Elysees with military tanks, armored vehicles, gun trucks and carriers — complete with fighter jets flying over the Arc de Triomphe and painting the sky with streaks of blue, white and red smoke for the colors of the French flag.
Aboard Air Force One en route home from Paris in July, aides said Trump told them that he was dazzled by the French display and that he wanted one at home.
It was still on his mind two months later when he met with Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“It was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,” Trump told reporters. “It was two hours on the button, and it was military might, and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France.”
Seated next to Macron, Trump added: “We’re going to have to try to top it.”
If you think this sounds like the thought process of a two-year old, you’re right, but there’s more to it. For all his flaws, Trump is actually a very talented manipulator and salesman. This is why I was one of the first people to say we needed to take Trump seriously back in 2015 when most others were mocking him. He understands the ancient concept of “bread and circuses” as well as anyone, and he knows there’s no bigger slobbering circus than a big military parade.
Superficial patriotism is the most attractive form of patriotism for any politician. It encourages spectacle without substance. Bluster without tangible success. Chest-thumping without sacrifice. Any big military parade in the U.S. will be a definitive sign of desperate insecurity and evidence that the American empire is expiring.
Hate to break it to you, but the rest of the world will see a U.S. military parade and immediately think, oh, the U.S. is even weaker than we thought. Meanwhile, the same social media Trump celebrities we already knew had fascist tendencies will enthusiastically cheer such a spectacle and attempt to divide the public over it. Please don’t fall for such nonsense.
*  *  *
If you liked this article and enjoy my work, consider becoming a monthly Patron, or visit our Support Page to show your appreciation for independent content creators.
0 notes
foursprout-blog · 6 years
Text
Donald Trump's Superficial Patriotism At The Twilight Of U.S. Empire
New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/donald-trumps-superficial-patriotism-at-the-twilight-of-u-s-empire/
Donald Trump's Superficial Patriotism At The Twilight Of U.S. Empire
Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.
– Juvenal
Despite the title, I don’t want this post to be all about Donald Trump. The truth of the matter is all politicians love superficial patriotism. It’s why they all claim to care deeply about the troops, yet allow veterans to wait weeks or months to see a doctor after sending them to fight pointless imperial overseas wars based on fabrications. All these disingenuous politicians are total frauds, but they tend sell the same destructive policies in different ways. As such, it’s important to understand how they manipulate and divide us.
First and foremost, standing for the National Anthem, saluting the flag or cheering a military parade is not “supporting the troops.” If you think such trivial and superficial acts represent anything beyond lazy surface level virtue signaling you’re a huge part of the problem. Your thoughtlessness and fake patriotism is exactly why our young kids are being sent off to die and murder other young kids halfway across the world to pad the coffers of plutocrats and the egos of empire obsessed sociopaths in D.C. Not only are such acts not patriotism, your phony gestures help grease the wheels of global death and destruction.
Having a strong military for national defense is a necessary thing, but the purpose of such a force should always and in all circumstances be defense. A major problem arises when you have a global empire coupled with the strongest military on earth. Such a situation results in an overwhelming temptation to use this power for offensive aggression, and that’s exactly what our so-called “elites” have used the U.S. military for throughout the 21st century. The attacks of September 11, 2001 merely provided an excuse for the most twisted people in Washington D.C. to live out their most deranged power fantasies. George W. Bush got the ball rolling, Barack Obama stuck to the script, albeit with a more slick sales pitch, and Donald Trump’s set to take us to the inevitable end, which is imperial collapse.
In many ways, Donald Trump is the ideal President to usher in the end of U.S. empire. While the more gullible slice of his support base credulously believed he’d “Make America Great Again,” his more jaded and realistic voters merely hoped he’d just burn the whole thing down, metaphorically speaking. He needed a combination of these two groups to win, so it’s very important to not think of his voters as a monolithic entity. Many of them don’t even like Trump, they just wanted to throw a grenade into this corrupt system and knew he was the best of the two candidates to do it. In many ways, they were correct.
They weren’t correct because Trump meant anything he said on the campaign trail. He clearly didn’t. It’s obvious Trump loves Wall Street, after all, the first thing he did was surround himself with former Goldman Sachs partners. On foreign policy, he’s embraced some of the most barbaric and despotic regimes on earth, such as Saudi Arabia, with the enthusiasm of a little boy with a grade school crush, and appears disturbingly eager to start a war with Iran. That said, Trump’s Presidency’s may still lead to the effect desired by many of his more cynical voters.
For example, things really are coming apart at the seams, largely due to the transparently hysterical and demented reaction of neocons and neoliberals to his election. This faux “resistance” movement is such an obvious superficial sham it’s caused everyone with a somewhat functioning brain to recognize that most of the dominant aspects of this culture are shams. This realization is becoming harder and harder to deny, especially for younger generations. Which brings me to the next issue. Trump’s military parade.
By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about Trump’s desire for a grand military parade. This longing was apparently inspired by a trip to that paragon of global military might, France, where he witnessed such a dazzling performance it committed him to bring such a spectacle back home.
We leaned that:
Surrounded by the military’s highest-ranking officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Trump’s seemingly abstract desire for a parade was suddenly heard as a presidential directive, the officials said.
“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France,” said a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the planning discussions are supposed to remain confidential. “This is being worked at the highest levels of the military.”
The inspiration for Trump’s push is last year’s Bastille Day celebration in Paris, which the president attended as a guest of French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump was awestruck by the tableau of uniformed French troops marching down Avenue des Champs-Elysees with military tanks, armored vehicles, gun trucks and carriers — complete with fighter jets flying over the Arc de Triomphe and painting the sky with streaks of blue, white and red smoke for the colors of the French flag.
Aboard Air Force One en route home from Paris in July, aides said Trump told them that he was dazzled by the French display and that he wanted one at home.
It was still on his mind two months later when he met with Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“It was one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,” Trump told reporters. “It was two hours on the button, and it was military might, and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France.”
Seated next to Macron, Trump added: “We’re going to have to try to top it.”
If you think this sounds like the thought process of a two-year old, you’re right, but there’s more to it. For all his flaws, Trump is actually a very talented manipulator and salesman. This is why I was one of the first people to say we needed to take Trump seriously back in 2015 when most others were mocking him. He understands the ancient concept of “bread and circuses” as well as anyone, and he knows there’s no bigger slobbering circus than a big military parade.
Superficial patriotism is the most attractive form of patriotism for any politician. It encourages spectacle without substance. Bluster without tangible success. Chest-thumping without sacrifice. Any big military parade in the U.S. will be a definitive sign of desperate insecurity and evidence that the American empire is expiring.
Hate to break it to you, but the rest of the world will see a U.S. military parade and immediately think, oh, the U.S. is even weaker than we thought. Meanwhile, the same social media Trump celebrities we already knew had fascist tendencies will enthusiastically cheer such a spectacle and attempt to divide the public over it. Please don’t fall for such nonsense.
*  *  *
If you liked this article and enjoy my work, consider becoming a monthly Patron, or visit our Support Page to show your appreciation for independent content creators.
0 notes
axiom-of-man-blog · 7 years
Text
Chapter 2 Year 15 PDE (Pre-Dawn of Eminence)
Come my way and hurry along I’ll take you soaring with the angels and gods Leave your prison chains on the wall You’ll live forever and you’ll never fall -The Teeth of Sea & Beast
  Tennessee is a state of stagnate morals and aspirations, snake handlers and haunted mountains.  Ages ago the mountains were aglow with mines and stills, in the business of finding material wealth or liquid salvation.  Of course many men died in these mines to fill the greed of the men who owned them.  A mine would collapse with everyone buried within a tomb of desires and desperation. Instead of rescuing these people the owner would just pick up shop and burrow somewhere else into the heart of the mountains. When this industry dried up, in the mountains many towns were abandoned after being stricken with poverty. The god fearing south blamed the north the loss of the souths virtue, the loss of their ideals. In a world where Men are marrying men, women are leading the great free world, and god is being pushed out of schools. In this land of phantoms that wallows in gods shadow I feed my vice of adventure.  The mines are what interested me; many of the mines were abandoned and were not closed properly. These are a hazard to society with random sink holes and the occasional dumb-ass wandering in, getting lost and suffocating from the fumes. In a world where there is nothing undiscovered the only adventure is to rediscover, and uncover things hidden. I am fawning for anything to happen. Living at the campus as an RA has its benefits. Free living, being able to boss around my peers about their dorms, confiscates alcohol and drugs. Excitement in the summer is something it’s lacking.  Eli, my roommate shares my interest in exploration and getting out of this prestigious mire.  He mentioned his grandfather would tell ghost stories about a mine near his old home in a town south east of Tellico Plains: Serendipity. The Serendipity mine was closed by a new owner; who laid off all the miners.  The families left, their lively hood pulled out from under their feet, there was nothing left for them. His grandfather, the youngest son of one of those miners relayed stories his father told. “The reason people left wasn’t because of the mine closing, it was because the woods became sour.  Things lurked in the night, and people disappeared, children taken from their beds. People who went to the mine never returned. The people who had enough sense to leave early are the only ones who didn’t go missing. Anyone else who ever happened upon the mine could hear the screams of their tortured souls coming from the ground.” The old man obviously liked to scare his son, an atavism that he passed down all the way to Eli. Eli, Who being African American had mixed feelings about the south but a Haunted abandoned mine? He was all in. Like me he loved the mystery. I at this point would take any excuse to leave this place. I have grown tired of the lectures on robotics, ethics, and forecasting the future of tech. This was more than enough to draw me in; the only problem is with no one ever going around the place for more than a hundred years is it isn’t on any map. Although The Town we managed to find via a scan of an old map offered online; far easier than we thought.   The town lies about 2 miles off of a road by the bald river falls east of Tellico plains. There are some roads that go nearby and we would have to hoof it from there. Since there are no real trails heading towards the area. We came prepared for the amazon. Backpacks, A couple hammock tents, machetes, GPS and a day or two worth of supplies.  So now, after spending what felt like days in the car driving from my dorm at MIT we find ourselves in another country entirely. People are driving vehicles that have no business being on the road. They are held together with scarps, tape and prayer. With  the amount of black smoke coming from  some of their the exhaust it’s no wonder the ice caps are almost gone. Large Crosses were along major road ways. Churches were nestled in every town so many I could easily lose count. Signs outside declaring “ God Hates Fags”  and other Neanderthal rhetoric.  The air so thick with humidity it was palpable, it’s as oppressive as our walk through a promised land of an unfamiliar doctrine. The heaviness of the god fearing people let up when we made it to Tellico Plains. It was still humming in the background; a tinnitus of a laconic God glowering at our sins, despite being very touristy.  We found a lodge on a road through the mountains fairly close to our get off point. At least here my silver Audi doesn’t feel so out of place amongst the other tourist. The lodge was a beautiful log cabin building filled with the rustic appeal of a pottery barn. A gilded look at the pathos of the dark south.
  The night is restless, Eli fiddles with his camera making sure we will be able to capture the whole thing and put it on his blog.
“Hey man, think there is anything even left there?” I ask
“I don’t know Jason… hundred years is a long time and this humidity would rot anything.” Eli said
He lays back on his bed.
“We should be able to find some foundations.. or stuff like that. The mine will be the hard part.
“Maybe we should look at a topographic of that area maybe that will-.”
“Nope already did, I have a few ideas where it could be but nothing solid.” He said. We think in silence for a moment. I could tell the gears were working…  
“I even looked on urban exploration forums, there is abandoned shit all over these mountains… It’s like no one ever comes to this area.”
“Maybe they know better” I say reflecting on the stories he has told me.
“Jason… really? I know the stories creeped me out when I was like 8. But you can’t think there is anything to them.” He states with a dismissive laugh. He waves his hands as if shoeing away the thought.
“Who knows it may not be monsters or ghost but just a bitch to get to.”  I say as I roll over and With that I drift off to a deep dreamless sleep lulled by the air conditioner.
We awake the next morning. The dread of the previous day has been washed away and we embark early in the morning.
“Shit… Jason it’s not even 8 and it’s in the fucking 80s…”
“Welcome to the Great Smoky mountains boys!”
We both turn to see an elderly man walking towards us. Despite the heat he is wearing jeans and a button up shirt buttoned to the wrist.  
“Uh hi” I say awkwardly.
“Not from around here obviously” He frowns at Eli “My name is Manny…”
I shake his extended hand that he only offered to me “Hi Manny, uh, do you know anything about these woods here there doesn’t seem to be any trails south..”
“Oh couldn’t tell you why, probably not prime hiking areas out there.” He says looking into the woods. “Well you boys have fun and stay safe… and hydrated!” “We have some large water bottles in the gift shop if you need any” He waves beckoning us as he walks.
“Bastard wouldn’t even look at me” Eli say annoyed.
“Sorry man, even tan I can pass for Italian or Greek or some shit.”
“Yeah yeah yeah… lets go Paco.”
He half smirks at me as he walks to the car.
We drive to the point that’s closest as far as we can tell to the remains of the town.  We park on the side of the road put on our back packs, spray each other down with sunscreen and start walking following a waypoint on the GPS we brought. Despite there not being a path it wasn’t hard walking in most spots. The woods here were all old growth tall as buildings and trunks wider than the span of our arms.  
We were the loudest things in the woods, clumsily stomping snapping branches crushing leaves our packs adding extra weight and some of the contents rattling.  
There was a shift at some point during the hike, the air went from sweltering and viscous to dry and cool, the light seemed to go dim as if in a perpetual state of twilight. The woods became muted, our footsteps echoed as if we were walking a grand empty hall. I stopped and felt as if we are trespassing, that we are walking through a sacred place and judging eyes are all around; ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Eli is too busy working with the map he printed off and the GPS trying to figure out our exact location.  The mountains were messing with the signal; we were chasing a waypoint that was hopping around sending us in different directions.  
“Hmmm we should be getting close”  Eli says to more himself than me.
I notice a break in the trees up past Eli and walk towards it, noticing as I get closer the silence becomes more whole like being plunged into water.  Eli follows me without saying anything and we come to a small glade. Its spherical  with the largest willow tree I have ever seen the trunk thicker than the span of my arms and the branches spreading out  like the tentacles of a giant ancient beast. The tree choked out the light and oppressively allowed nothing to grow underneath its thick canopy besides a layer of damp moss. We walked into the shade in a reverent unspoken hush.  It seemed we walked into a complete vacuum as we approached the tree we noticed it was growing up around a large cairn on the far side. As we approached we felt as if the air was being sucked into the tree. All I could do was stand and stare. The hair stood up on my neck and my blood turned cold as I looked down at my feet and noticed something white and brittle poking up through the moss. I knelt down and picked at it with my finger until the moss gave way and I pulled up half a skull of a small animal. It was cold to the touch as I looked around I noticed more bones peeking through the moss under the tree. A natural ossuary of sorts, what could have done this? An animals feeding ground perhaps?
“Holy shit, I think I found it!” Eli shouted, severing my thoughts. I dropped the skull and ran to him as I went around the tree and saw the full breadth of the cairn. It is a large slab rock leaning on a pile of large rocks stabilized by a wooden frame.  The wood looks old, but sturdy. As we approached I noticed the wood hardly looks like it has rotted at all.  As we stood before the small opening, we could feel the air rushing through us and into the hole in the ground. With a snap the entrance was illuminated with Eli’s flashlight, I turn mine on too and we start our decent.  We walk carefully trying not to fall and slip on the damp rocks trying not to hit our heads on the wooden frames holding up the earth.
“This is so spooky” Eli’s voice reverberates down the shaft.   Our footsteps pierce the silence and echo all around us as if there are dozens of people walking along with us, the wind rushing in mimicked the sound of voices. A caravan of whispering shadows following us into the cold stone womb. I barely noticed Eli stopping until I nearly bumped into him. I looked past him to see he was staring at a wooden door. It was out of place, it looked solid oak, intricately carved symbols, lines interconnecting them to a large carved stone in the center with what looks like a pentagram surrounded by other shapes.. The stone was a polished black glass almost mirrored; we could make out our reflections which looked odd. It didn’t dawn on me at first why. Eli tries the knob as I stare into the glass.  I realized that the image wasn’t inverted, and the movements trailed moments after mine. A dark mime: mocking me from a window to an unnamed world.
“The door is stuck… But it’s not locked.” He said fondling the knob.
“Maybe we should leave… I don’t think this—“
“Got it!” He says as the door slowly creeks open, fighting the rust that built up over the years. The heavy door opened of its’ own volition free of either of our hands. We both just stared. The room, lavish interior was even more out of place than the door the room was large. The walls lined with shelves filled with books. A small bed, fit for a child was at one end of the room and a table with chairs at the other.  We entered slowly, waving our flashlights looking at the time capsule we walked in to. I walked to another door at the edge of the room and opened it, another old door. I don’t know what to expect, but as it opened I was relieved and disappointed to see some barrels and shelves with jars, and some dried fruits and vegetables hung in the back in netted sacks. Eli is looking at the books when we hear a noise; A gasp. We both turned, looking at the bed as a small figure started to rise.  So slight we didn’t notice it laying there.  As it rose its limbs popped and creaked like twigs snapping. It was a person… of a sort small and skinny the size of a child. Its skin was pale and grey coved in scars its head bald. Its head hung looking down it raised its hand to shield against the light.
“Puh-lease” It groaned the words almost scraped as they came out of its throat. “Extinguish... your torches.” In awe we turned off our lights. The shroud of darkness covered us. All we could hear was our breathing, until we heard its movements. Then a warm light erupted from an old oil lamp. The flamed danced in the darkness causing the shadows to leap and jump across the walls. Half of its body was illuminated with the warm light. Its head rose and looked at us. Its eyes black. No whites at all, like two voids to an abyss. It started to smile. It spoke slowly. “Greetings… Gentlemen.”
��~G�vV
0 notes