"Your father will not be able to intimidate Ozpin like he might have done in your old school." Cardin's jaw clacks at your interruption. "And if he tries, he will find that I am perfectly able to defend my own carrier if need be." A lie… for now.
I noticed this in the last vote too but it's career.
[] Personal method: You take a form, they try to deduce the kind of circumstances that led to it.
It seems a bit.. self-centered? Using personal forms seems good but they dont need to know her sordid backgrounds of how she got that form.
Hm... how about she uses forms to try different teaching styles, about basic psychology? And then after that students can try read body language in unconventional forms so it might be "easier" to read normal people.
[X] Use different forms to try different teaching styles about basic psychology, such as illustrating concepts with forms. Then if students seem ready, try having them read body language to gain clues on how they fight/think. Can use her own forms and videos of normal people to start teaching them how to parse a variety of people in different contexts.
As mentioned before, I think students do not need to know her personal backgrounds and issues lol.
Yeah the chapter was good! People felt in character and I think Cardin was handled maturely and fairly there. Now he can just go to the counselor to rant and actually think more about why he's bothered. (and change his world views).
[X] Use different forms to try different teaching styles about basic psychology, such as illustrating concepts with forms. Then if students seem ready, try having them read body language to gain clues on how they fight/think. Can use her own forms and videos of normal people to start teaching them how to parse a variety of people in different contexts.
Yeah the chapter was good! People felt in character and I think Cardin was handled maturely and fairly there. Now he can just go to the counselor to rant and actually think more about why he's bothered. (and change his world views).
You got the correct goal about Cardin here, Stella will let him question his beliefs himself.
Weiss originally only had a snippet about something else (along with some others), but then I realized the Grimm Fang talk with her would have a shell life, and I wanted to show at least part of it. Bonus is that it provide a contrast with Cardin on the same subject, she did her research and is trying, he thought he knew more than he did and now is wondering about it.
Still is a good start on the first day of class. Teenagers trying to psychoanalyze people with little to no knowledge? Eh..
@Nyarky are there specific learning outcomes this class is supposed to have? Like helping them be better hunters, for example the social aspects of being a hunter and taking on missions (like talking to locals).
Or just a psychology class to get (traumatized) people thinking about how minds work in general and respond to Grimm, and do self reflection?
Since yeah as Stella mentioned with Cardin, emotional regulation is a key skill for Hunters to have to not attract too much Grimm. Which would endanger others on a mission or themselves.
Actually, just to check:
Stella will be smart enough to not use the Eye of the Needle, right? The Adversary could probably sit still long enough, but I do not trust the Eye to not start a fight.
Still is a good start on the first day of class. Teenagers trying to psychoanalyze people with little to no knowledge? Eh..
@Nyarky are there specific learning outcomes this class is supposed to have? Like helping them be better hunters, for example the social aspects of being a hunter and taking on missions (like talking to locals).
Or just a psychology class to get (traumatized) people thinking about how minds work in general and respond to Grimm, and do self reflection?
Since yeah as Stella mentioned with Cardin, emotional regulation is a key skill for Hunters to have to not attract too much Grimm. Which would endanger others on a mission or themselves.
That's a complicated thing to answer without influencing the vote too much, I spent ten minutes writing different versions of an answer and scrapping them.
So... at least I can tell that Stella is aware that they are probably going to be horrible at psychoanalyzing right now, that's included in her approach for the personal method, it's a test to see how they are and teach using that.
She also wants to make sure they don't have a period where they are under the Dunning-Kruger effect, the natural effect where people that have at best basics about a subject think they know everything, because they don't yet know how much they don't know. They should already be past it simply due to the fact that they are asking to be taught, but still.
Both case will have positive effects on the times they do their missions, in different ways.
[X] Use different forms to try different teaching styles about basic psychology, such as illustrating concepts with forms. Then if students seem ready, try having them read body language to gain clues on how they fight/think. Can use her own forms and videos of normal people to start teaching them how to parse a variety of people in different contexts.
I'm sure she'll do some lesson prep. I did vote for the custom write-in *and* the basic psychology one, so why didn't my vote show for the write-in? Does it only count the most recent vote from each user @Nyarky?
I'm sure she'll do some lesson prep. I did vote for the custom write-in *and* the basic psychology one, so why didn't my vote show for the write-in? Does it only count the most recent vote from each user @Nyarky?
Warning: I am not a psychologist, or any kind of mental specialist, my advices may well be wrong. Go see an actual trained professional if you need to.
You continue to be pensive all the way from Ozpin's office to your room.
You had originally wanted to use your Nature to teach your apprentices, take a form, see what they come up with to explain it and how close they are, and work from there.
But while you do think it would work, it isn't… is it not just seeing the world as the Shifting mound rather than as Stella Panoply?
This question leads to another realization, fortunately, one that you can act on right now:
"Dear?" Sable looks at you from the bed, clearly intrigued by your tone. "Did I ever thank you for convincing me to come with you to see the world?" Before he has time to talk, you continue. "Because I think I need to. Yes, I can see you think otherwise, but still, let me explain?"
He closes his mouth and nods, gaze sharpening.
"Then: Thank you for all that you gave me. If you hadn't gone to see my heart, talked me into at least trying, I would still be stuck in my previous mindset. I would not be able to see the trees for the forest, looking at things too globally to appreciate the details. I said that we may not have a choice on being gods when you told that you didn't want to be one. I stand by this, we are gods, no matter what, but we don't need to be distant ones."
He smiles, all the answer you need, yet he does more:
"I love you, you know?" He says tenderly.
"I love you too." You answer.
You spend the night searching about how to teach basic psychology, finding some things you think you would have never known without it. Glynda may have told you that you were already good at understanding people, no matter what you thought, but this is no excuse to not try more.
The next day, you have your first actual lesson with your two apprentices. Velvet is visibly excited, and Yatsuhashi is just as calm as ever. You do not think you ever saw him get angry or agitated except for the time you explained how your Nature works, and his reaction to your evershifting mind.
"To begin with, there is a question that I want to ask you, don't worry about *answering wrong*, this is not the goal, just tell me your first reaction." The two of them look at you, ready for what they probably think is a simple question about themselves or something in those veins. "Imagine that you are meeting a mother for the first time right now, she is coming here for her daughter, telling you that the girl is hearing voices. What do you think you should do about it?"
They are a little taken aback, then begin thinking, Yatsuhashi being the first to answer.
"I think I would try to find a way to have the hallucinations stop?" His statement turns into a question by the end. You do not show what you think of it yet, simply waiting for Velvet to give her own answer.
"I don't know?" She begins, clearly hesitant. She quickly gains momentum once the first words are out though. "I mean, you barely gave us any information, how am I supposed to make a judgment call with only this?"
You look at the both of them a little longer, just to see how sure they are of what they said, Yatsuhashi has turned pensive, and Velvet is trying to keep an assured air.
Finally, you clap your hands with a smile.
"Good, both of you. Velvet did get a more correct answer, but most people would answer closer to Yatsuhashi, so you do not have anything to be ashamed of. As for the kind of reasons why you should always begin by trying to get more information, let me tell you a story:" You get a little in the role, not even realizing your dress and tiara are changing subtly to present you more as a speaker. "During the period right before the great war, the situation I presented actually happened. A mother entered a state sponsored *health center* because her little girl had given signs of hearing voices. The doctor in place instantly flagged the girl as *irregular* and sent her to an asylum to be processed into a model citizen." Judging by the itch of breath from Velvet and the grimace on Yatsuhashi's face, you audience is already anticipating a tragic end, they are right. "She spent years in this place, all the while having the doctors trying to stop her voices. She was rescued when the war was won by vale and vacuo, and sent back to her parents…." Velvet eyes have a glean of hope, Yatsuhashi… is bracing for the rest. "She was found dead by her mother only a week later, she hanged herself." You look at them both, making sure to show the gravity of what you are about to say. "Some time later, someone found her journal, in it, she had written a lot about how she felt, from before she was imprisoned up to her death. What they found told this: while she was living with her mother, her voices were not aggressive or in any way debilitating. In fact, they were a source of help for her at the beginning when in the asylum, helping her cope with not seeing her family… but as time passed, and as she was told more and more that hearing voices was *bad* and that she was *non-functional* for hearing them, this changed. The voices began to become self recriminations, she couldn't sleep due to them, she began thinking that what they told was true, that she was worthless, that she deserved to die. When she was rescued, all she could think of was that she would be a burden on her mother. Notably, she begins describing the voices changing from having pleasant tones to specifically taking the ones the doctors used."
At this point, Velvet is tearing up, Yatsuhashi seems to be a little angry at the situation.
"I am telling you this because it contains an important lesson: as Counselors, your role will be to help, not to judge, not to make normal, to help. This girl may well have lived all her life hearing voices and still being perfectly happy, we cannot know, but you would be surprised by how many people actually do exactly this. I know you have talked about the great war during your first year, you know what it was fought for. Everyone is different, that much is the easiest part to see. But there is another part that people forget from this: everyone being different means that there is no one that is *average* or *normal*."
Velvet raises her hand.
"You do not need to raise your hand, you may be my apprentices, but this is not a classroom, you know?" You joke, then you turn serious once again. "What do you want to ask?"
"But how can we know how to help someone if there is no *normal* to get close to then?"
"A very good question! It's simple: Having someone be happy with themselves, as well as as functional as possible tends to be a good beginning. Or at least, that is a generic way of telling it. You will see more in details later for the rest." Yatsuhashi seems like he wants to ask something. "Yes, Yatsuhashi?"
"But how do we do that?" He seems to be asking sincerely, good. "It is all well to say we have to help, but you have yet to teach us the method."
"Eager to reach the next part?" You admonish him a little. "Don't worry, we are going to do just that. Now, let me give you some easy methods you can use."
You spend the rest of your time explaining some basics on how to listen to someone and appear friendly or at least attentive doing so. You touch a little on things like giving your patients mental tools they can use to combat things like the beginning of a panic attack, or simply overwhelming negative thoughts.
Of course, you make absolutely sure to insist on the fact that there is no miraculous method, a significant part of your work is to refine your knowledge to be able to give a personalized care. Some people will be receptive to some things, other will not at all despite having the same general problem.
Velvet surprise you in the middle of that explanation with a remark of her own:
"You know quite a lot about how people think then? Does your Semblance help with it?"
You sack a little, then remember what Glynda told you the last time this came up.
"I don't think I understand people all that well actually." You smile derisively. "You see, part of my Nature actually is a hindrance rather than a boon as far as I'm concerned when it comes to that." Both Velvet and Yatsuhashi seems to have no idea what you mean, so you continue. "You see, it is completely natural for me to manipulate how I am seen, to guide the impression I give unconsciously so that I change in a way or another. That helps build a rapport, and even to cheat on knowing what to say to have a particular reaction, but while I will continue to maintain that cheating is not a problem." You look at Velvet seriously at this. "It does mean that I do not understand the thinking process of most people per se, but rather that I know how to change it."
"Isn't that understanding it anyway?" Yatsuhashi asks.
"Only part of it, I have to work for the rest. Though in my particular case, I have some peculiar ways of doing said work." You let them wonder what you mean, seeing if they get it, you are not surprised when Velvet seems to be the one to get it first, you did explain to her more in detail about your Nature.
"No wonder you don't think my Semblance is cheating, yours is far worse." She complains, eliciting a curious gaze from Yatsuhashi.
You simply smile… and proceed to bury them under a torrent of not that important fact that they will need for later lessons. By the time you return to a more normal pace and more important information, the previous subject is all but forgotten.
The rest of the day is calm, you end up finally seeing Ruby Rose, seeing her for yourself instead of hearing about how she is taking her new role from Cardin.
"I just want to have normal knees, you know?" The girl shyly admits when you prod her on whether she is happy to be team leader.
"Normal knees?" You ask, prompting her to expand further.
"Yeah… you know, my sister said that I was going to be the bee's knees when we arrived at Beacon. I don't really want that. I am glad to have come here, that was my dream but… you know…." She indicates herself. "I thought it would happen in two years, not right now."
"You didn't ask to skip years then? You would have expected it otherwise."
"No, that was my uncle Qrow. He told me you knew him?" You nod at her question. "He ended up coming back from a mission sooner than expected, and then he saw my progress at using the scythe and said that he wanted to test me. Next thing I knew, I was in front of a judge to see if I could come here, it happened so fast."
"You got the impression it was a dream, didn't you?" You say when she loses momentum.
"Yes? I don't know? It's really not what I was expecting yet it is just as I was hoping?" She sighs explosively. "Gah, this is so complicated!"
"Of course it is." You agree. "You didn't have much time to prepare, and you took a position of responsibility as soon as you arrived, everyone would be a little overwhelmed in these conditions." You use the occasion to subtly steer the subject back to her feelings on being team leader. "Did you discuss it with your team? I know one of them may be more difficult to approach." An understatement about Cardin, but you will not defame him in front of another. "But you have your sister to rely on, and I think Pyrrha Nikos can relate to some things, don't you agree?"
"She does have that reputation as invincible…." Ruby mumbles to herself. "I guess I can see it, yeah." She says more clearly.
"Good, if you need any other things, you know where to find me. I think this is a good place to stop for today. We'll see each other next week, same day and time?"
"That works." Ruby distractedly agrees. It seems you have given her a lot to think about.
The rest of the week pass without incident, you continue to see your two apprentices regularly, as well as do a first check up on the first years.
There are no notable cases for now.
Right before the week-end, you receive a message from Penny. Her Father agreed to a meeting tomorrow.
Due to having unlocked The mother (multifaceted), you will automatically come as her in this meeting, but you can choose how you will present yourself nonetheless.
[] Take some time to discuss with him before going for the big revelations, know him a little.
[] Skip the pleasantries and go for your relation to Penny right away, he is bound to be curious.
[] Something else?
A/N:
The title is a personal reminder to avoid making this chapter into an author Filibuster.
Hope it worked, because I definitely did go into something of a rant, it's good if it's in character, but if it's not…. Author tract is *fine*, but filibuster isn't.
I used the Stranger answer to the *I don't want to be a god* remark (the Princess use: "I don't think we have a choice" if she's the Stranger, something about neither does she in one other case, and I don't remember the third) despite not having her as the first vessel because I think it is the most interesting one.
The story about the girl that hears voices was partially inspired is a remark I saw once from someone that has some knowledge on how the USA's mental health system works from the inside, where he remarked that "you would be surprised by how many people hear voices, one of the biggest *warning signs* as far as most people are concerned and find that perfectly normal". He was talking about the fact that *normal* is a very subjective term, especially in that domain.
This update brought to you by *Endless Embrace*, the ending of Made in Abyss. Listened to it for the totality of the writing process.
[x] Skip the pleasantries and go for your relation to Penny right away, he is bound to be curious.
I feel like it's what's most directly interesting for the Princess, and we do have a track record of jumping into things, albeit one encouraged by onlookers
