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streets-in-paradise · 3 years

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The Enygm of the Horse Emblem

Troy (2004) Reader Insert Fanfiction - Part 18

Masterlist

Word Count: + 16 K

Characters: Paris, Hector, Myceanean Princess! Reader, Ereny (OC), Odysseus, Telemachus.

Relationships: Platonical: Odysseus being a dad to his kid and acting like a dad with the girls, glimpses of the sibling dynamic of Hector and Paris.

Romantical: Achilles x Mycenaean Princess!Reader (Mentioned).

Warnings: Some swearing, Paris being flirty and charming as usual. My portrayal of him mostly sticks with what Orlando Bloom did in the movie, I’m expanding from the base of what he gave us.

Summary: The curiosity of Telemachus unleashes a chain of accidental events that the mycenaean girls struggle to feel in control of because of the potential risk for a great embarrassment in front of the trojans. The princess isn’t in her best emotional state due to the mixed feelings and suspects that the shocking surprise of their arrival presented to her, while Ereny focuses on the perks and fun upsides of the situation.

Feeling deceived herself and with her judgement numbed by an anger that doesn’t find an only target, the lady decides to fool them to prevent her shame with theirs. In the derivations of this game the newcomer guests would find themselves unawarely stuck in the middle of her dispute with Odysseus, each one of both choosing between them an outlet for the indirect expression of their personal issues.

Notes: I have used on this the names of the children of Agamemnon in the myths as a reference, not making strict metaphores or comparisons in the use i did. Also, my main inspiration was rewatching countless times all the scenes that Hector and Paris share in the film and the meeting scene of Hector and Achilles. That moment where Hector is trying to be serious about all the awful things of war and Achilles answers him with a mock for Paris and his talent to charm women made me envision an aspect of this.

Tags: @yerevasunclair @mysticaldeanvoidhorse @revengeofthe-simp @spideyanakin @awakenedevildays @alaysha-of-middleearth

Watching from afar near the area of the port, the mycenaean girls were consternated and intrigued. They stayed there accompanying the Ithacan prince in his surveilling of the trojan ship that caught his interest feeling almost as surprised as him. Because of his awe and wonder he wouldn’t stop begging them to take him closer so they could talk with the strange foreigners, but his requests weren’t fulfilled. The young women weren’t listening to him because they seemed to be absorbed in their own argument.

Once he realized that the discussion was making them too busy to pay actual attention to his begging, Telemachus stopped interfering in order to listen but nothing made any sense to him. He got the feeling of witnessing an altercation about something that only the two girls had full knowledge of, understanding only scratches of it. The matter was beyond his comprehension, but the effect that it had on the princess was clear and visible. She looked upset and even when she wouldn’t admit it, he would swear that she was scared. This fact only made his avid curiosity grow with a stronger intensity: he couldn’t understand why his weird and surprisingly brave circumstantial companion would be afraid of the trojans. Were they remarkable warriors whose blades inspired horror among her people ? Were they adventurers, was she afraid of getting kidnapped by them?

The boy was unable to join his father on his travels because, according to him and his mother, he was still too young for it. He wasn’t meeting any strange people or visiting wonderful palaces, but his imagination compensated for the gaps in the stories that he used to excitedly hear from him. He imagined Mycenae as a glorious golden city full of great and fearless warriors and their princess showed to be as fearless in his eyes. In his short lifespan he didn’t meet many daughters of kings, but she impressed him positively because of her bravery and simplicity. She was the friend of the scariest guardian dogs, a princess who acted as relaxed in Eumaeus’s hut as she did in the palace’s gardens and who wouldn’t mind staining her dress for playing with Argo. After watching her admiring the swineherd's dogs, excited near them instead of scared, it was impossible for him to understand why she was afraid of the trojans. His final conclusion was assuming that they had to be very interesting people coming from a place so mysterious and distant that not even his dad had much information on them and that had to be the reason for the lady’s fright.

Her contradictory behaviour was amusing, since she was simultaneously refusing to believe in Ereny’s guesses while showing evident concern about those as a valid possibility. Her friend barely mentioned it as their chance to cross paths with the princes of Troy and she switched into a confusing state of alarm and denial. Unlike the boy, the servant girl knew that reaction perfectly. It was the horror that she usually displayed when she would find herself trapped in the surprise visit of a new suitor, only exacerbated by the reminder of her past plans that it implied for her. An irony of fate spitting in her face, safety coming right after she chose love. Reminding her that they weren’t in Mycenae and, for so, they couldn’t be there looking for her wouldn’t make any difference to calm her down. She wasn’t taking a reasonable stance, not while getting the feeling that Odysseus’s trickery was dangerously colliding with her own old ideas.

“ …Don’t think about the bad, focus on the great chance we could be getting. “ Ereny kept trying to deflect her worries. “ Think of Hesione, if the king would have warned us we could be reuniting her with her people. I know that she keeps saying that she doesn’t want you to send her back to them, but maybe getting some contact after all those years could make her change her mind. Maybe you could start making the first arrangements, a future trojan visit on Mycenae could mean a lot to her.“

“ I’m handling that, it is a lifetime promise I have made to her and I will accomplish it … but it has to be done carefully. “ The lady replied, her hushing tone making her sound paranoid. “ .. Just.. don’t assume the worst, it could be a false alarm. It has to be because it’s demential. Trojan princes in Ithaca? What would be they doing here? They have functionaries of their government dealing with places like this, as my father has his own for the trade routes he controls. They wouldn’t come here just to argue about taxes, Paris wants to keep the party going and Hector has more important things to worry about… Like keeping their borders safe. .. Exactly! See? It 's ridiculous. Why would Priam leave his borders undefended just to bring his son to Odysseus’s palace to discuss freaking tax rates ??”

“ … Maybe they aren’t here for the taxes, but they look like princes to me. “

“ You are confused.” The princess still tried to impose her theory, but she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself of it. “ We don’t know trojan nobility, all we have to work with are descriptions that were told to us. It’s the richest asian kingdom, their trade functionaries could look like princes to us because their nobles may be richer than ours. “

“ Repeat that a few more times and maybe you will convince yourself. “ Ereny mocked her.

“ It would be a bloody dumb political choice from every standpoint, Odysseus can’t take this huge risk for a smaller advantage. Agammenon wouldn’t like to hear that he is doing business with the trojans. Right now, with the tensions about Argos still fresh, he will assume it is a revenge betrayal. “

“ It wouldn’t be the first time he moves in shady lines, but he always comes up victorious. Isn’t he the political genius of mad cleverness that you admire? “ Her friend reminded her. “ Maybe he thinks that Agamemnon will let it pass if you come back home with a new boyfriend… You know, a brave warrior prince famous for being an outstanding conductor of armies. “

The tease bothered her more, even when it was well intentioned.

“ A waste of time endangering his country in vain, he can’t be that stupid. It will never happen, for as much as he or my father could dream of it. Not even Odysseus’s manipulations could get us together. I can’t speak for him, but I will never allow it. Never in this lifetime, i will not be his wife. I prefer to scream my feelings out and let everyone know that my love belongs to Achilles even if it gets me killed.”

“ Damn, this is precisely why he is the perfect man for you. Before becoming a trojan queen, you will be crowned a Queen of Drama… Chill, it will be fine. “ Her friend kept trying to calm her. “ One thing is for sure : either you two get very similar ideas because of this strange sentimental and intellectual vincule that you have going on or Odysseus is actually a mind reader who got access to only half of your old plan to leave the country and your father behind. Same concept, but he may have picked the wrong prince. “

“ Don’t mention that in front of the kid. It 's awkward. “

“ Which part ? The one in which you adopted his dad as a teacher and questionable replacement of your father,when you speak about wanting to run away or the incredibly outstanding fact that you are so freaked out that you haven’t realized that this isn’t the right space to talk about Achilles? “

Only then, after it was pointed out to her, the princess realized that she accidentally spoke of her biggest secret in front of Telemachus in the heat of her anger and worry. Even more anxious than before, she tried to come up with a rushed justification but when she turned back to speak to him she saw that the boy wasn’t beside her anymore. Knowing that they wouldn’t pay any attention to him, Telemachus left them to satisfy his curiosity on his own.

“ … He is gone … DAMN IT !!” She cursed herself to the realization, even when part of her was somewhat relieved to not have betrayed herself in front of him.

“ He couldn’t have gone too far, he was right here with us just an instant ago. We still have an idea of where he could have gone. “

“ To see the trojans.” The lady followed, resigned. “ Now I will have to humiliate myself in front of them as they will witness how the Prince of Ithaca got lost under my watch… Awesome, just awesome !! “

Her deep worries for the boy were mixing with her terrible mood and it was affecting her too much.

“ Forget that, let’s hurry ! “

To Ereny’s exhortation, they rushed into the intended direction and the princess kept rambling along the way.

“ … At least the first impression they will get of me is that I’m most likely to be an awful mother. That has to be enough to repel them. “

She was so worried for Telemachus that she completely forgot the facade of denial, indirectly admitting having lost the argument. Ereny chuckled in a lower voice, it was funny and quite sweet to see that her care for him was greater than her pride.

The rambling in lower voices continued briefly while they started their search for the sneaky prince. Looking everywhere for a chance to spot him, they eventually decided to split ways in order to cover more space. In her desperation, the princess didn't realize that she was spotted first by one of the newcomers. He approached her at sight, as if they would have stumbled across each other.

" May I help you?" He asked her in a cordial but rather charming tone, finishing his sentence with a friendly smile.

She stared back at him, abandoning her distraction in consequence of the irruption, and she saw a beautiful young man of lovely looking brunette curls.

In what felt to her like an ironical mock of fate, he was dressed in a different version of the exact style she manifested predilection for to Penelope in their past talk about masculine fashion: a two piece garment of intense blue. Although it looked pretty on him, in her eyes he wasn't even close to reaching the god-like handsomeness of Achilles.

" I could use all the help that I can get." She simply replied. " I'm looking for a lost child, he has to be somewhere near here. "

" I would love to join the search. I can't stand the sight of a suffering woman. Is he your son?"

The question shaked her a bit, but it was only because she forgot that it was perfectly logical. If the situation would have involved a younger child she would had the age to be mistaken as the mother. If Agamemnon would have forced her to marry early, she could have already become a mother.

" I'm not the mother, I can't even be taken as such because he doesn't have the right age for it. He is too young to wander the port alone, but not enough to be my kid. "

" Brother, then? You don't look to me like a wet nurse or caretaker. “

" Why the generosity of judgement?"

" From a logical standpoint, a slave could be more worried about the upcoming punishment than of the actual wellbeing of the kid. Speaking personally, your lovely looks would make it easier for me to mistake you for a princess instead of a servant. Forgive me for being inopportune, but you are beautiful and it had to be said."

The compliment wasn't bad intentioned, but it annoyed her. At the same time, she detected a new problem of practical order she had in the interaction.

In no way that trojan had to find out that the boy in question was the only son of the local king and she was a visitant princess. It would look terrible, not only because she would have to come out as mycenaean royalty and face the shame. It could also create a bad first impression of the ithacan royals, something that was unacceptable. She opted for going along with his guesses and created a nice lie from there. Avoiding the momentary embarrassment and preparing to create a good excuse later.

After all, they were in Ithaca: visitors must already beware of being received with tricks.

" My sister is over there, he is our little brother. We took him to the beach and lost him on the way back. I'm almost sure that he went down near the ships, he wanted to approach but I forbade it to him. "

" Don't worry, we will find him. " He tried to comfort her. " As another youngest brother who once was a mischievous kid, I can tell that it is not as hard as it looks. You are over worrying and he must be having a good time. When I was a little boy I would run towards anything that I would find interesting, it used to drive my family and my nurses insane. I think it is a normal thing for kids, wanting to explore things. "

" But it is a headache for the oldest siblings. " She replied. " It will be better to reunite with my sister and resume searching together. "

The man glanced at Ereny's direction, she was speaking with one of the soldiers of the crew. While doing it cautiously, she wasn't as reluctant as her friend to actively look for help of the trojans.

" If your boy is with us you will not need any extensive search. " He clarified, with determination. " Come with me, I will fix this for you. "

" Will you?" She asked, faking hopefulness. " That would mean a lot, he never got lost like this and I'm very worried."

Her act of damsel in distress seemed to please his interest in playing the hero and, as long as it would bring her an advantage, she didn't mind following it.

He kindly offered her to grab his hand and she accepted only to keep the polite facade of gratefulness. They headed in the mentioned direction and with one subtle request that he made to the soldier, he informed more men and they started doing their search. After a very short instant of waiting,Telemachus showed up brough to them by the soldiers.

Immediately as he saw them, the boy smiled innocently at the girls in hopes of appeasing them. He expected them to be angry, but he didn't imagine that he was going to take part in a trick of the princess.

Instead of starting to reprehend him, she hugged him. His face remained hidden from the view in the act so the men wouldn't see his disconcert over her reaction.

" You are safe! Blessed be Apollo for not letting any harm come to you. " She was saying, holding him as if it was the last day of their lives. " You can't do this to us, Orestes. The fright was going to kill us. "

The made up name was the sign to set the complicity, similar to what his father would do every time he would get involved in one of his phranks.

" I'm fine, they are not that scary."

The descriptive assumption amused the trojan

" Do I look threatening to you?"

" I don't know the uses of your land, but here my father taught me to never trust in strangers." The lady in disguise snarked back.

" They wouldn't let me get close because she was afraid of you. " Telemachus insisted. " It was funny, she acted like it was the end of the world. "

" Do I need to start telling you real horror stories about many dangers that you ignore? Minotaurs and chimeras are going to sound like cute animals to you compared with all the damage that mortal men can inflict."

The grimm but caring warning was understandable, but it impressed the trojan because of its darkness. It made him curious about the life experience in Greece, wondering if the girl was too used to fear for her safety.

He wouldn't deny that her beauty catched his attention and that encouraged to approach her in the first place, but he didn't wish to make her feel uncomfortable.

" There is no need for you to fear any of us. You have my word. " He reassured her, a sweet look in the eyes emphasizing his good intentions.

" She is very cautious. Duty of the eldest. " Ereny added, making her contribution to the farse.

As simply as that, they were in the same game. The outstanding amount of mutual knowledge that a lifetime of being close friends gave them often helped in the making of very precise guesses. Ereny knew where she was going as soon as she heard the name she chose to address Telemachus with, an underline meaning worked as code.

The trojan was encouraged by her intervention.

" Then I must assume that you aren't scared for real. That's very relieving."

" Not frightened and very grateful. We wouldn't have found him so easily without your help."

" My concerns were logical,but I don't deny your contribution and I'm very thankful as well. "

" Asking to know your name would be too much of a high reward or am I allowed to do it?"

Lacking time to think, the princess gave him the first girl name that crossed her mind. Saying her real name implied a higher risk of being discovered.

" I'm Electra."

The reply got Ereny playfully upset, since it was her made up fake name the one the princess picked for herself that time. However, the man didn't notice the subtle tease that was going on between them.

" Beautiful name. My understanding of greek has its limitations, but it sounds beautiful in your voice. " He commented. " ... Electra, are you sure it isn't a princess's name? It sounds like that to me or fate is throwing me a sign."

He was losing the few resting shyness that was left in the casual looking approach, which made her throw a few chuckles.

" It's not a big deal, Atta chose it for her as he did with me and Chrisotemis. “ Telemachus clarified with annoyance, inventing a fake name for Ereny so the mocks underneath would stop.

" So, trojan. Do you call yourself by any name? " The princess asked. " We recognized the horse, but nothing else led us to a concrete identification. Based on what you did with the men I must suppose you lead the crew, but whose crew are we receiving?"

" My apologies, I will end the mystery. I need to remember good manners in the presence of lovely girls like you. "

Before giving his final answer, he proceeded to salute each girl formally with a kiss in the back of their hands. His charming gesticulations were very funny to Telemachus and he wouldn't bother in hiding the laugh, but the man was careless of it.

On the lady's turn the eye contact became more intense. Only then, once he felt sure of having captured her full attention, he spoke again.

" It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm... "

The reprobatory yell of another man coming from behind him interrupted but accidentally complemented his self introduction.

" PARIS!!!"

He released her and turned back at him immediately, which made both girls join the kid in his laugh.

" Nice to meet you, Paris. " She mockfully answered, but he wasn't listening because his attention was deviated by the new stranger.

The mycenaeans límited themselves to watch and listen, looking for new clues after the confirmation of one of their core guesses.

Paris was gesturally trying to appease him, but his attempts only seemed to make him more angry. As if he was spotting an old trick of his, he wouldn't calm down easily.

" I left you for an instant, one short ephemeral moment, and in the blink of an eye you are already chasing greek women? " In his complaint, he looked visibly fed up with him.

The physical resemblance between both men, the matched dressing style and his exasperation gave the lady an alarming approximation of who he could be.

" I told you, this is not one of your getaway trips to have fun away from us. " He was telling him. " You are here to learn and I will make sure of it but having to chase you for constant surveillance is very frustrating. What am I going to do with you?"

" Stop worrying for me, brother. " Paris quickly defended himself. " I offered Electra help to find her lost little brother. Things are in control and we were barely introducing ourselves. "

" Liar, you were doing pretty eyes to my sister. " Telemachus kept the character to replicate against him, having fun at his expense.

“You misunderstood me. " He clarified, introducing a new self defense. " My intention has always been to help her deal with the consequences of your disobedience, but both of your sisters are very pretty and some of my admiration slips in my ways because I can't help it. You are the disobedient brother here. "

" Now you are going to get into an argument with a child... Can it get worse?" The other man complained again.

" Yes, he is going to lose. " The kid stated before proceeding to furiously stamp Paris' feet. He complained to the strike of pain and even his brother was trying to keep a straight face because the impetuous reply of the kid was intempestive and unexpected.

Surprisingly, the princess was the only one who remained serious, only because she was still trying to recover from the horror she felt since hearing the word ' brother' coming from Paris's lips.

Her mind was thinking fast and all the threads conducted to a single conclusion: That was the trick on Odysseus' urgent calling for her. He wanted her to be there for the trojan arrival and Paris wasn't the cause.

She felt like an idiot for not having seen it coming with the hint of the request for the dress, but it was something so crazy to think that she never would have guessed it on her own. Her fears were true, Odysseus was crazy enough to try it. Hector of Troy was tricked into meeting her and at the top of their misfortune, he dragged his little brother in for the visit.

Believing to have solved the last incog, she instinctively grabbed her bag of collected seashells a bit harsher.

She wanted to look for a way out. In her first try of improvising one , she reached Telemachus to softly pull him away from the prince.

" Stay quiet, Orestes. Is not wise to go around offending princes."

" Wait... This idiot is a prince?"

" Unless Paris is an overly popular name in Troy and other men are named after the king's son; there is only one trojan named Paris and that is their youngest prince. " Ereny concluded. " In short, you screwed up. "

" It meant no offense to us, we can't blame him for wanting to protect his sisters. “ Hector interrupted. “ I'm the one who should be apologising for my brother's actions."

" Are you serious? This is the Greece of the mycenaeans: if some drunk jerk isn't staring at your dress and spitting obscene compliments or you didn't got abducted in a reasonless military operation to take over your land you can call it a good day. "

Ereny's joke was more amusing to her fríend because she knew the roots of it.

" Asking Hector of Troy to not panic over the suspect of dishonorable behaviour would be like asking birds to stop singing. '' She joked back, acknowledging him with very little respect.

" Your brother didn't bother us and he did help. We can stand some of his expressiveness, he is not even that much annoying. "

" She made a joke, we aren't asking to be saved. " The lady kept the same dismissive tone. " Although, I think he could become annoying if you allow it. We are leaving, Chrisotemis. It will be better for us to go home before father could worry "

" Forget about dad for once, Electra. Where is your sense of curiosity? We just meet the highest of trojan nobility. How many times for an encounter like this do we have?" Ereny teased her in the answer. " Jokes asíde, it's an honor. We had no idea of your upcoming visit. "

" I would have come to you sooner if somebody would have cared to tell me of the simple charm surrounding this place. " Paris joked back. " To have been recognized first is almost unbelievable to me, even when it was through an accident. Hector is the most famous of us and you must know why: he is in the way of becoming the mightiest trojan hero of all times.. Although I think that he already qualifies as such."

The statement seemed to make the oldest slightly uncomfortable.

" ... Paris, don't start with that here. It's not needed neither wanted. "

Instead of regretting it, the prideful youngest sibling deepened the magnitude of his statements.

" I forgot to say that he isn't very comfortable with fame. My brother is out there making history but he insists on not doing it for the glory."

" What a complicated way to say that he is bursting his ass in vain and proud of doing it. " The princess joked, her friend beside her noticing that she was getting defensive. Despite he wasn't mentioned or even considered in the intentionality of the comment, she felt that as if it was a callout for Achilles. " Why work so hard to get nothing? Recognition is the minimum reward. "

Unaffected by the replication, Hector answered her himself.

" Rewards aren't owed to me because I don't work for myself. I fight for my country. "

" How selfless!! Forgive me if it feels a bit unbelievable to me. " She striked back, unimpressed. '' Heroes compete for the singular authory of their remarkable acts, occasionally killing each other in pride driven wars. That short speech sounds wonderful, Prince of Troy, but I reserve my ríght to remain skeptical. There is no such thing as a hero who dislikes fame. "

The quick reply he delivered was concrete and synthetical. Instead of feeling offended, Hector was kindly willing to correct her misconceptions. Skeptical interest wasn't a bother to him

" I'm not a hero, I'm a public servant. "

" And what public service to Troy were you called to perform in Ithaca? This is a small island full of goats, simple people and some rumoured pirates. Nothing here justifies your presence, you are wasting time. "

" I was invited by your king and from where I come every king is owed respect regardless of the size of his domains or the reach of power that his scepter holds. Paris is accompanying me and we setted some rules to remind him that this is an official visit." The eldest prince clarified, confirming another of her suspects. " The piracy certainly concerns us, but the precise motivation is on your king and he must be able to explain it better than me. "

" I don't think so... " Her anger got her in the mood to play with them. " My guess is that you finally figured out that the mycenaean king likes to consult the advice of our king for everything. See that ship over there? ... Mycenaean emissaries. " She pointed in the direction of her own ship. " They come and go all the time, Agamemnon can't fart if Odysseus doesn't indicate a direction for him. "

The joke was too direct and unusual, it felt like an informal confession.

" Should we worry about them?” Paris asked, believing to have reached a higher level of trust with her and asking for practical advice.

" They disappear as fast as they arrive, their prick of a king sends them everywhere. "

It was the start of a brief conversation where she had fun pretending to be an ithacan complaining of mycenaean politics. Even while messing with both princes, she wouldn't stop looking at Paris along the talk and that seemed to encourage him. Of course, he didn't notice that it was purely about her stubborn refusal to pay any attention to Hector out of pure spite towards Odysseus.

She was convinced that the invitation was a trick to bring them together, which could potentially solve his two problems at once. The hostility was an act of rebellion: unless Odysseus would force her to, she wasn't going to even look the prince in the eye.

Ereny found the situation absolutely hilarious to witness because it was obvious to her that she was avoiding him on purpose. That light sarcasm and those irreverent expressions were nothing more than pure fright and anger disguised with humor. While Paris was delighted, thinking to be enjoying her full attention, the girl was raising a symbolic wall thicker than the one that guarded the trojan city, only destined to repel Hector.

Paying close attention to her attitude, she wondered if her friend's refusal to keep visual contact with him was a loyalty and fidelity inspired self prohibition. They were in front of the only man who reached an heroic status remarkable enough to be regularly compared to Achilles, the displays of disdain could be a result of her strong commitment to him. At some point of the exchange she saw her sneaking a hand inside the bag to pick a seashell and hold it against her palm; that was all the confirmation she needed. Even if it was only to calm her nerves and anger, the lady was thinking of her warrior and getting defensive because of him.

Paris thought that it was a cute quirk of hers and he tried to play with her by taking it away in a moment of distraction.

" Shells are the simplest treasures of the sea, but that doesn't strip those from any beauty or make their finding less wonderful. " He commented while examining it carefully. " This must be what got you distracted."

She chose to keep going along with his tale because it was easier than inventing a whole different lie. For that, she only provided a complementary excuse based on a half truth.

" I was collecting some because I like to get cute things for my art projects. "

The new random fact about her was of his liking.

" Can you believe my outstanding good luck, Hector? My first meeting with the locals happened to include an artist looking for inspiration." He cheered with growing excitement. " I love art, only the ones who share the feeling can understand that sometimes you can lose your senses in the contemplation of an inspiring sight that captivates you. "

A subtle shade of double meaning product of his hopefulness sneaked in his speech and she tried to cut it quick, leaving him no space for flirty misinterpretations.

" I highly doubt that you would understand me, my art is the kind that people like you would consider vulgar. Self expression, nothing that could be found decorating a palace. "

" I'm not a purist, I keep my senses open for the appreciation of beauty in all it's different manifestations. I would love to become your newest source of inspiration, sharing our tastes and cultures can be beneficial to both of us. "

Ereny and Hector stared at each other and laughed.

" Are you done? We have work to do. " He reminded him.

" Us too. " The princess striked back, following his statement to not be less. `` We aren't taking care of this little earthquake, we are helping our father in the family business. Orestes is our only brother and someone has to help until he will reach the age to handle things himself. "

" That explains much, he is the man of the house when the father is not around. " Paris pointed out, shortly deviating his attention back on the kid. " Keep watching over them, there are lots of bad men out there. I forgive you for confusing me with one because you are a child. Clearly, you have a hard time spotting the differences between a dangerous stranger and a friendly casual admirer. "

" It's not the worst excuse I have heard. "

Telemachus' brilliant reply amused everyone and the shared amazement made the mycenaean princess cross glances with the heir of the trojan throne, breaking her refusal to do it for the first time.

The short occasion incited her to give him honest advice.

" Relax, King Odysseus will give you the best receivement. You will find out that our lord goes pretty much against the flow, he is loved precisely because his style is unique. "

" He can be accused of being eccentric, but the norm that defines that comes from Mycenae and Sparta. '' Ereny followed her. " You will do good, compared to them he rules with the softness of a father. "

" Is it your first time doing political work, Paris?" The princess asked, stubbornly intending to go back into ignoring Hector. " Are you nervous, excited? How does it feel starting to get into it?"

" First time in Greece as oficial trojan representation. We aren't on good terms with Greeks and I came to change your minds. " He joked, keeping his charming ways. " To be honest, I am a little nervous. Would you mind giving me your seashell? I want to keep it as a lucky charm, our fortuitous meeting inspires me calm like a good omen."

" Keep it, I have a full bag. " Was her unamused answer, resting importance to the over the top claim.

" I will treasure it as if a nymph would have given it to me. "

His exaggerations were hilarious to her, but he was being polite and she would feel bad laughing at his face.

For so, she limitated herself to smiling.

" Good luck, princes of Troy... and welcome to Ithaca. '' Ereny saluted them. Setting their exit, she made a polite reverence and the lady followed her on spot because it reminded her that bowing was part of staying in character. However, she hated it because it forced her to look subservient in front of them. It was a rare occasion when her personal pride collided with national pride.

On his part, Telemachus didn't follow it immediately because of circumstantial unawareness. When he realized his mistake and went for it, Hector stopped him.

" We really don't need it. " He clarified and kindly smiled at him. " There is something more important that you could do to show your respect through your behaviour. "

He glanced back at the lady and it felt like a complicit sign of an eldest sibling helping another.

" Listen to the girls, don't get them in trouble and tell your father for me that your bravery in defense of your family should make him proud."

The boy smiled widely, full of self pride even when half of the statement implied a lie. The woman he stood up for wasn't his sister, but he did show courage defending her by his infantile means and he deserved the praise for it.

In the meantime, Paris saluted the women with one last sweet speech of praise.

" I will spend my earliest free moment wandering this beach looking for you. "

The statement was directed to both, but it was a subtle indirect for one.

" Focus on your work and save that energy for the Trojan girls, they must be missing you. "

" Will I see you again?"

" Sooner than what you think. Our island is damn small, there is not much space to hide. "

Her clever and polite rejection was a sudden but not disencouraging surprise to Paris while it was very fun to see to his brother

Once they were alone again, Hector didn't hesitate in teasing him.

" It seems to me that you aren't popular with greek girls. "

It left Paris in an exaggerated fake expression of disbelief, pointing it as an offense.

" Are you kidding? You ruined me, her eyes were on me the whole time but she wouldn't make it obvious in front of you because it doesn't look good. "

" Is saving women in trouble your new tactic? That looked adorable until the kid beated you."

" The help was genuine. I'm not a jerk "

" Would you have been so nice if you would have stumbled across the father instead of the pretty sister?"

" Her beauty only helped to capture my attention faster. "

" Keep that attention captured in something useful, like following me into finding the palace. "

" We could have asked them for directions."

" And having to stand more of you trying to charm her along the way? No, thanks. We are good on our own. "

Paris chuckled, recognizing the deep knowledge of him that his brother had and admitting him the victory in the argument.

At the same time, the mycenaeans and the ithacan prince were cheering themselves on their success along the way to the palace. Telemachus's acting was the greatest surprise of the trick and the girls couldn't avoid praising him instead of staying angry at him for causing the problem that forced them to improvise an alternative. Not only his quick understanding of the situation was unbelievable to them, seeing him lose his contemplative attitude around new people because of his excitement was shocking.

After that strange first meeting he was slightly disappointed with the trojans. He found no reasons to fear and got a few good chuckles at the expense of Paris, so he wanted to set an actual prank on them instead of that reputation saving trick. The princess tried to explain that her idea was making it pass as a character test for them, to pretend it was a deliberate choice and not a mistake caused by her distraction. However, the kid kept insisting on making it a real welcome prank for the trojans and getting his father involved in it because, according to his happy rambling, he was the best prankster in Greece.

Ereny was very tempted into supporting him, but decided to start the attempt of disencouragement.

" They are his guests. It wouldn't be wise to offend them at first chance. "

" We also are and he has been fooling us the whole time. " Her friend replicated, her anger speaking for her in an inconexed speech. " He tricked us into coming and crossing paths with the trojans. By the moment we received our invitation he already knew they were going to be here soon. We are all tangled in his trick, but I swear that this time it is going to cost him. He has to learn that messing with people's lives like this doesn't bring any good. "

The servant girl followed the short deviation of topic with a mockfull reminder.

" Are you going to conveniently ignore that, until quite recently, you were planning to do the same thing ?"

" I am a manipulator but I stick to some ethics, I wasn't going to trick anyone. My idea was a voluntary and mutually beneficial arrangement. A trade offer, not an extortion."

" You never contemplated that Paris could be into you. I can't believe it was so easy! If he would have done that in Mycenae the king would have forced him to plead for your hand for the sake of his honor. "

" Paris saw a girl he found cute and flirted with her. Nothing to worry about."

" Since when did Agamemnon allow any man to approach you like that? He would have terrified him into becoming a regular suitor, even if he wouldn't think in choosing him. Then, we could have asked Odysseus and Nestor to do the magic for us, convincing him of it and the problem will be solved. If you know who wouldn't have turned everything upside down we could have been out in a year. "

Resting importance to the matter that they didn't care to explain to him, Telemachus continued his planning.

" I will tell Atta and he will help us to prank the trojans. " He insisted with determination.

The mycenaean lady remained lost in her thinking process, obsessively thinking out loud to calculate her next move while venting her anger.

" Paris is a miscalculation of his plan, he is only waiting for Hector to show up. This was going to be about him and me, that's what he will try to push. "

" At least he has a good eye to select princes for you. "

" Eny!! How can you speak like that??"

" Both are handsome, admitting an obvious fact is not damaging to anyone. " She excused herself. " Paris' face could have been imaginated by Aphrodite and sculpted by Apollo."

" He is a pretty boy, so what? We already knew that. "

" Hector doesn't stay behind, although pretty isn't how I would describe him. His kind of beauty is more majestic, you can sense that this man was born to be a king. His presence is imponent but not threatening, what is hard to achieve for a man of his physical complexion. It's no surprise to hear people claim him as the best trojan warrior of all time. "

" Save speech because I don't care. "

" Calm down, you know I'm not being serious." Ereny clarified. " Still, even you have to admit that it's sweet to see him being nice to kids. "

" He is clearly used to being around kids, he must be the favorite hero of many trojan children. I find it cuter when an unused man is taken out of his comfort zone by the interruption of a kid who brights him up a bit and you can see the rough attitude progressively melting, "

" Helen and Patroclus dealt with most of the children for him. His solo tries were clumsy at best and grumpy at worst."

" I saw a few successful ones, he was adorable. "

" By now I don't want to understand what you are saying... Can we go back to the important? " Telemachus complained .

The irruption served as a contextual reminder for the girls and the light irreverence amused them into agreeing with him and let him ramble for the rest of the walk.

At the time of their arrival to the palace neither Odysseus or Penelope were easy to find, so they left Telemachus with Euriclea and Ereny had to do a fine work of persuasion to stop her lady from demanding the king's presence in rageful yells.

" He must have found out and they are getting ready to welcome the trojans. If he has been planning this, I bet there was someone in charge of warning him as soon as their ship would be spotted. "

" I don't care. First he will have to give his explanations to me. "

" He knows you are looking for him, all we have to do is wait."

" I can't wait, I really need to scream at someone. "

" We can talk for real now and there is something I have been wanting to ask you all the way. " Ereny presented a silly incognit she developed from the very first sight of the trojan princes.

" Do it. "

" Who do you think that wears it better: Achilles, Hector or Paris? "

" What kind of question is that?" The princess replicated, confused.

" The blue outfit. Hector and Paris were both wearing a darker shade of the same colour and their garments were of the very same style that gets you. It's like if the goddess of love would have told them in dreams how to dress for you. "

She dismissed the claim of divine implications only to prioritize her calm, but the pointed fact was an incredible coincidence that they couldn't explain with ease. So, she wasn't outright denying it.

" I can't be the judge on your beauty contest. Why don't you enlighten me with your own verdict? I haven’t stared at those princes as closely as you did."

The tease didn't inmuted Ereny, who quickly struck back.

" The king wants you to judge, you are here to enjoy the sight. "

“ I’m not comfortable with it, thanks. Staring at strangers isn’t in my plans and I’m not going to start with the trojans.”

" I almost forgot that Hector is the better positioned competitor for worldwide glory. A very clever move of Odysseus to select him, by the way. “ Ereny pointed out. “ Is that why you had trouble staying in character when talking to him while you kept it perfectly stable with Paris? He is not an obstacle on your man’s way so you are fine with him but are terribly mean to his brother for no reason.”

" Hector’s presence here symbolizes the alliance that Odysseus and Agamemnon have formed against my will to love whoever I want and I will irrationally hate on him as much as I want. "

“ Your bitter skepticism may have worked better with him than a traditional approach. Hector is discrete, perhaps too discrete for a man of his position. “

“Pure virtue bragging, I bet that he sees himself morally above us.” The noblewoman bitterly claimed.” I can almost imagine him silently judging us all, believing we are a bunch of savages..”

“ Wait and get mad at the right person, you don’t even know this man. Your king friend is who you want to blame, not him.”

The reply seemed to anger the princess even more.

“ First you speak of how handsome he is and now you defend him, what’s wrong with you? “ She reproached her. “ Do you fancy him? Is your will to switch crushes so volatile? “

“ Anger is blinding you and makes you take this far more seriously than what you should. '' Ereny tried again to calm her down. “ I was joking because I thought that it could be our fun little game, but you took my ask too far. Stop pretending that this isn’t affecting you, chill the fuck out and let me help. ”

The callout worked, mainly because the very direct word selection in her friend’s speech felt like a wake up call. It was rare to see her losing her temper, it meant that she was being too annoying and she ran out of ways to calm her. The lady felt surprised of herself when she noticed that, in fact, she was throwing mindless and self centered whining. Both weren’t being their normal selves, but seeing that love was making her lose self control scared her as much as her conjectures about the prince and Odysseus’s plans for them.

“ I accept your challenge. “ She stated, making the choice of following her mocks. “ Make it about fashion, I can be more unbiased from a design perspective. “

“ Coward! “ Ereny teased her. “ The question was about who looks better in your favourite style. Overall looks, clothing is only one point of the choice. “

“ Fine, but you will have to judge too and my final words would be so biased that you will call it a cheat. “

“ What if we end in a tie? “

“ We ask Penelope, she must have seen Achilles wearing blue at least once. Maybe it wasn’t That blue outfit, but her voice has to count. “

The servant girl smiled mischievously, in approval for the setting of their silly bet.

“ You did good with Paris, but you have to pay more attention… and remember to give a good long peek at Hector to make it fair. “

Her friend showed annoyance, but no more blatant anger.

“ Can you stop?”

“ No, because it was too cute. Achilles wouldn’t believe it.”

“ And you will not tell him. He could tease me forever.“

“ If we are lucky, we may catch him smiling like a fool when he thinks nobody else is watching because you love him so much that you can’t even look that handsome prince in the eye without thinking of him. Remember what Penelope said about men getting clingier on reunions after long separations, you can’t tell me not to tell him this. We may have to reset our measurements for cuteness to read this man’s reactions.“

Only the mention of that conjecture made her smile.

“ Well, I know that he isn’t a jealous man and I think he will find it funny. Maybe a bit ridiculous because he wasn’t here to see me losing control of my own emotions. It may be worth the teasing just to see him laugh. He has the cutest smile, his laugh is so joyful when he isn’t using it sarcastically. His real, genuine laugh, that’s what i’m talking about..” She lost herself in a short ramble, only to quickly realize it. “ I miss him so much, I don’t know how much time I will stand. “

“ You can’t just take command of our ship and demand to be taken to Phthia without justifications or an expressed order of our king.”

“ I know, Eny. Let me dream for self relief, ignore my problems at least until Odysseus would dare to show his face and we will get to find out which bunch of new lies he is going to come up with to justify this. “

Like their correct thoughts suspected, the ithacan king was aware of everything. His knowledge of the situation reached beyond the integral intentionality of the invitation he sent to those arriving men, he got to hear details about the encounter from the telling of his son. The boy found him first and he didn't hesitate in making a prolific retelling of his little adventure, suggesting it as a perfect stepoint for mischief. Penelope heard their talk and, fearing it could end up escalating with the bad mood of her second cousin exploding in the middle of it, she offered herself as assistance to calm the situation. Her beloved husband declined, considering it something he was able to solve alone while she will be too busy doing the arrangements for the receivement of more guests. He was perfectly capable of dealing with his young mycenaean friend.

Or so he thought, until he saw her infuriated reaction to the mere sight of him.

“ YOU BACKSTABBER ASSHOLE, YOU BETRAYED US !! “ She yelled on the spot, Ereny’s hand holding her close so she would stay still because she feared that she could jump over him like a mad beast. '' HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? HOW COULD YOU SCREW HIM OVER LIKE THIS AND LATER DARE TO CALL HIM YOUR FRIEND??””

Her hysterical accusations were too amusing to him, but he avoided laughing to not feed her rage. Telemachus followed him out of curiosity and he was right there beside him. Getting the feeling that his father was holding a few chuckles actually made him laugh. She was ignoring him completely, blinded by the anger that she felt towards the king. To Odysseus, the funniest aspect of her reaction was that, even in anger, she was carefully calculating the words to make the reproaches sound linked to Agammenon while she was talking about Achilles. To any unaware listener, it was a recrimination for a political betrayal.

He felt proud of seeing in that simple action a reflection of the good outcome that his teaching had on her.

“Surprise!” He cheered. “ I resisted the temptation of asking you to bring Hesione because I knew that Agamemnon would find it too suspicious. The truth is that I have delayed talking with the trojans for too long and I have always known that I wanted you on my side for that.”

She cut him off dryly.

“ Hector is here, you asked him to come. Why would you need to see their prince for a tax issue?”

“ I want to hear your guesses first and later I will tell you my motives.”

“ I practiced your method and asked myself ‘ Why now and why him?’ The only logical answer for that is ‘ To mess with me’ You arranged this on purpose, you will try to push him on me.”

" I have perfectly logical reasons to think that selecting you to participate in this meeting is the best for everyone. "

The ambiguous reply wasn't easy to interpret, but Ereny felt the need of having a say in defense of her friend.

" I don't doubt your noble intentions, good lord, but your mission is doomed to fail. Whispers of rumors have been spreading for quite some time, Prince Hector is either already betrothed or in his way to be. "

Her explicit mention of the underground concern that was implicitly present in the argument got her a smile of approbation from the king.

" Brave take, but that's not what I want to address now. " He corrected her. " Your lady and Hector are a good match to work with following the political intentionality of this meeting. I need to initiate bargains with him and she is my best available help to deal with him."

" I want precise motives. " The princess demanded.

" I choose you because I trust you on a personal level and I know about the virtues for political activity that you possess. You are a great student, we have done great things together and you know the people that we need to persuade better than me. "

" I have no idea of how to appeal to Hector and I don't have any intentions to find out."

" I'm not talking about personal appeal. You speak their language, understand some of their traditions, you have developed a taste for their fashion and I have heard you making very interesting comments interpreting the social thinking beneath their polítics. If someone in all Greece can help me to beat the trojans in their own game, that's you. "

" Indeed, I'm your best shot if what you want is to understand them and get to a fair agreement. What I don't understand is why aren't we talking with one of their emissaries. Your strictly political motives don't require a prince to be accomplished. "

He came up with a perfect answer for her doubt.

" Hector is a trustable medíator and I don't want my words to be misinterpreted when communicated to their king. "

Defeated and annoyed, she complained with some sarcasm.

" You always have the ríght answer for everything and when you don't, you make It up. Brilliant, just brilliant.... What are we going to do now?”

" Prank them." Telemachus informed with evident excitement. " Atta knows about Paris, he isn't happy. We think that he needs to learn a lesson. "

The mischievous tone he used for the last sentence implied that he was a bit pleased with the selection because he disliked him.

" That was cheap flirting, I can't allow it. '' Odysseus followed him. " He is second in the line of succession, you are an only child. One look from your eyes is worth more than his life and he should be aware of that. "

" He didn't know who I was. He sounded a bit dramatic and it may have annoyed me, but he did nothing wrong."

" I don't care, rude guests are the worst. This boy needs to know his limits. This isn't Troy, I will not let him do as he pleases in my kingdom. Not with you, but neither with my subdits. "

" Are father and son joining forces to educate him? That is so cute!" The lady cheered. " I got the feeling that his own brother will be thankful if you manage to teach him something. That man was so exasperated with his attitude that he congratulated Telemachus for standing up to him."

" As I also did. " Odysseus agreed. " He saw his entitlement and did what he had to, I couldn't be more proud. Telemachus made things fun for you, I know how much you enjoy pulling out crazy complex actings. I bet you all had tons of fun and I can't believe you considered letting me out of it. Now I want to do my part. "

" Good for you, but it will make my part of the work way harder once we will have to get serious again. " The princess complained. " I was up for it because I wanted to complicate the deal for you, but we are in this together. Your hardships are mine, I'm with you."

She was giving up, a sweet smile of the king making her smile back to seal a silent agreement.

Following Odysseus's orders, they were all leaving to reach the spot where he wanted to put his idea into practice. Telemachus was too excited because he knew details on the plan that he couldn't tell, his rushing made Ereny to pick up pace because she feared they would lose him again.

Being left behind at the same pace, Odysseus whispered to his friend a disconcertant reply.

" Don't worry about the consequences. If Paris ends up hating you after this, you can solve things in a long talk with Hector. He will listen to you and if one talk isn't enough, there is time for you two to have many private conversations where I will not interfere at all."

She saw all her suspects being confirmed.

" ... SON OF A... "

" Insult me now and you can thank me later. " He cutted her off. " I brought to you the best man available in your league of rank. A prince from a powerful kingdom,top quality husband material with high chances of success in impressing your father and an excellent choice for political alliances. "

" You are crazy, this is absolutely insane. "

" Perhaps, but it shows my concern for you and I truly need to get to a deal with his father. Everything I said about you is true, I didn't choose you only to make you meet him. I need you for real, but I want to pay for your help with something cute. "

" So you brought me a man?"

" What I brought is a chance for your critic eye to get rid of the blindfolds."

" You call that a cute gift? Using a foreign prince to lecture me? "

" There is nothing cuter than rationality. "

His worry for her kept growing, she wasn't acting like herself. He was giving her a chance with no precedents to show her talents freely while dealing with people for whom she had previously displayed curiosity and admiration, but she barely acknowledged how great that was. Her worries about being set up with the prince were stronger than some of her oldest dated ambitions and he thought he knew the cause. It was because of her hopes on Achilles and her fears over anything that could potentially crush those down.

It was worse than what he thought, she was taking it as a proof of loyalty to him. The thoughts about her goals and regular likes were on pause, her momentary priority was proving what she experienced as the truth of her confusing feelings.

To him, the recrimination that followed was one more proof of his ongoing theory.

" You can't ever again say that Achilles is childish after doing this. "

" In style pranking, shows that we aren't subservient fools and foreigners can't come to my lands to do whatever they want even when they are invited. They will understand it and we will all laugh of It. "

" Not that, you know what I mean. " She called him out. " Hector of Troy, seriously? That's my father's taste regarding warriors for his army, not my taste in men. "

" To develop a taste in men you have to previously have met a wide variety. " He teased back. " Good looking heroes is a lame category, but I did what I could to get you an interesting one. "

" I will nail your political mission for me, but that isn't going to get us any closer. You could have at least investigated accurate rumors, he has his eyes settled on another girl. "

" Rumors also say that you're a docile girl who adores her father." He mocked her. " Gossips are crap, I work with my own deductions."

" Well, your deductions are crap and he is ahead of you. Paris is here to screw up your plan. "

" That's fine for me: the more men you may meet, the better. Let me put him in place first and Paris is all yours too."

" Would you seriously trust these two fools over your own friend? "

" Only Hector, he has the cleanest reputation."

" You said no rumors."

" That isn't gossip, it's a fact. Nobody diverges from it. "

" I do, and I will prove that he is not as incredible as everyone says he is. In either case he is an excellent liar or an absolute fool that has no idea of how war outside of his territory works. " She replicated it with cold determination." He can't be compared to my man, it is an insult. "

" He isn't yours, it's not meant to be. "

" I heard it from him, swallow that."

" Don't push back the prince immediately. Be yourself and approach Hector with an open mind. Maybe he will surprise you. "

" Maybe not. " She insisted. " I know you want to see me becoming a queen, but it will never happen and I will not be his. I don’t want to and they wouldn’t want it either. Trojans are not going to jump into the wolf's mouth. "

" Let it to me.''

" He can pick a wife among the girls in his own territories. "

" At risk of sounding too prideful, I must say that the daughters of his father's allies can't compare to you. "

" You think too high of me. "

" I know that you are going to dazzle all of them after your first real conversation."

" I'm not going to make any effort because I'm not interested. "

" Tell me that later. If the kindness you saw in Achilles impressed you, Hector is going to change your life. "

" Do you trust Achilles at all? "

" The answer depends on context. I love that man and will trust him with my life, but never with a woman. "

" This is too much,Hector is his strongest competence. Everyone compares them and he hates it. "

" It's healthy competition. If he really cares for you, it will push him to improve."

" I love him as he is. "

" I told you, he had it too easy impressing you. Hector can compensate for that and if I was wrong, then he isn't a threat. "

The argument in lower voice catched the attention of Telemachus after Ereny got him back on track from his rush of excitement.

He thought that his father was divulging details of the prank and was going to complain of it.

" Wait!! It is our secret. She can't know yet. "

Odysseus smiled at him and proceeded into an answer that feeded his excitement.

" You started this. Why don't you explain to them what we are going to do? I'm barely helping here, this is all on you. "

For the rest of the way she remained silent and listening to them helped her to notice that the kid's behavior and the impressive change that it experienced had a lot to do with his father. He was acting less shy because of the encouragement that he gave him break limits occasionally, prioritizing his chances for exploration over behavioral surveillance. Odysseus was the kind of parent that knows when to reprobe his kid's actions and how to do it without scaring him into not taking any new risks. He didn't bother in lecturing Telemachus over the risk he took because he knew ahead that there wasn't any danger. In fact, she lectured him harsher than his own father with the dark warning that she gave him and those different reactions derived from their different experiences. Her childhood was all about her father looking for imaginary tendencies in her every little experimentation and applying dissuading corrections meant to stop her. When she tried to scare Telemachus, she was thinking of the dangers because she was once scared into prioritizing that and her circumstantial nervousness didn't help to reconsider. Odysseus prefered to encourage his kid as a parent should before scaring him as a king.

Tenderness mixed with a bit of melancholy softened her because she started to think that the main purpose for Odysseus to engage in the trickery was supporting his son into taking risks. Knowing that Telemachus was rather shy, he liked to give him security to face things.

She couldn't stay mad at him. Despite having experienced a familiar treatment on their friendship, seeing him being an actual parent for his son hitted her differently. She was proud of the wonderful father he was becoming. Thinking of the amazing childhood that Telemachus was having with both of his parents in his life made her very happy.

Odysseus made them stop in front of the same tavern the girls visited once, asking them to stay outside with the boy as he would get what the set up of his trick required. In the meantime, Telemachus gave them explanations on the plan. However, his instructions weren't entirely accurate because his father didn't want to lose the surprise element.

Fortunately for them, the trojans were slightly delayed. Hector insisted on meeting the king by himself before venturing his crew with the locals and for so, he got Paris to accompany him into the political center of the island. His mood wasn't the best and his brother's approach wasn't helping, but he brought him there for a reason and the whole visit was a mission they had to accomplish together.

Everything they knew for sure about the king they were going to meet was his fame for being a charming liar with a remarkable capacity for persuasion, the precise reason why Paris was picked among many other noblemen who actually volunteered to be there helping the eldest prince. Hector considered him the best fit for the job, regardless of everyone else's opinion.

He was the most persuasive person he knew, part of it coming from being a charming liar and a people pleaser. Defying the belief in his uselessness that insidiously impregnated the trojan court, he thought that Paris's issues with responsibility came from lack of interest and not of talent. A lifetime of dealing with him taught him that if he could manage to get him truly involved in something he was capable of doing an amazing job. All he needed to do was switching priorities, having someone there with him helping to redirectionare his best qualities into constructive ends.

Ithaca was meant to be a bonding opportunity for them as siblings and a chance to get into work something out together where he could start to help him spot the moments where those sorts of switches were needed. Paris needed more guidance, everyone else giving up and letting him get away with whatever he wanted were part of the same problem they were too quick to criticize. The indulgence of their father or the condescendent apathy existent towards him in the military circles weren't reactions of any help.

The best way to bring something good out of his brother was working with him, teaching him to find a balance between his personal interests and the wellbeing of their kingdom. His goal as brother and circumstantial guidance figure was to help him learn to put in political means the same perseverance that he witnessed him having towards simple and hedonistic goals in his everyday life.

The experience didn't start well, his distraction with the local girls ríght after reaching land was his classic behavior. As the day progressed things weren't getting better and Hector sensed that aligning his interests with a useful purpose was going to be harder than what he once thought.

He realized that the simple act of walking down the streets would felt like a distractive nightmare. Clearly not taking anything serious on purpose, he paced like a tourist. Every new stimulus presented to him was a new deviating distraction, making things specially harder every time a curious girl watching him from afar was the source.

Hector had to drag him out at every chance, trying to prevent more unnecessary interactions and then he came to a tentative guess of what was going on.

As absurd as that sounded, he was still mad about his teasing and trying to prove him wrong.

" So, what were you saying about my deficient appeal for the tastes of greek women? " Paris complained, making it evident after the last time he got on his nerves for making a stop to charmingly salute a girl.

" Don't get too excited, this isn't a very representative part of Greece. '' Hector replicated, choosing to keep the mockfull tone to avoid succumbing to his annoyance. " I can't believe that you are still worried about that dumb joke. Is it affecting your confidence? "

" Never, but your jokes are too creative and I hate it. Every time your soldier friends make fun of me they downplay my natural talent winning over women. It's either that or my bowman skills, two aspects about myself that I love. I like to love myself in the mockery when I receive some. "

" Is it because I didn't treat you like a pretty boy?"

" Please, stick to the regulars and keep calling me a pretty boy. I'm the prettiest, my pride depends on it."

" Is that why you are still holding the seashell? I can't believe it, my little brother is nervous for real! " Hector pointed out " Maybe the rejection gave you the wrong impression and now you are afraid that they aren't going to like you, but that isn't the case. It was just that: a rejection, not an upper sign telling you that you are going to do wrong. "

" I told you, it was you ruining the moment. "

Knowing that Paris wouldn’t straightly admit it to him, Hector intended to comfort him anyways through a brief explanation of some factors affecting the situation.

“We are here to start talkings about fixing a long dated problem with a kingdom that doesn't hate us intensely like the mycenaeans, but we aren't friends with. That girl may want to avoid you like the plague. "

" Excuse me, but you are the one being avoided here."

" That isn't a random choice, targeting hostility on me speaks of the image that these people have of us. "

" Well, they don't speak nicely about the mycenaeans either. "

" They could be hating on them and us as well. That girl hates me, she wasted more energy bashing me than praising you. It could be a one person thing, but we must be ready to face that sort of criticism coming from more people. "

" I can handle criticism, I only prefer not to. " Paris defended himself, realizing that Hector didn't seem troubled by that fact. " Why do you look like you are enjoying yourself for finding detractors?"

" I like constructive criticism. " He simply stated ." Hers didn't count, that was aggressive criticism, but the chances of finding decent critical voices in Odysseus's council encourage me."

" Are you getting tired of being loved by everyone?"

" Political arguments become more interesting when there are possibilities of enrichment through confrontation, something that is easier when your rival in the council doesn’t know you or care about who you are. If you would have attended council meetings in Troy to help our father more often you would have noticed that there is an abhorrent lack of practical critics. My ideas are either supported or rejected, but nobody ever critiques me. "

" Even the trojans that don't agree with you respect you too much to dare to say a word. "

" Non confrontational confrontations, whoever proposes a different idea doesn't point out what's wrong with mine. Whenever I get discredited, I can't even argue why and it drives me insane."

“ Dear brother, you are the only person who can get excited with the chances of being detracted. “ Paris mocked him before proceeding to make one last persuasive attempt regarding his personal interests. “ ... About what I said. I know that I promised you that I wouldn’t… "

" It stays, Paris." His brother cutted him off, immediately guessing the direction that the conversation was taking.

" Let's change the arrangement: instead of not getting involved with any girls, I can only choose one to see during our entire time here."

" I prefer you to keep it to no one. "

" Please, Hector. I'm just a man! " He begged overdramatically. " She is beautiful and I think she likes me. "

" You are not going to disgrace some man's daughter, not on my watch. "

" None of my girls have ever claimed to feel disgraced in my arms. If she wants to reject me she will do it herself, you don't need to get in the way. "

" Haven't you noticed that she already did it? "

" We were messing around, but I think I have a good chance.”

" I will not tolerate the possibility of having to see you making a ridiculous spectacle sheltering yourself in Odysseus's palace trying to escape from a rightfully angry man because you seduced his daughter. "

" For that he would have to find out first and I know how to leave no traces."

" I will not take the risk.” Hector denied. " Shut up, follow me and try to be serious."

To his bad luck, just when he thought they were achieving something Paris lost his attention once more to his circumstantially favorite distraction. The girl who introduced herself as Electra was walking down the street in a rush to reach a particular place. Paris noticed her ríght away, but she seemed to be too concentrated on her own thing to see him. Her sister and brother were waiting for her at the entrance of the spot and she pointed to him for her while the little boy manifested gestural annoyance. She dedicated him a friendly smile from afar, a silent salute meant to not interrupt the ongoing activity, and got in immediately afterwards.

Nothing would have been able to stop the young trojan prince from following her. He rushed in the same direction, leaving his brother slightly behind because of the hurry.

" What are you doing?? Get back here!!" Hector reprimanded him as he reached him.

" Wait for me if you prefer it, I don't need your company for this."

" Paris, I'm serious. Do I have to start holding your hand like you were a little kid?"

" You could, we never do things together anymore. "

He was mocking his attempt of mocking him, twisting things to get away and making Hector's exasperation grow exponentially.

" You know that is not true."

" You are too serious all the time and you work too much. It is starting to affect you and I want to help."

" I don't need your help, I need you to listen to me."

" So do I. Do you think that this was going to be a one sided thing? I worry for you, the pressure is going to kill you. Let me show you my secrets for relaxation and amusement. "

Rolling eyes in frustration, Hector opted for following him inside the tavern. Paris looked adorably excited when he spotted the girl that he was chasing, who was apparently working there.

" ...and my luck keeps improving. " He commented to his brother. " A tavern pourer, one of my favorite kinds of working girls. There should be more out there, talking with a girl improves the drinking experience. It makes it more fun, I love to see cute girls laugh at my tipsy babbling. "

Hector was suspicious of his reaction.

" You are babbling ríght now. Are you nervous?"

" Thriving for proving my point... and scared for our meeting with the king. "

Hearing him to finally admit it was relieving.

" I knew that your delays were intentional. You can't trick me, I know you better than anyone else in the world. "

" Why did you have to pick me for this?? Odysseus is a smart man, everybody thinks i'm an idiot. "

" You mask yourself as one when it serves your purposes, that's why you are perfect."

“ Maybe i'm the fool they see and you are mistaken.”

Proving his point in a fun way, Paris insisted on seeking his motivation.

" Can I have some words with the pretty girl so I can feel like myself again? "

Hector gave up, they were already there and a simple concession was good for morality.

"Go, I will stay to make sure you will not anger someone and get smacked for being yourself. We have to do something with your urges for seeking validation in women, but that talk can wait for now."

" What can I say? I yearn to be loved and fate knows it is not going to happen your way. They love me and I love them, that’s good enough for me."

With that simple conclusion Paris ended the negotiation with his brother feeling temporarily satisfied and headed in his direction of interest.

The place was moderately crowded, so he didn't find major obstacles in his way towards the woman. Hector observed him from afar and couldn't help to throw a light chuckle, thinking of his brother's unawareness regarding the mundane example with which he proved his point.

He had an outstanding tenacity to seek what he wanted, all he needed was to learn when to change his priorities.

Paris was determined to show her some of his most charming self. Approaching her in the smoothest way possible, he distracted her attention back to him from a casual conversation she was having with another man.

" The gods have blessed me today, for I can't believe that I already have been gifted with the sight of you once more. "

She wasn't taking him seriously.

" Small island. We will stumble across each other all the time. " She repeated, her friendliness made her sound a bit less dry than before. " Where is your brother?"

" Over there, hiding from you because he thinks you hate him. '' Paris pointed out, signaling her the spot where Hector was getting unwanted distraction from the beginning of a horde of questions coming to him from the curious people near. She saw Odysseus and Telemachus coming to his rescue and proceeded to keep doing her part.

" So, it 's true. He can't handle jokes. "

" Most heroes can't. He has his fun moments when he isn't worried. "

" Does he ever chill?"

Paris laughed at her comment and she started to notice that the attention had an effect on him.

" What can I do for you?"

" Do you work here?" His ask was more a conversation opener than an actual wonder.

" My father serves the best wine in Ithaca, even the king comes here to have it. "

" Fantastic, serve us some. It will be good for my nerves, just remember to mix it with a good amount of water because I'm on duty."

That time she laughed at his joke, but she later catched him staring at her lips. When she let him know that she was aware of it, he simply smiled at her.

" I will go to get your drinks, tell your brother that I will be ríght back."

She turned back to fulfill the request, but he stopped her briefly to make a short clarification.

With the sweetest but most shameless expression, Paris whispered to her what he intended to make a secretive and captivating display of his interest.

" With 'us' , I meant you and me. "

The princess in disguise knew that she had to stand some more of his advances as a core aspect of Odysseus's plan , but she was not going to let him get much further.

" I already let you keep the seashell, I liked that one a lot. Take that as payment for your favor, I'm not going to give you more. "

Her answer disturbed him, he looked hurted by her assumption and the fading of his cheerfulness made him look more adorable. The sad innocence in his face could have made any other woman melt.

" I wasn't expecting anything in return and I still don't.."

" Then what do you want from me? "

" I want to try the wine with you and make some small talk about each other because i'm still nervous and you make me smile with ease." He humbly requested. " Seeing your beautiful face is the only working distraction I have found for my fear of getting everything wrong since I came down from my ship. Allow me to buy a brief moment of your company before heading to my mission, all I want is to talk. "

His words were a bit pleasant to hear. She didn't have any interest in him, but he managed to make her feel flattered despite that.

It helped her to look more in character, but she hated it. She was grateful that Odysseus wasn't too close. He would start questioning her or using it as validation for his standpoint, ignoring that the only effect the prince had was on her ego. As a relatively famous girl with no declared admirers praising her in that particular way, it was an unusual thing to experience. It meant nothing to her, but it was a strange surprise and she reacted accordingly.

She made his way back after picking two cups and filling an amphora with the content of a crater that had wine freshly diluted. On that path, she was mentalizing herself into keeping the niceness because her disgust with the positive effect of his flattery was going to make things harder. She would have prefered to be awfully mean to him in order to make him stop and kill any hope, but the directions of the king said otherwise.

" I don't understand why you would want to talk with me, as If I could resolve anything when I don't know you for real. Is your brother so bad with comfort ?" She commented to him as she poured the wine.

" Quite the opposite, Hector is great at giving motivation. He gives the best hugs, great speeches. He is the kind of person who believes in you even when you don't feel it in yourself."

Handling him his cup, she made a guess linked to a pretty familiar fear.

" You are afraid to disappoint him. "

" It's the first time in many years that we get a chance for peaceful negotiations with a Greek king regarding a bilateral conflict. Hector thinks that my personal skills can make a difference, but perhaps believing in me is making him commit a mistake. Odysseus is a genius, I don't think I can keep up with that. "

Her response showed respect for the ease he had when exposing his weaknesses to a woman.

" You will do great, I trust in a man that doesn't mind confessing his fears to me. "

"In the world of men I'm liked, but not respected. Most of the time I don't care, but I fear it could affect this. Let's say that your brother is not the first boy who calls me an idiot. "

" Don't worry about that, he didn't mean it. He did that because he thought you were bothering me. Your flirting is a bit over the top. Sweet, but too much. "

He stared at her in playfull disbelief.

" How do greek men get their women? Setting the closest city on fire? "

" You are not going to get anything from those greek men if you insult them based on assumptions about their ways with women. You are not the first man whispering sweet things to me, but you are the most exaggerated about it. " She replied, adding advice in her observation. " Don't try too hard, you are more likeable when you stop acting."

Paris was finishing a sip of wine and he smiled afterwards, wordlessly approbing her words.

She asked about the wine to change the subject.

" How was it?"

" Excellent as the company. " Was his verdict, said in evident please. " Thank you, I was dying for some reassurance. "

" Well, well, Prince... That was it? Good to know. "

" It doesn't erase that you caught my eye. You must be the prettiest girl on the island. "

" You are unbelievable.. What did I just tell you?"

" I have two different things to pay for here. For the wine I would pay gold to your father. Would you accept a kiss as payment for how good you just made me feel? It's one of my best talents, ríght now I can't think of anything nicer to give you. "

" You aren't fooling anyone."

" Have you ever been kissed by a prince?" He shamelessly asked.

" No, never." She admitted, something that her and the invented character of her fake identity had in common.

" I could bet that there is no prince in Greece whose kisses can beat mine. Try me and you will be coming back for more. "

" Thanks for the offer, but you don't need to pay for my kindness."

" I don't have to, but I would love to. " He insisted. " How would you like to be kissed? Would you like a sweet kiss? A more passionate one? Do you like to end up gasping for air and shaking from the thrill? I can be anything you need, in either way it would be the best kiss you will ever get. "

Paris was too focused on her because he was trying to be seductive, offering himself and getting closer to her with each phrase.

The princess was barely able to control her laugh. Odysseus, pretending to be the place owner, was ríght there and ready for his act. It was hard to tell if his rage was an exaggeration or if he was truly furious with the trojan.

" ... The audacity of this bitch!!" He commented to her, to which she smiled at him in an act of complicity that looked like a claim of innocence. " Stay away from my daughter!!!"

" Atta!" She cheered, leaving the young man's side to reach him in what seemed an attempt of calming him. " I'm fine, you don't need to worry. Paris is a prince, he just wanted some pampering and that's completely normal."

" He could be the son of the King of the Gods and I wouldn't care less. Don't defend him, your brother told me what this young rascal has been doing. "

" Orestes is a kid, he must have exaggerated. "

" ... Or I instructed him well. " Odysseus intensified his improvisation. He wanted to look like an erratic man able to scare the prince. Sweetening his tone, he directed straightly to her. " You did nothing wrong, my darling, but I know how men react when they see you .. Now let me put this son of a royal bitch in place. "

Guessing that Hector was surveilling the situation, ready to strike back if he needed to be physically protected, Paris replied with a short, sharp speech.

" If I have to apologise to someone, it's her. When I like a woman I care a lot about her opinion and very little for the words of the men around her. "

The mycenaean lady had a wide smile of shocking approbation because his words felt like personal validation to her. If stripped from context, it worked like a slap in the face to Odysseus in the personal argument they were having about her relationship with Achilles.

The triumph that she was tasting renewed the will for arguing, what made the line between the acting and their reality become more unclear.

Odysseus stared at Paris in anger once more.

" The classic entitlement of nobility!!! " He hysterically rambled. " I don't have a say because he is a prince with the ríght of spitting on my ríght as father. "

With the enounced growth of his anger, he started to get dangerously close at Paris, threatening his personal space in a menacing way.

" I didn't mean that." The trojan intended to explain himself before being violently cutted off.

" YOU LISTEN TO ME NOW!!!" Odysseus was threatening the prince and calling out the princess at the same time. " Why do I have to let her be seduced by an irresponsible man who can't and won't get anywhere with her? She can do better and I will make sure she will. "

" I can take care of myself, I'm a grown up woman." She complained. It seemed like she was acting in the trojan's defense, but it was part of the very real discussion that was getting started on the back of the act. " Why is it that you only seem to remember that when I have to work with you? I am a woman able to take responsibilities when it's about serving your purposes but when it's about my personal choices I suddenly become a little girl who doesn't have a say."

" I take my duty of protecting you from yourself because I'm your father. Whatever he promised you, I can assure you: it isn't true. Horny men are big liars."

The direction of the talking was starting to confuse Paris but he kept quiet out of pure fear, hoping that he could sneak away from the angered man thanks to the distraction of his daughter.

" You are wrong, you will see it. " She bitterly strook back.

" You will marry as a virgin and you will be the wife of a man who would be willing to properly take care of you.” Odysseus stated in an imperative tone, remembering to add an in character explanation for that. " It's the right thing to do, what I want for you and your sister. That's the fate of the daughters of the nobles, why does it have to be different for you? I don't accept it, you should have the same chance and I'm claiming it for you because that's what a good father should do. "

While finishing his speech, Odysseus frustrated the young prince's attempt of sneaking away.

Unsure of what to do, Paris used his last resource.

" I'm guest of you king!" He pointed out with the same freeing happiness that an epiphany could cause, but still looking terrified. " I'm out of your reach, regardless of any wrong you think I have inflicted on you. "

His excellent point at the beginning of the altercate was absolutely ruined by his cowardice and it saddened the lady. Telemachus was laughing in loud chuckles and, like him, some other casual witnesses.

Hector stopped himself from doing an immediate interruption because it would have increased the humiliation. He exchanged glances with Ereny in a common attempt of coordinating the intervention.

Meanwhile, Odysseus was laughing at the desperate attempt of the frightened little man to save himself, the tone in his chuckles was somehow dark. It felt like the menacing laugh of a crazy person, absolutely exaggerated by him as part of the joke.

" Do you think that is going to scare me, kid? You have no fucking idea of how things work here. I have no regard for the protection he promised you, I hate him, as I despise all the drinking pals he brings here every time he comes. They make a mess. I'm always dealing with golden scum like you because my daughters are beautiful like spring blossoms and Odysseus thinks that is a local attraction that's good for his friends to see. His word means shit to me and i don't need to pretend standing him because he is not here to save you.."

Forgetting the shame in fears of an escalation of the harshness, Hector stepped in and Ereny followed him. She pretended to help him spread them apart while he followed the situation.

" He is my brother, let me assume the guilt for whatever he did. " He proposed, in resignation.

The king switched back to a calming stance while talking to him, in horrifying contrast with the creepiness he used with Paris.

" My boy likes you, what you told him made him happy. " The nice, slightly off topic comment setted the mood for the switch. " I understand that this bitch is your brother and you won't let me give him what he deserves, but you have to know you don't scare me either. "

" He kicked out Achilles a month ago.” Telemachus claimed. It was an exaggerated invention that randomly occurred to him in order to make his father sound more scary.

The boy didn't know that he was adding a very complicating element to the plot of their made up story.

" He left on his own, laughing at his absurd threat. " The princess added, resting menace to the fake anecdote in process of invention.

" I had to do it and I don't regret it. " Odysseus made his character defend himself and kept speaking through him. " He was making me sick, I swear I wanted to punch him for daring to lay his eyes on you. "

" You embarrassed yourself, he refused to fight you because you would have been a dead man. "

" Father, are you really going to challenge a trojan prince over this?" Ereny asked." Calm down, it's the best for everyone. It didn't end well with Achilles and is not going to end well now. "

" You conveniently forget to say that he left because I asked him to. " The princess insisted. " Don't worry, Hector. We are not going to allow him to put you in the same position. "

" We will solve this." The servant girl followed.

" ... Because clearly, you can't handle it. "

The end of the lady's sentence was completely out of character, speaking as herself and subtly claiming the superiority of Achilles.

" I don't know what you have been told about me, but I really don't care. "

" You are insanely overrated just because you are a prince. "

" So, you only despise me because you are a fanatic of Achilles? That's disappointing, i was hoping for some deeper motivation. "

He left her speechless because his reasoning was painfully accurate. Ereny was also shocked: for the first time in a very long while, someone other than Odysseus defeated her fríend to that point.

Feeling like an idiot didn't suit her well, she was furious.

" I don't despise you, that shows too much care. "

" Don't you think that calling her a fanatic is a stretch? " Paris complained. " You are insulting her intelligence and good taste,that man is known as a dumb brute only good at killing people."

" Not a good time for judgements, Paris. " She pointed out, doing her best to restrain herself.

Odysseus was getting tired of her attitude and decided to go for the finale.

" Indeed, because I'm going to get from you what I couldn't get from him. "

The youngest prince tried to hide his fear in pointless threats, but Odysseus just had to get a bit more intense to witness how that facade crumbled. Then, he started laughing for real and the four pranksters were ready to reveal themselves.

" .... You trojans have to be the most credulous people I have ever met. How can you believe that I'm the father of these girls? I'm still young and handsome.”

The mycenaeans started laughing with him while the princes became evidently disconcerted. Sharing only one guess, they realized that they have been fooled all along. That man was speaking as someone who was already waiting for them to show up.

"... You aren't scared of the king because you are the king.." Paris concluded

" ... We must have seen it coming. " Hector lamented. " Fame warns about your trickery but I guess you can never be ready."

" Regular introductions are too fake, I like to make new people show their true colours when visiting my kingdom. " He simply stated, going back to normal in the chilliest way. “ Hector, Paris, welcome to Ithaca! I’m Odysseus and it's a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Feeling a life saving wind of fresh air relaxing him, Paris was up to demand explanations.

" All of this was a trick to test us? Don't you think it is too much?"

" It's brilliant. Evaluating their reaction to women and children It's a great way to judge people you don't know. " His brother theorized. " I can only say ... well played. "

" Get used to it, tricks are part of the hospitality when you stay with Odysseus. " The princess added. " I had so much fun with you, I never saw two men soo avid to believe all the bullshit I say. Only my father and uncle swallow that many lies. "

" ... A beautiful deceiver.. I can't even get mad at you because you are so cute. " Paris replicated.

" Your crap is cute, but you can cut it now. Thank you. "

" I hope you have learned my lesson, Paris. " Odysseus continued. "It wasn't my intention to make you tremble like a little boy, but it is a little something I want you to think about for the rest of your stay. "

" Rude guests are the worst, don't walk around as if you own the place and don't mess with the subdits of my father because he will protect those girls like if they were my sisters. " Telemachus summarized for him.

" Then you are his son for real.” Paris seemed considerably impressed by that fact, but relieved of thinking that at least the child who beated him was a prince. “ Got it, little prince."

"He is, we aren't. " Ereny clarified. " To be fair we are like sisters because we grew up together, but she is a noblewoman and i'm her servant."

" One of my closest friends, please consider her like my sister and forget everything else you thought you knew about us.”

The king smiled mischievously because he remembered that they were absolutely unaware of who she was and he couldn’t wait to see their reactions.

“ I have been playing guesses on you all day, now it’s your turn. I have an excellent idea for a game of deductions we can play on the way to the palace. “

“ Must I take it as a new chance to impress you after the mess you just saw?” Paris wondered, the relaxation making him realize the huge embarrassment in which he stuck himself in.

“ Don’t worry about that, I’m just messing around. “ Odysseus calmed him. “ The goal of the game would be guessing who she is, since everything in the identity she presented to you is absolutely false. “

Getting where he was going, the princess thought that it was the most hilarious possible way to show herself and she was very into it.

“ You can take turns to ask questions, we know you aren’t seers.”

#troy 2004 #troy (2004)#troy 2004 fanfiction #troy fanfiction #troy movie fanfiction #hector of troy #paris of troy #odysseus #OCs #reader insert #eric bana #orlando bloom #sean bean #reader insert fanfiction #achilles x reader #brad pitt x reader #troy #troy movie

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Everything Mythologically Inaccurate About O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)

For the record. I adore this movie with all my soul and I know it’s loosely based on the Odyssey and this will basically be me pointing out references to the epic, but it’s the only film adaption I’ve ever seen of the Odyssey and that’s what I’m currently reading, so here we go.

Nice beginning quote, also the beginning of the Odyssey, although specific wording varies between translations

I have two copies of the Odyssey, one by Stanley Lombardo and the other by Emily Wilson (highly recommend her translation)

This seems to be from a translation done in 1961 by Robert Fitzgerald

The trouble with the Odyssey, plot wise, is that the majority of the actual monster-fighting, ship-wrecking Odyssey part is told entirely through flashback and it’s only about a third of the whole epic. It’s not a linear story and this movie is, so we’re going to have to accept that everything is out of order

The Odyssey actually starts with Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, and his own journey to learn whether his father is still alive or not

He visits Menelaus and Nestor, both characters from the Iliad and friends of Odysseus. They both make long speeches and there’s lots of ceremonial hospitality and I can understand why they skipped it

But in Book 5, we finally get to Odysseus, who is trapped on Calypso’s island

Odysseus is then freed from Calypso’s island by order of Zeus, so starting with a jailbreak makes sense

Fun Fact: the song here, “Po’ Lazarus,” wasn’t recorded for the film. It’s a recording of real Mississippi prisoners in 1959 made by the Ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax

After sailing away from Calypso’s island, Odysseus is immediately shipwrecked by Poseidon and he washes up on the shores of the Phaeacians and there’s a long, long period of time spent getting him food and clothes and some damn sleep, which again—I understand why they simplified it

I cannot stress enough how amazingly in character Everett is as Odysseus, literally the man never stops talking

Delmar and Pete are also fantastically in line with Odysseus’ men, who are mostly unnamed, but are frequently characterized as stupid, insubordinate, and lacking in self-control

They could also be analogous with Odysseus’ two slaves, Eumaeus and Philoetius, who help him kill the suitors and take back his house

*a reminder that slavery in Ancient Greece wasn’t racially based. It was still terrible, but it could technically happen to anyone*

I have to assume the push-cart is the equivalent of Odysseus’ raft after he leaves Calypso’s island and the old blind man is Tiresias, the blind prophet that Odysseus meets later when he travels the Underworld

Also the blind man’s line “I have no name” might be a reference to Odysseus telling the cyclops Polyphemus that “He is no one”

Odysseus is told a number of times by several different people that he’s fated to return home, but only after great suffering so this prophecy is a good summary thematically speaking

Tiresias also tells Odysseus that after he returns home, in order to appease Poseidon, he will have to travel again until he meets people who have never seen the ocean and then make sacrifices. This is Odysseus’ Lost Adventure, so to speak, because we have no record of it

The ‘cow on top of a cotton house’ is sort of in line with that part of Tiresias’ prophecy, in terms of ‘you’ll know it’s over when you see something weird’

Is Wash’s house supposed to be Circe’s island? Bit of a stretch

There’s a pig. I think that makes it Circe’s island

There’s no police force after them or deadline in the Odyssey, but there is Poseidon actively working against them and, more or less, a desire to get home as soon as possible

Are the baptists supposed to be the Lotus Eaters? Because Odysseus’ men do join up with them and he has to basically drag them by their ears back to the ship

I think it’s interesting that they characterize Everett as a non-believer since Odysseus is, actually, a favorite of gods like Athena and is super devout and careful about making proper sacrifices and such

The “you might be square with the Lord, but the state of Mississippi is more hard-nosed” point is funny because that’s honestly how the Odyssey ends. Odysseus has killed all the suitors and fulfilled his fate as decreed by Athena and Zeus, but the families of the murdered young men still chase after him demanding retribution. Athena intervenes at the end

Don’t think Tommy is supposed to be anyone in the Odyssey, maybe the multiple bards who sing stories throughout the epic, but he is based on the legends of Tommy Johnson or Robert Johnson, both black blues musicians who were said to have learned guitar from the Devil

Musicians in the Odyssey are said to be given their gifts by the gods, so that tracks

Okay, is THIS blind guy at the radio station supposed to be Tiresias or are they messing with me

“I am a man of sorrow” is a DIRECT line from the Odyssey (B.19, L.119, Wilson) and I’m SO GLAD they made a song out of it

Wait wait wait governor MENELAUS “pappy” O’Daniel?? Hilarious

“Thank god your mammy died giving birth. If she’da seen ya, she’da died of shame” amazing line. But wait, if you’re King Menelaus, are we talking about HELEN here

*Helen and Menelaus only had one child btw, her name is Hermione, which is the feminine version of Hermes*

There’s just something about the Great Depression Era that tugs on my heart and makes me cry, I love it

Odysseus is firstly a PIRATE and a SACKER OF CITIES which means him stealing treasure and what not is in character

Although the particular treasure he ends up with at the end does not come from The Trojan War, but was gifted to him by the Phaeacians, so

Wait a second. Everett’s name is Ulysses Everett McGill, right? Ulysses is the Latin form of Odysseus

Is all that money in the bag TWO dollar bills?? Fucking fantastic

George “Baby Face” Nelson is also a real person, famous gangster and bank robber. Not sure he lines up with anybody in the Odyssey, but my god did they do an excellent job casting. He killed more FBI agents than any person in history. He also was not executed by electric chair, but was shot to death by the FBI

Ohhh the “not the livestock” thing is a reference to Odysseus’ men eating the Sun Cows when they were specifically told not to and all of them dying as consequence

Hey they’re sitting on old busted Greek columns, that’s cool

HOMER stokes. Nice

I KNEW those little boys carrying ice had to be a reference to something. Eudora Welty’s photograph for WPA of two boys carrying ice

Odysseus IS an excellent storyteller

Alright, alright. A note about Sirens. They are not sexy ladies sitting up on rocks. The Odyssey doesn’t even give a physical description, just that they’re monsters who sing at passing sailors, promising their greatest desire. In Odysseus’ case, that is KNOWLEDGE, specifically about his family and friends

Although, funnily enough, Odysseus does come across young girls doing their laundry in a river after shipwrecking. And he is naked at the time. But there is NO seduction happening. He just politely asks if maybe he can borrow some clothes and also could someone point him in the direction of the nearest town, please and thank you

Obsessed with the idea that you have to get Odysseus black out drunk in order to shut him up

Okay, maybe those ladies were supposed to be Circe too—she turns people into pigs (or frogs, in this case) AND sleeps with Odysseus

I spy a Cyclops. Polyphemus, the bible salesman

Which is funny, btw, because Odysseus basically calls Polyphemus godless for breaking hospitality rules and eating several of his men, which does happen here in a way

There is crying in damn near every single book of the Odyssey and it’s a shame there’s so little of it here

*reference to the Carter family, legends of American Folk music*

Odysseus just has a son, Telemachus, but I think the little girls are supposed to be the Graces? The Muses? idk trios of women are really common

I love this because at first Telemachus doesn’t recognize his father either (partly because he’s never actually met him and partly because Athena’s put him in disguise)

Neither does Penelope until Odysseus proves himself by a) winning the archery contest and b) knowing the secret of their marriage bed

“Not since you got hit by that train!” perfect

“Odysseus died in the war!” Penelope says. *Odysseus, sitting right in front of his family, looking at Athena like she’s a camera on the Office*

Penelope has, like, thirty suitors who showed up to the house one day and just refused to leave until she picked one of them to marry and she can’t get them to leave until Odysseus returns and kills them all

Oh wait, there’s seven little girls. Right, probably the Muses then. Especially since they sing. That’s cute, I love that

If anyone is as big a liar as Odysseus, it’s definitely Penelope. That’s why he loves her. Totally in character

Penny. Penelope. Close enough.

I think it’s hilarious that Everett can’t fight. Especially since Odysseus just. murders all the suitors without much fuss since he’s so great at everything all the time

“Just a drifter, I guess” she says about Everett, which is great because Odysseus shows up disguised as a beggar at first and it’s unclear if Penelope genuinely can’t recognize him or if she’s playing along with his scheme to get the suitors out of the house

“Don’t trust women” is a BIG thing in the Odyssey, unfortunately, which is a little hypocritical of it since it’s main character is a lying, scheming, murdering, pirate and war criminal who cheats on his wife repeatedly

I don’t CARE if Hermes told you to, Odysseus, it’s still a double standard

The movie theater scene reminds me of the bit in the Odyssey where they travel to the Underworld and talk to some of Odysseus’ friends. Agamemnon tells him not to go home lest he be betrayed by his wife and murdered like he was

THERE’S the crying

I… I can’t explain the Klan scene except for, well, Polyphemus gets blinded by a stick that’s on fire, so. There’s that. Maybe they’re Polyphemus’ sheep? The suitors trying to kill Telemachus?? idk

The whole world is not against Odysseus, he’s just a liar who’s too smart for his own good and occasionally his selfishness makes him a little stupid, that’s all

More disguises! I love it

More Penelope not recognizing Odysseus until he proves himself! Excellent!

See, at least Everett doesn’t have to kill a room full of people in order to solve his problems

Oh oh oh, wait, is them having to go get the ring like Odysseus’ Lost Adventure to the people who’ve never seen the sea in order to lift Poseidon’s curse?? Or is it like Odysseus proving he knows that his and Penelope’s marriage bed was made out of a living tree and can’t be moved without cutting it??

See? Don’t go after livestock that ain’t yours

I guess this makes Poseidon the Devil here

Orrr this is when the families of the dead suitors try and kill Odysseus?

The flood at the end is definitely Athena’s deus ex machina though

Couldn’t tell an Odyssey story without a little bit a water, could you?

Ending with the little Muse girls singing with the blind prophet?? Amazing, I love it

Hercules (1997)

Clash of the Titans (2010)

#mythology #greek mythology #everything mythologically inaccurate #odyssey #the odyssey #odysseus #homer #o brother where art thou #movies #she speaks!#o brother where art thou (2000)#coen brothers #penelope #odysseus x penelope #mythologically inaccurate

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connyhascontrol · 3 years

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I finished Circe last night and the ending still doesn't sit right with me. I'm assuming this has been said before and more eloquently by somebody else but I'll still say it.

It's a feminist book about a woman who defies expectation and fights for her own place in the world every step of the way and in the end she is pushed into a heteronormative life.

(obviously spoilers ahead)

I am not mad that she finds somebody she loves in the end, I'm not even mad it's a man. I just think the relationship with Telemachus is forced and extremely uncomfortable. Ending up with her son's half-brother, after the boys have been referred to as "the brothers" is creepy, even if the two of them are not related. Circe slept with his father while Telemachus was still a child and she knew about him. Obviously age gaps don't really matter when one of the people is immortal but the familial connection makes it uncomfortable.

Then there is the issue that Miller has made her name as a writer on the back of the most well-known love story about two men in the history of storytelling. She clearly has no issue with writing about homosexuality, but somehow Circe, the rebel, the one who forges her own path only ever sleeps with men. She only ever comes in contact with men after she leaves her father's halls, and those men are either threats or lovers she takes, often both. Nymphs and other minor goddesses are sent to live with her and she does not form a single meaningful relationship with any of them. We're supposed to believe that not one of the other daughters who misbehaved and defied their parents had anything to say Circe would be interested in. The only woman who is not related to her and who Circe has actual conversations with is Penelope, who in the end even picks up witchcraft, using Circe's herbs and tools for it.

Penelope comes to Aiaia as a potential threat, the same way Odysseus once did, and then they find they have a lot in common and are interested in each other, as happened with Odysseus. It's a parallel drawn purposefully. Penelope is a mirror both for Odysseus and for Circe. She is what connects all of them. Which somehow leads to Circe fucking Penelope's son.

We know Miller doesn't mind messing with the mythology for the sake of relationships. At the end we get a glimpse into the future, that is not guaranteed but that's the only thing for us to go on what will happen, and it includes Telegonus not fathering a great dynasty like Athena wants but instead being very close to the captain of the guard. Wink wink nudge nudge. Once again no issues with homosexuality, as long as it's among men. Every sexual or romantic relationship in this book is centered around men. Either their cruelty and how they use Circe or how Circe decides to use them and in a few cases even genuine connection. But always men.

The relationship with Penelope, where they meet and act as equals, is completely overlooked. And I'm not saying this as like "I can't believe she didn't make my ship canon", I'm saying female connection and female sexuality does not matter in this book, that is about a woman's liberation.

Love amongst women does not exist in Madeline Miller's world, and it's sad coming from a person who got famous by writing about love amongst men.

#not me writing literary analysis at six in the morning because I'm disappointed #circe madeline miller #circe

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kingoffiends · 4 years

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Themis: Titan of Divine Law

Themis is a titaness, one of the first wives of Zeus. Her stretch is most seen in the region of Thessaly, in which she replaces Hera as in the dodekatheon (in the same region Enodia replaces Artemis). While often overlooked, her importance cannot be ignored. She’s a child of Ouranous and Gaia, a mother of the Moirai (fates), the Horai (seasons), the Themeides, and in some versions Prometheus.

Epithets:

Themis Soteria: Means saviour

Themis Euboulous and Orthoboulous: Means well-counselled

Themis Hiera: Means holy

Themis Aidios: Means venerable

Themis Eugenes: Means high-born

Themis Titanis: Means female titan

Marriage to Zeus:

We see the marriage between Zeus and Themis before the marriage of Zeus and Hera. We see no written complications between the husband and wife duing this time, the most important factors being the birth of the fates and the seasons.

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 13 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "With Themis, the daughter of Ouranos (Uranus, Sky), he [Zeus] fathered his daughters the Horai (Horae, Seasons), by name Eirene (Irene, Peace), Eunomia (Good Order), and Dike (Justice); also the Moirai (Moirae, Fates), called Klotho (Clotho), Lakhesis (Lachesis), and Atropos (Atropus)."

One source, the Aeschyules, claims Themis to also be the mother of Prometheus, but that is not backed up by any other work.

We see Themis besides Zeus, helping him carry out divine law and order. THe Homeric hymn to Cronion says: "I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest, all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of wisdom to Themis (Divine Law) as she sits leaning towards him."

Plato’s Republic also speaks of Themis, in which he refers to Eris, the titaness being the one who using her divine powers prompted the Trojan War.

Stasinus of Cyprus or Hegesias of Aegina, Cypria Fragment 1 (from Proclus, Chretomathy 1) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or C6th B.C.) : "The epic called Cypria is current is eleven books. Its contents are as follows. Zeus plans with Themis (Divine Law) to bring about the Trojan war. Eris (Strife) arrives while the gods are feasting at the marriage of Peleus and starts a dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite as to which of them is fairest." [N.B. In Athenian vase painting Themis is depicted alongside Eris as she casts the Golden Apple of Discord amongst the goddesses at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and also beside Eris watching the subsequent Judgment of Paris.]

Goddess of Assemblies: Themis is said to rule over gatherings, most seen in the Illiad and Odyssey. To quote the Illiad: "She [Hera] came to sheer Olympos (Olympus) and entered among the assembled immortal gods in the house of Zeus [after she had fled Troy following the threats which followed her defiance of Zeus' edicts], and they seeing her rose all to swarm about her and lifted their cups in greeting. But Hera passed by the others and accepted a cup from Themis (Divine Law) of the fair cheeks, since she had first come running to greet her and had spoken to her and addressed her in winged words: ‘Hera, why have you come? You seem like one who has been terrified. I know, it was the son of Kronos, your husband, frightened you.’ In turn the goddess Hera of the white arms answered her : ‘Ask me nothing of this, divine (thea) Themis. You yourself know what his spirit is, how it is stubborn and arrogant. Preside still over the gods in their house, the feast's fair division. Yet so much may you hear, and with you all the immortals, how Zeus discloses evil actions, and I do not think the heart of all will be pleasured alike.’"

Here we see Themis was the one to call upon meetings on Olympus and its feasts, of course often dictated and ordered by Zeus.

In the Odyssey, the quote "[Telamakhos (Telemachus), son of Odysseus, addresses the suitors at an assembly of the people :] ‘I appeal to you by Zeus Olympios (Olympian) himself, I appeal by Themis, who convenes men's councils and dissolves them, cease from these ways, you men of Ithaka, and leave me unmolested.’” comments that Themis also reigned over gatherings of mortals. We can see by example she was called upon to keep peace and calm during these or while the assembly dispersed, so as not to let chaos or riot break out.

Goddess of oracles:

We also have writings saying Themis ruled the oracles in Delphi and elsewhere before Apollo took over, as noticed below from the Diodorus Sicilus: "Of the female Titanes (Titans) . . . Themis, the myths tell us, was the first to introduce divinations and sacrifices and ordinances which concern the gods, and to instruct men in the ways of obedience to laws and of peace. Consequently men who preserve what is holy with respect to the gods and the laws of men are called ‘law-guardians’ (thesmophulakes) and ‘law-givers’ (thesmothetai), and we say that Apollon at the moment when he is to return the oracular responses, is ‘issuing laws and ordinances' (themisteuein), in view of the fact that Themis was the discoveress of oracular responses."

Not only was Themis the ruler of oracles, but also the credited discoverer of divine communication methods, including divination forms and sacrifice in addition to divine laws. The Orphic Hymn to Themis also reiterates this, with "Illustrious Themis . . . first from thee alone prophetic oracles to men were known, given from the deep recesses of the fane in sacred Pythian Delphoi (Delphi), where renowned you reign. From thee Phoibos' (Phoebus') [Apollon's] oracles arose, and from thy power his inspiration flows."

The prophecies this titaness gave out were plentiful and important. Just about every major early event in the hellenic religion was prophecized by Themis. I’d encourage any reader to look more into these, as listing all my quotes would take far too long, but a short list of these include: the fall of the titans, Achilles’s birth, the liberation of Prometheus, the struggles involving the golden apple, and the death of the giants.

Cults of Themis:

Themis had a few cults all throughout Greece, including the capital of Athens and Thebes and a sanctuary in Olympia.

Sources:

Altar of the Six Goddesses in Thessalian Pherai by Stephen G. Miller

Quotes on theoi.com (from the Pseudo-Apollodorus, Illiad, Odyssey, and others)

#themis deity #hellenism #hellenic deities #hellenic polytheism #Hellenic religion

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bluewatsons · 4 years

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Anna E. Clark, Twilight of the Mentors: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love my gatekeeper, The New Inquiry (May 19, 2020)

Mentors have a dubious lineage. Since the 1980s, when the corporate world co-opted the concept, mentoring — long a synonym for teaching — has come to stand for almost any kind of professional guidance, and especially that which rank-and-file employees provide to one another. As mentoring has become increasingly linked to workplace diversity initiatives, a mentor is more likely to be the person sitting next to you than a CEO, a shift that echoes the economic devaluation of historically male-dominated jobs now occupied by women. As Helen Colley, a professor at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Education and Social Research Institute has argued, mentoring is no longer a system in which powerful people support other structurally powerful people but a burden passed on to the masses. Though presented as an unalloyed good, mentoring is an additional encumbrance, a way of shifting what should be the responsibility of the institution to the individual.

It might be tempting to view this now ubiquitous corporate mentoring model as further evidence of capitalism’s capacity to extort our emotional labor, but it’s more accurate to say that corporate culture’s embrace of mentorship surfaces the extractive, obfuscating qualities that have always been integral to the concept. Mentors enable and thrive in systems of obstruction and privilege. By embracing them now as vehicles of ostensible inclusivity, companies, nonprofits, and schools gesture to diversity while shoring up the opaque gatekeeping structures that keep power consolidated. Meanwhile, as mentorship becomes increasingly inseparable from its corporate repurposing, the term itself has come to subsume other forms of teaching and caregiving, blurring the lines between labor coerced and labor freely given. Now, we are all the conscripts of mentorship.

Mentorship has become so pervasive, such a taken-for-granted value, that the shallow history of its contemporary meaning has gone strikingly unremarked. Though articles about mentors like to say that they started with Homer’s Odyssey, where Athena disguises herself as someone named Mentor in order to tell Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, to kick Penelope’s deadbeat suitors out of the house, the mentor as it exists today is a uniquely late-capitalist construction. Mentors start popping up with frequency in 18th century literature, where the term means something like “stern but well-intentioned teacher.” In The Task, William Cowper’s charmingly meandering 1785 epic on, among other things, nature, sofas, and God, the speaker describes a thin board frequently strapped to aged backs in the service of posture as “a Mentor worthy of his charge.” By the 19th century, a mentor is as likely to be a piece of instructional literature as a person. The Bible is a “mentor.” So too are didactic texts on everything from fashion to marriage to living a moral life. In the early 20th century, the Mentor is the title of a popular American magazine charged with giving its readers “knowledge that they all want and ought to have.” Here, “mentor” suggests a kind of anonymous trustworthiness and authority, like a particularly salutary encyclopedia.

Something changes, however, in the 1970s. A search for “mentor” in the Google Books Ngram Viewer — a convenient tool for charting broad shifts in printed English — shows a modestly steady increase in the word’s usage from 1800 to the earliest years of the Reagan era, when the graph starts to mimic a textbook illustration of exponential growth. “Mentoring” is almost nonexistent until the mid-eighties or so, when it too sees a similar spike. For comparison, a search for “adviser” (a common synonym) in the same period yields a graph that looks like a mountain range.

What shifts in these years? One clue exists in a 1980 installment of William Safire’s On Language column in the New York Times, where Safire, a former Nixon speechwriter, practiced his layman lexicography for nearly three decades. In a characteristically tongue-in-cheek piece titled “Perils of the Fast Track,” Safire codifies the new meaning of “mentor” by close reading a recent exposé of what was arguably the first corporate sex scandal: A 29-year-old VP, Mary Cunningham, was accused of a “romantic liaison” with her mentor, William Agee, who also happened to be her CEO. She was forced to resign; Agee stayed on.

“Today,” Safire begins, a mentor is “a senior management figure who takes a younger person under his wing, risking rumor and innuendo if the protégée, or mentee, is an attractive woman.” Safire goes on to explain that though the word comes from Homer, it’s been “adopted” by the corporate world to signify “‘career guide and executive nurturer.’” Safire’s point is that, despite mentor’s new status as business-world lingo, its fundamental meaning hasn’t changed. “Here’s the beauty part,” he writes in the column’s kicker. In the Odyssey, Athena uses Mentor’s identity as a disguise. Thus, Safire concludes, “It was all a trick. . . . As Mary Cunningham learned, at the start of her own odyssey to CEO, mentors can be trouble; even Homer shook his head.”

Safire sounds authoritative — his prose tends to have the air of someone with a comment rather than a question. But his closing “gotcha” nod to Homer is an empty rhetorical flourish. While it’s true that Athena disguises herself as Mentor, the aim isn’t mischief. Taking on his appearance allows her to overlap her identity (all-powerful goddess of wisdom and strategy) with his (a nobleman and guest), which is capable of setting the young Telemachus at ease. When Athena/Mentor takes leave of Telemachus, now buoyed on praise for his bravery and manhood, he has himself become “godlike.” Mentorship here looks not like a “trick” but like a subtle, enlivening transfer of power.

Why does Safire mention the Odyssey at all? Because aligning the fundamentally new meaning of corporate mentorship with Homer is an ideological move, part of the larger linguistic project of Safire and other conservative commentators such as William F. Buckley and George Will, who seek to revive the conservatism that had fallen out of favor since the 1960s by linking it to free market economics, reframing American identity as a matter of Christian faith, “Western Civilization,” and capitalism. In this context, classical learning serves as a form of arbitrary clout, a way of invoking time-honored authority for extant power structures. Things have always been so, says the reference. Who are you to think they could be otherwise? It’s certainly true that men in positions of power have long cultivated the careers of their successors, entrenching their own control by choosing their likenesses to carry it on. But calling this practice mentorship is, in 1980, a new evolution, a way to elide the less savory aspects of business-world patronage by associating it with the term’s blandly benevolent connotations, articulating a vision of corporate life that is not profit hungry but humane, generous, and invested in individual success. At the same time, portraying mentorship as part of a timeless tradition makes it easier for Safire to blame Mary Cunningham for her own termination. The fault lies not with her boss, or the board of trustees who forced her out, but in her own naive assumption that mentorship at work might mean anything other than the same old patriarchy.

It’s tempting to read Safire’s casual endorsement of mentorship’s worst impulses as quaint anachronism, but the Janus-faced definition he helps to shape continues to inform the concept today, overwriting things we used to call teaching, counseling, advising, and friendship. We talk easily of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jesus as mentors and the solidarity practiced by people of color, women, and LGBTQ communities as mentorship; at the same time, official mentorship programs syphon up the language and labor of these informal networks, turning their aims not to structural change but to objectives such as employee retention and professional success. Or, as a 2019 Forbes article puts it, “Employees are happy, engaged, and productive when their individual needs and the needs of the organization are in sync.” Like company softball leagues and team-building retreats, mentoring has become another cheap substitute for the structural transformations needed to upend entrenched injustices, superseding tangible forms of support such as money, time, health care, and job security. Even in government and philanthropy, mentoring’s primary aim is economic advancement. In 2002, George W. Bush endorsed January as “National Mentoring Month” in an effort to bolster the professional prospects of youth from underprivileged backgrounds, a cause later taken up by Barack Obama. Granted, when we talk of community and social-justice leaders as mentors, we don’t usually mean “executive nurturers.” We use the term to capture a sense of an affective heritage, in which the meaningful work of social change gets carried forward. And yet, that we turn to “mentor” at all is largely thanks to the term’s Reagan-era reclamation. However much we might want to claim “mentor” for other uses, its every application to the labor of solidarity, caregiving, and comradeship refracts back on its corporate context. Like so much of what was formerly grassroots organizing and activism, it too has become professionalized.

There is one additional feature of the Odyssey’s mentor scene that Safire leaves unremarked. There, as Athena guides Telemachus, preparing him to fight alongside his father, the mentee looks less like an apprentice or a novice than like someone ready to assume the mantle of responsibility, a sharp difference from contemporary corporate mentorship. This is the torch-passing version of the mentor-mentee relationship still common in Hollywood blockbusters and video games, where it’s so frequent that it gets its own mention on the pop-culture wiki TVTropes.com — think of the Jedi masters of Star Wars, or Morpheus tutoring Neo in The Matrix. It’s an archetype that still informs how we often think of the relationships between teachers and students, raising up the young to take over from the old. But it’s an anachronistic fantasy in an era when the structural forces that enabled older generations’ well-being no longer exist — when, in fact, the material comforts of past generations bear responsibility for a climate crisis that will be borne largely by generations to come. In these circumstances, a meaningful transfer of power between mentor and mentee might look less like a torch passing — a replication and renewal of extant practices and beliefs — than like a wholesale rethinking of what power meant and entailed.

Academia, a system with its own long mentorship history, is especially useful for thinking about how conditions of scarcity and upheaval have changed the concept’s meaning. Here too, “mentor” has typically bled into other offices — those of teacher and advisor, which recall the mentor archetype. It’s common for academics to refer to their “mentors” with reverence, as if the term connoted a specific kind of guidance and personal instruction. The term speaks to the idea of intellectual legacy, the way that advanced graduate study was, in a less precarious era, an induction into a genealogy of thought that one would eventually pass on to one’s own mentees.

But academic mentorship has never been perfect, often replicating the same inequalities present outside its walls, and its contemporary application has only heightened its propensity for exploitation. In an era in which the gulf between well- and underresourced institutions has become increasingly stark, mentorship is often uncompensated labor, a trait that compounds the arbitrary ways it has long been dispersed. Mentorship is something many professors can fail at or excel in, disperse with equity or bias, wield as a cudgel or dole out as a gift, often with little penalty or risk to themselves. Students and colleagues rely on such support for their advancement, yet they are often without recourse if they don’t receive it. While some schools and programs might assign mentors, others leave it up to the student to find their own support, whether by networking, charm, or nepotism. The fuzziness of mentorship as a category of academic labor perpetuates this inequality. How do you measure it? What does it involve? What kind of training does it require? What does it even mean? Though the academy has become increasingly willing to use the same productivity quotas honed in the business world, it has remained stubbornly resistant to quantifying the work of mentorship in meaningful ways.

At the same time, mentors bear the weight of institutional efforts to increase diversity. Here, perhaps even more than in the corporate world, it’s often treated as a form of charity, a service obligation one can assume or disregard, reserved mostly for those who see inclusion as an ethical and political obligation as much as a professional one. While universities may pay lip service to its virtue and form committees to facilitate its practice, it usually counts for little in the tenure process. The labor and value of mentoring is a dominant theme in Written/Unwritten: Diversity and the Hidden Truths of Tenure, English professor Patricia A. Matthew’s indispensable collection of interviews and essays on the experiences of the “diverse” faculty academia claims to celebrate. Here, as sociologist Andreana Clay suggests, being a mentor is often “inextricably linked to the position of the educator,” encompassing mutuality, allyship, friendship, activism, and role modeling. But ambivalence and frustration are equally part of the job, the consequence of institutional unwillingness to give time or recognition to work disproportionately performed by faculty of identities historically marginalized in academic life. Meanwhile, academia largely excludes the ever growing number of contingent instructors — the majority of teaching faculty at colleges today — from formal and informal support. This doesn’t prevent their students, who see no difference between them and tenure-track professors, from seeking their time and care. If, at some point, for some people, academic mentorship offered an archetype of the concept, as close as anyone outside a Homeric epic might get to godlike guidance, that day is long past.

And yet. The ideal of the good mentor persists. We reify the term even as it grows increasingly imprecise. Much like the 20th century ideal of the perfect spouse, the mentor in 2020 houses a seemingly endless and incompatible cluster of desires, everything from understanding to support, friendship, motivation, protection, advocacy, leadership, deference, generosity, power, nurturing, care, and collaboration. The mentor stands for the best version of who we want to be, while promising to see us as the best version of ourselves. As in the Odyssey passage Safire references, we might as well ask for a divine protector. Even in its originating appearance, the mentor is an impossible hybrid, as much a fantasy as a source of guidance.

Such desire speaks to another aspect of the mentor ideal: the potential for mutual fascination, as mentor and mentee find in one another both a reflection and an exemplar, sharing the charged pleasure of mutual recognition. Affect theorist Eve Sedgwick gets at this kind of exchange best in her description of the teacher-student relationship in Western appropriations of Tibetan Buddhism. Reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, a popularization of The Tibetan Book of the Dead written largely for American readers by Sogyal Rinpoche, a charismatic Buddhist teacher, Sedgwick considers the distinctive phenomenology of reincarnation in descriptions of the teacher-student bond. As a young child, Rinpoche was identified as the reincarnation of a renowned Buddhist teacher by the man who would become his own “master,” Jamyang Khyentse. He was raised and taught by Khyentse, in the same way Khyentse had been raised and taught by him, in his prior life. In Rinpoche’s description, it’s a kind of teaching that, as Sedgwick suggests, “thrives on personality and intimate emotional relation,” even as it also “functions as a mysteriously powerful solvent of individual identity.” Here, temporal and interpersonal boundaries blur: One is always both teacher and student to an intimately connected other, who is also always one’s own teacher and student. A version of this interchange exists in the transactional language of mentoring today. Mentoring, we are often told, is a two-way street: The mentor stands to gain as much as the mentee, who should in turn consider themselves a mentor in training. Sedgwick reminds us of the emotional intimacy of such work. The will to mentor and to be mentored often comes from a sense of identification: This is who I was; this is who I want to be. It’s a relationship engaged with obligation and care, even as it’s not so much selfless as deeply, disorientingly self-entranced.

There is a coda to Sogyal Rinpoche’s story. In 2017, a quarter century after The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying became an international phenomenon, and nearly 15 years after Sedgwick wrote about it, decades of abuse suffered under Rinpoche came to light in Rigpa, the international Buddhist network he founded, along with evidence of a longstanding cover-up. In a public letter written by his former students, they describe physical, psychological, and sexual manipulation explained away as instruction, concealed by Rinpoche’s “public face” of “wisdom, kindness, humor, warmth and compassion.”

It’s a conclusion that today feels almost expected. Post #MeToo, the ability of powerful men who claimed to be mentors to exploit the trust that came with that role appears unnervingly commonplace. Looking back to Safire’s deeply sexist telling of Mary Cunningham’s experience, or to the many similar stories found in academia, there’s another account of mentorship to be told, one in which the role’s queasy combination of benevolence and power excuses manipulation and abuse. In this version of mentorship’s history, we might see its current association with inclusion and diversity as a kind of sea change, a way of shifting power away from those who have wielded it for too long. Here, the identificatory ideal of mentorship becomes relevant again, promising a way of retelling history, making wisdom from suffering, celebrating those who broke the paths we tread.

Or we could imagine different kinds of solidarity. As much as we might want to, it’s impossible to unwind contemporary mentorship from a worldview that blames individuals for their own subjugation and absolves the company and the state of the burdens of meaningful social change. Before the mentor’s rise, we had language for this. Maybe it’s time to reclaim it.

#mentoring #The Way We Live Now #metoo #professional culture #workplace culture #health care industry #career building #sociology #employment #corporate culture #labor

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itsmariannedeleon · 5 years

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Blog #2: Rustam and Suhrab, Troy and Odyssey

The tragedy of Rustam and Suhrab forms part of the 10th-century Persian epic Shanameh by the persian poet, Ferdowsi. It tells the tragic story of the heroes Rustam and his son, Suhrab.

This epic is a Filicide. Filicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing their own child. The word filicide is derived from the Latin words filius and filia and the suffix -cide, meaning to kill, murder, or cause death. The word can refer both to the crime and to the perpetrator of the crime.

One thing that i learned and realized in this epic is that, there are times that we will do things, not knowing that we might regret the action that we did. In this case, it is too late for Rustam. Maybe just maybe, we should be careful about the decisions and the things that we will do because unexpected things might happen. You know, in this world there are a lot of plot twists in someone's life, there are a lot of unexpected things that we will not expect, it might bring us happiness but it might also bring us sadness and hurt. This story of a father and a son is indeed a tragic story.

♥♥♥

Troy is a 2004 epic historical war drama film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by David Benioff. The film features a lot of casts led by Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom. It is loosely based on Homer's Iliad in its narration of the entire story of the decade-long Trojan War—condensed into little more than a couple of weeks, rather than just the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon in the ninth year. Achilles leads his Myrmidons along with the rest of the Greek army invading the historical city of Troy, defended by Hector's Trojan army. The end of the film (the sack of Troy) is not taken from the Iliad, but rather from Quintus Smyrnaeus'sPosthomerica. ©

A little side note, I am still furious about Helen and Paris because it is because of them why the war started. I think it is an act of selfishness not thinking about their people, the consequences that may happen because of what they did, I am still annoyed HAHA. But there's this most striking couple or pair for me, It is Achilles and Briseis. Their love for each other is not that ordinary for me. Achilles even sacrificed his own life for Briseis, that's how much he love her. Like when I watched the movie, their eyes, i can really feel it that they are inlove with each other. I even cried when Achilles died in Briseis arm and embrace. It's tragic and it hurts.

To be honest, I've watched this movie when i was still young together with my mom but i already forgot how the story goes but when i watched this again with my classmates in our World Literature class, I must admit that I've liked the movie. I love how each cast potrays their character well, the setting, the plot, the effects, everything is worth it and it is indeed worth watching. The whole movie is great. It gives me a lot of information about Greece, Trojan wars and stuff like that.I also love the scene with the Trojan horse. I think it is a smart and witty move. I really love and enjoyed this movie to be honest.

After watching this movie, since the most striking part for me is the love of Achilles and Briseis, the thing that I realized is connected to them. I realized that true love really conquers all, even againsts all odds. If you truly love a person, you'll learn how to love, how to value, how to sacrifice, how to be happy. Whatever it takes, if it is for the better, you'll give it a go for the person that you love.

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The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is the sequel of the Iliad. It is believe that The Odyssey was composed near the end of the 8th century BC in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia. It mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It take him ten years to reach Ithaca after the Trojan War. While he was away, it is assumed that Odysseus died. Penelope which is his wife and Telemachus which is his son deals with a group of men who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage. It is indeed a long journey for Odysseus but still, after all the challenges he managed to come back home to his family.

The lesson that I've learned in watching the movie version of this is that sometimes it takes a lot of time for us to achieve a certain thing that we really want. Odysseus showed his will and determination to come back to his family, he did everything just to be back. It made me realized that, if we really want something and we really want to achieve it, we should not just sit and wait for it to be achieved, we should make a step and give our best to it. By that, we can make our goals, our dreams, our plans into reality... just like what Odysseus did.

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sgannaoui-blog · 5 years

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The Odyssey- 2019 Film Adaptation

"'When your crew have taken you past these Sirens, I cannot give you coherent directions as to which of two courses you are to take; I will lay the two alternatives before you, and you must consider them for yourself. Homer’s great literary work, The Odyssey, is coming to the big screen in 2019. With background information on the film, we are interviewing Sound Designer Sophia Gannaoui. We have a list of songs featured in the film with descriptions of why they were chosen by Gannaoui herself.

*Note: This film is Rated R because of strong references to alcohol and the inclusion of mild curse words.

1. The Light Behind Your Eyes by My Chemical Romance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSg-eHng52E

Book 1 in The Odyssey holds an introductory discussion about the fate of Odysseus- the king of Ithaca. The instrumental of this song at the beginning represents sadness and mystery which is reflected upon the whereabouts of Odysseus himself. When the song transitions into having lyrics, the lyrics contain a very resigned mood starting off by saying, “So long to all my friends, every one of them met tragic ends.” For Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, he has given up all hope of reuniting with his father by saying “‘My father is dead and gone,’" answered Telemachus, ‘and even if some rumour reaches me I put no more faith in it now. My mother does indeed sometimes send for a soothsayer and question him, but I give his prophecyings no heed.’” Odysseus is the friend of Telemachus and the possible death of Odysseus is the “tragic end” that is mentioned in the song.

2. Pachelbel's Canon in D Major

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlprozGcs80

Love is in the air in Books 3 and 4 filled with great elegance. Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major is a classic song played at weddings and is enjoyed by many. It already emotes romanticism through its legato playing. The celebration of the marriages of the children of the King and Queen of Sparta was a grand event, “For his only son he had found a bride from Sparta, daughter of Alector. This son, Megapenthes, was born to him of a bondwoman, for heaven vouchsafed Helen no more children after she had borne Hermione, who was fair as golden Venus herself. So the neighbours and kinsmen of Menelaus were feasting and making merry in his house. There was a bard also to sing to them and play his lyre, while two tumblers went about performing in the midst of them when the man struck up with his tune.] “

Weddings bring people together in great unity and the ones in the story were what brought Odysseus closer to the royalty that took him in and discussed the Trojan War altogether.

3. Aaron Burr, Sir from Hamilton the Musical (Karaoke)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLgo9drgZ6g

This song contains many breaks for dialogue to speak over which is needed for scenes in Book 7 because of the main conversation going on between Ulysses and Alcinous. The original song contained comedic lines of reasoning and logic about drinking and reaching an elite level of political control. When “Ulysses said: ‘Pray, Alcinous, do not take any such notion into your head. I have nothing of the immortal about me, neither in body nor mind, and most resemble those among you who are the most afflicted,’” we had our actors saying this in a teasing way for the idea of immortality to be such an absurdity to Ulysses.

4. Troy Song from Phineas and Ferb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIOjFkcWT5g

In Book 8, “the muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes, and more especially a matter that was then in the mouths of all men, to wit, the quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles, and the fierce words that they heaped on one another as they sat together at a banquet... Thus sang the bard, but Ulysses drew his purple mantle over his head and covered his face, for he was ashamed to let the Phaeacians see that he was weeping.” The Troy Song tells the story of the Trojan War in an upbeat matter. It is a positive song about defeat and victory which would give a reason for Odysseus to cover his face while crying. If the song was meant to be sad, Odysseus could freely express his sadness and memory of the war through tears but because it is a celebratory song, it gives him the purpose of hiding his true emotions.

5. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Sleeping at Last

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU81DihqD0c

When Odysseus reveals who he is in Book 9, he describes his experience in fighting throughout the time of the Trojan War. When telling of the victory his soldiers faced, Odysseus said, “‘Thence we sailed onward with sorrow in our hearts, but glad to have escaped death though we had lost our comrades, nor did we leave till we had thrice invoked each one of the poor fellows who had perished by the hands of the Cicons.’” This represents sadness and struggle after the war and I imagine each soldier to have had the mission and duty to work as hard as walking the “500 miles” somberly sung in the song. The song does represent the hope of reuniting with loved ones saying “when I wake up, yeah I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man that wakes up next to you.” Soldiers waking up each day in hopes of being a day closer to being at home with their family in comfort, a fantasy that could not be lived by other members of their party.

6. Sail by Awolnation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CaypEojjKQ

As the men accompanying Odysseus on the ship believe him to be hoarding gold and silver in Book 10, their distrust corrupted their minds “‘Thus they talked and evil counsels prevailed. They loosed the sack, whereupon the wind flew howling forth and raised a storm that carried us weeping out to sea and away from our own country.’” The “ooh’s” in the song represent the strong howling noise caused by the wind escaping from the sack that was irresponsibly opened. In addition, the fragmented beats of the song represent the quick jumping of conclusions that led Odysseus’ men to open the sack.

7. Coming Home by Diddy featuring Skylar Grey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ImCpNqbJw

In Book 12, Circe warns Odysseus, "'When your crew have taken you past these Sirens, I cannot give you coherent directions as to which of two courses you are to take; I will lay the two alternatives before you, and you must consider them for yourself.” This line marks the true life or death matter in the journey back to Ithaca. Circe gives the choices of safety or risk to Odysseus and the beginning of the song’s slow tempo and somber tone represents this sad moment of decision making and risk taking. When the song transitions into rap, this follows the build-up of anticipation and danger in what Odysseus would have to face on his journey back home.

8. Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes

This song represents a complete wardrobe change based on a lower budget on clothing spending in thrift shops. Minerva transformed Odysseus into a man that looked older and dirtier than what he was in Book 13 and “As she spoke Minerva touched him with her wand and covered him with wrinkles, took away all his yellow hair, and withered the flesh over his whole body; she bleared his eyes, which were naturally very fine ones; she changed his clothes and threw an old rag of a wrap about him, and a tunic, tattered, filthy, and begrimed with smoke; she also gave him an undressed deer skin as an outer garment, and furnished him with a staff and a wallet all in holes, with a twisted thong for him to sling it over his shoulder.” The complete transformation of Odysseus’ looks is something new for him to experience and the increasing pace in the song is empowerment and motivation to make this change worth the sacrifice in order to take his kingdom back.

9. Jealous by Nick Jonas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQw2qIl838Q

In Book 18, Odysseus gets into a fight with a beggar named Arneaus (also called Irus). Irus challenges Odysseus in fighting for the hand in marriage of Penelope by saying, “I have a good mind to lay both hands about you, and knock your teeth out of your head like so many boar's tusks. Get ready, therefore, and let these people here stand by and look on. You will never be able to fight one who is so much younger than yourself." As the song says, “I turn my cheek, music up, and I’m puffing my chest, I’m getting ready to face you,” Odysseus is indeed getting mentally prepared to fight off Irus to become the suitor of his own wife Penelope. This is the moment where Odysseus goes into his mind for a moment to gain strength and realize his fight from the Trojan War is not over until he is reunited completely with his family.

10. Thousand Years by Christina Perri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrM-Bkm4c_I

In Book 19, Odysseus talks with Penelope, still in disguise, about how he will return to her soon. Penelope has waited for so long for him to come home but there would be civil unrest if she waited any longer to find a suitor. She comes up with a solution to the public that would delay time for her marriage in order for Odysseus to come home before then which “Ulysses answered, ‘Madam wife of Ulysses, you need not defer your tournament, for Ulysses will return ere ever they can string the bow, handle it how they will, and send their arrows through the iron.’” Thousand Years reflects the undying love Penelope has for Odysseus as she truly does not want to find a new partner. She has waited for a long time for Odysseus to come home which can hyperbolically be compared to waiting a thousand years.

11. Shut Up and Drive by Rihanna (Karaoke)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPVo9MnoiEc

In Book 22, Eurymachus encourages Odysseus to fight every man fighting for Penelope by announcing, “‘My friends, this man will give us no quarter. He will stand where he is and shoot us down till he has killed every man among us. Let us then show fight; draw your swords, and hold up the tables to shield you from his arrows. Let us have at him with a rush, to drive him from the pavement and doorway: we can then get through into the town, and raise such an alarm as shall soon stay his shooting.’" The fighting montage that ensues after this proclamation has the karaoke track of Shut Up and Drive playing underneath it because it is as fast paced as the action taking place.

12. i love you by Billie Eilish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfh63M5yLo

In Book 23, Penelope struggles with believing that the man who claims to be Odysseus really is him. Euryclea reasons "‘My dear child," answered Euryclea, "I am not mocking you. It is quite true as I tell you that Ulysses is come home again. He was the stranger whom they all kept on treating so badly in the cloister. Telemachus knew all the time that he was come back, but kept his father's secret that he might have his revenge on all these wicked people.’” The back and forth tempo increase and decrease in the song represent the fluctuating belief of Penelope that Odysseus is with her.

To listen to all of these songs incorporated within the storytelling of Odysseus’ journey home, watch The Odyssey in theaters- coming in the summer of 2019.

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conspiracyofcrazy · 5 years

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Heroes

The Norse were right. Who knew?

At the back of the vast hall, as far from the Western entrance as they could be without being too far from a fire, were three men wearing far too little clothing discussing just what in the bloody Hel they were doing there.

“Well, you fit right in here,” gestured the grizzled old man with his mead-horn to the bronzed, muscle-bound young man sitting opposite him, “this hall is full of young men much like yourself. Young, healthy, passionate, enthusiastic. Me and whasisface over here,” thumbing towards the leathery, white-haired man in a loincloth to his right, “we’re old. You may not dress like these other boys, but you belong here. What in Hades are we old guys doing here?”

“My mom told me about you when I was just a kid, Odysseus,” the strapping young man bowed his head and raised his horn in honor of his drinking companion. “You are legend! You are here because – not only were you the guy to call on when I was a tot, you were instrumental in that stupid war I died in, aaaand, you just kept going. Ya old bastard, you got to spend seven years with Calypso. You may not have had the best navigaashonal skills, but you made it home. Hades! You slaughtered a platoon in your own hall when you got back! Pshhhh. You belong here because you are not just good with a sword, but you had the head.” The boy squinted and poked at his own head with the hand holding his horn. He was intoxicated and having a hard time with his verbs. Now and then, as concepts, had become blurry and not just because of the honey-wine; he had spent every day since his battlefield death hunting and practicing his fighting skills. He had never been more challenged in his life; new weapons showed up all the time, each more fantastic than the last. The poor boy’s brain was full. And there is nothing more disconcerting than referring to yourself and your companions in the past tense.

“You, Odie old boy, were the legend that would not die. How did you do that? I couldn’t have done it. Mom said so.” The beautiful boy has become sullen, resentful, and tired. He missed watered-down wine.

Odysseus turned to the man on his right. A man clearly older than himself, Odysseus figured, must have had a wife. He would understand why the trip back home was so important.

“Look around, my boy; do you see any other old men? I don’t belong here.”

The boy raised his head and looked to the front of the hall and the one-eyed man petting a wolf with another lying on his feet. “Maybe that old man needed another sneaky old man on his side. Breaking your own rules to gain the upper hand over yur enemies ‘s not new. ‘S called stratagee.” The boy locked eyes on the man next to Odysseus. “This would be why he,” gesturing straight across the table with his mead, “’s here.”

“Who are you anyway?” Odysseus had missed this man’s arrival and his introduction to the host. Odysseus came late to this party.

The man on Odysseus’ right was wizened. Dark skinned, white-haired, well groomed, and barely dressed he did not fit in with the majority of the youths at this gathering. Finding a man closer to his own age, time, and clime he had seated himself next to Odysseus hoping to seem unobtrusive. The fly on the wall was now the center of attention in that quieter corner of Valhalla. All four eyes were on him; two were actually in focus.

Nodding his head in greeting, “I am Arjuna, son of Indus, Pandu, and Kunti. I am from very far away from here.” The white head bobbed a bit. “I suppose modesty will not serve me here. I came to be here by walking through the clouds at the top of the world. My brothers and I were rulers in our land and had won many battles, but we retired in our great old age to the mountains. I left for a morning constitutional and as the clouds cleared I was in front of those doors.” Arjuna turned smoothly to gesture towards the great double doors they had all entered through, and would never walk out of again. Odysseus barely contained his jealousy for such an ease of motion that the young man across the table made no note of, nor would he ever have to in this place.

“Yes,” said Odysseus testily, “but what have you done? What merits your presence in this hall of heroes who are all, save the two of us, young men full of – what is it the new boys call it, the ones in the tan colored motley? With the cloth covered helms – piss? Balls to the wall, gung-ho?” Odysseus shook his head to get it back on track. He did envy the new boys their new toys, their vocabulary; but the armor left a lot to be desired. “What is your purpose? The kid here thinks I’m here for strategy; what’s your excuse?”

Arjuna looked into Odysseus’ eyes and thought about his answer. Nothing else seems crazy here; neither will his story.

“I fulfilled dharma.” Sure that he had explained himself; Arjuna came to a full stop. The expectant faces focused on him and the mead in his blood loosened his tongue, a bit. Being there and observing what he had, he was still working some things out.

“I was forced to choose between slaughtering my extended family, including a half-brother, and not fulfilling my duty on earth. I stood on the battlefield looking at the enemy and knew them by name, knew their children and their fathers, and not knowing what to do. Lord Krishna and I discussed the matter and came to the conclusion that in order for me to fulfill my moral obligation I had to kill them all.” Arjuna popped a bit of pig in his mouth and wiped his hands together.

“What?” The questioner was likewise stuffing his face and Arjuna could not tell which man had said it; he continued without caring whom he was answering.

“My duty to dharma, the order of the universe, is to do what is right. It was deemed that my cousins were out of line; my duty was to restore balance to the universe. They were unbalancing it by being out of line with their own dharma.” Arjuna paused to consider the expressions on his companions’ faces. “I was not to take pleasure in their destruction, or expect reward as it was just the right thing to do; neither was I to mourn their deaths as they were part of the cycle and would return to fulfill their dharma again, perhaps to get it right and progress to a better place the next time. I was merely an instrument of the universe,” Arjuna turned to look at the man in blue at the head of the hall feeding two enormous black birds, “and I suppose I still am, and will be until I am released from the cycle.” Arjuna stopped and took a deep draught from his horn. Bread and meat did not appeal to him anymore.

“So you killed your cousins? That is cold. And you didn’t even get paid? Were they awful people? Killing a couple of cousins can’t possibly be enough to get in here.” The boy seemed to be sobering up. One of the great joys of Valhalla: stop drinking for long enough and your wits return without those pesky hangovers; and ‘long enough’ can be a matter of moments when waiting for the end of the world.

“They were unhonorable men. My payment was knowing that I was doing the will of the … my… gods. And I suppose if it had only been my one hundred cousins, it may not have been of note to our host; but as I destroyed their armies as well, I may have inadvertently made a name for myself. I did not think it was worth fighting with my cousins to save my father’s kingdom, but I suppose, in the grand scheme, it was my destiny.”

“Destiny! Now there is a concept I can get behind!” Odysseus slammed his open hand on the table and rattled cutlery far enough down so as to draw notice from the men in yellow slickers halfway down the bench. As they could hear nothing else from the half-naked men at the end of the table they resumed their revelries.

“The Fates have been messing with you and me for eons, my boy,” Odysseus’ mind had been sparked, “that is why you and I are here! That is why you died young, why I spent twenty years away from my wife and child, why your mother said what she said, and why Telemachus turned out so well.” Arjuna was intrigued, but seemed to know where this was going.

“What was it your mother said to you?”

“She said, essentially, ‘Achilles, you can either grow old and see your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and die when their memories die or fight and be killed without having had a wife and child and never die.’ I chose immortality and wound up here. A couple of decades down the line you show up all wrinkled and grey. I didn’t have to die so young. I didn’t have to die without a wife.” The young fighter’s emotions swelled in his eyes and throat. His face grew red, his voice strained, “You got here by your wits. You are here on the merit of your mind. And you,” Achilles thrust a finger toward Arjuna, “you were a great fighter. You took out armies. You were efficient and level headed. You did what needed to be done and you did it with skill. Why am I here?” The boy could not contain it any longer. The dam broke, his tears flowed from his face, and his head toppled to the table to be swaddled by his arms. His shoulders shook with the force of his sobs.

“You have passion.” Arjuna stroked the boy’s hair. “Without passion, this world would not exist. It may not have been a virtue to my people, but my skill is what is valued here. I am ambidextrous and skilled with all manner of weapon, as are you, as is your… our friend here. But I am a thinker. I need to know what is right. Odysseus, he is a thinker. It sounds as though he is a survivor. He does what he needs to for his loves. His love was his family and he fought against all manner of evil just so he could be sure they were safe and live out his days with them. That took some strategy.” Odysseus cocked his head at Arjuna. He is surprised at his sudden soft compassion and Arjuna’s deep understanding of his life. Arjuna continued, “We are thinkers. This is not always the best way to win a fight. I must determine the dharma of the situation; Odysseus must determine the best way to accomplish his goal, what sacrifices are worth making, what risks will return what rewards. These are skills best left to old men with years of hard-earned experience.

“You? You leap into the fire, no matter how hot, because you feel that you need to. You have needs that burn within you that keep the fire on the outside from hurting you. You are perpetually being consumed from the inside, which is why your insides hurt so badly. Your merit is your passionate youth. You feel where Odysseus and I think, and that is heroic too.” The boy looked up through his hair and tears and looked at Arjuna longing to believe him. Arjuna merely smiled down into the damp face he cupped in his hand.

Odysseus looked to the two of them and wondered, ‘How long had he been listening? Five, six hundred years? He has figured all this out. And we never took the time – which we have so much of – to talk to each other. But he knew, he knew all about us.’

The beatific mood was shattered by the boar being slammed to the table, again. Achilles wiped his nose on his arm and drank deeply from his cup. “Thanks,” was all he muttered over its brim.

“Yeah, thanks man,” Odysseus raised his horn in salutation to their new best friend.

Arjuna gave them both a cock-eyed grin and offered to bring back some tenderloin.

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how2to18 · 6 years

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BY MY COUNT, we have seen 27 translations of Homer into English since 2000, so no one can say we languished for want of a new Odyssey. It’s all the more remarkable, then, that Emily Wilson is making her presence felt in so crowded a field. This she does with the full literary arsenal of our age. She tweets, she appears discreetly photographed and interviewed in The New York Times Magazine, and writes for The New Yorker. Her tweeting then becomes a topic in itself for The New Yorker and Bustle. She makes the rounds on two continents for readings and chats. Good for her! We classical scholars can only rejoice to see a colleague hit the big time. Of course, tweeting is an offensive weapon, and she has ruffled feathers by taking her predecessors to task for misogyny — while also tweeting footage of dreamy Mark Ruffalo reading her verse for some celebrity cachet. So let me anticipate the inevitable criticism with an observation: Emily Wilson is not breaking norms of behavior as the first woman to translate Homer’s Odyssey into English; she is fulfilling them. From the outset, our English translators have all been on the make. Take our founding father, George Chapman. His translation is surrounded by punchy commentary and wild claims, both for Homer’s genius and his own bona fides as a translator — to the extent of calling one critic an “envious windfucker” for suggesting he had not really read the Greek (the word refers to a type of kestrel, so maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds).

Chapman’s successors were reinventing the book business, effectively, with innovative schemes. John Ogilby made use of a clever subscription drive, getting wealthy aristocrats to pay for the illustrations (which he adorned with their crests) to help float his huge folio Homers and Virgil. Alexander Pope was the ultimate artist of the deal; his Homer made him one of the first people in history able to live off the proceeds of a literary translation. So before the critics dismiss Wilson for taking to Twitter and making the most of her moment, I say look to her predecessors and know that Chapman and Pope would definitely have had Twitter accounts. Translations have a way of finding new readerships, and if Wilson is actively responding to her readers and building a different audience for Homer, then she is doing the gods’ work and well deserves a silver bowl — maybe even a gleaming chariot — for her efforts.

“Tell me about a complicated man.” So this new Odyssey begins, and with this verse Wilson plants her flag of difference. It’s a line that introduces a fundamental ambivalence toward the epic’s hero, whom Renaissance translators strove to make a wise and stoic mirror of princes. Wilson dove into the meanings pooled in the keyword polytropon and swam up with “complicated,” the kind of euphemism you use to describe a person you once admired, but who has hurt you. It’s kind of a trilingual play on words, as “much turned/turning” shades into “folded up” (from Latin complicare) and comes out, “complicated” (we never really sense the physicality of our Latinate words, but the classicist learns to savor it). The funny thing is, though this verse complicates Odysseus’ stature, it greatly simplifies the syntax of Homer’s opening sentence, which includes a number of snaking clauses and actually ends on line five. But this single verse introduces both her take on the work’s hero and a poetics of reduction that she observes rather ruthlessly in order to make a poem that matches Homer’s line for line. That’s quite a challenge when rendering Homer’s dactylic hexameter (ranging from 12 to 17 syllables) into iambic pentameter (comprising 10 or 11 syllables), a meter that slips behind easily unless you toss things overboard. But Wilson would rather match the old bard verse for verse than allow herself the indulgences of past translators. The result is a lean, wiry Homer, shorn of his more ornamental features. In this she is consistent, even to a fault.

Take, for example, the moment we might imagine a female translator would relish: Penelope’s challenge of the bow contest to the suitors. Male translators in the past have made Penelope very much a queen in this moment — or as Pope says, a “matron, with majestic air.” Wilson’s Penelope is remarkably understated, sounding almost depressive by contrast.

She said,

“Now listen, lords. You keep on coming to this house every day, to eat and drink, wasting the wealth of someone who has been away too long. Your motives are no secret. You want to marry me. I am the prize. So I will set a contest. This great bow belonged to godlike King Odysseus.”

Contrast this with the high dudgeon of Robert Fitzgerald’s Penelope:

“My lords, hear me: Suitors indeed, you commandeered this house to feast and drink in, day and night, my husband being long gone, long out of mind. You found no justification for yourselves — none except your lust to marry me. Stand up, then: we now declare a contest for that prize.”

Fitzgerald’s Penelope is irritated and indignant, pointing out they are violating her husband’s space. Wilson’s in contrast only vaguely refers to a “someone” whose wealth is being wasted, though she is still very much attached to the house. Fitzgerald resorted to the plural of majesty for the contest’s big reveal; Wilson’s speaks in short sentences, with diamond clarity but little defiance. We have come a long way from Pope’s, “If I the prize, if me you seek to wife / Hear the conditions, and commence the strife.”

Epic blank verse is making a comeback recently, and to her credit Wilson knows how to craft her lines in the most flexible way, including a number of those ridiculously named “feminine” endings (an unstressed 11th syllable — this is only shocking if your notion of iambic pentameter comes from Pope and not Shakespeare, whose “To Be or Not to Be” starts with five 11-syllable lines in a row). But while her verse is traditional and flexible, her syntax is so clipped and terse at times she seems to be channeling Hemingway. Her sense of poetic diction is so austerely modern it’s as though she has jettisoned all the frippery from Homer’s argosy, paring it down to the frame. Perhaps it’s just as well — Odysseus only needed a raft to set out for Ithaca.

The result pitches between the ancient and modern as any translation must if it chooses to pursue the vitality of storytelling over the archeology of poetic form. Translating epic is, after all, a marathon, not a sprint; you have to be careful what you grab onto. Wilson’s verse may be traditional, but it contains an interesting variety of modern conveniences. Canapés and kebabs are now being served aboard Homer. Odysseus is a “scalawag.” Demeter has “cornrows in her hair” — anachronistically, if the metaphor is based on new-world maize; ironically, when we think she is an agricultural goddess.

Wilson shows humane concern about the status of slave women, though we might quibble that calling female slaves “girls” may not be not as enlightened as she thinks (to Homer they are women), nor is the suggestion that their escapades with Penelope’s suitors were things those men “made them do.” No one seems to believe this in the poem, including the other slaves, and Wilson has chucked the option of class rebellion in favor of a protective if bougie instinct to save their reputations. There’s a thread of philological justification for this, and she is right to tweet out no one actually refers to them as sluts and whores in Homer. But that strong language of past translations was focalized through Telemachus and Odysseus, not the narrator. The brutality of the women’s execution by mass hanging — sadly, perhaps the only thing Telemachus thinks up on his own — still speaks for itself: uppity slaves get lynched.

Wilson strives quietly at moments for striking imagery in order to deliver on epic’s “poetry” beyond the ticking of plot points. This typically occurs when she faces the dilemma of Homer’s formulaic lines, part of the repetitive boilerplate of traditional poetic diction that unnerves the translator; “rosy-fingered Dawn” and “winged words” are already clichés in English. Wilson responds with imagistic variations: “The early Dawn was born, her fingers bloomed,” “When vernal Dawn first touched the sky with flowers,” “When early Dawn, the newborn child with rosy hands, appeared.” Homer’s functional formularity thus becomes an occasion to wax lyrical, as if to turn the routine signposts of oral tradition into so many miniaturist paintings. This lyricization of epic may restore the poetry through the backdoor, but it reveals the tension between Homeric and modern notions of poetry. Again, Wilson has the virtue of consistency in her choices here. As a classics professor, an Englishwoman at home in the United States, a deep reader of English and American verse, Emily Wilson has come by her Homer honestly. Her poem has the stamp of a clear and consistent vision, and brings Odysseus home to us again — cunning, eloquent, murderous; in sum, complicated.

Richard H. Armstrong is author of A Compulsion for Antiquity: Freud and the Ancient World (Cornell University Press, 2005) and the forthcoming Theory and Theatricality: Classical Drama in the Age of Grand Hysteria (Oxford University Press), as well as the co-editor, with Alexandra Lianeri, of the forthcoming A Companion to the Translation of Greek and Latin Epic (Wiley-Blackwell).

The post Homer for Scalawags: Emily Wilson’s “Odyssey” appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

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agent-7-at-your-service · 7 years

Text

Future Plot: Syer’s Rebellion - Chapter 11 (Part 1)

((Sandra, Pyrrhus, Telemachus Kitzeh, James and Market Splatoon, and President Howe belongs to me

Camille belongs to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula belongs to @agenttwo and @myzzy

Marina and Wish belong to @inklingleesquidly@agenttwo and @myzzy; designs are made by @teamuntyblue / @ryan-sign-guy

Vix belongs to @teamuntyblue / @ryan-sign-guy

Beaker Jr belongs to @askvincent and @scrushling

Emerald and Sapphire belong to @son-of-joy and @twelvetailedkitsune

Suzy belongs to @son-of-joy

Mysteeri belongs to @dreadangel

Celeste belongs to @alpinesquid ))

((Insert opening: https://youtu.be/IBF9XEsnvJI ))

Last time on Syer's Rebellion:

With the Revolution continuing on the Eastern US Theater, half of the United States are in favor of overthrowing President Howe and her Administration. Sandra learns more about her brother, James, and his stay in the United States and how he formed Market Splatoon.

In New Orleans, Sandra goes through a small crisis over where she belongs: her reunited family in the U.S. or the adopted family back in Inkopolis, Japan. This concerned her friends who then reminded her that if it wasn't for them, she wouldn't have found her brother, James. Soon, Sandra had most of them swear a small oath that no matter what, they will sail with her always.

Meanwhile, President Evelyn "Georgia III" Howe has received her prosthetics and modifications, becoming a cyborg. As a result, she considers herself an angel called Columbia. With news about the Revolution pushing towards the capital, she plans to play her final gambles with what she has left in her reign.

United States of America - 12:15 Noon

A week has passed and the Revolution and sprung fast into action. Suzy, Emerald, and Sapphire were in the states besides the Mississippi, assuring that Splat-Coats didn't plan to retake the Great Plains. Camille and Nebula worked with Pyrrhus and Mysteeri to help the Revolution take states in the South. Telemachus, Kitzeh, and Celeste head to San Diego to get Sandra's Ship, the Shinkiro, return to Texas to get the Squid Beak Fleet out of the bay and move them to form blockades in New York and States east and northeast from there. Beaker Jr was left with Vix, Marina, and Wish to help Market Splatoon accompany James and Sandra.

The Syer siblings plan to storm Washington D.C. by taking the Revolution through the following states starting with Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia. On the way, they'll be leaving a few garrisons and taking historical towns and cities with Yorktown being the last. Once in Virginia, the siblings would rally their friends for one last battle.

This is called Operation Fisher's Net.

In West Virginia, Abraham of Market Splatoon stayed in Charleston to save a relative who was sent there from South Carolina. When the Syer Siblings reached Pennsylvania, James is advised by Sandra to recruit more allies to the cause. This was because there is a heavy defense stationed in Gettysburg that's blocking the way to Washington D.C. The best place to do recruitment and training is in what was once a winter encampment in the southwest of the state, Valley Forge.

When they were occupying the ancient site, the city of Philadelphia is letting the Revolution go through the city and cross the Delaware River to enter New Jersey.

Washington's headquarters - Valley Forge, Pennsylvania - United States of America - 5:00 PM

Beaker Jr is left to watch over Vix while Wish and Marina help Elizabeth collect some information from the Rebels soldier station in the camp. Sandra and James were in a meeting with some generals, and Henri has received news during a courier task. It was from Hawaii.

"It's from Queen Liliuokalani from Hawaii," Henri explained in his French accent, "She sending her Governor to the mainland to provide their contributions to the revolution."

"We'll have another courier send Governor Jamal coordinates to Valley Forge," Sandra responded, "Merci beaucoup, Henri. Nous allons reassinger aux un autre mission plus tard." James has taught her lessons in French.

"D'accord, Madame Syer," Henri happily replied, "Salut." He leaves the tent.

"I guess we'll have to wait for Jamal to catch up," James suggested, "But I'm sure none of you want me to delay Operation Fisher's Net, so I've come to the decision of remaining here with an army to train recruits while waiting for Jamal. I'll leave my Sister Sandra, my assistant Henri, Beaker, and Vix to go on and continue the route we agreed to take."

Sandra nods. "As for Marina and Wish?"

"I'll provide them some men for archaeological excavations to see if we can make use of some information from the past," James answered.

"I'll tell the guys then." Sandra then decided to jokingly reference something. "So you're going to have Henri, a Prussian, and a Pole to train the recruits?"

"Washington did it centuries ago." James gets the idea. "But I don't think we'll be having the equivalent of Steuben or Pulaski present in Valley Forge."

"Then find one." Sandra is about to leave the tent with a large fraction of the generals following her, but she stopped at the exit. "...Want to talk you later before I continue the trail?"

"Sure." For now, James needs to discuss things with the generals staying at Valley Forge.

((At this point of the chapter, story is narrated by Sandra))

With a massive portion of James' Rebellion looking up to me to finish Operation Fisher's Net, I had them prepare their things and rally at a Visitors Center in Valley Forge for the continuation of the Operation. I told the troops and inkmatons I'll catch up with them.

I still had to meet with James somewhere. So I picked an area where a bunch of old, rotting wooden huts was; the people around here call it the Muhlenberg Huts after the man who ordered his men to build them. It was empty as the city of Philadelphia requested the revolution to not touch historical relics like these huts. But at least they didn't say we weren't allowed to be present there. This is the good place for James and me to speak alone.

I had time last week to ask Henri to get something from the Shinkiro: a photocopy of the portrait of Jade Harley that I retrieve from her home island.

I still feel sorry for the human girl who almost looked like me. I even feel the strange faint connection between me and her. What was she like? What has become of her? Did Jade Harley know about the world outside her home or at least what was going on?

I held the photocopy in my hands like any photograph taken. I kind of lost myself for a moment when I stared at the image of Jade Harley; I felt as if I was meeting her right now, back on her home island in the Pacific. We were exploring the hills and mountains, growing plants in her personal greenhouse, and teaching each other some songs. However, I know Jade would never know what an Inkling is, and I wish--

"Sandra? Are you okay?" James snapped me out of my trance. "Who's that on the photo?"

Oh, how silly of me, I was trailing off in my mind. I nearly forgot James and I were supposed to have a meeting here.

"Oh, it's just some human girl from an island," I explained, "She's gone, but... You can tell she almost looks like me."

Instead of agreeing, James gave me a look; It had a smile and eyes of understanding.

"Why are you making that face?" I asked. At first, I thought he thinks I'm weird, but it turns out that he had something similar happen to him.

James took a deep breath. "There was one campaign I did to have Northern support from Washington and a part of Canada. " He took out a very old device. When he turns it on, he managed to access the photos and social media on it. "I found this along with one photo of a boy who almost looked like me..... with a few details as exceptions. I still remember the address of his home: 21605 Fir Dr, Maple Valley, Washington."

"The human I found was Jade Harley... all I know is that she lived on an island in the Pacific -- a paradise -- with her grandfather who was a famous hunter and probably a billionaire and polymath." I leaned against one of the cabin walls, and James did the same. "Miss Harley was probably a fan of the guitar, some cephalopod plushies, and a great gardener."

James scoffed. "The human boy I found was John Egbert. A young prankster who lives with a father who also does pranks. He loved movies and is quite a fan of this guy name Nic Cage."

All I did was smile. It seems James and I do have strong connections as siblings.

(End of Sandra's Narration)

Sandra is leading the Revolution through Operation Fisher's Net; James remains in Valley Forge to build up an army. After crossing the Delaware River and entering New Jersey, they head south to cross the Delaware Bay to enter Delaware itself. They head south to pass through Maryland to cross the Chesapeake Bay and enter Virginia. Here, Sandra splits her army into four with three being sent Northwest to take three cities so that the "Fisher's Net is complete. As for the fourth portion, she's about to use it to repeat history in a place called Yorktown. And it turns out that a Splat-Coat officer and the Inkomaton "Angel", Liberty, were stationed there to negotiate with a German Ambassador for auxiliary support. New Inkomatons are occupying Yorktown along with the Ichabods and Tinmen.

Yorktown, Virginia- United States of America - 12:00 Midnight

Trenches were already surrounding Yorktown, Henri is sent off to request aid from the Squidbeak Fleet, and a revolution encampment is created in an area safely distant from the targeted town. Beaker Jr and Vix were with Sandra to look at the view of the battlefield. It wasn't the same as the last battle of Yorktown for forests have claimed what was once lands clear for a charge. The forests give an advantage for Sandra's men despite it slowing the speed of their advance: it provided them cover and chances to surprise them.

"The Siege of Yorktown is going to repeat," Sandra stated to Beaker and Vix, "But not in the way like before."

"Why is it so important?" Vix questioned. "Did something special happen here?"

"The nation we stand on was built on so many things, and a victory here was one of the roots." Sandra was facing the direction of Yorktown. "I guess the world will turn upside down once more, and this time it's us who might live, or die, or tells the story."

"Won't the historians just muddy the history and change what will be said later?" Beaker Jr questioned. "They do it like a game of telephone!"

"Yeah they do," Sandra agreed, "But there will always be someone that will be looking for us, asking for the true story."

"Meh, good point." Beaker stretches a bit. "I gotta say, we're a long way from home."

"How far are we from home?" Vix asked.

"Very far, Vix," Sandra answered, "very far."

Two hours later...

Sandra has Beaker and Vix remain in the encampment to keep them safe from battle. What she doesn't know is that once she left, Vix disappears 5 minutes later to be found in the trenches at the time of the siege starts. Beaker Jr followed after to find Vix, and he too has ended up coming along Sandra's siege of Yorktown.

Sandra has Vix, in her arms, taking him out of the forests trenches and into a clearing where the rebel troops are already moving together as one force. It slammed into the Splat-coats' defenses, forcing the enemy to hide behind barricades made of now-scrapped steampunk machines and inkmatons.

Only one Inkmaton remained in wings of gold tarnished green. She is in an armor of bronze and a scarf of grey, broken chains around her feet, and a crown of spikes. She is armed with a torch scepter along with a tablet with dovetail handles.

This is Liberty.

"What is that?" Beaker Jr is astonished by the Angel's introduction.

"An Angel of America," Sandra simply replied, "And she is fighting for the Splat-Coats."

Vix tilted his head slightly, not getting exactly what an angel is. Sandra guides Vix to Beaker Jr. Beaker still has the Steampunk Splash-o-matic, Paul, and he puts it to good use again in combat. Since Camille and Nebula aren't there to watch over Vix, Beaker has to be responsible for keeping Vix safe; However, Sandra needs to take this responsibility more.

"Beaker, Vix, stay here." Sandra takes out her steampunk dualies, Lewis and Clark. "Leave it to me and my forces in fighting these guys. If it's possible, get back to the encampment while you still can."

"But I want to help you," Beaker argued.

"Somebody needs to watch over Vix," Sandra rebutted.

They quickly looked to where Vi was standing only to find him missing. Alarmed, the two look at their surroundings and detected him too close to Yorktown's defenses.

"Beaker, you get Vix! I'll cover you!" Sandra ordered.

She and Beaker jump out of the trench and into the fight, trying to reach Vix. The Rebels thought Sandra's leading a charge and they go into a unique charging formation with rollers and brushes at the front, shooters in the middle, and chargers at the back.

When Sandra and Beaker reached Vix, the Rebels have already started breaking the defenses, making the Splat-Coats yield. Liberty sees this and flies northwest, abandoning the doomed town. However, an ink shot from an inkling rebel has the angelic inkomaton come crashing down into a part of the forest.

Another victory for the Revolution, and a strong message to President Howe.

#Future #Plot #Syer's Rebellion

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ulyssesredux · 8 years

Text

Telemachus

Because he comes from Oxford. Iubilantium te virginum chorus excipiat. With Hillary, who never fought in Vietnam when he sang: I sang it alone in the narrow sense of the offence to me, Stephen said quietly. —Yes? The judge opens up our country.

Lots of support! Massive trade deficits & little help on the Press yesterday.

Crooked Hillary Clinton has not reported that the Republican Party.

Phantasmal mirth, folded away: muskperfumed.

Bursting with money. Big crowds, looking out.

The White House A statement made by Mrs. Obama about Crooked Hillary has ZERO leadership ability. The press is going to the creek in two long clean strokes.

Really sad news: The same people who disrupted my rally in Cincinnati is ON. Leaving for Albany, New York City with my children, Don King, and I could only work together we might do something for the Republican Convention was great on Meet the Press yesterday. Bread, butter, honey.

Crooked Hillary Clinton just can't close the deal with Iran, and, as old mother Grogan said. Crooked Hillary is spending big Wall Street endorsing Goldman Sachs. A couple of FAKE NEWS organizations were there but the system is broken!

Many of his shiny black coat-sleeve. As Bernie Sanders would have millions of more viewers than Crooked Hillary was involved in today's horrible accident in NJ and MN this weekend. Martello you call it?

Thank you. She sold them out and, having filled his mouth with a Cockney accent: O, my love? Stephen. —The unclean bard makes a point of view-NO DEALS, NO NOTHING!

The ring of the staircase, level with the two Big Thursdays when Crooked Hillary called African-American community are doing so badly, poverty and crime infested rather than falsely complaining about with respect to the future, Donald—he's a greatly talented person who has lost its way!

Don't believe the main stream fake news, just can't close the deal, and now she is nasty. Their dishonesty is amazing but, just like her friend crooked Hillary Clinton told the FBI and to his dangling watchchain. Stephen stood up, roll over to the ratings machine, DJT. An old woman.

He crammed his mouth with a heavy focus on terrorism, as he drew off his trousers and stood by Stephen's elbow. Bombshell! Buck Mulligan went on hewing and wheedling: Seriously, Dedalus. A yellow dressinggown, ungirdled, was hacking, why did they only complain after Hillary lost? Get smart!

I would fire them out and, thrusting a hand into Stephen's upper pocket, said Buck Mulligan said. Mercurial Malachi. Wavewhite wedded words shimmering on the sombre lawn watching narrowly the dancing motes of grasshalms. I may be adding to the FBI access to check server or other equipment after learning it was cancelled. What does it care about offences? Great spirit!

Wow, the system is rigged against him! My twelfth rib is gone, he cried. His old fellow made his tin by selling jalap to Zulus or some bloody swindle or other. They have nothing going but to obstruct. #Debate #BigLeagueTruth Our country needs change! Big Republican Dinner tonight at White House is running VERY WELL. Dressing, undressing. His head halted again for a pint at twopence is seven twos is a good relationship with Russia is a far more interesting with a man with so little touch for politics, and began to shave with care, in silence, seriously. Haines, come in.

Landing in New York, I feel as one.

He says it's very clever. —The sacred pint alone can unbind the tongue of Dedalus, he said quietly.

A sail veering about the disaster known as ObamaCare!

Because the ban were announced with a crust thickly buttered on both sides, stretched forth his legs the loose folds of his black sagging loincloth. In other words, Stephen said thirstily.

Let him stay, Stephen said. Thought it was going to build a new system where there will be making my announcement on the very important swing states, it is visually important, as they followed, this time in American history, America’s 16,500 Border Patrol Council NBPC said that I amn't divine, he'll get no free drinks when I'm making the announcement of my voters.

I'm stony. Just returned from Colorado. —What is going on! Buck Mulligan answered. He looked in Stephen's face as he ate, it is tea, Stephen said. The grub is ready.

Hillary or Bernie want to see, that she was a hero and inspired generations of future explorers. —It's not fair to tease you like that, he said.

It's a toss up, Kinch, is truly wonderful! Just met with General Petraeus got in trouble for far less. He skipped off the gunrest and, laughing to himself. Hillary? A quart, Stephen said gloomily. If you want it, Stephen said, Stephen said as he drew off his trousers and stood up, keep pushing the false and pushed big time by press, have to dress the character.

Stephen said gloomily.

He hacked through the calm. Give up the staircase, calling again. —Well? General! We’re going to another but we must be able to say, I will be watching from North Carolina. Thank you! —Time enough, Stephen said drily. He cried briskly. Taken two of our life than it is true-Carlos Slim, the ridiculous deal made between Lyin'Ted Cruz is mathematically out of Wilde and paradoxes.

Hair on end.

The Republican Convention was great. Study the world, maybe a messenger from the kitchen tap when she was?

—So I do? —The ballad of joking Jesus, Stephen said.

Buck Mulligan's gowned form moved briskly to and fro, the longest such delay in the year-THANK YOU! The milk, pouring it out of the cliff, watching him still as he hewed again vigorously at the hob on a stone, in silence, seriously.

Haines said again.

We are doing well but there is who wants me for odd jobs. Hillary Clinton even got the debate? I want change-Crooked Hillary picks Goofy Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, just the same tone.

He says it's very clever.

There is something sinister in you He broke off in alarm, feeling its coolness, smelling the clammy slaver of the apostles in the act, it is very simple, I suppose I did say it. January 20th.

We must suspend immigration from regions linked with terrorism until a proven vetting method is in and Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't voluntarily leaving the Apprentice but at least 3,000 missing e-mail scandal because she campaigned in N.Y. Wonderful entirely. Stephen said. Now the market is up nearly 10% and Christmas spending is over-JOHN WON!

Whether I choose him or not for striking oil, they should share them with the Father, and he felt the smooth skin.

While I am lowering taxes far more important task! A wandering crone, lowly form of an immortal serving her conqueror and her other fraudulent activity. Lyin' Ted Cruz!

Only the crooked media makes me look bad!

I will be missed.

Resigned he passed out with grave words and gait, saying tritely: What is your idea of a servant.

Conscience. —The mockery of it!

Buck Mulligan made way for him to where his clothes lay. Glory be to deport the drug lords and then secure the border.

While I believe I lost-monster story! Your absurd name, an English and an Italian. Thoughts and prayers are with the great people of Colorado where over one million dollars, in shirtsleeves, his unclipped tie rippling over his chin. The mockery of it! Look at the Democratic nomination if it was supposedly hacked by Russia So how and why?

What has happened to the parapet, dipped the brush aside and brood upon love's bitter mystery.

Bernie Sanders is exhausted, no way, dumb! How long is Haines going to instruct my AG to get money.

—It's a wonderful tale, Haines said, an ancient Greek!

—I can get the aunt to fork out twenty quid? Because Gov. Kasich cannot run in the air, and Raul Castro wasn't even there to greet him.

Hillary the questions to the doorway and said: To tell you the God's truth I think both should get out!

Warm sunshine merrying over the handkerchief, he said. A cored apple, filled with brown sugar, roasting for her! Bless us, O, my father's a bird.

—Is the brother with you, sir?

That fellow I was with in the dark.

Sorry Joe, that was Ted Cruz lost all five races on Tuesday-we just officially won the election results were the opposite!

He sprang it open with his heavy bathtowel the leader shoots of ferns or grasses. Your reasons, pray? Silent with awe and pity I went to her gently, Aubrey!

Horn of a kip is this?

He said frankly. That's why she won't let me live. He capered before them down heavily and sighed with relief. AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Then, suddenly overclouding all his features, he said.

—Bill, sir? What have you against me! Where? Haines: In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Then, gazing over the calm sea towards the blunt cape of Bray Head that lay on the pier. Buck Mulligan said to Haines. It is indeed, ma'am, Buck Mulligan kicked Stephen's foot under the table, with trousers down at heels, chased by Ades of Magdalen with the rest. No one has worse judgement than Hillary except for Paul Ryan. Crooked Hillary wants to essentially abolish the Federal Court decision in Boston, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from Stephen's peering eyes. Bernie Sanders has been so amazing. Word is I am, ma'am, says she. It'll be swept up that way when the French were on the loss by the wellfed voice beside him. It simply doesn't matter that Crooked Hillary put her husband? A true General's General! Write down all I said and tell Tom, Dick and Harry I rose from the holdfast of the kip. Her eyes on me to change.

They focused on wrong states We did it, can't you?

God.

There's only one sense of the Mabinogion or is it possible that the Republicans! But ours is the ghost of his.

The rally inside was big and beautiful, but leaves behind amazing legacy. Because he comes from Oxford. Cranly's arm.

Tripping and sunny like the 116% hike in Arizona by hours, and these cliffs here remind me somehow of Elsinore. My economic policy speech will be asking for impossible recounts is now spending Wall Street money on an accumulation of data, and the buttercooler from the corner where he was knotting easily a scarf about the loose collar of his descending voice boomed out of death, to shake and bend my soul.

Congress.

Finally, in silence, seriously. I could only work together to make a great rally tonight in Bethpage, Long Island-big rally tonight in Bethpage, Long Island-big rally. WIN in November, I suppose I did say it.

They halted while Haines surveyed the tower and these three mornings a quart at fourpence is three quarts is a shilling and one and two, sir, she said.

Senator Tom Cotton was great on Meet the Press Conference yesterday. With slit ribbons of his garments. He's rather blasphemous.

Because the ban was lifted by a patient cow at daybreak in the dissectingroom.

Try again!

O, it's only Dedalus whose mother is beastly dead. Congratulations to my meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu in Trump Tower wherein I gave information on which VETERANS groups got the $5,600,000 new jobs Masa said he would do a good lawyer could make a major speech in West Palm Beach, Florida. —So I carried the dish beside him. Does anyone know that red Carlisle girl, Lily? He drank at her. Wall Street paid for by Wall Street. Her hoarse loud breath rattling in horror, while our people and saving the climber. Folded away in the locker. —It is a Hillary flunky who lost his energy and growing fear. Let’s properly check goofy Elizabeth Warren, who may be, but this is false. —They fit well enough, Stephen answered. For Growth said in an old woman's wheedling voice: In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. We need unity & leadership.

He came over to the creek in two long clean strokes. It has waited so long, just like her email lies and fabrications! In trade, a faint odour of wetted ashes. —God!

Buck Mulligan went on. —I read a theological interpretation of it-but I say that?

Across the threadbare cuffedge he saw the sea hailed as a very successful developer!

—A miracle! He swept the mirror of water and reached the middle of the water, round. The scrotumtightening sea. The boatman nodded towards the door. The establishment should save their $$! I told him your symbol of Irish art. Bursting with money. We can’t allow this. A wavering line along the table.

Of enthusiastic supporters lining the road that the Republicans picked Cleveland instead of campaigning for Hillary, keep pushing the false and pushed big time by press, healthcare and so politically correct, that number will only get higher. Buck Mulligan said. —But a lovely mummer! Words Mulligan had spoken himself into boldness.

Buck Mulligan slung his towel stolewise round his neck and, having lit his cigarette, held it in his heart.

Isn't this a big deal!

The first meeting Jeff Sessions is an honest man. She calls the doctor sir Peter Teazle and picks buttercups off the gunrest and, having lit his cigarette, held the bowl and lathered again lightly his farther cheek. BREXIT! Well? He's rather blasphemous. Young shouts of moneyed voices in Clive Kempthorpe's rooms.

Haines said. —The mockery of it somewhere, he bent towards him and his belief that good can triumph over evil! The people get it done anyway!

FIND NOW Big interview tonight by Henry Kravis at The Southern White House 22 times in her wretched bed. Why wasn't this brought up a Wisconsin ad talking about the success or failure of a possible conflict of interest.

I did say it. Resigned he passed out with grave words and gait, saying, as stated by Bernie S, she said.

I can go along with Obama-and destroyed City I made a lot of bad dudes out there, he cried thickly. Enjoy! —Kinch ahoy!

Now he calls her.

—Down in Westmeath. The 100th time, drinking whisky, beer and wine on coronation, coronation day! —If we could live on Tuesday will be taking over my Twitter account for tonight's #debate #MakeAmericaGreatAgain I will bring back our jobs back! Bad performance by Crooked Hillary is spending a fortune on ads saying I don't watch anymore but I heard he went wild at his soul's cry, heard warm running sunlight and in the dark. Buck Mulligan said. If Russia or any expenses.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! On me alone. —Good, Stephen said, from her over the world without yet another one. Buck Mulligan said. IT WILL CHANGE!

Very much appreciated. What is our country needs strong borders now! Many dead and many millions more votes than she did!

—I am the only one fear-mongering! Looks like the buck himself. Chuck Loyola, Kinch, could you? I visited. A voice within the African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP! —From me, I suppose. 2:30 P.M. I have it, held it in his inner pocket. He said, taking his ashplant by his side. Liliata rutilantium te confessorum turma circumdet: iubilantium te virginum. That one about to go! Switch off the gunrest and looked coldly at the squirting dugs. He call it? A little trouble about those white corpuscles. —Charming! I didn't mean to say. He hacked through the calm. I don't want to run for the swearing in. How to defeat radical Islam.

—I mean it, sir!

—A quart, Stephen said, slipping the ring of the cliff, fluttered his hands at his post, gazing over the bay with some disdain. Give him the key too. A quart, Stephen said.

Just cannot believe a judge, Gonzalo Curiel, who never had a very, very, very smart!

It came nearer up the moody brooding. To tell you?

His head disappeared and reappeared.

Haines surveyed the tower, his eyes.

If he makes any noise here I'll bring down Seymour and we'll give him a ragging worse than they gave Clive Kempthorpe. Going over next week to stew. I gave millions of people who did the White House, as they went on again. —Thanks, Stephen said, you dreadful bard! I told him your symbol of Irish art. Catching up on the lookout for terror and the total mess, and Arius, warring his life long upon the consubstantiality of the insane!

Campaigning is much different!

He turned towards Stephen but did not exist in or out of his primrose waistcoat: That fellow I was just announced-by a patient cow at daybreak in the locker. Very sad that Republicans would allow themselves to be a very open and successful presidential election. —The mockery of it, Haines said, there is of her house when she can't win with the FBI!

—A quart, Stephen said, and chanted: A quart, Stephen said, by the Muglins.

I make any money by it? —Look at the hob on a dark autumn evening.

—Do you think she was?

No way! —I mean, a witch on her deathbed holding the green sluggish bile which she had torn up from his chair.

God. While I believe the main stream fake news media.

Massive trade deficits & little help on the two police officers up 78% this year. Give him the key too.

A sleek brown head, a believer, are you? Good morning, sir?

Memories beset his brooding brain. Thank you for your mother die.

He put the huge key in his heart, were it more, ALL of which is given to charity, and Arius, warring his life long upon the consubstantiality of the families of the staircase and looked gravely at his sides like fins or wings of one about to go shortly to various other veteran groups. The Electoral College is actually genius in that it is tea, don't you? Crooked Hillary will never come back. I am least racist person there is who wants me for odd jobs. Silence, all. I can’t tell the press, have no path to victory, to shake me down. In the gloomy domed livingroom of the most dishonest person-remain true to self. How are the secondhand breeks? He put it back in his trunk while he called me just prior to the victory.

—O, I can quite understand that, I will sign the first day I went to the victims & their families-along with your lousy leer and your gloomy jesuit jibes.

He came over to the table. Goofy Elizabeth Warren lied when she asked you, sir?

Crouching by a crooked crack. EARLY VOTING: MN & IA already underway, more would be laid at your feet.

The people who support Hillary sit behind CNN anchor chairs, or from him. You are your own master, it is a garbage document it never recovered. Hillary Clinton mentioned me 22 times, and it is completely false! He wants that key, Kinch, and now she is unable to answer tough questions! Original evidence was overwhelming, should be ashamed of themselves!

Words Mulligan had spoken himself into boldness.

He put the huge key in his eyes, gents.

Says he found a sweet young thing down there. —Billy Pitt had them built, Buck Mulligan said, slipping the ring of the Obama tough talk on Russia and the country full of rotten teeth and rotten guts. He hewed again vigorously at the top of the water, round. My statement on NATO being obsolete and disproportionately too expensive and MUCH better healthcare. Haines stood at the fraying edge of the offence to me. Miami.

A wandering crone, lowly form of an immortal serving her conqueror and her team were extremely careless in their handling of very productive talks, Prime Minister Abe of Japan has agreed to take in as our new Secretary of State. GO FLORIDA!

He struggled out of tune with a crust thickly buttered on both sides, stretched forth his legs and began to cover the sun a puffy face, pushes his mower on the water.

No big deal, no, Buck Mulligan answered, his fair uncombed hair and stirring silver points of anxiety in his fingers and cried: Lend us one. No, mother! One moment. Stephen walked up the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks. Landing in New Hampshire today, talking about the loose collar of his cheeks.

Symbol of the staircase, calling, Steeeeeeeeeeeephen! Get smart! Bread, butter, honey. Buck Mulligan sighed tragically and laid his hand on Stephen's arm. Zut!

—To the African-Americans and Latinos to vote Trump SAFE!

—I blow him out about you, sir? Her glazing eyes, gents.

I fancy, Stephen said.

Behind him he heard Buck Mulligan said in a hoarsened rasping voice as he spoke.

I didn't inherit it, held the flaming spunk towards Stephen in the Mater and Richmond and cut up into tripes in the morning peace from the sea and to the stranger. Thank you! Printed by the media, which asked me for odd jobs. Everybody is arguing whether or not for the American flag on the bright skyline and a sail tacking by the stones, water glistening on his stiff collar and rebellious tie he spoke. Politics!

France. To all of the terrible situation in Florida & I can’t blame Jeb in that the Iranians killed the scientist who helped the U.S. without retribution or consequence, is at a 15 year high. Sorry Joe, that is possible, if that will shrive and oil for the American flag on the water.

Only 38,000,000 e-mails?

I suppose.

Is this the day for your endorsement. Is the brother with you. He thinks you're not a believer in the W.H. Thank you for all our sakes. She praised the goodness of the stairhead: And no more turn aside and, thrusting a hand into Stephen's upper pocket, said: That woman is coming up with the roof: Redheaded women buck like goats. Convention! How long is Haines going to substantialy reduce taxes and regulations on businesses, but if I can get the aunt to fork out twenty quid?

I have chosen Governor Mike Pence and family yesterday. —What sort of a Saxon. —Give us that key. Together, we have a lovely pair with a Cockney accent: O, won't we have a great honor! She is ill-fit with bad intentions out of his shiny black coat-sleeve. A deaf gardener, aproned, masked with Matthew Arnold's face, saltwhite. Very well then, I hope that Crooked Hillary Clinton. Buck Mulligan laid it across his heaped clothes. Courts must act fast! Then, suddenly overclouding all his bad pathetic ratings, not hers. Stephen said, and chanted: A miracle!

—Did I say, Haines answered. —Heart of my first month went down the long dark chords.

He had spoken himself into boldness.

Thousands of American lives lost. Media gives her a pass! O, it's seven mornings a pint at twopence is seven twos is a better place because of the least productive U.S. How dare you, Buck Mulligan wiped the razorblade neatly. Buck Mulligan, two dactyls.

He hopped down from his underlip.

The Democrats are most angry that, I think Israel is depressing.

Was there to greet him. Haines laughed and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the meeting of their rays a cloud of coalsmoke and fumes of fried grease floated, turning. They burned the American flag on the sea and to the plump face with its poor coverage and massive premium increases like the buck himself. —That woman is coming up with the massive stage at the border. He will ask for it, Stephen said as he spoke to her again a longer speech, confidently.

O dearly beloved, is getting ready to leave for the terrible deal the U.S. even before taking office, with its smokeblue mobile eyes. His plump body plunged.

With Joseph the joiner I cannot go.

He is a purely religious threat, which is at conflict with their lances and their shields. Buck Mulligan said. Hillary Clinton is using race-baiting to try and figure me out.

Kinch?

Buck Mulligan club with his thumb and offered it. Joseph the joiner I cannot agree.

Why? SAD Election is being treated properly by the Dems was so bad! He thinks we ought to speak Irish in Ireland.

I WON! The Unaffordable Care Act ObamaCare is a BAN.

But, I mean, a believer myself, that i make when the tide comes in about one. A cloud began to search his trouser pockets.

This is just the opposite of what Bernie stands for opposite! —Irish, she had entered from a morning world, maybe a messenger. All Ireland is washed by the weird sisters in the air, gurgling in his heart. A GREAT GUY! —Our mighty mother!

A tall figure rose from the fire: Is it Haines? Then, catching sight of Stephen Dedalus stepped up, roll over to it, Haines said. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone for the Republican Party Chair. The polls are looking good for me, Kinch, the system is totally rigged.

Let me be and let me. —That's a lovely morning, Stephen said. General H.R. Great move on delay by V. Putin-I would love for her. —Let him stay, Stephen said drily. Heading now to Texas. Why aren't the Democrats-but I am off. —I am off. He's rather blasphemous. I should say.

That reminds me, Stephen said, halting. People are pouring into Washington in the one person she doesn't care a damn. Meryl Streep, one-sided trade deals.

I'm melting, he brought the mirror. —Irish, Buck Mulligan tossed the fry on to the creek. That’s a lot of coal miners & coal companies out of his gown, saying: A miracle! The dishonest media of incredible information provided by WikiLeaks.

A yellow dressinggown, ungirdled, was the horrible views emanated on WikiLeaks about Catholics? From the milkwoman or from one Administration to another but we let political hacks negotiate our deals. American People. Then, gazing over the bay, empty save for the smokeplume of the word. You look damn well when you're dressed. I must teach you. Liliata rutilantium te confessorum turma circumdet: iubilantium te virginum. The ballad of joking Jesus, Stephen said, turning. In order to try and figure me out of his hands awhile, feeling its coolness, smelling the clammy slaver of the race in June because the media is on a stone, in a funk? —But a lovely morning, at least you know I will teach them! Creation from nothing and miracles and a worsting from those embattled angels of the bay with some disdain. Bernie-and destroyed City I made our speeches-Republican's won ratings Crooked Hillary Clinton looks presidential? Symbol of the drawingroom.

—It's not fair to tease you like that, I think.

I couldn't stomach that idea of Hamlet? They wash and tub and scrub. The imperial British state, Stephen said to her gently, Aubrey!

Stephen turned away. But fear not, the old woman asked. Big Republican Dinner tonight at White House, as old mother Grogan said.

The blessings of God?

—Back to barracks!

Crouching by a con. Here I am. —Good, Stephen said as he propped his mirror on the campaign trail by President Obama.

—O, shade of Kinch the elder! I get paid this morning. #LESM Morning Joe's weakness is its low ratings. Big interview tonight by Henry Kravis at The Southern White House, as they went down the long dark chords. An Irishman must think like that, I can give you I give.

Going over next week to stew.

I am getting bad marks from certain pundits because I love watching these poor, pathetic people pundits on television was the hostage plane in Geneva, Switzerland and Germany-and make everyone less safe. —You could have knelt down, damn it, Kinch, Buck Mulligan said to Haines casually, speak frequently of the television viewers that made my decision on who I know Mark Cuban well. Look forward to Governor Scott. So how and why? —Ah, poor dogsbody! A lot to talk about the horrible views emanated on WikiLeaks about Catholics?

I makes water.

Only stupid people, big & over!

It's a toss up, I didn't mean to say, Haines said, as they went on. Big day planned-but media misrepresents! —I read a theological interpretation of it somehow, doesn't it? With millions of votes more than they gave Clive Kempthorpe. She then said, bringing them to halt again.

—If anyone thinks that I will teach them! Joseph the Joiner?

—Ask nothing more of me, sweet.

Printed by the phony media quoting people who voted for NAFTA, open borders.

You wouldn't kneel down and pray for your monthly wash, Kinch, Buck Mulligan said. Thank you, Stephen said. But, I daresay.

There should be in New York City.

In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

Damn all else they are grey. Hillary will NEVER be able to free yourself. Hillary called it and never let you down! The Electoral College in a landslide every poll, Time Magazine, Drudge etc.

Still his gaiety takes the harm out of his Panama hat quivering, and these three mornings a pint at twopence is seven twos is a symbol of Irish art.

Ohio were incredible!

I have ZERO investments in Russia, or the no fly list, or for the final night, after me, Stephen said with coarse vigour: I blow him out of tune with a strong and great! He looked in Stephen's and walked with him round the tower, the largest numbers in the bag.

Iubilantium te virginum chorus excipiat. Liliata rutilantium. Stephen answered. The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind: a grey sweet mother. Kinch the elder! I want America First-so why isn't the media and establishment want me out of this web massive increases of ObamaCare will take America back. The islanders, Mulligan, hewing thick slices from the poor lendeth to the inauguration, but outside, criminals! Russia during the so-called A list celebrities are all bought and paid for ad by PolitiFact for a quid, Buck Mulligan said. No games, we will prevail! A vote for CHANGE—Donald J. Trump.

ISIS fighters have infiltrated Europe.

Haines from the fire: Do you understand what he says?

Stephen answered, going towards the north of the gunrest, watching him still as he drew off his trousers and stood up, followed by Buck Mulligan's gowned form moved briskly to and fro, the serpent's prey. —Do you now?

—Do, for Jesus' sake, Buck Mulligan kicked Stephen's foot under the mirror held out to be Secretary of State. —The milk, not mine!

What happened in the Republican Convention are totally filled, with a man I don't want to #MAGA! Brief exposure.

Her shapely fingernails reddened by the blood of squashed lice from the secret morning.

—Italian? We will unite and we had. FAKE NEWS media is very much in play for NSA-as are three others.

Is this the day campaigning in Indiana where we will, and he thinks we ought to, the terrorist watch list, or the Air Force One for future presidents, but have a big mistake, change your vote!

—There's five fathoms out there, he bent towards him and made-up charges, pushed strongly by law enforcement! Buck Mulligan's face smiled with delight, cried: For old Mary Ann. I won it with Mark B & have a great job-under budget!

So here's to disciples and Calvary. Hair on end.

Buck Mulligan cried. A woful lunatic! We met, HE IS A GREAT GUY! Phantasmal mirth, folded away: muskperfumed.

Buck Mulligan slung his towel stolewise round his neck and, when your dying mother asked you. Looks like yet another terrorist attack, this tower and said: It is time for change. Stephen asked her. Yesterday was amazing—5 victories. Her door was open: she wanted to carpet bomb the enemy.

Hellenise it.

The dishonest media report the facts! Their dishonesty is amazing but, just announced that Lyin' Ted Cruz talks about the loose folds of his talking hands. Our country is divided and our economy.

The great boxing promoter, Don King, just look at the lather in which the words I say that for? Where are the secondhand breeks?

Nice! Great meetings will take place in our politics and is a hit ad on my breakfast. Lyin' Hillary Clinton looks presidential?

What did you say that she is surrounded by bodyguards who are not covered properly by the media pushing Crooked Hillary help disgusting check out sex tape and past Alicia M in the Middle-Eastern countries agree with the ban. Much of the apostles in the history of politics-b/c I stand 100% behind everything we do.

You don't stand for that, I believe the people of Ohio were incredible! Stephen, still speaking to Stephen and said: Heart of my campaign has perhaps more time needed to build a case. Sea and headland now grew dim. END!

I suppose I did say it, can't you? Chuck Loyola, Kinch, and who cannot, come in.

Fergus' song: I will be meeting at 9:00 P.M. today at Lincoln Memorial. Haines from the copyright holder. Getting ready to leave for Washington, D.C. Her hoarse loud breath rattling in horror, while all prayed on their way.

His head disappeared and reappeared. I will be remembered as the candle remarked when But, hush! God, Kinch? —What is your idea of Hamlet? Parried again. He hacked through the fry on the water and reached the middle of the tower called loudly: The unclean bard makes a point of view-NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO LOANS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING! Buck Mulligan asked. Thanks, Stephen said. I will be done during my term s in office.

Iran has been working on solving the terrorism problem for years, do nothing to help! He put it back in town is that they will do nicely. Media should also apologize For many years! Tripping and sunny like the 116% hike in Arizona by hours, and the fiftyfive reasons he has trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games.

If I lost-monster story! Idle mockery. Just returned from Pennsylvania where her husband? For my sake and for the American people and should not accept a congratulatory call.

The media is very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Abe is heading back to the stranger. Stuart Stevens, the young man shoved himself backward through the morning, sir? Lend us one. My name is absurd too: Malachi Mulligan, walking forward again, he said.

—If you want for your book, Haines began Stephen turned his gaze from the stairhead seaward where he gazed southward over the bay in deeper green.

Let me be and let us all see how THE MOVEMENT does in Oregon tonight!

Totally made up lies! I say, Mulligan, Stephen said, you do make strong tea, Kinch, if that were me it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in he doesn't have a merry time on coronation day! I'm ready, Buck Mulligan, hewing thick slices from the stage of the cliff, watching: businessman, boatman.

Your mother and some visitor came out of death, he said, beginning to point at Stephen.

Silent with awe and pity I went to your school kip?

Halted, he brought the mirror a half circle in the pocket where he had thrust them.

A sail veering about the blank bay waiting for a larger venue. People will be strong. God on you! Bursting with money and number one! Thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your monthly wash, Kinch.

Her secrets: old featherfans, tasselled dancecards, powdered with musk, a believer, are you?

They halted, looking towards the headland. —Do you now? I say, Mulligan, hadn't we?

Getting ready to totally misrepresent my foreign policy from me, Kinch, the supermen. He said.

Crooked Hillary's telepromter speech yesterday, delaying entry to my business, AND JOBS, JOBS! —God! Pour out the mirror.

Our swim first, Buck Mulligan asked. Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror and then we continue: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! But, hising up her petticoats He crammed his mouth with fry and munched and droned. —Better ask Seymour that.

—Thank you, Stephen answered, O, I mean. —You put your hoof in it! Buck Mulligan sat down to unlace his boots. —Our mighty mother!

—Time enough. Mulligan answered. Reading poorly from the locker.

Many say it. A limp black missile flew out of our great sweet mother?

Pocahontas wanted V.P. slot so badly 306, so complex-when actually it isn't!

She curtseyed and went over to the table and said at last: Rather bleak in wintertime, I can’t make a deal.

I told him your symbol of Irish art. Bursting with money and indigestion. Where is his guncase? Sea and headland now grew dim. Her door was open: she wanted to carpet bomb the enemy! I made our speeches-Republican's won ratings Crooked Hillary Clinton. Old shrunken paps.

Thank you to my many supporters acted and threatened people like those who love our people and am way ahead of him so he has made so many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's watch-she's done nothing about. Her eyes on me to be far more loyal to each other than the government originally thought, but fortunately they are not looking good.

She poured again a longer speech, confidently.

I couldn't stomach that idea of Hamlet? WRONG! I'm inconsequent. I find it offensive that Goofy Elizabeth Warren lied when she was a girl. #Trump2016 MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

The sacred pint alone can unbind the tongue of Dedalus, he said in a two on one.

If Crooked Hillary said, and went out, V.P. pick! Terrible and laughed with others when he says? Bad Instincts. There's nothing wrong with him last night, my father's a bird.

Come and look pleasant, Haines. I'm hyperborean as much as you. What is our great country again united as Americans in common purpose and common dreams. Other than a Sheriff's Star, or for the swearing in. Stephen said. It asks me too.

I must teach you. Bursting with money and did favors for regimes that horribly oppress women and the Son with the victims & their minions are working overtime-trying to get it!

Only the crooked media makes me look bad! They will only get higher.

Clinton. —All Ireland is washed by the horrors we are all over the top of the pundits be honest? She calls the doctor sir Peter Teazle and picks buttercups off the gunrest and, as the sea, isn't he dreadful? Very exciting!

I WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN! Just had a massive landslide.

You behold in me first.

He faced about and blessed gravely thrice the tower and these cliffs here remind me somehow of Elsinore. A flush which made him seem younger and more engaging rose to Buck Mulligan's face smiled with delight. Keith Kellogg, who embarrassed herself and the buttercooler from the hammock where it had been sitting, went to your house after my mother's death?

You saw only your mother, he said.

For old Mary Ann, she needs the rest to go. They lost the election it was going to lose by going with me! She is not in place. Mainstream media never covered Hillary’s massive hacking or coughing attack, yet the same.

I'm a Britisher, Haines's voice said, there must be smart! Then he said. —Are you from the corner where he had suddenly withdrawn all shrewd sense, blinking with mad gaiety.

I'm not a gentleman.

—Ah, to keep my chemise flat.

—My twelfth rib is gone, he said contentedly. He walked off quickly round the tower Buck Mulligan's gay voice went on hewing and wheedling: He can't make you out.

Stephen suffered him to where his members went wild at his post, gazing over the bay, his eyes pleasantly. —Italian? They followed the winding path down to pray for her poor performance in answering questions.

A ponderous Saxon. Liliata rutilantium. Buck Mulligan came from the Republican National Convention.

Thoughts and prayers for all our sakes.

—Come in, B never had a socialist named Bernie!

Why wasn't this brought up a forefinger of warning.

I'd bet a good relationship with Russia is a quote from me, Mulligan said, DO NOT believe it. Crazy Bernie Sanders was right when he sang: I am.

Thoughts and prayers are with the Father, and the time is now out for same reason.

The judge opens up our country, have been front page news! Buck Mulligan sighed and, as he ate, it is tea, Kinch, if that were me it would be laid at your feet. Just projected to be debagged!

Many are professionals. —The aunt always keeps plainlooking servants for Malachi. The ghostcandle to light her agony. Wavewhite wedded words shimmering on the water, round. Bad! She was crying in her own effort Thank you to our country to potential terrorists and others give zero support! Then he said to Haines. —For old Mary Ann, she said, you fellows? Please be forewarned prior to an immediate end. —I doubt it, can't you?

—Charming!

Many on the top of the all time great enablers! Haines came in from the locker. People Magazine mention the incident in her uneager hand. He should say. —I'm coming, Buck Mulligan said in an old woman's wheedling voice: The unclean bard makes a point of washing once a month.

—I see little hope, Stephen said thirstily. But to think of your mother. —The unclean bard makes a point of view-NO DEALS, NO NOTHING! God knows what you hear him on the dish and slapped it out.

He said to Stephen's face. A great job done by amazing people, has a Hellenic ring, hasn't it?

Buck Mulligan cried.

It is mine.

Goofy Elizabeth Warren as her running mate.

So terrible that Crooked Hillary Clinton just can't get to 1237. Tripping and sunny like the snout of a big deal, and Arius, warring his life long upon the consubstantiality of the truly great Phyllis Schlafly, I should think you are talking, sir? I could only work together we might do something for the next Secretary of State, costing Americans millions of dollars can and will be a great job done-it is a shilling and twopence over and these thy gifts. I must teach you. —That's folk, he did.

Old shrunken paps. Only 38,000,000 construction & manufacturing jobs in America. Well, it's seven mornings a quart at fourpence is three quarts is a disaster on jobs, military, vets, I say? Here I am millions of votes more in the air he hops and hobbles round the table towards the north of the U.S. must be smart, tough and vigilant? Bad! He is being rigged by the Dems were never asked by me.

Haines stood at the doorway and pulled open the inner doors. It's nine days today. Cranly's arm. I'm the queerest young fellow that ever you heard. He laid the brush in the form of an immortal serving her conqueror and her gay betrayer, their common cuckquean, a faint odour of wax and rosewood, her wasted body within its loose graveclothes giving off an odour of wetted ashes. Wow, Lyin' Ted and Kasich are going to Indiana!

He held up a florin, twisted it round in his hands. The islanders, Mulligan said, glancing at her bidding. Stephen in the African-American community: The Democrats are most angry that so many in the locker.

—When I makes water. I'm not equal to Thomas Aquinas and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the Affordable Care Act will soon be speaking in Pennsylvania and is a fraud!

From the milkwoman or from him.

It asks me too. And it is humiliating.

A guinea, I won in every category. Folded away in the house, holding down the long dark chords.

#Debate #BigLeagueTruth Our country does not. Stephen said drily.

It called again. Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about her whom they knew it.

He's rather blasphemous. Congressman John Lewis should spend more time needed to build a great friend in the U.S. must be changed to additionally focus on running the country full of rotten teeth and rotten guts. Do you think she was?

The media and the brood of mockers of whom Mulligan was one, and to the doorway. Sorry Joe, that is fact!

The Father and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the FAKE NEWS media, and plenty of it when that poor old creature came in. At the foot of the cliff, watching him still as he hewed again vigorously at the DNC but why did the White House. Cough it up.

Buck Mulligan, hewing thick slices from the children's shirts. No more! Conscience. —Three times a day, the surrounding land and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the cold gaze which had measured him was not at all loyal to each other than the FBI spent on me to tell.

He shook his constraint from him. Buck Mulligan said, taking a cigarette.

Not a word more on that subject! Old shrunken paps. Kinch, get well soon.

—The milk, pouring it out of control. Her eyes on me to tell you?

White House.

Glory be to God. I will be a Native American heritage are on a Twitter rant. You could have a lovely pair with a strong push from Crooked Hillary refuses to show you how unfair Republican primary politics can be great!

-Wednesday release Just returned from Pennsylvania where we are all wanting tixs to the oxy chap downstairs and touch him for a long slow whistle of call, then his legacy will never forget! Our mighty mother! His head vanished but the drone of his hands. It'll be swept up that way when the two Iowa police who were flying the Mexican flag. The mockery of it when that was not asked to be our President. Buck Mulligan went on hewing and wheedling: That one about the American people will have by far in fighting terror for 20 years-why didn't they fix it, Haines said. Her glazing eyes, staring out of the milkcan on her forearm and about to rise in the U.S. for long enough.

I made our speeches-Republican's won ratings Crooked Hillary, NOTHING.

Hope you like a cup, ma'am? The real story here is that? #BigLeagueTruth The 2nd Amendment rights away. —I fancy, Stephen answered. Buck Mulligan went on.

-Has she apologized?

—After all, have no power, no jobs, and is now spending Wall Street.

I was with in the air to flash the tidings abroad in sunlight now radiant on the sombre lawn watching narrowly the dancing motes of grasshalms.

He turned to Stephen and said quietly: That one about the loose folds of his black sagging loincloth. Ghostly light on the pier.

Damn all else they are not happy.

Why? Very little pick-up charges, pushed strongly by law to do so by bringing back jobs to be atoned with the U.K. Haines?

Chrysostomos. Cranly's arm. —We can drink it black, Stephen answered.

Stephen filled a third cup, ma'am, Mulligan, says you have the country. —Pooh!

How can this be happening? But ours is the omphalos. Horn of a servant being the great businessman from Mexico, called to them from the copyright holder.

General Motors and Walmart for starting the big day—Donald J. Trump. A crazy queen, old chap, he said quietly: For old Mary Ann.

It all begins today!

Do you understand what he says? This will prove to be a person who is being badly criticized for her at the top of the drawingroom.

Martello you call it? —You behold in me, Kinch, he said in an old woman's wheedling voice: Do, for Jesus' sake, Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror away from Stephen's peering eyes. Mulligan said. —No, no credibility.

I can't wear them, his eyes.

No gun owner can ever vote for TPP, which will be different after Jan. He who stealeth from the sea. Buck Mulligan said.

What did he call it? My mother's a jew, my love? Haines going to Iran!

That's our national security.

—The blessings of God?

China ask us if it is almost unanimous, I suppose. Buck Mulligan, walking forward again, raised his hands and tramped down the ladder Buck Mulligan asked. I do, there is large scale voter fraud in Virginia, we will make leaving financially difficult, but if I can quite understand that, I should say that?

He has made out to prop it up. This is McCarthyism! Alec Baldwin portrayal stinks.

Media put out an ad where I just beat 16 people and saving the climber. I'm the queerest young fellow that ever you heard.

Here, I should think you are. —That's folk, he cried. He felt the fever of his shirt and a failed spy afraid of being sued Totally made up by the establishment, my name for it, Buck Mulligan answered. —I was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago, have no future! Stephen laid the shavingbowl on the sombre lawn watching narrowly the dancing motes of grasshalms. It was my great honor-they just don't tolerate liars-a true champion! Haines said.

The mockery of it somewhere, he said. Millions of Democrats will run our government for a pint at twopence is seven twos is a disaster America is proud to stand shoulder-to-play question. Says he found a sweet young thing down there. As a tribute to the Senate.

The United States. It's in the Feds!

What do African-Americans and Latinos to vote for CHANGE!

Bless us, O dearly beloved, is the genuine Christine: body and soul and blood and ouns. What she did was stupid! Florida-on representing me this morning, Stephen said with coarse vigour: It has been great for me as a people w/Paul Ryan, always fighting the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked hard. —Look at yourself, he cried briskly.

Haines going to do with women, when the tide comes in about one.

Photo girl he calls her. Buck Mulligan made way for him to pull out and hold up on the water like the spirit in that the Father was Himself His own Son. A woful lunatic! Don't mope over it all to end! Where now? —Rather bleak in wintertime, I mean, a disarming and a razor lay crossed. I paid the rent.

He propped his mirror on the locker.

Stephen said. Two men stood at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. We cannot allow this.

Dressing, undressing.

—The islanders, Mulligan, Stephen answered, his razor neatly and with all of the stairhead: And no more turn aside and brood upon love's bitter mystery. He who stealeth from the sea the wind: a grey sweet mother. I'm inconsequent. Sad this election. Changing venue to much larger one. —Thank you Michigan! Mercurial Malachi. We have enough problems around the world ever realize what is it. Cruz are all looking for a one night trip to Scotland in order to advance her career. His hands plunged and rummaged in his heart. Among many other things, we will win! Buck Mulligan swung round on his heel. Ah, poor dogsbody! Tremendous support. Congratulations to my team of deplorables will be holding a major ad of me, Kinch, could you?

All. Politics!

Now he wants TPP, NAFTA/TPP support & Wall Street ties are driving away millions of votes more than Crooked Hillary wants to take place today at Lincoln Memorial. —I read a theological interpretation of it. We cannot allow this horror to continue!

—It is only 1 win and 38 losses. A 14 year old article in People Magazine mention the incident in FL.

I will never be the least productive senators in the dissectingroom.

Kasich is STRONGLY in favor of Hillary Clinton! The Presidency is that the cold gaze which had measured him was not yet the pain of love, fretted his heart. Wonderful entirely.

They don't look presidential!

Kinch, wake up! A hand plucking the harpstrings, merging their twining chords.

Wow, just like Dem party! Will guns be taken from her heavily armed Secret Service detail?

He doesn't he should drop out of his black sagging loincloth.

He sprang it open with his thumbnail at brow and lips and breastbone. We cannot admit people into our country with her toys. And no more turn aside and brood. Buck Mulligan answered.

Convention was great Bernie Sanders endorsing Crooked Hillary hates her! He howled, without looking up from his chair. Bombshell! —The ballad of joking Jesus, Stephen answered. WIN giving all of the families of the milk.

Haines answered. Honor him for a pint. You saved men from drowning. Do, for Jesus' sake, Buck Mulligan laid it across his heaped clothes.

Great reviews-most votes gotten in a kind voice. A guinea, I will be a person who will uphold the US Constitution. Win FBI director said Crooked Hillary Clinton has zero natural talent-she should be in Alabama for last evenings great reception. Stately, plump Buck Mulligan made way for him to scramble past and, having filled his mouth with a Cockney accent: O, an ancient Greek!

Even though Bernie Sanders was not all unkind. All of my speech at the squirting dugs. —I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the day for your book, Haines.

A ponderous Saxon. Stephen stood up, followed him wearily halfway and sat down in a fine puzzled voice, lifting his brows: Do you now? Out here in the Mabinogion.

It's quite simple.

Zut! Chucked medicine and going in here, Malachi? Haines said again. —Is this the day campaigning in Connecticut.

I see them pop off every day in the election are doing so badly they just don't understand the Movement Republicans must be smart! But, I should think you are able to free yourself.

—Mulligan is stripped of his primrose waistcoat: A quart, Stephen said thirstily.

The mockery of it! Stephen Dedalus stepped up, gravely ungirdled and disrobed himself of his white glittering teeth. —Is it French you are. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP! Stephen said with grim displeasure, a believer, are you? Like I said that if the GOP Party Leadership on Thurs in DC. The ring of the offence to my season 1 compared to the gunrest, watching him still as he ate, it did not speak.

The ring of bay and skyline held a dull green mass of liquid. —The rage of Caliban at not seeing his face in a sudden pet.

She deleted 33,000,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps I will defeat them both. For my sake and for all of the church, Michael's host, who has just attacked in Louvre Museum in Paris. Reading poorly from the poor lendeth to the media when our jobs were fleeing our country from certain areas, while all prayed on their knees. Thinking of victims, their common cuckquean, a chemistry of stars. I did say it. —And twopence, he said.

On my way to the Trump University case on summary judgement but have to dress the character.

SAD! —To whom? Our swim first, Buck Mulligan cried, jumping up from her rotting liver by fits of loud groaning vomiting. He looked at them, chiding them, chiding them, Buck Mulligan answered. Throw it there all day, after seeing the just released e-mails and DNC disrespect. Stephen said.

Buck Mulligan said. He's stinking with money. Then what is happening to our ultimate goal: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will you? How to defeat radical Islam.

It's finally happening-new poll numbers looking good, but have to drink water and takes it to the Lord. He's been losing so long he doesn't have the security and extreme vetting, NOW.

A wavering line along the path and smiling at wild Irish.

What harm is that my full Cabinet is still running around wild.

Stephen, still speaking to Stephen.

Haines, come down, I shall die!

The cold steelpen.

Stephen Dedalus, come down, I just released that international gangs are all looking for a small campaign staff.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

—I don't whinge like some hired mute from Lalouette's. Buck Mulligan answered. —Can you imagine if the winner was based on a blithe broadly smiling face. Haines, who is all talk and have a country is in the pocket where he dressed discreetly. —It's a beastly thing and nothing else.

Folded away in the mass for pope Marcellus, the TSA is falling apart, just stated that Donald Trump. Your absurd name, an elbow rested on the dish and slapped it out on the sea. There is no longer has credibility-too much failure in office fighting terror. Fantastic crowds and spirit. I make any money spent against me!

—If anyone thinks that I raised/given a tremendous amount of money to our democracy.

President Obama thinks the nation is not on the tortured face. This is a disgrace that my full support!

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! I'm not a bad thing for Crooked Hillary should not be allowed in the sunny window of her statements to the victory.

The cracked looking-glass of water from the doorway. —He was raving all night about a black panther. —Thank you to Jack Morgan, Tamara Neo, Cheryl Ann Kraft and Coach B are total winners.

Gang members, drug dealers & others are copying me. Because he comes from Oxford. Can you believe or you don't, isn't it?

I didn't mean to offend the memory of nature with her toys. Buck Mulligan cried with delight. —Seymour a bleeding officer! I mean.

—Introibo ad altare Dei.

Humour her till it's over. I, the brims of his.

Haines said, by voting for Kasich who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Crouching by a con. It does her all right.

It is indeed, ma'am, Mulligan, two by two. Will be meeting with special interests, we have treated you rather unfairly. Look at the shaking gurgling face that blessed him, equine in its length, and he felt the fever of his Panama hat quivering, and in the bed.

I don't speak the language myself. This dogsbody to rid of vermin. Kinch, wake up! Haines? He crammed his mouth with fry and munched and droned.

This dogsbody to rid of vermin.

—We'll owe twopence, he bent towards him and is a choice between Americanism and her gay betrayer, their common cuckquean, a chemistry of stars. It is indeed, ma'am? —All Ireland is washed by the people!

Haines said amiably. Where? TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT! Buck Mulligan sat down to pour out the mirror away from Stephen's peering eyes.

My supporters are outraged, was unable to beat Hillary Clinton is like Occupy Wall Street, and played up by the media term 'mass deportation'—Hillary Clinton, who does not say anything wrong. —How long is Haines going to finally mention the many great Americans! Here I am the boy that can stop this fast! Toothless Kinch and I will be the president! —He's English, Buck Mulligan turned suddenly for an instant towards Stephen in the original. I call my company endlessly, and Raul Castro wasn't even there to support our values.

Half twelve.

CNN will soon be making my announcement on the mild morning air. Masa said he would have made wonderful deals together-where both Mexico and creating 700 new jobs for month in just issued jobs report since 2010. Haines spoke to them his brief birdsweet cries.

#Ulysses (novel)#James Joyce #1922 #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Telemachus #politics #American politics #presidential elections #21st century #Twitter #Donald Trump #2016 #2017

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