#but their scene together in the forge is proof that they do have potential to be soft and playful and happy together <33< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[haydardotjpg]

Blood sticks, sweat drips Break the lock if it don't fit A kick in the teeth is good for some A kiss with a fist is better than none

———

wait what do you mean a red string of fate ties us together but all we do is strangle each other with it. what do you mean this string can only stretch and tangle but never break and yet we keep biting and gnawing on it to try to free ourselves from it anyway.

[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Goblins

Laws of the Guildpact

Laws are a big deal in most worlds. On Ravnica, laws are literally the only thing preventing ten massive armies of Sphinx, Angels, Demons, Lich, Elementals, Giants, Wizards, Ghosts, Nightmares, and Kaiju from tearing each other apart in perpetual war. How is this possible? It’s possible because the Guildpact is not just words on flimsy paper. Guildpact Laws are Unbreakable Magical Effects. When all ten Guilds agreed to the Guildpact, they granted it absolute power.

How and why would many of the more evil and chaotic Guilds agree to something like this? Because Ravnica’s Guildpact is designed not only to account for each and every Guild’s lifestyle, but to empower it. There are laws that protect necromancy, laws that protect human experimentation, laws that protect torture, laws that protect murder, and laws that actually protect breaking the law. In addition to laws protecting peaceful citizens and law enforcement officials.

How can any civilization function like this? Balance. You may not be able to arrest a Dimir Agent for stealing, but you can absolutely break their face in. The goal of Ravnica’s laws is to preserve all ways of life for the Guilds, for better & for worse. Within your Guild’s set legal parameters, you are not just free but empowered to carry out that lifestyle. That lifestyle is written into the laws and protected by them. Which is why the single most important law is that you’re not allowed to punish a Guild member for obeying the Guildpact.

This is the most important law, but also the law that ended up destroying the Guildpact. House Dimir’s duty is literally to oppose the Guildpact, so when their Parun decided to kill the Boros Parun in broad daylight and got arrested by a Boros Wojek, the system kinda broke itself. Punishing a Guild for obeying the Guildpact by disobeying the Guildpact, resulting in: Error.4 *does not compute*

Fast-forward to the days of Jace Beleren as the Living Guildpact, and the laws have changed somewhat. The only laws that are still magically binding are the laws Jace verbally confirms. Once he does that, the person he says it to need only speak the law aloud and it’s an instantly unbreakable magical effect.

Now comes the tricky, difficult, infuriating part. For being so vitally important to Ravnican life, we don’t actually know what most, or really almost any, of the laws are. How are players supposed to utilize the effects of written laws if they don’t actually exist? Why didn’t WotC release an official Guildpact? That’s because a document that can actually encompass everything the Guildpact is theoretically supposed to be able to do would be an absolutely massive undertaking for a Card Game Company that doesn’t really need it for their card game, just for those of us playing D&D in their setting. Furthermore, even if they did put in the work, create a document, and release it; the internet (that’s us!) would tear it apart for flaws & loopholes. The internet would give the Orzhov, the Dimir, and the Rakdos a run for their money. Hence WotC doesn’t want to do this because it’s literally just a recipe for self-defeat, migraines, and disaster.

So instead, they give us little bits here & there. Promotional materials, card flavor texts, character stories, etc. Here is pretty much everything I’ve been able to gather that is either an Official Guildpact Law, references Law Magic, sounds close enough to Law Magic, or even just sounds true enough to the spirit of a Guild’s core beliefs to be potentially acceptable for invoking Guildpact Magic:

General Laws

*Petty theft is a violation of personal property with a charge dependent on judicial ruling. (Family Values)

*In consonance with the New Accord of the Guild of Ravnica, you are granted the right of exposure and are obligated by duty to present your evidence of financial corruption to the Living Guildpact. (Family Values)

*The Living Guildpact rules that coffee is an acceptable substitution for rest, as specified in subsection . . . whatever. (Catching Up)

*The magic of the Guildpact gives aegis to the spirits pressed into its service. Upon entering the afterlife, they find new focus and are charged with defending the Guildpact against those who would see it broken. (Guardian of the Guildpact)

Azorius Senate

*You have the right to remain silent. (Azorius Arrester)

*Your potential to commit a crime warrants further investigation. (Azorius Justiciar)

*To prevent action is to prevent transgression. (Inaction Injunction)

*We have confiscated your spells as evidence. Once we conclude our investigation, you may petition to have them returned. (Render Silent)

*Thanks to the magic in his Writ of Passage, alms beasts lumbered aside, anarchs bowed their heads, and even Rakdos acrobats rolled their spikewheels out of his way. (Azorius Knight-Arbiter)

*....A clause that ties the average length of prison sentences to recidivism rates. Theoretically, we could end up having negative-term sentences should the rate fall low enough.... Referenced an ancient Azorius Law, 394-H. (The Ascension of Reza)

*Azorius Law 3455-J: Failure to submit proper identification will result in detention for an indefinite amount of time. (The Ascension of Reza)

*If it happened in the Thinktank, I'm afraid we have no jurisdiction there. (The Ascension of Reza)

*Azorius Law 2795-V, Non-compliance with arresters.... (The Ascension of Reza)

*Azorius Law 3343-J, Traveling in a stolen vehicle.... (The Ascension of Reza)

*By the prerogative writ of emergency, and by a unanimous vote, I hereby declare Hendrik Azmerak Grand Arbiter pro tem of the Thinktank Enclave. As the leader of your people, do I have your permission to put the following law into effect? (The Ascension of Reza)

*To be Azorius is to serve as an exemplary model of moral conduct. (Azorius Guild Kit Instruction)

*Always keep your uniform pressed and your armor polished, in accordance with Regulation 654.2, Part 87, Section 28. (Azorius Guild Kit Instruction)

*Should you witness a criminal act, signal the Sky Hussars immediately and begin documenting the occurrence and details of the crime scene. (Azorius Guild Kit Instruction)

Boros Legion

*Your brother’s crimes are your crimes. You stood by and lent support, so you too must face judgement. (Wojek Embermage)

*It promises protection to those in need and proclaims a warning to any who would threaten Ravnican law. (Boros Guildgate)

*Stand tall. Even your posture should embody justice! (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*Act with honor, in all things. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*Protect the innocent, at any cost. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*You are never truly off-duty. Evil never rests! (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*Stay in top physical condition. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*If you see evil, crush it. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

House Dimir

*All those who trade in questions must answer to the Dimir. (Citywatch Sphinx)

*Welcome to the Dimir Public Offices. Not responsible for death or loss of property. Basement off-limits. (Dinrova Horror)

*Do not disclose your affiliations with REDACTED (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Extract knowledge whenever possible. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*No fact is unimportant. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Always REDACTED. Never REDACTED. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Be invisible, silent, and ethereal. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Know every exit from any building. it could save your life. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

Golgari Swarm

*Waste nothing. Seek value in what they discard. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*Death is no excuse to abandon your responsibilities. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*Take pride in the decay that fuels our kingdom. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*Fear neither Death nor Darkness. They can be your greatest allies. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*You are now a part of the Swarm. Every action you take should serve the interests of the Guild, so that we may all rise together. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

Gruul Clans

*We are the heart of the wild, the fire in its eyes, and the howl in its throat. Come, join the battle to which you were born. (Gruul War Chant)

*Nature is the ultimate mindless destroyer, capable of power and ferocity no army can match, and the Gruul follow its example. (Savage Twister)

*They are the voice of the wild, crying out with nature’s fury and bringing forth its primeval might. (Wild Cantor)

*Enter and leave the shackles of society behind. (Gruul Guildgate)

*Burn. Smash. Fight. Win. (Gruul Guild Kit Instructions)

Izzet League

*The only action worth taking is one with an unknown outcome. (Nivix Guildmage)

*Erase “impossible” from your vocabulary. (Izzet Guild Kit Instructions)

*Strive to discover something NEW every day! The point of science is not to endlessly confirm what is known- it is to map the barriers of reality to better demolish them. (Izzet Guild Kit Instructions)

Orzhov Syndicate

*Article 12 of the Orzhovniha, a governing person of Orzhov recognition may be granted entrance to the Obzedat's Chamber with proof of identity. (Family Values)

*Entrance is free. Donations are required. (Syndic of Tithes)

*Alms coins are only redeemable at Orzhov businesses. (Alms Beast)

*The fine print of countless contracts has ensured we are never defenseless. (Immortal Servitude)

*The rights of ghosts are strictly protected under Orzhov bylaws, and those who enforce them can count on the ghosts’ assistance. (Imperious Oligarch)

*Pay in gold. Pay in blood. Pay with the servitude of your spirit kin But pay you must. (Pitiless Pontiff)

*We have no need for military might. We wield two of the sharpest swords ever forged: Faith in our left hand, Wealth in our right. (Castigate)

*Remember by whose gift you ascend. (Gift of Orzhova)

Cult of Rakdos

*If the pig’s blood drips on you, you’re next on the chain. (Gore-House Chainwalker)

*Never suffer alone. That’s selfish. Pain is meant to be shared with others! (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Revel in your pain, in all pain, for it is freedom! No wound compares to the suffering of a dull, law-abiding life. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Make a grand spectacle of your pain, and play to your audience! If they aren’t screaming, laughing, or both, your performance has failed. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Blood and fire look good on everyone. And make excellent decorations. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Always be creative, especially in your bloodiest ventures. New modes of carnage delight the Lord of Riots, and it is wise to seek his favor. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

Selesnya Conclave

*So many oppose us, but we are the reed that bends without breaking. (Druid’s Deliverance)

*From the seeds of faith, great forests grow. (Scatter the Seeds)

*Within the song of Mat’Selesnya, one becomes all. (Camaraderie)

*No one in the Conclave acts alone. (Armada Wurm)

*Just as leaves fall and the tree blooms again, one day I will fall and the Conclave will endure. (Conclave Cavalier)

*Whatever hatred destroys, a single act of trust can revive. (Emmara, Soul of the Accord)

*We are the shield that never breaks, the bough that never burns, the song that can never be silenced. (Join Shields)

*When you hold a shield, lend your shield. (Privileged Position)

*There are no soloists in the chorus of Selesnya. (Trostani, Selesnya’s Voice)

*Enter and rejoice! The Conclave stands united, open to one and all. (Selesnya Guildgate)

Simic Combine

*Life has no mistakes, only experiments. (Skitter Eel)

*Within each of us, the potential for great power waits to be unleashed. (Sauroform Hybrid)

*Look beyond, to the vascular awareness that all life is a map to greater knowledge. (Momir Vig, Biomancy, Volume I) (Biomantic Mastery)

*As I contemplate what is, I dive ever deeper into the depths of possibility. Then I set an experiment in motion and watch the truth rise to the surface. (Gyre Engineer)

*Fruits of magic, roots in science. (Vigean Hydropon)

*The unnatural pressures of life in this city are best withstood by lifeforms that adapt with unnatural swiftness. (Novigen, Heart of Progress)

*Mystery is beauty. Within the unknown we plumb revelation. (Simic Guildgate)

*Analyze every living thing you see, from the smallest tadpole to the mightiest dragon. Each one holds unique secrets of life, ready to be unlocked through careful study. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

*Modification of another’s body without their express permission will not be tolerated. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

*Learn to see the patterns all around you; let them illuminate truths that transcend species. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

*When you study a life form, identify its weaknesses, then eliminate them. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

[aion-rsa]

Shameless Season 11 Episode 11 Review: The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits

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This Shameless episode contains spoilers.

Shameless Season 11 Episode 11

“We’re adults now. This is what adults do. They move on.”

Shameless tows the line over whether Frank Gallagher is actually wise or just so high on his own supply that he’s convinced himself that he’s a street smart genius. The truth of the matter is irrelevant because either way Frank still makes bold declarations as if they were the word of God. He’s a non-stop repository for nonsensical advice and Frank’s teachings have been present through every season, even if they’re lessons that the Gallaghers actively ignore. 

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” pushes a narrative where characters need to either move forward or slow down, but a greater source of wisdom that influences the episode’s structure is the laundry list of life lessons that Frank has spewed out for eleven seasons. This direction turns Shameless’ penultimate episode into one of the most emotional and impressive entries of the season and provides the right direction for next week’s big finale.

Previous seasons of Shameless frequently treat Frank like an unrepentant derelict and there are times where he even operates as an outright villain. This final season has worked hard to humanize Frank as he transitions into this feeble stage of his life and it’s been a very powerful experience. Now, an episode away from the very end of Shameless, Frank is at his absolute worst and at this point there’s no hatred towards this passive father figure, only pity. William H. Macy looks utterly lost in these scenes and he’s really put everything into this final season. Macy actually deserves some award consideration when the time comes and this is the episode that he should submit. 

Frank is usually the one that drives the chaos forward in Shameless, right down to the previous episode, but “The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” turns into a somber celebration of all things Frank Gallagher as Liam graciously tries to remind Frank of the indomitable fighting spirit that’s defined him for his entire life. Liam throws Frank’s own advice back at him when he tells him, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” 

This episode feeds off of the energy between Liam and Frank from the previous installment and it’s appropriate that Liam is the one that’s with Frank during his weakest moments. Frank can rest easy knowing that Liam is living proof that goodness has come out of all of his selfish behavior over the years and somehow this child has been able to synthesize his ramblings into practical advice.

It’s a lot of fun to return to this farcical side of Frank’s character, but the comedic sensibilities of Shameless continue to be all over the place this season. There are some legitimately funny and subtle jokes throughout this episode, but there are also ridiculous setpieces where good samaritans get steamrolled by a truck. Shameless has always had a dark sense of humor, but it needs to have a little more confidence in itself and not resort to such broad gags that come close to breaking the reality of the show’s universe. Mickey’s consternation over housing complex guidelines feels more natural, and is funnier, than fatality punchlines or extended TikTok dance routines. 

Mickey and Ian’s time in Chicago’s West Side becomes surprisingly fulfilling and it achieves the right balance between comedy and drama. This new lifestyle puts Mickey and Ian at odds with each other and it becomes a strong dissection of their characters as well as how far their relationship has come. Their material is full of great character moments, like how Mickey needs to listen to car crashes and general destruction as a white noise machine to help him peacefully fall asleep. Mickey’s discomfort over his new life becomes so severe that he has to sneak back into the Gallagher house and get up close and personal with the crime and chaos that echoes through the South Side. 

I don’t expect Mickey to completely regress and be unable to forge ahead with Ian in this marginally swankier life, but this feels like a reasonable temporary hurdle for him to clear before the series concludes. Despite how this West Side lifestyle is a productive change for Ian and Mickey, it’s still something that Ian made official while Mickey wasn’t completely on board. It’s an understandable schism between them and the episode is smart to tease them falling back onto old habits, only to do the opposite. 

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” teases infidelity and disappointing decisions, but their selfless resolution to the problem is one of the sweetest moments from the entire season and basically what I’ve wanted from these two all season. Every character in Shameless has been through a tremendous amount this season and it’s impressive how Mickey and Ian’s conflict resolution methods have evolved from the volatile place that they were at when the season began.

Mickey and Ian display genuine maturity with their relationship issues and it’s a level of synergy and consistency that Debbie craves. Everyone is considerably worn down from the events of the season and is close to their breaking points, which in Debbie’s case finally causes her to take a long look at why her romantic endeavors have all been so toxic. This introspective attitude is good for Debbie, yet the victim mentality that she adopts and her anger that Frank has “ruined love for her” is a little too simplistic. Debbie has been in healthy relationships that failed because of preventable problems that she instigated. 

Debbie polls the people in her life on how to build connections and stay together when her family is on the cusp of separation, which does carry a level of poignancy, even if not all of the insight that she acquires from the experience is healthy. It’s a storyline that works as well as it does here specifically because it’s juxtaposed around so many changes and goodbyes. Debbie does productive work to better herself, but the direction of her endgame is more than a little confusing. 

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” parses out several scenes where an aggressive woman named Heidi causes a wave of mayhem promptly after she’s released from prison. Initially it looks like Heidi’s roaring rampage will intersect with Carl’s new police gig and provide him an opportunity to take down this menace and become a hero again on the force. That’s not at all what happens and it’s madness that Heidi is meant to instead provide closure for Debbie! 

Heidi literally threatens to shoot Franny with a revolver and minutes later Debbie is ready to spend the rest of her life with this loose cannon. The most frustrating thing is that next week’s series finale will likely hint at a happy future for this fresh couple, but based on everything that’s known about both of these characters it seems like it’s destined to go up in flames, perhaps even more quickly than previous relationships.

Carl doesn’t get to take out an angst-ridden recidivist, but he does still find some peace and gain a better understanding of his calling after a season of being frustrated. Carl’s impassioned speech is long overdue, eloquent as hell, and completely right. It also would have been justified several episodes back, but at this point Carl’s pent up frustration over what he’s witnessed at the police department makes sense. 

It’s encouraging that Carl embraces his demotion and uses it to find clarity. It’s still hard to say if this police direction for Carl’s character was worth it in the end, but thankfully it doesn’t suck out his soul or leave him bitter at the world. Joshua Malina is such a hyperbolized schlub through all of this, which is entertaining and also reflects the greater level of incompetence that surrounds Carl while he attempts to do honest police work. 

Carl and many of the Gallaghers are caught in flux when it comes to their new lives, but Kevin and Vee already have Chicago in their rearview mirrors. Vee and Kevin represent a force of confidence and their resolve towards Louisville inadvertently helps many of the Gallaghers work through their own sources of stress. It even feels natural that the person that Kevin and Vee sell their house off to turns into a break for Lip to diminish the colony of ulcers that have been brewing in him all season. This blessed development also doesn’t feel contrived because it’s an opportunity that Lip ultimately botches. 

Liam reminds Frank that he’ll have both good and bad days, but this cautionary advice becomes even more applicable to Lip’s story. It’s heartbreaking how everything sours for Lip and there’s such palpable tension through it all. This is supposed to be Lip’s easy way out to a happy ending and it instead quickly becomes a nightmare. It’s very clear that something is about to go wrong and just how poorly Lip has handled this situation. It’s a slow motion car crash of drama to the worst degree.

This sword is left to hang over Lip as the episode concludes and he almost seems to accept the cloud of hopelessness that’s formed over him. It’s a sad, hollow version of Lip that doesn’t feel dissimilar to Frank Gallagher and his decision to go out on his own terms. Frank’s concluding moments are devastating, but they’re also the only time in the episode where he feels empowered. It’s a turn that fundamentally changes the tone for Shameless’ series finale and has the potential to bring out the best in each character. There’s now a small sliver of hope that Fiona might show up, whereas I was previously convinced that this was impossible.

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” is the strongest episode of Shameless’ final season, it contains some of William H. Macy’s absolute best work from the show, and it instills some optimistic confidence for what the series has planned for its final installment. The Gallaghers’ lives are far from over and there’s still a lot that these characters need to figure out before the series’ conclusion. The tragedy that strikes in the episodes’s final moments is a strong catalyst that should bring everyone together and deliver a series finale that’s just as much about togetherness and supporting each other as it is about new beginnings and closing the door on the past. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

It will also absolutely end on its own terms, just like Francis Gallagher.

The post Shameless Season 11 Episode 11 Review: The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[shadowtarot]

Wild Card Theory: The True Potential And Power They Hold

As I was browsing through Arena’s various stories, a particular one caught my interest. That of Elizabeth’s. But not for the details of her own Journey, but rather what she faced...and how it connects to several things. 

Have the Wild Cards been holding back with their powers, even when faced with their ultimate threats?

Another absurd claim is probably what this seems like at first. But there’s a lot of evidence to support this from just about every game that’s been released since the concept of the Wild Card has been introduced into the series. But I’m going to go a bit out of order here. So let’s talk first about Akechi.

An outlier in the grand sceme of Wild Cards, he doesn’t seem to have much going for him. Two Persona to his name? A power all his own that no one else has? Not that big of a deal, right? Well I’d like to refer you to this post of mine from a while back. 

Sounds like my Yu post from before right? Forced awakening combined with a restrain of power and ability to forge bonds. Akechi is or perhaps rather, was living proof that you can try to strip a Wild Card of most everything they have, and they can still manage to undermine you in some fashion. He still formed one bond in the end after all. And he still had his ability to cause Psychotic Breakdowns.

So how much stronger would Akechi be if he wasn’t held back? Well maybe I should remind you of a line stated by Makoto after the boss fight: “We were only able to win because we all worked together” 

Akechi is restrained, mind you, so even then he’s still such a threat that it takes a whole team just to outmatch him. And given his antagonistic nature and the fact he was legit trying to kill the thieves, he probally would have been able to should there be no restraints whatsoever on him.

Which brings us to Minato, Yu and Ren. 

These three have stayed on the right path their whole Jouneys, and reaped the rewards of Bonds as a result. But they never seem to go overkill.

Except, there is a few times where they do. 

For Minato in the Movies, or rather Makoto in this case, he acts with reckless abandon as he uses Orpheus, never even letting his teammates get many hits in once he arrives on the scene back in the first Movie. As the Movies go on, of course he starts to work better with his friends. But...he always had the potenal to get worse. And it all comes down to one thing:

Think back to Akechi and how unhinged he was. He had NO BONDS. Left unchecked, this could be the fate of Minato, Yu and Ren. The power of the Wild Card, while a blessing given it’s over all rarity, is also a bit of a curse.

The power it holds far exceeds that of any average Persona user, as the power of limitless possibility. Zero.

It’s tempting.

Powerful.

And it’s a gift that comes only to those who have shouldered something tragic, but have the willpower to shift that experience into something positive. 

 It may be loss.

Miss-treatment

Displacement

Or Injustice

The power granted by fate, if left to run free, can cause trouble. 

This is why the contract exists. Not to allow access to Velvet Room, but to make sure this power is monitored. 

Akechi and Sho both are examples of what can happen if the Power of the Wild Card is left without someone to watch over it and with no bonds to their name. Even restrained, it can kill thousands. 

Even if premature, it has the power to go up against a god.

Even if the World is never obtained, it can still be deadly. 

But even with all of that...is that truly the limit? 

When Yu is defeated by Elizabeth in her story, his friends rush to his aide and despite his injuries quite possibly making him slowly bleed out, he stands up and power radiates from him that scares her.

Nothing in any Persona game has ever been able to shake an Attendant. And it was revealed to be connected to Yu’s bonds. We never get to see just what this sudden and dramatic spike in Yu’s Spitrual power is, but this is proof of one thing.

When a Wild Card is down to their last bits of life....a new form of power shall shine through. 

As their own personal chains break.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Lone Wolf? Analyzing Digimon's Matt

Toei Animation’s 2020 re-imagining of Digimon Adventure has not only brought back familiar faces, but also a whole new take on beloved characters. First airing in 1999, Digimon Adventure was created as an adaptation of the then-new Bandai Tamagotchi spin-off virtual pet franchise, Digimon. Since its original broadcast run from 1999 to 2000, the series has spawned various sequel series, movies, and OVAs, including the recent Digimon Adventure Tri. For the newly initiated, this soft reboot of Digimon Adventure is the perfect point of entry for those who never saw the original. 

  If you have a favorite DigiDestined, however, get ready for some changes. Of the chosen children, one is notably different: everyone’s favorite brooding embodiment of friendship, Matt.

    A Lone Wolf After All?

  Matt appears in front of Tai in the Digital World

  For Digimon veterans, the first few episodes of Digimon Adventure: (2020) start on a very different note compared to the 1999 original. By the first episode, Tai and Matt encounter each other in the Digital World. Except — Matt is already there by the time Tai arrives. Together they join forces and form Omnimon, a powerful Digimon created from the fusion of their partners Agumon and Gabumon. Does any of this ring a bell? This Digivolution first occurred in Mamoru Hosoda's 2000 Our War Game OVA, which chronologically takes place after the events of the 1999 anime. Ironically, the second episode titled “War Game” borrows the same premise of stopping a missile from landing in Tokyo. Rather than symbolizing the power of Tai and Matt's friendship after a long journey, this new version of Digimon Adventure presents Omnimon as proof of an untested alliance. Instead of starting from the beginning, it’s almost as though we’re starting from the end.

  But this still begs the question — why is Matt already in the Digital World? Cool kid points?

    Matt and Tai stand on Omnimon's shoulders

  Compared to Tai and friends, this new version of Matt is an early bird. In fact, he's already shown riding Garurumon, Gabumon’s champion evolution. This suggests Matt might already have an established bond with Gabumon. This first impression of Matt — originally brushed off as a stereotypical “lone wolf” — offers us a fresh new take on what he has to offer.

  In classic Digimon Adventure, Matt is first depicted hanging out alone, dubbed a "lone wolf" by Tai. As a self-appointed guardian for his little brother T.K., Matt is cautious but still impulsive, constantly butting heads with Tai. After being transported into the Digital World with the other kids, Matt slowly begins opening up to the others. He reveals to Tai that his parents were divorced and that protecting T.K. has become a huge part of his identity. But being so wrapped up in watching out for his brother, Matt takes it personally when T.K. starts growing into his own. What’s a lonely boy with a harmonica to do except moodily ride his wolf into nothingness?

  Of all the kids, Matt is the first to break away from the group by choice in search of some soul-searching. After acquiring the Crest of Friendship — tags the Digidestined obtain to further their Digimon’s potential — Matt seriously begins questioning whether or not he has “grown.” A brief stint back in the real world before returning to the Digimon World to finish off the Dark Masters makes Matt realize that his family probably isn’t getting back together, whether he accepts it or not. After being confronted by Cherrymon, a Digimon scheming to turn the DigiDestined against each other, Matt is encouraged to cut out his supposed enemies — namely Tai — and forge his own path.

    Matt doubts if T.K. really needs him anymore Image via Hulu

  Despite the irony of having the Crest of Friendship, Matt chooses to temporarily break away from the others, admitting that T.K. can take care of himself and beginning the process of sorting through his angst. Sure, he cries a little when Tai punches him in the face, but what does that have to do with getting over your crippling self-doubt and anxiety? Self-reflection is uncool and overrated, right? Right? OK, maybe not.

  If this version of Matt taught us anything, it’s that trying to play tough all the time doesn’t help. In fact, it might end up backfiring in the end.

  Friendship Dilemma

  As it turns out, Matt isn’t exactly a “lone wolf” after all.

  Let’s dig a little. The Crest of Friendship doesn’t symbolize what Matt already has, but something he needs to actively work toward. Inevitably, Matt will have to return to the real world after his Digital World adventure. If Tai is brazenly courageous and Izzy is obviously hungry for knowledge, can we necessarily say Matt starts off as a social butterfly? Not exactly.

    Matt watches T.K. reunite with his mom after returning from the Digital World Image via Hulu

  Matt accepts he can’t change his family. Having time alone forces him to realize he needs to look inside in order to not only survive the Digital World, but to cope outside of it as well. Because, despite how cool your giant blue wolf looks, it doesn’t fix a complicated, real-life family dynamic. This tension ultimately reaches a fever pitch when Matt, more depressed than ever after splitting from the group, loses himself inside a strange cave. Here, Matt confesses he’s pushed people away because, if his family didn’t want him, then why bother opening up to anyone ever again? Can anyone truly love a brooding, seemingly antisocial teenager with boyband hair?

    "Let's make a promise that we'll always be there for each other, no matter what happens. Gabumon and Matt, friends for life." Image via Hulu

  Yes, of course. And not only that. In this memorable scene, Gabumon admits it’s okay to cry. If Matt can’t cry in the real world of divorce and being separated from his brother, he can at least cry here, in this allegorical cave. After expelling all his personal demons, Matt learns an important lesson: It’s okay to open up to people and actually show emotion. In a 2006 conversation with fans on the Digimon fansite With the Will, voice actor and scriptwriter Jim Nimoy commented if given the chance to rewrite one Digimon Adventure character, he “would make Matt less of an indecisive guy.” In hindsight, this breaks open Matt’s entire character arc. His main trait isn’t the “lone wolf” but something far more complicated — someone troubled by his own self-doubt.

  Breaking the Fortress of Solitude

  The Crest of Friendship appears in Matt's Digivice as he rescues the others

  In the latest 2020 iteration of Digimon Adventure, Matt helps Tai and company siege an attack on Gorillamon in the eighth episode “The Children's Attack on the Fortress.” Having arrived before everyone else, Matt is seemingly less unfazed by the severe amount of violence aimed at them. Admittedly, it seems like this version of the Digital World is even more hostile, which makes Matt’s stoic demeanor all the more impressive. Despite the fact that Digimon now apparently have access to military-grade weapons, Matt doesn’t concede to Tai’s help until he finally sees the others can hold their ground. For what it's worth, this is what proves them in his eyes — that they can carry their own weight. They aren’t, as Nimoy had pointed out, indecisive.

  The Crest of Friendship briefly appears on Matt’s Digivice, he kicks Gorillamon’s butt, and finally decides Tai and his pals aren’t so bad after all. This version of Matt has, so far, had his entire original arc turned inside-out. Rather than beginning in a group, Matt stakes it out alone, and in a pivotal moment, realizes the powerful potential of friendship. For better or worse, this new Digimon Adventure has already done the legwork of admitting Matt’s more than a two-dimensional “lone wolf.” Having essentially addressed an arc that previously took at least 50 episodes to reach by Episode 8, it seems as though Matt may serve a very different role than before.

    Matt and Gabumon make new friends

  While this doesn’t exactly answer the specifics of why he’s already in the Digital World, it does tell us this: If even Matt can have a change of heart so soon, there’s no telling what else is in store for the others. The kids will certainly have an unprecedented set of challenges awaiting them. With everyone rounded up together now (sans a certain pair of younger siblings), this is just the beginning of a new twist on the status quo. Maybe Matt's truly a social butterfly in wolf’s clothing after all? It's a brave, all new Digital World out there.

  How do you feel about Matt in Digimon Adventure? Let us know in the comments below!

        Blake P. is a weekly columnist for Crunchyroll Features. His favorite Digimon is Patamon. His twitter is @_dispossessed. His bylines include Fanbyte, VRV, Unwinnable, and more.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[revisitedgrunt]

RWBY:  Is Yang Gay?  Part two.  I talk about Blake.  A lot!

I’m all caught up.  Volume 6 has been amazing, for me it’s right up there with Volume 3 in terms of quality and how much I’m enjoying it.

Thanks to everyone that reassured me I wasn’t seeing things.  It was nice to know that you all came to the same conclusion.

I have a lot of thoughts, so this is going to be really long.  Really, really long.  If you make it through this novel, you’re awesome and you have too much time on your hands.

Let’s start with Yang.  No confirmation on the show, but chapters 5 and 6 erased any lingering doubts I had that Yang doesn’t love Blake.  It’s funny that for the last two volumes we’ve had Yang insisting she was fine, that she didn't need any help and refusing to talk about how traumatic that night was for her.  She didn’t talk to Weiss, her Dad, her uncle or Ruby, but the second she’s alone with Blake, even with all the tension, guilt and hurt feelings between them, she opens up.  She finally admits she’s not fine, she tells Blake she’s having hallucinations and even lets Blake see her hand tremor.  The look she gives Blake when Blake says she isn’t leaving is so warm and soft.  This is the third time we’ve see Yang express vulnerability and all of them involved Blake.

Chapter 6 sealed the deal.  Having just escaped almost death, and still in a lot of danger, what does Yang do?  She doesn’t shout for everyone to get out, she doesn’t try to help her drunk uncle, she doesn’t even grab her sister, the girl she raised.  She grabs Blake and runs for it.  Scared out of her mind, Yang’s first instinct is to protect the person she loves most.  If they wanted to remove any romantic elements, they could have accomplished the same thing by having Yang yell at everyone to get out, and then run with Blake following behind her.  They didn’t, this scene was deliberately written and animated the way it was to convey Yang’s love for Blake.  

Before I move onto Blake, a few people told me to listen to BMBLB and All That Matters.  BMBLB was really cute, but I understand it’s non-canon and isn’t in the show.  Apparently the only reason the song happened was because the writer wanted to see if he could write a happy love song.  However, considering all the characters we have in RWBY, it does make me wonder why he picked Blake and Yang.

All That Matters is bonkers.  The crazy thing is, this song is canon!  It’s the type of song you write when someone has broken your heart.  The soft vocals, the sad, heartfelt lyrics, the understated music.  There’s no way anyone could argue this isn’t about love and heartbreak.  This song is all the proof anyone needs that Yang loves Blake.

In conclusion, Yang is gay for Blake and probably has been for the entire run of the show.

Now, let’s talk about Blake.  Before I really get into it, I burst out laughing when Ilia told Blake she’d had feelings for her.  For a show that doesn’t focus on romance, Sun, Yang, Adam and Ilia have all fallen for her.  I get it, it’s Blake, but come on, that catgirl gets all the love interests.  

It’s been really difficult for me to pin Blake down.  I think that was intentional, very good writing and makes Blake a more complex character.  After Adam, Blake would be very guarded, wouldn’t broadcast her emotions, especially romantic ones and probably wouldn't be thinking about starting a new romance for a while.

For most of the first three volumes, Sun seems positioned to be Blake's love interest.  The look they shared when they first met, and her blushing when he flexed indicated she found him attractive.  They also have several cute scenes together and there were hints of something developing, but I never saw a key, indisputable moment in the first three volumes that indicated Blake wanted a romantic relationship with him.  However, as Sun was interested in Blake and Blake found him attractive, I assumed he would be her love interest and they would get together at a later point.

The relationship between Blake and Yang is interesting in volumes 1 - 3.  They seem to bond quickly, contrasting with Ruby and Weiss, who do not, and their bond deepens as the show continues.  Yang even fills the role normally reserved for the love interest in certain scenes.  I have to talk about the scene in V3:C11 because it’s pretty significant.  Adam tells Blake he’ll destroy everything she loves.  Yang shouts out.  Adam and Blake look at Yang.  Adam sees the expression on Blake’s face and says “Starting with her.”  Here the show explicitly tells us that Blake loves Yang.  An argument could be made that this means platonic love.  I love my friends, we all do.  However, if we look at this thematically, it could easily mean romantic love.  It’s the ex-love interest threatening to kill the new love interest, something commonly seen it many stories.  This would make sense and carry more narrative weight, but I find it impossible to completely rule out the platonic love explanation.       

Watching volumes 4 and 5, I was positive that Blake and Sun would start their romantic relationship.  Both are separated from their teams, they work together closely and spend a lot of time with each other.  Sun even meets Blake’s parents (who are awesome) and I got the impression Sun was staying at their house.  Menagerie itself is a beautiful, tropical island.  Everything was in place for Blake and Sun to start their romance, this was the perfect time to pull the trigger, and then nothing happened.  They certainly grew closer, but it was similar to Volumes 1 - 3.  They shared some cute moments that hinted that something could happen, but there wasn’t that key moment that convinced me Blake wanted to make things romantic.  I have to admit, when the Menagerie arc came to an end and Blake and Sun were still platonic, I was incredibly surprised.  If the writers had planned a romantic relationship between Blake and Sun, there was nothing stopping it from happening in Volume 5.  

In V5:C13, we get the scene where Blake reunites with Ruby, Weiss and Yang.  Blake and Yang certainly have a moment.  I don’t think Blake signalling Yang out was inherently romantic.  It was significant, but I could attribute that to surprise or guilt.  Yang, however, was so focused on Blake, Ruby had to snap her out of it.  More proof Yang is gay for Blake.

There was a moment in V5:C14 between Blake and Yang that I couldn’t write off as plutonic.  It’s something I’ve done a lot, I’m sure most of you probably have as well.  You’re staring at someone you’re into, they look at you, you’re surprised and embarrassed so you quickly look away, only to look back again because you can’t take your eyes off them.  Blake does this to Yang.  Was this confirmation Blake liked Yang?  It was certainly on par with Blake blushing at Sun, so I had to conclude that Blake was attracted to, and potentially had romantic feelings, for both Sun and Yang.

Given that Blake and Sun hadn’t happened, I started to wonder if I’d been wrong about Blake’s designated love interest.  I had assumed it was Sun, given their attraction and their story potentially being an archetypal romance, by which I mean the handsome, fun-loving guy (Sun) breaks down the walls of the closed off girl (Blake).  I then realised that wasn’t the only archetypal romance going on.  I was also, potentially, seeing two people growing closer, only to be pulled apart, who reunite later and forge an even stronger relationship.  Had Yang been Blake’s love interest all this time?  I found it really interesting that both Blake/Sun and Blake/Yang could fit into an archetypal romantic relationship.

I’m sorry, this is so long.  I really do have a lot of thoughts about all this.     

V6:C1 was interesting.  I really like Sun and was sad to see him go.  My love for him grew a thousand fold when he spoke to Neptune.  Unfortunately, in a lot of stories and even in real life, a guy will do something for a girl because he wants a reward, usually the girl herself.  Worryingly a lot of media does reward the guy, which sets a bad example.  I was thrilled when Sun said he didn’t help Blake for romantic reasons, he helped her because she needed support and he didn’t expect anything in return.  I cannot stress how much I loved this, Sun is so pure and awesome.  The scene with Blake and Sun was really cute.  Once again, there weren't any overt romantic allusions.  Even knowing that she won’t see him for a while, Blake kisses him on the cheek, which is inherently plutonic.  I would not have been surprised if there had been a soft, peck on the lips, to hint that their relationship was developing, or may do so in the future, but there wasn’t.

For the rest of the Volume we’ve had Blake hyper-focused on Yang.  Not unsurprising, considering the guilt Blake must feel, but at times it seems a bit excessive.  In pretty much every scene, Blake is looking at Yang.  There’s a line between being worried for your friend and unable to keep your eyes off her.  It seems that sometimes Blake crosses that line, which could hint at feelings deeper than just guilt.

In Chapter 6, Blake is quick to volunteer to search the buildings with Yang and looks sad when Yang isn’t happy about it.  This isn’t inherently romantic and could be Blake wanting to mend their friendship.  I find it interesting that Blake finally opens up about Adam’s abuse, something she hasn’t done with anyone else.  This parallels Yang being vulnerable and could hint at a similar depth of feeling.  Or it could be argued that she’s doing it to help Yang by showing her she’s not the only one suffering trauma.  The hand holding was very heartwarming and a surprising show of physical intimacy by Blake.  The look she gives Yang is so open and earnest, but she’s given Sun somewhat similar looks.  There is a weight to this scene though, there are clearly very strong emotions in play here and it’s obvious they care for each other deeply.  

There are definitely some indications this volume that Blake could have romantic feelings for Yang.  I even get the impression that this is where it’s going.  Although I had the same thought in Volume 5 for Blake and Sun and nothing happened.  However, I’ve noticed a difference between Volume 5 and Volume 6.  For the most part, Blake and Sun’s interactions were light and fun, they didn't get too deep or heavy with each other.  Blake and Yang are the opposite, it's more personal and a lot of complex emotions are involved.

My own personal opinion, as of V6:C8, is that there hasn't been a moment where Blake has shown an indisputably romantic interest in either Sun or Yang.  The scene in V3:C11 comes the closest, but I can’t completely rule out that meaning platonic love.  There have certainly been hints on both sides, but nothing 100% definitive.  Her blushing at Sun and looking away/looking back at Yang would seem to indicate she's attracted to both of them, so all I can say at this point is that both Yang and Sun are viable love interests for her.

However, from a narrative standpoint it seems to me like Blake and Sun had their chance and it didn’t happen, especially as Sun has now left and we have no idea when we'll see him again.  At this moment in the story, and given their interactions have so much emotional weight, a relationship between Blake and Yang seems more likely and would be more interesting.  Sorting through all the messy feelings they have, the hurt, the guilt, the love, repairing their relationship, fighting Adam together and recovering from their shared trauma could be an incredible story.  It would also follow the archetypal love story I mentioned before. 

I thought that would be the end, but when I was proof reading this I was listening to “Red Like Roses”.  It’s from the “Red” trailer, which I think was the first one they released.  I don’t know if these trailers are in canon, or if they have any bearing on the show, but if they do it seems to give us a hint about Blake’s love interest.  

There are lines in the song that reference the four girls.

Ruby:  Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest.

Weiss:  White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test.

Blake:  Black the beast descends from shadows.

Yang:  Yellow beauty burns gold.

That’s some very, very interesting wording for Blake and Yang.  I’m guessing the song writer knew what they were doing and didn’t just pick words at random.  There are specific references to Beauty and the Beast when they describe Blake and Yang.  As you all know this is a very old, and well know, love story.  If this song is in canon, did the writers always intend to have Blake and Yang fall for each other?  If they did, this may be the most well planned, thought out and developed same sex relationship I’ve ever seen.  

That’s it, I’m finally done.  Thank you for letting me ramble on for so long.

[weerd1]

Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1909.17: Missions Reviewed, “Inquisition,” “In the Pale Moonlight,” and “His Way.”

In “Inquisition,” Bashir is repairing Chief’s shoulder after a kayaking accident (again) and preparing to go to a medical conference. When he wakes up for his trip he is remarkably groggy and matters are made worse when he is called to ops because Starfleet Internal Affairs, led by a Director Sloan, has come to investigate DS9’s senior staff as someone has been leaking information to the Dominion. 

After some time confined to quarters, Julian is just briefly questioned by Sloan, but all seems well. Returning to his quarters, he finds they have been searched, and he receives a cryptic message from O’Brien that Miles had been questioned for two hours, and ONLY about Julian. In a second interrogation, Sloan reveals that he believes Bashir was actually turned during his time in a Dominion prison, and has sublimated all memories of this, making him the perfect spy. Sloan admits that Bashir’s motivation is to save lives, hence using the genetically engineered think tank from “Statistical Probabilities” to try and convince the Federation to surrender. Bashir continues to deny, but Sloan, seemingly with no accountability to anyone but himself begins to raise the stakes. Things just become difficult when Julian is suddenly whisked away in a transporter, and finds himself with Weyoun on a Dominion vessel. The Vorta tells him that in fact he HAS been working for the Founders, but now he has been compromised. Bashir, still simply can’t remember any such programming.  Soon after though the Defiant arrives, and Kira and Worf beam over to rescue Bashir. When he’s back on the Defiant though, he is treated as a prisoner.  The crew has turned against him. When even O’Brien literally turns his back on Bashir, Julian reaches out to turn Miles back to him, and realizes that O’Brien doesn’t have the shoulder injury he just treated the day before. Everything disappears and a black-clad Sloan is standing with Julian in a holodeck. Sloan explains to Bashir that he runs a branch of Starfleet intelligence called “Section 31” and all of this has been to confirm Bashir’s loyalty for recruitment into the covert organization.

 Sloan promises Bashir will see him again. Back on DS9, Bashir realizes he’s been gone since the morning he woke up (which was actually after just an hour’s sleep to keep him off balance).  Sisko makes inquiries to Starfleet about Section 31, and the admiralty will neither confirm nor deny their existence. Sisko and Bashir decide they want to infiltrate this organization, so if 31 comes calling again, Sisko advises Bashir to join.

The introduction of something that will become a major plot point throughout the rest of Star Trek. Section 31 will of course continue to appear in DS9 for the rest of the show, we will find out they were already operating in the Earth Starfleet in the 2150s during “Enterprise.” Section 31 is responsible for thawing Khan and trying to provoke a war with the Klingon Empire in “Star Trek Into Darkness.” And finally, the existence and actions of S31 play heavily into the second season of “Discovery.” The Kafka-esque feel of this entire episode is perfect, even if it seems like this is something they would generally do to Miles for the annual “let’s screw with O’Brien” episode. Bashir is a perfect choice though- well placed, genetically engineered, has already made friends with men like Garak, and someone who replicates espionage on the holosuite. Can’t overstate how perfect William Sadler is as Sloan either. It’s a pointed discussion. A utopia like the Federation may not be able to exist without someone behind the scenes doing the wrong things for the right reasons.  At least one of out main crew would never do that, right?

“In the Pale Moonlight,” is told entirely as a personal log entry from Benjamin Sisko. He is talking about how “it all went wrong” when he posted a casualty report; the Federation/Klingon alliance is not doing well against the Dominion. Talking with Dax, he realizes they need to get the Romulans to break their non-aggression pact with the Dominion and come into the Alpha Quadrant alliance. Sisko is convinced that the Founders plan to invade Romulus when the main war is done, but will need proof to get the Romulans to act. He approaches Garak to see if anyone can get such records off of Cardassia, but Garak reports back that the Dominion has killed every operative he still as contact with on Cardassia. 

 Garak suggests faking the proof; he can get a blank Cardassian data rod, and he knows a forger who could build a holo program to demonstrate the “briefing” regarding turning toward Romulus. Sisko is resistant…until another casualty report comes, and Sisko realizes perhaps the ends do justify the means. They proceed with the plan which keeps having moral red flags pop up, but finally convince a Romulan senator to stop at the station and see the “evidence.” The senator analyzes the data and discovers the forgery. He leaves, potentially to tell his government that the Federation tried to trick them into the war, likely leading them to join the Dominion. The senator’s shuttle explodes on the way home, and the Romulans discover the forged rod, believing it to be real and the reason the Dominion destroyed the shuttle. Sisko knows it was Garak who killed the senator (and the forger on the side) and had really planned this from the beginning. But when the Romulans attack the Dominion, Garak tells Sisko they may have saved the Alpha Quadrant, and all it cost was one senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one Starfleet Officer. 

Sisko closes out the dictation of his log:

“So… I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover up the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But most damning of all… I think I can live with it… And if I had to do it all over again… I would. Garak was right about one thing – a guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant. So I will learn to live with it…Because I can live with it…I can live with it. Computer – erase that entire personal log."

I know I say this more than once during this show but: Holy shit. First there’s Avery Brooks’ performance throughout the episode. As he dictates the log he is just mesmerizing to watch. Andrew Robinson as Garak of course is fantastic. This is of course the origin of the internet meme “It’s a FAAAAKE!” from Senator Vrenek. 

And the moral conundrum is really captivating. This is an episode a lot of DS9 detractors use to point out how antithetical they believe DS9 is to “Gene Roddenberry’s vision.” I would argue they forget that classic Trek had many of the same tropes. Watch “Errand of Mercy” and how quickly Kirk and Spock are willing to risk the lives of what they believe to be simple peasants in order to stymie the Klingons. Or “A Private Little War” where Kirk provides rifles to a stone age tribe so the can fight a proxy war against a side supported by the Klingons. Kirk referring to himself as a “soldier” or his line from “A Taste of Armageddon,” “We can admit that we’re killers, but we will not kill today.” Yes, Trek offers a positive view of humanity’s future, but it also uses its science fiction setting to examine the human condition without ever saying humans are perfect. There is no way to examine the human condition without examining what we as a species are willing to do in war. As someone who still periodically has to assess what I did defending my county (and more than once found myself not meeting my own ethical standards) I appreciate Trek asking us to do that, asking us to take a look at ourselves, what we have done, and what we can live with.  I can live with it. I will learn to live with it.

Will you?

“His Way” introduces us to Bashir’s new holosuite program, a swinging 60’s Vegas club and lounge singer named Vic Fontaine. The AI in the program is remarkably astute and quickly sums up everyone Bashir introduces to “Vic.” Even Odo becomes intrigued when Vic looks at he and Kira, begins to ask about their status but shies away. Odo begins to go the holosuite to ask Vic for advice on Kira.

 They run through a series of exercises to help Odo learn to be “smooth,” and eventually program another 60s character, a torch singer based on Kira. Vic actually on his own reaches out to Kira to tell her to be in the holosuite to have dinner with Odo, and tells Odo that they are working with the hologram again.  The two are having a wonderful date when Odo begins to lament that this isn’t the real Kira. When he find out it is he storms out. The two of them meet on the promenade and begin to argue about whether or not they should try it again. “Well then after dinner, I suppose I should try to kiss you then!” Odo shouts. “Maybe!” Kira counters. “Why wait, maybe I should just kiss you now!” “Maybe you should!” and he does.  After five years of mooning over her, Odo and Kira have finally come together.

Oh. MY. GOD. How frickin’ sweet.  This episode is simply adorable, and the whole scene with them on the promenade is just lovely.  Always good to see your OTP (that’s internet talk- “one true pairing”) made canon.  It is just about damn time, and their joining is perfectly executed.  Also, my sincere and heartfelt thanks to whomever on the DS9 writing staff decided we needed to see Kira in a slinky 60s dress perform “Fever” while laying coquettishly across the piano Odo was playing. I just can’t thank you enough for that. 

From the larger Trek standpoint though, we are beginning to deal with questions on the sentience of AI.  Yes, The Doctor over on “Voyager” would seem to have been “awake” long enough to gain a self-awareness, but is Vic simply a hologram, or are these “lightbulbs” a new lifeform as much as Data was on TNG? There are some big SF philosophical questions going on behind this delightfully romantic episode.  

NEXT VOYAGE: Ancient Bajoran prophecy comes back into play as it is Prophet vs. Pah-Wraith in “The Reckoning.”

[asknightqueendany]

Why do people who are stans of a certain redheaded stark girl assume that jaime will pledge his sword to her instead of bran or jon. Bran is the person who Jaime needs to seek forgiveness from (and who is Robb's heir) or Jaime can pledge himself to Jon who is Rhaegar's actually son who Jaime feels he let down. Seriously their Queen of Everything, denigrating other peoples' skills (like arya, jon & bran), elevating their fave skills at others expense is just getting plain old.

I somewhat disagree anon. Yes, her stans make everything about her. But when it comes to Jaime, they’ve got evidence on their side:

“You say Sansa killed him. Why protect her?” Because Joff was no more to me than a squirt of seed in Cersei’s cunt. And because he deserved to die. “I have made kings and unmade them. Sansa Stark is my last chance for honor.” Jaime smiled thinly. “Besides, kingslayers should band together.”

I actually think this is one of the sweetest lines in the whole series, not even joking. If I were going to ship Jaime with anyone aside from Brienne, it would definitely be Sansa.

Sansa is proof that Jaime does honor his promises, even if they’re to an enemy. He swore to Catelyn he’d get Sansa and Arya back to her but since she’s dead, he can at least send Brienne off to see that she’s safe.

The sword Jaime carries was forged from Sansa’s father’s sword, don’t forget, and Jaime still carries it with him. I feel like as long as Jaime has that sword, he does owe Sansa, Arya, and Bran his protection. If he were to give it back to House Stark, only then would I think he’d be free from any debt to them.

So far as Bran goes, yes it would be nice to see Jaime apologize to him. However, with Bran the way he is, he likely won’t get much of a response which will totally ruin the moment.

Jon is a different case. I’ve mentioned before how the scene in 1x01 of them shaking hands always seemed very telling of their relationship or potential one. I would love for Jaime to be Jon’s sworn sword once they all find out the truth but then again, Jaime’s not what he used to be with a sword so it would be kind of pointless.

I would love it if Jaime lived and became Jon’s Hand of the King (quite a few bits of foreshadowing Jaime as possibly Hand of the King) - and Dany could still have her own Hand of the Queen if they all lived.

But anyway, yeah, Jaime’s got connections to all the Starks except Arya. It would be nice to see him interacting with all of them, even Sansa.

[nightqueendany]

I think Jon would be willing to manipulate Daenerys for the sake of the survival of mankind. You Jonerys stans complain about undercover!jon all the time because it hurts Dany’s feelings but the survival of mankind is more important than one woman’s feelings. Jon doesn’t have reason to trust Daenerys. She made him a prisoner when he went there in good faith. Jon has reason to be skeptical of her word. This is a real argument. I’m not trolling. I want to see you refute this.

You are trolling. Didn’t you ask this question to another Dany blog recently? What do you think we’re all gonna say? Are you somehow trying to trip us up into “admitting” you are actually correct and Jon is secretly plotting against Dany…? Cuz if that’s the case, sorry to say, no. Not going to happen.

Obviously I don’t agree with you at all and I think this vein of thought of “you Jonsa stans” is incredibly limited because you want a certain outcome and so you all ignore basically everything else.

1) Would Jon manipulate someone for the sake of mankind?

No. That’s not Jon’s way. I have already done a POST about why Jon infiltrating the wildlings is a completely different situation from Political!Jon so I’m not going to go into that further and recreate the wheel. You want to know why they’re not the same, go read that post.

But more so, Jon wouldn’t even lie to Cersei to secure her truce with Dany. Now a lot of people like to point to the line from the leaked outlines that read something like “loyalty has always turned [Dany] on” as “proof” that Jon is just manipulating her and trying to get her into bed, get her to trust him more, etc. etc. But there are several things wrong with this theory:

Jon has no idea what will turn Dany on. It’s not like they’ve discussed sex or what each other’s sexy-time preferences are. So he can’t say something to turn her on when he doesn’t know if it will turn her on or piss her off. So why would he risk it?

Jon at this point still doesn’t know where he stands with Daenerys relationship-wise. When they’re on the cabin together, she goes to pull away from him and he holds her hand tighter to get her to stay. She still leaves. This is the last scene we see these two together in before the Draonpit meeting. So if that’s the last real intimate encounter Jon has with Daenerys, then her feelings for him are completely unclear. He wanted her to stay. She left. He made his feelings for her pretty clear - taking her hand first, holding her hand tighter, but both times she pulled away from him. So why would he try to do something to “turn her on” when he doesn’t even know if she has feelings for him? Again, if she doesn’t have romantic feelings for him, it’s just going to piss her off.

The Emmy script which you can read HERE says this: This admission shocks Dany, who can’t believe he wouldjeopardize the Great War to tell this truth. So this, plus Dany’s mentioning of the lands she holds in the south - which if you read the older outlines for this scene, she says it, not because she’s selfish as you lot all like to make her out to be, but because she has a responsibility to the people there to protect them and she can’t let what happen to Highgarden happen everywhere else - means Dany would put off heading North in order to defeat Cersei first. There’s no doubt about it. And again, Cersei is a more imminent threat - Sansa agrees - because as of that meeting, the Wall still stood. They have no idea about Wight Viserion so they think the North is still relatively safe. Now to Jon, the Night King is a more serious threat. So why would he tell Cersei the truth, knowing it would mean Dany taking more time to come North because she’d have to defeat Cersei first? Doesn’t. Make. Any. Sense.

2) The assumption that Jon must either betray mankind OR betray Dany…

I have two words for you: FALSE. EQUIVALENCY.

It is NOT an either or situation. Jon does not need to manipulate Dany to save mankind. To think so is foolish and frankly, shitting all over Jon’s character. That’s never been what Jon is about. Jon’s way of getting things done is by telling the truth - the hard truth - and hoping people believe him. He’s never been about flowery words, he’s never been about skirting around the truth. No. Jon tells it like it is and people can either take him or leave him.

So that’s what he does with Daenerys.

IN FACT, Jon somehow plotting to betray Dany WORKS AGAINST HIS INTERESTS and I don’t know why you all Jonsa stans like to pretend that it doesn’t.

Let’s assume for a moment that you’re right. Jon is capable of such deceit and is planning to betray Dany. What are the problems with this?

He has no reason to betray her. She’s on the ship to White Harbor. Her armies are already en route to Winterfell. She’s kept up her end of the bargain. To betray her now would only hurt him.

Say Jon is suspicious of Dany. When is he supposed to get out of this deal with her then? He pledge the North to her. When is he supposed to unpledge it and declare the North independent again? When they arrive at Winterfell? During the fight against the Night King? After the fight? WHEN?

How is Jon supposed to get out of his deal with Dany? Say they survive, Night King gets defeated, all of this with Dany’s help…is he just supposed to be like, sorry we’re out. After the Battle for the Dawn, the North’s numbers would likely be even smaller than they are now. Dany’s would be too, but she’s starting with way more men so she’d still have more when the fighting is over. So is he going to go to war against her? Is he going to kill her?…After all she’s done and sacrificed for him? Is he supposed to pull a Petry and toss her through the Moondoor? How do you envision this going down? Please tell me.

If Jon is plotting to betray Daenerys…he deserves whatever punishment Dany could cook up. He declared her his queen. She’s his queen now. Going against her is treason. If Jon rose up arms against her, Dany would be well within her rights to execute him - Not that I think this would happen, but it’s just facts.

If Jon betrays Dany, goes back on his word to her, she could go back on her word to him and take her armies safely back to Dragonstone. Why would he risk losing his biggest - his only - ally, all for Northern Independence…something Jon hasn’t even fought for or cared about…ever? His worry is the Night King. That’s all he cares about. He doesn’t care about Northern Independence. So why would he risk his people’s lives just to get independence?

3) Jon has reason to be skeptical of Dany’s word because she kept him prisoner…

a) No, she didn’t keep him prisoner. Prisoners aren’t allowed to mine and forge WEAPONS in order to send back home to their people who are still potential enemies to Daenerys as Jon hasn’t bent the knee yet. Jon was on Dragonstone for likely, all of about a week before they spoke on the steps and she gave him the dragonglass. He really can’t have been there longer than that. Tyrion mentions that Jon and Dany have only had a SINGLE meeting when he speaks with Jon on the cliffs. So if they’ve only spoken ONCE, how can Jon have asked prior to this to leave the island and been denied…? That’s right. Because he hasn’t. Until Jon tells Tyrion, “I’d like to leave,” he hasn’t voiced it before to anyone.

And Jon not being allowed to go back to his ship…well, he has his cloak on which he didn’t have before when he first came to Dragonstone so he’s obviously been to his ship at some point to unload all his things… Also, why would Dany allow him back to his ship unsupervised? He’s technically a potential enemy. He has been to her island. He’s got the layout of the land and castle. He could have ships waiting in the Narrow Sea somewhere ready to attack her at his signal. She knows nothing about him and they haven’t come to any kind of agreement or truce. Until then, of course it makes sense Jon can’t go back to his ship. And again, it can’t have been more than a week. Yes, Dany is busy with her war and strategizing in the wake of Euron’s attack…but do you honestly think Jon could go longer than an entire week and not think to mention the dragonglass to anyone??? How dumb do you think he is? He only remembers the dragonglass when Tyrion says “I’m asking if there’s something I can do to help you.” AND DRAGONGLASS WAS THE WHOLE REASON JON WENT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! How could Jon forget for an extended period of time his ENTIRE reason for being there? He wasn’t on Dragonstone long. He never asked to leave until he spoke with Tyrion. How do you call that being a prisoner? And I’ll remind you, when he did tell Daenerys he was leaving, he got to leave. He wasn’t a fucking prisoner.

b) Daenerys has given Jon no reason not to trust her. He asked for the dragonglass; he got it. He asked her to come save him beyond the Wall; she saved him. She even goes so far as to seek out HIS advice over her own Hand AND left him basically in charge while she was away. Look at the Dothraki in this shot:

They are behind JON. They are Dany’s men. Theon is Dany’s official ally and yet the Dothraki do nothing to stop Jon from grabbing Theon…possibly moving to kill him. The Dothraki are there for Jon. They are his men now as much as they are Dany’s. They were likely given orders to listen to Jon, do as he asked, and protect him. Why else would they just let this random Northerner who doesn’t even speak their language, physically threaten one of their queen’s allies? And of course they know Theon is an ally. He has been on the island before with Yara in 7x02. Yet they stand with Jon instead. Telling, no?

When Daenerys returns from her battle, Jon is waiting for her. He asks how things went and she tells him honestly, “I have fewer enemies today than I did yesterday.” She doesn’t sugar coat it for him. She doesn’t lie. She tells him the truth. Her allies were attacked so she went to counter-strike. He now knows what she does to her enemies when they attack her allies and that she puts herself in harms way to do so. She risks herself to retaliate for her allies. That is what Jon knows.

Daenerys hasn’t done anything to be deceitful. She hasn’t tricked anyone. She hasn’t tried to trick Jon. She hasn’t given him any reason at all not to trust her. In fact, she has shown him time and time again that he can trust her and count on her. Free weapons. Retaliating against her enemy for her allies. Coming to rescue a group of men from a mission she didn’t even agree with in the first place when only one of whom was officially pledged to her.

–And side note. Dany didn’t need that Wight. If Jon and co died and she never got that Wight, she would just continue her war with Cersei guilt free and then maybe come help the northerners if they asked once she sat the Iron Throne. She didn’t need that meeting with Cersei. Jon did to get Dany North faster. Dany didn’t need it at all and she didn’t need to save them. So don’t come at me with that utterly stupid argument because it’s bogus.

–And lastly, she pledged to help him when he hadn’t even bent the knee yet. She gave Jon literally EVERYTHING he asked her for without getting anything back. Again, he has absolutely no reason not to trust her.

4) Just to reiterate, on this Northern Fool fallacy…

Robb:

gave his word to marry a Frey daughter

in exchange for his betrothal, he got fighting men and ability to cross the Twins

married someone else - WENT BACK ON HIS WORD

LOST his ALLY

Jon:

was not pledged to marry anyone

DID NOT HAVE AN ALLY

gave his word to Dany, pledging the North for her

GAINS Dany as an ALLY

Robb LOST an ALLY by GOING BACK ON HIS WORD.

How does Jon GOING BACK ON HIS WORD  TO DAENERYS MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE?

For Jon to REPEAT Robb’s mistake, he would have to GO BACK ON HIS WORD TO HIS NEW ALLY.

To AVOID Robb’s mistake, Jon MUST KEEP HIS WORD TO DAENERYS.

FUCKING. SIMPLE.

[gegenji]

Void Where Prohibited?

Clang. Clang. Clang.

The striking of hammer against steel was a constant, soothing thing for the little Lalafellin smith - like listening to the heartbeat of his forge. Fully hale and hearty again thanks to Ms. Fiona's tincture and Ms. Aya's bag of recovery comforts, Chachanji had jumped back into catching up on his work that had slacked due to the grip of the disease. Plus, making the base plates that would later be turned into the various other tools and armor was always a nice time for him to collect his thoughts.

And he had plenty to think about after the meeting.

Chachan hadn't attended a lot of security meetings before, but even he had felt the whole thing hadn't gone very well. First was the part he walked in on - introductions that were quickly stymied by one of the number deciding to play with their cards close to the chest and not even divulging their name as they harangued the rest of the group. The others had responded pretty understandably to it - not wanting to share security information with someone whose attitude seemed to be quite the security risk, later seemingly justified when the figure apparently mentioned bypassing the door guard with some sort of teleport-y rift magic.

The fact said door guard was Hammersmith meant things would have gotten... rather violent should the man have followed through on his idea. Or failed at it due to the wards. Which the Roegadyn seemed to have Plans for if such a thing had happened. Violent Plans.

Speaking of Hammersmith, he had caused his own scene after the meeting had been relocated to one of the smaller rooms of the Clinic. The smoking mountain of a Roegadyn had very Strong Opinions on many things - especially Voidsent and anything related to them. Chachan had heard plenty on that one from Tiroro as well as from Hammersmith himself, so when it came out that the Rangers utilized some sort of void power to combat the voidsent... things went as they usually do when the one-eyed Roegadyn had a Problem with something. Badly.

It didn't help that someone had tried to appease him with some holy water, which he then made a point of spraying on everyone and then lurking outside the meeting hall to dump even more on anyone exiting to check for "voidshite." While it was more nuisance than anything else for most attending, the Rangers - as well as Chachanji's newfound friend Ceredwin - had reacted poorly to it... Chachanji paused in his hammering for a moment.

The holy water, if the lady who gave it to Hammersmith was to believed, reacted to void-stuff or something like that. The Rangers had obviously reacted due their void power, but why had Ceredwin been set to sizzling? She had mentioned she was practiced in the Red Magics, which weren't - as far as the little Lalafell was aware - involved delving into the Void. Unless Ms. Artemis wasn't telling him and Tiroro something, and he liked to think she would mention something like that.

Unless what Ceredwin had asked him the day she had come to check on him was the clue. After all, when Chachanji had mentioned he liked his friends no matter what type of person was or where they came from, she had asked him: "What about half-voidsent?" He had figured she was just setting an extreme example, to test his convictions - and many seemed fond of doing, now that the little Lalafell thought on it - but given the holy water incident... Chachan shook his head and resumed his hammering.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

He had told her before that such things didn't matter - and Chachanji would hold to that even if Ceredwin was part Voidsent or Voidkin or Voidtouched whatever. After all, despite potentially having that cursed heritage, the Elezen seemed just like anyone else - wanting to have friends and loved ones. In fact, her visit to his smithy had cemented just how much she wanted those sorts of very human comforts: while Chachan may have gotten upset with her for thinking he couldn’t take care of himself and that he was going to make a martyr of himself, it was because she cared. She was worried for him, like he had been for many of his own friends who had been in dire situations.

And from her demeanor and the things she had said, it sounded like she was sorely lacking in the friends department.

No matter how the little Lalafell looked at it - Hammersmith's very vocal and infectious distrust of anything void-related aside - Ceredwin seemed... just like anyone else. As had Belladonna and her Rangers, in the brief period he had interacted with them; despite whatever histories they had and what obstacles they had to overcome, they were still people. Perhaps the circumstances of their birth or the whims of fate had dealt them a terrible hand, but they were still trying to do to help people in spite of it. To do good with what they had been given. The Rangers had literally described their purpose as using void energies against the actual threat of the Voidsent themselves - fighting fire with fire - even though they hadn't gotten much of a choice in the matter when used in that Ranger project thing.

It just didn't feel right to Chachanji to so harshly judge them out of hand for situations in the past that had been out of their control, had not been their fault or even their decision to make. What they wanted to do, and what they were going to do, was what mattered most right now. Belladonna and her Rangers were out there fighting actual dangerous entities, and Ceredwin seemed to just be trying to find her own place to belong. And all of them were just as for dealing with the threat that the Whispers brought as anyone else. Yet the unfortunate circumstances that brought them to where they were today coming to light was what ended up derailing the security meeting horribly and drawing lines in the sand that the little Lalafell didn't think needed to be drawn.

After all, the purpose of the security meeting was to help determine some sort of safe manner where those who defied the Whispers could work together, to protect and help each other against this Greater Threat. How could they do that if people were being secretive and distant - like the man in the cloak and hood at the very start - or turning against potential aid because of questionable pasts? Sure, it was one thing to be a little concerned, but to devolve into the squabbling and ire that had followed...

If something as simple as a sordid history was enough to break down the lines of coordination, to drive wedges in the group, could they really band together to provide a concerted effort against this otherworldly presence? Against those who had joined its cause and were already working to oppose and hinder their efforts? Or were they doomed to failure before they even began?

Clang. A pause, and then... Clang. Clang. Clang.

No, Chachanji didn't want to believe that. Call him stubborn, but the little Lalafell had already seen firsthand the good that they had already accomplished despite how ragtag the group was and all the different walks of life they had came from. Drawn together simply due to questionable circumstance of “hearing voices in their heads,” they had managed to come together and combat the first threat of the Whispers - a deadly plague.

Chachan standing at his forge like nothing had happened was proof of that. The cure that he had been given wouldn't have been possible - or developed so quickly - without that communal effort everyone had provided. And even now they were working their hardest to make more and spread it to those who needed it, as well as deal with the flowers that caused it.

They would overcome this obstacle as well.

Together.

( @the-faceless-ffxiv and @ceredwin-hollows )

[ssconsultancyblogs]

Scams in the Real Estate Business

Real estate is one of the most successful businesses throughout the world. Many individuals have build up their financial backbones by investing in plots for sale /residential plot and other properties. On the surface, it seems like an amazing investment opportunity for anyone, but the devil is in the details. Many have faced losses due to scams and frauds.

‘All that glitters is not gold’- is a saying that holds for the real estate market as well. Unfortunately, where the market goes on the rise many fraudsters and scammers also lurk about to catch unsuspecting investors off guard.

We are bringing forth this article to raise awareness about the prevalence of a few common types of scams within the real estate market. All so that you can save your hard-earned money from being wasted by investing in a random plot for sale /residential plot listing which is nothing but a scam.

Fake Listings:

This is probably one of the most common types of frauds that are committed in the real estate market. The scammer will put up an advertisement of plots for sale /residential plot that has no physical existence and will leave with the advance payments. This type of scam usually is set up for people looking to buy a property in hurry or for people looking for a rental place.

This scam is prevalent in places that are not verified for posting authentic listings. The scammer can find easy targets, as the process of listing the property has not been verified beforehand. If you find advertisements or listings of properties on social media sites; always be extra careful.

The few major red flags of such scams include there being no pictures of the real property. Furthermore, upon requesting the picture, the seller or renter will not comply with the request. The scammer, in this case, will also press upon the urgency of advance payments before the investor can visit the property. The seller also presents a lack of proper documentation of the property.

False Agents:

Many fraudsters are lurking around in the real estate business that actual little to no experience. These persons will often boast about the false tales of their success and the satisfaction of their clients. In actuality, they are nothing more than scammers that roll the deal in their favor; taking a hefty amount of commission or committing further frauds with the plots for sale /residential plot or property they are dealing with.

A common type of scam they can pull off is by getting in contact with multiple buyers of a single property. This type of scam is successful when the scammer collects advance payments for the property and when it is time to handover; the scammer escapes from the scene, leaving the hopeful investors disappointed and empty-handed.

Moreover, they can be a vector for committing multiple other scams with the property they take the responsibility of dealing with.

It is very important for an investor in real estate to thoroughly research the credibility of their agent. If possible visit their office and get in touch with individuals who they have worked for to get a proper and authentic review of their services. Demand their proper documents and certifications for the qualification of the work they are dealing for you. Check the records to make sure that the real estate agent that is dealing with your property matter is licensed and registered.

If the fake agents are allowed to slip through the verification checks, the results can lead to disappointment and monetary loss.

Tampering with Paperwork:

The proof of a real estate deal is embedded in the legal documents of the property. Whether you are on the giving or receiving end of the deal; it is very important to read the fine prints of the documentations you are being handed over.

It is a common, yet most dangerous scam on the real estate market. The documentation can be falsified or forged against the agreement between the two parties to favor one over the other. By signing the paperwork you may be handing over the property to a third party. You might not be handed over the rights to the property you are buying. You might be agreeing on a higher price to be paid. This kind of scam is carried out by either a false real estate agent or a fraudulent seller of a property.

Title fraud is a common type of scam committed through forged documentation. The priority of a scammer is to first aim for a sort of form of identity theft. Getting one’s information from an organization, through email interceptions, phishing, and phone calls, etc can all open up the opportunity for a scammer to steal an individual’s identity.

After getting this information the scammer will be forging together false documentation, with their pictures as they mimic the identity of the original owner committing the title fraud on property.

As stated before; it is very important to verify the authenticity of property documentation beforehand. You can utilize the services of authorities or get in touch with lawyers and other professionals that have the proper skill set to inspect the documentation. Never hesitate to refuse to sign a document that may seem suspicious or ambiguous to you.

Exaggerating market value and quick fixes on property:

For the benefit of the seller of the property; sometimes they will increase the value for sale. This increased value will be coupled with false claims over the condition of the property.

If a seller is in a hurry to sell their property they will try their best to sweep the problems with the property under the rug. They might do just enough patching up of the property to deceive a potential buyer for an exaggerated market price to what the actual value is worth. This is the way a house that is infested with termites, decay, or structural weaknesses; will be sold off for a much higher value.

Fake real estate agents can also commit such a scam by increasing the market value of a property such as a plot for sale /residential plot or a house to deceive investors into spending more.

One of the best ways to combat the risk of this scam is to consult and hire a proper real estate agent. That way you can get in touch with the actual market worth of the property you are looking into as well as help identify any recent cosmetic changes made to a property on market; that might indicate a falsified value.

Payment before Visits

We briefly touched on this type of scam in the fake listing section. Buyers of a property that require payment before visits are very suspicious. The reasoning for them doing so can be to hide a flaw in their property; a patchy repair, a poor condition, an undesirable location. This again can be a case of a false listing as the actual property may not even exist.

People who are looking for renting property and are aiming to move quickly, fall easily for this scam. They might not have the time or resources to visit the property beforehand and take what is told to them as the truth. The person who claimed to be the property owner or landlord might be a scammer that escapes with the advance payment of the rents.

We cannot stress enough that how important it is for a person to visit the property before investing in it! A single visit can reveal any flaws or misinformation that was given about the property and can save you your hard-earned money from falling into a scammer’s hands.

Fraudulent online forms:

This is a type of scam that takes place on unsecured websites where the scammer has set up an online form that credible victims will feel comfortable inserting their sensitive data into. This further leads to relating property fraud and other forms of fraud once the scammer has hold of your property information.

To avoid such a scam from affecting you, make sure that the website is registered and confidential for information such as your NIC number and personal details.

Malicious caretakers:

A common scam that is committed with overseas Pakistanis is when they hire a caretaker back in their homeland to look over their property’s matters. Some ill-willed caretakers try to act as the owners of the property and exploit it for their benefit. Sometimes this caretaker will put up the property for renting purposes for their benefit. In worse cases, such pretend owners have been caught selling off the property at a lower cost to escape with the money; without any consent from the actual owner.

It is important to keep a check on your property at all times, whether you are out of the city or overseas; especially if handed over to someone else.

Conclusion:

Unfortunately, the bustling market of the real estate business is lurking with scammers that trick people. Keeping a keen eye on the behavior of a dealer, buyer, or seller as well as inspecting the paperwork are of prime importance when it comes to avoiding scams.

Moreover, always be a responsible citizen! In case you were affected by one of these fraudulent acts; you should always report the activity to concerned legal bodies. You should do this not only to recover your loss but to prevent others from falling for the tricks of such fraudsters.

We hope that this article was able to provide you with the basic knowledge of common scams in the real estate market so you can look out for them.

[terribleco]

Skaters Who Shaped Us - Part 5

In this installment, we have Mark 'Frocker' Hewitt and Ryan Bradley. 

Mark Hewitt is, I would say, one of Coventry's skateboarding royalty. He's a dark lord of transition skating, but can tackle all terrain. Always with a welcoming attitude, he's always down to skate, hang out, or drive a few of us to go shopping at a 24hr Asda at 11 o' clock at night. Mark used to run a Coventry Scene blog long before I started The Terrible Company, and I would say he has inspired a lot of my endeavours in skateboarding. The skater who shaped him is proof that those in your local scene can be just as important as big name pro skaters when it comes to forging our path in skateboarding. 

Ryan Bradley has been a frequent contributor to this blog for almost 10 years: acting as a filmer on videos, photographer, and more recently writing blog posts sharing his knowledge of skateboard photography. His skills on a skateboard match his skills behind the camera, and his particular style is clearly fuelled by a specific era of mid-2000s skater. The person who inspired him will likely resonate with many others who began skateboarding at that time. 

Mark 'Frocker' Hewitt - Jim The Skin

Up until around 2008, I consumed as much skateboard media as I could. I'd buy at least two magazines a month, lurked heavily on online forums and kept up with the latest footage. I've got a huge collection of VHS videos, and around five big boxes of carefully catalogued magazines to vouch for this obsession - I was a skate nerd! I still skate as much as I've always done, but my will to keep up with everything has diminished. When I think of skaters that have influenced me, I can mentally scan through sections, interviews, anecdotes, drunken antics, road trips, gigs, parties, fights, you name it. People come and go. People pass in and out of skating. 

For some the passion is inconstant, for others a constant. In the end it doesn't really matter. We've all taken a journey on this rolling toy, it's just taken some further than others. Everyone I've ever (or never) skated with has been an influence, be it at the curb down the road from me, or on a taped copy of a taped copy of an American VHS from 1997. However, it's the constants that are the landmarks we navigate by, and the one fixed point in skateboarding for me has been Jim T Skin. 

I met him first through my friend Craig Cooper, who was one of the first guys to be sponsored by Ride. I'd tag along on lifts to various spots despite being crap at skating, and Jim was kind enough to extend an invite to whatever session was going down. As time passed, I became a regular at the Wednesday night Radlands trips, skating and making friends with people from all over the country and having the best time. I'd eventually go on to work for Ride, putting together the second shop video Humble Jumble, and working on the website whilst at University. The trips to Radlands turned into road trips to Cornwall, Livingstone and London. 

Jim has not only been an inspiration to skate with (going faster than you, pushing the best f/s smiths further than you and smashing down liens to tail louder than you) but also how he deals with people without artifice or bullshit - he's the real fucking deal. No one has a bad word to say about him, and whenever I call to have a chat or order anything I always feel better having talked with him. He's an amazing friend and I wish I got to skate with him more often. 

Ryan Bradley - Mike 'Mo' Capaldi

At the very beginning as a kid I found constant waves of skateboarders who inspired me into infatuation, triggering my growing love for the industry from an early age. From first witnessing the stature of Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen, to then Eric Koston, Mike Carroll, Andrew Reynolds, and so on, my adoration for researching and discovering new talents quickly began. 

It wasn’t long before I found Mike Mo Capaldi’s parts, most notably his section in the Forecast video. By this point, I new street skating was what properly grasped my adolescent mind, it was also mere months prior to the time period Fully Flared was ready to come out back in 2007, which of course then happened, resulting in countless hours of re-watching the entire video. 

I was always heavily keen on the Girl/Lakai guys back in the mid 2000’s, the blockbuster team of main eventers they had was ridiculous. At the time, Mike Mo was the new spectacle and his part in Fully Flared was his real initiation into the industry. 

Witnessing his ambidextrous trick bag and style, followed by his conviction of tricks with utter fluidity completely captivated me and my own skateboarding. He looked like he was always having fun regardless of the hammer thrown - fun within his own attitude and style of skating. His parts and footage would always get me completely hyped to skate, even if it was only for a rainy flat ground session under a carpark in Kenilworth. 

All of this without a doubt shaped myself as a skateboarder, himself and his style opened up more doors for finding skateboarders alike, discovering different nichés and helping me see skateboarding could be taken to another level in another way. 

Honourable mention: Geoff Rowley

On another note, it would be rude of me not to mention Rowley. Growing up I had also been heavily interested in the Flip videos Sorry and Really Sorry, and watching his destruction of the US was shocking, especially while knowing he was native to the U.K. 

I also mention his name because he was the first pro I had ever met. I vividly remember going to the Volcom Stone Age tour at Ideal skate shop back in 2009 where Rowley was the poster boy for screen printing t shirts for the first 100 kids there. I went on my own at 16 because I knew it was a chance to meet one of my favourite pros and one of the gnarliest son of a guns to have existed.

After doing mine and the rest of the kids shirts, I waited until everyone else had basically left and until they were beginning to pack up because I was way too shy to be persistent, just for the chance of having a quick chat and potential photo with him. Rowley was then alone talking with Zippy, and once they were done I chose to approach what I found to be one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. 

They say don’t meet your heroes, but I can say that quote rendered the polar opposite to what I experienced. He was rad as fuck with me, we had a big chat and Zippy took the pleasure of shooting our photo. After that, I was totally made up and that moment will forever be cemented as another reason skateboarding inspired and shaped me by a single person.

[wackygoofball]

In Gwen's last interview she said: "And what’s recurrent in Brienne’s life is forming relationships with people that start with an opposing force, then a begrudging mutual respect and, out of that, a deep respect and pure love. That happens again this season. Brienne will realize a deep alliance.” I'd like to think that she was talking about Jaime but don't you think it could be Pod? At first she doesn't like him and if he in some kind of way saves her this season...

Hi! Thanks for thequestion!

Well, I mean, I can onlyremind people of being *very* cautious in approaching actors’ and actresses’interviews on their characters, specifically when it is about yet unairedmaterial.

For one, they don’t want toget shot by the HBO Snipers we all know are there to take them down if theyspoiler too much.

But far more importantly…there are certain actors who have a tendency of putting out rather funny ideasthat we have gotten zero proof for in like… three seasons or so.

I don’t want to dig toomuch into the matter, but Lena and Sophie sometimes use vocabulary ordescriptions for show contents for either seasons already aired or about to airthat either haven’t made it to the screen for all we got to know to supportthat viewpoint or do not reallyreflect the way they seemingly see it for what most viewers see – at least from my perspective, whichagain, of course, is up to debate.

But take for instance Lenatalking about Cersei’s relationship with Jaime being at an all-time weird level (or so, Ithink that was the wording, though I am just too lazy to double-check, soplease correct me if I am totally wrong on the matter) for season 6, only tohave them do… basically the same meh they have been doing in ages when it comesto their incestuous relationship that neither one is actually happy with ifthey were being honest with themselves.

And if one took that toheart for predictions regarding season 6 which had not aired by the time, thislikely led to wrong assumptions about Jaime’s and Cersei’s arc.

So, the point is, the rule of thumbwith those interviews particularly aimed towards content not yet aired… pour ashitload of salt over it, just to be sure.

Nevertheless, what Gwensays is one of those things I would not necessarily disregard as misdirectionor being completely out of the context of the new season. After all, it’s nottoo spoilery to get the snipers out, but at the same time, it tells ussomething about Brienne’s arc that we can obviously obsesses and interpret,based on the information we have thus far, and now somehow triangulating thatwith what she’s said.

Why I think this relates toJaime specifically is the wording Gwen’s using. @bearsofair over at JBO haspointed out that Gwen has been repeatedly using just those phrases about “begrudgingmutual respect” to describe Brienne’s and Jaime’s relationship in particular.On multiple occasions. Gwen’s not referred to Brienne’s relationship with Podin that way for all I know (though again, correct me if I am wrong, please). Thatwas a phrase she repeatedly used for Jaime – fittingly so, because JB is one ofthose embodiments of enemies-to-lovers and begrudging respect to something *more*(see chin wobbles in season 6 – those were about as platonic as was Jaime’shairection and “yes, Lady Brienne” – the flirt).

What would also speakagainst Pod being the one is that the two have been forming a union sinceseason 4 now. Pod already grew to the point that she *begrudgingly* started totrain him and make him her squire truly. We have seen the first fruits of thatteaching when he and Brienne got Sansa and Theon at Winterfell. We are going tosee more of that in the upcoming season, too, but the point is – this isbasically established. To now speak about how Brienne would form an alliancewith Pod at this stage would assume that they haven’t been a union before, andthey have been already. 

As Gwen also points to inher interview, it’s about forming alliances with people of opposite camps. Podhas only ever expressed and stressed his relation to Tyrion, but it’s not likehe is a Lannister-hyper or so. Like Brienne, he has an understanding of tying loyalty to individual people (see Brienne-Renly, Brienne-Cat, Brienne-Sansa, Brienne-Jaime) instead of political parties or greater Houses. He told her that he prides himself being hersquire. He told that again to Bronn - so he is on her side. That already happened in canon. So they are on the same page already.

Jaime, however, *for theoutside* (i.e. for the characters to see) stands on opposite sides with Brienne. That is already exemplifiedwith him letting her go at Riverrun. They are *enemies* for the public. As Brienne saidunder much chin wobbles: “Honor compels me to fight for Sansa’s kin. […] Tofight you.”

While both don’t want tofight one another, and despite the fact that they form an interpersonal unionof mutual respect (and love and chin wobbles and swordheartpenises), they areconstantly put on opposite sides by outside forces, further complicating their relationship from entering the next stage - because duty and other responsibilities always pull them away from one another at the last moment… and they are big in denial.

Jaime stresses it during the tent scene –Cersei wants Sansa dead, yet, he supported Brienne in finding her by giving herthe wedding armor and Valyrian Steel to top all that.They are on opposite sides in that way, but Jaime keeps playing both sides in his support for Brienne and Sansa by extension despite the fact that Cersei would likely combust in a wine explosion if/when she is to know of that.

Therefore, later on, Jaime *technically*would have been forced to take Brienne captive because she aligned with *theenemy* of the Tullys. Jaime didn’t, because of his connection to Brienne, acting against the paradigm of “we are enemies/on opposite sides.”

To further broaden the gap between finding a common ground of aligning their personal interests (of forming a union - because they do not want to fight each other… and love each other… and want to bone), they are even further removed via their alliances, which I think will play up big next season.

Cersei will have Jaime back byher side (because he will likely be kept in suspense about what was going onwith the Sept – best guess remains that Cersei is going to blame shit on SandSnatches and their Momma etc., which Jaime could *more or less reasonably*believe in because they killed Myrcella, so for him, they are enemies anyway).That automatically, and much more prominently, puts him on a side *definitely*opposing Sansa Stark as the newly refound Lady of Winterfell. Cersei is notgoing to sit idly by and be like “oh yay for her” because she still thinks thatshe murdered Joffrey (or even if she went away from that idea… she does notlike Sansa, okay? That is enough for Cersei to consider her an enemy… Cersei isnot that picky. Basically, anyone not Cersei Lannister is an ememy, let’s be real).

Hence, Brienne being onSansa’s side while Jaime is in some capacity (whatever it may be) on Cersei’sside, puts them on opposite ends of the scale.

That does not apply to Pod,that does not apply to most other characters that she can form alliances with*as herself*.

Similarly, that is true for*anyone* of the Northern Enterprise. She doesn’t have to form alliances withNortherners, let alone Wildlings, that is established by now via Jonny Boy.

The Hound and the Brotherhood are likely to join the same cause… so… no reason for those two to develop begrudging respect… and… who the fuck cares if they have respect for one another or not? It was also already established last season that the Hound has some appreciation for her fighting prowess when he talked to Ray. So… not much character development potential there either, particularly because even if they get put together in a team to fulfill some common cause… they won’t be alone. They will be in a group dynamic, that means the *mission* will be more central to the plot than character development of that sort will be. I suppose at least.

But the central point is this: You seek alliance withopposite forces - not with those already on your side.

As Tyrion said during his Lame Adventures of Lameness in theLand of Lameness and Withholding Patterns Named Meereen:

“We makepeace with our enemies, not our friends.”

Because here is the otherthing to consider: If we were now hypothetically speaking about Dany andFriends, Brienne is most likely not the candidate who’d unite the forces. Forthat we have Jesus I mean Jon. Just like there are no people she can find analliance of begrudging respect to mutual love with in that camp. Let’s be real.

Save-my-ugly-driftwood-crown-Euron is likely also out of the picture as someone she would develop respectfor, eh?

Same for Littlefinger… no way Brienne’s ever having respect for Pedo Pedro.

That means, Brienne’slogical alliance partner would be either a party we do not at all know… but whywould that be…? Or it’s someone who is established as a political, meta-enemy (i.e. enemy via affiliation and not out of personal interests).And that is where Cersei comes into the picture, that is where Jaime comes intothe picture, as the Lannisters who are not Tyrion. 

My best guess at this pointremains that Jon and Co. will want to rally troops for the upcoming war againstthe Others and be like “guys, let’s stop that shit with the Iron Throne andfocus on what’s really important here! Guys?! ANYONE! LOOK AT THE ZOMBIES!!!”

That means alliance forgingwill certainly extend to Dany and Friends, but would likely also involve theCrown.

I can very well imagine ascene where, up in the North, they discuss where to rally troops and Brienne goes like somethingalong the lines of: “I can certainly convince Ser Jaime of joining our cause. Letme ride to King’s Landing to talk to him. He is a man of honor. He let me go atRiverrun and would have let the Tullymen go, too, had I managed to convince theBlackfish sooner. He helped me with finding Sansa. He will help us again for sure.”

And off to the South shegoes to talk to Jaime. Well, and that can get her right into the wine’s glass,I mean the hornet’s nest, with regards to Cersei. Because, while Brienne is likely steadfastin her faith in Jaime, she will likely find that faith disappointed in thelikes of Cersei Lannister, particularly if/once news reach the Walking Ale House I Mean Wine House that a) Sansa isalive, b) Sansa holds Winterfell, c) Brienne helped Sansa at Winterfell, andpotentially d) Jaime helped Brienne help Sansa… and now she wants to formalliances??? How dare she???

Now I don’t want to digresstoo far on that headcanon right there (it goes further than that), but sufficeto say that from this phrasing Gwen uses in the interview, Jaime is the most fitting candidateto my understanding. If this is *really* what is going to happen in theupcoming season (which we will only ever know once the new season airs), thenthat is what makes most sense to me.

But oh well, that is justmy opinion on the matter.

I am just feeling the hyperight now.

Less than a week until weget some answers!!!

Thanks for the question!

[horrorlemb-blog]

Gossip Female Solid A Glimpse At Taylor Momsen

Gossip Woman Cast - A Glimpse at Taylor Momsen

Gossip Lady is a phenomenon. Its scores and endorsement discounts are proofs that the show has completely manufactured itself Element of the 21st century teenager pop culture. While in the midst of every one of the success, the display has created and sky-rocketed the careers of a lot of the freshest faces on television. A single of these prosperous Gossip Female Forged users is Taylor Momsen.

Momsen begun out her job in acting at an early age of three by showing within a Shake 'N Bake business. She moved on to accomplishing films starring as Honey Bee Swain from the Film, The Prophet's Video game in 1999. No very long just after, Taylor caught the attention of identified director, Ron Howard. She was Forged by Howard inside the Oscar awarded film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2002 where she stars opposite Jim Carrey. In precisely the same yr, Taylor starred in a movie with Julie Moore in We Were Troopers. Her performing skills were being honed and polished by starring in more videos like Hansel and Gretel and Spy Children 2.

Her Film credits moved her to tv roles exposing her to your wider market. She was Solid while in the WB collection False impression and obtained a great deal of praises from her co-stars. Even though the explained clearly show wasn't aired, no one could deny that Taylor Momsen was bound to do larger assignments together with her expertise. In 2007, she went back again to doing movies with roles in Underdog, Paranoid Park, and Doubting Thomas in 2007.

Taylor Momsen nailed the part of Jenny Humphrey for her innocent appears to be and performing potentials in a younger age of fourteen. An exceedingly tough part, Jenny Humphrey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film had Taylor Momsen totally set for the check. The dynamic character Taylor portrays on monitor manufactured her an instant favorite amongst Gossip Lady Forged.

Together with her plain trend sense, Momsen is becoming the doll of numerous high-end vogue designers. She is seen going for walks the purple carpet of huge Hollywood gatherings clad in The gorgeous attire that flatter her model-like variety. It really is inescapable then that Momsen has obtained an offer to perform dabble in modeling. In June 2008, she formally signed in with IMG Designs and is particularly underneath the company for just a a person-yr modeling deal. She does her modeling stint along with her

Taylor Momsen, now 15, is by now creating an enormous Excitement in Hollywood, don't just for her beauty, but for her Extraordinary performing talent. Way past her several years, her acting skills have designed her take on hard scenes with the character she's portraying in Gossip Girl. Teenager Preference Awards identified the younger actress and bought a nomination in the top Breakout Actress classification.

As Among the most viewed Gossip Female Forged member, Taylor Momsen will proceed to rig in additional viewers for her incredible portrayal of Jenny Humphrey inside the clearly show. Prior to the eyes of lovers, Momsen has blossomed into a budding actress that is certain to fulfill a Hollywood aspiration.

A Computer Engineering pupil and loves to travel. Looking at present news in the web is among his past situations. Getting images from the issues all around him thoroughly satisfies him. He loves to Perform badminton and his beloved Animals are cats.

[aion-rsa]

How Mulan’s Main Antagonist Almost Breaks the Disney Mold

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This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Disney’s Mulan. You can read our spoiler-free review of the film here.

A recurring visual motif in Disney’s 1998 animated Mulan is the titular warrior staring at her own face, rendered unfamiliar by makeup and wondering at how to reconcile the image of that stranger with the truth of herself hiding inside. The film’s core “I Want” song, “Reflection,” articulates this ambivalence, this sense of carrying two selves, with lyrics like: who is that girl I see / staring straight back at me / why is my reflection someone I don’t know. The Mulan (Yifei Liu) of 2020, however, doesn’t have to peer at her own blurred reflection in a pond. Instead, those alternate selves are made flesh. She confronts her reflection in the faces of her sister Xiu (Xana Tang), and to a much greater extent the Rourans’ warrior-witch Xianniang (Gong Li): the two potential futures available to her. Throughout the course of the film, Mulan forges a new, third future that she makes reality. And she probably couldn’t have done it without her main antagonist: Xianniang.

From Xianniang’s first scene with Böri Khan, the antagonist is presented as the cautionary tale for what could have been, had young Mulan not heeded her father’s advice to hide her qi as she reached womanhood: Xianniang was exiled from her home for refining her qi, a privilege granted only to men, so that by the time the Rouran commander found her, she was “a scorned dog.” Böri Khan gave her a way to direct her anger and betrayal at her own people, with the promise that, when he ruled China, she would have what she most wanted: a place where her powers would not be vilified, even if that place would only exist under his totalitarian rule.

The promise of this dark future is the chain with which he leashes Xianniang, despite them both knowing that she is more powerful than him by leagues. When he calls her a witch, she grabs his throat and corrects him: “Not witch—warrior.” Yet he laughs at the notion of calling her a warrior, because they both know that a woman cannot name herself with such an honorable title; she must be named by others. The only option is a slur.

The most breathtaking example of this society’s casual sexism comes at the training camp, when Mulan-as-Hua-Jun shows off his use of qi while sparring with Honghui (Yoson An). Later, Commander Tung (Donnie Yen) gently scolds him—for hiding his ability. “You need to cultivate your gift,” he says. “Your qi is powerful, Hua Jun. Why do you hide it?” As a man, Mulan is chided for not utilizing her advantage, while as a woman she would be exiled for daring to do so.

Even her father Hua Zhou’s narration belies the tricky nature of qi: “The qi pervades the universe and all living things. We are all born with it. But only the most true will connect deeply to his qi and become a great warrior.” Only those who use their qi can be true, but only men can use their qi. Women are trapped from the start, with no chance to fulfill that trueness.

All of this lays the foundation for Mulan’s four confrontations with Xianniang—which, interestingly, map onto the four virtues of the film.

True

While the new Mulan adaptation uses the same story beats as the animated film in revealing Mulan’s true identity, they come in a different order, granting our warrior protagonist agency over this pivotal moment in a way she never got in the 1998 film. Instead of getting wounded and having the doctor discover her body beneath her armor, it is Mulan’s bindings that stop Xianniang’s deadly arrow from piercing her heart. Hua Jun dies, but Mulan lives.

Yet even before what was supposed to be a killing blow, Xianniang shames Mulan for lying. “Your deceit poisons your qi,” she snarls in disgust when they first fight—of course she immediately recognizes Mulan as another woman taking on a mantle not offered to her. Twice, Xianniang gives her the opportunity to identify herself; twice, Mulan says, “I am Hua Jun, soldier in the Emperor’s army!”

“Then you will die pretending to be something you’re not,” says the Rouran warrior, who bears the slur of witch by embodying everything that her own people accuse her of being: otherworldly, powerful, unpredictable.

Despite representing opposing sides on the battlefield, Mulan clearly recognizes some solidarity with the other woman. Why else would she willingly return to the Imperial Army as herself? She could have pulled the arrow from her bindings, readjusted her armor, reclaimed her helmet, and ridden back as Hua Jun, having miraculously escaped death. Instead, inspired to finally fulfill the third virtue stamped on her father’s sword, she presents herself in all her courage and vulnerability.

And they call her an impostor and cast her out.

Loyal

Though I briefly theorized that Xiu could have grown up into Xianniang, making her and Mulan sisters, in actuality, having Xianniang be older than Mulan makes her story even more compelling. There is a dearth of older women in fantasy stories, and in Disney tales they are very deliberately siloed into specific roles: Anyone over “marriageable age” is dead (mothers), evil (stepmothers and/or witches), or supporting characters lacking their own arc (fairy godmothers). Obviously, Xianniang falls into the evil category, but the sympathy woven into her story elevates her beyond her peers. Even if you could identify with Maleficent not getting invited to Aurora’s birth, or felt a twinge for the Evil Queen chasing after beauty via her magic mirror, we are taught that these women are past their prime, that they are pathetic for competing with their younger replacements.

Xianniang has no need to compete with Mulan; she was already a prodigy in her youth, rich in her power, and she was crushed for it. She has seen the consequences of trying to fit into their society by men’s standards. That’s why Xianniang invites Mulan to join her, because she sees the younger woman as someone to mold to her own vengeance, to replace Böri Khan as the catalyst for reshaping their future. “Join me,” Xianniang says, the tropiest of moments yet still aching with authenticity as two women trying to find a way forward together. “We will take our place together.”

But Mulan, who has known the camaraderie of men like Honghui and Tung (even if they cast her out) and who clings to the promise of her father’s unfaltering love, rejects Xianniang. “I know my place,” she says, “and it is my duty to fight for the kingdom and protect the Emperor.” And there is something troubling in that a woman will choose the patriarchal society that rejected her over creating something new by allying with a woman who has already trod her path. Yet neither is Xianniang’s destructive plan tenable. Mulan chooses the loyalty she knows, imperfect as it is, over a potential new loyalty, even if it sees her for who she truly is.

Brave

When the two meet again, Xianniang sits on the Emperor’s throne, and Mulan finally believes her: “You were right,” she tells the warrior-witch. “We are the same.”

“With one difference,” Xianniang says sadly. “They accept you, but they will never accept me.”

But buoyed by Honghui and her friends’ willingness to follow her into battle, Mulan believes that they can still change the tide. “You told me my journey was impossible,” she urges Xianniang. “Yet here I stand, proof that there is a place for people like us.”

Unfortunately, this is where what had been an affirming, feminist dynamic falls prey to worn-out tropes in which the older woman gives up. “It’s too late for me,” Xianniang intones, and transforms into her falcon form—not to escape, but to lead the way for Mulan to save the Emperor from Böri Khan, and to seal her own fate.

Devotion to Family

Xianniang is not Mulan’s blood, but they are nonetheless bonded by their mastery of qi. Xianniang is not Mulan’s sister, but she is a role model. When she tells Böri Khan that a young woman from a small village is the sole resistance to his plot, she can’t help smiling at the irony of it. And when he scoffs, “A girl,” she is quick to correct him, not with her violence over the use of the word witch, but with calm certainty: “A woman. A warrior. A woman leads the army, and she is no scorned dog.”

When Böri Khan sees this warrior for himself, before even allowing her to engage him in their first and only face-to-face fight in the film, he takes the coward’s way out: shooting an arrow at her, to swat her away like an inconvenience rather than treating her as an equal.

Are we at all surprised that Xianniang takes the arrow intended for Mulan, and then dies in the young warrior’s arms? “Take your place,” she whispers in her final words, before speaking the woman’s name like a spell, like a blessing: “Mulan.”

In that moment, Xianniang is the fairy godmother quietly stepping offstage after magicking the carriage. She is the evil queen who brings about her own literal downfall by stumbling off a cliff. The wonder of having an older woman in a fantasy story does not last if she dies in the end, doubly so if she takes herself out so that there can be only one female warrior because our mainstream storytelling still too often believes that women can be powerful, but only as exceptions to the patriarchal rule, and only for as long as they are young and traditionally beautiful and never challenge the dominance of men. Women can be powerful, but only in the ways borrowed from traditional masculinity: as soldiers, as comrades to other men, as defenders of the rightness of patriarchy. 

Mulan’s fight with Böri Khan is inconsequential, even as she uses qi to defeat him, because the movie’s most important figure has already died, and in the most demeaning fashion. What’s insidious is that their culture still wins out over two women allying together. Mulan carves out her own place in the world, but it is a singular role; it does not leave room for someone like Xianniang, who is considered too far gone to save. It’s ironic how the writers built an entire complex character out of Shan Yu’s falcon from the animated film, but in the end she is reduced back to a symbol.

I already made the joke in my review that the inevitable 2040 remake will hopefully make up for some of this movie’s stumbles. Hopefully, by then, viewers will not just get more than one woman in the movie, but both women will make it to the ending credits.

Mulan is available now on Disney+. More details on how to watch it here.

The post How Mulan’s Main Antagonist Almost Breaks the Disney Mold appeared first on Den of Geek.

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The Middle Eastern Problem Soleimani Figured Out

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The Middle Eastern Problem Soleimani Figured Out

For people who normally think of foreign relations in terms of governments and heads of state—Iran versus the U.S., or Vladimir Putin vs. Xi Jinping—it can be hard to grasp just how little governments sometimes matter in parts of the Middle East. Over the past four decades, nearly every institution in the region has been transformed in ways that weaken the traditional system of state power.

In the 1980s, Islam in both its Shiite and Sunni variations fractured along traditional and revolutionary lines. The 1979 revolution in Iran galvanized Islamists across the region; civil wars in Lebanon and Syria, as well as the Islamist insurgency against the Soviets in Afghanistan and the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, strengthened the hand of armed groups outside government control. These historical and ideological trends accelerated after the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq broke down governing structures there in 2001 and 2003, respectively; and they were also fueled by the popular uprisings that swept the region in 2011, which brought down or weakened governments.

The growth in these new difficult-to-control forces has been staggering: Today, the total number of Sunni Islamist militants is estimated to be nearly four times what it was on September 11, 2001; there are 50,000 to 85,000 militants in Syria and Iraq alone. And that figure doesn’t count the significant number of Shia, Kurdish and other groups that dominate sectors of Iraq and Syria.

As a result, the modern Middle East is a constantly shifting balance between the formal regimes in capitals like Tehran, Damascus and Riyadh, and the militia groups and local forces that actually control much of the land. At times, Hezbollah—the Iranian-allied Lebanese militia—has been more influential than the notional government in Lebanon. ISIS at times has claimed, and even collected taxes in, chunks of Syria and Iraq; and the Kurds run a largely autonomous region of northern Iraq and Syria.

To a traditional diplomat or strategist, this complex landscape can look chaotic and unmanageable. To Soleimani, it was an opportunity.

Through his leadership of the powerful unconventional-warfare unit known as the Quds Force, and his connections with a network of militia leaders, Soleimani became the most successful person in the region at managing the complex mix of state and nonstate powers that governs the Middle East today. His strength meant that Iran was succeeding where its regional and overseas rivals failed.

Before his rise to the scene as the head of the Quds Force in the late 1990s, Iran’s preeminence in terms of proxy warfare was first born out of necessity. The Iran-Iraq War pushed the new regime in Tehran to create an arm to oversee its foreign operations. By the 1990s, Iran had expansive resources and networks in the region, and a “proof of concept” in the form of Hezbollah, the Iranian-allied Shiite militant movement that had arisen during the Lebanese civil war. All Soleimani needed to do was to replicate the Hezbollah model on a regional scale, but skills and patience were not enough to achieve that. He needed an opportunity, which he would have in 2003.

The Iraq War, in toppling Saddam Hussein, removed a tyrant from power—but in dismantling his institutions of control, also provided space for militant groups and parties to slowly take over. Many of the groups that rose up were headed by Shiite Islamists with ties to Iran forged during the Iran-Iraq war; their followings gave Iran ground-level influence, and their leaders held official or quasi-official power in the Iraqi government. The Ministry of Interior became a fortress for Hadi al-Ameri’s Badr Organization; Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis led the Popular Mobilization of Forces, a body established after the rise of the Islamic State to organize all of Iraq’s armed groups under one command that later formally became part of the defense ministry. There’s no question how closely Soleimani worked with these leaders: Al-Muhandis was one of the people killed alongside Soleimani at the Baghdad airport last Friday.

The Islamic State’s takeover of one third of Iraq in 2014 created a further opportunity for Soleimani to help Iran’s proxies consolidate control throughout Iraq, including in Kurdish and Sunni areas. In Syria, he used the conflict in 2011 and Iran’s close relationship with the regime to mobilize a legion of foreign fighters within Syrian borders creating militias that played a critical role in defending the Assad regime from a massive rebellion. That process may have been disrupted by his death, and it remains to be seen whether his successor will be able to entrench the presence of Iranian proxies in Syria.

As Iran built its influence through nonstate groups, other countries struggled to match its success. For perspective, Turkey, a much more powerful country on paper, arguably had the same chance in Syria in 2011 that Iran had in Iraq in 2003—to fill the void left by its neighbor’s chaotic civil war—but failed to produce similar results. Turkey is a neighbor of Syria that has immense military and economic resources, and enjoyed the support of most of its regional and international allies in the weakening of the Alawite regime in Damascus. Turkey backed hundreds of militias across Sunni-majority Syria, but with minor exceptions it failed to create durable power on the ground, or forge deep nonstate alliances. In 2016, Turkey essentially abandoned the effort, aligning itself with Moscow in Syria, indirectly in favor of the regime.

Saudi Arabia, too, has failed to produce similar results precisely because it did not have the necessary strategists or tacticians to patiently cultivate relationships to compete against Iran. Iran had a highly sophisticated intelligence operation geared toward producing and maintaining proxies. The Saudis backed Salafists and jihadists in the 1980s but lacked the tradecraft to build long-term relationships with nonstate actors.

Among America’s allies, the only close analogy to Iran in this regard is Qatar, which has sought to cultivate ties with nonstate actors from a wide range of political and religious inclinations across the region, as part of its stated policy to appeal to expanding grassroots and localized movements. But even in this example, Doha seems to be interested in influence and “soft power” rather than active proxy warfare. Other allies are out of picture: Egypt has been inward-looking since the pro-democracy uprising in 2011, and Israel is widely seen as an enemy in its neighborhood, with no potential nonstate allies outside its borders.

So in the growing and lucrative market of nonstate actors, Iran has been a shrewd entrepreneur with no real competitors. Soleimani’s death deprives the Iranian regime of a savvy operative who was able to seize historical opportunities and trends. His death is surely a blow to Tehran’s ambitions to further entrench itself in the region, at least for the near future. But Iran still enjoys a longstanding preeminence in this area, and the potential still exists for Iran to exploit it, especially in the absence of competitors.

***

With central governments still struggling,nonstate actors are expected to remain a salient feature of the regional landscape into the distant future, and in some countries could well dominate power politics for some time—especially countries that have gone through political transformations, such as Libya, Afghanistan and Yemen.

For the U.S., no amount of military and economic support will stabilize the region without first acknowledging the lessons of Soleimani’s rise. In a sense, American policy decisions and Soleimani’s savvy built this world together: Washington created the voids, and Soleimani had the resources to fill them. There’s still a space for the U.S. to improve the situation and cement a more positive form of influence, though. Despite criticism, the U.S. has dedicated more than enough resources to rebuild states in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. What it lacks is the ability to navigate the way Soleimani did: to speak the language of insurgents while holding the purse strings of a national treasury.

For the U.S. and others vested in the security of the region, the trends should be clear. The way forward is to prop up stable and legitimate governments, and gradually build institutions in broken countries that could ultimately be integrated into those governments after stabilization. Rather than paying bad guys to fight other bad guys, a constructive role would be to strengthen more moderate local actors to fill the growing void in large parts of the Middle East.

One problem for the U.S. is that its adversaries have every incentive to keep the instability alive; rival powers, like Iran and Russia, are deeply invested in the disruptive local militias that give them leverage. Another problem for the U.S. is more self-inflicted: Washington’s policies tend to overlook the underlying trends that could help them achieve their goals. In October, for instance, Trump pulled the rug from under the Kurdish groups that expelled ISIS from one third of Syria, by announcing abrupt American withdrawal from Syria and allowing Turkey to take over. Even though he reversed his decision later, the message reduced America’s credibility as a stabilizing ally. Helping solve the problem is going to require not just investment and foresight, but consistency.

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