#Problem based learning makes you a problem solver

[vishwajyot]

We must rethink our approach to education in the rapidly changing global environment of today. Simply using traditional classes is insufficient today. Instead, we’re learning that the way to true enlightenment is to get our hands dirty and immerse ourselves in real-world experiences. We shall explore the transforming potential of experiential learning in this blog and explore the tremendous opportunities it offers.

[pinkmoonastro]

Pluto Aspects

Sun/Pluto: Dark sense of humor, attracts jealousy through the ability to learn quickly and be talented at many things, seductive, private life/double life, prefers to be in relationships, controlling, self critical, importance on achieving success and public recognition, denial about how social you actually are, obsessive, bouncing back from hardship unscathed, masking true feelings, lover of luxury, worrier, carrying the burdens of many, leaders, strategic, good at balancing multiple careers/streams of income, can work long hours, wiling to sacrifice for future gratification, beliefs being questioned/questionable, operating best with routine, helping the exiled, quiet power, domineering, leading others to the promise land, rags to riches, sharing nature, being taken advantage of, learning self worth, noticing the subtleties, standing in your power, alchemizing, appreciation of scents, restoring the balance and bringing justice, protecter, connection to night creatures, reverence.

Moon/Pluto: emotional rollercoasting, rough tides, tsunamis, delusions, misunderstood, living in the past, victim mentality, feeling intruded upon, enticing, protective, human lie detector, causing shock value with your thoughts, okay with not being everyone’s cup of tea, attracting stalkers/stalking others, a lot of haters and obsessive ppl, determined, my way or the highway, always on the go, quick witted, forgiving, misguided anger, easily triggered or triggering to others, a safe space for authenticity, youthful looking but quickly matured, problem solvers, appreciates luxury, high expectations, stressing yourself out, very strong ppl, the rock of their family, liking drama, needing to be more careful with the words spoken, lucky breaks, nurturing, creating a home that feels beautiful and comfortable, beautiful smile, soft spoken mesmerizing with your cadence, taking care of the things you own, making the old look new, hard choices, a few more restarts than most, word is bond, direct communication, seductive aura ✨

Venus/Pluto: Insecurities being obvious to others but hidden from yourself, ppl pleasing, nurturing vibe, great reader of social cues, bully/bullied, learning to understand and love your body, freedom through movement, talk of the town, being projected on a lot, resilience, cup half full mentality, big mama energy, ungratefulness, ppl trying to manipulate you through financial means, getting things taken away from you as punishment or literally being stolen from, independence, personality that grows on you, attracting jealously based on being the opposite sex’s ideal, player/overly devoted, values the connection to family, the type to plan the family get togethers, prefers to be coupled, generous and great at gift giving, hair that attracts idolization, fierce eye contact, ppl wanting to experience you without worthiness, personal space being important, careful with the people you shake hands with, being exactly what you want to be, near death experiences, night owl, protecter of children and the poor, solo traveler, taking no shit, knowing that it’s okay some bridges need to be burnt 🤷🏽‍♀️, child like innocence, friendships that stand the test of time, health conscious, healing others through food/herbs, high society, rockstar lifestyle might not make it.

Mars/Pluto: Okay with being cut throat, intimidating, power hungry, holier than thou, superiority complex, triggering insecurity in others while just existing, putting in work that will stand the test of time, legacy is of importance, it ain’t nothing to cut bitch off, knowing how to wow ppl, the defuser of situations, protecters of the weak, chameleon, popularity, rememberable first impressions, quick thinkers, great lovers, career focused, pressure to succeed, feeling you have to always be on your p’s & q’s, controlling lovers, the person others vent to, attracting ppl that feel entitled to your body/possessions, love/hate relationships, social butterfly, observant, bound by nothing, living in the moment, making the best with what you have, animal lover, would benefit from slower living, ingenuity, fashionable, hard headed, ppl trying to silence you, sprinkle sprinkle no bread crumbing is tolerated, lucky items/totem poles, optimistic, teaches lessons on how to be discerning, secret exposer, substance abuse, attempts to hold you back through evil eye, tunnel vision, seeing what needs to be said and saying it, willpower matched with child like vigor, friends and lovers that are protective over you, respected in your community/field, interested in the benefits of all, easily multiplying what you already have, water to wine type of vibe, relaxing when the work is done, knowing when to take breaks, shining bright in dark places.

Mercury/Pluto: realism view point, harsh truth, so relatable, knows better but learns the hard way, passionate speaker, musically inclined, before their time, emotional highs and lows, forgetful/selective memory, dark humor, appreciates the shock value, curse words are like icing, different just to be, thinking outside the box, creating lingo other ppl use, over explaining, paranoia, defending the vulnerable, saying what everyone is thinking, whistle blower, lovers of knowledge, constantly reinventing yourself, conspiracy theories, quick witted, solitude, dating outside of your race, cult leaders, judgmental, biting your tongue, pathological liars, self righteous, polarizing, sweet talkers, accent, making complex subjects sound easy, self critical, creating a lot of opportunity for yourself, taking journeys without a destination in mind, getting to the root of the matter, hard to reach, wise beyond your years, very knowledgeable about niche things, big dick energy, viewing something from multiple perspectives, feeling short on time/waisting time, organized, thoughtful, pouring into others, lending a helping hand/attracting those that want to help you, having to be extremely patient, smoking cigars for enlightenment, stuck on ppls mind, noticing the underlining factors, honesty off the charts, sending warning shots attacking, feelings of overwhelm by choices, defending your stance, being victorious against all odds, just so rememberable.

Jupiter/Pluto: importance on self image, Beyoncé- upgrade you, relating to others though music, greed, great investors, a need to be in first place, critical of themselves and others, perfectionism, requiring patience, materialistic, condescending, over indulgent, substance abuse, bad mouthing others, attracting leeching personality types, look but don’t touch, a lot of ppl have witnessed your transformations, co dependent, persistent, preferring not to be around the bush, learning when to walk away, big personality, topic of conversation, having to rebuild yourself repeatedly, opposites attract, quick manifestations, repeating yourself a lot, sustainable living, being able to balance many things at once, bringing offerings, community leaders, hard earned respect, learning discernment in friendships, solo travels, mentorship, feeling isolated, knowing how to use what you have, tongue like a sword, guiding the youth, transforming the mundane, unique style, taking the road least traveled, freeing yourself from sorrow, seeing the good in anyone, comforted by your bed, the same thoughts on repeat, warrior spirit, connection to horses.

Asc/Pluto: having your items end up in the lost and found, escapist tendencies, prioritizing relaxation, messy room, starting a new project before finishing the last, ppl misjudging your power, manners, sob stories/lack of accountability, fashionable, stand out in crowds, unique style, noticing the little details, valuing peace keeping, don’t mind switching things up and experimenting, self employed, viewed as lucky, ppl keeps tabs on you, being at the crossroads, rumors about your body/hygiene, protecters of their family, collecting antiques, building from scratch, learning to stay the course, loves celebrations.

Chiron/Pluto: learning only when the pain has gotten so bad, feeling like your always falling short even when you have what you perceived to want, intense feelings and relationships, what’s done in the dark coming to light, dismissive, ppl indulging in your hardships, helping others through your struggle, leading by example, survivors, learning boundaries, developing antonymy, life starting one way and ending up much differently.

[writeaboutit]

I Lied

You and Ellie met on a dating app, you lied about something minor, and she finds out (but is cute and fluffy, and a laugh is had).

Hi haven't written anything in a long while so forgive if this is absolute shite🙏🏻🙏🏻. This just popped into my head totally not based on anything real, no definitely not.

"Hey baby," Ellie greets as she walks through your shared bedroom door. She's slightly hunched over and shuffling her feet showing that she had a long, exhausting day.

You pop off the bed and wrap her in a hug. She melts into your embrace.

"You tired baby?" you question. You can feel the movement of her nodding her head against the crook of your neck. She must be really spent if she can't even say yes.

Usually, the moment she gets home from work she's either ranting about her incompetent coworkers or she's excitedly sharing a new fact she learned about that week's hyperfixation.

Her silence is a bit off-putting. You feel the need to hear her voice so you prompt her, "What can I do for you?"

The silence rings out for a moment, the only sound to be heard is your breath and hers intermingling. Then she's responding, "You know that time you told me you cooked pad thai before we started dating?"

You furrow your brows in confusion. You can recall when you told her that over text, in the dating app you met on, but you're a bit confused as to why she's bringing it up now, or why she even remembers that at all.

"Yes," you say hesitantly, wondering where this conversation is going.

"Can you make that? It sounds so good right now." She asks with puppy dog eyes.

For a moment you're caught off guard. You never thought she would ask you to make her pad thai after that conversation and you worry for all of two seconds before bursting into laughter.

Ellie pulls away from the hug and looks at you with confusion. She props her hand on her hip and watched as you double over with laughter before righting yourself and calming down.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry but I lied," You giggle again, "I tried to make pad thai but it turned out so bad. I only told you I made a good pad thai because I wanted you to think I was this sexy girl who could cook well," you let out one last chuckle when you finish your explanation.

Ellie's jaw is hanging open, "What if I was only dating you for your pad thai-making abilities?"

You chuckle at that as well. There is no way this woman is only dating you for your cooking skills, that's for sure.

"I'd say you're full of shit. We've been dating for two years and you have not once brought up my homemade pad thai." You prop a had on you hip and raise an eyebrow waiting for her retort.

She throws her head back with a laugh before enveloping you in her arms, "You're such an idiot, I love you."

You smack her arm playfully, "Hey I'm not an idiot, and I love you too."

"You're right, you're not an idiot my love." She says the last bit against your lips before connecting them.

When you break apart she looks down at you before asking, "Well now what are we going to eat?"

You shrug, "We can order Thai food for delivery."

"See this is why I love you, you're a problem solver." She places quick kisses across your cheeks and the bridge of your nose causing you to giggle.

"Okay okay get off me so I can make the order," you laugh as you push her away.

"I love you," she throws out as you walk out of the bedroom towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah." you laugh, giddy over your girlfriend.

so yeah there ya go. idk what this was i just really need to get back into the habit of writing. this wasn’t proof read so sorry about any mistakes. i’m gonna keep writing so trust better stuff will be posted🙏🏻

[astrologydray]

♍️Virgo Mc in the each of the degrees♍️

If you have a Virgo Midheaven (MC), your career and public image are shaped by Virgo’s themes of precision, analysis, service, and mastery. You likely thrive in careers requiring problem-solving, organization, and attention to detail, such as healthcare, science, writing, education, research, or business administration.

• 0° Virgo (Aries Point) – A powerful initiator in service-based or intellectual fields. May gain recognition in medicine, science, or social reform.

• 1° Virgo – A perfectionist with strong critical thinking skills. Could succeed in editing, analytics, or quality control.

• 2° Virgo – A talented communicator; could thrive in writing, journalism, or teaching.

• 3° Virgo – An analytical mind, ideal for investigative work, research, or forensics.

• 4° Virgo – A love for learning and refinement; may excel in academia, law, or technical writing.

• 5° Virgo – A meticulous worker; likely to succeed in finance, administration, or data analysis.

• 6° Virgo – Naturally inclined toward healthcare, therapy, or alternative medicine.

• 7° Virgo – A precise, creative thinker; may find success in graphic design, architecture, or craftsmanship.

• 8° Virgo – Drawn to healing professions, including nutrition, physical therapy, or holistic medicine.

• 9° Virgo – A problem-solver with innovative ideas. Could thrive in technology, engineering, or logistics.

• 10° Virgo – A strong educator; may work in teaching, coaching, or mentoring.

• 11° Virgo – A tech-savvy, analytical mind; may excel in IT, cybersecurity, or programming.

• 12° Virgo – A perfectionist in fashion, music, or fine arts. Success through precise craftsmanship.

• 13° Virgo – A highly responsible worker; may thrive in law enforcement, military, or humanitarian work.

• 14° Virgo – Health-conscious with a sharp mind. Could be drawn to dietetics, fitness, or medical research.

• 15° Virgo – A master of writing, editing, or academic research.

• 16° Virgo – Business-minded; excels in consulting, financial planning, or business strategy.

• 17° Virgo – A detail-oriented expert; could work in surgery, pharmaceuticals, or scientific research.

• 18° Virgo – A deep humanitarian drive; drawn to nonprofits, environmental work, or psychology.

• 19° Virgo – A critical thinker who excels in law, politics, or policy-making.

• 20° Virgo – A master of their craft; recognized for expertise in specialized fields.

• 21° Virgo – Exceptionally intellectual; may thrive in philosophy, academia, or technical writing.

• 22° Virgo – An innovative thinker; could work in product design, systems development, or efficiency consulting.

• 23° Virgo – A strong researcher; may specialize in history, archeology, or science.

• 24° Virgo – An excellent communicator; may succeed in broadcasting, publishing, or public relations.

• 25° Virgo – A sharp and strategic mind; could work in legal fields, investigative journalism, or intelligence.

• 26° Virgo – A healer at heart; may be drawn to nursing, surgery, or psychological counseling.

• 27° Virgo – A gifted analyst; could thrive in economics, data science, or cybersecurity.

• 28° Virgo – A precise and disciplined artist; success in sculpture, architecture, or technical art.

• 29° Virgo (Anaretic Degree) – A master strategist, perfectionist, or critic. Success comes through expertise, refinement, and precision. However, may struggle with overanalyzing or career indecision.

[silentmagi]

Awkward Arrival:

First headcanon off the bat, 2 in 1, a name and thing, tessa’s design of what she call’s “protection model drones” are different then disassembly drones a few key ways

1.Sturdier build and only slightly more humanoid but overall still a drone.

2.Weapons are more varied and customizations/attachments for weapons can be spawned via a 3d printer that’s designed to look like a satchel at either hip, and a new weapon can be uploaded to the cloud at any point (I imagine Uzi would be happy to lend design schematics to see what a version of her railgun would look like on a PM drone body) but the weapon swap system is a bit slower to load the weapon,a 0.5 second slower to be exact (eldritch magic be damned, tessa got close).

3.no oil hunger thankfully but there is alot more oil acting as the blood of this machine.

4.backups of personal memory of the unit are done CONSTANTLY and the drone themselves is their own admin.

5.has tools for repairing regular drones as well in the arsenal

6.has a version of the patch installed in their hardware, allowing transfer of solver users into PM drone bodies

7.has a sharp knife-tipped usb with a copy of the patch on it as apart of the weapon arsenal

8.instead of the color scheme of the yellow and black of safety tape, its green and red.

Her J was of course the first subject, and also managed to free her from solvers admin controls and gave her memories back.A lot of digital tears were shed that day because solver implemented a false memory of her killing tessa, which Tessa removed before giving admin over to her jaybird.

2nd headcanon: The spaceship base is the most self-indulgent looking home of tessa, her interests on full display, she has found and made a station for oxygen tank refills, there is more futuristic stuff, mainly lots of old food and water producing related tech (thankfully J has watched her and she has a green thumb)

3rd headcanon: Tessa has had to learn how to make ammo and make new weapon designs to deal with dd’s due to the last planet she was on, picked it up from a old weapon smith colony on the same planet(they were the weapon supplier during the solver war)

1 Question: how is cyn feeling amidst all of this as she watches from the back of her own mind?

Awkward Arrival

I love the idea that Tessa would make the Protection Model Drones (PMD), with the Solver's Disassembly Drones (SDD) being inferior knock offs.

Probably would have them based off construction drones to start study, and just add some armor without cutting functionality.

The greater variety would make up for the delay in making a weapon, especially once Uzi gets the greenlight to have some fun making more weapons. She actually is slowed down due to upload speeds.

Probably also took care of the heat problem that caused the oil hunger.

Great idea, cloud back ups every hour, and a full system back up at night.

They are uploaded to the cloud for the weapons under a sub folder.

Excellent touch for them to have that patch, and that it's updated.

File number 00003 is the USB penetration unit.

This is her gift to the universe so the Christmas Colors are thematic.

J needs therapy, Tessa needs therapy, EVERYONE NEEDS THERAPY! No, group therapy is not kissing Tessa, Jaybird, get it together you two... NOT THAT WAY!

I could see her making it an even fancier mansion than her parents could imagine, and every inch is full of her interests and love. J keeps her alive by reminding her to use the food and water machines.

I could see her developing a love of kinetic and beam weapons over ballistic weapons. She gathers all blueprints she can find, no matter what.

1 Answer: Cyn is glad to see the two of them, and hopes that they can stop her, and the monster she has become.

[bouquetface]

Gemini Risings

accuracy influenced by ENTIRE chart.

Appearance

Appearance is influenced by so much more than just the rising sign. For some gemini risings I’ve met, they do fit the tall & thin, fairy & elf like appearance. And I’ve met some who are the opposite, small & curvy.

Mutable rising signs in specific are more difficult to identify. They’re adaptable and tend to change based on their moods & environment. Appearance and style can drastically change throughout their lives.

A few things the gemini asc that I know have in common are:

🧩 Youthful appearance. This doesn’t mean they stay looking 20 throughout their entire life. I know a gemini rising (with saturn trine asc) who was often assumed to be much older in her youth. She doesn’t see it but now that she is 40, I believe she physically hasn’t changed much from when she was 30.

🧩 Tend to have higher foreheads. Narrow or long face shape. Smaller facial features - ex. many have small eyes or eyes that are close set.

🧩 Due to their mutable nature, they can change hair or clothing style often. They may have many tattoos. These individuals tend to be very expressive with their body. May even make a lot of facial expression and body movement when talking (if they are interested in the conversation).

Personality

The curse of having an air sign placement - People assume you are an airhead. You can have a head in the clouds vibe. Due to your detached (sometimes reclusive) behaviours. Cool & aloof.

On the bright side, air signs are intellectual. They’re curious. They enjoy reflecting and analyzing situations. Problem solvers. & good communicators.

The above is heavily influenced by mercury placement.

For ex. Gemini rising with a fire sign mercury. This person may be very quick in action and thought. They could be very clever and witty. Or blurt things out, as a result they misrepresent themselves.

Ex.2: A gemini rising with a water mercury, may be more reserved with their words. Similar to if natal mercury is in retrograde. They are reflective and less inclined to share their thoughts.

Generally, gemini risings are social people. Their wit and curiosity takes them far in life. They can be very popular and very difficult to get a hold of. Always on the move. Short attention span. However, some gemini risings may be less social - preference for conversations with only those close to them. Either way, they enjoy good conversation. It is a mental stimulation they need to feel satisfied in life.

If you can keep these individuals attention, they can ask a ton of questions. Similar to scorpio moon, you can feel like you’re being interrogated. For gemini risings, it comes from their curiosity and their desire to understand/learn more.

Their 7th sag house leads them to find relationships with people who equally enjoy debate and conversation. However, depending on entire chart, a gemini rising can be annoyed with sag placements. To them, the sag may overlook crucial details. Sag placements are more likely to be philosophical in their thinking. Sag is ruled by jupiter, they can rely on their faith over facts. This can conflict with gemini’s mercurial ruling.

Yet, for some this can be a good balance. Often they have similar humours. Sag ruled by Jupiter can be a mentor/teacher type. Gemini loves to learn and may appreciate being introduced to new topics. Together, these two can love to travel/explore and learn/grow.

Gemini risings often end up with partners who are like a teacher to them. Sometimes this can manifest as a partner from a different background (ethnicity, religion, country, etc). The gemini rising can discover and explore the new culture.

Other times, I’ve seen this manifest as gemini risings having many partners. No fixed type.

And I know one who isn’t interested in “the one and only” type of love. They’re interested in too many different types of people. They wouldn’t feel satisfied in staying with one person their entire life. This is a manifestation of their Jupiter rules 7th H - an abundance of relationships.

[novlr]

I'm working on a monster apocalypse story, but I'm struggling to make it unique. My focus is on the main character finding happiness and peace with his teammates, even though I plan to kill them off. I want to explore how he will overcome his past abuse and traumas while not just portraying the team as a family. I want to depict them fighting together, growing stronger, and forming closer bonds because they have all lost their families at the start of the apocalypse.

What do the series Friends, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson all have in common?

The Found Family trope.

Found family is a classic trope in stories. But that doesn’t mean it’s overdone and can’t be used to get deep into your characters’ interiority. In fact, this trope can pack a deeper punch than most think.

Sure, it’s easy to have a group in the story with you, the writer, telling how the characters work together–like how one is easily the “mom of the group,” for example. But if you want something much deeper between your characters, and want the trope to work on multiple levels of storytelling, you must show those group connections forming and existing. Get deep with the what, why, and how your found family became a tight-knit group and work well together.

To do this, there are a few questions to ask while creating your characters. These questions flow from basic character knowledge, to in-depth details as an exercise you can do at any time, and with any story or pair/group of characters.

Let’s get started!

What is each character’s personality/identity, and what role in the group are they assigned to because of it?

From friends, to couples, to even crime-fighting superheroes, each group is made up of personalities that fit into a role the group dynamic needs. And in most cases, it’s natural.

For example, let’s say we have two characters dating each other as a couple. One character is more savvy with their finances while the other is not. This can lead to the money-savvy character filling a role for the couple as the money manager (or one with money advice, if the other character wants to learn how to better manage money instead).

You can also have a kind-hearted and loving character act as a parental figure in the group. That is, if other characters tend to get into trouble often, are opposite of kind-hearted, or are without their real parents.

First, It’s important to know exactly who your characters are , how they act, how they respond in a crisis, and so on. Only then can you put together what each character can provide to the group.

It’s just as important to make each character in your group unique. Two jokers in a group is fine, but if they act exactly the same way, and think the same things, you may actually have two characters needing to merge into one, for the sake of redundancy.

Let’s use my book’s found family of superheroes for further example. I have:

A broody, loves-to-research-type soul who’s stuck over the mysteries of his past.

His twin sister, highly personable, yearns for outside validation, and prefers the past to stay as far away as it can.

Their hot-headed childhood friend, who takes no issue picking fights and rises above any occasion with sheer tenacity.

The oldest, but cheery and justice-oriented friend, says “dude” a lot, and is like a child stuck in a man’s body.

His wife, a doctor with a heart full of gold, sass, and sees the team as misfits who are in trouble without her help.

Finally, the reserved intellectual who keeps her words short, unless you start her on science, engineering, and intel gathering.

With this make-up, I can naturally set up the characters’ roles in the group, based on personalities alone. I label the broodster as the detective and problem-solver, his sister “the public face” of the group, the childhood friend the quick-witted action-taker, the oldest “dude” the honorable leader, his wife the classic “group mom” with extra flair, and the quiet one the scientist.

Notice how each character has their own core identity, and how that creates the role they play in the group. Yes, some characters, like my twins, will likely have a small overlap of quirks–just for being family. However, it’s still important to focus on what makes each character internally different. Otherwise you lose the chance of uniqueness in your group dynamic.

As a group, what is the primary goal they want to accomplish, and why?

As you finish putting each character together with their core identity and role, another question to ask is what goal they want to accomplish together.

Here’s another way to phrase it: Why are they together in the first place, and what stops them from going separate ways?

The Avengers band together to save New York against Loki and an alien invasion. They can’t do it by themselves . Harry Potter needs new relationships upon entering wizarding life, fueling him to face Voldemort. In season one of The Mandalorian, Mandalorian Din Djarin and Grogu must face Moff Gideon together, or die trying to face him alone.

None of those groups can separate because the stakes are too high to tackle alone. Each Avenger, Harry Potter, and the adorable Star Wars father-son combo will fail their missions without their found family.

What needs/desires do each character fulfill for one another in the group?

This is where we get into the juicy character interiority and backstory. Despite how it looks, the Found Family trope is much more than what “role” characters fit into for the sake of group dynamic.

It’s also how that dynamic affects each character; and how each character relates, or fills a need, for another.

Let’s go back to The Mandalorian for this example. Din Djarin is a lone wolf mercenary who lost his family at a very young age. While he found a new purpose as a Mandalorian, it’s still not what he needed: love, family companionship. This is where Grogu came in, and why Din was unable to hand Grogu over and complete a mercenary job.

We’re talking internal plot with characters–as in, what they need so they can accomplish their goals. Not what they think they need, and not just overcoming the external plot (in this case, facing Moff Gideon).

Din needed love and family, just as Grogu needed to discover his true self. These personal goals were accomplished with the help of the other. Grogu became the “son” that helped Din overcome self-limiting beliefs about newfound companionship, while Din provided Grogu the safety and protection to discover himself and his force powers.

Maybe you have a character who, on the outside, loves to goof around and tell jokes. But what do they really need as a human being to grow? Do they need a coming-of-age-moment that only one character in the group can provide? Do you have two characters, a childless mother and an orphaned boy, who seek a second chance of love, and can find it again through caring for each other?

Captain America may be the stoic leader butting heads with playboy philanthropist Iron Man, but even those two fulfill a desire the other has: Belonging. Acceptance. Companionship.

So take a look at one of your character’s backstory, and see what other members of the group can do–in their own individual way–to help that character heal and grow.

This, ultimately, is what gives the Found Family trope unique meaning and depth in your story. Because once you truly incorporate this trope into every aspect and detail of your characters and story like this (external plot and all), it cannot be done the same way again–because only you can write your story the way you can!

How to add further depth in the Found Family trope

There was no way I was answering this question without mentioning the one thing that could add even more connection and depth between characters.

Conflict.

Just as conflict is the best method to writing a story that works, it’s also the perfect tool for establishing a found family. There are two ways to do this:

Have two or more characters in the group start as rivals or enemies, before adopting each other as a found family.

Have your found family be completely dysfunctional at the beginning. Let the characters form a group, but act unsynchronized with each other; thus failing challenges together until they finally accept one another, their talents, and grow as one to achieve their goal.

Depending on how you write your found family, these points can be one and the same. But I felt it vital to differentiate between them for the sake of being thorough in explanation.

Conflict against a character in the story is what provides opportunity for growth (or failure, if writing tragedy). The more conflict the character must face, the more opportunities they have for the growth, and thus, the deeper the character development.

This is why so many people love edgy characters and redemption arcs (like Zuko in Avatar). For edge and redemption, a character must already be at a low point in order to rise back up from their failures, and succeed.

This same concept can be done with rivals/enemies in your found family. The relationship between two characters is at a low point, which then provides all kinds of conflict, and therefore creates growth for your characters (and found family) to experience. This is also why many like the enemies to friends/lovers tropes. The character development in the journey from rock-bottom to top, if done right, is a highly rewarding story.

For writing your found family as dysfunctional at first, the story is the whole group at a low point for not being able to work together properly. And they must face extra conflict for extra growth before they can accomplish other goals as one.

All in all, the more effort your characters must give to bond with others, the deeper the drama becomes, and the more rewarding the final bonding and connection. In most cases, it’s too easy, and not as fulfilling for a reader, if all characters already start off as good friends, or become friends quickly upon joining a found family. Give one character a trait or two another character doesn’t like. Have one character forced to learn and accept another for who they are. How their abilities, quirks, or other aspects can actually be a benefit.

This kind of conflict set-up matches perfectly with any story theme that involves one needing to set aside differences with another in order to succeed and/or survive. Once more, Avengers is the perfect example of it. They were a dysfunctional group of people that didn’t trust each other. But, after losing Coulson, only saving the world mattered.

And there you go! The simple, yet meaningful basics of how to write the Found Family trope and make it work for you. If you need more examples, a quick google search will hand you a plethora of stories you can use for reference and research.

Otherwise, I look forward to seeing your found families emerge in your story. Happy character plotting and writing!

written by Lindsay Sfara

[mockiery]

it makes me crazy that like. In 2x06 Tallahassee when they were paralleling Hook and Neal with Emma's distrust, did that have planned that Killian was Neal/Baelfire's guardian and Bae was Killian's (unknowing) kinda stepson for a while? How much did they know about how Killian would've influenced the man Neal became yk? bc if I think about their narrative effects on each other especially in reference to Emma for 2 seconds I go down a spiral

Like I read on the wiki that Colin had been signed on for 5 episodes that could potentially turn into the full season, and Tallahassee is in those 5 but 2x22 And Straight On Til Morning definitely doesn't. was it in the ideas but hadn't been nailed down or did they come up with it later or was it the whole plan bc y'allllllll.

In the Enchanted Forest climbing the beanstalk to steal the golden compass, Emma's distrust of Hook is directly informed by her history with Neal/Baelfire as partners in crime that ended with Neal's betrayal.

Baelfire was on the Jolly Roger for an unspecified amount of time, under Hook's protection, and Killian took a liking to him enough to risk the wrath of Pan by hiding him. He taught him how to sail. He saw Milah and himself in Bae, he wanted to give Bae a home, a family.

Neal is shown on multiple occasions as being incredibly tactful, an effective and creative problem solver with street smarts for days. He doesn't like magic but he can play the game of it without having any. He's a survivor and self-preserver as much as Killian is, and is honestly better at it than Killian for the most part.

Bae lived in Neverland for as long as Killian did or longer, and he did it alone for most of that time, resisting being made a lost boy (at least not indefinitely, theres a lot that we don't know about Neverland character history). You could say he got a lot of his smarts from Rumple if u'd like, but Rumple protected and shielded him from the world, he didn't learn much that helped him survive from his father besides arguing and making deals.

So Bae learned his defining strengths on the fly trying to survive in Neverland and in the real world, and I think Killian would've taught him a lot too, a lot of the foundational stuff. Look at the way Killian enjoys looking after Henry in s3b onward, teaching him sailing, teaching him sword-fighting, busting out weighted die and teaching Henry that it's only cheating if you get caught. Killian sees Bae in Henry and says as much, and he's literally teaching Henry the same thing that he taught Bae with the sailing, and probably everything else. Bae learned thieving in London in the past before he met the Darlings, but u can't tell me he didn't learn plenty of pirate and thieving skills and ideas from Killian.

Emma's distrust of Hook is based in Neal's betrayal. But Neal's strengths and his approach to survival that drove him and Emma into the stolen watch situation in the first place were directly influenced by Killian. When August goes to Neal and tells him who Emma is, what her destiny is, Neal doesn't want to abandon her with nothing to show for it, but he does anyone thanks to August keeping the money. He doesn't know about Emma's pregnancy, he doesn't know that August is not going to be there for her like he asked him to. It's a selfish decision for him to screw her over without saying a word to her, but he's trying to believe August will have her back if he can't. And he wants out of this life of thievery, he'd talked about settling down with her. He wants a simple life, one that isn't on the run from the law or from magic, and he, now knowing Emma's identity and destiny, wants to get away bc now he knows he couldn't have that simple life with her, that her fate cannot be changed.

And August scratches at his insecurity of what life he's living now, that he's bad for Emma. So far he's been an improvement, but now she has family and people that are waiting on her and need her. In his weakness, in his fear, he thinks that he and that Emma aren't going to be able to change from these paths. A doubt that he learned from his father's betrayal and refusal to change for him, and one that he projected onto Killian after learning of his history with Milah and vengeance quest against Rumple.

Baelfire rejects Killian's plea that he stay, that Killian says he can change for Bae, but Baelfire doesn't believe it. He believes Killian only cares for himself and those kinds of people can't change, bc of his father. And Neal misses that he did the same when he betrayed Emma, that it was selfish of him to want to step away without facing her, without checking for himself, without trying harder, all because of her ties to the magical realm he wants nothing to do with.

With Bae's rejection, Killian does a very similar thing. I think he justifies handing Bae over to Pan bc Pan would find Bae anyway, its inevitable and Bae will never forgive him, so Killian might as well get something out of it. Bae doesn't trust him or want to stay with him anyway, might as well burn the bridge that Bae has torn down. With Pan pleased, he can kill Rumplestiltskin better than if Pan isn't happy, and maybe that'll be enough to do well by Bae and Milah, to kill the bastard who crushed Milah's heart for abandoning their son and then promptly abandoned his son anyway.

Neal justifies his betrayal by the fact that it'll be better for Emma in the long run, better for whatever curse bullshit she's destined to fix, and maybe he can see her again once all the magic bullshit he doesn't want anything to do with is done.

So when Emma sees Neal in Killian, she's seeing what Killian helped put there with what he did right and how he failed Bae, the survival instinct and destructive burning of bridges when things turn sideways. In 2x05 Hook flips to help Emma, Snow, and company to get the compass instead of Cora. So at the top of the beanstalk, she knows he'll betray if he sees a better option that suits him, and that's exactly what she thinks Neal did.

Anyway. I just wish the show didn't get weird love-triangle-y with Hook and Neal in s3, these two have way more baggage with each other than just them both crushing on Emma, like. Killian had an immense impact of who Neal became, and I neeeeeeeeded more about that dear god

[ic-napology]

Did you ever think Napoleon put on false identities and facades? Do you think he had NPD and Autism?

Hello Lizzy! First of all, sorry gor replying so late. It's the first time someone directly asks me opinions about Napoleon here, so I am so honoured you trust me on this✨️ It also means I have to make a disclaimer, as I'm not a historian nor a psychologist, so everything I'm saying is based on personal sensibility and intuition over the facts I know. They are not few but also not vast.

In any case, here's my answer :)

About your second question I wouldn't be comfortable in putting names of specific neurological or psychological conditions even if I was a trained therapist, especially for a dead person I've never met. Also I'm not even sure what it truly means, so sadly I can't give you a clear answer on that.

About the first question, in my personal interpretation of Napoleon's personality, yes, in general he absolutely put up façades and was very performative most of the time, but most of all during his emperor era.

I think he most felt defined by his responsabilities. There were many factors that inspire this opinion.

He always lived in and referred to large communities with a strong collective identity, so his own was shaped by belonging to them and what good he brought to them. These communities are his family, a numerous and especially a Corsican one, then an army, then a Nation.

But most of all, in all these communities he happened to be asked to, then seeked to play the role of a provider and leader, so his value depended on his ability in being a good one. So that was Napoleon identified with: the best provider possible for a community.

Also he lived during turbulent times where he was in constant crisis mode. In these circumstances, there's no time to dwell on what he or anyone would like to do, only to go on and do the best to survive. He often used urgency to justify even his most questionable or egotistical actions.

(That's why I suspect that even his so called ambition actually was mostly a genuine sense of doing what a critical situation needed from him. His high opinion over his abilities and leadership was certainly not wishful thinking, as it was supported by a great job and it was based over a whole life of being trained exactly to be a provider and problem solver in every situation. Granted, this was combined with a dose of a wish for personal realisation. Maybe as a compensation for such a heavy duty).

I attribute the most important role to the family in shaping Napoleon's view to the world, as it happens to every individual. They first put huge responsabilities on him as a very little boy - he had to provide money as soon as possible - and made him feel worthy of attention at the condition of fulfilling his duty. No care was given to his emotional needs and state, as it is shown by sending him abroad for a then unspecified number of years.

Napoleon inwardly knew he was literally trained to carry and solve problems and provide since a young age, so he was certain about being the right person to be put on positions of guidance and responsability.

Also when your emotional needs are neglected and seen as not important as much as the circumstances, you learn to detach yourself from your own sensibility. So you learn to dissimulate your actual state of mind in order to behave like you feel it's the best, according to the situation only. You learn that to be rational is good all the time.

All of this made him feel pressured to perform a precise role in order to fulfill his responsabilities at best.

When it came to be Emperor, Napoleon took it seriously. More than ever he was requested to be a good leader because it created a lot more tension, thus more need to make your Nation survive. So he felt pressed to perform in a way he deemed the best for being a good Emperor. Even his private life was heavily conditioned by that. He divorced from his wife even if he loved her because there was a heir to be provided to the Empire. It's even suspected that he mostly seeked sexual partners because it was something expected from a monarch, not because of a real drive. Other than try to prove he was not infertile.

There was also a consciousness about not being born a monarch which created anxiety about confrontation with actually born sovereigns. Class insecurity, we might call it, something he also carried within himself since he brushed elbows with noble boys at military school while he was seen as an outcast.

Again, belonging to a community was an important value for Napoleon. Since he was young he highly valued belonging to a Nation and actively seeking the best for it. You can read it in his drafts and fictions as a young man. That must have make him feel even worse about being seen as an outcast.

Thank you again for waiting for so long, I'm sorry for replying so late. Actually I'm on a pause from social media and I took out the apps from my phone, but this was a very nice question to answer to! I hope you find it helpful and that I explained everything clearly, as I struggle a bit with English lately😅

Also I recommend both you to seek opinions from other people here just to have a more complex picture, and also I invite other people to give me your thoughts on my answer too :)

Bye✨️

[beetakki]

I LOVE LEGALLY BLONDE!!!

ADHD induced word vomit tangent incoming!! Just watched this movie while painting. I love this movie so much. It is easily one of my comfort movies. Elle Woods is a PHENOMENALLY written character. She ironically defies all the stereotypes that she is based off of. The movie makes sure that it is clear that she is ALOOF and NOT air headed. The movie makes it clear that her family is loaded so therefore, she can do whatever she wants with her life. But her family's money never carries her. SHE carries her. SHE gets into Harvard and has the highest GPA in her sorority through her hard work. NOT her money. She is smart, and has numerous scenes where she can prove that. She is hard working, a problem solver, kind, thoughtful, supportive, understanding, resilient, and loyal to her promises and goals. She will always treat others like how she wants to be treated no matter who the person is, unless given a reason not to. In regards to her aesthetics and overall demeanor, I am almost nothing like her. Yet she is one of my biggest female role models.

No matter what obstacles or challenges she faces, she is ALWAYS herself. Yes I know, she tried to be "totally serious" for Warner. But even during that, her true self always shined through. Even then, she still wore outfits that SHE liked instead of outfits that she felt that WARNER would like. Elle wanted to give up on her life path NUMEROUS times. BUT SHE DIDN'T!!!! She always persevered. She was put in several uncomfortable situations throughout the movie, yet always overcame them. Elle's character development is incredible because her fundamentals that make her HER never change. By the end of the movie, you can tell she has learned and experienced necessary life lessons and has grown and matured as a result of them. However, she is still Elle. She is still fabulous, painfully feminine, high maintenance, and PINK! She stayed true to herself despite what others may have thought, or even mocked, about her throughout the entire movie.

I adore Elle Woods and believe she is an incredible female role model. I aspire to have the faith she has in herself and to feel as secure as she does in her interests. ADHD-induced fixation rant over. I'm going to bed.

[lady-laureline]

My burnout is back, so I've been looking for shows to binge. In my search I came across an anime with exactly the atmosphere I was craving (thank you to Noralities for her video on iyashikei) and I wanted to share in case it might reach someone else in the midst of January blues.

Mushi-Shi (based on the manga by Yuki Urushibara) is a worldbuilder's dream. The premise begins and ends with the mushi: primitive, ethereal beings that are part of the natural ecosystem. Few can see them, but those who can might take the time to learn their ways and become a mushi-shi or mushi master. The show follows a mushi-shi known as Ginko, who travels across an alternate Japan between the Edo/Meiji periods, offering aid as a mysterious-problem-solver.

Big fan of Ginko here. He kind of reminds me of Aragorn, if you swapped out the sword for a medicine box and the Evenstar for a hand-rolled cigarette. To help people afflicted by the mushi he must often make them come to terms with their own turmoil in a very short timespan, and this he does frankly, yet gracefully, with a good dose of legitimate wisdom. Wish the man was my therapist.

There isn't much of an overarching story, each episode is more or less self-contained. Perhaps not the lightest watch, but it is peaceful and grounding, and rife with beautifully rendered nature.

[blacklacetrim]

House Karakas

The houses represent certain aspects of our life and certain planets share those same aspects making them karakas "significators" of those houses. It is also said that planets influence the "story" of the houses

1st House - Sun (identity)

The sun is your will and awareness. The traits and actions you identify with influences how you intially come off to others and what your life focus is

2nd House - Jupiter (family)

Jupiter represents what we get without putting much effort into it. This can show up as the any type of support we got from our family, the country we live in, and other societal support that can influence how we feel about ourselves, what we feel our value is.

(I think this is telling about how some people chose to go about their personal value, some people stay with family because they don't want to live without support even if it's detrimental to their self esteem and some people are quick to separate theirs elves from this "positive abundance" to maintain or find their self esteem, a negative aspect of jupiter)

3rd House - Mars (courage)

Mars is your primal instinct, how you naturally act or feel pushed to act. This influences how you learned to get your needs met (lower learning) and how you express yourself in an immediate environment

4th House - Moon (roots, home)

The moon is your emotional mind (what you feel) and what your deepest subconscious needs/desires are. This influences how you may conceal or protect yourself, who you are in private where you feel at most home or what you need to feel at most home

5th House - Jupiter (children)

Jupiter is the planet of where we feel lucky (essentially spirit) it is how we can easily grow or expand in our life through good karma, this influences what we create and what how we want to express ourselves through romance, will, and fun

6th House - Mars (Problem Solver), Saturn (Accidents)

Mars is how we deal with problems through our actions and endurance, this influences how we solve problems in our daily mundane lives. Saturn is where we constantly get a reality check through lack of support (limitation) influences where we find weaknesses, illness, and Accidents in our daily lives when we don't take care of ourselves

7th House - Moon (Subconscious) , Venus (Shadow)

The Moon being your feelings (subconscious needs and reactions) it influences how you connect to people and things that feel separate from the parts of you that you are aware of.

Venus is our indulgences, pleasures, inspiration , and how we connect to others this influences the type of relationships we may end up in or the type of relationships we wish to be in

8th House - Saturn (Mortality)

Like I said above, Saturn is a reality check, our limitations needed to mature and have structure in our lives. It influences how we mature and limit what and who we connect to after something very intense, destructive happens to us

9th House - Jupiter (guru)

Jupiter is our luck, how we can grown and expand in our lives. It influences where we feel a calling in our life, what we explore to learn more about what we were meant to do in life through expanding what we do actually do in the world

10th House - Mercury (thinking, skillfulness), Saturn (Authority)

Mercury is our logical mind, where we think and how we learn. This influences how we work in our public life.

Saturn is where we get a reality check so it influences where we attempt to be our highest self and deal with our exposed short-comings ...essentially maintaining some kind of structure

11th House - Jupiter (gifts)

11th is where we realize our dreams usually through friends or other types of social groups. Jupiter being our spirit tells us that what we want is what we get because what we get is what was meant to be ours

12th House - Saturn (fear), South Node (Transcendence)

Saturn gives us a reality check through limitations, this causes fear and this fear influences our self undoing (coping mechanisms usually based on forgotten past experiences).

The South Node is the part of us where we have a deep instinctual understanding that our mind can't grasp. But we can experience it through it's influence on the parts of us we forgotten and through introspection

[christian-oc-tournament]

Please vote based on the picture AND the description!

Aleksander Thunderblade [Artorbis @epnona-the-wisp]

As the son of a Glaevor king and the heir of Fayim, Aleksander is caught between two worlds. He’s about to make that everyone else’s problem.

Alice Liddel [Don't you wonder? @kazoosandfannypacks]

Alice is a logical problem solver who's always up for a game or a new kind of challenge— but even she couldn't've prepared herself for the challenge of connecting with her roommates at uni. Wendy is so grounded and responsible, and Dorothy barely says a word to anyone. The three girls soon realize that they may not be as different as they think: all three of them took childhood journeys to magical lands. What's more, these magical journeys left them with powers, like real life superheroes. Alice can shrink and grow at will, magic she learned while journeying through Wonderland.

[thejesterstears]

I am gonna ramble here a bit, partially meta and partially headcanon so...? Bear with me lol.

So I had seen someone share that according to the series' pitch doc, Pomni is described as a "rational and level-headed" person (I have not seen the doc myself as it was only shared via Glitch Inn, but if anyone else has it available I would love to see the whole thing). And I think the show has already done a wonderful job of portraying this part of her, in episode 2 alone. I know some people were preemptively worried that "nervous" was going to be her one defining trait, basing it on her behavior in the pilot alone, so it was great to see that there's so much more to her. And while honestly I do hope that her anxiety plays at least a partial role in the series--specifically her learning to overcome it while relying on her new friends in this digital hellscape she now calls home--I really love the direction her character has taken so far. She's proven already to be a thoughtful, logical, level-headed person able to help others and is well-articulated in expressing as much.

On that note, I do still think she very likely struggles with anxiety. This is all theorizing that could very well get thrown right out the window as more episodes come out and we learn more about her, but just hear me out. I fully believe that the reason she was able to sympathize so closely with Gummigoo's fears and feeling of nothingness is because she has personally experienced those feelings herself even before her life in the circus (evidenced by her stating that it's something she is familiar with "where she's from," in her old life). She understands how painful it is to endure and doesn't like to watch others suffer the way she has, and wants to be able to provide what comfort she can and grasps better what might help ease some of his sorrow because she knows what has helped/would have helped her to hear. As someone with anxiety who also has a tendency to reach out to others due to empathizing heavily with them, I really related to this scene and her actions a lot.

I'd also like to touch upon the fact that it's apparent how Pomni is also the type who responds better to talking out her emotions, to feeling like she is being listened to and understood, rather than blindly told that everything will be okay and attempting to be cheered up (hence, why she was so turned off by Ragatha's "toxic positivity" and felt that she was being talked down to, despite Ragatha's good intentions). She recognized that Gummigoo was in a bad place, one that she related to deeply, and rather than try to cheer him up she heard him out and validated his feelings--the way that she needed to be heard and validated in her struggles. I think this would be part of her "rational" mind at work, needing to actually sort out her emotions and talk about them with someone who really understands where she's coming from in order to process and feel better about the situation rather than be pacified about her feelings (because it really sucks to simply be told everything will be fine and to not worry about it when you have anxiety and are already upset about the situation). Gummigoo inadvertently helped her as much as she helped him, by giving her sort of a vehicle for airing out those feelings and sympathizing with someone on how miserable it is.

This next note might not be much on its own but I felt like it was worth bringing up because it was something that had been on my mind since first watching the pilot--while she is more than capable of being level-headed and a practical problem solver, it seems that under severe stress she's more likely to make bad decisions. I honestly hesitate to say she was being selfish in abandoning Ragatha twice in the pilot, because she was reacting on fight-or-flight impulses in a situation that was extremely unfamiliar and terrifying to her while also still trying to convince herself that this was only a dream rather than actually trying to desert her. She did make an effort to help before her desperation for an escape took over. But it seems clear that in certain situations she lets her panic cloud her judgement. We also see that she easily dissociates entirely when under extreme stress, needing to be snapped back to attention, and she also expresses very self-protective body language (keeping her arms close in front of her, keeping her shoulders hunched, she also tends to hold her own arm at times as if self-comforting the same way Ragatha tends to do).

So. Those are just some observations from what we have seen of her so far, of her anxious tendencies but also her ability to be a source of emotional support to others likely based on her own experiences.

This kind of leads me into what I would love to see in the series, going forward. Now that we've seen that Pomni is beginning to accept her fate and realize she's not alone in her predicament, I'd love to see how she might end up really learning to rely on the others to help keep her tethered to her sense of self in her new life, help her cope with her anxieties as they arise. But I'd equally love to see her helping her new "family" here, as well, in along the same vein as she helped Gummigoo. Just an example, but I would love to see her actually confront Ragatha on her endlessly sunny disposition when she clearly sees how forced it is sometimes, and let her know it's okay to just not be okay and to allow herself to be vulnerable and sad and angry about their situation sometimes...because I feel like if anyone is going to be able to get Ragatha to open up, it would be Pomni. A fresh face in the circus who understands how hard it can be to not feel heard and to struggle alone, who doesn't want anyone to feel as if they are nothing the way she very likely has in the past (and, as evidenced by her fears of being quickly forgotten in her own nightmares, still likely struggles with).

I hope my rambling here makes sense but TL;DR--I adore Pomni so much, how she's a multi-faceted character who has a lot to offer in the circus whether or not she realizes it yet, who has her own fears and anxieties but can also use her own experiences to help others and offer the kind of hope and empathy that she would also want to receive. She's anxious but she's also smart and reasonable and capable of being emotionally sensitive with others. I'm so excited to see even more of her character development and how she learns to cope with her new life, and how she might help others cope as well.

(End disclaimer: please bear in mind that all of this comes from someone who struggles greatly with anxiety and also sees a lot of myself in Pomni so recognizes certain patterns that make me conclude that she very likely has anxiety as well)

[skwpr]

A simple representation of images does not offer enough for proper memorization.

Study Faster And Retain More With This Quick Tip

I don’t know a single student who doesn’t want to study faster and retain more at the same time. I usually get a little nervous when trying to use quick fixes to make this happen, but today I have an actual quick tip to help you do just this!

Being a problem solver by nature, I dug into the situation and tried a few new approaches. Some worked, and some did not.

One of my best strategies was to sort the information into two categories:

facts to be memorized

concepts to be understood

You can use this strategy for any course. No matter the subject, there are things you have to memorize (terminology, dates, names, equations, etc) and concepts you need to master. Identifying this creates a clear, drama-free path, meaning you actually study faster and retain more because you are working on the right information in the right way.

How To Memorize Facts

I used to hate memorization work. It seemed tedious and hard and I sucked at it. Or so I thought!

Turns out I just didn’t have good skills. now I have some strategies in my toolbox and I love fact work. It’s easy and you can master it quickly. The key to mastering memorization is to:

Keep a list of what you need to memorize.

Schedule time every day to work on it. You must have the daily repetition if you want new facts to stick in your short-term memory. Start with just 10-min each day and you will see results.

Vary your memorization strategies. If you use only one strategy it becomes less effective.

How To Master Concepts

How you approach concept mastery is going to vary a lot based on the subject you are studying. There are two strategies to help with every subject:

1. Hands-On Practice

You will never fully master a concept through reading about it. You learn the concept through reading, but there is a big difference between learning something and mastering it.

The basics of hands-on practice for any subject are to come up with an applicable problem and solve it. Then come up with another problem and solve it too. Here are a few ideas, by subject, of how you might practice:

literature – Read a book or short story and write an analysis of whatever focus you are working on.

computer science – Come up with a problem and solve it with real code.

graphic design – Imagine a client asked you to design something, and create 3 different solutions for them.

math – Pick an equation, make up some starting numbers, and solve it.

science – Define a hypothesis, create a simple experiment, get in the lab and execute it!

2. Explain Or Teach It To Someone Else

Want to be certain you have mastered and fully understand a concept? Teach it to someone else.

As a teacher myself, I can tell you there have been plenty of concepts I thought I knew really well until I tried explaining them to someone else. You need a thorough understanding yourself before you can help someone else understand it.

Enlist the help of a friend or family member and try to explain a major concept in a few minutes. If you struggle, make note of the sticky spots. They are exactly what you need to work on next.

If you have no problem explaining it and your friend understood everything, mark it off your list and move on to the next concept.

I hope this quick strategy helps you dig out of confusion and take the right action in order to study faster and retain more.

Try It Yourself: 20-Minute Challenge

Grab your notes, a fresh piece of paper, and a timer.

Set the timer for 15 minutes.

Go through your notes and sort every piece of information into one of the two categories: concept or fact Challenge yourself to do this before the timer goes off. Go with your first instinct if you aren’t sure.

Spend the next 5 minutes and map out your next steps.

How and when will you work on the memorization each day?

How will you approach the first concept?

[katherinearandez]

Who created the disassembly drones?

We’re told in the first episode by Uzi that the murder drones were sent by JCJensen, and presumably made by the company as well. However, this is thrown out in the next episode when we learn through flashbacks that they started out as worker drones. Yes, they were originally manufactured by JCJensen, but what I’m interested in learning is who modified them into killing machines, when this happened on the timeline, and why it was done?

Of course I have a theory, but this one makes a lot of inferences between the shows past and present to try to piece together the middle part.

It all began with Tessa and Cyn. While some distinguish between Cyn and the absolute solver, I don’t and won’t in this post. Cyn is not the absolute solver; but I believe she has fully embraced it and the powers it entails. I don’t see her as a victim or a helpless host; rather as, at best, an accomplice partnered with the entity which is the absolute solver, or, at worst, the ultimate mastermind, with the solver being a tool at her disposal.

After Tessa brought Cyn into her home, Cyn began the work of recruitment. She began spreading the absolute solver among the drones working in the Elliot household, infecting them and bringing them under her control. A YouTube video helped me understand what was happening in this episode, because initially, I was very confused 🫠 It’s a great channel and if you have questions about what is happening in this show, I highly recommend their videos.

After infecting all the drones and biding her time, Cyn made her move, using the drones under her control to massacre the gala.

At first I thought the extra points of yellow light in this scene were Cyns eldritch cameras spreading out… but those are x signs. The points of light are infected worker drones under Cyns control. Here’s a shot from just a few frames forward, which confirms this.

Cyn even had J under her control.

So Cyn not only infected all the background drones with the absolute solver, but Tessa’s salvaged drones as well.

After the gala massacre, there’s a long blackout of information. We only have hints as to what happened next, but I think I’ve worked it out.

After the massacre, JCJensen arrived at the Elliot’s mansion and immediately started running damage control, likely confiscating all their technology and taking measures to hush Tessa. We see federal penalties mentioned throughout the episode, giving the company a compelling incentive to cover up what happened, aside from potential damage to consumer perception and tanked stock prices.

This is how Tessa ended up employed at JCJensen; I think she agreed to keep quiet about what happened at the gala in exchange for technician training and an inside track on unfolding events. Maybe she didn’t want to be separated from N, J and V, who at this point would have been reduced to evidence by the company. To Tessa, however, friendless and newly orphaned, they were all she had left of her old life. A job at the company which was treating them like secret bastard children would have kept her close to them, or at least given her occasional access. Or, maybe she wanted revenge on the rogue AI that killed her family, or maybe she just wanted to understand it. Lots of possible motives for this potential scenario.

I think Cyn either escaped the initial roundup, or escaped from JCJensen sometime down the line. Then she began a genocidal campaign against humanity, infecting more and more drones, and using them to kill.

This created huge problems for humanity on earth, but also the company, who would have found themselves in the hot seat, with governments and citizenry alike pointing the finger at them and their tech.

The company’s solution? Fight fire with fire. They created the first disassembly drone models, designed to exterminate Cyn and her army. And so began a war.

I don’t think the first murder drone models were based off N, J and V. I think they were an original line of units, who did their job fine for a while. But eventually, I think Cyn managed to infect them with the solver, and this made matters even worse for the humans. Eldritch-enhanced worker drones were bad enough, but drones armed to the teeth and now turned against their creators? This must have seemed like humanity’s 11th hour.

I believe it was at this point N, V and J were retrofitted into disassembly drones, as a desperate Hail Mary project, lead by none other than Tessa, their original savior. This was her final bid to turn the tide and destroy the monster she felt responsible for unleashing upon the world. Perhaps she hoped to use the absolute solver against itself, modifying its coding just enough that it would be immune to reintegration into Cyns network. Maybe she hoped her “dumpster pets” indentured gratitude to her would be enough to keep them loyal to her, the company, and humanity.

I think this desperate final play worked, and Cyn and her forces were actually beaten back as the company ran with Tessa’s idea, cloning her original three drones and their Cyn-immune software to create the army they needed to save the world.

Meanwhile, the war raging on earth caught the attention of other colonies and exoplanets, who at some point went ahead and uploaded Cyn to study her. Cyn may have helped this process along, posing as a human and communicating virtually with the exoplanets to foster the idea and facilitate the transfer.

Once uploaded, Cyn was unable to assimilate enough drones to launch a full scale offensive on these exoplanets(notably, places Tessa and dogs weren’t), possibly due to time constraints, cybersecurity obstacles or a lack of resources. Rather than play the long game, Cyn opted for a nuclear solution.

On earth, JCJensen saw what was happening in the colonies and assumed Cyn had infected all the worker drones on any exoplanet she infiltrated. They sent their disassembly drones to eliminate the threat they assumed the worker drones posed.

And it’s at this point that things start to get complicated and speculative(lol, jk, this entire post is obvs totes complicated and speculative).

In episode 6, we are directly told by Tessa and J that the batch of murder drones we’ve been watching were actually sent to copper 9 by Cyn, not JCJensen…

… Unless Tessa is lying about this to manipulate them. My distrust of Tessa is well documented, though I don’t know what her ends are at this point. Clearly something complicated happened with Cyn, Tessa, N, J and V(the originals?) toward the end of the war. Maybe Cyn managed to find a way to control the murder drones by taking over their administration?

She “reformatted their memories to soup”, hence Tessa being so excited that N could remember her. But why send them to copper 9? A colony she had already successfully wiped of human life?

I actually think it was a deception.

I think that after Cyn’s huge success with the exoplanets, she decided to do the same thing on earth, end the war once and for all with a final, devastating blow. There was one thing standing in her way; Tessa, the only human she cared for, was on earth. Imploding the planet core there would mean sacrificing Tessa. Unwilling to do this, Cyn tried to lure Tessa off of earth by sending her treasured original trio of drones to copper 9.

This clearly didn’t work for nearly twenty years, because that’s the span of time between the murder drones arriving in copper 9 and the events of the show. We ‘know’ this because Uzi is 18-20, and her mother was killed early enough that she has few to no memories of her(that we know). Something on earth held her up for 20 some odd years, maybe company business, but it’s honestly anyone’s guess as to what it was 🤷🏼‍♀️

Eventually, she did take the bait and follow her drones out to copper 9, and as soon as she was clear of Earth…

This is why the disassembly drones weren’t aware of earths destruction, why N was so shocked to see this satellite image. Earth was still intact last they saw(which, to be fair, was 20 years ago).

Depressingly, this likely makes Tessa the last human in existence. If not the very last, she’s certainly now a member of an extremely critically endangered species.

And that’s a wrap! Now we’re caught up with the present and just waiting on more episodes. I can’t wait to see if any of my theory is correct 😁