Aphrodite Pt. 11:

Simone’s Notes:

Though there are many theories of romantic love such as that of Robert Sternberg in which it is merely a mean combining liking and sexual desire, the major theories involve far more insight. For most of the 20th century, Freud's theory of the family drama dominated theories of romance and sexual relationships. This has given rise to a few counter-theories. Theorists like Deleuze counter Freud and Jacques Lacan by attempting to return to a more naturalistic philosophy: René Girard argues that romantic attraction is a product of jealousy and rivalry - particularly in a triangular form. Girard, in any case, downplays romance's individuality in favor of jealousy and the love triangle, arguing that romantic attraction arises primarily in the observed attraction between two others. A natural objection is that this is circular reasoning, but Girard means that a small measure of attraction reaches a critical point insofar as it is caught up in mimesis. Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, and The Winter's Tale are the best known examples of competitive-induced romance. Girard's theory of mimetic desire is controversial because of its alleged sexism. This view has to some extent supplanted its predecessor, Freudian Oedipal theory. It may find some spurious support in the supposed attraction of women to aggressive men. As a technique of attraction, often combined with irony, it is sometimes advised that one feign toughness and disinterest, but it can be a trivial or crude idea to promulgate to men, and it is not given with much understanding of mimetic desire in mind. Mimetic desire is often challenged by feminists, such as Toril Moi, who argue that it does not account for the woman as inherently desired. Though the centrality of rivalry is not itself a cynical view, it does emphasize the mechanical in love relations. In that sense, it does resonate with capitalism and cynicism native to post-modernity. Romance in this context leans more on fashion and irony, though these were important for it in less emancipated times. Sexual revolutions have brought change to these areas. Wit or irony therefore encompass an instability of romance that is not entirely new but has a more central social role, fine-tuned to certain modern peculiarities and subversion originating in various social revolutions, culminating mostly in the 1960s.

After that whole mess, Hawkeye-Riis went out west to visit her husband. She needed to get away for a brief moment. Seeing Mrs. Ashcroft like that shook her to her core. Riza did her best not to show it for the rest of the day. Yet, Mustang saw right through the guise.

“Look,” he said. “Just take the right of the day off. You really do need a rest since you are pregnant.” Hawkeye-Riis didn’t even try to argument with him. He was the boss, what could she say? Besides, she just had to see her young husband again. Christmas-Hanukkah went by too quickly for them. His birthday weekend and spring break were two months away. The wait would have just killed her and the baby.

On the train, Riza pulled out her cell phone and typed up a text to Jakob. “Coming to see you again, where do you want to meet?” she wrote. The captain hit send. It didn’t take long for Jakob to reply back.

“Student café,” he wrote back. “I’ll be at the coffee counter waiting.” Riza lightly blushed at those words. A warm drink with her husband sounded perfect right about now. She sat back and looked ahead of her. She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out her IPod. The captain put in her ear buds and turned on her audio book. She had been listening to books ever since she had gotten pregnant. Good for the baby, the WAGs had all suggested. Also good to clear her head with. She certainly needed that after this morning.

The train pulled into West train station. Riza looked out the window. A soft smile came onto her face. She couldn’t wait to see her husband again. The captain got up and walked off the train. Riza rented a taxi to the Ametris Renaissance School of Arts. She still had her visitor’s pass from last semester. Jakob managed to get her one for the year. The taxi pulled up to the gate. Riza got out of the taxi and paid the driver. She held out her pass to the scanner as the driver pulled away. The gates slowly drew open and Riza walked onto the campus. She used the map to  make her way to the coffee shop. The baby seemed to move around as if to get warm. Hawkeye-Riis patted her stomach.

“There, there,” she said. “We’ll get to see daddy really soon. Hang in there.” Riza made it to the Student Café. She walked inside and looked around inside. It didn’t take her long to spot out her husband. His hair and text gave him away. Riza felt her cell phone buzzing. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled it out. The captain flipped it open.

“Look up!” the message read. Hawkeye-Riis looked up at the bar. She spotted her husband’s arm waving in the arm. The woman’s heart fluttered happily as she hurried over to him. Jakob turned around, smiling.

“Hey,” he said. Riza gave him a warm, little smile.

“Hey.” Jakob offered her a seat and his wife sat down next him at the bar. She turned to face him. The boy smiled as he looked down at her belly.

“And how’s my little angel?” he asked their unborn child. Riza couldn’t help but to smile as Jakob sang and rubbed on the unborn baby. Almost made her forget about what happened this morning. Almost…Jakob looked up at his wife.

“What’s the matter?” Riza looked at him confused.

“Hm?”

“You seem pretty shaken about something. You’re not tired or anything?” His wife quickly shook her head.

“No, I slept on the train on the way here.” Jakob nodded a little bit.

“Right.” The couple went silent for a moment. Riza slightly bit her lip.

“Actually, there is something wrong.” Jakob turned his head to her, starting to look worried.

“Is it the baby?” Riza shook her head.

“No, the baby’s fine.” Her husband looked at her, puzzled.

“Then… what is it?” Riza took in a deep breath and told him all about this morning. Jakob sat there in silence afterwards.

“Whoa.” The barista walked over to the couple. She cleared her throat loudly at them. The couple slowly looked up at her. The girl behind the counter looked slightly nervous. She began to wonder if was a good idea to interrupt them so she could make some money.

“Is… this a bad time?” Jakob held up his hand as he shook his head.

“No, no. I think we could use a drink now.” The barista nodded quickly.

“Right… Uh… Your usual, right?” The mouse shook his head.

“No, not today. I would like the heat Ginger Star Fruit Punch, please.” Jakob turned to his wife.

“What would you like?” Riza looked at the chalkboard menu behind the barista. It only took about a minute to pick out what she wanted.

“I’ll have some apple cider,” the captain replied. The barista wrote down their orders on her little pad. She looked up at the couple, smiling.

“Okay, we’ll be with you in just a moment,” she said. Jakob paid for both drinks with his student id. The barista turned to the other employees and put them right to work. Riza turned back to her husband.

“So, how is school?” Jakob gave her a little shrug.

“Good.”

“How are your grades?”

“Good.” Riza smiled at him still.

“Is there anything else I should know?” Her husband gave her a goofy little smile.

“Did I end up marrying my mother?” Riza giggled.

“I just want to know. I’m only curious.” Jakob laughed along with her.

“You do have a little point there,” he said. “Tell you what.” The mouse gently took her by the hands. Riza blushed at his touch. Jakob looked her straight in the eye.

“When something interesting happens,” he spoke up. “You will be the first one to know. Got it?” Riza nodded at him once while still blushing. Jakob smiled at her.

“Great,” he said. (No need to tell her about his little obsessed fan yet. She hadn’t done anything to present a threat. But yet, he would keep his eyes on her in case in would go down that dangerous route.) The couple shared a kiss before their drinks came to them. After they got warmed up, Jakob took Riza back to his dorm for a more “private” conversation. Riza stayed the whole day and felt much better from this morning’s case. Good thing. Because things are going to get randy for the dogs of the military and their lovers. Plus, the Fallen World is rising to the surface…

Coldplay - Lovers In Japan / Reign Of Lov .mp3
Found at bee mp3 search engine