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justanotherthrowaway1950 · 2 years

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Why Do People Think Comics!Zuko Is Becoming Ozai 2.0

A common criticism of the ATLA comics is the fact that several characters, like Aang and Mai, think that Zuko is behaving like, or is on the road to becoming, his old man.

For yes, it is true that Zuko makes lots of mistakes in the comics, mistakes like failing to talk to Kuei and Aang before unilaterally ending support for the Harmony Restoration Movement, thus almost restarting the Hundred Year War, or failing to ask Mai and Ty Lee how they felt about him releasing Azula from the asylum into his custody. Not to mention all the mistakes he made in the TV show like siding with Azula in Ba Sing Se or hiring Combustion Man to kill the Gaang.

But is it not equally true that Zuko was not only instrumental in taking down Ozai’s regime, but also enabled, albeit indirectly, Mai and Ty Lee to escape their toxic/abusive friendship with Azula?

Did they not spend quality time with him and learn that, beneath the social awkwardness, anger, and hot-headedness, he is someone who wants to do the right thing, is willing to admit his mistakes, and is willing to rectify the harms he caused to the best of his abilities, even when he thinks there is no forgiveness or reward in store?

So why are his friends and allies so quick to label him Ozai 2.0 instead of trying to give him support and help him work through his problems, especially when they know he has the mountential task of reforming the Fire Nation essentially by himself, and especially when they know he is the only viable long-term claimant to the throne who is on their side?

Well, despite the comics never clearly stating the reason, I think the answer is quite obvious once you take into account what his nuclear family members are like, or more specifically, their mental states. This is because with Azula's fall to madness plus Ozai's mad plan to burn the Earth Kingdom becoming public knowledge, people know that mental illness runs in his bloodline, and so they fear that he too may fall into madness.

Hence why everyone keeps saying he is turning into Ozai, even though Zuko's actions are driven by a mix of selfishness, naivety, inexperience, and stress, and not the over the top sadistic maliciousness and ambitiousness that drove Ozai.

“Ok, that makes sense. But how come then they don’t insist on taking measures or offer him resources to help him stay clear of that path to begin with? For yeah they know that Zuko is susceptible to mental illness, but did they not see him fight against his upbringing, indoctrination, and abuse to do the right thing with no expectation he would get anything out of it other than a clear conscience?”

“So why don’t they help him establish a healthy support system instead of, for example, agreeing to end his life when it seems like he is going off the deep end?”

While I agree a hundred percent with the above opinion, the problem is four fold in my opinion. First, they aren't always going to be there for him most of the time due to living in other parts of the world, or in Mai’s case, wanting to spend time away from him and pressures associated with royal life.

Second, he isn't just their friend, or (potential) lover in Mai’s case, but also the Fire Lord. So matter how hard they try, they won't always be successful at separating Zuko, their hot-headed, socially awkward friend/lover who risked life and limb to help end the war, from Zuko, Fire Lord of the reforming Fire Nation, and someone who has intimate ties to the old regime.

Third, apparently Aang's era lacked knowledge in regards to mental health. For even though "Nightmares and Daydreams" suggested otherwise, they have no concept of therapy. In fact, the Fire Nation's idea of mental health services are asylums that share more in common with torture-like 19th Century western asylums than our modern conception of therapy considering the usage of straightjackets.

(Even though they really had no other real way to restraint Azula, or the other Fire Warriors, that would not be equally tortious, if not worse, as long as she kept her bending, it does not change the fact that using a straightjacket on someone is torture.)

Finally, the Gaang, despite their feats and power, are all teenagers who are still growing up and dealing with their own issues and trauma. So I don't think it is fair to expect them to be the emotional support system that Zuko, who is the oldest one in their peer group outside of Sokka, needs. Especially when the older and wiser Iroh struggled to support Zuko.

“Ok, so the Gaang can’t take an active role in ensuring that Zuko does succumb to his inner darkness. Nor should they since they are too young and ill-qualified to play such a role in his life. But why do they treat Zuko at times like an irrational actor, or fail to treat him like one of their most important political allies?”

“For example, why did Aang agree to The Promise when anyone with any common sense would know Zuko was speaking out of fear? How come no one ever checked up on him outside of diplomatic meetings in the year between the start of The Promise and the start of the Yu Dao Crisis? How come Aang was so quick to kill Zuko the moment it seemed like Zuko was starting to slip?”

“If Zuko expects Aang to be able to drop everything to murder him, is he wrong to also expect Aang to drop everything to have honest conversations with him before he becomes an Ozai-tier monster?”

Well, my response is that friendship is a two-way street. Moreover, Zuko is a ruler and a legal adult, so it is not too much to expect him to not fall apart just because he does not have his friends by his side all the time.

So just like the Gaang were being bad friends and politicians by indulging in his fears and letting him languish until he became liable to go to Ozai for advice and actual use it, Zuko was a bad friend and ruler, not to mention arguably a manchild, for letting it get to that point.

For Zuko should have never asked Aang, his best friend and someone with a no kill rule for deeply held religious and cultural reasons, to kill him if he ever started to slip.

Zuko, despite having Mai, and later the Kyoshi Warriors, by his side, decides to secretly seek advice from Ozai.

Zuko is the one who unilaterally ended the Harmony Restoration Movement and assaulted Katara when Katara and Aang tried to ask him why he suddenly changed course.

Zuko, despite getting shown mercy by Aang and convincing Aang that it was right to stop the Harmony Restoration Movement in regards to the oldest colonies, thinks that it is wise to have Aang set up a conference with Kuei to discuss the change in plans instead of making a beeline to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace.

In fact, Zuko decides to go to Ozai for more advice and decides to bring an army to Yu Dao knowing damn well it is liable to restart the Hundred Year War, and only gets bailed out by Aang coming with the radical (in ATLA) solution of self-determination in the nick of time.

But to conclude since I I think I have rambled on long enough, the reason why people think comics!Zuko is becoming Ozai 2.0 because they know madness runs in his nuclear family, and so that, combined with their era’s limited knowledge on mental health, causes them to think that Zuko is one bad day from succumbing to his inner darkness.

Especially since they are too young, busy, and ill-equipped to serve as the support unit Zuko needs as he attempts to reform the Fire Nation, and Zuko himself has not done the best job of avoiding situations where he is liable to succumb to his inner darkness.

So is there anything anyone can do to help him?

Well, outside of the Gaang checking up on Zuko more frequently, Zuko needs to continue working on himself, and in the process come up with healthy coping mechanisms both in his professional and personal life, so he can not only become the ruler the Fire Nation and the world needs, but also the healthy, happy, and (relatively) well-adjusted person he wants to be as well.

#zuko #ozai #azula #mai #ty lee #the gaang #atla comics #fire nation royal family #atla comics meta #fire nation royal family meta #justanotherthrowaway1950meta

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wfightclub · 1 year

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Unwelcome Encounters

I thought I would share an unfriendly encounter in a marital arts gym in the past, that happens so often it may be familiar to you.

Upon a big move to a new state, I went searching for a new gym to keep practicing Muay Thai. I found a beautiful big gym downtown, full of new equipment, bright shining lights, and dedicated fighters putting in hard work. I instantly signed up, and began working out that day.

I joined a beginners class, even though I knew I had surpassed a beginners level in my training by now. I just wanted to ease myself into this new gym culture, and see what the base teachings were like. It ended up being very enjoyable, I was working up a sweat, learning a different approach to technique, it was so much fun.

Until, a certain portion of class when we started doing partner drills. I had three different partners: a girl a bit younger than me who took her time to learn the moves, a man a bit more experienced that was surprised to see I could keep up with his pace, and an older woman who was clearly a beginner yet made sure to critique my form and be unnecessarily aggressive during our drills.

Now, in combat sport culture it is just etiquette to match your partner's level during practice. There is no need to blast anyone at a lower level than you, and you shouldn't blast anyone at a higher level unless you want it back. Common knowledge right? I have my suspicions that because I was a new member to the gym, and because I was another woman, this older woman felt the need to over perform as a way to 'assert her dominance'.

To me, it just really isn't a classy move. But, I try to see it from all perspectives. We were in a male-dominated setting, so there was already that pressure to 'keep up'. It's something we don't always recognize is happening as women, but sometimes you see internalized misogyny coming out in your, or in this case others', actions.

But, perhaps I also misjudged her too fast. She could just be another dedicated fighter that was just training hard (although I didn't see her go hard on anyone else). And maybe me calling her actions misogynist, is being misogynist myself. It will always be a confusing road to navigate as a women in martial arts, but there is one thing always tell myself to remember.

Rule #1: Respect.

Respect others, respect your environment, and most importantly, respect yourself. With respect guiding your means and motives, you will always find yourself better off. I do not blame this women for her actions, even when they are frustrating in the moment. I respect her for even showing up at all, because it is not an easy thing to do. And eventually, the ego will weaken and that is when true learning begins.

Thanks for reading :)

#martial arts #muaythaï #woman empowerment #fighting #fighters #gymstories #gym #boxing #kickboxing #jui jitsu #self defense #self defense for women #feminism

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bearlythere · 2 years

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how i, as a woman, relate to each and every single one of the she-hulk episodes (episode 1)

DISCLAIMER: this post IS NOT intended to make anybody feel guilty about perpetuating such scenarios. it was written as a realisation of how important she-hulk is in highlighting the real issues we women face in our daily lives and understanding them. hopefully, you realise that it isn't about "putting the male gender down for feminism", but highlighting specific, common experiences every woman has or will experience in her lifetime due to SOME man perpetuating such stereotypes. it is written to show how important the show is to me, in validating my experiences.

in each one of these posts, green will be used to describe she-hulk scenes, and blue will be my thoughts corresponding to the scenes and how i have experienced something similar in my life. you can view the rest of my posts about she-hulk here.

we first see jen, introduced as an established lawyer, prepping for a court case closing speech. then we see a male colleague, bukowski immediately stepping in saying that he should have been the one handling that case, as well as how much of a better job he could have done because he's a man.

i personally felt that this was a homage to professional women, whose knowledge in their fields has always been undermined because of their gender. this is especially prominent in male-dominated fields like the tech, construction, and engineering industry. my own personal experience had a guy in my uni class trying to convince me that i did not know the basics of database management in the first week of class, although i had studied that for 4 years, and he had no prior background.

jen goes on a road trip with bruce, and fangirls over steve rogers. then a car crash happens and surprise! she's now a hulk.

there's no denying that steve rogers (well, chris evans) IS HOT. plus, i'm pretty sure there's a point in life where we all just are genuinely curious about the private lives of public figures who keep their private lives away from the public eye. RELATABLE.

jen runs away, and finds a bar, women in the bathroom help clean her up and offer her help and affirmation. she calls bruce, and walks out of the bar to wait for him, where she's catcalled by some men. when she doesn't respond, the men start getting touchy and aggressive, triggering her inner hulk.

i love how this scene portrays how women have each other's backs, especially in situations like these. and ohmygod the incessant catcalling! i can't get over how ridiculous catcalling is in real life. i have experienced my fair share of catcalling, while i was at work, and it ranged from encounters that i can brush off easily to explicit, unasked-for lines that still make me shudder when i think of it. catcalling is an uncomfortable experience that every woman would encounter at least once in her lifetime. most of the time, we can only just brush it off or run away in fear of triggering the man who made such comments.

jen goes through some denial, "i don't wanna be a hulk! i just want to be me! " bruce trains jen to be in control of her hulk powers. and jen can switch from jen form to hulk form easily! jen wants to go back to work, bruce is worried that she'll turn into angry hulk and go on rampages when she's angry. they then have this argument about whether jen is really "feeling fine" and "in control of her anger".

i get that bruce was genuinely concerned about jen's wellbeing, but the way where he keeps pressing and asking her, until she gets frustrated and yells back at him. it reminds me how women's emotions frequently get second-guessed by others and not taken seriously, and how there's even a trope in media where "if the girl says something, there's a hidden meaning behind that". in this case, i felt that bruce was pushing jen too much, and did not think that jen was serious about being perfectly fine, trying to push her into staying and "training to be a hulk".

jen then explains to bruce that the reason why she can control her anger better is that anger and fear is “the baseline of any woman just existing”. and telling him that if she ever decides to unleash that anger or fear to confront others, it'll just end up with the woman being labelled as "difficult" and "emotional".

i felt this on such a personal level. often when i share my passions/frustrations with others in the workplace or organisational structure, i've always been brushed off by others for being "emotional". when i highlight a problem in a male-dominated group project, my ideas are brushed off as "difficult to implement or work with" while the same idea gets adopted and agreed with immediately when a male person suggests it. if i voice my frustrations out, the number one reaction i'd get was to "chill out man, it's a small issue". if i happen to tear up a little talking about the frustrations i have with the current structure of organisations and what kind of changes i would suggest to improve shared experiences, i'm "unfit for leadership since i'm too emotional to stand firm" and "have biased experiences" although everyone else is equally as frustrated.

thank you for reading, and feel free to chime in about your own personal experiences below!

#marvel #mcu phase 4 #she hulk #she hulk attorney at law #she hulk spoilers #jennifer walters #feminism #shared experiences #omg there's steve roghers homages!

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the-ethereal-serpent · 4 years

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Familiars VS Magickal Pets

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This article was written by "Dead" on the Pagans And Witches Amino. I have permission repost this. Link is at the bottom.

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What is a "Familiar"

First thing I will say, that many might not like: Familiars in folklore are spirit beings. Not just any spirits, but ones that a witch has made a pact with for various other tasks usually in exchange for offerings, lending of power, a foothold to the physical world, and sometimes protection as well.

They were also in folklore inherited from other witches, given/assigned to a witch by a more powerful spirit being (most often Fae Royalty, Divine Beings including God, or the 'Devil'), or show up on their own offering assistance in times of need. However, they still perform the tasks and expect reciprocity.

Familiars can and do in folklore, leave. They are not permanently bound to the witch and so will leave if their the relationship is no longer beneficial. A witch could also have more than one Familiar in their lifetime or at a time.

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Embodiment

Familiars did not always look like animals, they also could be plants or humanoid. Some are said to be capable of shapeshifting or possessing living creatures with the help of their witch. Interestingly, in my research, I found more accounts of humanoid Familiars that could shapeshift or had some beastial traits (they also ranged in size) in early folklore than I did actual animal Familiars.

Also, in the literature, I encountered they were about 8/10 times referred to as ‘Familiar spirits’ instead of just Familiar. They are also often described as imps, fairies, or demons. However, they seem to be closer or more often related to Fae lore. * Which when you take away the Celtic cultural context from the classification of ‘Fae’ it is basically distinction-less meaning any liminal being not human or divine. *

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History

“In the early 1970s, Jeffrey Russell noted that 'The small demons that became the witches' familiars of the later Middle Ages were originally dwarves, trolls, fairies, elves, kobolds, or the fertility spirits called Green men, any of whom could be either frightening or funny' and Keith Thomas claimed that the cunning man's fairy helper belongs 'to the same genre as the witch's familiar or the conjurer's demons?'

In 1971 Keith Thomas lamented that the English animal familiar was 'largely unaccounted for'.Despite such references to formality and fear, a large number of relationships between magical practitioner and familiar spirit were informal and intimate” (Wilby).

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Common tasks they performed?

Tasks included but were not limited to spying, shapeshifting, attacking or protecting others, give knowledge, warn and aid in times of danger, help a witch develop abilities, and travel between worlds.

What did they get in return?

The most common offerings mentioned in folklore was blood, energy, and a stable foothold in our realm. However, modernly people offer what one would standardly offer a spirit. Things like milk, honey, incense, food items, and items work just fine.

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What is a "Magickal Pet"?

A Magickal Pet is a physical animal that lives with a witch, that said witch uses for magickal purposes, involves in ritual work, and/or feels spiritually connected to.

This connection really isn't uncommon in pet owners in general and you could involve any animal in magick, so what really makes a Magickal Pet? Well, it is the belief that the pet is interested in the witches craft. Most modern witches cite things like seeming interest in their altar or actions during ritual work, as well as divination forms like interrupting tarot sessions.

Getting A Magickal Pet

You can get a Magickal Pets the same way you get any pet. You don’t need to have these animals from a young age to have a deep connection with them.

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JUST A NOTE ON CONSENT

There is a bit of an ethical dilemma when it comes to using your pets in your craft. This is that using your pets energy, fur, etc. and involving them in rituals can open them up to the same dangers you face during all spell work.

This like overextending their energy, spell blow-back, and connecting them to the work can and do occur. There isn’t really a way that they can expressly consent so if you are going to involve them then PLEASE ward your fur, scale, or feather babies.

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Calling a Familiar Ritual

Step 1: Introspection & Planning

This is when you ask yourself why you want a Familiar? Are you ready for one? What kind of Familiar do you think you can handle? As well as think up what your basic terms and negotiate terms are. This introspection period is often paired with meditation.

Plan your ritual. Time, place, tools, etc.? Take into account the weather of the day and be sure not to trespass. Maybe you want to make new portable wards or make/acquire a vessel, anchor, or conduit for the spirit (some spirits refuse to be bound to them and they are not mandatory).

Step 2: Wards, Circles, & Area Setup

Ward yourself and, if you use them, cast your circle. I recommend warding both your self and the space. Here is a pretty good wiki if anyone needs ideas or is confused: Wards

Step 3: Offerings

Lay out your offerings. Offerings can include food items, incense, burning herbs, etc. But if you are going to be doing this outside then I recommend non-toxic and biodegradable materials. Milk and honey are always an easy and safe bet.

Step 4: Incantation

Call to potential spirits. You can use the one below or make your own.

”Spirits of the forest, I pronounce my intentions to thee.

Come forth and seek me, and equal we will be.

Not master and servant, but familiar to familiar, to share our knowledge, our spirit, and our traits.”

Step 5: Meditation/Trance

Meditate and wait for a spirit to answer your call. This may take a bit and they may not show until you enter the astral plane, are sleeping, or at all. Just like in the show, spirits might not come to you right away and that's okay. However, if they don't come within about 3 days then you might want to try again.

Step 6: Negotiation

If/When a spirit shows you then negotiate your terms. Tell them what you want and expect of a Familiar and allow them to say their terms. Get a feel of the spirit and judge whether they are the right choice. Be flexible, but also know the terms you will not move on. Many spirits will take a mile when you give them an inch.

YOU CAN SAY NO AND VICE VERSA

The first spirit might not be your best choice and that’s okay, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. For example, if you are a witchling or new to spirit work then you should probably respectfully decline powerful spirits like Aos si or mid-level demons (I don’t know how to express that better, sorry demonologists and workers).

Be realistic about what you can handle and try to avoid power/experience imbalances. * I personally have turned away spirits that I felt I was not ready for and there is no shame in it. * Don’t become disrespectful if a spirit decides to say no. They are sentient and often sapient beings that have the right to refuse.

Step 7: Vessel/Anchor/Conduit

Part of your negotiation may have included a vessel or anchor for them (you may make one and they refuse) and this would be the time for you to bind them to it.

Conduits are physical objects used to channel a spirit beings energy and a spirit may prefer that over an anchor/vessel. For example Sigils, the spirit might give you -or you can ask for- a sigil to represent them in ritual and for easy communication. Possibly bring a notebook and pen, just in case.

Step 8: Closing & Cleansing

End your communication with the spirit, close your circle (if you use them), and cleanse yourself to avoid having parasitic or negative spirits attach to you. Gather your stuff as needed.

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Conclusion

Many modern witches equate these two things but unfortunately, a Magickal Pet simply isn’t capable of many of the things a Familiar is. They can’t consent and they rely on you for spiritual and magickal protection.

If it wasn’t for the tasks and capabilities then I would be completely fine with people applying the label to their pets. I have no problem with people involving pets in their craft and I think it is great that so many people feel so connected to their pets as it tells me they are well loved, and that’s always great to see.

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Article Source : http://aminoapps.com/p/t2dah6

Image Source : https://pin.it/7kp+qqR]

#Familiar #Familiars #Magical pets #Magickal Pets #Witchy animals #Witch animals #Wicca #Wiccan #Witch #Witchy #Witchcraft #Animals and witchcraft #Pagan #Paganism #Spiritual #Spirituality #Witchblr #Wiccan familiars #Animals

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dawna-the-daring · 3 years

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Dawna the Daring

Information

Name: Dawna Annabelle Walthomew Nobel

Tilte: Dawna the Daring

Rank: High Noble

Species: Shapeshifter/Faye Mage

Nicknames: Dawn, D, StarLight, Favorite, Silver Knight, Morning Light, Moonchild/Moonbeam, Hope

Aliases: Diana, Dee, Delilah, Debra, Dot, Donnie, Deeadra. Depending on the time period or mission depends on the alias used. All names start with D to acknowledge the first name she was ever given

Multiple possible ships: Hisirdoux Casperan, Bular the Butcher, James the Changeling (o.c), Delilah the Deadly (o.c), Kelpy the Kindred (o.c), Noble the Nifty (o.c), Steve Palchuck, Claire Nuñez, and Jim Lake Jr.

[Can also be shipped with one of your o.c's if discussed and agreed with]

Stats

Intelligence: Very High

Fighting Skills: High

Magic Level: High

Strength: Above Average

Speed: High

Durability: Above Average

Profile

Age: 916 years

Gender: Female (Fluctuates)

Sexuality: Pansexual genderfluid

Weight: 210 lbs

Heigth: 5'8"

Skin Color: White

Ethnity: Camelot (European)

Hair color: Hazelnut Brown (Can change)

Eye color: Green (Can change)

Background

Weapons training: Dawn typically uses her magic in a fight but in cases where magic isn't practical she has extensive battle training from the Order, the Gum Gums, and the Trollhunters/Gunmars Resistance. She can use just about any weapon but her magic split blades are her favorite and what she's most comfortable with. One is named after herself and the other her sister (Dawn and Dusk) as they are twin blades that are split.

Dawn watched the Round Table train and learned how to weild a sword that way. She is also proficient in knife/dagger throwing. Can weild an axe and throw a spear with great aim. She can also use a bow and arrow though she doesn't like them as much. Anything around her can be technically be used as a weapon but that doesn't mean it's an effective one.

Abilities

- Dawn is a powerful mage who learned magic during Camelots golden age. Merlins books and teachings helped her but sneaking out from the castle and exploring the woods around Camelots walls allowed her to truly learn magic for herself and what it means too her as a mage. She is most powerful with elemental spells as she learned from the woods and not a proper teacher. She has trouble with things like teleportation, telekinesis, and transmutation spells/hexes unless the spell she uses is connected to elemental magic.

- Her elemental magic attracts animals. She is good at calming stressed/angry animals as they can sense her magic and trust her. She can not speak directly to animals but she has an understanding of what their saying/feeling when they talk to her. If she listens closey enough plants also emit feelings and tell stories.

- Knows many different languages as after Camelots fall she took the time to explore the world. Has a slight accent but does a good job in sounding like a local. Strickler also taught her several codes like morse and tap that they use to have conversations during boring meetings.

- She is very knowledgeable on subjects like math, science, history, psychology, philosophy, biology, art history, anthropology, sociology, and many other subjects. She loves learning and often reads for hours at a time in her freetime. She absorbs knowledge like a sponge and one of her favorite past times is to listen to someone tell stories of their culture/past. Listening to others inspires her own creativity. She could sit and listen to Nomura, Strickler, and Otto's stories all day.

- Very empathetic and kind she just wants everyone to win. Whether she's a GumGum, an Order Spy, a freelance agent, or part of the Trollhunters she knows everyone and has seen their better side. She wants to believe everyone can be redeamed. Dawn wants to bring peace and when peace isn't an option she's hesitant to kill and perfers to injure or incapacitate instead. By nature she is a loving person and this has been used against her but she refuses to let herself see kindess as a weakness even if it has hurt her.

- Dawn is very adaptable when it comes to her environment or status. It's why when she's taken into the Order she rises quickly in the Changeling ranks and becomes a spy. Throughout her long life she has lived as a princess, a noble, a hand maiden, a pauper, and for a time a servant. Going through these various statuses she has learned a lot about herself and the world. She tries to treat everyone with respect and decency depsite status.

- During the GumGum war she became an amazing strategist and spy. Her skills to shift into any form allow her easy infiltration into an enimies camp. She uses her spy skills to watch how someone fights before devising a plan to counter their style and bring them down. She's best at making her enimies fall by finding their weaknesses and using it against them.

- Borne before electronics were around, Dawn often turned to the arts for entertainment. Hundreds of years of practice makes her a talented artist and story teller/song writer. She loves drawing and writing and has made hundreds of journals over the centuries. She has met great artists who have changed history over her life. Some being William Shakespeare, Leonardo Di Vinci, Michelangelo, Donetello, Raphael, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Dickens, Virgina Wolfe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Frida.

Weaknesses

- Dawn usually thinks things out and takes a calculated graceful approach to her fighting but when it comes to her close friends or family she can be very impulsive. She sometimes rushes into dangerous situations head first. She's also very stubborn and often gets in trouble for her sharp tongue.

- She is very protective of her friends and family. Dawn will do anything to keep them safe and has struggled with a savior complex ever since the fall of Camelot. She deals with severe self worth problems from unaddressed feelings and this causes her to think everyone is above her and their life is worth more than hers. Dawn has gotten hurt many times because she fears loosing those closest to her.

- Dawn has severe memory probelms from trauma and magical accidents/incidents. This leaves her vunerable to manipulation and can make her gullible at times. She is not naive and is often able to figure out who is her true ally and who is not but it can be hard to realise what's happening if she feels she's surrounded by friends/family. The Order especially her designated guardian or mentor Strickler have made it hard for her know what's right and what's wrong.

- Since she has been hurt and manipulated most of her life Dawna struggles with sharing things. Secrets are a common occurence and this can cause tension in a group setting. She keeps much of her past hidden and feels guilty about the secrets she hides but feels her friends/family would abandon her if they knew how she really felt and what she's been through.

- When she's hurt she often ignores it and lets the problem get worse because she doesn't want to address it. Her friends often have to drag her to a healer for treatment. This causes a lot of problems. She struggles with opening up so if she admits she's hurt or lets you bandage/heal her it means she trusts you far more than she'll admit.

- As a shapeshifter Dawn can shapeshift into anyone. After joining the Order her powers are put to use for infiltration/spying. Wanting to impress her higher ups Dawn often took her assignments too seriously and forgets who she is. She has identity problems and this can cause her great distress. However she has found ways to cope with this and Otto helped her master her powers so she'd control them and they wouldn't control her.

- After the Fall of Camelot, growing up in the Order Dawn has suffered many punishments for messing up an assignment/job. Strickler and Otto shielded her from the worst of it and sometimes Nomura would take the blame for Dawn but she has a lot of unresolved trauma that is buried deep within her. She will always feel indebted to Strickler and the other changelings but she also knows the Order is not a good place for her. The only good thing that came from all the punishments she's endured is she now has a high pain tolerance and she knows how the Order works.

- Dawn's maturity often fluctuates. She goes from being a young teen to an older adult yet she's always in the body of someone inbetween. Dawn could change her shape but mentally she's still that teenager who watched Camelot fall and wasn't able to save her family before they destroyed eachother.

#trollhunters o.c #o.c #dawna the daring #dawn #trollhunters #trollhunters r.p #please interact!!!

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shadowknight465 · 5 years

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Sun and Moon

He went back to the tree safe from harm, or what could be harm in his point of view. Nightmare still doesn't understand where the voices are coming from. He brushed it off thinking it was a result of being alone most of the time. Even though his feet were hurt from walking for a long time; he felt the energy coming back as soon he saw light golden cap with arms hugging two deep blue legs. He then took a deep breath as the dry grass tells his brother that he's here. Dream look up and saw Nightmare. Never knowing what Nightmare had seen before finding him.

As Nightmare sat beside him. Even when his eyes were closed he could easily tell that Dream is confused. Nevertheless Dream spoke to Nightmare. "What do you want?" Nightmare respond it with. "Just to talk." Dream looks down again. Nightmare always tells himself that he isn't gonna lie to his brother, but he feels like he needs to stretched the truth for a bit. Hopefully Dream will learn the truth sooner or later.

"Look, Dream,"

Dream turns his head to face Nightmare again.

"I didn't really mean to flip you." Nightmare then makes a fist to try to give his brother an example. "You see. I'm like a water balloon. I can build so much anger inside of me that I could explode unexpectedly."

Now this is the time to lie

Nightmare thought to himself. "And when you mention your friends, I got so mad and lied to you because you have friends and I don't." He then chuckles to himself while rubbing against his skull. "I guess I should get out of my shell more."

"Oh....Sorry." Dream responded, feeling guilty about something he didn't do. Nightmare thought to himself for second on how to make Dream feel better.

Dream always did say he want to cook with me...

"It's Ok, and you know what? I'll give you a cooking lesson. Would you like that?" He asked patting his brother shoulder.

"OK!" The golden eye light shine brightly. Nightmare smile to himself proudly, as he got up not knowing his brother is confused again. "Alright-y then," He said. "But first let me heal myself."

"Alright, brother."

As soon Dream was out of sight. Nightmare took all the wool out of his sleeves and nearly gasped from the blood loss. He's surprised that he didn't faint at least, that's what he thought. He went to his hiding place where he often use medicine practice on himself and took a piece of cloth and wrap it around his teeth.

Please God stay with me.

He then brew a healing spell in his black cauldron, and dive his arm in it painfully. Trying his best not to scream matter how much it stings his arm. As soon he was done. He catch his breath and look for a book about cooking so he and brother can make gumbo or stew. He grabbed the book that he needed and another dropped. He sigh in annoyance and went to put it back up, but when he read the title, he knows he didn't bought the book. The title read "Peace after Death". It didn't said who wrote it, nor did it had any information in the back. He decided when he has time he can read one or two pages see was all about. He pick up the book and hid it under his shirt, then went back to his brother while picking up some ingredients. Forgetting the mysterious book.

~~~~~

"Ok, Dream. Watch the fire while I get the recipe."

"And whatever you do. Don't touch it." Nightmare ordered sternly. It's wasn't because he doesn't trust Dream, it was because every time Dream is around with fire he always want to touch it, 'to feel the warmth.' His brother said as a excuse. After a brief few seconds. He felt something off.

Dream is being awfully quiet. I'm going to check on him

His suspense quickly turn to fear. He turnaround quickly yelling. "DREAM! DONT!"

"OUCH!"

Nightmare walked up to Dream disappointed.

One thing, he can't do one thing?

He thought.

"What did I tell you about touching the fire?" He demanded.

"Don't?" Dream squeak.

"That's right. And what did you do?" He reminded.

"Touch it..."

Nightmare sigh and went back to his studies to get some bandages for Dream. He felt a little lucky that no one has seen them, not because Nightmare will be in trouble. But because Dream will be accused of being a pyro warlock. If there's anything about him and pyro warlocks have in common is their love of fire. He blames the elders for introducing fire to Dream in the first place. Though he can see his brother being one of those pyro warlocks. Which to him it means he has to clean up all his brother's messes. Fire. One of the most dangerous elements known to so many races. Can be used for creation or distraction. It's also known for cooking meals and to guide the lost. But what's fire without its counterpart, water? The very thing that can heal in shape. To be transform into solid or gas. And to heal if you do it right.

~~~~~~

After Nightmare bandaged up his brother's hand. He sat in the back right beside him.

He thought about his deep thinking earlier and he decided he wanted to share that knowledge with his brother. Just in case.

"Dream, I think it's time to tell you the importance of water and fire." Nightmare turns to face Dream. "So listen closely, understand?" Dream nodded.

"You won't believe this, but both of them need each other like the sun and the moon. Let me explain. When water turns to ice, fire can thaw it out. When fire is out of control, water can calm it down. Although they seem different, they are the same in the way. Water was known to drown, to give life, to turn cold, and to heal. Fire was known to destroy, to bring warmth, to bring to light and to guide. They show us without one there can't be the other, they complete each other. Do you understand Dream?"

Dream nodded. "Of course, Brother."

Nightmare then chuckled for a bit. "You know you remind me of fire."

"Hmm?"

"You are always so bright and energetic." He answered. "Well you remind me of water, you are always so calm and gentle." He responded. Nightmare blush. He's not used to complements, not like his goody two shoes brother. "Thanks, I love you my Little Sun." He said.

" I love you too, Moon." Dream said. Nightmare turn to night sky.

Maybe I can teach Dream a bit of my interest.

He thought. He doesn't want to get lonely on most nights anymore. "Want to learn a bit about astronomy?" He asked.

"Yes, please!" Dream answered happily.

after three whole hours of talking about constellation his brother fell asleep on his lap. Nightmare pull his personal book from his inner rib cage. Hey, he got to protect his personal belongings.

June, 17, 1577

The small group of friends I met yesterday turns out to be traitors when they attack me. As they all beat me up one of them use their magic to make me break my own arm. When i was finished, they all wound up together and nearly blinded me by hitting my eye sockets with a big rock. It later cause me to be aggressive my own brother. However something strange had happened to me while I was trying to look for him. A creature I believed to be a massager for someone said they wants me to be their king of darkness, so I'll be safe from everyone's grasp, I however decline. Because I choose not to be like the people who abuse and manipulated us. Even after he left, I still feel like he's watching me from afar to see if I change my mind. And, a few other voices said they want me to be king. I theorize that if it's from being along for so long. When I finally apologized I told him that we can cook together after I tend my wounds. While I was healing up and planing to cook a meal with my brother, I discovered a book that wasn't mine reading "Peace after Death". It is said who or what is from, nor does it have a symmetry. Which made me wonder is this a gift from God or a temptation from Lucifer?

He then put the book away. And went to sleep. Not long after maybe four or three hours, he saw that he was in an starry night like area. He then look that himself and saw that he changed. Not like a demonic way, but like a spirit. Most of his color palette are shades of pastel bluish-purple. He looked up and saw similar lights from when he blacked out. As he slowly walks towards it, he can hear so many voices telling him to go on until he came to a blinding light. When it finally faded he discovered two beautiful gems. One shaped like the sun and the other shaped like the moon.

"Welcome back, Nightmare."

He looked and so heavenly figures each of them are white with a different color hue surrounding them. While their eyes are the same color of the hue and yet nothing no white or pupils.

Nightmare was so amazed that he can't describe it with words itself. "Is this a dream?" He asked when he finally got his voice back.

"No."

Nightmare suddenly got confuse.

"Heaven?"

"No."

Nightmare took a step backwards. "Hell?"

The leader of them walk towards him against his wishes. "This is a forgotten realm is call The Nerco Empire."

He look at everyone in awe. He never heard of such an empire. Especially a empire for the dead. As he was about to ask why they want him to be their king, he saw a humanoid figure dress in regal garments wielding a scythe pointing at him.

As if nobody paid attention, he heard it deep tone of voice saying. "Come."

He went to the opposite direction as far he could while screaming out for help. However as he got to familiar grounds nobody seems to hear him. When he reached to the tree where he and his brother were resting, he saw himself. He pause for a moment trying to think of an exclamation, then he remember why he was running in the first place. And ran straight to his body.

He jolted up then looked around him to see a sleeping Dream. He sigh and released thinking it was a nightmare, then carry his brother back home.

~~~~

After he sat Dream down on his bed. All bright yellow and some hits of gold and later went to his bed he felt a sharp pain on his back. He brush it off as maybe he was hit on the back and need some rest. When he got back to his own bedroom which is different shades of purple he felt his right hand Burning up. He took a look at it and saw the sun-cut gem.

So it wasn't a dream after all...

He thought. He put it in one of his drawers and head back to bed.

Whatever he went through it'll be over soon right?

#daybreak #nightmare!sans #dream!tale #uncorrupted nightmare #my art

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kali-tmblr · 5 years

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Oscar and Ozpin Part 1 of 3: Like-Minded Souls

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What's my opinion on Oscar/Ozpin? It involves a lot of psychological background stuff, so it's in three parts. The first part talks about "like-minded souls", the second part talks about early adolescence, and the third part talks about Ozpin himself. Ready?

Part 1

"Nature vs. Nurture" is an age-old question, but significant strides have been made in answering it. Scientific studies on IQ began in the late 19th Century, and by the late 20th Century enough was known that it could be safely said that every person came with an intelligence "preset", which while often quite higher than it appeared to be, nonetheless had an upper limit. A quality education could help a student reach that limit, and often exceed perceived limits (especially when cultural stereotypes were factored in), but the limits themselves appeared to be innate. Then came the 1980s, and things got interesting.

Mid-Twentieth Century America was overly fond of the practice of stranger adoption, whereby an infant was completely removed from their biological relatives and placed with total strangers, with no knowledge whatsoever of their biological background. Today it is looked on much less favorably, and has been all but abandoned in some locations. Nonetheless, it made for a golden opportunity for social scientists to study "nature vs. nurture". A number of studies were made which compared adoptees to their adopted parents and siblings vs biological parents and siblings they had never met. The most important were the studies of genetically identical twins reared apart, including the Minnesota Twin Study, also known as MISTRA.

The MISTRA study united adult identical twins who had never met, and who had usually only just learned of each other's existence, for a week of intense psychological testing. The twins were uncannily alike. Their IQs were identical over 77% of the time, in spite of being reared in different environments. Their character strengths and values showed a similar alignment, and they shared the same personality quirks more often than not. This even held when one twin was reared a German Nazi and the other was reared an Orthodox Jew. It's currently holding with Chinese twin girls who are being reared in San Francisco and in rural Norway.

Most significantly, when compared with identical twins reared together, the identical twins reared apart were markedly MORE alike, without the environmental pressure to differentiate themselves while growing up.

(Note this only happens with identical twins. Fraternal twins like Raven and Qrow show the same lesser similarity patterns as other biological siblings.)

These findings have led to a new theory of personality in which the human brain has "presets" not just for IQ but also for other character strengths, such as Honesty, Loyalty, Bravery, Gratitude, and Love of Learning. Of course, just as with IQ having a high "preset" doesn't guarantee that you will reach your full potential. A person with a high IQ won't thrive in an environment that isn't intellectually stimulating, nor will a person with a high Honesty "preset" thrive in a den of thieves.

(Note the existence of psychological "presets" in no way endorses society putting obstacles in the way of people reaching their potential.)

What does this have to do with Ozpin? I believe Oscar and Ozpin are indeed "like-minded souls". I think the mechanism the God of Light set up for Ozma's reincarnation made a template based on Ozma's "presets" -- his intelligence, character strengths, and personality quirks -- and set it to look for the human male in the appropriate age range who best fits that template. "Best fit" doesn't mean "perfect fit", but it does mean that Oscar and Ozpin share many traits, and even without the Ozma collective roosting in his head Oscar would have become a man similar to Ozpin in many ways when he was grown.

We saw at the farm that Oscar was responsible, diligent, meticulous, and a self-starter -- not many 14 year old boys get up at dawn to begin hard labor without prompting. We saw that he had intelligence, a love of learning (the books in his room), a sense of humor (his interaction with his aunt), and a strong sense of privacy (he both lived in his own little "tower" and he didn't tell anyone else what he was going through). Most significantly, he refused to make a decision until he felt he had all the relevant information, but once he did he acted quickly. These are all traits he shares with Ozpin.

On the road he's also shown kindness, perceptivity, patience, modesty, politeness, curiosity, a calm and somewhat reserved demeanor, and an unwillingness to judge others at first sight, also traits he shares with Ozpin. And there's the equanimity to recognize that he has the equivalent of a potentially devastating psychological disorder and the courage to persevere in the face of it.

Indeed, there's only one major trait of Ozpin's that we haven't seen Oscar exhibit on his own, and that is Ozpin's phenomenal ability to recognize and nurture talented individuals. That was a skill honed over an 80 year lifespan. We don't know if Oscar has it or will develop it. It's possible it was a trait they don't share in common. It's also possible Oscar just hasn't needed it yet.

But what about Ozpin's faults? In some people a combination of bluntness and detachment is a symptom of depression, and I started to wonder if Ozpin was concealing a bout of severe depression by the third episode. His passivity in the second and third volumes convinced me of this diagnosis, especially in light of Ironwood and Goodwitch calling it uncharacteristic of Ozpin. There's also the reluctance to share his problems with others that tripped him up so badly in Volume 6, as well as the grief and despair with which he spoke of Lionheart's betrayal. So the question is, if Oscar was frustrated, scared, or depressed, would he tend to keep this to himself? Haven't we seen signs of that already?

So the major differences I see in their personalities are products of age, experience, and/or damage.

For a final bit of evidence that innate character strengths are an important part of the story, consider the Volume 6 intro song, complete with the line "trust the way we're made".

Best case scenario, the Ozma collective in Oscar's head merely reinforces character strengths he already has, allowing him to attain his maximum potential with those skills decades before he would have done so under normal circumstances, while providing him a deep database of collective memories to draw from. This falls in line with Ozpin's own description of the process, "In time Oscar will inherit my (skills)". But there are other, darker possibilities, especially in light of Oscar's youth. We'll get into those next time. I promise it won't be nearly as long.

#rwby #rwby theory #rwby thoughts #oscar pine #ozpin

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sometime-in-1995 · 3 years

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So I was looking and hoping to find for a Rabbit Owner's Association or something within my province. I just felt like it would be nice if there is one and I would like to join. It would be so nice if there's a formed community of rabbit owners who are dedicated to promote rabbit health and welfare near me. I feel like I'd be more at ease knowing that there are people near me with the same intention. But you know what I found?

It's just sad to know that there is a Rabbit Breeders Association but there isn't one for Rabbit Welfare. I know this isn't a common knowledge but good and well-educated rabbit owners would not promote breeding. This is for the very reason that rabbits are overpopulated and most of the time, neglected. A lot of rabbits are being bought from rabbit breeders only to be thrown out once they get unmanageable and sustaining for their needs gets too expensive. Or only to be kept in a small hutch their whole life. A lot of rabbits are waiting in animal shelters for a loving home to take them but not a lot of people are open to take care of rabbits. There are still a lot of misconceptions on rabbits and rabbit care.

Have you guys seen a rabbit breeder's warehouse?

This may seem like a pretty organized rabbit breeding warehouse for most. But can you see the problem? No? Okay, let me point some things out for starters. The cage is wired, most of the rabbit breeders cage are wored at the bottom and that is not healthy for rabbit's feet/hocks. They need to be on flat surface. Those yellow green tubes are water pipelines to give the rabbits in each cage their water. And sometimes, there are more than 1 or 2 rabbits in one cage that shares this one water pipeline or water bottle. That's not ideal since they cannot drink enough water to quench their thirst from the nozzle. Rabbits need a clean water bowl.

Also, rabbits need unlimited access to hay. But I don't see a strand of hay in that rabbit breeders cage.

I'm not saying that all rabbit breeders are doing it all wrong. But in most cases, they do especially in a rural area like my province. This is because rabbits are still viewed as livestock animals. Honestly, just last year when the African Swine Fever (ASF) spread like the pandemic and affected the supply of pork, the suggestion of making rabbit meat open in the market made it to national news and was taken into consideration by the Department of Agriculture.

There is so much into the misconception & mishandling of rabbits but so less of rabbit care, health, & welfare advocacy. Even supplies of high quality hay and other rabbit needs are so limited. Even veterinarians in exotic animal practice or rabbit specialization is so scarced.

There are still a lot of things to do for rabbits and I just hope there will come a day where people are more concerned for them just like how they do for dogs and cats.

#rogeeii #rabbits #bunny #bunnies #rogeeii's loaf breads #kosuke x aya #rabbit care #rabbit advocacy #rabbit welfare #rabbit owner's association #101rabbit #lennon the bunny #bini the bunny

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