Does that mean I can go back in time and legitimately take George Washington's children?
Why?
Probably not. If Black Manta had raised him, do you think he'd care about the traitor who married his absentee mother?
Because they're actively involved in the state's decision making or actualising process.
Which is the same for every military. If you want to demonstrate that someone is bad, you have to point to something uniquely bad they do that isn't common in those circumstances.
Thank you, corrected.
That's a legitimate phrasing.
Raquel's grammar isn't the best.
For a horrifying moment I thought those were all on different posts.
Wouldn't have been hard for Ocean Master to check.
I rather imagine that they'd have checked Calvin Durham with biomancy when he got his gills.
I agree, especially considering Black Manta's group is a traditional mercenary company rather then a publicly traded or privately held PMC. The legal differences between PMC and Mercenaries are actually quite strong.
How many people do you think Kaldur's mother was fucking?
Thank you, corrected.
I raise my eyebrows.
So I should capitalise it? Okay.
Ah, Queen Clea's perspective? Now I begin to see the shape of this episode: the viewpoints of those Grayven interacts with regularly. And she's closer to the truth than she realises, you'll note. Especially now that he's had a few extra centuries to settle into his role as
The joy of living a long, long life. The shifts in fashion, architecture, economics, vehicles (for surface dwellers, anyway) and even language must seem incomprehensible at times. The true art of immortality is adapting to change, not staying in stasis and becoming the irascible elder yelling about 'Things was better in mah day!'
Indeed, such an assumption would be foolish at best. In any conglomeration like this, there's always going to be that one ruler... The one everyone else can't stand because of character, behaviour or policies...
That's a little more than I ever wanted to know. Though it's practically the equivalent of a silent text conversation, really.
Heck of a contrast to Paragon's side, where Cyprian has chosen to break away from the rest of the Atlanean city-states. I mean, in that parallel, he honestly believes that's for the best. Still have to wonder how he feels working under a now-immortal queen. Hopefully any hard feelings he has won't turn him into an evil vizier...
A subtle power-play there, and I wonder if she even realises she's really doing it. I mean, she is used to being absolute ruler, so of course they should wait on her convenience...
Ptra's city, eh? Looks like she's still a little unhappy about Mommy still being alive and preventing her from having her throne...
Shutting them out of the sweet surface-worlder trade, eh? I'm reminded of what I said above about 'that one ruler'... I bet Ptra's up there for Clea.
The authentication thing is honestly sensible. Do you particularly want a rival city importing something that could be used against you in anger? And the question then is whether to hold to your guns or give ground...
And annoyingly, trying to discreetly arrange a more refined intelligence agency within your city is that much harder because the rest are all watching closely. And they'd probably take it badly, even though they almost certainly already have such things set up...
For most people. You'd need to be a demi-god with a computer-like brain to manage your time and resources so precisely that you avoid any conflict... Even with the system they have, someone's not going to be happy with this decision or that one...
As bad as Final crisis was, it did give us that damn fine speech from Darkseid (quoted in full):
A very old-fashioned idea, as is Adom's wont. But given the alternative Clea is envisioning? One all too common throughout history? Can you really say he's wrong? The true art of royalty, in this case, is choosing the people who won't fall into that trap.
Well, that depends on how you go about it...
...And yes, I can see Grayven doing exactly that. Which would put a cat amongst the pigeons (A shark amongst the tuna?) in the Auranians' court.
Yes, it would help to have clear goals for this thing. Do you really hate your daughter that much? Or are you at the point where you just don't care anymore, and it's all become an annoyance?
I mean, it's really been what, decades since she last saw her? Outside of any kind of formal gathering of Rulers? At what point do you not feel love for a child anymore? Feel anything, really?
What's done is done, after all. Any possibility would have had its drawbacks, after all. Consider how Arthur has such American ideas about leadership? Could you imagine the ideas Ptra might have gotten from whatever country she was placed? What if she'd died in hiding? Too many 'what if's'.
Subtly worded, but I have no doubt the people it's targetted at will pick up on her subtext. As for what they do about it? Well...
Heh. No rush, after all. I see she knows the smartest aspect of Autocracy: Delegate the work to those best at it, then look it over when they're done. Preferably with a clear and truthful explanation...
Heh, those would be a big advantage in controlling their boundaries. I can just see them trotting them out at some border dispute down the line...
...to be 'abducted' and hidden on the surface?
Thank you, corrected.
If I fix it before you post, it doesn't count.
I remember that when the Renegade recruited Black Manta that he was uncertain. Basically he was only 50% sure that Aqualad is his biological son.
That was more him calling Sha'lain'a a giant hobag.