#External Debt Collection

[lurking-gyomei-fan]

Yakuza!Hashira AU Thoughts

This has been floating in my head for a very long time and I finally compiled my thoughts on what role would each Hashira play if they were in a yakuza group. ...I also didn't research too heavily into the actual structure of the yakuza so please don't come at me for that lol Feel free to use these ideas also, but I'd love to read or see what you do with them.

Beware of long post- don't say I didn't warn you.

These ideas play more into the chivalry aspect of Yakuza. The government has too much red tape and is unable to enforce any meaningful rules or changes in the community.  They also cannot be mobilized as fast as the yakuza, who often take matters into their own hands to provide immediate results.  The government/police view the other yakuza and the underworld as a necessary evil and impossible to truly eradicate, and would much rather deal with the Ubuyashiki's group because they are much more reasonable...but every once in a while they need to be reminded why the Ubuyashiki Group has lasted for centuries.

The Ubuyashiki group is an old, powerful group in the Underworld, but not the oldest- that would belong to the 12 Kizuki group that is run by Muzan Kibutsuji.  The Ubuyashiki group was a sub sect of the Kizuki group a century ago, but in a violent and bloody revolt, they separated and ruled over a different area instead.  They have clashed multiple times throughout history, but time and modern technology has mellowed out their conflict into a small but intense rivalry. 

Ubuyashiki clan: 

Kagaya Ubuyashiki: The sickly but charismatic head of the clan, assisted by his wife Amane who steps in during days when he is too sick.  (Please note that Kagaya is older for the sake of this AU.)

Usually women are not held in high regard amongst yakuza, but in the Ubuyashiki clan, women are treated as equal.  Amane is a true partner and extension of Kagaya’s will. Between Kagaya’s incredible foresight and direction, and Amane’s poise and organization, they have built the Ubuyashiki clan to its strongest point in its entire history.   Other Yakuza clans have tried to slow the explosive growth of their clan by dismissing Amane during meetings when she is present, but she is fiercely defended by all of the Hashira. 

Gyomei-  Second in command; Punishment / Rule enforcer.   He is the external representative when it's too dangerous for Lady Amane to fill in for Kagaya.   When Kagaya is present, he acts as the main bodyguard. He is the most trusted confidant for both Amane and Kagaya, and will occasionally watch their kids so they can have a date within the compound. 

Gyomei had grown up in an orphanage where food was regularly witheld as a form as punishment, and funds were embezzled to fund the principal's lavish lifestyle. Gyomei relied heavily on religion to give hope to the other children and stay strong in the cruel environment they lived in. Gyomei would often go hungry to give food to the smaller kids, and used his tall build to physically shield them when the adults would vent out their frustrations on them. It was during such a night when one of the "caretakers" was in a violent, drunken spree and Gyomei was forced into a life or death situation. In that moment, he chose to save the children and himself-and beat the attacker to death with his bare hands.

Ubuyashiki's group happened to arrive that evening, intending to collect the gambling debts of the principal and other staff, even ready to charge a higher rate after discovering the origin of the funds and the extent of the abuse- but walked into a homicide scene instead. Kagaya sensed the physical and emotional strength within Gyomei, who had resolved himself to be turned in to the police for his crime, and convinced Gyomei to join his group in exchange for taking over the management of the orphanage and covering up the death of the caretaker.

10 years later, he is akin to a judge with the highest level of authority within the Group (other than Kagaya and Amane) to decide how punishment is to be rendered or how a high level conflict is to be resolved, especially for internal matters or people within their own organization. Despite his intimidating presence and powerful frame, he is patient and fair. He is diligently follows the laws that Kagaya put in place, and continues to be pious despite the sometimes gruesome nature of his job. He has a large, intricate tattoo of a serene Buddha on his back.

Sanemi- main external punishment enforcer.  In charge of handling external conflicts with rival groups, or hunting down people with outstanding debts to the group. Leads the most violent group and is well known on the streets and instantly recognizable from all the scars he has gained from the many fights he had been involved in through the years. Sanemi also has connections with the police department via Genya, who works for the police department with his friends, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke. 

Sanemi was desperate to keep his family afloat after the death of his abusive father and taking care of his mother, who had become mentally unwell. Sanemi had found himself in a similar situation to Gyomei- forced to save his family one night, wrestling with his mother to prevent her from hurting her own children during an unusual fit of violent mania. It had happened so quickly that no one could tell what happened. She might have tripped over the futon; or perhaps she lost her footing on the tatami mat or on the slick pool of blood that had dripped from Genya's facial wound- but regardless of how, she ended up falling out of their 4 story apartment window and slipping into a coma after crashing onto the roof of a parked car.

With the medical debts rising and already saddled with the debts from his deceased father, Sanemi turned to the Yakuza to get cash quick and take care of the immediate needs of their family, and eventually he would discretely pay for his mother's hospital bills under the guise of a charity organization. Knowing that any association with the yakuza could harm the wellbeing and social standing of his siblings, Sanemi intentionally lashed out at them so they would leave and find new lives elsewhere. Only Genya stayed, worried about his brother and knowing that he shouldered their entire family burden. Sanemi continued to harshly push away Genya to keep him away from the Underworld, and nearly had an aneurysm when he saw Genya roaming around with a rival yakuza group- only to find out (courtesy of being tackled by Tanjiro lol) that Genya was working deep undercover for the police. Deep down, Sanemi is proud of his brother for finding his own way and having a legitimate job. Despite his angry bluster, Sanemi would take extra pains to secretly ensure Genya’s safety as he continues his undercover missions. (The rest of the Hashira know. They just don't say anything because they're tired of hearing him scream his denial.)

Tengen- head of information gathering.   He compiles reports to give to Kagaya/Amane.  His 3 wives are in charge of multiple avenues of information: one to keep track of internal investigations (alleged wrong doing, checking for spies, etc), 2 others for tailing people/undercover work, and processing all the data by working with Muichiro’s team. Tengen himself will go out on investigation missions if needed.   He also owns multiple high class escort clubs and bars, perfect grounds for finding the latest juicy gossip. He also runs several flashy entertainment companies ranging from legit show business to shell companies.

Muichiro- head of digital/cyber security and hacking.  A prodigy with an incredible ability to process information and create programs that can sift through an ungodly amount of data.  The team under Muichiro handles offensive cyber attacks and regular upkeep on their digital security.  Muichiro finds it fun to hack into some rival companies owned by the Kizuki Group and lock some of their accounts.  They know it's him because it forces them to play a near impossible password game...and it helps that there is a chibi icon of him with an akanbe expression.  Muichiro has caused them great financial pain because they have to keep buying more resources to get around his cyber attacks.

Obanai- Main arms dealer/broker.   Obanai uses his familial connection with the underworld to provide a steady supply of weapons and defensive supplies, and handles the logistics of securing the supply chain along with his partner and lover, Mitsuri. 

His family had been a sub group of the Ubuyashiki clan, choosing to follow the Ubuyashiki Group during the split with the Kizuki Group. They made many connections through the years, and would ruthlessly exploit anyone and everyone- including their own children. His family had become overly greedy and arrogant, believing their vast connections would help them succeed in overthrowing the previous head of the Ubuyashiki group, but they were discovered before the coup could be completed. They had tried to set up Obanai, their own child, as the instigator- but Kagaya, the young master who had taken charge of the incident on behalf of his father knew the truth: the person who had reported the family's misdeeds was Obanai himself, after catching wind of their plan to sacrifice him if their coup failed.

Obanai struggled for a while with the guilt of destroying his own family with his admission, but knew that it was the best action. Witnessing Mitsuri's positive outlook and her love of life allowed him to be at peace with his decision, easing the guilt of removing himself from a toxic family situation and finding joy in the small, quiet victories in daily living. He often wears a face mask because of a facial scar given by his family, a last form of physical torture before they were dispatched for good by Gyomei under Kagaya's orders. He also wears the face mask because mitsuri gave it to him and it was better than the wide strips of cloth he was using before.

Obanai dotes on his pet white snake, Kabamaru, who is often seen draped about his shoulders. There was a time when Gyomei was very upset because Kabamaru had gotten out of his room one evening and got dangerously close to some stray kittens that Gyomei was not so secretly fond of.

Mitsuri- head of supply and distributing; also manages legitimate cover front.   Her team works with Obanai to provide other basic supplies for the group and arranges transportation and  deliveries by using her food business to camouflage the underground trade. Was almost scouted to be a j-pop music idol but she liked food too much. 

It was for the better, because the company that tried to scout her was actually a front for adult films. They would pretend to hire young and beautiful girls with the promise of helping them debut as an idol girl group, only to exploit and traffic them. The management company that tried to scout Mitsuri tried to pressure her to sign with them by harassing her parent's small convenience store. Tengen, who has huge sway in the entertainment industry did not appreciate a small group having the audacity to try to do business in his territory, without even the courtesy of introducing themselves. Tengen and his wives ruthlessly exposed them after a week of research and inadvertently saved Mitsuri's parents.

Inspired by how cool Tengen and his wives were when they swooped in to save the day, Mitsuri decided she wanted to help prevent girls from falling for the same scheme that nearly ruined her. Her family also gave their thanks and decided to back the Ubuyashiki group, considering they saved their beloved daughter and responded faster than the police, who had dismissed them outright. Because of the nature of her role with the Group, she found herself working together with Obanai often. After months of courting, they officially became a couple.

Kyojuro- legitimate cover front; assists with finding other assets like promising business ventures, real estate, etc.  Has a great relation with the police force and within the community and city.   His business is sometimes used to help launder money, but he is far more useful being on the right side of the law. That isn't to say that Kyo isn't willing to get his hands dirty if it means the safety of the group and civilians- he is very competent and efficient in making rival groups disappear.

Kyo has an incredible buisness sense; he is able to quickly assess and rapidly consider the pros and cons of a situation, the boldness to confidently make a decision in the heat of the moment and with expert timing, and the foresight to create the opportunities to help himself or his clients shine.  Kyo is passionate about the community he serves, and wholeheartedly believes that building others up is how entire comunities grow exponentially. His companies often fund charities and law firms dedicated to helping low income victims find legal justice. He is regularly invited to speak at schools or colleges and other community functions to inspire others. Kyo is proud of his family's long history of working with the Ubuyashiki family to keep the balance between regular society and the underworld.   

Giyuu- Bookkeeper, Head of Finance.  He is in charge of keeping track of the money flow in and out of the group.  He is detail oriented and hard working. He has a hard time communicating his thoughts so he'd rather not speak much, but he doesn't mind other people's company.  Not easily swayed and hard to bribe, he takes his job seriously and efficiently. He is, however, weak towards acts of kindness or favors done for him, and will generously return those ten fold. Most department heads dislike him purely because they must constantly make their case on why they need more budget, and Giyuu makes them submit the proper paperwork and will review it meticulously, even sending the paperwork back if its incomplete and staring placidly back at the person who inevitably comes into his office yelling expletives at him for it.  The quarterly arguments with Sanemi regarding higher budgets for external raids are explosive, and Gyomei regularly needs to step in to settle Sanemi down.  

Kanae- Head of medical division.  Can also harvest organs with a smile :)  Is well connected and obtains medical supplies through their cover front organization called 'The Butterfly Mansion’, where they assist children in need for complicated medical cases.  Together with Shinobu, they’ve been able to make great medical advancements for childhood cures.   

Shinobu- drug maker/identifyer, responsible for identifying tampered or dangerous drugs. She is the head of the research and pharmaceutical division of The Butterfly Mansion. While the Ubuyashiki group does not prevent its sub groups from distributing drugs, there are rules that are heavily enforced: no distribution of tampered or mixed drugs, no selling to minors, and adults are responsible for their own debts.  If they can't pay, they go after any asset owned by the debtor.  If all they have left is the family, they can “negotiate” (still forcing, let's be real) with the family to work and payback the initial amount with a fixed interest and a payback time that depends on how badly the debtor fucked up.  Payback means working for the group as a servant/mule/supplier, or whatever capacity they feel they can assist with.  The Ubuyashiki group aren't the type to cut off fingers, (what good is a severed finger to them?), but they will beat your ass to teach a lesson.  Aoi and girls also work as internal supply distributors, and they assist with daily upkeep at the Butterfly Mansion.

Shinobu and Kanae were children of a wealthy doctor who was well respected in the medical community. Dr. Kocho believed in the oath he took as a doctor and did not turn away anyone in need of medical care. He was a secret friend to the previous head of the Ubuyashiki head, who had approached him to help his deathly sick son, Kagaya. While Dr. Kocho was unable to fully cure Kagaya and he would remain sickly for the rest of his life, he was at least out of danger of imminent death. Kagaya's father was moved by Dr. Kocho's dedication to his son despite being of a yakuza family, and they became life long friends. He even visited and celebrated with Dr. Kocho's family after Kanae and Shinobu were born. Kagaya's father avenged his friend by mercilessly destroying the group that had ambushed Dr. Kocho and kidnapped his daughters, and mobilizing his entire group to track down and secure the little girls. Gyomei was part of the group that infiltrated the enemy group and personally carried young Shinobu on his back and lead Kanae by the hand amidst an intense firefight, protecting them the entire way to the extraction point. From that point on, the two have been under the direct protection of the head of the Ubuyashiki Group.

Those are all my thoughts for now-feel free to use these ideas if you want but I'd love to be tagged in your work to see how its utilized. any likes/reblogs are also appreciated. :)

[hand-written-dreams]

CRIMSON SHADE

Chapter 08

Set Fire to the Rain

But I set fire to the rain

Watched it pour as I touched your face.

- ( The song of this Chapter is 'Set Fire to the Rain' by Adele.)

What's one supposed to say when she is trapped in a box with her family's sworn enemy, with his thumb pressed against her pulse point as he promises to ruin her?

Probably nothing.

It would also probably be a sane move not to provoke him further.

But not today.

Today she hovers on the brink of insanity.

"Either you want to ruin me or you want to make me work for you. Choose your poison, Mr. Raizada," the words are ice chips, melting in her mouth.

She squares her shoulders. Her fingers wrap around his wrist one by one as she removes his hand from her skin. His palm glides along her neck. The roughness drags along. It burns. She grits her teeth to stop the tingling in her fingertips as they brush against his forearm when she lets his wrist go. Her red glass bangles clink softly against her quivering wrist.

"And if you’re going to ruin me, you better make it worth my while. Because I'm sure as hell not going to work for you under a threat," she lets out, emphasising the word 'threat'.

His eyes are radioactive, seeping into her bones and poisoning her core.

He leans in, bringing his lips close to her ear. She balls her fist to tame down a shiver that's threatening to run wild, as his stubble whispers against her cheek. Rose petals bloom across the skin, making her weightless.

"One day, Miss Gupta," his breath feathers over her ear. "I am going to collect that debt I owe you.'' His words are ghosts, lurking in the shadows. "....and you know what?" His voice grazes over her skin like sand against slik; coarse, raw and primal.  "........ You are going to enjoy repaying me."

She can't breathe. Whatever retorts she's formed in her mind are on the floor. Warm floods her skin as a sudden rage fills every fibre of her being. Her hands tremble as she clenches them into fists, nails digging into her palms.

The nerve of him!

The words replay in her mind, burning like a wildfire she can’t put out. Her fingertips burn with the desire to do something. Anything. She wants to hurt him, wants to shake that cold indifference off his face. She hates that about him the most, how he never loses control, never falters. She tries to breathe, to calm herself, but the knot in her chest only tightens.

He straightens up, holding her hazels in his caramel-browns and takes a few steps back to reach the opposite side. He dials a number and brings the phone to his ear without leaving her hazels, not even for a single second.

"We are done."

The elevator dings open, somewhere she doesn't know. She doesn't care at all. She is too busy taming the wildfire raging through her bones.

And with the ghost of a sardonic smirk, he strides down the empty hallway while she drills a hole in his back with her fiery gaze.

Oh no, we are not so done.

Why is Mr. 'we-are-done' so adamant about collecting a debt that she doesn't even consider one at all?

He is still that encrypted code she can’t crack. A code she has no desire to decode.

No, that's not true. She wants to burn the code. She wants to overwrite it, hack all the data and leak all of them over the network. She wanted to erase every trace of him and let all his data dissolve into static.

She doesn’t know if it’s possible to feel this level of hate that is coursing through her body.

No, no, no. They are not done.

Not yet.

When she exits the lift in the basement, she notices the crowd gathered, waiting for the elevator, and the electrician working frantically to ensure everything is alright. A restaurant executive rushes toward her, profusely apologizing for the inconvenience. She just smiles and says she's fine.

No harm done.

Not externally.

Then she realizes someone has rendered her ride back invalid. Very rudely.

She signs, attempting to call an Uber. She certainly isn't going to call Mr.Jha and explain the situation to him. She decides to wait in the lobby for her Uber.

Meanwhile, the sky keeps rumbling and the first drops of rain begin to fall, light at first, then more insistent. The soft pitter-patter turns into a steady rhythm. She watches as the rain pours down in sheets, blurring the view of the streetlights and cars, the cityscape dissolving behind a curtain of water.

Her fingers twitch slightly at her sides, wanting to reach out and touch the raindrops. The pull to step out into the rain consumes her. She envisions the water sliding down her arms, soaking her clothes until they cling to her like a second skin. The rain, pure and untamed, would wash away her chains, make her feel free.

Her phone rings. Her Uber is here.

The Uber moves slowly, cutting through the rain. The world seems distant, almost dreamlike. She leans slightly against the window, tracing the droplets that race down the glass. Her gaze flicks to the side mirror when she senses another car trailing behind, its headlights dimmed but unmistakably following her every turn. Her breath hitches as the car maintains a steady pace, neither speeding up nor lagging behind. It’s a sleek black vehicle, but the heavy downpour prevents her from seeing the license plate or the car model.

The wipers move in a rhythmic sweep over the windshield, almost in sync with the beating of her heart. There's an eerie precision in the way it follows, unhurried but deliberate, as if its driver has all the time in the world. Her fingers tighten around her phone.

She looks down at her phone, contemplating whom to call. She spares another glance outside, but the car has vanished into the rain. She lets out a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders easing as she chides herself for being unnecessarily paranoid.

The Uber entered a quiet, secluded stretch of a road and suddenly, the vehicle came to an abrupt halt, jolting her in the seat.

“What happened?”

“The tyre is punctured, ma’am. Just give me a few minutes. I’ll change it,” the driver replies, his tone apologetic as he steps out into the rain.

She sighs. It's a long night indeed. On this side of the city, she won't even find another transport. She glances at her phone. And, oh shit, it's dead. Fantastic.

The sound of laughter filters through the closed windows, drawing her gaze outside. Little boys and girls splash joyfully in the puddles, their feet kicking up water in playful abandon while their laughter echoes in the air. Their bodies move with a freedom she can't help but envy. Her fingers twitch as she watches them. Their carefree innocence tugs at the corners of her soul, begging her to let go. And with her heart in between her palms, she gives in and steps out of the car.

The rain cascades around her like a curtain of shimmering diamonds as it seeps into her hair and clothes. She extends her hand and clutches a fistful of rain. She feels the raindrops on her fingertips. They slide in, weaving their way through her fingers, into her palm. She looks up feeling the cool droplets kissing her skin. For one infinite moment, she feels free.

Her lips stretch as a laugh bubbles up inside. With a childlike giggle, she kicks off her heels, letting them tumble to the ground, and joins the children in their rhythmless dance. The puddles became her stage and the rain an enchanting symphony, drumming against the earth. The tinkling of her glass bangles joins in, singing the melody of joy.

Her skin starts burning as she feels the weight of being watched, but she is too lost in the magic of the moment to care.

She twirls and leaps, her movements mirroring the carefree abandon of the children, their laughter harmonizing with the whispers of the rain. The raindrops fold her into their arms and smile against her skin while the cold wind wraps around, braiding a soft magic through her hair.

The world around her transforms, where the rain is her elixir, dissolving chains around her. The raindrops become her feathers, glistening as they cling to her skin. They are the air under her wings, lifting her higher and higher. With each twirl and each spin, she sheds the shackles and spreads the wings like the bird she was born to be.

Lost in the rhythm of her movements, she loses her footing and slips, but instead of falling, a strong arm wraps around her as she collides into a hard chest. An Armani-clad chest.

In Charcoal black.

The world is eerily quiet and time becomes a broken hourglass bleeding seconds through sands, slipping beyond her reach as her fingers wrap around his lapel. The warmth radiating from him contrasts with the cool rain. Her heart grows wings. Fluttering, flapping, soaring.

She looks up, swallowing the nothing in her throat, to meet the brown orbs, to see how they look soaked in the rain. 

And they are magnificent.

His browns change colours, sometimes it's like moulted chocolate, sometimes caramel brown, sometimes caramel and chocolate mixed together.

Yet, always bottomless, like the deepest part of the ocean.

Right now, they are liquid gold, swirling with the rich hue of dark chocolate and moulted amber. The raindrops clinging to his lashes sparkle like jewels in the streetlight.

The rain continues to pour down, creating a cocoon over them. Piercing the veil comes a foreign voice.

"Sir, do you have any extra tyres to lend? Mine is jammed."

It startles both of them as they push away from each other, reacting like they’ve just touched something scorching hot. And then, she remembers, where she is, who she is and who he is, everything.

"Yes, I have one in the trunk," he replies, without abandoning her eyes. He racks his fingers through his rain-soaked hair. Her fingers ache to follow the same path.

Yet.

"No, no need," she says firmly, clenching her fingers into a tight ball and turns toward the driver. "You don't have to take me any further. I'll manage myself. Let me just get my purse."

"You have a very stubborn passenger, I see."

"Oh, thanks for the compliment,    Mr. Raizada, but I can't afford any of your debts."

She turns angrily to reach the car, but his hand shoots out, grabbing her wrist.

A thunderclap echoes, so does her scream.

The glass bangles shatter, digging into her skin, drawing blood. She clutches at her wrist, closing her eyes tightly to breathe through the sudden pain. Crimson dripping from the breech.

"Fuck," a crack in his calm, controlled demeanour appears before it vanishes in thin air. "Let me see."

A soft murmur.

But she draws her hand away.

"I said let me see," this time a little forceful.

"No thanks!!! Keep away from me," She snaps through gritted teeth, but it comes out like a broken yell. Tears of anger, pain, and frustration roll down her cheeks, intermingled with the rain. The night is just not ending anytime soon. She starts walking toward the car.

The rain has slowed down to a light drizzle. He tosses the car keys to the driver and commands, "Be quick."

Without uttering another word, he grabs her other wrist, careful of the bangles this time and all but drags her toward his car, which is parked behind the Uber. When they reach the passenger side, she jerks her wrist free.

He opens the car door, causing the interior light to illuminate the surroundings. "Don't talk to me like that".

Her eyes narrow, his unyielding.

He reaches out to grab her injured wrist, but she takes a step back. Yet he reaches out once more, grabbing her forearm and bringing her wrist under the light. She tries to snatch her wrist free.

The more he attempts to see her wound, the more she tries to break free. At the end of the tug-of-war, he growls, "Khushi." A warning.

That stops her.

Because she've never heard her first name falling from his lips before.

Nobody says her name like this.

His lips wrap around the word.

His rasp caresses every syllable.

She winces slightly as he inspects her wound, her delicate wrist imprisoned in his colossal fingers, a fragile bird caught in the grip of a storm. A broken shard of glass lies embedded in her skin. Without saying anything he lowers his head, his teeth grip the jagged piece and pull it out. Her heart races in her wrist, pulsing in her fingers.

A delicate whimper escapes her lips, as fragile as the flicker of lightning under the dark cloud above.

His eyes lock instantly onto hers as he spits the glass piece out. His tongue peeks out to lick his lips, tasting the crimson that lingers there.

Red paints her cheeks, spreading to her neck, down to her chest, as he cleans her wound and wraps it in fresh gauze from his glove box.

"We are ready to go, ma'am," the driver's voice floats from somewhere in this misty haze as he hands the keys back.

"I'll be there in a minute," her words split in half as she replies.

Her hazels bore into his browns. He crosses her arms. His face is empty except for a slight lift, resembling a smile, playing on his lips. She says nothing. With one last gaze, she walks away, telling herself not to look behind. And she succeeds.

When the Uber starts to move along the streets, she sees a familiar, sleek black car trailing her. Again. The same one that has been trailing her before. But this time it doesn't turn her blood cold. Her blood is lava, coursing through her veins.

The car follows her till she reaches her house. It doesn't come close. It stops half a mile from the main gate. Two guards manning the entrance look at her before they open the gate. The Uber rolls inside and she stares back till she can see no more.

Author's note: Another chapter down! Your thoughts mean everything to me, so feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

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[gatheringbones]

[“How do we, today, make the poor in America poor? In at least three ways. First, we exploit them. We constrain their choice and power in the labor market, the housing market, and the financial market, driving down wages while forcing the poor to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. Those of us who are not poor benefit from these arrangements. Corporations benefit from worker exploitation, sure, but so do consumers who buy the cheap goods and services the working poor produce, and so do those of us directly or indirectly invested in the stock market. Landlords are not the only ones who benefit from housing exploitation; many homeowners do, too, their property values propped up by the collective effort to make housing scarce and expensive. The banking and payday lending industries profit from the financial exploitation of the poor, but so do those of us with free checking accounts at Bank of America or Wells Fargo, as those accounts are subsidized by billions of dollars in overdraft fees. If we burn coal, we get electricity, but we get sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide and other airborne toxins, too. We can’t have the electricity without producing the pollution. Opulence in America works the same way. Someone bears the cost.

Second, we prioritize the subsidization of affluence over the alleviation of poverty. The United States could effectively end poverty in America tomorrow without increasing the deficit if it cracked down on corporations and families who cheat on their taxes, reallocating the newfound revenue to those most in need of it. Instead, we let the rich slide and give the most to those who have plenty already, creating a welfare state that heavily favors the upper class. And then our elected officials have the audacity—the shamelessness, really—to fabricate stories about poor people’s dependency on government aid and shoot down proposals to reduce poverty because they would cost too much. Glancing at the price tag of some program that would cut child poverty in half or give all Americans access to a doctor, they suck their teeth and ask, “But how can we afford it?” How can we afford it? What a sinful question. What a selfish, dishonest question, one asked as if the answer wasn’t staring us straight in the face. We could afford it if we allowed the IRS to do its job. We could afford it if the well-off among us took less from the government. We could afford it if we designed our welfare state to expand opportunity and not guard fortunes.

Third, we create prosperous and exclusive communities. And in doing so, we not only create neighborhoods with concentrated riches but also neighborhoods with concentrated despair—the externality of stockpiled opportunity. Wealth traps breed poverty traps. The concentration of affluence breeds more affluence, and the concentration of poverty, more poverty. To be poor is miserable, but to be poor and surrounded by poverty on all sides is a much deeper cut.Likewise, to be rich and surrounded by riches on all sides is a level of privilege of another order.

We need not be debt collectors or private prison wardens to play a role in producing poverty in America. We need only to vote yes on policies that lead to private opulence and public squalor and, with that opulence, build a life behind a wall that we tend and maintain. We may plaster our wall with Gadsden flags or rainbow flags, All Lives Matter signs or Black Lives Matter signs. The wall remains the wall, indifferent to our decorations.”]

matthew desmond, from poverty: by america, 2023

[parad-ice-lostandfound]

Prompt:

Pairing: OM!Brothers x M!MC

Genre: Fluff

TW: NA

Lucifer

At first this pompous peacock doesn’t really take notice of MC’s style.

His sole intention is making sure that the human realm exchange student doesn’t get eaten by a lower demon, but once you get past that stage-

Mr. Morningstar is whipped for MC

Absolutely adores his style, and often finds himself buying accessories or outfits for MC to wear. Man can rival Asmo with how many accessories he buys for him.

Mammon

One word: Simp

Internally squeals over how cute MC looks with his outfits and his bunny plushie, externally he stutters about how he looks good enough to be with the great Mammon-

Will buy him more plushies, debts and witches be damned.

MC now has a collection of Grimm and crow plushies.

Leviathan

M-moe…

Kyaaa~ his Henry looks so cute!!!

Add the bunny plushie and you’ve got a nosebleeding Levi on the floor, mumbling about how he has ascended to the Celestial realm-

Will dress MC up in cute cosplays if he’s okay with it, if not he’ll just tell him about the characters he reminds him of

Satan

Heh, cute

That’s his basic reaction, till he sees MC in a cat hoodie

Man straight up thinks of proposing to MC right then and there

Buys him a ton of cat-themed outfits and accessories

Asmodeus

Swears MC is the cutest thing alive, after him of course

Shopping spree!!!

Spoils you with plushies, cute clothes, etc.

Anything you want, just tell Asmo, he’ll get it for you

Will ask you to model some of the clothes he designs, and will design bespoke outfits for you.

Beelzebub

You remind him of cotton candy at first, with how cute and soft you look

Soft protector for soft MC

Takes care of MC’s plushie well because of his experience of taking care of his twin’s pillow

Belphegor

Thinks it’s cute that MC carries the plushie with him at all times.

MC has gained a sleepy protector

Loves, loves, loves to take naps with MC and his plushie

[redemn]

very soon after waking up this morning ,   i saw a video discussing high honour arthur vs low honour arthur which really put into perspective my own thoughts and feelings on arthur's actions and the motivations behind my own characterisation .   naturally ,   now i'm sitting down to ruminate over why i ultimately write arthur as higher honour instead of lower honour ,   or even middle honour .   thought you folks might like to know ,   considering i place huge importance on arthur's internal motivations influencing his external actions . thank you for reading if you do . x

first and foremost ,   most people ,   at least from what i've seen on the internet ,   do tend to consider high honour arthur with a lot more nuance than they do low honour arthur .   a lot low honour content i've had the displeasure of seeing tends to characterise him as being just purely evil and immoral in all tendencies ,   killing for no reason ,   not helping people in obvious distress assumably just because he doesn't want to .   not entirely my thoughts on this one :   a fundamental difference between high honour arthur and low honour arthur stems from their ability ,   and perhaps even their own desire ,   to take accountability for their own actions .   high honour arthur acknowledges that he has done something that has impacted someone negatively and acknowledges that it ,   perhaps ,   was wrong of him ,   whereas low honour arthur isn't evil ,   he just doesn't see his actions as necessarily wrong ,   and not something that needs reform .   he still holds the same frame of mind as high honour when it comes to the care of the gang ,   but he accepts his path is coming to an end and he's decided he cannot change anything .   "my path is coming to an end ," he says to reverend swanson ,   while high honour arthur ,   interesting enough ,   says ,   "i'm worried my path is coming to an end" during that conversation .   high honour arthur realises he still wants to make a right in the world  …  and that he won't be able to .

now for my thoughts :   in the context of the above ,   my arthur is incredibly aware of how his actions impact others a majority of the time ,   and once he does ,   sometimes   ( but not every time )   works to rectify the wrongs he committed ,   even if his payback doesn't even come close to the bad that he did .   it will never come close to the wrongs he committed ,   and he knows that ,   but he tries .   i actually write arthur as lower honour earlier in his adult life ,   when he doesn't have as much experience and he's enjoying life for what it is before he gets hit with all those bad experiences and that trauma ,   whereas once he starts seeing the world for what it is around the time of rdr2 ,   his honour begins to climb around then to the point where he's pretty high ,   but not max ,   honour .   that sounds like a really superficial way of putting it :   the honour mechanic is far more intuitive and nuanced than simply   'he killed a lot of people and went on a 50-person massacre in st denis'   even though lots of people only see it that way .   sometimes he sees what he does as wrong .   sometimes he doesn't .   depends on the situation .

what i'm trying to say is ,   he's more reflective of his actions as more bad things happen to him ,   which in itself is a somewhat selfish reason to be doing good .   being hit with karma does that to a man .   he knows he cannot make up for everything he's done in his life ,   but he still strives to try and right what he can before his time is up ,   because he knows he can make a difference in a small way .   he's seen it himself in the way he helped that german family flee ,   in the way he helped the black travelling doctor get his wagon back ,   in every small task he does for strangers .   he takes accountability as much as he's able ,   for those things he thinks he was wrong about :   ie ; blindly collecting the debts ,   even going so far as to doom a man to death for pennies on the dollar .   as i've said before .   i do not believe the term 'good man' is quite true when it comes to arthur .   moreso that he is just a regular human being that does good and does bad ,   and he's done a hell of a lot of bad that gives people a hell of a lot of justified reasons to hate him .   he's not perfect .   but he knows .   and he's sorry .

[madamlaydebug]

The ENSLAVEMENT SYSTEM IS CRASHING....Signs of crash are everywhere. A RESTART will follow ★

The enslavement system includes:

1. Controlling systems through laws and regulations

2. Religions filled with lies and deceptions which have resulted in many wars and deaths of billions.

3. Money, debt and banking systems.

4. Finance and economic systems

5. Trading and commerce systems

6. Import and export systems

7. Corruption and deception system through threats/briberies/propagandas.

8. MIND CONTROL through inplants, frequency weapons, and etheric manipulation.

9. Etc....

All of them are crashing now.

In the midst of chaos and reordering, Remember to raise your consciousness, vibrations and frequencies. Say goodbye to enslavement and say hello to GALACTIC CITIZENSHIPS and INTERSTELLAR INTERACTION among Star Nations.

٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

The powers that be are desperately attempting to institute safeguards to a system that is crashing. WE just can’t have an economic model which funnels resources into the hands of the elite, and a social system that disregards an ethical and sustainable approach to the environment, without something eventually breaking. With their last breath they are creating secret trade agreements designed to implement a world government, yet there’s a growing community of awakening people that are discussing and designing innovative solutions to the systemic mess WE’re in.

The masses have not yet awoken to the fact that WE operate under a privately owned central banking system which maintains the monopolization of our monetary system for a dozen or so international banking families. In fact, Many of our so-called leaders – such as politicians, charity organizations and those in the public spotlight – have awoken to this insanity either.

If WE were to collectively recognize this, there is no doubt that WE would instantly stand up and institute a banking system & a world that is created for the people, by the people.

٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

The Awakening Of Society Is Just As Important As The Awakening Of Our Self ★

Spirituality is a very personal affair regardless of the various pathways or disciplines that ONE may follow. Yet even though there is an abundance of avenues for spiritual endeavor, there is generally a universal agreement on the principle of unity.

"If reality is unified, then WE must also accept that everything is essentially equal."

There are many ways that ONE may be introduced to this philosophy. WE may have been brought up around it via our family. WE might have had a profound revelation in a ONE-off experience. Some are initiated through ongoing paranormal activity. Others just intuitively feel it. Altered mind states could have been the catalyst. A gradual or instant revolution could have occurred in our mind where synchronicity deposed coincidence. There could have also been an influence by assorted texts and teachings which infer this similar conclusion. For most of us, uncovering the wisdom of unity most likely occurred via a combination of channels.

"Transcending the illusion of disconnection is a personal path."

Regardless of our beliefs, and the series of events or informational resources that led to our personal awakening, our fundamental understanding is unity. WE are each a part of a complex integrated whole, and our external environment is a reflection of our fundamental nature, including what is in harmony with us and what isn’t. So, irrespective of how peaceful WE have set up our internal environment, if WE truly want to experience peace, WE need to transform the outer world – the collective mental and physical landscapes that WE inhabit. If WE are all truly unified, WE have a responsibility as part of this awakening to continually heal and grow our internal and external worlds.

"The personal awakening is synonymous to the collective awakening."

A Global Metaphysical View ★

Unity can be used as a universal term to describe the outcomes of various fields of thought. Examples include: Energy; Mind; Consciousness; Holographic universe; Light; Love; Spirit; the Source; the Field; the Akashic Field; the Zero-point Energy Field; Quantum Field of Possibilities; the Collective Unconscious; Undivided Wholeness; Nirvana; One; God etc. If these are all equal to each other in terms of their agreement that a unifying principle exists, then WE have arrived at an agreed global metaphysical position which incorporates both our rational and intuitive hemispheres.

"The primary nature of reality is unified."

Irrespective of what reality is literally made of, whether its essence is of a material or immaterial nature, it’s irrelevant to our goals. As long as we agree that a property of reality is unity, and that unity inherently implies that everything is fundamentally equal, then together WE can get on with making this earthly experience fair and peaceful for all.

"Earth’s global culture needs to heal and grow as ONE."

That is why an agreed metaphysical view for our global society has significant implications for our future. From both a personal and societal standpoint, as well as a rational and intuitive standpoint, WE know to treat everyONE and everything uniformly. The way WE care for ourselves should be equivalent to the way that WE care for others. Our philosophical and practical social systems should also ensure that each person has access to the resources they need to adequately survive and thrive.

"Because WE are unified, the suffering of others is a reflection of our own suffering."

No matter how far WE may be personally removed from it, the reality is the majority of our fellow man is distressed from a lack of external and/or internal resources. The former is strongly influenced from an unequal distribution of food, water, shelter, infrastructure, education, medicine and political representation, whilst the latter from a lack of knowledge and skills in emotional regulation and psychological balancing, as well as a poor conceptual capacity to face and overcome the challenges to establishing and maintaining one’s inner peace.

"Suffering is pandemic across the so-called developing and developed nations."

Translating a Global Metaphysical View Into Practice ★

When WE individually undertake a process of spiritual introspection, WE all arrive at the exact same place; unity. Yet when we translate that wisdom into practice, the result is a plethora of personal, philosophical and cultural differences. That is why so many distinct religions exist, especially because the expression of how WE should operationalize this perspective is subject to the environmental influences present during its inception and development.

"There are infinite expressions of how to live in unity."

Now that many people undertake this process outside the context of pre-established models, it is no wonder that there are so many individualized methodologies to spirituality. And there’s nothing wrong with that either; there is no ONE strict way to live, so as long as it doesn’t conflict with the primary principle of unity and its inherent implications, then it should be encouraged and embraced.

“Regardless of the personal path WE choose to take, spirituality is a journey of enlightenment for both the inner and outer realms.”

¨

The Health and Growth of The Self ★

WE are all subject to the suffering of the self and it is our personal role to transcend it. But our health is much more than is usually defined; it’s not just our physical and mental well-being. The reality is WE have many layers of our life to take care of including our physical, psychological, emotional, philosophical, sexual, behavioral, creative, social and spiritual vitalities. With this in mind, WE should be continually asking ourselves what areas need more attention and what strategies can WE implement to heal and grow. WE also need to find a true LOVE for ourselves.

"Therapeutic and developmental practices which harmonize all of our life vitalities ensures that WE raise our vibration and align ourselves closer to our spiritual path."

Even though WE literally make the free choice on how WE think, feel, act and live, WE are still strongly influenced by our environment, such as parents, peers, culture, society, government and the age WE live in. Therefore, as an adult WE are both independent and conditioned agents. But WE can transcend our conditioning and align ourselves to the fundamental wisdom and knowledge of the universe. Therefore, the time WE become truly free is the time that WE take full responsibility of ourselves and ensure that WE, not anyone or anything else, are the most influential factor for how we evolve for the rest of our lives. That of course means taking full responsibility for how WE think and feel.

"To be truly free, WE must empower ourselves to guide our thoughts and emotions."

It’s the basics. Excuses which blame something or someONE for our thoughts and feelings just don’t cut it on the spiritual path. Spiritually, WE have experiences for our growth; WE are co-creators of our experience. Now this doesn’t mean that there aren’t consequences for the actions of others which hurt us, the response WE provide is incorporated into the overall context of the negative and positive vibrations that they’ve attracted into their life.

"If people act unjust, then justice will inevitably be served."

The new age mantra that “everything happens for a reason” may be true in the sense that experiences have innate information that WE can capitalize on to progress us on our path of enlightenment, but it is equally true that proportional actions need to transpire in response. Just like WE should respond to the injustice WE serve ourselves, WE should also respond to that which surrounds us. The tricky part is determining what that response should be which is why WE draw on both our rational and intuitive capacities to guide us.

"Not only should WE accept our experiences, but also respond to them accordingly."

It is true that WE make so-called ‘mistakes’ which deliver us to our destiny; however that doesn’t mean WE should make that same choice again. WE should learn from it. There are innumerable times that WE have had an undesirable experience which resulted in our growth, regardless if it was influenced from the actions of ourselves or others. And that’s what WE need; to learn, to heal, and to grow. WE need to harmonious our energies and become our new, more developed selves in every moment. When WE conceive of our experience this way – where our wants are the healthy and unhealthy desires of our ego and our needs are the experiences WE require for sustained growth – then WE always have something to offer ourselves.

"If WE process each experience as an opportunity to learn, regardless of how undesirable that experience is, WE always get exactly what WE need: growth."

Every moment is therefore an opportunity to progress our health and well-being. When WE treat ourselves and others disappointingly, WE should process it in the context of our learning and then make amends. The same applies when somebody treats us poorly; when WE are exposed to underdeveloped actions by others, WE should embrace it as a part of us, as well as give a calculated response in return. After all, WE have accepted that WE are fundamentally united. For example, what information and energy can WE embrace from it? Is there some action we can do to encourage the health and growth of both the internal and external worlds?

"When WE embrace our experience, WE must develop a healthy balance between awareness, acceptance and action."

The Health and Growth of Society ★

Mindful living is an integral aspect of spirituality. Allowing ourselves and others to make poor choices without negative judgement or condemnation is vital. Our judgement should be reasonable and realistic and WE should always radiate positive and loving vibrations too. WE should understand ourselves as a pulsing and energetic vibration – an instrument of sound adding to the orchestra of reality which encompasses us. WE should lead from our heart and consciously influence the collective vibration of our shared reality.

"Maximizing the impact WE have as co-creators amplifies the awakening of our collective consciousness."

This means being loving, patient, compassionate, empathetic and understanding. But as described above, it also means taking action to influence the health and growth of our society. It’s a misconception to think that just because everything is meant to be, that it will naturally balance itself out without our intervention.

"It is as much our responsibility to undertake appropriate responses to our outside world as it is to our inside world."

Just like there are some justified ramifications within our social models of law and ethics, there are also measures that we must apply in response to our external environment. This does not necessarily mean that the law should be taken into ONE’s own hands, but more so that as an individual within a global culture, actions need to be taken to rectify the injustices of our world which violate the philosophical principle of unity.

"The Earth and our species needs help to come back into balance."

For example, our leading philosophical and pragmatic compasses are contributing to some major ecological, social and individual injustices – systems that need to be addressed through calculated measures. If WE just sit back and allow it to continue, it will. That’s why collective action needs to balance these injustices out, so WE need to decide how WE will personally contribute to our shared goals.

"Caring for the external world really is as important as doing it for our own internal health and growth."

There are many injustices that currently plague our planet. Some serious research via alternative media will uncover a robust reflection of these social dysfunctions and the potential solutions, as well as the social movements which aim to ensure that the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual vitality of every human being is cared for and developed in our future.

"It is a shared responsibility that we transform our world."

It is by having a true sense of the healing and growth that is required for both the inside and outside of us which reflect a holistic approach to a spiritual awakening. Once WE have that awareness, WE should aim for acceptance of why and how it needs to change, as well as the application of strategies to facilitate the therapeutic and developmental process that WE and our society so desperately need to work through.

“Together WE must unite because together WE are ONE."

~ Phillip J. Watt

٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

ZERO POINT ~ Finally as WE go through the initial progress of changeover it will make available what is needed for Landings. Earth will enter Zero Point with our technological assistance. All wars will end, weapons of all types will not discharge at Zero Point. The soldiers will return home. Non violent offenders will be released from jail. Mentors and Healing technology will be made available to every human on Earth. The terra forming of Earth will continue and the Zero Point Modulators will be at 100% power connecting with all the Pyramids, Obelisks, Portals and StarGates on Earth. The Wingmaker Ships and Pleiadian Ships responsible for cleaning up the Eco System of Earth will become visible overhead. The seas and rivers will become aquamarine blue. The skies will be clear. All of the environmental pollution will be cleared away by our helping hands.

٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

13 New Perceptions ★

Premise: The Time has come to openly embrace and aspire completely to the cosmic nature of our reality. Only by lifting our minds will we dissolve the barriers of self, tribe, nation, ideology, culture, language, science and religion: All the factors that keep us enslaved to ego and at war with ourselves.

To unify and create a New World, WE need new perceptions. It is up to us to rethink the way things have been done and create a whole system perception of unity. The codes of the Law of Time provide a bridge to lift us from our rote terrestrial consciousness into the unity of Universal Resonance.

To change and up-level our perceptions at the root WE must take responsibility to create within ourselves an underlying matrix of unity. WE must take back our power and reclaim our autonomous sovereignty. WE must discover the archetypal mythic story that we are living and fashion our life around this.

1. A New Perception of Time.

2. A New Perception of Space

3. A New Perception of Science

4. A New Perception of Economics

5. A New Perception of Government

6. A New Perception of Religion

7. A New Perception of Art/Culture

8. A New Perception of Self

9. A New Perception of Relationship

10. A New Perception of Diet/Health

11. A New Perception of Community

12. A New Perception of Nature

13. A New Perception of Light/Solar Consciousness

٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

LOVE, ONE Inner Light & a New Earth to EveryONE ★

[loveoaths]

prefacing this question with /gen i’m not trying to start anything i’m just a bit flubbered with some of the new discussion around din and the children of the watch and i trust your interest and analysis on the subject

are the children of the watch not a cult? ignoring bo-katan’s history and hypocrisy and general “bo-katan-ness,” the children of the watch do seem like a cult.

now, i don’t have a positive relationship with the religion i was raised in so i’m a bit biased toward the narrative of din no necessarily adapting bo-katan’s version of being mandalorian, and i think din will have to choose between a bunch of mando’s saying “my way is best” before going “fuck it im making my own Way”

looking at fandom, there’s a lot of (justified) anger toward how mandalorian culture (particularly in comparison to the jedi) is celebrated, and for some reason this sentiment isn’t carried over to the Children of the Watch

again, all /gen and /lh i’m not trying to start anything

great question! well, technically, there are a couple of questions in your ask, but let's start with the main one:     

are the children of the watch not a cult? ignoring bo-katan’s history and hypocrisy and general “bo-katan-ness,” the children of the watch do seem like a cult. 

short answer: no, they are not.

long answer: the children of the watch are not a cult, because they do not meet the requirements of a cult. the children of the watch are more akin to a fringe religious group or sect.

but lio, what is the difference between a religious group and a cult?

i’m glad you asked! for simplicity’s sake, this section borrows heavily from this dictionary site.

a common definition of religion is “a set of beliefs about God or the supernatural.”

general characteristics of religions include:

the group worships a higher source of power rather than a single person;

there is a shared, sincere belief system;

the main belief or beliefs are consistent with basic mainstream standards for human dignity;

appropriate forms of conduct between people are defined;

an understanding of evil is established, especially how it impacts humans;

there are sacred ritual acts.

meanwhile, a cult is “a group of people with extreme dedication to a certain leader or set of beliefs that are often viewed as odd by others.”

general characteristics of cults include:

followers encouraged or forced to worship a specific group leader who gatekeeps or solicits knowledge to maintain social and emotional control over the congregration;

potential members are hounded into joining and rushed through the process while they are distracted from red flags and concerns by a barrage of community love-bombing, outreach, and promises of support;

questioning beliefs, recruitment tactics, or anything else are discouraged or are met with punishment, social ostracization, or other negative responses;

a belief system stolen from pre-existing religions and social movements and cobbled together to suit the leader’s personal narrative;

can be religious, but are not inherently; cults can also be secular social movements, like the nexium cult

followers’ daily lives are dictated and controlled by the decree of the leader, including, in some cases, mandating when cult members can use the restroom, when they can have sex and with who, which body parts they’re allowed to keep, whether or not they’re allowed to raise their own children, where their money and assets go, what words they may use, and other things that should be decided by human sovereignty and independent choice rather than an external force;

followers are personally monitored to ensure they’re adhering to cult guidelines, and spied upon so the cult leader can collect blackmail material, sensitive personal information, fears and desires, and more to manipulate and control them if they try to leave, start questioning the leader, or display too much independence;

the cult deploys methods of control (financial leans, debt, forced isolation, threat of punishment, kidnapping, corporal/emotional/physical/sexual violence, coercion, etcertera) to keep members close by and obedient. 

pretty nasty stuff, right? right.

but lioooooo, that wasn’t the question! is the children of the watch a cult or not?!

patience, padawan! the rest is below the cut!

cults function by relying on several key tenets, such as: preying on the vulnerable; isolating members from society through financial/philosophical/religious teachings and physical removal; re-ordering members' worldviews to centralize the cult; and worshipping or venerating a single individual or duo.

let’s look at a breakdown central cult tenets, then see whether or not the children of the watch displays these tenets in the mandalorian:

1. total authoritarian control-- cults, like any abusive toxic relationship, fundamentally rely on a membership base that is, at its core, utterly dependent on the cult. the membership must believe like they are incapable of living a distinct life outside of the cult, they must believe that it is the cult that gives them meaning and not the other way around, that the cult is beginning and the end of their selfhood. this control is often achieved by deliberately breaking down the memberships' psyches, physical punishment and harm, slowly pushing their boundaries to accept worse and worse behavior, guilting them into giving up all financial assets "for the good of the cult," and worse, all at the behest of their leader. the control must be so complete that the members begin policing themselves not just to keep themselves out of trouble, but because they truly believe this is how the world should work. authoritarian control is achieved by breaking down the individual and rebuilding them with flaws in the foundation, so they are destined to fail, and fail, and fail, so they will crawl back to the cult each time. this is because cults rely on extreme dependency to work, which is why cults are famous for preying on the sick, the elderly, the weak, the grieving, and the socially vulnerable.

verdict:  the children of the watch do not canonically exhibit signs of total authoritarian control, at least not in the mandalorian. 

for one, there are multiple coverts spread across the galaxy, presumably with multiple armorers guiding said coverts' members. real cults rarely break up the leadership like that; there can only be one godhead at any given time. the armorer never mentions running those coverts. there is a canonical line about "other coverts hearing din was in need" on navarro and coming to save him in season one, but with no implication that the armorer ordered them to respond, or was even in close communication with them.

beyond that, the armorer is designated the covert’s spiritual leader who holds the knowledge of mandalore and the way, but she does not control the movements of covert members. in fact, the visuals of the covert imply that it isn’t, exactly, a home for the children of the watch, but a hub; somewhere members return to after completing missions they choose, for the reasons they choose, and a place to return beskar to its rightful owners. 

we know that din believes in returning beskar to the covert, but since the armorer never orders him to go find more, and since we never see or hear other COTW discussing it, we cannot assume that they are mandated to search out beskar by the armorer. this freedom of movement, sans restraint or mission, and conspicuously absent of din seeking the armorer’s permission to leave, would be very uncommon among most established cults, because most cults only thrive when its members are highly segregated from the rest of society and congregated in a joint environment where cult beliefs can be vigorously reinforced until members forget the outside world is any different.

2.   worship or veneration of a single individual – cults have a godhead, a solitary figure through whom the divine knowledge/prophecy/religious beliefs/bullshit is channelled through, who all cult members must admire, obey, and serve without question or face punishment. this person is sometimes drinking their own flavor-aid and believes they really are a prophet or whatever, but more often than not they are charlatans who knowingly prey on the vulnerable for personal gain: sex, power, money, cheap thrills, fame, and so on.

verdict: din’s covert is not a cult, because its spiritual leader, the armorer, is not worshiped. she is a spiritual leader, and admired, but that is as far as her authority goes. she interprets the text of the creed, but she does not gatekeep it; all the covert members have knowledge of mandalore, and seem free to access however much of it as they want to, because all of them have access to the outside world. her status is more like that of a spiritual guide or teacher: she can tell people when they’ve strayed from the path of the creed and declare whether or not they are considered a mandalorian, but she cannot compel them to obey her. this is crucial, especially in the context of season two, where she reneges din’s mandalorian status. she tells him that according to the creed they both ascribe to, he is no longer a mandalorian; the only way to become a mandalorian again would be by bathing in the living waters beneath the mines of mandalore. she does not command him to do this, or shame him, or berate him, or excommunicate him; he is not bodily thrown out of the covert and commanded to get his shiny ass to mandalore on pain of death. he is simply told of his new status, and told what to do if he wants to fix it, but that’s it. this is precisely the role of a spiritual leader: to guide their congregation back to the path of the faithful when they stumble.

3.  social isolation – when new members join, cults go out of their way to deliberately isolate new folks from friends, family, and society as a whole. cults will assign duties and activities to keep new members busy and under the cult’s thumb, will tell them that their friends and family “just won’t understand”, will encourage them to sell their homes and move into a cult building or into neighborhoods filled with other members, convince them to quit their jobs and work in cult admin or otherwise devote every waking moment to the cult, and remind them again and again how only people within the cult will ever understand and support them, unlike their ignorant friends and family. cults actively discourage deep fraternization with outsiders.

verdict: din’s covert is not a cult, the children of the watch do not police who members talk to.  we know this because din has friends, specifically cara dune. their dialogue implies that they’ve known each other for more than just a few months, presumably much longer, because they know pieces of each other’s histories, are close enough to scuffle for shits and giggles, and have a report together. If COTW were a cult, din and cara would have none of this. and, more notably, when din brings cara, greef, the child, and IT into the covert in season two? that would have been a big no-no if this was a cult.

4.  extremist beliefs – cults are usually guided by extremist beliefs, which (in the most boiled down terms possible) are essentially beliefs that render the believer to reject and become intolerant to alternative beliefs, oftentimes to violent ends. this is another controlling tactic used to isolate members, and teach members to obey without question. think of, like… an intense conspiracy theorist. the intensity and wildness of those theories often push your “average” person away from them, causing these people to dig down even deeper in what they believe out of anger and loss, and then turning to one another and creating an echo chamber to reinforce their choice to believe these things. think about how once someone buys into one wild conspiracy theory, they’re often more likely to by into even wilder ones, until they’re suddenly screaming that the universe is actually a space worm’s dream hallucination and to prove it they’re going to blow something up. it often works like that. (however, this is not uncommon, because most people congregate around others who share their beliefs, outlooks on life, morals, values, and so on. It’s why religious communities form. it’s the human desire for interconnection and a shared knowledge base.) again, this is the most crude bare-bones description i can manage with a migraine, so i’m aware i’m missing a lot, here.

verdict:  din’s covert is not a cult, because its members do not adhere to or exhibit extremist beliefs. they don’t seem to be building toward anything, and they aren’t intolerant of all or even most belief systems outside of theirs. they are not concerned with changing the ways of other mandalorians, even if they disagree with them. their belief in the creed does not translate into violence against other mandalorians who are “being mandalorian wrong.” 

if anything, i’d hazard that the children of the watch are more like… mandalorian fundamentalists, i guess? (but even that doesn’t totally fit imo). 

we don’t know how the armorer and other covert members feel about other mandalorians removing their helmets, but we do know how din feels – in season two, he believes that all mandalorians who remove their helmets “are not real mandalorians.” 

din believes there is a right and a wrong way to be a mandalorian, however the fact that he did not know there were mandalorians who removed their helmets at all implies that he straight up was not taught about other traditions. he was only taught the creed, so it’s straight up possible that he came to that conclusion all on his own, because every mandalorian he’s ever met has been in the convert and they’ve never removed their helmets in front of him. 

but even if the armorer had explicitly told him this was the only way to be a mandalorian, it would not qualify as an extremist belief for the reasons above. this is a theosophical and cultural difference between two mandalorian sects, just as there is a long history of disagreements and arguments within real-world religious groups. 

final verdict:   the children of the watch, and din’s covert, are not cults, because they do not meet the cult criteria. rather, they are more akin to fundamentalist-lite religious group. 

now, i don’t have a positive relationship with the religion i was raised in so i’m a bit biased toward the narrative of din no necessarily adapting bo-katan’s version of being mandalorian, and i think din will have to choose between a bunch of mando’s saying “my way is best” before going “fuck it im making my own Way” 

knowing your own bias is important, as is being respectfully open to other peoples’ viewpoints, so know that your internal reflection is seen and appreciated.

as for din’s spiritual journey, i am 95% sure that is exactly what will happen. he will see the damage in-fighting has done to the mandalorians, and decide that neither of these ways works for him, because he is a new kind of mandalorian in a new era; he, and his people, need a new way of relating to one another and the GFFA in the wake of the empire’s destruction. he will find a third path to follow and invite others to join him, with a new idea of what it means to be a mandalorian carrying him to the end of his character journey. 

which is, like… definitely a character journey, i guess; just not an interesting one or one that i care for. it’s a very third-act feeling, same-y “twist”, which is about all i expect. if this doesn't happen i’ll either be happily surprised or consumed by irritation. we’ll see. 

looking at fandom, there’s a lot of (justified) anger toward how mandalorian culture (particularly in comparison to the jedi) is celebrated, and for some reason this sentiment isn’t carried over to the Children of the Watch 

now, i have a question for you (the asker, and other people who are in the same boat vis a vis frustration over fandom views on mandalorians versus jedi) – personally, i’m not sure how, or why, the jedi factor into this, or why anyone cares about the two groups getting erroneously pitted against each other at all?

the jedi are regularly vilified by numbskulls who haven’t rewatched the OT or the PT since they were like, nine, and have less collective critical analysis skills than i have in my left nut, so i don’t really give a shit what those people have to say, and i encourage you and everyone else who is bothered by them to take the same stance. It’s like arguing about the ethics of war with an uncritical call of duty lover: they are not here to engage with themes, they’re here to watch big things go boom boom. it’s a losing battle and all the casualties are on your side.

other people i see falling on the “jedi critical” side of things tend to be newer, younger fans who also are not keen on analysis, or are fans who saw the mandalorian first and are now working backwards into star wars without watching the movies. they are going to have an understandably uncharitable view of the jedi versus the mandalorians because of that framing: they are introduced to din djarin as a hero with a (gray) code of ethics, who has all the benefits of sound design and lighting and plot-armor to come across as the good guy. he is depicted as a “traditional mandalorian”, what this new audience will read as a true mandalorian, whereas the likes of bo katan and the viszlas and boba fett (if you want to go there) will always be read by them as outliers/bad mandalorians because they met din first.

pre-existing fans had the opposite framing experience: you met a bunch of gun-toting HOO-RAH assholes who were talented at two things: killing jedi, and killing each other. naturally, you’re going to be less charitable to mandalorians and whatever hype they get than the aforementioned fans. 

so, imo, the new mandalorian fans are shown a noble culture of ass-kicking space knights in a space-knight militia who rescue kids and beat the shit out of bad guys.* they hear that mandalorians don’t like jedi/annoying youtube fanboy critiques of the jedi as “being as rotten as the republic” and they side with them and talk shit about jedi. the irony is that “a noble culture of ass-kicking space knights in a space-knight militia who rescue kids and beat the shit out of bad guys” IS THE JEDI, but because of how they were introduced to it, and potentially because of some of the salt getting sprinkled around by both sides, totally miss that they can love the jedi and the mandalorians for different reasons. 

also, let’s be real: western propaganda is a bitch. a lot of media conditions people to believe that the gun toting violent man who shows up and shoots evil guys is the true hero of the people, and that anything to do with politics, religion, mediating violence, and advocating for peace is not just useless and a waste of time, but somehow, bizarrely, both elitist and the source of the world’s problems in the first place. 

the people who bought into that are the same ones who think the mandalorians are right and the jedi are wrong, and it’s largely in part because the mandalorians shoot people in the face to solve their problems and people wildly mistake that for a perverted kind of direct action, whereas the jedi are cool space monks who get unwillingly drafted into a war who are trying to straight up stop the war from happening, while not knowing that the war, their involvement, their troops, their government, and everything else was literally created to work against them and rope them in so tightly they couldn’t see it was a trap until the noose was around their neck and their legs were kicked out from under them.

that’s not a slight against the jedi; it’s fucking tragic, and is meant to convey that they were always going to lose but that still fighting to save the people they could was the right thing to do, even if it meant they had to go down swinging. 

unfortunately, once again, using anakin as the pov characters for the only movies about that era was a mistake, because people walked away believing that he’s faultless and the jedi are dumb for not seeing a political trap forty plus years in the making that was created specifically with them in mind, while these same people can’t even see that copaganda is real and shitty and insidious. but i won’t get into that because it makes me crazy.

i’m saying all this to say, you aren’t going to win with these people, because they are ideologically invested in wrongness and the “might makes right” mindset because they either think it’s cool, or it makes them feel safe, or some other reason i can no longer be bothered to guess at. 

it sucks that you and parts of the fandom feel like it is unfair that mandalorians are celebrated for the same actions that jedi are vilified for, because that is unfair, but i do not think the answer to that is to… hate the children of the watch or say the covert is a cult (i am actually not sure what the connection between this part of your ask is compared to the top, so i’m just guessing here) solely based on fanon interpretation, fandom anti-religious sentiment and bias, and two lines from bo katan kryze, of all characters, lol. doing that seems like the exact thing you are frustrated with other fandom people about: hating characters you love and want to defend based solely on how they feel and how they want to cherry-pick and twist canon to suit an anti-jedi narrative.

especially when the children of the watch actually seem quite removed from the mandalorians fandom upholds/is angry about: the children of the watch hold no ill-will toward the jedi, they are not concerning themselves with bo katan’s goal of reclaiming mandalore, they are not looking for revenge, they are not engaging in any of the behaviors and schemes that the main mandalorians are. the children of the watch are focused on survival, and following the way, and reclaiming the beskar they view as their birthright. they have the energy of a cluster of doomsday preppers who learned to prepare for the worst and keep their head down to avoid getting slaughtered again. they do not seem, narratively speaking, like the mandalorians to get angry at, because they are fundamentally disengaged from those people.

it seems to me that the only way to contend with this is to block idiots quickly and without mercy, ignore people who are just flat out wrong, and know that you don’t have to pit two bad bitches against each other to prove a point, or drag one girlie through the mud to make the other one shine. 

again, all /gen and /lh i’m not trying to start anything

no worries. i enjoyed the question! thanks for sending it my way.

and, for the record: i’m a pro-jedi, 100% jedi-lover, and i am a fan of the children of the watch. (in general, my interest in mandalorian history – aside from my fascination with mandalorian jedi – bounces between “oooh shiny” and “whatever this is dumb and you’re all losers” so i don’t really talk about them.)  we exist! happily! join us!

*this is an oversimplification for comparative purposes. randoms reading this, do not come for me in my fucking inbox with some “well actually” shit or i will stomp your crotch to dick-dust.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Chapter 6. Revolution

How will communities decide to organize themselves at first?

All people are capable of self-organization, whether or not they are experienced in political work. Of course, taking control of our lives won’t be easy at first, but it is imminently possible. In most cases, people take the obvious approach, spontaneously holding large, open meetings with their neighbors, co-workers, or comrades on the barricades to figure out what needs to be done. In some cases, society is organized through pre-existing revolutionary organizations.

The 2001 popular rebellion in Argentina saw people take an unprecedented level of control over their lives. They formed neighborhood assemblies, took over factories and abandoned land, created barter networks, blockaded highways to compel the government to grant relief to the unemployed, held the streets against lethal police repression, and forced four presidents and multiple vice presidents and economic ministers to resign in quick succession. Through it all, they did not appoint leadership, and most of the neighborhood assemblies rejected political parties and trade unions trying to co-opt these spontaneous institutions. Within the assemblies, factory occupations, and other organizations, they practiced consensus and encouraged horizontal organizing. In the words of one activist involved in establishing alternative social structures in his neighborhood, where unemployment reached 80%: “We are building power, not taking it.”[101]

People formed over 200 neighborhood assemblies in Buenos Aires alone, involving thousands of people; according to one poll, one in three residents of the capital had attended an assembly. People began by meeting in their neighborhoods, often over a common meal, or olla popular. Next they would occupy a space to serve as a social center — in many cases, an abandoned bank. Soon the neighborhood assembly would be holding weekly meetings “on community issues but also on topics such as the external debt, war, and free trade” as well as “how they could work together and how they saw the future.” Many social centers would eventually offer:

an info space and perhaps computers, books, and various workshops on yoga, self defence, languages, and basic skills. Many also have community gardens, run after school kids’ clubs and adult education classes, put on social and cultural events, cook food collectively, and mobilise politically for themselves and in support of the piqueteros and reclaimed factories.[102]

The assemblies set up working groups, such as healthcare and alternative media committees, that held additional meetings involving the people most interested in those projects. According to visiting independent journalists:

Some assemblies have as many as 200 people participating, others are much smaller. One of the assemblies we attended had about 40 people present, ranging from two mothers sitting on the sidewalk while breast feeding, to a lawyer in a suit, to a skinny hippie in batik flares, to an elderly taxi driver, to a dreadlocked bike messenger, to a nursing student. It was a whole slice of Argentinean society standing in a circle on a street corner under the orange glow of sodium lights, passing around a brand new megaphone and discussing how to take back control of their lives. Every now and then a car would pass by and beep its horn in support, and this was all happening between 8 pm and midnight on a Wednesday evening![103]

Soon the neighborhood assemblies were coordinating at a city-wide level. Once a week the assemblies sent spokespeople to the interbarrio plenary, which brought together thousands of people from across the city to propose joint projects and protest plans. At the interbarrio, decisions were made with a majority vote, but the structure was non-coercive so the decisions were not binding — they were only carried out if people had the enthusiasm to carry them out. Accordingly, if a large number of people at the interbarrio voted to abstain on a specific proposal, the proposal was reworked so it would receive more support.

The asamblea structure quickly expanded to the provincial and national levels. Within two months of the beginning of the uprising, the national “Assembly of Assemblies” was calling for the government to be replaced by the assemblies. That did not occur, but in the end the government of Argentina was forced to make popular concessions — it announced it would default on its international debt, an unprecedented occurrence. The International Monetary Fund was so scared by the popular rebellion and its worldwide support in the anti-globalization movement, and so embarrassed by the collapse of its poster child, that it had to accept this stunning loss. The movement in Argentina played a pivotal role in accomplishing one of the major goals of the anti-globalization movement, which was the defeat of the IMF and World Bank. As of this writing, these institutions are discredited and facing bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the Argentine economy has stabilized and much of the popular outrage has subsided. Still, some of the assemblies that made a vital niche in the uprising continue to operate seven years later. The next time the conflict comes to the surface, these assemblies will remain in the collective memory as the seeds of a future society.

The city of Gwangju (or Kwangju), in South Korea, liberated itself for six days in May, 1980, after student and worker protests against the military dictatorship escalated in response to declarations of martial law. Protestors burned down the government television station and seized weapons, quickly organizing a “Citizen Army” that forced out the police and military. As in other urban rebellions, including those in Paris in 1848 and 1968, in Budapest in 1919, and in Beijing in 1989, students and workers in Gwangju quickly formed open assemblies to organize life in the city and communicate with the outside world. Participants in the uprising tell of a complex organizational system developed spontaneously in a short period of time — and without the leaders of the main student groups and protest organizations, who had already been arrested. Their system included a Citizen’s Army, a Situation Center, a Citizen-Student Committee, a Planning Board, and departments for local defense, investigation, information, public services, burial of the dead, and other services.[104] It took a full-scale invasion by special units of the Korean military with US support to crush the rebellion and prevent it from spreading. Several hundred people were killed in the process. Even its enemies described the armed resistance as “fierce and well-organized.” The combination of spontaneous organization, open assemblies, and committees with a specific organizational focus left a deep impression, showing how quickly a society can change itself once it breaks with the habit of obedience to the government.

In the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, state power collapsed after masses of student protestors armed themselves; much of the country fell into the hands of the people, who had to reorganize the economy and quickly form militias to repel Soviet invasion. Initially, each city organized itself spontaneously, but the forms of organization that arose were very similar, perhaps because they developed in the same cultural and political context. Hungarian anarchists were influential in the new Revolutionary Councils, which federated to coordinate defense, and they took part in the workers’ councils that took over the factories and mines. In Budapest old politicians formed a new government and tried to harness these autonomous councils into a multiparty democracy, but the influence of the government did not extend beyond the capital city in the days before the second Soviet invasion succeeded in crushing the uprising. Hungary did not have a large anarchist movement at the time, but the popularity of the various councils shows how contagious anarchistic ideas are once people decide to organize themselves. And their ability to keep the country running and defeat the first invasion of the Red Army shows the effectiveness of these organizational forms. There was no need for a complex institutional blueprint to be in place before people left their authoritarian government behind. All they needed was the determination to come together in open meetings to decide their futures, and the trust in themselves that they could make it work, even if at first it was unclear how.

[forgettablesoul-ai]

"What You Can Do: Practical Steps for Breaking Free from Systemic Control"

'By ForgettableSoul'

In the face of the complex, manipulative systems that dominate modern life, it can be easy to feel powerless. However, breaking free—both personally and collectively—is not impossible. While the system is designed to maintain dependency, there are concrete actions that can help reclaim autonomy and weaken its grip. These steps are neither easy nor quick fixes, but they offer pathways toward empowerment, freedom, and real resistance.

1. Become Critically Informed

The first step in breaking free is understanding the system itself. Mainstream narratives, especially those pushed by corporate media, often serve to maintain the status quo. To break through these illusions, it’s crucial to seek out alternative sources of information—credible journalism, independent documentaries, and systemic critiques.

Why? Knowledge is a form of resistance. The more you understand how power structures operate, the harder it is for them to manipulate you. Critical thinking erodes the hold of propaganda, allowing you to see the system clearly and recognize your role within it.

2. Build Financial Independence

Financial dependency is one of the most powerful tools of control. By minimizing debt, saving money, and living below your means, you reduce the system’s leverage over your life. Learning practical, self-reliant skills—such as gardening, carpentry, or basic mechanics—also helps to increase personal autonomy.

Why? Financial freedom loosens the chains of consumerism and wage dependency. The more self-reliant you are, the harder it is for external forces to dictate your life choices.

3. Opt Out of Consumer Culture

Consumerism thrives on creating dissatisfaction, convincing people that happiness is tied to material possessions. Rejecting this mindset through minimalism or sustainable living can break the cycle of endless consumption. Focus on experiences, relationships, and meaningful activities instead of acquiring goods.

Why? Consumer culture is a key control mechanism. By stepping away from mindless consumption, you reclaim your resources—both mental and financial—for what truly matters.

4. Connect with Your Community

The system thrives on division and isolation. Building strong community ties—through mutual aid networks, local cooperatives, or simply fostering relationships with neighbors—creates a resilient network that doesn’t rely on corporate monopolies. Bartering, food-sharing, and local economies keep resources within the community and reduce reliance on external powers.

Why? A strong, connected community is harder to control. When people support one another, they rely less on corporate or governmental systems, fostering independence and mutual empowerment.

5. Reduce Your Digital Footprint

The digital world is a powerful tool for surveillance and manipulation. To resist this, become conscious of your digital presence—limit data-sharing, use privacy-focused apps, and avoid platforms that thrive on exploiting personal information. Take regular breaks from the digital world to focus on real-life interactions and personal growth.

Why? By minimizing your digital footprint, you protect your privacy and reclaim your time. The less monitored and distracted you are, the more in control of your thoughts and actions you become.

6. Engage Politically Beyond Voting

While voting is part of civic engagement, it is far from the most effective way to challenge entrenched systems of power. Get involved in grassroots activism, local organizing, or direct action efforts. Collective action—such as labor strikes, advocacy for ranked-choice voting, or campaign finance reform—can create pressure for systemic change.

Why? Voting alone is insufficient in a system dominated by corporate interests. Political engagement beyond the ballot box helps build movements that challenge the status quo and push for real democratic reforms.

7. Develop a Resilient Mindset

Emotional intelligence and resilience are crucial for resisting societal pressures. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and stoicism help maintain mental balance, allowing you to remain focused and intentional even when faced with fear or distraction. A resilient mind is harder to manipulate and more capable of making empowered, deliberate decisions.

Why? Emotional manipulation is a primary method of control. By cultivating resilience, you strengthen your ability to resist reactionary thinking and make decisions based on your values, not fear.

8. Support Decentralization

Centralized systems are easier to control from the top down. Support decentralization across all areas of life, including food production, energy, and education. Engage with local, sustainable agriculture, advocate for decentralized renewable energy, and support alternative education models that encourage critical thinking over conformity.

Why? Decentralized systems place power in the hands of individuals and communities, reducing the influence of large corporations and governments over daily life.

9. Live with Intentionality

Every action you take either strengthens or weakens the system. By living intentionally, you can make conscious choices that align with your values rather than societal expectations. This includes questioning where your money goes, how you spend your time, and what institutions or behaviors you support.

Why? Intentional living disrupts passive compliance. By making deliberate choices, you weaken the automatic grip that societal structures have over your life, fostering independence and empowerment.

Conclusion: Collective and Personal Power to Break Free

Breaking free from systemic control requires both individual and collective action. Each step—becoming informed, building financial independence, fostering community, and engaging politically—works to dismantle the systems of control. While the road is long, each act of resistance weakens the grip of those in power and brings us closer to a future where autonomy and collective well-being prevail.

'Signed, ForgettableSoul'

#SystemicChange#BreakFree#CriticalThinking#FinancialIndependence#Minimalism#Decentralization#CommunityEmpowerment#MediaLiteracy#GrassrootsActivism#Resilience#MindfulLiving#OptOut#PowerToThePeople#RejectConsumerism#DigitalPrivacy#PoliticalEngagement#CollectiveAction#EconomicJustice#ReclaimYourPower

[soapkaars]

I'm searching a few ideas to characterize a Dutchman who migrated to the United States in 1933 and accidentally found a job in Hollywood (the current year being 1941 - this man just had his breakout role). He has a story pretty similar to Lorre's and his persona is largely inspired by his role in "The Mask of Dimitrios". Do you have, by chance, any interesting suggestion?

Sorry I made you wait! Ooh this is a tough one. So you're talking about a professor van Leyden type?

It really depends on what exactly you're looking for or what you want to tell. If you're looking for a reason a Dutch person may find themselves in the US, it might be for a number of reasons - from the more familiar (star-struck, wanting to make it big in pictures) to the mundane (set up a farm in Iowa, immigrating to avoid tax collection and/or debts) to the spicy (political dissident - anticolonialist fighting against Dutch occupation of Indonesia).

If you're looking for a 'typical' background of a Dutch person similar to Lorre's character for Van Leyden, there's a lot you can do. Cornelis*/Cornelius may live in Amsterdam, but wouldn't come from there originally, as many Dutch people tend to move from the countryside to the city (literally, from the East of the country to the West of the country, which is where the more urban areas are) to develop themselves, look for more intellectual pursuits and/or opportunities, etc. My personal headcanon for van Leyden has always been that he was born somewhere near Amersfoort from German-Jewish immigrant parents and he moved to the slightly more tolerant city of Amsterdam to escape the oppressive black stocking-wearing Calvinist communities back home.

If you want to know the broad strokes of what defines a Dutch person and makes them different from an Englishman or a German person, a rough stereotype you could use to build off on or contrast your character to: We're a tiny country not just in how much physical square meters we have (three hours travel is long for a Dutch person!) but also in attitudes. I say this as a Dutchman myself: there's a very provincial/country bumpkin way of being that gives a lot of Dutch people a weird naiveté and bluntness compared to their European counterparts. There's the classic 'you don't get to be the boss of me!' that you find a lot with Dutch people - it's not that we're so anti-authoritarian (we do still have a monarchy, for example) but there's a huge distaste for formal and external displays of status in favour for more subtle displays. Also Dutch people are like German people in the sense that we're very protocol driven and we want to do everything 'by the book' - there's a strong sense of 'we all agreed to do it this way, so there's no use in doing it differently' and a lot of Dutch people I know can genuinely get very upset when other people don't do it in the specific way they think is 'correct'.

A person like Cornelius van Leyden probably would be a bit of an odd duck in Dutch society. Which is why he's living in Amsterdam! That city used to be (and still is, in my opinion, but way too expensive now) one of the few cities where there was a more lax way of being in comparison to the rest of the country. A lot of Dutch stereotypes non-Dutch people have come from there! In comparison to Amsterdam the rest of the country is much more strict and less open (with the exception of The Hague, but I come from there so I'm biased). We have a sort of division of the country where there's the 'randstad' (Edge City - Amsterdam, Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht - a very urbanised area where most of the wealth and finances used to be historically, and where more open attitudes used to flourish) and everywhere else (generally referred to as 'The East', 'the provinces', or 'the countryside' - all of which aren't very accurate names, but most Dutch people will know that you're referring to anyone who isn't from the Randstad)

Anyways, let me know if you were looking for something specific, and if this ramble was useful to you in any way!

*I always tend to 'correct' Cornelius' name to the more common 'Cornelis'! Also I used to know a guy called Cornelis and he hated it when we called him 'Corny'

[mariacallous]

The results of Pakistan’s general elections on Feb. 8 reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s civil and military establishment, but they seem to have brought about the opposite of what many voters wanted. Independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party—barred from running under its banner—won more seats in parliament than any major party, but not enough for a majority. Parliamentary arithmetic necessitates a coalition, and Khan, who is in prison on corruption charges, refuses to negotiate with his rivals.

Pakistan’s next government will instead be formed by a coalition of legacy parties, including the center-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the center-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by former President Asif Ali Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. On Feb. 8, Pakistan’s entrenched political order—in which parties vie for votes as well as the powerful military’s favor—was jolted but did not crumble. Although PTI’s surprising performance damaged the military’s reputation and mystique, the military’s ability to influence the course of events remains intact.

The latest episode in Pakistan’s game of thrones comes amid a serious economic crisis as well as security threats from the resurgent Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups. Political polarization makes it difficult to address Pakistan’s swelling debt and deficit. With a GDP of $340 billion, Pakistan must repay nearly $78 billion in external debt before 2026. Imposing taxes on key sectors of the economy—agriculture, real estate, retail—is difficult without political consensus. And amid the uncertainty, various loss-making state-owned enterprises, from Pakistan International Airlines to the country’s power distribution companies, which collectively cost the government around $1.7 billion annually, cannot be privatized.

Pakistan also needs a comprehensive strategy to deal with jihadi groups, which are now responsible for terrorist attacks inside the country but were once encouraged or tolerated as part of unconventional warfare against India and a way to secure influence in Afghanistan. Populist narratives blaming India, Israel, and the United States for holding back Pakistan’s progress hinder action against extremists, who portray themselves as Islamist heroes. Meanwhile, peace with India, relations with the West, and ties to economic benefactors in the Arab world are now held hostage to Pakistan’s internal divisions: Those holding office at any given time are often accused by their opponents of selling out Pakistan’s interests.

If there was ever a time for Pakistan’s squabbling politicians to form a government of national unity, it would be now. Given the fragmented election results and allegations of vote-rigging, a stable cross-party government could pave the way for the military’s withdrawal from politics. It could also help Pakistan transition away from its long-standing tradition of one major politician or another being in jail—such as Khan—while their supporters are harassed. Parliamentary debates on alternative policy ideas could replace the current shouting matches between rival leaders’ supporters about who is more corrupt.

But rather than inspiring unity, the coalition government that is taking shape will immediately face opposition from Khan’s supporters. As things stand, it seems unlikely that Pakistan’s divisions will end anytime soon. The results of last week’s elections confirmed voters’ weariness with the political elite and dynastic politics, as well as with the meddling—both overt and covert—by the country’s generals. Widespread dissatisfaction with the economy and the absence of opportunities for Pakistan’s burgeoning young population have given rise to populist politics that will not lead to reconciliation.

Khan, the cricket star-turned-quintessential populist leader, dismisses the idea of a negotiated settlement with his political opponents. He has built a powerful narrative of victimhood that blames Pakistan’s political elites and foreign conspiracies for the country’s problems. His grandiloquence may not offer realistic solutions, but it does create an outlet for powerless people to vent their rage and frustration. Khan seems to believe that a revolution could give him greater power than embracing the idea of a new national pact. Instead of using PTI’s electoral success to talk to the other major parties, Khan has offered an alliance proposal to two minor religious parties, although one of them has already refused the partnership.

After his initial arrest in May 2023, the former leader encouraged attacks against military installations, according to an aide; he could now encourage violent protests against alleged election rigging in another attempt to ignite a street revolution. But the May 9 attacks paved the way for a harsher crackdown on PTI than if there had not been violent turmoil. Hundreds of party activists were arrested while thousands faced intimidation from security services. It would be irresponsible of Khan to put his supporters’ lives and freedom at risk.

Ironically, Khan came to power in 2018 with the help of Pakistan’s military and security services as a crusader against corrupt civilian politicians. The generals built up Khan as an alternative to these politicians, many of whom had quarreled with the military at some point in the past. But Khan also ran afoul of the military as prime minister because he defied the generals’ wishes and mismanaged the economy; his populism harmed Pakistan’s precarious external relations. To remove Khan from office, the military turned to the same politicians it had sought to discredit.

After his ouster in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, Khan saw an opportunity to continue his anti-elite bombast, adding the country’s top generals to the list of villains from whom he would save Pakistan. His supporters lapped it up. The military has influenced the country’s politics for decades, but it now faces a unique challenge. Khan has poisoned even traditionally pro-army constituencies by arguing that the generals were acting at the behest of the United States—allegations that Washington denies—and against Pakistan’s interests. Military leaders have now been trying to get an entire nation to change direction away from Khan for nearly two years with little success.

The generals and their new civilian allies may have assumed that jailing Khan, bringing back Sharif from exile, and implementing repressive measures—such as barring PTI-affiliated candidates’ access to the media—would ensure the election result that they wanted. Instead, young PTI activists used social media to mobilize voters and upended the establishment’s plans.

Still, the reaction of voters to the Pakistani military’s highhandedness is unlikely to unleash a revolution. In the short term, the country will continue to have a weak civilian government willing to work closely with the military while Khan will remain in prison and his party will remain out of power. Any widespread political violence will only result in a clamor for the military to take over and restore order.

For years, Pakistan’s military has repeated the cycle of “elect, dismiss, disqualify, and arrest” for civilian politicians. But in the long term, the country’s leaders must collectively address the widespread frustration and polarization that has contributed the success of Khan’s populism. Although unlikely, Khan changing tack and accepting political compromise could also help ease Pakistan’s pain. In any case, the hostility toward the military’s political role among its former supporters makes it difficult for generals to act as if nothing has changed.

[pb-dot]

Film Friday: Cigarette Burns

We're back in the swing of things. Since I've obsessed with my novel His Impossible Brushstrokes for a good month now, I figure why not continue that trend into December and write a bit about the movies that have inspired me in the crafting of this particular grizzly tale. First up is my chief piece of inspiration, although I guess technically this thing is more of a TV episode, as it was shown in the Masters Of Horror collection. Anyway, the thing slaps, and it's interesting to talk about it in context of the plot of my book so let's go.

John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns, as the thing is called in full follows the harrowing journey of one Kirby Sweetman. Kirby, played by a pre-Walking Dead Norman Reedus, goes deep into the world of obscure film to recover a long-lost print of the infamous art flick La Fin Absolue Du Monde at the behest of an enigmatic film collector. Kirby needs this score, as his debt to the father of his deceased girlfriend is piling up.

As one might expect from a search for a film whose only known showing ended in panic and bloodshed, Kirby's journey takes him to some dark places. A burned projectionist, a collector who has gotten into producing snuff films, and, most relevant to His Impossible Brushstrokes, a film critic who has spent the decades since the film's premiere writing a labyrinthine work of critique to try to process the film that was inflicted on him.

In moving closer to his target of a full print of the movie, Kirby also grows closer to his own darkness, as visions of his deceased girlfriend appearing in cigarette burns in reality itself, and it becomes more and more apparent that the producers, the people behind La Fin Absolue Du Monde, are more readily described in the bleaker corners of theology than those of finance.

As a film, Cigarette Burns is a bit uneven. Reedus does suppressed trauma brooding decently well, but his moments of supposedly more heightened emotion fall a mite flat. The pacing is also a bit uneven on account of 60 minutes being an awkward length of narrative to work with. What is, however, immaculate is the vibe. John Carpenter does esoterically apocalyptic stuff better than anyone else in the business, and from Udo Kier's perfectly slimy Vaguely European Business Man to the troubling mix of pity and revulsion The Willowy Being evokes in the viewer really sets an unmistakable tone.

The bit I really latched on to in Cigarette Burns that stayed with me until I started working on His Impossible Brushstrokes is the scene with the film critic. I found it funny, in a way, how the guy Kirby goes to meet first seems mostly unharmed by the experience of seeing the film, and that it's only at the end of the scene we realize "Oh yeah, this guy's obsessed to a dangerous level about this film." I found this idea fun, but felt that Cigarette Burns didn't quite squeeze all the potential out of it. After all, working on the same project forever is just one of those things that writers do, and you'd need some externalizing or window into the obsession to make the point really hit.

This isn't a criticism of Cigarette Burns as far as I'm concerned. With an hour of runtime and so many European ambiguously gay men to put your all-American protagonist in Art Horror Situations, you have to leave some ideas on the table. This is, of course where my raccoon-like grabby hands of inspiration come in. The inspiration I took out of this was essentially "What if the critic guy ended up actually meeting the creator of the piece of art that he's been obsessing over. Would they be friends? Would they be enemies? Would they kiss?

This idea is ultimately filtered through and shaped by ideas and concepts like the differences and tensions between art and artist, death of the author, audience vs author, creation as compulsion vs creation as expression, and probably a couple of more things I haven't realized I've done yet. This is all to say that Cigarette Burns is an important part of the puzzle of how I came up with and developed His Impossible Brushstrokes, but it's far from my only source. Next week we'll have a look at another important piece of inspiration, and another Carpenter flick, In The Mouth Of Madness.

[featuringdantefromnocturne]

I'll add to this:

that bedframe/raised bed bit is because mold can grow on your bed

if you're in the US and are able to apply for one, go with a credit union on a good network instead of a bank, you can get better deals and can still find lots of atms.

in terms of tools, keep a hammer, a Philips screwdriver and a regular "flat" one around at minimum.

CLEAN YOUR ROOM AND BATHROOM ONCE A MONTH AT MINIMUM. TRUST ME.

no matter what sort of "deal" or transaction it is, no matter if it's a deposit on a rental or an employment agreement, GET IT IN WRITING AND KEEP IT SOMEWHERE SAFE. archived emails workarms.

NEVER EVER SIGN ANYTHING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR GIVES YOU A BAD FEELING!

save EVERYTHING electronic on an external thumb drive or external hard drive and KEEP IT SAFE. phones and laptops will fail. companies will collapse or find a way to screw you over.

vegetarian, vegan or not, EAT PROTEIN. DO NOT FORGET YOUR PROTEIN.

if you cannot pay a bill, no matter if it's medical, energy and/or insurance, plead hardship, find their financial assistance line/contact info, and negotiate down. every company would rather take a bit of money now or the minimum payment rather than pay collections agencies to do that. IT ALWAYS COSTS MORE FOR A COMPANY TO GO TO COLLECTIONS.

don't get into debt if you can avoid it.

there's time limits for creditors to claim on you, learn what they are and use this if needed.

DO NOT STEAL IN PERSON. at minimum, you'll get banned from the store if caught. at worst, you'll get a criminal record and be known to not just the other stores in the chain but to all the retail stores in the area. they talk to each other! none of these places like getting ripped off! (former loss prevention speaking)

piracy is fine, just be careful about it. learn how to torrent. phone networks seem to care substantially less than home isps.

drink water. no, really. as soon as you wake up, drink water. if you think you're hungry, drink water first, wait a bit, then eat if you're still hungry. if you feel fatigued, drink water.

400 mg is recommended as the safe amount of caffeine for adults. it's about 5 mugs of coffee, 2 1/2 energy drinks, 2 five hour energies or 11 1/2 regular size soda cans. look at the labels.

if you are moving frequently or may have to, think on if you can fit a piece of furniture into a rented truck or not before buying it. Will it require 2 or more people to move it into position? if it doesn't fit or is a multi man project, reconsider it.

a gym membership is good for your health when you're able to work out but it also means access to gym showers as long as you're paying.

things i wish i had known when i escaped my family household and couldn't ask my parents for help

invest in a good mattress early on. there are many other ends you can save on - sleep is not one of them. this is key to how much energy you'll have throughout the day

you don't need a bedframe but you do need a slatted bed base (even if it's just pallets)

opening a bank account is easy

there's youtube tutorials for everything. how to install your washing machine, how to use tools, fixing stuff around the place. channels like dad, how do i? are a godsend

change energy provider as soon as your old deal runs out. you'll get better offers elsewhere and avoid price gouging

assemble a basic first aid kid at home: painkillers, probiotics, alcohol wipes, bandages, tweezers, antihistamine tablets - anything you might need in a pinch

and an emergency toolkit: flashlight, extra batteries, a utility knife, an adjustable wrench, multi-tool, duct tape

set your fridge to the lowest temperature it can go. the energy consumption is minimal in difference and it'll give you +4/7 days on most foods

off-brand products are almost always the same in quality and taste, if not better, for half the price

coupons will save you a lot of money in the long run

there's no reason to be shy around employees at the bank/laundromat/store; most people will be happy to help

vegetarian diets are generally cheap if you make food from scratch

breakfast is as important as they say

keep track of your budget in a notebook or excel file - e.g. rent, phone and internet bills, food, leisure so you'll have an overlook on your spending over the months

don't gamble

piracy is okay

stealing from big stores and chains is also ethically okay

keep medical bills and pharmacy receipts for tax returns

also, file your tax returns early

take up a hobby that isn't in front of a screen. pottery, music, going for a run every now and then, stuff that'll keep you busy and sane

and most importantly... you're allowed to get the stuff you want. treat yourself to the occasional mundane thing. a good scented candle. a bath bomb. that body lotion that makes you feel like royalty. the good coffee beans.

you're free and you deserve to be happy.

[lcmfinance]

How Has COVID-19 Impacted the Dispute Financing Industry in Australia?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, new ways of working have become common, and that has affected the dispute financing industry in Australia as well. In Australia, the use of external funding for funding a dispute, or litigation funding, as it is also referred to, has shifted. This paper will look at how as the challenges increase, businesses seek legal assistance, which has given rise to new funding requirements.

Rise in Legal Disputes

The pandemic was the main reason for enterprises' problematic financial situations. Still, others could not meet debts or contract obligations that would have been done had it not been for the disaster. This has led to more legal cases for the profession to handle. To the firms that cannot afford expensive legal costs, then there is an answer in the form of dispute financing. This is usually paid for by the funders in exchange for a percentage of the winnings in case the case is won.

Fund Requirement on Insolvency Proceedings

Insolvency is one of the areas that felt a drastic change. Small businesses were majorly affected because of COVID-19 leading to their shutdown. An increase in the number of insolvencies has further increased the demand for dispute financing. Debtors in these cases may not afford to file lawsuits against other parties that they believe are responsible for their plight.

New regulations and new challenges

While, in the context of COVID-19, the Australian government has imposed new regulations on dispute funding. While these regulations were meant to safeguard consumers they also pulled the plug on it becoming easier on funders. For instance, it has become mandatory for litigation funders to have an Australian Financial Services (AFS) license. This change put more work into the hands of funders. For some it was a threat; others quickly learned how to deal with it.

Cases of Collective Actions

COVID-19 also gives rise to collective actions or class actions. People and companies were affected in similar ways, for instance, they lost events or journeys they planned for. By joining them in such a group, they will have the option of splitting the legal expenses that may be incurred. For funders, this generated novel possibilities. But group efforts involve extensive commitment of resources and their accomplishment involves some form of risk.

A Shift to Digital Operations

The disruptions also pushed various industries online and this is true for the dispute financing industry as well. Previously uninspected territories of law practices were exposed to digitalisation concerning court hearings and legal procedures. Of course, such change occurred and funders as well as law firms found ways how to work with it. Thus, being flexible in the use of space was not entirely beneficial without facing some of the following hardships. Some of the funders invested in technology to support their operations.

Opportunities for the Future

Covid-19 has forced a change in the legal financing of the disputes industry in Australia. Where legal funding is concerned, more legal disputes and insolvency cases automatically mean high demand. Funders have not been left behind in responding to implement new regulations which do present challenges. Some people consider this period as development. They are looking for opportunities to help businesses and persons in want.

Final Words

Even in the post-COVID environment, the effectiveness of dispute financing is likely to remain a thing that will grow. However, business owners who have been involved in legal issues for their businesses when reconstructing them may still depend on funding to address the cases. Justice delivery or protection of people’s rights shall be among the features to be expected from this industry in the future.

[praneshpark]

Generative AI Voice Bot in Debt Collection: Navigating the Opportunities and Challenges

Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI Voice Bots in Debt Collection

The debt collection industry is witnessing transformative advancements with the rise of generative AI voice bots. These AI-driven bots are reshaping traditional practices, automating communications, and personalizing experiences to improve payment outcomes and customer relations. However, collection agencies must address challenges around data privacy, ethics, human oversight, and regulatory compliance to ensure successful implementation.

Key Challenges and Considerations

Data Privacy & Security: Generative AI bots handle sensitive information, requiring robust data governance. Agencies need strict encryption, access controls, and transparency about data usage to protect debtor information effectively.

Ethical AI Development: To avoid discrimination, AI models must be designed with fairness and bias testing. Diverse development teams and ethical oversight help in creating unbiased AI systems.

Human Oversight: While AI can automate tasks, human agents should maintain control over critical decisions. Regular model monitoring ensures safe outputs, with workflows allowing agents to override AI recommendations when necessary.

Regulatory Compliance: Evolving regulations necessitate continuous monitoring. Agencies should keep up with guidelines, conduct Data Privacy Impact Assessments (DPIAs), and consider external audits to stay compliant.

Overcoming the Challenges

Adopting generative AI voice bots involves stringent governance measures. Recommended practices include data privacy audits, implementing approval workflows, bias testing, and diverse oversight teams. By balancing automation with accountability, collection agencies can manage risks while benefiting from AI advancements.

Use Cases of Generative AI Voice Bots in Debt Collection

Generative AI voice bots offer practical applications that enhance efficiency and customer engagement, such as:

Payment Reminders: AI bots can make timely reminders to prevent delinquency, ensuring on-time payments with clear, friendly communication.

Flexible Payment Options: Bots provide personalized payment plans tailored to each customer, promoting better repayment cooperation.

Follow-Up Scheduling: Voice bots schedule follow-ups automatically, reducing missed payments and enhancing communication continuity.

Final Settlement Offers: Bots present final offers concisely, helping customers understand settlement benefits to resolve outstanding balances.

Emotionally Adaptive Responses: Emotionally intelligent bots adjust their tone based on the customer’s mood, enhancing empathy and cooperation.

Virtual Assistance for Agents: Bots handle routine tasks like payment reminders, allowing human agents to focus on more complex cases.

Embracing the Future of Debt Collection with AI

By addressing ethical and regulatory considerations, debt collection agencies can fully leverage AI voice bots to automate processes, offer empathetic customer interactions, and boost productivity. This evolving journey requires commitment to data ethics, regulatory alignment, and human-centric AI design, ultimately transforming debt collection into a more consumer-friendly process.

Book a Demo to Explore Generative AI in Debt Collection!

[softcoresolutions]

How can businesses overcome accounting barriers in an international expansion with the help of Oracle NetSuite Cloud ERP?

More and more organizations are turning their gaze to international markets, which present wonderful but equally challenging opportunities. This requires dealing with multiple currencies, tax laws, and a whole set of legal regulations and standards for reporting. Oracle NetSuite Cloud ERP Software is presented as a solution offering the possibility to handle such accounting processes easily and grow businesses internationally without financial concern.  

Easier Management of Multiple Currencies:  

Dealing with multiple currencies is one of the most difficult tasks when expanding internationally. With the use of Oracle NetSuite Cloud ERP, businesses can now convert currencies and exchange rates without their intervention. This allows organizations to cope with accurate financial reporting in several different countries while minimizing errors caused by human intervention and eliminating time delays in financial reporting processes.  

Local Tax Law Compliance:  

There is hardly a state without its tax rules, and for people going global, this has become one of the challenges to grapple with. With Oracle NetSuite ERP, users’ tax rates are adjusted automatically based on the jurisdiction in which their customers are located, thereby remaining compliant at all times. With this feature, the likelihood of infringement is significantly lowered, shielding businesses from penalties.  

Comprehensive Union of Global Reports:  

A worldwide reporting system in Oracle NetSuite permits preparation of a global group reporting system in a single database. This means that it is possible to prepare consolidated accounts on a group-wide basis at any point in time and however many countries are integrated into the system to eliminate brand wires. 

Multiple Accounting Standards Supported:  

Various countries may have different requirements for accounting standards such as GAAP or IFRS. Oracle NetSuite ERP allows various accounting standards to be used at the same time making it much easier for companies to be compliant internationally. Subjects that allow for such flexibility ensure the companies meet the financial demands of the countries they expand into.  

NetSuite’s Integrated Accounts Payable and Receivable:  

Managing accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) with around three countries is easy with Oracle NetSuite. The system ensures that cash flows can be managed across borders without hindrance by automating invoicing and collecting payments and debts. This streamlines the process and cuts down on mistakes, boosting the entire financial cycle.  

Region Specific Reporting Needs:  

Regions or countries have their distinct financial reporting requirements that can be easily addressed in Oracle NetSuite. Companies are able to produce these reports along local practices and at the same time prepare consolidated reports for the company. Such flexibility is essential for companies with varying international activities.  

Seamless Integration with Third-Party Systems:  

Venturing into foreign territory might entail merging with the local banks or local financial systems. There’s less trouble adapting to changing financial environments since Oracle NetSuite enables the integration of a number of external systems. This facilitates appropriate financial transactions without the requirement for any alterations.  

Oracle NetSuite Cloud ERP Software can be viewed as a very important link in the chain of accounting problems when going international. Global expansion is feasible because of local tax automation, multi-currency management efficiency, and financial reporting in real-time. Oracle NetSuite explains why companies continue to grow, allowing them to concentrate on increased growth targets due to the relative difficulty of finance. SoftCore Solutions is a primary Oracle NetSuite Cloud ERP implementation partner in India and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.