#but rather as tools. something that can be used to achieve the greater cause

[thormanick]

SPOILERS FOR CARIBERT AND KAEYA'S LORE

*sad, sad sigh* so I suppose Kaeya can be. the Loom of Fate, or be very directly related to the operation. Because if he's the "last hope" of his homeland, and if he was left in Mond on purpose, and if Alberich senior really saw the salvation in the power of the Abyss sealed within a living being, and decided that the Loom of Fate will save/help them all...

Oh Kaeya. I'm sad to suspect you are a weapon of your homeland regardless of your own wishes.

#this is so sad. that man (his bio father bc I don't remember how to type his name) went mad #and if he ever had a child after Caribert I am afraid to think he never saw them truly as his children #but rather as tools. something that can be used to achieve the greater cause #i am so sacred for our captain now. scared and sad. oh boi #genshin impact #genshin impact 3.5 #genshin impact caribert #genshin impact spoilers #genshin impact kaeya #genshin impact theory #genshin impact thoughts #afinna explores teyvat

[dopamine-fiendtv]

When activism loses itself.

I've seen so much division in various communities lately and wanted to write something to express my thoughts on it. I understand that people care and want to feel like they are making a difference. I understand that where they have established a particular social media community as important to them, the desire to see that community cares as much as you about issues is huge.

Part of the value of social media is that it can raise awareness, used skillfully it can educate and change hearts and minds. It's also a powerful tool for those who care to feel like they are doing something to support a cause. It's great that people who feel powerless and angered by events can channel that to try and drive change through social media, but that's achieved by education and discussion, and by supporting curiosity to grow understanding.

When that passion is used to attack the people they want to influence, it often has the opposite effect. People become afraid to ask, to learn, and instead avoid the issue entirely. They won't ask, won't learn the small sacrifices they can make in support as they're too afraid of falling foul of the mob. People's social media is often a narrow, anonymised view of them. You don't know who they are or or how vulnerable they are, what they do in their wider life to support a cause, personally or professionally. Nor do you know why they speak on one subject but not another. They may unawares to you be closer to the issue than you. They may be more impacted by it than you. They may have other vulnerabilities or suffer in ways you have no awareness of. For many socal media is an escape from realities they battle every day. If social media for you is a space you use to campaign for a cause, for a greater good, that's amazing, but if you allow that to foster a sense of absolutism, if you allow it to reduce the humans you are trying to influence to be labelled good or evil, moral or amoral, worthy or unworthy by whether they carry out one specific action in support of your cause? If you are raging at people for not doing that and feeling like by doing so, you are furthering your cause? You've got it wrong. What your are actually doing is dehumanising them and judging them based on whether they meet your test of morality. That's drifting into extremist behaviour it's not helpful It's what drives polarisation and increases the chances of people dissociating completely from important causes. Think about what you are actually trying to achieve and the human emotions and behaviours that lead to those problems. Remember it's real people you are trying to influence. People who will often care just as much or maybe more than you do about the cause, or who, if they don't have an understanding of the cause, very likely care about doing what's right and what's decent. They need to be educated and empowered to act in a way that is accessible for them and furthers the cause, rather than satisfying your demand for a specific performative action. Think about this. Remember the big picture and engage to try and help people help your cause.

We're asking people to do x because of this.

Can't do that? No problem, have you thought about what else you could do? No? That's OK, here's some suggestions:

You can encourage them to write to those in authority.

You can give them accurate sources to understand where and why boycotts may be effective.

You can encourage them to join you in reaching more people.

You can respectfully empower people and let go of knowing what they choose, because that's just serving personal validation and ego. It does nothing to further your cause.

If you're currently using social media to fight against any systemic wrong, atrocity, or injustice, reflect on what you want to achieve & if your approach and behaviours reflect a champion of that cause or a dictator. Don't target your righteous anger at the people you want to influence, but at the wrong you want to right. Don't justify attacking individual people, who you really know nothing about for not meeting your narrow view of how they must be seen to support a cause. Those who are intentionally using their power to drive forward the wrongs you are fighting are celebrating your personal attacks on innocent people, which change nothing and move the real offenders no closer to facing accountability.

#activism #change

[aciinfotech]

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Next Generation of

The term “artificial intelligence" has been around for decades, but its meaning has changed over time. It was originally used to refer to machines that could exhibit some of the behavior of humans, such as learning and solving problems. But now we use it more broadly to mean any kind of machine that performs tasks using information processing (such as surveillance), data analysis, and decision-making processes based on rules and parameters learned through experience. This includes computer algorithms that can communicate with each other without human intervention or supervision; self-driving cars; virtual assistants like Alexa or Siri; apps like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video; video games like Nintendo's "Super Mario" franchise—name just one example of digital experience service!

There's no doubt about it: the future of artificial intelligence lies in connected systems. The advent of smart devices and the internet has given rise to an entirely new type of system, which is now being used by businesses, governments, and consumers alike. This new class of networks allows people to interact with each other via text messages or voice calls as well as share business data via email or social media platforms such as Facebook Messenger. These types of networks can be thought of as a cross between telephony (telephone networks) and computer networks (Internet). The results of our most recent McKinsey Global Survey on AI show that adoption of AI is still increasing and that its advantages are still substantial, however in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, these advantages were more noticeable on the cost-savings front than the top line. The tools and best practices for utilizing AI effectively have advanced along with its widespread application in business.

What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science that focuses on creating machines that can perform tasks that would be too complex for humans. AI is not a single technology, but rather a collection of technologies such as machine learning and deep learning. AI is also an area within computer science and engineering (CSE) that deals with intelligent systems - those which have autonomous capabilities or show advanced abilities beyond what can be achieved by conventional computing techniques alone.

AI has been around since the 1950s when John McCarthy first coined the term in his work on theorem proving using constraint satisfaction methods. The field has grown significantly over time as new technologies have been developed allowing for faster processing speeds, better accuracy, and greater flexibility in how these systems are used.

How can we use AI to improve industrial and commercial systems?

AI can help with predictive maintenance. To improve the reliability and performance of industrial and commercial systems, it is necessary to predict what will happen next. The main difficulty here lies in identifying the causes of failures and finding ways of preventing them from occurring again.

AI can also be used to design systems more efficiently: by using data sets that include detailed information about previous failures or incidents, engineers or designers can create new versions of existing products without wasting time on unnecessary redesigns. This process also reduces production costs because fewer resources need to be devoted to research & development (R&D). Furthermore, AI allows you to access remote servers so there's no need for physical proximity between team members who are working on different projects at once—something which would otherwise require travel across continents if they weren't working remotely via telepresence technology—which saves both time & money! 

The future of AI-powered connected networks

The future of AI-powered connected networks is an exciting one. As we continue to use technology in our daily lives, the impact it has on us and those around us will be significant.

AI has the potential to change how we live, work, and interact with each other. It will have a major impact on how we use technology; how we interact with each other through social media platforms like Facebook or Snapchat (which are using algorithms for predictive text); how we relate to ourselves in terms of self-awareness; even if you don’t know what that means yet—it’s coming!

Using AI to create new experiences in smart cars

AI can be used to create new experiences in smart cars. The technology can improve traffic flow, increase safety, and improve the user experience. It’s also possible that AI could help manage limited resources or even make better decisions about medical care.

AI is already being used by autonomous vehicles (AVs) today—for example, IBM’s Watson Health is an analytics platform that helps doctors diagnose illnesses more accurately and efficiently with minimal human input. Since AVs are already being tested on roads around the world, there are many more opportunities for this technology to improve our lives both now and in the future!

#Digital experince services

[beginagaincolorado]

THE MIRACLES OF DAILY MEDITATION

How many times do people tell you, “just breathe” or “maybe you should try meditation”? If you or your loved one is suffering from sex or porn addiction, more positively known as an intimacy disorder, chances are you’ve heard statements like these many times. 

So what is this magic they call daily meditation? 

What are the real benefits?

How exactly do you meditate daily? 

Oxford English Dictionary defines meditation as, “the practice of focusing your mind in silence, especially for religious reasons or in order to make your mind calm.” 

Daily meditation can be done anywhere without special equipment and is completely free to do. 

Likewise, you do not need to have any religious affiliation or defined spiritual beliefs to meditate daily.

The Benefits of Daily Meditation 

Establishing a habit of daily meditation can be beneficial for anyone. However, it is especially beneficial for those who are suffering from substance use or intimacy disorder.

Mindfulness meditation enables you to free your mind of distorting influences and achieve a state of equanimity or a neutral and calm state.

There are countless benefits of practicing daily mindfulness that can improve your quality of life. Just a few are:

Those who practice regular mindfulness meditation find that it enhances empathy, a key component of overcoming your or your loved one’s intimacy disorder

It is a natural way to stabilize your response to stress, meaning that you are less likely to respond negatively to triggering events

It has been shown to help reduce your body’s response to pain

Daily meditation has been shown to help treat disorders such as migraines, anxiety, and even depression 

It promotes greater emotional health and overall self-worth

Meditation and Recovery

While we know that this regular practice can have numerous benefits for a person in recovery, it is only one of the many tools that are taught in our 14-day Men’s Intensive Retreat.

How can something as simple as sitting in silence help you or your loved one on the recovery journey? 

Daily meditation gives the brain a “natural high” – The prefrontal cortex also referred to as the brain’s “happiness center” is super-stimulated during both intoxication and meditation. Replacing habits that have formed during substance use behaviors with meditation and mindfulness is another way to get that “high” without falling back into negative choices. 

Meditation can help you master “urge surfing” – with intimacy disorders and substance use, it can often feel like we don’t have control over our choices and behaviors. Meditation helps you learn how to become a witness to those feelings and impulses rather than fall prey to them. 

Mediation can release more of the pleasure chemical, dopamine, naturally – During our “feel good” behaviors, such as masturbation or drug use, our brain is flooded with dopamine, which creates a mental link between the act and the resulting behavior. Your brain learns that something feels good, therefore you should keep doing it. Meditation releases the same neurochemicals naturally thereby giving you an alternative way of getting that same dopamine rush without substance use.

Meditation can help fix the deep-rooted causes of addictive behaviors – By learning how to live more consciously, you can change almost everything about your life. Meditation makes you aware of yourself and your thoughts, meaning that you are more conscious of the choices you make. 

Daily Meditation: Mindfulness

You may be asking yourself what the difference between mindfulness and meditation is. 

Mindfulness is merely one type of meditation. It is one of the most popular and one of the types that has the most scientific studies on it. 

Mindfulness, as defined by the University of California Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine, is “… maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them…”

As Dr. Karen Kissel Wegela said, “Mindfulness meditation is unique in that it is not directed towards getting us to be different from how we already are. Instead, it helps us become aware of what is already true moment by moment.”

When you have the tools that meditation teaches you in your back pocket, you’ll find that you learn to approach previously triggering situations with more empathy, curiosity, and calmness. 

Imagine, you’re doing work on your computer, an ad pops up for sexy singles in your area, something that has become a regular trigger in your life.

Rather than click on the link and fall into old habits, you recognize what is happening. You take a deep breath and begin to examine yourself, where are these thoughts and feelings coming from? They’re only here for a few moments. Take each moment of temptation as it comes until it passes completely, like a cloud passing through the sky. 

Bringing awareness to your human experience and each moment of your day will give you the strength you need to start making real, positive changes in your life and your relationships. 

Starting a Daily Meditation Practice 

Establishing a routine of meditative practices will prove the most helpful way to get the benefits of meditation. 

The most common complaint is that people feel like they don’t have time to meditate. 

You do not need to meditate for hours every day. Just five to ten minutes per day will give you many of the benefits you’re seeking. 

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

Establish a time of day to meditate – whether in the morning to help start your day on a calm note, or in the evening to help you get more restful sleep, choose one time that you can fully dedicate yourself for a few minutes. 

Find a place to be alone – meditation and mindfulness are all about being alone with yourself and remaining present with your body. So long as it is reasonably quiet and you won’t be disturbed, almost anywhere is fine. Many people find it helpful to establish a meditation space within their homes where things can feel especially relaxing for them. 

Find a comfortable posture – sitting up and being aware will help you pay attention to the moment more. With your back straight and your legs crossed, you may find that you are better able to sink into the moment. However, if you find that laying down or sitting in a chair feels better for you, do that! It’s about starting something you’ll actually do.

Decide how you’ll meditate – will you use guided meditations on applications like Headspace or Simple Habit? Will you first try to do it alone and in silence? It’s up to you! Guided meditations can help you learn the skills you need to establish and maintain an effective and consistent meditation routine. 

Focus on your breath – the practice of focusing on your breath is one of the cornerstones of mindfulness meditation, focus on the feeling of the breath going in and out of your body, feeling it come in through your nose and out through your mouth. This simple practice will teach you to be aware of yourself and your body easily

Be kind to yourself – your mind will always wander. When you have lost your focus on your meditation practice, kindly remind yourself to come back to your breath and focus on the moment at hand. 

It may sound like a daunting task. However, incorporating just five or ten minutes of meditation into your daily routine can drastically alter the choices you make. 

If you’re ready to take the first step towards healing, check out our online 6-Module Course that will give you the knowledge you need to regain control over your life and decisions.

You’re already on the road to recovery, stay present, stay aware and, most of all, stay optimistic.

Source: https://beginagaininstitute.com/blog/the-miracles-of-meditation/

[greysebay]

Cleanspark competitors

#CLEANSPARK COMPETITORS SERIES#

The climate crisis in states like California and Washington have caused explosive blackouts within the past year, leaving vulnerable residents without electricity. A benefit that comes with solving these problems is energy cost savings as our solutions are supported by renewable energy and cheaper power. Two modern energy challenges we’re focused on solving are the lack of resiliency during natural disasters and fossil fuel emissions, whether from Bitcoin mining or automobiles. Companies like CleanSpark are striving to make a positive impact and pave the way for a more environmentally friendly future. The planet is facing a myriad of environmental problems. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve? Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on the planet and the environment. When people around you know you’re in the trenches, and that you’ve been there before, it’s empowering. Rolling up your sleeves, shoveling coal into a gasifier we’re developing, loading trucks, painting offices, facing up to challenges. People want to be part of something larger than the sum of the parts. Lastly, I’d say that I don’t ever ask anyone to do anything I haven’t already done. Many times our teams have sacrificed nights or weekends for the benefit of ‘our’ company. As a public company, using equity to compensate and incentivize our teams gives much greater value than just more to the paycheck. If you change the mindset from employee to partner, people are willing to go above and beyond to ensure success. Be solutions-oriented and don’t ever be afraid to ask for suggestions. Both with your stakeholders and your team. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each? My favorite quote of his, “Matty, I’ll be honest, I’d rather have ¼ of 1% of Chrysler than 99% of Joe’s Shoe Store.” That’s remained a driving force in all I do, making sure that our whole team rises together. He taught me a valuable lesson about making your team into your business partners by creating ownership opportunities. He reviewed a theoretical business plan project for me, one that I had designed a company and I owned all of the equity. I was heavily involved in business clubs and organizations as a student. My grandfather on my dad’s side was a big influence. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that? Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life? None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. It was amazing to see the respect the troops have for such a powerful leader. We traveled to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton a few years back, with an Air Force General, John Phillips. I’d say that getting the chance to tour US Military installations to provide energy security is pretty cool. Played sports, raised horses - really an amazing place to raise a family.Ĭan you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career? I’m the oldest of four with three younger sisters. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up? Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. A native of Lander, WY, he studied management and finance at Weber State University. Schultz was a founding member and the Vice President of the Utah Consumer Lending Association. While serving as the Chairman of Pali Financial Group, Inc., he assisted in market development of dozens of public corporations. Since 1999, Matthew has assisted numerous start-up and early stage companies to secure financing and expedite growth including as the President of Wexford Capital Ventures, Inc. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Matthew Schultz, Chairman and co-founder, CleanSpark, Inc. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment.

#CLEANSPARK COMPETITORS SERIES#

To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep.

#Cleanspark competitors

[projectcubicle1]

4 Simple Strategies for Increasing Productivity in the Workplace

4 Simple Strategies for Increasing Productivity in the Workplace

All leaders and managers strive to create work environments in which their employees can excel and be productive. It’s natural to want the best for your employees. But the challenge is figuring out exactly how to do it. How you motivate your employees plays a big role in increasing productivity at work and creating an environment in which they feel valued and can achieve their goals. It's not always easy to make the most of your own and your workers' working hours. Setting clear goals to achieve is crucial. But being realistic is also necessary to avoid disappointment at the end of the work week. Increasing productivity can be seen as an ongoing and long-term process, where smart planning, continuous learning, and focused efforts win in the long run. In the article below, we’ll share some useful tips that you can use to make your employees more productive. Set Ambitious but Realistic Goals

If you as a company or individual have ambitious goals, the satisfaction is much greater once you achieve those. At the same time, there is always a risk of the opposite effect on work ethic if you set goals that are very difficult or almost impossible to achieve. For goals to be realistic, they must be specific, measurable. And they should rely on reasonable calculations of the time frame, budget, and resources available. The most important aspect is the deadline. Regardless of whether the goal is to be accomplished within a month, a quarter, or a year. A clear deadline is a must and should not be overly lenient. If the goals are constantly pushed forward, they will not be as motivating for the team and there is a risk of losing energy and focus. People will remain loyal to your company so long as they have a cause to do so. Therefore, it is worthwhile to establish an incentive program if you want to motivate your employees. Equip the Team With the Right Tools   The tools that employees have access to play a major role in productivity and job satisfaction. Depending on the industry, it can be anything from physical aids to software that simplifies and streamlines the workflow. At a time when more and more work is being done remotely, it’s important to choose the right digital collaboration tools. And look for solutions for sharing documents and keeping track of milestones and deliveries. For example, if you have freelancers and contractors working for you, you could implement sophisticated management software for contractors designed to address the unique challenges that come with working with people who are not full-time employees. It can help organize your business and organize all onboarding, workflow, and information sharing processes that will ultimately grow and expand your business. Stop Procrastinating It’s completely understandable for big projects and deadlines to get the most attention. This forces most employees to put everything else on the backburner which ends up halting certain tasks and assignments that might not even take a lot of time for weeks. However, this could have a counter effect as those seemingly small tasks can have a significant impact on the organization’s success if they were to be completed swiftly instead of put aside. This is why you should make sure that your employees find the time to review these kinds of tasks regularly. They can also implement the two-minute rule which basically means that if something takes less than two minutes, the team should carry out the task right away and then get back to the bigger assignments they’re working on. This way, instead of having small tasks piling on, your team will learn to regularly address them and remove any friction. Review the Meeting Culture

Some meetings are necessary, some may not be. But they are a must if you want to increasing productivity at work. You must have the right conditions in place for efficient and productive meetings. It’s rather about setting a culture that motivates everyone to bring out their best sides and create value for the company. Make sure all meetings have a purpose and a clear agenda for productivity at work. Start each meeting by going through the main aspect, any background information necessary. And above all, the goal of the meeting. And if the purpose of the meeting was to sort out questions that can just work with an email or chat, just cancel it. The meeting should also not drag on for too long. Because it can be counteracted by proper preparation and planning. All persons who do not feel that they will be able to contribute to the achievement of the goal should be able to not participate in the meeting. Having unfocused team members during the meeting never helps to achieve constructive meetings or outcomes. Final Words: Increasing Productivity at Work with Ease As a business owner or team leader, it’s your responsibility to ensure that each person is operating at peak efficiency. Some of the simplest strategies to improve productivity in the workplace are setting realistic goals. Next, having the right tools in place, don’t procrastinate on small tasks, and reviewing the meeting culture. If your company is growing quickly, one of the best ways to motivate your employees is to provide them opportunities for advancement within the firm. There is the psychological component of feeling like they are trusted and valued for their job, as well as the dangling carrot of more money, of course. But there is also the factor of more money. This will help you ensure every employee remains motivated. Read the full article

#howtoimproveproductivityatwork #howtoincreaseproductivityatwork #howtomotivateemployees

[ruby-whistler]

I feel like if we really want to take a closer look at the topic of c!Dream’s obsession with c!Tommy, we have to look into both his reasons for it, and the tactics he employs to achieve his goals concerning it.

[ /dsmp /roleplay I did not tag this that way but this entire analysis is hugely c!Dream critical and focuses on the various facets of his manipulation, so if you’re not in the mood to read that, you have been warned not to. ]

Interestingly enough, before the SMP was actual heavy roleplay, back during the original disc war, the reason c!Dream listed for keeping the discs was to use them as bargaining chips, because he knew c!Tommy wanted them back, as they were hard items to get at the time, and knew he could use them for that purpose.

He had just gotten mugged and repeatedly killed by c!Tommy, who had also participated in a conflict beforehand, and only gave a half-hearted apology in the end. He had also seen him cause problems on the server before that. The discs were meant to be something he would threaten to destroy if c!Tommy started acting out of line, because he didn’t trust him to keep his word and wanted a guarantee. That was the reason he insisted on keeping the discs after getting his armor back, which is why he originally stole them.

And I feel like c!Dream’s train of thought, while skewed and twisted with irrational mindsets, is rather straightforward in essence. Conflict is what he actively stands against and what stops him from having a united server, hence in his mind, he needs to destroy things that bring conflict, and control what he can’t or doesn’t want to destroy. He thinks c!Tommy brings conflict, so he feels like he needs to find ways to control him.

Sure, we all know about the systematic abuse and isolation he employed to make c!Tommy believe he was his friend, but one of his major tactics since the beginning has also been intimidation, or a particular type of manipulation that leads to people fearing him or thinking that he has more power than he actually does. In his mind, if people are scared of him, they’re much more likely to listen to him. And the most fascinating thing is that it works.

During the initial exile conflict, despite him being just a single person with no official political power, he assures victory by aggressively, and very intelligently, threatening his way through the negotiations. c!Tubbo is scared of him, and that is not a coincidence. It’s purposeful.

Seeing as he planned to give L’Manberg technical independence either way - he said that there was no real way for him to stop them from pursuing that anyways, so that wasn’t the intention - even the war seems like a very likely ploy to make the revolutionaries fear him enough so that they wouldn’t start conflict after seceding. c!Wilbur is careful not to start anything with the Greater Dream SMP after this, because c!Dream has shown that he can and will ruin them if they do. c!Tubbo also knows exactly the lengths c!Dream will go to if he promises war thanks to this, and that if he says he’ll build a wall and keep them from leaving it with force, he’s going to do it. When c!Tubbo is faced with an ultimatum, seeing as his goal is to keep New L’Manberg safe and peaceful, he knows he has no option but to give in.

Another variation of this tactic is making himself seem more dangerous and unpredictable than he actually is and obscuring his motivation. If people don’t know what he wants, they are less able to devise effective tactics to stop him from getting it. The element of surprise is something that he utilizes constantly throughout warfare, and psychological battling is no different. For instance, during Doomsday he begins talking about how the server will “be at peace now” thanks to L’Manberg being gone, before c!Tommy barges in, and begins implying he did this all because he hates him.

DREAM Tommy… Look. In all destruction *looks at the falling TNT* there is a new beginning.

TOMMY You- you did this…! To all of us! Not just to me, but to everyone here…!

DREAM Beautiful. You know… the unfinished symphony, right?

…

TOMMY Why…?

DREAM The server will be at peace now.

TOMMY Why, Dream…?

DREAM Because I didn’t-

TOMMY Couldn’t you just- couldn’t you just burn the discs…? Couldn’t you just do it to me? Why did you have to…?

DREAM This is much more fun.

[ credits to @dsmptranscripts on twitter ]

Although c!Dream’s motivation for destroying L’Manberg was actually that, much like with c!Tommy, he thought that it bred conflict and division, he picks up on this and switches to saying how he did indeed do this all to hurt c!Tommy because he finds it fun.

He talks very inconsistently plenty of times, but it’s rather easy to spot a pattern of him being honest about his motives with his allies but straight up lying to his enemies. This makes sense, and it is usually employed as a deliberate tactic.

Intimidation is something he also uses to manipulate people during his time in prison. Ever since he got locked up, it became a mental fight. If people fully realized that he was powerless to stop them from hurting or killing him, his life only hanging by a thin strand on the concept of the revive book, he would’ve lost the control he needed to assure his survival.

The difference is that before then, c!Dream had actual physical power, however the manipulation gets harder to pull off when he has none, even with people he finds naive enough to fall for it. He still risks it because he’s desperate, and has nothing but his own life to lose, which is something he believes to be protected by his possession of the revival book. He had never been big on self-preservation besides staying alive to reach his goals.

He first tries this on c!Sam, who, rather unpredictably, begins to get morally corrupted by the power he has over c!Dream, on top of other factors. c!Dream talks to c!Sam about exile and about c!Tommy because logically, if he’s afraid of him, he’s less likely to try to hurt or kill him. This backfires because this new, unexpected version of c!Sam begins to fiercely hate c!Dream instead, hurting him further.

The same thing happens with c!Tommy - when he realizes that he can’t influence him through repeated visits anymore, he attempts to scare him into obedience again. He establishes himself as someone dangerous who has the power to escape and hurt c!Tommy as well as his friends, which he hopes will subconsciously sway him to not do things that he would disagree with. We can see him pretending to be the one in control throughout the stream after c!Tommy first got revived.

He also tells him that he can bring back the person who he’s afraid of the most and get him on his side, which is precisely the bit that ends up backfiring, but it doesn’t really matter, and trying was still the best thing he could’ve logically done.

If he hadn’t, at some point people would realize he actually has no power at all, and pay back the fear he’d instilled in them previously. This happens with c!Quackity, who began to take advantage of c!Dream’s lack of control as soon as he realized how easy it was to strip away the last bit of power he has, which is also keeping him alive.

Getting back on track, c!Dream essentially tries to control c!Tommy first by manipulating him into believing he is his friend, then believing he is a threat to him when that fails. We can see this from the way the Finale is prepared to be somewhat of a final showdown between the two, and also by him actually revealing the tactics he used to employ during exile, for example talking about taking away the invites to the party and not actually being his friend. This also proves he knew exactly what he was doing during that time, and he could easily switch between tactics because the end goal of controlling c!Tommy was more important to him than what c!Tommy thought of him.

And that’s it.

It’s all just a ploy to control him because he finds him one of the hardest people to stop from causing conflict.

Controlling him is as important to c!Dream as destroying L’Manberg and dethroning c!George and collecting people’s attachments, because what is important to him is achieving his goals through whatever means necessary, not the means themselves.

As for people, while he has no desire to actually kill them - or feels he cannot, because they could still be useful to his plans in the future - he treats them as either tools or obstacles he needs to deal with, especially if they ever get in the way of his plans, and he isn’t particularly attached to them. He does this to himself as well, and doesn’t seem to care about his own well-being or reputation as long as he achieves what he wants. While he’s focused on the ends to his means, that is the only thing that is important to him.

You could argue this does stem from thinking of the people he wants the server to be united for as important, since cc!Dream said his goals are for “everyone to get along”, but that doesn’t change the fact that the ways in which he works towards that goal doesn’t treat others’ or his own feelings as consequential at all. In the case of people who stand against him, their entire well-being is put to the side until what needs to be done in his mind gets done.

c!Dream isn’t “scared” of c!Tommy per se, nor does he seem to be obsessed with the guy himself, but he finds him something necessary to get out of the way to accomplish his goals, and he does so, ruthlessly as ever.

And even though the goal of eradicating conflict and uniting the server is something that he is so focused on that it could definitely be called an obsession, c!Tommy really isn’t that important within the equation at all.

This wasn’t a post to excuse or downplay any of his actions, nor do I agree with the “logical” thoughts I mentioned. There is a reason why I used phrases like “he finds” “in his eyes” “he thinks” “in his mind” “he feels like” a whole lot throughout this essay.

The character has an extremely flawed worldview that I in no way agree with (and although that should probably be pretty obvious, you really don’t know with this fandom). All this post is for is to analyse certain traits that are assigned to him, and figure out through logical reasoning whether they’re a mischaracterization or not.

And as far as the evidence goes; c!Dream isn't obsessed with c!Tommy, he is obsessed with his goal, and he sees Tommy as a big obstacle to achieving it, which makes him focus on him. These feelings he puts on display are an illusion to distract people from his real goal so they don't know how to get in his way - because, just like cc!Dream said, he “likes to withhold information; withhold plans; and withhold feelings” from everyone else.

#dream smp #c!dream #not really c!dream positive so not tagging w/ drblr #anyways #gotta go out with a bang #huh? #haven’t done analysis in a long while #this one’s a doozy

[ramonaprintmakingtwo]

Deranged Kid (Hosai Baido, 1968-1912), Fireman of Tokyo (Kunichika Toyohara, 1868-1912), Dragon Tattoo (Kunisada Utagawa, 1786-1865), 108 Heroes of Suikoden - Tattooed Zhang Shun (Kunisada Utagawa,1786-1865), The Most Popular Actors in Edo, Their Portraits and Their Voices - Tattooed kabuki actor (Kunisada Utagawa 1786-1865), Zhang Shun, the White Streak in the Waves (Kunisada Utagawa,1827-30).

Printmaking and Tattoos

For assignment four the it asks that you consider objects that are symbolic of important to you or capture what is important to you. Although it may seem superficial to some, my tattoos are very important to my sense of self. My tattoos identify me. Without clothes, my hair, jewellery etc, I still look like me when I look in the mirror. I need to consider how I may include my tattoos within my self portrait and wanted to explore other artists who have done so. 

There is a long history of crossover between printmaking and tattooing. In the above Japanese woodcuts from the Edo and Meiji period, the characters pictured are adorned with tattoos. The two mediums developed side by side as the woodblock printing exposed more people to images of tattooed heroes causing tattooing to increase in popularity. Woodblock artists and tattooists were often affiliated with each other some printmakers becoming tattooists themselves as there were shared methods and tools between the two practices.  The terms for traditional Japanese tattooing include Horimono (彫り物, 彫物) which means the carving of images and Irezumi (入れ墨) insetting of ink. The term ‘Horishi’ is used for both tattoo artists and woodblock printers and translates to ‘carvers’.

Traditional woodblock printing tools (Bull, n.d.)

Kyumonryu Shishin (Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1868) Woodcut print depicting 18th Century Tattooing technique called ‘tebori’ wherein a set of needles is attached to a bamboo rod is rhythmically tapped into the skin depositing ink. 

Traditional tattooing (Western and Eastern) uses strong line work and contrast. This is not only a stylistic choice but a practical one as bold lines help give form to colour which is more likely to fade. This aesthetic transfers well to reduction printing and many contemporary tattoo artists have explored the medium. 

Alex Binnie

Alex Binnie is renown tattoo industry and an essential part of the history of the UK tattoo scene opening the first fully custom studio, Into You in 1993. Binnie’s specialism is blackwork which is characterised by strong bold line work with traditional subjects and and patterns from ancient tattooing practices (Samoan, Maori, Tibetan, Japanese, Filipino, Thai, Taiwanese, Polynesian and Indian).

This understanding of positive and negative, black line, can be seen within his detailed woodcut prints. His is especially skilled at depicting tattooed skin, the tattoos appearing as part of the skin rather than sitting on top like a sticker. This is achieved by creating texture on the skin, rather than clearing the whole area so that it is bright white, creating a greater depth of tone. Should I wish to depict my tattoos in a realistic way this is technique would be something to bear in mind. 

Mark Jelliman

Jelliman has a distinct style and his Japanese influenced tattoos resemble conventional printmaking techniques, in particular the the use of parallel lines to depict tone and curved form. 

Jelliman’s linoprints are very similar to his tattooing although more symmetrical and uniform in shape (geometric shapes don’t work very well on the body as they wrap and warp). Within his printing he uses denser areas of black but continues with the parallel lines. I think his prints are beautiful and I really enjoy them however the techniques aren't suitable for depicting my own tattoos as they are high colour traditional and illustrative in design.

Martha Smith

Smith’s tattooing style is much finer than the previous two artists. Within her bolder outline (good for tattoo longevity) she uses delicate dotwork to create  depth. This would be extremely difficult to replicate this with carving into lino or wood but perhaps it could be achieved with etching with a fine tool. 

Unlike her tattoos Smith’s printing is bolder and uses stronger contrast. The addition of colour in the design of the tattooed woman is an interesting approach, the colour moving outside of the linework and even outside of the figure itself. The female torso print uses a similar technique to the portraits to Alex Binnie, using a range of fine lines to add additional depth of tone. 

Sue Van Gageldonk

Van Gageldonk tattoos have a very print-like quality with high contrast and a good balance of black and white. Whereas the other artists I’ve looked at tend to keep their printmaking and tattoo work separate, Gageldonk uses one medium to influence the other, tattooing images that she created initially for prints adjusting them only slightly. 

The links between the two mediums are longstanding and nuanced. Don Ed Hardy, known for his development of modern tattooing initially studied and worked a printmaker. I want to consider the relationship between the two and how I can incorporate it into my work. I'm unsure about how to depict my own tattoos within my self portrait and I need to explore the best way to do so. 

References

Alexbinnie.com. n.d. Alex Binnie. [online] Available at: <http://www.alexbinnie.com> [Accessed 25 August 2021].

Bull, D., n.d. Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking : Yoshida - Japanese Woodblock Printing : Chapter II : Part II. [online] Woodblock.com. Available at: <http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/011_07/chap_2b.html> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints. 2021. Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints. [online] Available at: <https://egenolfgallery.com/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

En.wikipedia.org. n.d. Irezumi. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irezumi> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Etsy. n.d. Sue Van Gageldonk Etsy Shop. [online] Available at: <https://www.etsy.com/shop/suevangageldonk> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Horisumi.com. n.d. [online] Available at: <https://www.horisumi.com/tebori/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Howerton, R., 2017. The Art of Tebori — Creating Traditional Japanese Tattoos the Old Way. [online] Tattoodo. Available at: <https://www.tattoodo.com/articles/the-art-of-tebori-creating-traditional-japanese-tattoos-the-old-way-13410> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Iamfy.co. n.d. Martha Smith Tattoo Shopfy. [online] Available at: <https://www.iamfy.co/shop/martha-smith-tattoo> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Japan House (Los Angeles). n.d. The Process of Woodblock Printing. [online] Available at: <https://www.japanhousela.com/exhibitions/nature-supernature/process-of-woodblock-printing/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Jelliman, M., n.d. [online] Marktattooist.com. Available at: <https://www.marktattooist.com/> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Jelliman, M., n.d. Mark Tattooist. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/marktattooist> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Museum of Fine Arts Boston. n.d. Object Number 260017, Woodblock Print. [online] Available at: <https://collections.mfa.org/objects/260017/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Smith, M., 2021. [online] Martha Smith Tattoo. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/marthasmithtattoo/> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Van Gageldonk, S., n.d. Sue Van Gageldonk. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/suevangageldonk/> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Von Huban, L., 2019. "Inserting Ink": the Hidden Ties Between Japanese Woodblock Prints and Traditional Tattoos. [online] Revere Auctions. Available at: <https://www.revereauctions.com/2019/03/22/inserting-ink-the-hidden-ties-between-japanese-woodblock-prints-and-traditional-tattoos/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Wanczura, D., 2004. Heroes of the Suikoden. [online] Artelino.com. Available at: <https://www.artelino.com/articles/heroes_suikoden.asp> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

#part4 #artref #ass4

[itsclydebitches]

Um one thing i wanna ask is why do you want penny to stay a robot? She would have been hacked again as it wouldn’t make sense for someone not to try it again... ignoring the pinnochio allusion thing cause of course RWBY shouldn’t follow fairytales like a script, but just thinking about practicality as the problem would just occur again.

Also, people complaining about how its a problem they cured her illness (having the virus)... why would you want her too keep the virus when its literally about to kill her and the cure is right there???? I dunno some of the complaints have me a bit confused and i need clarity on them.

Like, If they didn’t grab the relic for themselves, they would have been hunted by ironwood for penny, she would have been killed for the powers to open the vault etc... if they went to the vault with penny without their plan, she would have died... its all a lose lose for penny to me at least

Questions are genuine and I’m not trying to be rude or anything :)

Happy to explain, anon! :D

I’m going to break this up into three parts: The claim that people are upset about Penny’s virus going away, the idea that she’s in more danger as a robot, and the assumption that she had to be made human to fix this problem. 

The first is the easiest to tackle simply because I haven’t seen any of this myself. I don’t know why someone would “want her to keep the virus when it’s literally about to kill her.” My guess would be that there’s been some miscommunication at play. I’m not saying just because I haven’t seen these takes doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but rather that I have seen a lot of critical takes since Saturday and they all boil down to the fans being upset that Penny’s android identity was removed, not that the virus was removed along with it. Of course we’re happy about that additional outcome, we just believe it would have been possible  — even easy  — to achieve that same outcome without taking a core part of Penny’s identity along with it (more on that below).

Secondly, if one of the main arguments for Penny getting a human body is “It’s less dangerous” then I personally don’t find that persuasive. Yes, it means no one can try to hack her again... but it also means Penny can die all the horrible, messy human deaths that she was previously immune from (within the boundary of how long Pietro can give her aura, anyway). We saw it happen on screen. Penny was able to go from this

to this

purely because she was an android. Penny, due to her synthetic body, was able to be torn apart and then  — pretty casually it seems, based on Pietro’s comments  — be put back together, given more aura, and booted up with absolutely no downsides. Penny shrugged off death with a smile! No human body can do that. So yes, she’s vulnerable to hacking as an android, but she’s vulnerable to everything else as a human, things like Nora’s scars and Yang’s lost arm, things that android!Penny would have shrugged off. Each body has its benefits and its downsides, with my personal belief being that, from a combat standpoint, a synthetic body has far fewer downsides and far greater benefits. But that opinion aside, objectively I don’t think a human body is intrinsically safer for Penny in the long run, especially not after her biggest moment in the series was coming back from the dead. She can’t do that anymore. 

Which then touches on our third topic with the question: Why couldn’t the show have fixed android!Penny in a way that ensures she can never be hacked again? See, we have to remember that RWBY is a constructed, fictional story. Nothing “has” to happen. Or rather, nothing has to happen until the writers impose limitations on the text that the viewer expects them to adhere to. For example, if you impose the implied rules of 1. “Our four main characters will make it to the end of the series” and 2. “A character, without aura, will die from a spear through the gut,” then RWBY has to find a way for Weiss to survive Cinder’s attack (rule #1), but that solution can’t be, “Weiss is just randomly okay after a deadly injury, I guess” (rule #2). Hence, we get the solution of “Jaune unlocks his semblance and heals Weiss for her” and it works! It’s a solution that viewers like because it obeys all the rules, both overt and implied. Meanwhile, the problem with Penny’s solution is two-fold. The first is that it contradicts the entire journey she’s been on of “Android girl learns that she’s real and human just the way she is,” which I’ve already spoken about extensively (there are other posts on that), but the second problem is that the show ignores other possibilities and makes up new rules solely to reach this ending. 

Why is Penny made human? Because of Ambrosius’ rules. Why do those rules exist? Because the writers said they do in this episode. It’s not that they introduced these rules episodes or even whole volumes ago, thereby requiring that they adhere to them once Penny’s life is suddenly caught up in them (like with the Jaune example). Rather, the viewer only learned these were limitations while Penny was being fixed. So the writers could have just... not included those. There’s no reason why, in developing Ambrosius’ abilities right then and there, the show couldn’t have made them into something a little different. Have Ruby go, “We want you to magic up an anti-virus program that will heal Penny completely, with no chance of the virus returning. Thus, when you create something new, it doesn’t matter if that program disappears. The virus is already gone!” If the response to that is, “But Clyde, Ambrosius can’t create something he doesn’t understand” that’s a rule that the writers just made up. No one forced them to suddenly impose that limitation. It was a choice. Or even if we have to have it for some reason, you’re telling that the group gets to have the schematics for their escape route  — essentially inventing a teleportation system because Whitley looked at airship flight paths for a few minutes  — but they can’t have Penny or Pietro draw up an anti-virus program? There’s no reason why these rules couldn’t have been tweaked to cure android!Penny. 

There’s also no reason why Ambrosius needed to be involved at all. As just mentioned, Pietro exists and many fans (myself included) thought he would be the solution. Imagine for a moment we had a slightly different version of these events. Penny’s virus is briefly halted by Jaune and, finally given a moment to breathe, she asks where her father is. Last she saw, he was floating in a dead Amity after Cinder’s attack. This reminds Ruby that hey, Pietro made Penny! He’s just as smart as Watts and is far more knowledgeable of her systems. Maybe he can help? So the group heads to Amity and, due to the same techno mumbo jumbo that launched Amity in the first place, or had Klein heal Penny after her crash, Pietro says yes, he can get rid of the virus. Better yet, he can slightly redesign Penny so that she’s made un-hackable in the future, using (again, mumbo jumbo) parts from the now useless Amity. But it will take time. It’s then that the group receives Ironwood’s message and learns that they don’t have time. The reality that Penny will not be cured before the hour time limit necessitates that they come up with a creative way of dealing with Ironwood. Enter Emerald. Her semblance can make it seem like Penny is there, despite her being fixed by her dad miles away. We get an extended fight with Ironwood and, at episode’s end, the new and improved Penny catches up, ready to open the vault for them, this time of her own free will. 

Now, obviously I just made this up off the top of my head  — far from perfect  — but a scenario like this: 

Remembers that Pietro exists and lets him/Maria as an assistant do something for the plot

Re-uses Amity now that it’s just a floating pile of junk metal 

Creates a scenario where we get to see Penny and Pietro confront the fact that she was created to be a tool (sorry I originally made you so easily hackable/put a self-destruct in your brain) 

Maintains all the main story beats like Penny’s near escape, Ironwood’s message, and using Emerald’s semblance

Makes space to tackle other issues like the complaint that Ironwood was taken down too quickly 

Achieves the desired result of healing Penny without taking away her android identity 

Proves that, because we can easily come up with another solution, the idea that she “had” to become human is inaccurate. There were always other options 

Hell, we can even ask why the story bothered with a self-destruct threat in the first place. Seriously, why did Watts do that? I have my own headcanons, but the show never says. This act is the entire BASIS for Penny’s conflict and the show didn’t bother to a) say why he’d do this or b) explain why he’d do this when Salem would presumably like having a Maiden to control. It’s counterintuitive and the show never grapples with that. We have no canonical answer here. More importantly, what else changes if Penny’s self-destruct order is taken out of the narrative? Absolutely nothing. She’s still hacked and struggles to keep Amity afloat, still flies to Ruby, still wakes up and needs to be calmed down by Nora, still tells Whitley her order, still fights the Hound, still tries to escape, still tells Ruby to kill her so she doesn’t open the vault, and Ruby still realizes that opening the vault might be the answer. They could have taken Penny to the door and nullified the virus by letting her do what the virus ordered. Penny is fine now, they snag the Relic, and the group proceeds to save all of Mantle and Atlas. The only thing this self-destruct sequence brings to the narrative is a reason to give Penny a human body. That plot-point was introduced solely as an excuse to give Penny a human body. That never had to happen. It’s not that the writers had a story where, by the rules already in place, they truly had to change Penny to ensure they didn’t lose her, it’s that the writers carefully crafted a story that existed to justify their desire to change Penny. That was always the end goal. They decided they wanted this to happen and that’s the problem here. That they took a character who has spent her entire, fictional existence learning to love herself as she is and crafted a bunch of unpersuasive, needless, and contradictory scenarios specifically to get Penny to a place where they could erase all that. 

There’s no version of Penny that exists who truly had to get a human body to survive because Penny is a fictional character. Everything she does and experiences is thought up by our writers. Thus, at some point they thought up the idea to erase her android identity for a completely human one instead  — the part a lot of people are upset by   — and then made some messy attempts to write a story to justify getting that ending.  

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby volume 8 #mymetas #Anonymous

[misstrashchan]

Pyre/Greedling Meta:

I remember in the earlier volumes that a fair amount of people in the FNDM would compare Cinder to Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist, due to her femme fatale persona and voice seeming like an impression of Laura Bailey's Lust.

But as we learn more about Cinder and meet Salem in vol4, it's very clear that the version of herself she likes to present herself as is meant to come across as an impression, an imitation. Because she's trying to imitate Salem, the person who defines what power is to her.

And as that facade crumbles and we slowly start to see how deep Cinder's desires really run, it's far more clear to me that her character and story have much more in common with Greed, not Lust.

:read more:

Greed is the only homunculi who is willing to follow his deepest desires to the fullest, regardless of where that placed him. He was certainly willing to do evil, but wouldn't if that evil didn't personally benefit him. And, over time within the series, Greed comes to realise that his obsession with power, glory and seeking to become God, were nothing more than vain attempts to cover up his true emotional emptiness caused by a lack of connecting to others. And once he finds a cause and people to support who help and support him in turn, his character arc finishes with him, Greed, looking on all that he has, his friends, and is grateful. Content.

Which ties into the lesson of the Fall Maiden in the Tale of the Four Maidens in which Fall begs the Hermit to look around at all he has and be thankful. To be satisfied and content with oneself, which is a lesson Cinder has to learn in order to truly become a Fall Maiden.

Greed's desires are similar to Cinder's own ambition for power driven by her fear and insecurities, seeking to become a "godlike maiden badass" wanting to fill the emptiness and craving she feels, not yet realizing that this will not be what brings her true satisfaction to her, well, greed.

"Greed may not be good, but it's not so bad either. You humans think greed is just for money and power! But everyone wants something they don't have"

"You Atlas elites are all the same! You think hoarding power means you'll have it forever. But it just makes the rest of us hungrier! And I refuse to starve"."

I think it's very important to point out that Greed doesn't become good or redeem himself because he sees the error of his ways and wants to atone for the things he's done, rather he starts on the path to redemption by refusing to be a pawn to Father any longer, when realizing the power and glory he craves he wouldn't be able to obtain by staying and working underneath Father like the rest. His greed and dissatisfaction are what motivates him, though it is ultimately Ling who gives him the final push and convinces him to side with the protagonists.

And Cinder at the end of vol7 seems to be heading towards a crossroads of whether or not she'll stay with Salem, given how the Grimm arm that was "gifted" to her by Salem seems to be slowly consuming her body, she might have doubts about whether the kind of power Salem has promised her is really the kind of power she wants, and whether she's prepared to sacrifice herself to obtain it, or whether she could choose to strike out on her own. Again, some villains start on the path to redemption solely out of self interest.

It's also not just Greed's story I think Cinder's is remarkably similar to, but the stories of Ling and Pyrrha and the role they play in Greed and Cinder's stories, as their souls and stories are intrinsically intertwined.

The ouroboros tattoo and its meaning was the first thing that caught my attention, as it the ouroboros symbol represents eternal cyclical renewal. Of life, death and rebirth. And how that aligns with Pyrrha's incantation used to unlock Jaune's aura:

"For it is in passing we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee"

Cinder also has a tattoo of her own symbol that appears after connecting to Amber's soul and taking half of her power, just like the ouroboros tattoo appearing after Greed and Ling's souls were intertwined and he had taken over his body. Cinder takes the other half of the maiden powers after Pyrrha had been bound to them as her and Amber's aura were intertwined, making it likely that Pyrrha is a part of Cinder in the same way Greed and Ling are.

Both Pyrrha and Ling are considered to be people in positions of power and prestige with great expectations placed on them that they intend to live up to. Ling as an Xingese prince, Pyrrha as a world renowned champion fighter and promising huntresses, the "invincible girl". Both agree to becoming a maiden/homuculus respectively, despite the inhumane means of doing so and risk to their body, soul and life, as they believe obtaining this power will help their people.

"We can't transfer Amber's power to you but we can give you what those powers are bound to."

"Her aura"

"Her life... would become intertwined with yours. The question is-"

"What's that gonna do to you?" - (RWBY Volume 3 Chapter 6)

Greed and Cinder's stories are body horror stories about what you'll sacrifice for power, and the power they are "gifted" by their masters, Father and Salem, is concentrated in their left arm.

Interestingly, Greed's power that transforms him into an inhuman monster is his "Ultimate Shield" that makes him invulnerable, which is the exact opposite of the "power" that Salem grants Cinder that slowly crawls up her left arm threatening to turn her into a monster makes her more vulnerable than most, because she doesn't have aura to protect those parts of her.

Both Greed and Cinder are the most defiant of their masters wishes, and often Father and Salem experience losses and failures because they underestimated Greed and Cinder's ambition. What should have been an easy win at Haven for Salem failed because Cinder was overly ambitious in her need to to win, to feel powerful, and Greed's betrayal of Father is simply because his own ambition is greater than his, thus he would never be content to work underneath him, to be less than him.

Both are charismatic individuals and good at convincing others to work with them. They like to surround themselves with others and both are the only ones under Father/Salem to have their own subordinates (Wrath doesn't count since it was always Father's intention to have him become Fuhrer). Despite them clearly needing human connection, their relationship with their loyal subordinates we are introduced to alongside them is... Not Super Great. They might care about them to a certain degree, but at the end of the day they ultimately view them as useful tools and possessions.

Both of them speak of an emptiness they feel inside of them:

"All of these souls inside of me, and yet I still feel so... empty"

"It's... an emptiness. It burns. Like a hunger."

It's ultimately Ling thst acts as Greed's consciousness, as when he doesn't show any remorse over killing Bido, the last of the old Greed's followers, on the orders of Father, Ling is the one who drags out all of his repressed emotion, being able to feel his pain and see his memories, he forces Greed to face them and how terribly he treated his "friends", and to reevaluate his priorities and self, pushing him away from Father.

"It's nothing personal. I'm just doing my job. I am sorry, honestly!"

"What have you done, Greed? Are you determined to prove you're a monster? What kind of sick creature... would kill his own friend!?"

"He wasn't my... friend..."

"Then why do you remember him? And are you gonna try and tell me Bido was just making everything up?"

"Those were the last Greed's memories! They're not mine!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU IN SO MUCH PAIN!?

Pull yourself together, Greed. I'm warning you. I'll take this body back if you drop your guard"

"They aren't mine... Father purified me and purged the old Greed's memories. Those memories aren't a part of me any more!"

"No! You're wrong Greed! It's not that easy! They'll always be a part of you! You can't just erase them from your soul! They were the only part of you that you chose!"

"Look at them! Can you not hear their souls crying out? You abandoned them. Your real family! You threw them away like trash!"

"Fool. If you turned your back on something you wanted, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO CALL YOURSELF GREED!" (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood episode 44, Greed and Ling)

If Pyrrha were to return, it's likely she would manifest and communicate more directly with Cinder than maiden predecessors usually do (though in all fairness we don't know the details of if maiden predecessors do or not), being more similar to Ozpin and Oscar's situation, rather than just being a part of her soul, because of how unnatural her interference with the fall maiden's power transfer was. The way Ozpin looks and speaks about it makes it clear he knows there is a very good chance he was recreating his own curse the GoL bestowed on him, and that this isn't like when he was the Hermit, giving his magic happily to the Maidens.

There's also the parallels between Ozma and Pyrrha's situations too, and how readily they accept their mission and fate, and in how they die, and I believe we still haven't seen the full payoff to those parallels with Pyrrha.

When Ozma reincarnates the first time, it's implied that he completely overtakes Ozma 2.0/ Oisín/Diggs (why do we have so many names for him), having not yet learned how to live with the souls with which he had been paired. It's not until much, much later when Oz is beginning to have doubts about whether he should stay with Salem , but still continues to go along with her plans that Oisín makes himself known, (and we know Ozma isn't used to him communicating with him with how suprised and shaken he is by this, which is strange considering he's been paired with him for a long while, unless Oisín hadn't made himself known before this) and is the one who finally pushes Ozma to leave Salem.

"What are we doing?"

With Cinder returning to Salem's side, full of doubt of whether she can go through with Salem's plan for her, to hurt and destroy herself for this power, and Emerald and Mecury (probably Neo too) likely betraying and cutting ties with Cinder too, which is going to leave her full of even more doubt, hurt, anger and additional feelings of betrayal and confusion. And more than anything, alone. Which would be the ideal time for Pyrrha to say to Cinder like with Ozma, "What are we doing?" To push her to reevaluate her priorities and self.

Imagine Pyrrha finally being able to manifest or communicate with Cinder, realizing she's bound to the woman who killed her. Knowing her emotions and memories in their entirety, feeling her pain and anger as if it were her own. And Ruby describing her as "Pyrrha thought that if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone that it was a chance worth taking" the Pyrrha who told Jaune "Everyone needs a little help sometimes" understanding what Cinder went through, and that if she couldn't save the world or make it better by attempting to kill Cinder, then, maybe as she is now, the one thing she can do to help save the world, to make it a better place, is by helping Cinder be better, helping her use her talents for good, like a true maiden should? (On a more fun note, imagining Pyrrha deciding to help Cinder but not missing any opportunity to be a playfully snarky little shit towards her. Because what is Cinder gonna do? Kill her again? Like tell me Pyrrha would not Do Both. And Cinder's not sure which she hates more: Pyrrha teasing her or feeling sorry for her)

Another interesting thing is how in The World of RWBY: The Official Companion states that Salem's goal is to possess all four relics, and to absorb the power of all the Maidens, which she means to at some point, absorb Cinder's power. It's likely part of why she favours Cinder and has such an intimate relationship with her (the Relic of Choice might have played a role in why Salem chose Cinder specifically) That transition of maiden powers from Cinder to Salem would be made much more seamless for Salem if she was grooming Cinder to be more like her, and was slowly becoming more Grimm, if she was treating Cinder like an extension of herself, because to Salem, she would be. Which is again, similar to Father and Greed, as Greed literally was an extension of Father created from him, and absorbed back into him when he became too disobedient and remade and reborn again.

The finale of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood has Father absorbing Greed's philosopher's stone in an attempt to claim his power, but Greed ends up sacrificing himself by inverting his Ultimate Shield inside of Father, making his whole body incredibly fragile and vulnerable so Ed is able to defeat him. In the end, Greed ends up being the key to their victory against Father.

I want to make it clear that I don't personally think RWBY will end with Cinder dying or "defeating" Salem. At least, not in the traditional sense. I can draw as many comparisons as I like between Greed and Cinder but at the end of the day they're two different stories with different themes. And I don't believe that kind of ending would align with RWBY's. One of the themes of Cinder's story is to find a way to keep living no matter what. And as for Salem, the only way she can "die" is to learn the value of life and death, which would require a much more different approach.

But either way, I do believe Cinder will end up being their key to victory one way or another, similar to Greed.

#rwby #pyre #greedling #cinder fall #greed the avaricious #ling yao #pyrrha nikos #fullmetal alchemist: brotherood #fullmetal achemist #rwby theory #rwby meta #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood spoilers #I AM SORRY TO EVERYONE WHO HAD TO SCROLL THROUGH THIS ALL #I I DON'T HAVE A LAPTOP SO I CAN'T PUT A READ MORE LINK IN MY POSTS ON MY PHONE #thank you to anyone who might have read my dumb long analysis #I've had this in my head for a while but I get really nervous about sharing my thoughts and making long posts like this #so thank you

[the-owl-house-tarot-cards]

Well, here is the post clarifying my thought process for the next few cards and the characters I'm unsure on. (Hope you'll enjoy it and that you may can help me with the decisions.)

Here are the remaining cards I still need to do (four of the cards I've already decided on a character/event with 99% certainty, regarding the rest I'm quite torn on which character/event/object I want to depict):

• The Magician (Card 1)

• The Hermit (Card 9)

• Justice (Card 11)

• The Hanged Man (Card 12)

• Death (Card 13) -> The Titan (probably)

• The Devil (Card 15)

• The Star (Card 17)

• The Moon (Card 18) -> Amity Blight

• The Sun (Card 19) -> Luz Noceda (I am waiting for the reveal of her palisman)

• Judgement (Card 20) -> The Day of Unity (probably)

• The World (Card 21)

[Note: Firstly, I'm not an expert in Tarot, so not everything will be 100% correct (especially due to the fact that Tarot is highly symbolic). Secondly, I'm using the Rider Waite deck, so the characters I chose are mostly fitting the description of that deck.]

Now, let's get to the potential candidates and my reasoning behind them.

Card 1 — The Magician

Keywords of "The Magician":

• UPRIGHT: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action, willpower, desire, creation, skill, ability, concentration

• REVERSED: Manipulation, poor planning, untapped talents, wasted talent, cunning, trickery, illusions, deception, out of touch

First of all, I need to explain some symbolism regarding this card. In this card the four suits of tarot are shown (wands, pentacles, cups, sword). Each one stands for one of the classical four elements (wands = fire , pentacles = earth, cups = water, sword = air) and represents how the Magician is a master of the elements ("he has all the tools (and elements) he needs to manifest his intentions into being"). This of course would translate to (elemental) glyph magic and a master of glyphs.

Candidates for "The Magician":

• Luz Noceda — Luz wants to be a witch aka a magic user. She rediscovered glyph magic and is very skilled in using glyph magic. Also, a snake is usally depicted in this card (which might be Luz's palisman).

• Eda Clawthorne — Eda is (or at least was) one of the most powerful magic users on the Boiling Isles. She was a master of all kinds of magic and currently learns glyph magic. Eda can also be deceptive and manipulative. Her plans aren't always the best, but she's still very cunning and skilled.

• Augustus "Gus" Porter — Despite his young age, Gus is a very skilled witch (especially or rather mainly in illusion magic). In "Through the Looking-Glass Ruins" he felt down and how he felt like he was useless and wasted his talent. Also in this episode, Gus started to use glyph magic which he could still used later down the line.

• Hunter — Hunter is a very skilled person, both physically and in regards to his magical abilities. He also can be manipulative and deceptive (as shown in his appearances so far). He is also interested in wild magic and knows about 'elemental magic used in the Savage Ages'. Not to mention the potential of him learning glyph magic.

• Philip Wittebane — Mostly for his potential as a character and the fact given that he must have learned some sort of magic (probably glyph magic) during his life on the Boiling Isles.

Card 9 — The Hermit

Keywords of "The Hermit":

• UPRIGHT: Self-reflection, introspection, contemplation, withdrawal, solitude, search for self, search for truth, inner guidance, being alone

• REVERSED: Loneliness, isolation, withdrawal, recluse, being anti-social, rejection, lost your way, returning to society

Candidates for "The Hermit":

• Eda Clawthorne — Eda lived a long period of her life in solitude and isolation. She had to do a lot of introspection in order to get where she is now. This card also sometimes represents a mentor figure and is sometimes considered the mature and wiser version of "The Magician".

• Hunter — Hunter is quite a lonely character that needs to do a lot of introspection. Also, he has potential to fit this card quite well.

• Philip Wittebane — Mostly for his potential as a character.

• "King's Father" — He seems to travel alone in a chariot, so the descriptive term 'hermit' does seem to fit. This card often depicts a star which fits the astronomical symbolism found in King's orginal home. There is also a lot of potential for him as a character. (We really don't know much about this guy, so he's kinda a wild card.)

Card 11 — Justice

Keywords of "Justice":

• UPRIGHT: Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law, clarity, karma, consequence, honesty, integrity

• REVERSED: Unfairness, lack of accountability, unaccountability, dishonesty, injustice, retribution, corruption

Candidates for "Justice":

• Augustus "Gus" Porter — Gus is a very juste and morally good character as we see in "Through the Looking-Glass Ruins". He has a very explicit moral compass in that episode, though he isn't flawless in that regard as shown in "Something Ventured, Someone Framed".

• Warden Wrath — He works as an enforcer for the Emperor's Coven.

• The Coven Heads — Mostly for their potential as a characters.

• The Emperor's Coven — They are basically the police system of the Boiling Isles, just extremely corrupt and founded/controlled by Emperor Belos.

• "Statue of Hekate" (S1E19)

Card 12 — The Hanged Man

Keywords of "The Hanged Man":

• UPRIGHT: Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives, sacrifice, release, martyrdom, waiting, uncertainty, lack of direction, contemplation

• REVERSED: Delays, resistance, stalling, indecision, needless sacrifice, fear of sacrifice, avoiding sacrifice, disinterest, stagnation, standstill, apathy

Candidates for "The Hanged Man":

• Augustus "Gus" Porter — Gus did sacrifice quite a bit during his episodes like "Something Ventured, Someone Framed" and "Through the Looking-Glass Ruins". In the latter episode, he expressed the desire to learn new kinds of magic.

• Raine Whispers — Raine sacrificed themself for Eda in "Eda's Requiem" and created the BATS, a resistance movement against the Emperor. So, they fit quite well.

• King — Mostly for his potential as a character.

• Hunter — Mostly for his potential as a character (e.g. Titan Sacrifice Theory).

• The Bat Queen — Mostly for her potential as a character.

• "King's Father" — Mostly for his potential as a character.

Card 15 — The Devil

Keywords of "The Devil":

• UPRIGHT: Shadow self, attachment, oppression, addiction, obsession, dependency, excess, powerlessness, limitations, restriction, sexuality

• REVERSED: Independence, freedom, revelation, release, releasing limiting beliefs, reclaiming power, reclaiming control, exploring dark thoughts, detachment

For people who do not have much knowledge of tarot and this card, I should explain something. This card does NOT stand for a literal devil or an evil person. The most common and basic description for the card is about an unhealthy bond with someone or something that's (usually) not for the greater good like an addiction, an obession or a toxic relationship. This card also symbolizes instant gratification, even if it is at the expense of your long-term well-being.

Candidates for "The Devil":

• Hunter — Hunter has clearly a very unhealthy bond with Emperor Belos. This is especially shown in "Eclipse Lake" and how badly the relationship to Belos affects him (Hunter literally dug his own grave due to the negative influence Belos had on his sense of worth). Also, both the upright and reversed keywords of this card do fit him quite well. He is a powerless witch that works for the restrictive and opressive Emperor's Coven and is dependent on Emperor Belos in regards to his own self-worth. And we know from "Hunting Palismen" that Hunter wishes some personal freedom and independence for himself (especially regarding his future). There is also the potential of Hunter's possible redemption arc in S2B and his breakaway from Belos.

• Emperor Belos — Emperor Belos is a dictator that causes a lot of opression and limitations on the Boiling Isles. His relationships with characters like Lilith, Kikimora and Hunter and his treatment towards them is quite unhealthy and even abusive. He himself is also very dependent on the essence found within palismen for his well-being. (So, most of the upright keywords fit him quite well.)

• Alador & Odalia Blight — Like Emperor Belos, Amity's parents are quite unhealthy people to be around (especially Odalia). This was shown in regards to their treatment of Amity. They also seem to be quite materialistic which this card can symbolize.

• The Titan — Mostly for his potential as a character and his design.

• "King's Father" — Mostly for his potential as a character and his design (a horned demon with wings).

Card 17 — The Star

Keywords of "The Star":

• UPRIGHT: Hope, faith, purpose, renewal, spirituality, rejuvenation, inspiration, positivity, healing

• REVERSED: Lack of faith, faithlessness, discouragement, despair, hopelessness, self-trust, disconnection, insecurity, negativity, despondent

Candidates for "The Star":

• King — King is quite interesting character. We know his hopes in regards of meeting his father. He also felt a lot despair and distress due to absence of his father. In his original home, there is also a lot of astronomical symbolism like stars.

• Augustus "Gus" Porter — Gus is a very positive character. And he has insecurities and he felt discouraged in "Through the Looking-Glass Ruins".

• Hunter — In "Eclipse Lake" Hunter is shown in his most despaired state so far, as well as his mindset in regards to one's purpose. He has also a lot of potential as a character.

Card 21 — The World

Keywords of "The World":

• UPRIGHT: Completion, fulfilment, wholeness, integration, achievement, accomplishment, travel, sense of belonging, harmony

• REVERSED: Incompletion, feeling incomplete, seeking personal closure, lack of closure, lack of achievement, short-cuts, delays, emptiness

Candidates for "The World":

• The Boiling Isles — The main setting of the series.

• The Titan — The Titan makes up the Boiling Isles which is the main setting of the series.

• The Bat Queen — Mostly for her potential as a character and her design.

• "The Collector" — Mostly for her potential as a character and her design.

If any of you have other suggestions regarding the remaining cards and the placement of the characters, please let me know. I would love to hear your ideas. :)

#the owl house #toh #tarot cards #fanart #upcoming work

[frumfrumfroo]

I’m new here and couldn’t tell from the tone of some asks (sorry) but did you like what they did with Ben in TRoKR ? I saw the discussions abt him lacking agency in it and I 100% agree but did you personality agree w/ the passive, “things only happen to me” vibe they gave him? And second question: can u give examples of how soule’s writing was telegrsmed in TFA? Thank u for taking the time xx

Like I’ve said before, it’s exactly the kind of backstory I would have written for him/always imagined. I had expected to find out he didn’t kill the other students/fought them in self defence/it was some kind of accident or emotional overload incident in TLJ. That was where everything was pointing.

Someone this insecure and conflicted about what he’s doing, someone who prays for help to resist his loving nature and cries when he sees his dad, who is so uncomfortable with himself he is covered head to toe not even his voice unmasked, who immediately latches on to the protagonist as a kindred spirit in loneliness and needs her to know he’s not a creature and wants to help her rather than hurt her- that’s not a person who had an eyes-open, all-in fall to the dark side full of decisive action and unhindered agency.

Leia saying ‘it was Snoke’ told us from the get go we’re in a situation where he was haunted and manipulated. His subservience and rote, childish repetition of ‘the Supreme Leader is wise’ when Han tells him Snoke doesn’t care about him. The constant, ongoing contradiction of his behaviour and motives tell us he has no conviction in the cause he’s supposedly supporting. His self-harm and naked suffering in the face of his own actions, his recklessness and inability to commit to selfishness and lack of ambition tell us those aren’t qualities which drove him here. He is highly emotionally driven, there’s no tangible goal and he doesn’t have a vision of the future. So why is he on the dark side?

It’s not that things only happen to him or that he’s passive, it’s that Ben has never pursued or been comfortable with what darkness really is and that has always been obvious. He tries very, very hard and fights tooth and claw to cling to something good in the comic until all of it is in ashes- he’s not passive, but he can’t win. No one can hold out forever against that kind of relentless onslaught. That he was absolutely a victim doesn’t mean he has no agency in his later choices. He’s not absolved of responsibility. But his reluctance and victimhood only makes sense, anything else would be incongruous with TFA.

There was never pursuit of power for power’s sake from him- there’s nothing he wants that the dark side can give him, he is there literally because he felt he had nowhere else to go. I said this before TLJ even came out. He felt he could not escape it, both because of the fatalism his family unintentionally instilled in him and because Snoke convinced him none of them loved him, that he is only useful or valued as a tool. Ben is a person who doesn’t believe he has any inherent value just for himself- just Ben, he believes that he can’t be forgiven for the sin of being born a disappointment, and that everything is his fault because he’s wrong and bad no matter what he does. None of his choices feel to him like real choices, all of his options appear to have been taken from him, and he feels compelled to plunge forward on the only remaining path. The comic provided an emotionally and logically cogent explanation for exactly why he would feel that way which is completely consistent with all the implications about his past and his characterisation from the films.

As I’ve pointed out before, there’s a reason he says ‘it’s too late’ to coming home not ‘I don’t want to’. There’s a reason he says ‘what I have to do’ and ‘he (I) was weak and foolish’- there’s a reason he needs Han’s help to go through with killing his father. It’s not about what he wants (he wants to go home with his dad- he thinks he can’t), he has never felt free to make his own choices or that freedom is possible for him.

Even at his darkest he never became cruel, he never enjoyed killing or hurting people, and he totally fails to suppress his instinct to be compassionate. He has a highly developed conscience and an overflowing core of empathy he can’t seal off. That’s why he’s so miserable as he pushes himself to do things he finds abhorrent- but he thinks he has to, there’s no escape, it’s the only way. In the sequence which establishes this character, even before any layers are stripped away or the investment we naturally have in him because of who he is is revealed, one of the first things we see him do is have compassion for F/nn. Those two characters are connected and a comparison is invited- this is visual storytelling showing you that they have something in common (it will be made clear later on that Ben saw himself in F/nn and that’s why he takes his actions so personally- cognitive dissonance).

F/nn was a good person trapped in the mask of the stormtrooper by circumstances beyond his control, but he is able to reject it and reclaim his identity. Ben is a good person hounded into the mask of Kylo Ren by his family’s failure to reconcile with Vader. The crushing weight of their expectations and their total lack of faith in him combined with their lies and Snoke’s manipulation convinces him there is ‘too much Vader in him’ and that Ben Solo isn’t and never will be good enough for anyone. That his love, compassion, and selflessness are all weaknesses which will only cause both him and the galaxy further suffering.

He is the most morally sensitive person in the new gen, he is the most outward-orientated and loving. His impulse is to be selfless and helpful, but that impulse has been relentlessly punished until he mistrusts it and thinks he must repress his wrong instincts and serve a ‘greater order’ guided by someone stronger than him. He has an acute sense of the impact of his actions and he considers it (even when he loses control of his emotions, he overwhelmingly targets things rather than people and his angry threats are empty).

In contrast, Anakin (who was committed on the dark side and successfully cut himself off from his empathy for many years) was all in on the pursuit of power even when he still had good intentions. Anakin also knew that power was the foundation of the dark side and he and Palpatine would always be at odds, that some day he would overthrow him and take his place. Ben only values power out of fear, and solely primal fear not more abstract, possessive fear like Anakin’s, he wants safety. He doesn’t go to Snoke thinking he’s ever going to take his place or gain his power- he wants Snoke to give him belonging and acceptance. He’s then convinced that the ends justify the means and doing things he knows are wrong and which cause him pain are necessary because his whole life and Snoke’s machinations have set him up to believe that. He is still trying to create safety and doing what he’s convinced must be done and will be done one way or another.

Ben is a beautiful compassionate person and always has been and that is why he’s in such constant, excruciating pain trying to shut himself off from love and vulnerability. He is following Snoke’s demands and trying to kill his past to stop the pain, to kill this vulnerability and need and weakness in himself. Connection was always what he wanted most and he is trying to cut off and cauterise all of the broken, abandoned bonds of love his family has left him with. And even here, he still wants Snoke’s acceptance, Snoke’s validation and esteem. He is still pouring himself out for an other, giving everything to please someone else, the last person left who tells him it’s possible he can achieve value.

He latched on to Rey instantly when he realised they were alike and did everything possible to lift her up and spare her what he went through. He only rejected Han and Rey’s offers to come with them because he thinks their love is conditional and that small, dirty, broken Ben Solo will never be able to meet the conditions. He thinks he is a tool or an obligation to them and it’s easy to understand why he thinks that. Han couldn’t wipe away a lifetime of baggage in a few words. Rey pretends it’s about the cause, she doesn’t tell him she loves him.

He thinks he must ‘become who he was meant to be’ and that his destiny is to become a new Vader. Everyone told him that. Whether with their fear or directly with words. When he finds out the truth about his grandfather, it’s a complete confirmation of what Snoke has told him and how his parents have treated him. Luke deciding he can’t be allowed to live because it’s that inevitable is the nail in the coffin in Ben believing there’s any place for him with his family. There is nowhere for him to exist as himself, he has to be someone else, someone less weak. And in running away from himself, his legacy, and his identity he puts himself under Snoke’s thumb and Snoke can finish inculcating his worldview.

Being able to love is freedom to Ben. He is an immensely loving person who feels like he is not worthy or allowed to love people, that his love has done nothing but make things worse for everyone. The tension and repression of trying not to need or care about people is what makes him so emotionally unstable. Kylo Ren is a mask and a shield and a prison built by Ben’s hurt and anxiety but equally built by Snoke out of his boyhood fancies to control him and shape him into an instrument of pain. Ben could never have conviction in it because it is so alien to his nature. He is so fundamentally unselfish that he never coveted like Anakin eventually did, his love never became possessive or jealous, he never sold his soul for a boon, the only way he could be selfish enough to murder is out of animal fear and pain. Wanting the hurting to stop. Rationalising it post-facto with the philosophy that the ends justify the means.

He pours himself out for Snoke because there is no one else left. All he wants is the safety and acceptance that he has literally never had anywhere. Anakin received unconditional love from his mother, Obi-wan, and Padmé and was warped from giving compassion into selfishness by his fear of loss and need for control. Covetousness became his tragic flaw and thus his fall culminates in trying to kill Padmé rather than lose her. Control became so important that others ceased to matter and love became possession. Anakin (despite also being a victim of manipulation and Jedi hubris) got to make real choices, he had real options, and thus he was a villain with conviction. Ben’s attempts to take control of his life are unfocussed and mostly involve abnegation, he pushes people away instead of trying to clutch them close; his response to loss is to isolate himself not seize power to recover the lost thing by force. Ben never received unconditional love until Han’s sacrifice on the bridge and the experience immediately shatters him from his already tenuous position in the dark. The only thing keeping him from coming home after that is sunk cost and the idea that he can never be forgiven. That it was too late.

He just needed someone to show him it wasn’t.

#ben solo #this is repetitive brain vomit my apologies #I can't words any more everything is too terrible #he is a good boy though okay #the fact that he's a broken person rather than someone more inclined to dark paths doesn't lessen his redemption #he still did Very Bad Things and being convinced it was necessary or inevitable doesn't make it okay when a part of you knows it's not true #healing is the thing everyone has trouble beleiving in #and it's just as difficult to heal from misguidedness you were traumatised into as willful shittiness #maybe more so #because it feels less like a bad decision and more like you're just fucked up and can't help being fucked up #he'd still be just as redeemable if he were far more evil #but he is baby and I LOVE that about him #because there's nothing I love more than characters who are not what they appear to be #anyway reason 487389750783 he needed to live #it's not that he 'deserves' it more it's that you have to show you can recover #that you're not worthless if you can't be the perfect victim and pull yourself up by your bootstraps

[aciinfotech]

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Next Generation of Connected Systems

The term “artificial intelligence" has been around for decades, but its meaning has changed over time. It was originally used to refer to machines that could exhibit some of the behavior of humans, such as learning and solving problems. But now we use it more broadly to mean any kind of machine that performs tasks using information processing (such as surveillance), data analysis, and decision-making processes based on rules and parameters learned through experience. This includes computer algorithms that can communicate with each other without human intervention or supervision; self-driving cars; virtual assistants like Alexa or Siri; apps like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video; video games like Nintendo's "Super Mario" franchise—name just one example!

There's no doubt about it: the future of artificial intelligence lies in connected systems. The advent of smart devices of application development and maintenance services and the internet has given rise to an entirely new type of system, which is now being used by businesses, governments, and consumers alike. This new class of networks allows people to interact with each other via text messages or voice calls as well as share business data via email or social media platforms such as Facebook Messenger. These types of networks can be thought of as a cross between telephony (telephone networks) and computer networks (Internet). The results of our most recent McKinsey Global Survey on AI show that adoption of AI is still increasing and that its advantages are still substantial, however in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, these advantages were more noticeable on the cost-savings front than the top line. The tools and best practices for utilizing AI effectively have advanced along with its widespread application in business.

What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science that focuses on creating machines that can perform tasks that would be too complex for humans. AI is not a single technology, but rather a collection of technologies such as machine learning and deep learning. AI is also an area within computer science and engineering (CSE) that deals with intelligent systems - those which have autonomous capabilities or show advanced abilities beyond what can be achieved by conventional computing techniques alone.

AI has been around since the 1950s when John McCarthy first coined the term in his work on theorem proving using constraint satisfaction methods. The field has grown significantly over time as new technologies have been developed allowing for faster processing speeds, better accuracy, and greater flexibility in how these systems are used.

How can we use AI to improve industrial and commercial systems?

AI can help with predictive maintenance. To improve the reliability and performance of industrial and commercial systems, it is necessary to predict what will happen next. The main difficulty here lies in identifying the causes of failures and finding ways of preventing them from occurring again.

AI can also be used to design systems more efficiently: by using data sets that include detailed information about previous failures or incidents, engineers or designers can create new versions of existing products without wasting time on unnecessary redesigns. This process also reduces production costs because fewer resources need to be devoted to research & development (R&D). Furthermore, AI allows you to access remote servers so there's no need for physical proximity between team members who are working on different projects at once—something which would otherwise require travel across continents if they weren't working remotely via telepresence technology—which saves both time & money! 

The future of AI-powered connected networks

The future of AI-powered connected networks is an exciting one. As we continue to use technology in our daily lives, the impact it has on us and those around us will be significant.

AI has the potential to change how we live, work, and interact with each other. It will have a major impact on how we use technology; how we interact with each other through social media platforms like Facebook or Snapchat (which are using algorithms for predictive text); how we relate to ourselves in terms of self-awareness; even if you don’t know what that means yet—it’s coming!

Using AI to create new experiences in smart cars

AI can be used to create new experiences in smart cars. The technology can improve traffic flow, increase safety, and improve the user experience. It’s also possible that AI could help manage limited resources or even make better decisions about medical care.

AI is already being used by autonomous vehicles (AVs) today—for example, IBM’s Watson Health is an analytics platform that helps doctors diagnose illnesses more accurately and efficiently with minimal human input. Since AVs are already being tested on roads around the world, there are many more opportunities for this technology to improve our lives both now and in the future!

#Artificial Intelligence

[the-autisticats]

Punishments and rewards, sticks and carrots: How behaviorism is detrimental to learning and growth.

After posting about the myriad ways that classroom behavior charts are harmful to children, many teachers and therapists DMed us to ask if the use of token charts and reward-based systems is better, or if we approve of those methods.

The answer is that any coercive behavior modification method is detrimental to the learning process. This is true in all circumstances, and for all people: parents, teachers, and therapists.

Yesterday, I discovered a person named Alfie Kohn. He has written many books filled with research on the ways that behaviorism fails children. I ordered one of his books, called “Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes.” I’ll update you all when I start reading it.

Anyway, I went to his website, and I started reading an article he published called “The Risks of Rewards.” In this article, he cites dozens of studies that have proven that rewards are just as harmful as punishments. Instead of being opposites, they’re two sides of the same coin.

Instead of trying to paraphrase everything he wrote, I’ll just quote most of it here:

Studies over many years have found that behavior modification programs are rarely successful at producing lasting changes in attitudes or even behavior. When the rewards stop, people usually return to the way they acted before the program began. More disturbingly, researchers have recently discovered that children whose parents make frequent use of rewards tend to be less generous than their peers (Fabes et al., 1989; Grusec, 1991; Kohn 1990).

Indeed, extrinsic motivators do not alter the emotional or cognitive commitments that underlie behavior–at least not in a desirable direction. A child promised a treat for learning or acting responsibly has been given every reason to stop doing so when there is no longer a reward to be gained.

Research and logic suggest that punishment and rewards are not really opposites, but two sides of the same coin. Both strategies amount to ways of trying to manipulate someone’s behavior–in one case, prompting the question, “What do they want me to do, and what happens to me if I don’t do it?”, and in the other instance, leading a child to ask, “What do they want me to do, and what do I get for doing it?” Neither strategy helps children to grapple with the question, “What kind of person do I want to be?”

To summarize: rewards are not effective in “training” people to behave a certain way, because once the rewards stop, people are no longer motivated to continue acting the way they were before. This creates a chronic lack of self-direction and a sense of purpose. Behaviors are no longer internally motivated, they are externally directed. People then become dependent on prompts and incentives to complete tasks.

Let’s continue with the article:

Rewards are no more helpful at enhancing achievement than they are at fostering good values. At least two dozen studies have shown that people expecting to receive a reward for completing a task (or for doing it successfully) simply do not perform as well as those who expect nothing (Kohn, 1993)... In general, the more cognitive sophistication and open-ended thinking that is required for a task, the worse people tend to do when they have been led to perform that task for a reward.

There are several plausible explanations for this puzzling but remarkably consistent finding. The most compelling of these is that rewards cause people to lose interest in whatever they were rewarded for doing. This phenomenon, which has been demonstrated in scores of studies (Kohn, 1993), makes sense given that “motivation” is not a single characteristic that an individual possesses to a greater or lesser degree. Rather, intrinsic motivation (an interest in the task for its own sake) is qualitatively different from extrinsic motivation (in which completion of the task is seen chiefly as a prerequisite for obtaining something else) (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Therefore, the question educators need to ask is not how motivated their students are, but how their students are motivated.

To summarize: when rewards (external motivators) are provided for the completion of interesting, inherently motivating tasks, the intrinsic motivation and interest people have in the tasks plummets. People perform better on tasks they’re interested in when they’re *not* rewarded, compared to when they are.

Now, let’s read what Kohn wrote about a study demonstrating this concept:

In one representative study, young children were introduced to an unfamiliar beverage called kefir. Some were just asked to drink it; others were praised lavishly for doing so; a third group was promised treats if they drank enough. Those children who received either verbal or tangible rewards consumed more of the beverage than other children, as one might predict. But a week later these children found it significantly less appealing than they did before, whereas children who were offered no rewards liked it just as much as, if not more than, they had earlier (Birch et al., 1984). If we substitute reading or doing math or acting generously for drinking kefir, we begin to glimpse the destructive power of rewards. The data suggest that the more we want children to want to do something, the more counterproductive it will be to reward them for doing it.

To summarize: in this study, the children who were rewarded or praised for drinking an unknown beverage drank more of it, but enjoyed it much less. Whereas, the kids who drank it and weren’t rewarded liked it just as much, if not more, than they did before.

So, what does all of this mean? What is a better way to help children learn and grow? What tools should parents and teachers use when trying to foster a healthy learning environment? Kohn writes:

First, classroom management programs that rely on rewards and consequences ought to be avoided by any educator who wants students to take responsibility for their own (and others’) behavior–and by any educator who places internalization of positive values ahead of mindless obedience. The alternative to bribes and threats is to work toward creating a caring community whose members solve problems collaboratively and decide together how they want their classroom to be (DeVries & Zan, 1994; Solomon et al., 1992).

This concept is familiar to me as a Unitarian Universalist. In our Youth groups, at conventions, and at summer camp, we create group covenants. Covenants are a list of rules/guidelines that everyone agrees on. It’s an open, democratic process. Anyone who wants to add something to the covenant is able to, and the covenant itself is a living document that can be revisited and edited at a later time if need be. Every time the composition of the group changes (for example if a new session of camp starts), a new covenant is created.

Creating a classroom, a group setting, or a therapy room that involves a collaborative relationship between mentors and students, is the best way to foster healthy learning and growth. When students are involved in setting expectations for themselves, they are more engaged and more willing to abide by the agreement. Allowing for flexibility and change in the covenant itself also allows the rules to shift over time to fit the needs of the students.

In UU spaces, the process of accountability is not punishment or rewards based. When someone violates the covenant, trained counselors discuss the situation with them and anyone else who was involved. Then, a restorative justice model of conflict resolution is engaged. Everyone involved works together to find a solution to the problem at hand.

This isn’t some unrealistic, utopian dream. It’s the model of learning and growth that is most suited to the way human brains actually work. And yes, that includes autistic people.

There are many ways to engage with nonspeaking and/or intellectually disabled autistic people to ascertain what their boundaries are, what they’re intrinsically motivated by, and what they care about. Creating a covenant in a classroom for autistic kids might be more challenging from a communication standpoint, but that doesn’t make it impossible. Quite honestly, not enough people are even trying.

But I hope that after reading this, you will.

~Eden🐢

#actually autistic #autism #autistic #aba therapy #ableism #behavioral analysis unit #behavior analysis #behaviorism #aba #alfie kohn

[jiskblr]

The Metaphysics of Magic Items

Every individual has channels of energy which flow through them, which collect, pool, and travel along lines which are very similar from one person to another, though not precisely equivalent. The field of magical items has for the most part been the field of manipulating those channels; early items were usually weapons and armor, which touch only on the most surface-level aspects, and our ability to create more sophisticated items advanced slowly in early times, because we did not possess a good understanding of the principles at work. In a quirk of history, the first channels we learned to manipulate effectively were the ones we know regard as the most idiosyncratic and sophisticated: rings. Rings interact not with the local pooling of energy, but with a deeper level of soul-stuff. This requires fine control and is only possible for the most powerful of spellcasters, but it does not involve systematic understanding of the local flows of energy, and so was separable from the rest of the field. The various bodily affinities were gradually understood in bits and pieces, with the first attempts working only for a single type of effect, such as bracers of armor, and usually only in their weakest form - even early rings are, while powerful, much less powerful than we now know is possible. Also early were potions and oils, which operate using the internal magic channels but in a sufficiently consistent way that a rough, very descriptive understanding, without much grounding in theory, allowed them to create a variety of effects operating along similar lines.

It was in the heart of the dwarven empire in the reformed days where magic was no longer verboten that the first systematic understanding of the individual's magic channels began to be achieved. The first treatises written concerned specifically the channels in the legs and feet, but even this was enough to galvanize the field of item creation: methods which had previously been developed for boots of speed and greaves of stealth were, with the benefit of this systematic understanding of a piece of the whole, expanded to accomodate greater power within three decades, and to expand to a much greater variety of effects within two centuries. From there, the systematization tackled the arms and hands, which went much slower than previously because of misunderstandings caused by rings, which were at that time believed to operate only if found in the traditional shape and location of a physical ring. The insight that they were not interacting with the local channels in the hands allowed scholars to more directly analogize the hands to the feet, with rapidly-productive results when the barrier of misunderstanding was overcome. The community of crafters which discovered these principles was initially a guild system which guarded their secrets closely, but the overall concept of interacting with local channels was not kept secret as effectively. For this reason, crafters in other regions discovered similar principles but applied to other parts of the body. The elvish carvers first found the channels in eyes and were particularly effective in creating sensory-enhancement techniques, and then later generalized to the head and face. The core torso proved more difficult to map, though it has not particularly proven difficult to use once it was mapped; scattered druidic traditions managed to map the waist, but the full torso wasn't understood except in the later-developing study where both dwarves and elves, as well as other communities catching up to them, achieved full understanding of the whole body's map. This eventually unified with the methods used by potion-brewers and other makers of consumable-effect items such as the feather token into an overall set of methods. These take a very skilled craftsman to master the full range of applications, but the theory is consistent and understood by most wizards.

To complete the set of common crafting specialties, let me quickly digress on the spell-like items. Scrolls are as old as wizardry and have been rediscovered repeatedly; they are a minor variant of the notation and stabilized spell that a wizard places in their spellbook. The wand was known relatively early in history, definitely present in Lantide and brought to our continent by expatriates, but their creation was not actively passed down by the elves, and the principles needed were lost during the magic purges of the early dwarven empires. It was only alongside the systemization of magic channels that their creation was rediscovered, and understood as the self-contained 'prepared snare' of magical energy that we now use to create them, which is a mixture of the basic scroll with some techniques used for weaponry, creating a final product which can be used by an apprentice caster, a non-mage crafter, or by anyone who chooses to train in their use, which is common among adventuring fixers. The new - and, we believe, better-developed - theories also laid the groundwork for the staff, which combines the aspects used for weapons, the variants on those structures used for wands, and some fine-grained patterning most similar to rings, and created a powerful, sophisticated extension of a wizard's magical networks which allows a skilled spellcaster a much greater range of spells and can be, in a very real sense, a prosthetic extension of the humanoid body - which is why, unlike almost all other magical adornments and tools, it can be recharged from their reserves. It will come as no surprise to my audience that I am a carver of staves, and while I know several other varieties from earlier in my career I truly believe staves are the pinnacle of the crafter-mage's art. Or, at least, they are for now - perhaps in coming centuries we will advance our crafts and make new and yet-more-marvelous types, as our precessors invented staves.

The overall theory of items and the 'bodily affinities' which shape who makes things and why rests on the basic principle that a magic item functions by manipulating the magical channels of the one who uses it. There is a continuum, of course; weapons touch only very lightly, armor slightly more, and sophisticated items can be made to minimize the entanglement, the 'unaffilious' items. But the greater variety of wearable items all use close bonds to a particular part of the network, and have their effects by altering that network to draw on the spells and effects prepared in the item. Wearing two items which try to bond to the same part of the network will, at best, make one work at slightly-reduced capacity and the other not at all; the modified network created by one effect is the wrong 'shape' for the other to bond to it - unless, of course, one of the two has been crafted to not require it, but that is much more involved and takes, for a crafter practiced with both types, twice the time and materials. In principle there should be dozens or even hundreds of possible network sections which an item could bond to, but for the most part the modern crafter divides them into a standard set of twelve. While a few of these have clear delineations, such as the eyes, it is important for the student to note that most of these are essentially arbitrary. It is a fact that the channels in the vicinity of the waist are well-suited for effects which enhance the physical characteristics: strength, endurance, speed, agility. But while any system of crafters which developed independently but with the same knowledge base would make something very much like belts of giant strength, they would not necessarily call them "belts"; they might instead make breeches of giant strength and consider the lower torso part of a different affinity. The virtue of our standard set of twelve, however, is that it is widespread and covers almost all crafters who trade with us. If you create an item with one of our standard twelve affinities, you can be assured that it will interfere solely with other items made to use that same affinity. If you instead make breeches and make use of the channel segments lower on the body, you may have created an item which interferes both with the waist and with the knees and lower legs.

There is, however, reason to think this problem is not eternal. As our theoretical understanding grows more precise, it seems likely that we will find that some of these affinities can be subdivided, allowing more than twelve to be worn simultaneously. We know for certain the affinities are not perfectly interfering, from the art of 'kytoncrafting'. Like many other niche crafting methods, its origin is distasteful, coming from torture cults which revere the extraplanar kytons. But the methods are, when used with informed consent and restraint, ethical and fascinating. Kytoncrafted adornments embed into the flesh, interfering with the circulatory system of blood, and life-force directly, rather than primarily with the magical channels. The result creates wounds which never heal properly until removed, even with the aid of divine healing, but they do not interfere with traditional items utilizing the same 'body affinity', so that, for example, one may wear boots of speed together with ankle piercings of the spider, and have both function perfectly. To date, all attempts to refine this to remove the lasting injury have made them more difficult to create and embed, ultimately approaching the same end state as an unaffilious item. But it gives reason for optimism nonetheless; one boundary can be breached, and with time we can breach more.

#divine shells #3.Q #jisk worldbuilds

[peter-laufeyson]

Games and Lies

summary: Ahsoka Tano returns! As the Generals who saw this former padawan grow up get excited for her arrival, there are unsaid truths waiting to be told.

paring: ahsoka tano x reader

word count: 1500+

warnings: none that I can remember...

author's note: I'm having a current unbearable obsession with tcw, so here you go.

ADMIRAL Yularen notified the Generals of a incoming transmission that should be taken back on the ship.

"We best get back then" General Obi Wan says as he feels something familiar in the force.

"Yeah we should," Anakin pauses looking at his padawan, "let's go little one."

You look at your Master and put your lightsaber on your hilt. The three Jedis walked back to get on a ship.

"Anakin, do you feel it?" Obi Wan asked. He spoke in a low tone, almost as if he didn't want the padawan to hear.

Anakin frowned and looked down. He almost didn't want to believe his own feelings, in doubt that he might be disappointed.

---

"Alright Admiral, what's so important you brought us all the way back here -" Anakin's words die out as his eyes fall on the back of his former padawan.

You stand behind Anakin feeling shocked. You haven't seen your friend in years, more its felt like.

"Ahsoka?" ___ whispered so quietly.

Anakin stares for was felt like lightyears. Your thoughts consumed you and you felt almost jealous, as if your Master never gave you the same reactions, which he didn't. Anakin was fond of you, but underneath his lies you knew Ahsoka was his favorite. As your mind clouded, you pushed the evil thoughts away and decided to be happy about your friend's return.

"Hello Master, its been a while" Ahsoka states as Anakin keeps staring. Everyone in the room exchanges looks before they speak a word.

"How are you Ahsoka?" You spoke up, breaking the silence.

"I'm alright, thank you. I wish we had more time to talk, but I have urgent information for the generals."

"What is it Ahsoka?" Obi Wan asked.

"Lady Bo Katan and I have located the renegade sith lord Maul. And if we move swiftly, we believe we can capture him."

Your eyes widen, quite surprised they were able to achieve such a assignment before the Jedi could.

---

Your mind was out in the Galaxy, for reasons you couldn't come to. You searched your feelings, not even bothering to listen to the conversation the Master Jedis were having.

"Right, [Y/N]" Anakin turns to you and see your head hanging low and the sadness in your eyes.

"Master," you pause keeping your head down, "does Ahsoka know I'm your new padawan?"

"No, but why does that matter?" Anakin asks as Obi Wan feels tension in the force.

You shake your head and look up into your Master's eyes, "forgive me Master. I let my emotions take control of me, it won't happen again."

Anakin frowns and sticks a eyebrow up, questioning his padawan's thoughts.

As Ahsoka emerges from the ship you straighten your posture and almost hide behind Anakin.

"Ahsoka, I'm so -"

"We'll have to catch up another time" Ahsoka says as she cuts her former Master off.

You smile at Ahsoka and give her a small wave as she smiles back too.

---

"So I see you're in the Jedi Council now" Ahsoka says as she walks down the halls with you.

"Actually," you stop and Ahsoka stands in front of you, crossing her arms, "I'm a padawan. Anakin's padawan."

Her arms fall to her sides a little shocked as she couldn't believe the words that just came out of your mouth. Ahsoka wasn't jealous, of course not. But she was questioning as to why Anakin would make such a decision. Did Anakin not want Ahsoka's memories anymore? Did Anakin want to replace Ahsoka because she wasn't worthy enough?

I would never let anyone hurt you, Ahsoka. Never.

The meaningful words played through the former padawan's mind. [Y/N] stood there looking at her friend's reaction to her words. [Y/N] thought that her best friend wouldn't even question her thoughts, but Ahsoka was questioning her thoughts. The padawan felt her friend's feelings as clear as words.

"Um, Ahsoka?"

"Sorry, I just -"

"[Y/N], Ahsoka. You better come quick." Obi Wan rushed in before Ahsoka could finish her words.

"Over course General. I'll be there in a minute, I just need to get something." You quickly state as Ahsoka followed Obi Wan. You knew that she was going to be surprised by Commander Rex and the boys. Anakin was also going to give Ahsoka her lightsabers.

You gave your friend a nod and left to your quarters.

As you turned the corners and finally arrived to your quarters, you entered before taking a glance at the hall ways. You lifted your pillow and found the anonymous note. It read:

Continue to phase 6

You looked up and took a deep breath. You can already sense its going to be a long few days coming up. You gathered your emotions and whispered so very quietly, I'm sorry Anakin.

---

"I can see the lightsabers suit you well" you softly interrupted the moment between the Jedi Master and the former Padawan.

Quickly things started happening. The alarms went off, Obi Wan ran in informing the group of the current situation, they talked amongst themselves of how they can split their forces. Soon they figured it out, and everyone was on their way.

You noticed as Ahsoka and Anakin looked at each other for more than a moment. You decided to allow them to have their moment without you.

"I'll wait for you in the ship with Bo Katan, Ahsoka." You turn to your Master, "I'll see you when this is over Master." You slightly dip your head in Anakin's direction.

As soon as you walked away, Ahsoka moved towards Anakin.

"I feel a strong pull in the force to [Y/N]. I sense regret, sadness, and betrayal" Ahsoka frowns and Anakin creates a worried look on his face.

"Ahsoka," he puts a hand on her shoulder, "everything will be fine. Should something happen, you need to contact me immediately."

"Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes open."

---

Chaos covered Mandalore and death was only the beginning. Explosions erupted as ___ and Ahsoka can feel this distress from the people through the force.

"Uh, one of you might want to deal with that" Maul suggests.

Ahsoka quickly turns Bo Katan, "you should go. Your people need you."

Maul sighs and stands up sarcastically saying, "don't stay on my account. We'll be fine."

"Go" you urge Bo Katan as she puts her helmet back on. Ahsoka and the Jedi turn and prepare themselves for Maul.

"Look at them. So blissfully ignorant"

"Care to tell us what this is all about? Or would you rather save it for the Council?" You questioned.

Maul chuckles, "oh, no, no. Ahsoka dear, you are the one I wish to speak with."

You look at Ahsoka and question what Maul wants with her.

"Were you not cast out of your order?"

You feel threatened and start to sense a plot. Slowly you reach down and put your hand on your lightsaber. Before you were unable to unhook it, Ahsoka looks at you and shakes her head, causing you to drop your hand.

"I left voluntarily" Ahsoka says.

"Yes, but you were motivated to leave of the hypocrisy of the Jedi Council" you could tell Maul was trying to persuade Ahsoka. You stick a eyebrow up, wondering what his angle was.

[Y/N] could tell the words took Ahsoka unexpectedly.

"We were all tools, for greater power," Maul states and Ahsoka tries to reason with the renegade sith lord.

"I am here to put you to justice" Ahsoka continues.

"Justice is merely the construct of the current power base. A base in which, according to my calculations, is about to change."

"And Darth Sidious is behind it?"

"No he's not-" you take out your lightsaber and active it, "I am."

Ahsoka is slightly slow to process the words you spoke. Maul stands and listens.

"[Y/N], what are you talking about?"

"Ahsoka you don't understand, even if I could explain it to you!" You speak almost as if you're desperate. Desperate to be free.

"Your a traitor! You've fought besides those clones who are brothers! You saved their lives, how could you now turn on them? Most of all, you fought and trained beside the greatest Master of all time."

"Please Ahsoka, please! Anakin was an amazing Master-"

"You don't deserve him. Or the Jedi." Ahsoka was developing a harsh tone.

"Please - I know you sense my pain. I don't want to do this!"

"I've played games enough to see through a lie."

Ahsoka's words were hurting you, but you knew there was no going back from here on out.

Ahsoka uncliped her lightsabers and ignited them. She got into her defense position and you did too. Maul ran, neither of you thought about going after him. For the both of you knew the fight was between the former padawan and the padawan of the dark side.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this. I truly did love your company Ahsoka." With that, the fighting began.

---

Phase one: Train in the Jedi Academy

Phase two: Learn the weaknesses of Ahsoka Tano

Phase three: Ensure Ahsoka Tano becomes Anakin Skywalker's padawan

Phase four: Ensure Ahsoka Tano is framed for treason and leaves the Jedi Order

Phase five: Ensure Anakin Skywalker's new padawan is [Y/N]

Phase six: Execute Ahsoka Tano

[IN PROGRESS]

Phase seven: Execute Maul and Order 66

Phase eight: Become Darth Vader's Apprentice

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars one shots #ahsoka fanfic #ahsoka tano #star wars the clone wars #disney+ #anakin skywalker imagine #obi wan kenobi fanfiction #i love ahsoka