What were the effects of the transcontinental railroad?
Are you in the wrong?
2011.04.06 04:25 1276284 Are you in the wrong?
Describe a situation or scenario, providing all relevant information. Then seek the opinion of the masses. Were you ethically or morally wrong? See what sides the internet takes.
2012.03.08 23:42 SmellsLikeUpfoo The Way We Were
What was **normal everyday life** like for people living 50, 100, or more years ago? Featuring old photos, scanned documents, articles, and personal anecdotes that offer a glimpse into the past.
2013.06.13 16:10 Teklogikal TheDepthsBelow: Because we all know there are things lurking underwater.
71% of the earth's surface is covered by water according to NOAA. That only gives us 29% where we're safe. If an animal the size of a blue whale can disappear for months at a time, what else is down there? We're here to show you. ___________________________________________ Fuck u/Spez
2024.06.08 23:35 AdminIAmAwake A Nation of Immigrants
Our Country was founded and formed by illegal immigration.
The indigenous people of North America did not extend invitations to their European guests. By definition, those arriving on the Mayflower and earlier vessels were “illegal immigrants.”
The majority of those entering the United States today are seeking better lives for their families, mirroring the aspirations of our forefathers. Throughout our young nation’s history, waves of immigration from various countries have significantly shaped our society and economy.
While looking at history we need to realize that throughout our history as a young nation there have been a number of immigrations from foreign countries. Immigrants have played an important role in our history and economy.
The United States has a long history of immigration, with major waves occurring throughout its history. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most significant waves:
Colonial Era (16th-18th centuries): Europeans came to North America seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. This wave included English Puritans, Germans, Scottish, and Irish.
Africans were forcibly brought to the US as slaves from the 16th to the early 19th centuries. The transatlantic slave trade was a horrific chapter in history that involved the enslavement of millions of Africans.
Early 19th century (1815-1860): This period saw an increase in immigration from northern and western Europe, particularly Ireland and Germany. Many immigrants came to escape famine and political unrest in their home countries.
Chinese immigration to the United States has a long and complex history. The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in the mid-19th century, most notably during the California Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s. They were drawn to the potential for economic opportunity in the gold fields. Later waves of Chinese immigrants came to work on the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s and 1870s, as well as in other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.
Late 19th and early 20th centuries (1880-1924): This wave brought a large number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, such as Italians, Poles, and Jews. They were drawn to the growing industrial cities of the United States.
Mid-20th century (1940s-1960s): Immigration slowed down during this time due to World War II and its aftermath. However, there was a significant increase in immigration from Mexico and other parts of Latin America after World War II.
Late 20th and early 21st centuries (1965-present): The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota system that had favored European immigrants. This led to a surge in immigration from Asia and Latin America. Today, the United States has a more diverse immigrant population than ever before.
Today, despite broken policies and procedures, there are at least some mechanisms to manage immigration and political asylum.
Reflecting on history, it’s crucial to recognize what was taken from the indigenous people of this land. Tribe by tribe, they were displaced to reservations, left to live autonomously on their own sovereign land.
Opinion
Perhaps, as time progresses, voters might grow weary of the MAGA movement, viewing it as antithetical to true American values. In a satirical twist of fate, they might decide to treat MAGA supporters as we once did the indigenous peoples, relegating them to reservations.
I propose we repurpose some Alaskan national park space and relocate every single member of the MAGA Tribe to a new homeland: MAGAland. Here, they can enjoy all the benefits of the United States while being conveniently isolated from immigrants. In MAGAland, they can establish their own news outlets, newspapers, and values.
Values where it’s acceptable, by their standards, to have multiple wives and mistresses. Mothers can teach their sons that grabbing women by the pussy is permissible, echoing the behavior of a certain former president now facing 34 felony charges. Father’s will teach their daughters that their bodies are not theirs and “being grabbed by the pussy” is OK.
They could have their own government—perhaps a Tribal Council, a Monarch, or a Dictator—ideally someone with orange hair, tiny hands, and the emotional temperament of an 11-year-old. Of course, MAGAland would need great roads and schools, funded by their own HUGE taxes. Ironically, MAGA supporters are known for their aversion to taxes. Perhaps they would even prohibit the governor of Alaska or the President of the United States from stepping onto MAGAland, akin to the indigenous territories in South Dakota.
Rant Looking back at history, one wonders when the next John Wilkes Booth or Lee Harvey Oswald will carve their name into the annals of time.
submitted by AdminIAmAwake to Democrat [link] [comments]
The indigenous people of North America did not extend invitations to their European guests. By definition, those arriving on the Mayflower and earlier vessels were “illegal immigrants.”
The majority of those entering the United States today are seeking better lives for their families, mirroring the aspirations of our forefathers. Throughout our young nation’s history, waves of immigration from various countries have significantly shaped our society and economy.
While looking at history we need to realize that throughout our history as a young nation there have been a number of immigrations from foreign countries. Immigrants have played an important role in our history and economy.
The United States has a long history of immigration, with major waves occurring throughout its history. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most significant waves:
Colonial Era (16th-18th centuries): Europeans came to North America seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. This wave included English Puritans, Germans, Scottish, and Irish.
Africans were forcibly brought to the US as slaves from the 16th to the early 19th centuries. The transatlantic slave trade was a horrific chapter in history that involved the enslavement of millions of Africans.
Early 19th century (1815-1860): This period saw an increase in immigration from northern and western Europe, particularly Ireland and Germany. Many immigrants came to escape famine and political unrest in their home countries.
Chinese immigration to the United States has a long and complex history. The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in the mid-19th century, most notably during the California Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s. They were drawn to the potential for economic opportunity in the gold fields. Later waves of Chinese immigrants came to work on the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s and 1870s, as well as in other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.
Late 19th and early 20th centuries (1880-1924): This wave brought a large number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, such as Italians, Poles, and Jews. They were drawn to the growing industrial cities of the United States.
Mid-20th century (1940s-1960s): Immigration slowed down during this time due to World War II and its aftermath. However, there was a significant increase in immigration from Mexico and other parts of Latin America after World War II.
Late 20th and early 21st centuries (1965-present): The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota system that had favored European immigrants. This led to a surge in immigration from Asia and Latin America. Today, the United States has a more diverse immigrant population than ever before.
Today, despite broken policies and procedures, there are at least some mechanisms to manage immigration and political asylum.
Reflecting on history, it’s crucial to recognize what was taken from the indigenous people of this land. Tribe by tribe, they were displaced to reservations, left to live autonomously on their own sovereign land.
Opinion
Perhaps, as time progresses, voters might grow weary of the MAGA movement, viewing it as antithetical to true American values. In a satirical twist of fate, they might decide to treat MAGA supporters as we once did the indigenous peoples, relegating them to reservations.
I propose we repurpose some Alaskan national park space and relocate every single member of the MAGA Tribe to a new homeland: MAGAland. Here, they can enjoy all the benefits of the United States while being conveniently isolated from immigrants. In MAGAland, they can establish their own news outlets, newspapers, and values.
Values where it’s acceptable, by their standards, to have multiple wives and mistresses. Mothers can teach their sons that grabbing women by the pussy is permissible, echoing the behavior of a certain former president now facing 34 felony charges. Father’s will teach their daughters that their bodies are not theirs and “being grabbed by the pussy” is OK.
They could have their own government—perhaps a Tribal Council, a Monarch, or a Dictator—ideally someone with orange hair, tiny hands, and the emotional temperament of an 11-year-old. Of course, MAGAland would need great roads and schools, funded by their own HUGE taxes. Ironically, MAGA supporters are known for their aversion to taxes. Perhaps they would even prohibit the governor of Alaska or the President of the United States from stepping onto MAGAland, akin to the indigenous territories in South Dakota.
Rant Looking back at history, one wonders when the next John Wilkes Booth or Lee Harvey Oswald will carve their name into the annals of time.
2024.06.08 23:26 AdminIAmAwake A Nation of Immigrants
Our Country was founded and formed by illegal immigration.
The indigenous people of North America did not extend invitations to their European guests. By definition, those arriving on the Mayflower and earlier vessels were “illegal immigrants.”
The majority of those entering the United States today are seeking better lives for their families, mirroring the aspirations of our forefathers. Throughout our young nation’s history, waves of immigration from various countries have significantly shaped our society and economy.
While looking at history we need to realize that throughout our history as a young nation there have been a number of immigrations from foreign countries. Immigrants have played an important role in our history and economy.
The United States has a long history of immigration, with major waves occurring throughout its history. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most significant waves:
Colonial Era (16th-18th centuries): Europeans came to North America seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. This wave included English Puritans, Germans, Scottish, and Irish.
Africans were forcibly brought to the US as slaves from the 16th to the early 19th centuries. The transatlantic slave trade was a horrific chapter in history that involved the enslavement of millions of Africans.
Early 19th century (1815-1860): This period saw an increase in immigration from northern and western Europe, particularly Ireland and Germany. Many immigrants came to escape famine and political unrest in their home countries.
Chinese immigration to the United States has a long and complex history. The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in the mid-19th century, most notably during the California Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s. They were drawn to the potential for economic opportunity in the gold fields. Later waves of Chinese immigrants came to work on the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s and 1870s, as well as in other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.
Late 19th and early 20th centuries (1880-1924): This wave brought a large number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, such as Italians, Poles, and Jews. They were drawn to the growing industrial cities of the United States.
Mid-20th century (1940s-1960s): Immigration slowed down during this time due to World War II and its aftermath. However, there was a significant increase in immigration from Mexico and other parts of Latin America after World War II.
Late 20th and early 21st centuries (1965-present): The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota system that had favored European immigrants. This led to a surge in immigration from Asia and Latin America. Today, the United States has a more diverse immigrant population than ever before.
Today, despite broken policies and procedures, there are at least some mechanisms to manage immigration and political asylum.
Reflecting on history, it’s crucial to recognize what was taken from the indigenous people of this land. Tribe by tribe, they were displaced to reservations, left to live autonomously on their own sovereign land.
Opinion
Perhaps, as time progresses, voters might grow weary of the MAGA movement, viewing it as antithetical to true American values. In a satirical twist of fate, they might decide to treat MAGA supporters as we once did the indigenous peoples, relegating them to reservations.
I propose we repurpose some Alaskan national park space and relocate every single member of the MAGA Tribe to a new homeland: MAGAland. Here, they can enjoy all the benefits of the United States while being conveniently isolated from immigrants. In MAGAland, they can establish their own news outlets, newspapers, and values.
Values where it’s acceptable, by their standards, to have multiple wives and mistresses. Mothers can teach their sons that grabbing women by the pussy is permissible, echoing the behavior of a certain former president now facing 34 felony charges. Father’s will teach their daughters that their bodies are not theirs and “being grabbed by the pussy” is OK.
They could have their own government—perhaps a Tribal Council, a Monarch, or a Dictator—ideally someone with orange hair, tiny hands, and the emotional temperament of an 11-year-old. Of course, MAGAland would need great roads and schools, funded by their own HUGE taxes. Ironically, MAGA supporters are known for their aversion to taxes. Perhaps they would even prohibit the governor of Alaska or the President of the United States from stepping onto MAGAland, akin to the indigenous territories in South Dakota.
Rant Looking back at history, one wonders when the next John Wilkes Booth or Lee Harvey Oswald will carve their name into the annals of time.
submitted by AdminIAmAwake to iamawake [link] [comments]
The indigenous people of North America did not extend invitations to their European guests. By definition, those arriving on the Mayflower and earlier vessels were “illegal immigrants.”
The majority of those entering the United States today are seeking better lives for their families, mirroring the aspirations of our forefathers. Throughout our young nation’s history, waves of immigration from various countries have significantly shaped our society and economy.
While looking at history we need to realize that throughout our history as a young nation there have been a number of immigrations from foreign countries. Immigrants have played an important role in our history and economy.
The United States has a long history of immigration, with major waves occurring throughout its history. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most significant waves:
Colonial Era (16th-18th centuries): Europeans came to North America seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. This wave included English Puritans, Germans, Scottish, and Irish.
Africans were forcibly brought to the US as slaves from the 16th to the early 19th centuries. The transatlantic slave trade was a horrific chapter in history that involved the enslavement of millions of Africans.
Early 19th century (1815-1860): This period saw an increase in immigration from northern and western Europe, particularly Ireland and Germany. Many immigrants came to escape famine and political unrest in their home countries.
Chinese immigration to the United States has a long and complex history. The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in the mid-19th century, most notably during the California Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s. They were drawn to the potential for economic opportunity in the gold fields. Later waves of Chinese immigrants came to work on the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s and 1870s, as well as in other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.
Late 19th and early 20th centuries (1880-1924): This wave brought a large number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, such as Italians, Poles, and Jews. They were drawn to the growing industrial cities of the United States.
Mid-20th century (1940s-1960s): Immigration slowed down during this time due to World War II and its aftermath. However, there was a significant increase in immigration from Mexico and other parts of Latin America after World War II.
Late 20th and early 21st centuries (1965-present): The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota system that had favored European immigrants. This led to a surge in immigration from Asia and Latin America. Today, the United States has a more diverse immigrant population than ever before.
Today, despite broken policies and procedures, there are at least some mechanisms to manage immigration and political asylum.
Reflecting on history, it’s crucial to recognize what was taken from the indigenous people of this land. Tribe by tribe, they were displaced to reservations, left to live autonomously on their own sovereign land.
Opinion
Perhaps, as time progresses, voters might grow weary of the MAGA movement, viewing it as antithetical to true American values. In a satirical twist of fate, they might decide to treat MAGA supporters as we once did the indigenous peoples, relegating them to reservations.
I propose we repurpose some Alaskan national park space and relocate every single member of the MAGA Tribe to a new homeland: MAGAland. Here, they can enjoy all the benefits of the United States while being conveniently isolated from immigrants. In MAGAland, they can establish their own news outlets, newspapers, and values.
Values where it’s acceptable, by their standards, to have multiple wives and mistresses. Mothers can teach their sons that grabbing women by the pussy is permissible, echoing the behavior of a certain former president now facing 34 felony charges. Father’s will teach their daughters that their bodies are not theirs and “being grabbed by the pussy” is OK.
They could have their own government—perhaps a Tribal Council, a Monarch, or a Dictator—ideally someone with orange hair, tiny hands, and the emotional temperament of an 11-year-old. Of course, MAGAland would need great roads and schools, funded by their own HUGE taxes. Ironically, MAGA supporters are known for their aversion to taxes. Perhaps they would even prohibit the governor of Alaska or the President of the United States from stepping onto MAGAland, akin to the indigenous territories in South Dakota.
Rant Looking back at history, one wonders when the next John Wilkes Booth or Lee Harvey Oswald will carve their name into the annals of time.
2024.06.08 22:41 NIGHTxSHADOW [H] Lots of games new and old [W] Current bundle games / zell / cash app
All games are list are available depending on the trade or offer some games are worth more then others but just DM me what you got or offer and we can talk.
11-11 Memories Retold Steam Available
140 Steam Available
140 Steam Available
A Kiss For the Petals - Remembering How We Met Steam Available
Absolute Drift Steam Available
Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders Steam Available
Alpha Prime Steam Available
Always Sometimes Monsters Steam Available
Anomaly 2 Steam Available
Aragami Steam Available
Arma: Gold Edition Steam Available
Armoured Warfare E3 Pack Armoured Warfare Available
Asdivine Hearts Steam Available
Awesomenauts Steam Available
BADLAND: Game of the Year Humble Deluxe Edition Steam Available
BIT.TRIP RUNNER Steam Available
Ballpoint Universe - Infinite Steam Available
Battle Group 2 Steam Available
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack Battleborn Available
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Steam Available
Beholder Steam Available
Betrayer Steam Available
Bioshock Infinite Steam Available
Blade & Soul E3 Pack Blade + Soul Available
Boundless Steam Available
Bridge Constructor Medieval Steam Available
Bridge Constructor Steam Available
Broken Sword 2 Steam Available
Call of Duty®: WWII - Call of Duty Endowment Bravery Pack Steam Available
Call of Duty®: WWII - Call of Duty Endowment Fear Not Pack Steam Available
Chasm Steam Available
Choice Chamber Steam Available
Cinders Steam Available
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising Origin Key Origin Available
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising Steam Key Steam Available
Company of Heroes™ 2: Soviet Skin - Four Color Belorussian Steam Available
Contraption Maker Spotkin Available
Contraption Maker Steam Available
Costume Quest Steam Available
Crusader Kings II - African Unit Pack Steam Available
Crusader Kings II - Norse Unit Pack Steam Available
Crusader Kings II - Russian Unit Pack Steam Available
Crysis 2 Maximum Edition Origin Key Origin Available
Curse Premium 30-day subscription Curse Available
Dead Space Origin Key Origin Available
DeadCore Steam Available
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut Steam Available
Devilian Extra Life Humble Bundle Package Trion Available
Divekick Steam Available
Draw a Stickman: EPIC Steam Available
Duelyst - 20 Spirit Orbs Duelyst Available
Duelyst - Cosmetics Bundle Duelyst Available
EVE Online: Rifter Ship Skin E3 Digital Ticket Available
EVE Online: Trial Key E3 Digital Ticket Available
EVEOnline 30-day Trial Access Code EVE Online Available
EVEOnline 4 Ship Skins EVE Online Available
Eldritch Steam Available
Elegy for a Dead World Steam Available
Enemy Mind Steam Available
Ethan: Meteor Hunter Steam Available
Evergarden Steam Available
Expand - Soundtrack Edition Steam Available
Fieldrunners 2 Steam Available
Fieldrunners Steam Available
Finding Teddy Steam Available
Fish Fillets 2 Steam Available
Fist Puncher Steam Available
Fluffy Horde Steam Available
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Steam Available
Freedom Force Steam Available
Frozen Synapse Multiplayer Key Frozen Synapse Multiplayer Available
Frozen Synapse Steam Available
Full Bore Steam Available
GUNS UP! Starter Pack + TV Head GUNS UP! Available
Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition Steam Available
Galak-Z Steam Available
Galaxy on Fire 2™ Full HD Steam Available
Galcon Legends Steam Available
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault Online: Exclusive E3 Digital Ticket Bundle Steam Available
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Steam Available
Go! Go! Nippon! 2015 DX Edition (base + DLC) Steam Available
Go! Go! Nippon! 2016 (DLC) Steam Available
Gods Will Be Watching Steam Available
Grey Goo Definitive Edition Steam Available
Grim Fandango Remastered Steam Available
Gunpoint Steam Available
HOARD Steam Available
Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy Steam Available
Heroes & Generals (Early Access) — Weekend Warrior Pack Heroes & Generals Available
Hexcells Complete Pack Steam Available
Hitman: Absolution Steam Available
Home Steam Available
How to Survive: Third Person Standalone Steam Available
INK Steam Available
If My Heart Had Wings Steam Available
Imagine Me + Soundtrack Steam Available
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Steam Available
It Came from Space, and Ate Our Brains Steam Available
KAMI Steam Available
Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition Steam Available
Landmark 1-Week Closed Beta Key Landmark 1-Week Beta Available
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Steam Available
Lethal League Steam Available
Lexica Steam Available
LiEat Steam Available
LoveKami -Divinity Stage- Steam Available
LoveKami -Useless Goddess- Steam Available
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime Steam Available
MURI Steam Available
MX vs ATV Reflex Steam Available
Mars: War Logs Steam Available
Mechanic Escape Steam Available
Medal of Honor Origin Key Origin Available
Mirror's Edge Origin Key Origin Available
MirrorMoon EP Steam Available
Monster Hunter Generations Demo Nintendo 3DS Available
Mountain Steam Available
Neverwinter Adventurer's Helper Pack + Exclusive Lord of the Labyrinth Title Neverwinter Available
NiGHTS Into Dreams Steam Available
NiGHTS Into Dreams Steam Available
Nightsky Steam Key Steam Available
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee® Steam Available
Offspring Fling Steam Available
OlliOlli Steam Available
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood Steam Available
One Way Heroics Steam Available
Overlord II Steam Available
Overlord Steam Available
Papo & Yo Steam Available
Pathfinder Adventures - 40 Chests Pathfinder Available
PixelJunk Eden Steam Available
Platformines Steam Available
Please Don't Touch Anything Steam Available
Populous Origin Key Origin Available
Princess Evangile All Ages Version Steam Available
Prison Architect Steam Available
Psychonauts Steam Available
Punch Club Steam Available
Punch Club Steam Available
Q.U.B.E.: Director's Cut Steam Available
RONIN Steam Available
Railroad Tycoon 3 Steam Available
Ravensword: Shadowlands Steam Available
Regency Solitaire Steam Available
Regular Human Basketball Steam Available
Road to Ballhalla Steam Available
Runestone Keeper Steam Available
SMITE — Bellona and Furiona Bellona Exclusive Skin, Kukulkan and Typhoon Kukulkan skin SMITE Available
SPACECOM Steam Available
SUPERFIGHT - The Joiner Micro Deck Steam Available
SUPERFIGHT Closed Beta Access Steam Available
Savant - Ascent Steam Available
Secrets of Rætikon Steam Available
Shadow Warrior Classic Redux Steam Available
Shadow Warrior: Special Edition Steam Available
Shadowgate (2014) Steam Available
Shadowgate: MacVenture Series Steam Available
Shenmue I & II Steam Available
Shivah: Kosher Edition Steam Available
Sid Meier's Civilization V Steam Available
Sid Meier's Civilization® III: Complete Steam Available
Snakebird Steam Available
Soundodger+ and Soundtrack Steam Available
SpeedRunners Steam Available
Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon Steam Available
Stacking Steam Available
Star Ruler Steam Available
Startopia Steam Available
Strike Suit Zero Steam Available
Stronghold Crusader 2 Steam Available
Stronghold Kingdoms — Humble Kingmaker Bundle Stronghold Kingdoms Available
Sunless Sea Steam Available
Super Amazing Wagon Adventure Steam Available
Super Senso Beta Access + Starter Pack (w/ exclusive Glen the Gargoyle Senso) Super Senso Available
Super Splatters Steam Available
Super Time Force Ultra Steam Available
Supreme Commander 2 Steam Available
Sword Legacy Omen Steam Available
Syder Arcade Steam Available
Symphony Steam Available
Tainted Grail: Conquest Steam Available
Take On Helicopters Steam Available
Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack Steam Available
Tempest: Pirate Action RPG Steam Available
TerraTech Deluxe Edition (Steam) Steam Available
Terraria Steam Available
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure Steam Available
The Basement Collection Steam Available
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Steam Available
The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic Steam Available
The Lost Crown Steam Available
The Novelist Steam Available
Thief Steam Available
Tiny & Big in Grandpa's Leftovers Steam Available
Tiny Barbarian DX Steam Available
To the Moon Steam Available
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3 Gold (Raven Shield / Athena Sword) Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege - Multiplayer Beta Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory® Uplay Available
Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul (DLC) Steam Available
Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul (DLC) Steam Available
Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul (DLC) Steam Available
Total War: Rome II - Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack Steam Available
Tower of Guns Steam Available
Train Valley 2 Steam Available
Two Brothers Steam Available
UFO: Afterlight Steam Available
UnEpic Steam Available
Unmechanical Steam Available
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard Steam Available
War Thunder M5 Stuart Tank + P36 Aircraft + Exclusive Twitch + Humble Bundle Decals War Thunder Available
Warframe PC Booster Pack Warframe Available
WildStar E3 Pack Wildstar Available
WildStar — Jumpstart Pack Wildstar Available
X-COM: Apocalypse Steam Available
X-COM: Enforcer Steam Available
X-COM: Interceptor Steam Available
X-COM: Terror from the Deep Steam Available
X-COM: UFO Defense Steam Available
XSplit Premium 3-Month License XSplit Available
Yesterday Steam Available
eden* Steam Available
GOLF WITH YOUR FRIENDS + CADDYPACK DLC + OST
GENERATION ZERO
FORAGER
VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE - COTERIES OF NEW YORK
FUN WITH RAGDOLLS: THE GAME
STRANGE BRIGADE
YOOKA-LAYLEE AND THE IMPOSSIBLE LAIR
CATHERINE CLASSIC
THE OCCUPATION
THE SHAPESHIFTING DETECTIVE
TROPICO 6 - EL PREZ EDITION
FAE TACTICS
IRON DANGER
AUTONAUTS
SHADOWS: AWAKENING
FANTASY BLACKSMITH
THE SUICIDE OF RACHEL FOSTER
GOAT OF DUTY
THE UNCERTAIN: LAST QUIET DAY
BASEMENT
LIGHTMATTER
DARKSIDERS III
IMPERATOR: ROME DELUXE EDITION
CRYING SUNS
DARKSBURG
LITTLE MISFORTUNE
SMILE FOR ME
DARKWOOD
TSIOQUE
ROVER MECHANIC SIMULATOR
YOUROPA
TOWNSMEN - A KINGDOM REBUILT
HI-FI RUSH
STEELRISING
LODDLENAUT
KING OF THE CASTLE
BRAVERY AND GREED
AMANDA THE ADVENTURER
MEDITERRANEA INFERNO
JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION + 1 DLC
XCOM® 2 + 2 DLC
RISE OF INDUSTRY
NICHE - A GENETICS SURVIVAL GAME
WARHAMMER 40,000: GLADIUS - RELICS OF WAR
HEAVE HO
NEOVERSE
CHESS ULTRA
HORACE
XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
ELEX
KINGDOM TWO CROWNS
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
HOTSHOT RACING
PEAKY BLINDERS: MASTERMIND
CYBER HOOK
PESTERQUEST
BOREAL BLADE
PLANET COASTER + 1 DLC
F1 2019 ANNIVERSARY EDITION
FELL SEAL: ARBITER'S MARK
BATTLE CHASERS: NIGHTWAR
EXAPUNKS
TUROK
DEATH'S GAMBIT
NIFFELHEIM
AI WAR 2
ETHERBORN
SUPRALAND
GRID™ - ULTIMATE EDITION
HELLBLADE: SENUA'S SACRIFICE
FELIX THE REAPER
MEN OF WAR: ASSAULT SQUAD 2 - WARCHEST EDITION
STYGIAN: REIGN OF THE OLD ONES
REMNANTS OF NAEZITH
OVERLOAD
THE STILLNESS OF THE WIND
THE KING'S BIRD
AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL - DELUXE EDITION
VOID BASTARDS
RAILWAY EMPIRE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DEADLOCK
YUPPIE PSYCHO
BEAT HAZARD 2
DON'T ESCAPE: 4 DAYS TO SURVIVE
VERLET SWING
BASINGSTOKE
EARTHLOCK
MARVEL'S MIDNIGHT SUNS DIGITAL+ EDITION
MIDNIGHT SUNS - DOCTOR STRANGE DEFENDERS SKIN
TWO POINT CAMPUS
OTXO
ROGUEBOOK
THE RED LANTERN
HELL PIE
TWIN MIRROR
ANCESTORS: THE HUMANKIND ODYSSEY
PATHOLOGIC 2
WARHAMMER: CHAOSBANE
TOTAL TANK SIMULATOR
SONG OF HORROR COMPLETE EDITION
MINORIA
DELEVELED
THE AMBASSADOR: FRACTURED TIMEL
MIDDLE-EARTH™: SHADOW OF WAR™
GRAVEYARD KEEPER
DIRT RALLY 2.0 + 3 DLCS
STREET FIGHTER V
BAD NORTH: JOTUNN EDITION
TRAILMAKERS
WHISPERS OF A MACHINE
GRIP + 1 DLC
SCORN
DESTROY ALL HUMANS 2! REPROBED
BEACON PINES
CHILDREN OF SILENTOWN
OAKEN
SNOWTOPIA: SKI RESORT BUILDER
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
ENDLESS SPACE® 2 - DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION
MOVING OUT
TRINE 4: THE NIGHTMARE PRINCE
THE WILD EIGHT
TRAIN STATION RENOVATION
IRIS AND THE GIANT
BOOMERANG FU
FROSTPUNK + 1 DLC
PATHFINDER: KINGMAKER - ENHANCED PLUS EDITION
CRYOFALL
ELIZA
SHENZHEN I/O
PROJECT WARLOCK
THE HEX
NIGHT CALL
EXPEDITIONS: ROME
MIDNIGHT FIGHT EXPRESS
ELEX II
THE PALE BEYOND
LAST CALL BBS
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE 1-MONTH FREE TRIAL
GET TWO MONTHS OF IGN PLUS
OVERCOOKED! 2 + TOO MANY COOKS + SURF 'N' TURF PACK
ONE STEP FROM EDEN
THE BEAST INSIDE
INDIVISIBLE
SHINING RESONANCE REFRAIN
ZWEI: THE ARGES ADVENTURE
ZWEI: THE ILVARD INSURRECTION
THE HAUNTED ISLAND, A FROG DETECTIVE GAME
FROG DETECTIVE 2: THE CASE OF THE INVISIBLE WIZARD
STILL THERE
STRUGGLING
PATH OF GIANTS
ANCESTORS LEGACY
PHANTOM DOCTRINE
DEAD IN VINLAND
HORIZON CHASE TURBO
DARK FUTURE: BLOOD RED STATES
X-MORPH: DEFENSE
DESERT CHILD
Boundless
VAMPYR
HELLO NEIGHBOR + HELLO NEIGHBOR HIDE AND SEEK COLLECTION
CALL OF CTHULHU
LITTLE BIG WORKSHOP
GENESIS ALPHA ONE DELUXE EDITION
AUTOMACHEF
AMERICAN FUGITIVE
WE WERE HERE TOGETHER
A CASE OF DISTRUST
HITMAN 2
THIS IS THE POLICE 2
OPUS MAGNUM
MOLEK-SYNTEZ
RAIDEN V: DIRECTOR'S CUT 雷電 V DIRECTOR'S CUT 雷電V:導演剪輯版
DRIFTLAND: THE MAGIC REVIVAL
TRUBERBROOK / TRÜBERBROOK
THE BARD'S TALE IV: DIRECTOR'S CUT
CAPITALISM 2
submitted by NIGHTxSHADOW to SteamGameSwap [link] [comments]
11-11 Memories Retold Steam Available
140 Steam Available
140 Steam Available
A Kiss For the Petals - Remembering How We Met Steam Available
Absolute Drift Steam Available
Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders Steam Available
Alpha Prime Steam Available
Always Sometimes Monsters Steam Available
Anomaly 2 Steam Available
Aragami Steam Available
Arma: Gold Edition Steam Available
Armoured Warfare E3 Pack Armoured Warfare Available
Asdivine Hearts Steam Available
Awesomenauts Steam Available
BADLAND: Game of the Year Humble Deluxe Edition Steam Available
BIT.TRIP RUNNER Steam Available
Ballpoint Universe - Infinite Steam Available
Battle Group 2 Steam Available
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack Battleborn Available
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Steam Available
Beholder Steam Available
Betrayer Steam Available
Bioshock Infinite Steam Available
Blade & Soul E3 Pack Blade + Soul Available
Boundless Steam Available
Bridge Constructor Medieval Steam Available
Bridge Constructor Steam Available
Broken Sword 2 Steam Available
Call of Duty®: WWII - Call of Duty Endowment Bravery Pack Steam Available
Call of Duty®: WWII - Call of Duty Endowment Fear Not Pack Steam Available
Chasm Steam Available
Choice Chamber Steam Available
Cinders Steam Available
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising Origin Key Origin Available
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising Steam Key Steam Available
Company of Heroes™ 2: Soviet Skin - Four Color Belorussian Steam Available
Contraption Maker Spotkin Available
Contraption Maker Steam Available
Costume Quest Steam Available
Crusader Kings II - African Unit Pack Steam Available
Crusader Kings II - Norse Unit Pack Steam Available
Crusader Kings II - Russian Unit Pack Steam Available
Crysis 2 Maximum Edition Origin Key Origin Available
Curse Premium 30-day subscription Curse Available
Dead Space Origin Key Origin Available
DeadCore Steam Available
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut Steam Available
Devilian Extra Life Humble Bundle Package Trion Available
Divekick Steam Available
Draw a Stickman: EPIC Steam Available
Duelyst - 20 Spirit Orbs Duelyst Available
Duelyst - Cosmetics Bundle Duelyst Available
EVE Online: Rifter Ship Skin E3 Digital Ticket Available
EVE Online: Trial Key E3 Digital Ticket Available
EVEOnline 30-day Trial Access Code EVE Online Available
EVEOnline 4 Ship Skins EVE Online Available
Eldritch Steam Available
Elegy for a Dead World Steam Available
Enemy Mind Steam Available
Ethan: Meteor Hunter Steam Available
Evergarden Steam Available
Expand - Soundtrack Edition Steam Available
Fieldrunners 2 Steam Available
Fieldrunners Steam Available
Finding Teddy Steam Available
Fish Fillets 2 Steam Available
Fist Puncher Steam Available
Fluffy Horde Steam Available
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Steam Available
Freedom Force Steam Available
Frozen Synapse Multiplayer Key Frozen Synapse Multiplayer Available
Frozen Synapse Steam Available
Full Bore Steam Available
GUNS UP! Starter Pack + TV Head GUNS UP! Available
Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition Steam Available
Galak-Z Steam Available
Galaxy on Fire 2™ Full HD Steam Available
Galcon Legends Steam Available
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault Online: Exclusive E3 Digital Ticket Bundle Steam Available
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Steam Available
Go! Go! Nippon! 2015 DX Edition (base + DLC) Steam Available
Go! Go! Nippon! 2016 (DLC) Steam Available
Gods Will Be Watching Steam Available
Grey Goo Definitive Edition Steam Available
Grim Fandango Remastered Steam Available
Gunpoint Steam Available
HOARD Steam Available
Half Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy Steam Available
Heroes & Generals (Early Access) — Weekend Warrior Pack Heroes & Generals Available
Hexcells Complete Pack Steam Available
Hitman: Absolution Steam Available
Home Steam Available
How to Survive: Third Person Standalone Steam Available
INK Steam Available
If My Heart Had Wings Steam Available
Imagine Me + Soundtrack Steam Available
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Steam Available
It Came from Space, and Ate Our Brains Steam Available
KAMI Steam Available
Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition Steam Available
Landmark 1-Week Closed Beta Key Landmark 1-Week Beta Available
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Steam Available
Lethal League Steam Available
Lexica Steam Available
LiEat Steam Available
LoveKami -Divinity Stage- Steam Available
LoveKami -Useless Goddess- Steam Available
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime Steam Available
MURI Steam Available
MX vs ATV Reflex Steam Available
Mars: War Logs Steam Available
Mechanic Escape Steam Available
Medal of Honor Origin Key Origin Available
Mirror's Edge Origin Key Origin Available
MirrorMoon EP Steam Available
Monster Hunter Generations Demo Nintendo 3DS Available
Mountain Steam Available
Neverwinter Adventurer's Helper Pack + Exclusive Lord of the Labyrinth Title Neverwinter Available
NiGHTS Into Dreams Steam Available
NiGHTS Into Dreams Steam Available
Nightsky Steam Key Steam Available
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee® Steam Available
Offspring Fling Steam Available
OlliOlli Steam Available
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood Steam Available
One Way Heroics Steam Available
Overlord II Steam Available
Overlord Steam Available
Papo & Yo Steam Available
Pathfinder Adventures - 40 Chests Pathfinder Available
PixelJunk Eden Steam Available
Platformines Steam Available
Please Don't Touch Anything Steam Available
Populous Origin Key Origin Available
Princess Evangile All Ages Version Steam Available
Prison Architect Steam Available
Psychonauts Steam Available
Punch Club Steam Available
Punch Club Steam Available
Q.U.B.E.: Director's Cut Steam Available
RONIN Steam Available
Railroad Tycoon 3 Steam Available
Ravensword: Shadowlands Steam Available
Regency Solitaire Steam Available
Regular Human Basketball Steam Available
Road to Ballhalla Steam Available
Runestone Keeper Steam Available
SMITE — Bellona and Furiona Bellona Exclusive Skin, Kukulkan and Typhoon Kukulkan skin SMITE Available
SPACECOM Steam Available
SUPERFIGHT - The Joiner Micro Deck Steam Available
SUPERFIGHT Closed Beta Access Steam Available
Savant - Ascent Steam Available
Secrets of Rætikon Steam Available
Shadow Warrior Classic Redux Steam Available
Shadow Warrior: Special Edition Steam Available
Shadowgate (2014) Steam Available
Shadowgate: MacVenture Series Steam Available
Shenmue I & II Steam Available
Shivah: Kosher Edition Steam Available
Sid Meier's Civilization V Steam Available
Sid Meier's Civilization® III: Complete Steam Available
Snakebird Steam Available
Soundodger+ and Soundtrack Steam Available
SpeedRunners Steam Available
Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon Steam Available
Stacking Steam Available
Star Ruler Steam Available
Startopia Steam Available
Strike Suit Zero Steam Available
Stronghold Crusader 2 Steam Available
Stronghold Kingdoms — Humble Kingmaker Bundle Stronghold Kingdoms Available
Sunless Sea Steam Available
Super Amazing Wagon Adventure Steam Available
Super Senso Beta Access + Starter Pack (w/ exclusive Glen the Gargoyle Senso) Super Senso Available
Super Splatters Steam Available
Super Time Force Ultra Steam Available
Supreme Commander 2 Steam Available
Sword Legacy Omen Steam Available
Syder Arcade Steam Available
Symphony Steam Available
Tainted Grail: Conquest Steam Available
Take On Helicopters Steam Available
Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack Steam Available
Tempest: Pirate Action RPG Steam Available
TerraTech Deluxe Edition (Steam) Steam Available
Terraria Steam Available
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure Steam Available
The Basement Collection Steam Available
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Steam Available
The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic Steam Available
The Lost Crown Steam Available
The Novelist Steam Available
Thief Steam Available
Tiny & Big in Grandpa's Leftovers Steam Available
Tiny Barbarian DX Steam Available
To the Moon Steam Available
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3 Gold (Raven Shield / Athena Sword) Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege - Multiplayer Beta Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Uplay Available
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory® Uplay Available
Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul (DLC) Steam Available
Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul (DLC) Steam Available
Total War: ROME II - Caesar in Gaul (DLC) Steam Available
Total War: Rome II - Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack Steam Available
Tower of Guns Steam Available
Train Valley 2 Steam Available
Two Brothers Steam Available
UFO: Afterlight Steam Available
UnEpic Steam Available
Unmechanical Steam Available
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard Steam Available
War Thunder M5 Stuart Tank + P36 Aircraft + Exclusive Twitch + Humble Bundle Decals War Thunder Available
Warframe PC Booster Pack Warframe Available
WildStar E3 Pack Wildstar Available
WildStar — Jumpstart Pack Wildstar Available
X-COM: Apocalypse Steam Available
X-COM: Enforcer Steam Available
X-COM: Interceptor Steam Available
X-COM: Terror from the Deep Steam Available
X-COM: UFO Defense Steam Available
XSplit Premium 3-Month License XSplit Available
Yesterday Steam Available
eden* Steam Available
GOLF WITH YOUR FRIENDS + CADDYPACK DLC + OST
GENERATION ZERO
FORAGER
VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE - COTERIES OF NEW YORK
FUN WITH RAGDOLLS: THE GAME
STRANGE BRIGADE
YOOKA-LAYLEE AND THE IMPOSSIBLE LAIR
CATHERINE CLASSIC
THE OCCUPATION
THE SHAPESHIFTING DETECTIVE
TROPICO 6 - EL PREZ EDITION
FAE TACTICS
IRON DANGER
AUTONAUTS
SHADOWS: AWAKENING
FANTASY BLACKSMITH
THE SUICIDE OF RACHEL FOSTER
GOAT OF DUTY
THE UNCERTAIN: LAST QUIET DAY
BASEMENT
LIGHTMATTER
DARKSIDERS III
IMPERATOR: ROME DELUXE EDITION
CRYING SUNS
DARKSBURG
LITTLE MISFORTUNE
SMILE FOR ME
DARKWOOD
TSIOQUE
ROVER MECHANIC SIMULATOR
YOUROPA
TOWNSMEN - A KINGDOM REBUILT
HI-FI RUSH
STEELRISING
LODDLENAUT
KING OF THE CASTLE
BRAVERY AND GREED
AMANDA THE ADVENTURER
MEDITERRANEA INFERNO
JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION + 1 DLC
XCOM® 2 + 2 DLC
RISE OF INDUSTRY
NICHE - A GENETICS SURVIVAL GAME
WARHAMMER 40,000: GLADIUS - RELICS OF WAR
HEAVE HO
NEOVERSE
CHESS ULTRA
HORACE
XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD
ELEX
KINGDOM TWO CROWNS
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
HOTSHOT RACING
PEAKY BLINDERS: MASTERMIND
CYBER HOOK
PESTERQUEST
BOREAL BLADE
PLANET COASTER + 1 DLC
F1 2019 ANNIVERSARY EDITION
FELL SEAL: ARBITER'S MARK
BATTLE CHASERS: NIGHTWAR
EXAPUNKS
TUROK
DEATH'S GAMBIT
NIFFELHEIM
AI WAR 2
ETHERBORN
SUPRALAND
GRID™ - ULTIMATE EDITION
HELLBLADE: SENUA'S SACRIFICE
FELIX THE REAPER
MEN OF WAR: ASSAULT SQUAD 2 - WARCHEST EDITION
STYGIAN: REIGN OF THE OLD ONES
REMNANTS OF NAEZITH
OVERLOAD
THE STILLNESS OF THE WIND
THE KING'S BIRD
AGE OF WONDERS: PLANETFALL - DELUXE EDITION
VOID BASTARDS
RAILWAY EMPIRE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DEADLOCK
YUPPIE PSYCHO
BEAT HAZARD 2
DON'T ESCAPE: 4 DAYS TO SURVIVE
VERLET SWING
BASINGSTOKE
EARTHLOCK
MARVEL'S MIDNIGHT SUNS DIGITAL+ EDITION
MIDNIGHT SUNS - DOCTOR STRANGE DEFENDERS SKIN
TWO POINT CAMPUS
OTXO
ROGUEBOOK
THE RED LANTERN
HELL PIE
TWIN MIRROR
ANCESTORS: THE HUMANKIND ODYSSEY
PATHOLOGIC 2
WARHAMMER: CHAOSBANE
TOTAL TANK SIMULATOR
SONG OF HORROR COMPLETE EDITION
MINORIA
DELEVELED
THE AMBASSADOR: FRACTURED TIMEL
MIDDLE-EARTH™: SHADOW OF WAR™
GRAVEYARD KEEPER
DIRT RALLY 2.0 + 3 DLCS
STREET FIGHTER V
BAD NORTH: JOTUNN EDITION
TRAILMAKERS
WHISPERS OF A MACHINE
GRIP + 1 DLC
SCORN
DESTROY ALL HUMANS 2! REPROBED
BEACON PINES
CHILDREN OF SILENTOWN
OAKEN
SNOWTOPIA: SKI RESORT BUILDER
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
ENDLESS SPACE® 2 - DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION
MOVING OUT
TRINE 4: THE NIGHTMARE PRINCE
THE WILD EIGHT
TRAIN STATION RENOVATION
IRIS AND THE GIANT
BOOMERANG FU
FROSTPUNK + 1 DLC
PATHFINDER: KINGMAKER - ENHANCED PLUS EDITION
CRYOFALL
ELIZA
SHENZHEN I/O
PROJECT WARLOCK
THE HEX
NIGHT CALL
EXPEDITIONS: ROME
MIDNIGHT FIGHT EXPRESS
ELEX II
THE PALE BEYOND
LAST CALL BBS
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE 1-MONTH FREE TRIAL
GET TWO MONTHS OF IGN PLUS
OVERCOOKED! 2 + TOO MANY COOKS + SURF 'N' TURF PACK
ONE STEP FROM EDEN
THE BEAST INSIDE
INDIVISIBLE
SHINING RESONANCE REFRAIN
ZWEI: THE ARGES ADVENTURE
ZWEI: THE ILVARD INSURRECTION
THE HAUNTED ISLAND, A FROG DETECTIVE GAME
FROG DETECTIVE 2: THE CASE OF THE INVISIBLE WIZARD
STILL THERE
STRUGGLING
PATH OF GIANTS
ANCESTORS LEGACY
PHANTOM DOCTRINE
DEAD IN VINLAND
HORIZON CHASE TURBO
DARK FUTURE: BLOOD RED STATES
X-MORPH: DEFENSE
DESERT CHILD
Boundless
VAMPYR
HELLO NEIGHBOR + HELLO NEIGHBOR HIDE AND SEEK COLLECTION
CALL OF CTHULHU
LITTLE BIG WORKSHOP
GENESIS ALPHA ONE DELUXE EDITION
AUTOMACHEF
AMERICAN FUGITIVE
WE WERE HERE TOGETHER
A CASE OF DISTRUST
HITMAN 2
THIS IS THE POLICE 2
OPUS MAGNUM
MOLEK-SYNTEZ
RAIDEN V: DIRECTOR'S CUT 雷電 V DIRECTOR'S CUT 雷電V:導演剪輯版
DRIFTLAND: THE MAGIC REVIVAL
TRUBERBROOK / TRÜBERBROOK
THE BARD'S TALE IV: DIRECTOR'S CUT
CAPITALISM 2
2024.06.08 18:41 Automatic_Ad_9586 Jung on Neurosis related to study & how I can learn from this to overcome challenges with my own studies
What I'm trying to understand is what Jung means when he says 'That was when I learned what a neurosis is', and how I can apply that to ending challenges with studying.
I did some research and to my current understanding, (please correct me if any parts are different) he seems to say that neurosis is about avoiding reality due to anxiety related to performing a certain task?Would Jung fainting be a symptom of the neurosis around studying here?
And it seems he's saying he was fainting on purpose, or perhaps 'allowing' the fainting because he didn't want to study? He finally overcame the fainting by having a change of mindset of wanting to avoid not being able to work in the future, and then proceeding to simply push through the fainting and study the Latin grammar. When he says that day he finally understood what a neurosis is, is he saying the anxiety around study was bringing about the physiological response of fainting, but such responses, if brought to the conscious, can be controlled (and controlled immediately in one sitting, albeit with a string drove to do so in his case)?
Also, why does Jung feel guilt and shame around the event, (intrinsically it seems, aside from others' opinions too) and seem to give the idea that he orchestrated the event, it seems he's referring to being the cause of even the part where he got pushed by the other boy? Is this more of a spiritual take where because he didn't want to study, his desire became reality (in a painful way) and therefore he felt guilty for wanting to find escapism from study? Or is it more literal?
Also is a point being made in the final paragraph that being in solitude for the purpose of exploring nature and spirituality, and using escapism, away from society, can lead to and exacerbate a neurosis?
So I ask all of this yes out of a growing interest in psychology especially Jungian, but very practically because I'm trying to understand how I can solve challenges regarding my own studies.
I'm currently studying maths at university, and have had challenges with studying since the time following Covid 19. These included moving school to one where I was one of very few new students, bullying, longing for the past (both previous school and how life was pre-covid), along with study becoming a lot more independent. As well as away from school: having challenges navigating my beliefs, home life as a 2nd gen (born in country of origin but moved as a baby) where cultural values between home and current country clashed, and just generally (especially following standstills due to lockdowns), realising both practically and in in my observations (which I would ruminate on regardless of if I could do anything to solve the challenges whether personal or in some news article), very suddenly and rapidly, that the world is a very harsh place, very different from how I once viewed it with rose-tinted glasses.
There's several factors to consider, that could be making studying effectively more challenging, of course even without what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Studying poses its own innate challenges as learning new content is challenging in itself. So now differentiating this from these challenges is yet anther challenge to overcome.
Nevertheless, alongside working on overcoming the 'side challenges' I'll call them, my main pursuit has consistently been to 'push through' as it seems Jung did to improve his studies. I would say I've done well overall, come a long way, and I am proud of my achievements, yet there have beent several occurences of not meeting goals, (causing an unplanned gap year), and also a failed exam despite consistent efforts. Yes, there's more I could have done to avoid that failure, and I know there are topics I didn't fully understand even by the time the exam came, and there are extended practice sheets (not complusory but helpful practice, and I did all the compulsory work and then my own extra study including asking questions on what I didn't yet understand) that were available that I'm doing now in preparation to re-sit the exam. All of this is to say, despite this, it feels too much like some sort of cycle of underperformance I need to break out of, yet pushing through seems to be becoming less effective. In slightly-post-covid-but-pre-university times, it was things like missing the top grade I needed by a few marks, but I have never failed an exam before this.
For more context, just a few months pre-Covid I was scoring not only best in year but in the whole school in mathematics, and yes I worked very hard, but it didn't feel like I was walking through fire to do so, and was excelling in almost all of my subjects, and also really enjoying the process of learning, with much better mood overall, and was even getting quite fit! Even if I was albeit on auto-plilot of having a streak of good previous results, and didn't even believe mental health 'existed' or could have a serious impact on how people function from what I'd heard, and they should just push through, which of course is what I'm actually now trying to figure out. In regards to getting my mental health sorted, I'm working on doing that as much as I know how to, and learning through knowledge on reddit and more, without being triggered to the point of having study affected, and have reached out for advice.
These days I'm fighting the self-doubt of repeated underperformance and anxiety about my current study methods and more fundamentally if I'm even targeting the right areas, not being completely sure of what went wrong in certain past exams since scripts aren't returned.
I've done so much research on studying smarter not harder, and fighting perfectionistic tendencies of reading the notes on the topic that precede the questions for so long that I've used all energy on that rather than active practice, (and then procrastinate or even fall asleep at my desk) especially for a subject like mathematics where practice is key.
If anyone of this subreddit could give any insight into this I'd truly appreciate it. If it helps, I'm INFJ-T the last 5 times I did the Myers-Briggs test. Thank you.
I've pasted an excerpt below on Carl Jung's book 'Memories, Dreams and Reflections' approx pages 44-49:
EXCERPT:
"Whenever it was a question of an equivalence, then it was said that a : a, b : b, and so on. This I could accept, whereas a : b seemed to me a downright lie or a fraud. I was equally outraged when the teacher stated in the teeth of his own definition of parallel lines that they met at infinity. This seemed to me no better than a stupid trick to catch peasants with, and I could not and would not have anything to do with it. My intellectual morality fought against these whimsical inconsistencies, which have forever debarred me from understanding mathematics. Right into old age I have had the incorrigible feeling that if, like my schoolmates, I could have accepted without a struggle the proposition that a : b, or that sun : moon, dog = cat, then mathematics might have fooled me endlessly--just how much I only began to realize at the age of eighty four. All my life it remained a puzzle to me why it was that I never managed to get my bearings in mathematics when there was no doubt whatever that I could calculate properly. Least of all did I understand my own moral doubts concerning mathematics. Equations I could comprehend only by inserting specific numerical values in place of the letters and verifying the meaning of the operation by actual calculation. As we went on in mathematics I was able to get along, more or less, by copying out algebraic formulas whose meaning I did not understand, and by memorizing where a particular combination of letters had stood on the blackboard. I could no longer make headway by substituting numbers, for from time to time the teacher would say, "Here we put the expression so and-so," and then he would scribble a few letters on the blackboard. I had no idea where he got them and why he did it--the only reason I could see was that it enabled him to bring the procedure to what he felt was a satisfactory conclusion. I was so intimidated by my incomprehension that I did not dare to ask any questions. Mathematics classes became sheer terror and torture to me. Other subjects I found easy; and as, thanks to my good visual memory, I contrived for a long while to swindle my way through mathematics, I usually had good marks. But my fear of failure and my sense of smallness in face of the vast world around me created in me not only a dislike but a kind of silent despair which completely ruined school for me. In addition, I was exempted from drawing classes on grounds of utter incapacity. This in a way was welcome to me, since it gave me more free time; but on the other hand it was a fresh defeat, since I had some facility in drawing, although I did not realize that it depended essentially on the way I was feeling. I could draw only what stirred my imagination. But I was forced to copy prints of Greek gods with sightless eyes, and when that wouldn't go properly the teacher obviously thought I needed something more naturalistic and set before me the picture of a goat's head. This assignment I failed completely, and that was the end of my drawing classes. To my defeats in mathematics and drawing there was now added a third: from the very first I hated gymnastics. I could not endure having others tell me how to move. I was going to school in order to learn something, not to practice useless and senseless acrobatics. Moreover, as a result of my earlier accidents, I had a certain physical timidity which I was not able to overcome until much later on. This timidity was in turn linked with a distrust of the world and its potentialities. To be sure, the world seemed to me beautiful and desirable, but it was also filled with vague and incomprehensible perils. Therefore I always wanted to know at the start to what and to whom I was entrusting myself. Was this perhaps connected with my mother, who had abandoned me for several months? When, as I shall describe later, my neurotic fainting spells began, the doctor forbade me to engage in gymnastics, much to my satisfaction. I was rid of that burden--and had swallowed another defeat. The time thus gained was not spent solely on play. It permitted me to indulge somewhat more freely the absolute craving I had developed to read every scrap of printed matter that fell into my hands. My twelfth year was indeed a fateful one for me. One day in the early summer of 1887 I was standing in the cathedral square, waiting for a classmate who went home by the same route as myself. It was twelve o'clock, and the morning classes were over. Suddenly another boy gave me a shove that knocked me off my feet. I fell, striking my head against the curbstone so hard that I almost lost consciousness. For about half an hour afterward I was a little dazed. At the moment I felt the blow the thought flashed through my mind: "Now you won't have to go to school any more." I was only half unconscious, but I remained lying there a few moments longer than was strictly necessary, chiefly in order to avenge myself on my assailant. Then people picked me up and took me to a house nearby, where two elderly spinster aunts lived. From then on I began to have fainting spells whenever I had to return to school, and whenever my parents set me to doing my homework. For more than six months I stayed away from school, and for me that was a picnic. I was free, could dream for hours, be anywhere I liked, in the woods or by the water, or draw. I resumed my battle pictures and furious scenes of war, of old castles that were being assaulted or burned, or drew page upon page of caricatures. Similar caricatures sometimes appear to me before falling asleep to this day, grinning masks that constantly move and change, among them familiar faces of people who soon afterward died. Above all, I was able to plunge into the world of the mysterious. To that realm belonged trees, a pool, the swamp, stones and animals, and my father's library. But I was growing more and more away from the world, and had all the while faint pangs of conscience. I frittered away my time with loafing, collecting, reading, and playing. But I did not feel any happier for it; I had the obscure feeling that I was fleeing from myself. I forgot completely how all this had come about, but I pitied my parents' worries. They consulted various doctors, who scratched their heads and packed me off to spend the holidays with relatives in Winterthur. This city had a railroad station that proved a source of endless delight to me. But when I returned home everything was as before. One doctor thought I had epilepsy. I knew what epileptic fits were like and I inwardly laughed at such nonsense. My parents became more worried than ever. Then one day a friend called on my father. They were sitting in the garden and I hid behind a shrub, for I was possessed of an insatiable curiosity. I heard the visitor saying to my father, "And how is your son?" "Ah, that's a sad business," my father replied. "The doctors no longer know what is wrong with him. They think it may be epilepsy. It would be dreadful if he were incurable. I have lost what little I had, and what will become of the boy if he cannot earn his own living?" I was thunderstruck. This was the collision with reality. "Why, then, I must get to work!" I thought suddenly. From that moment on I became a serious child. I crept away, went to my father's study, took out my Latin grammar, and began to cram with intense concentration. After ten minutes of this I had the finest of fainting fits. I almost fell off the chair, but after a few minutes I felt better and went on working. "Devil take it, I'm not going to faint," I told myself, and persisted in my purpose. This time it took about fifteen minutes before the second attack came. That, too, passed like the first. "And now you must really get to work!" I stuck it out, and after an hour came the third attack. Still I did not give up, and worked for another hour, until I had the feeling that I had overcome the attacks. Suddenly I felt better than I had in all the months before. And in fact the attacks did not recur. From that day on I worked over my grammar and other schoolbooks every day. A few weeks later I returned to school, and never suffered another attack, even there. The whole bag of tricks was over and done with! That was when I learned what a neurosis is. Gradually the recollection of how it had all come about returned to me, and I saw clearly that I myself had arranged this whole disgraceful situation. That was why I had never been seriously angry with the schoolmate who pushed me over. I knew that he had been put up to it, so to speak, and that the whole affair was a diabolical plot on my part. I knew, too, that this was never going to happen to me again. I had a feeling of rage against myself, and at the same time was ashamed of myself. For I knew that I had wronged myself and made a fool of myself in my own eyes. Nobody else was to blame; I was the cursed renegade! From then on I could no longer endure my parents' worrying about me or speaking of me in a pitying tone. The neurosis became another of my secrets, but it was a shameful secret, a defeat. Nevertheless it induced in me a studied punctiliousness and an unusual diligence. Those days saw the beginnings of my conscientiousness, practiced not for the sake of appearances, so that I would amount to something, but for my own sake. Regularly I would get up at five o'clock in order to study, and sometimes I worked from three in the morning till seven, before going to school. What had led me astray during the crisis, was my passion for being alone, my delight in solitude. Nature seemed to me full of wonders, and I wanted to steep myself in them. Every stone, every plant, every single thing seemed alive and indescribably marvelous. I immersed myself in nature, crawled, as it were, into the very essence of nature and away from the whole human world."
submitted by Automatic_Ad_9586 to Jung [link] [comments]
I did some research and to my current understanding, (please correct me if any parts are different) he seems to say that neurosis is about avoiding reality due to anxiety related to performing a certain task?Would Jung fainting be a symptom of the neurosis around studying here?
And it seems he's saying he was fainting on purpose, or perhaps 'allowing' the fainting because he didn't want to study? He finally overcame the fainting by having a change of mindset of wanting to avoid not being able to work in the future, and then proceeding to simply push through the fainting and study the Latin grammar. When he says that day he finally understood what a neurosis is, is he saying the anxiety around study was bringing about the physiological response of fainting, but such responses, if brought to the conscious, can be controlled (and controlled immediately in one sitting, albeit with a string drove to do so in his case)?
Also, why does Jung feel guilt and shame around the event, (intrinsically it seems, aside from others' opinions too) and seem to give the idea that he orchestrated the event, it seems he's referring to being the cause of even the part where he got pushed by the other boy? Is this more of a spiritual take where because he didn't want to study, his desire became reality (in a painful way) and therefore he felt guilty for wanting to find escapism from study? Or is it more literal?
Also is a point being made in the final paragraph that being in solitude for the purpose of exploring nature and spirituality, and using escapism, away from society, can lead to and exacerbate a neurosis?
So I ask all of this yes out of a growing interest in psychology especially Jungian, but very practically because I'm trying to understand how I can solve challenges regarding my own studies.
I'm currently studying maths at university, and have had challenges with studying since the time following Covid 19. These included moving school to one where I was one of very few new students, bullying, longing for the past (both previous school and how life was pre-covid), along with study becoming a lot more independent. As well as away from school: having challenges navigating my beliefs, home life as a 2nd gen (born in country of origin but moved as a baby) where cultural values between home and current country clashed, and just generally (especially following standstills due to lockdowns), realising both practically and in in my observations (which I would ruminate on regardless of if I could do anything to solve the challenges whether personal or in some news article), very suddenly and rapidly, that the world is a very harsh place, very different from how I once viewed it with rose-tinted glasses.
There's several factors to consider, that could be making studying effectively more challenging, of course even without what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Studying poses its own innate challenges as learning new content is challenging in itself. So now differentiating this from these challenges is yet anther challenge to overcome.
Nevertheless, alongside working on overcoming the 'side challenges' I'll call them, my main pursuit has consistently been to 'push through' as it seems Jung did to improve his studies. I would say I've done well overall, come a long way, and I am proud of my achievements, yet there have beent several occurences of not meeting goals, (causing an unplanned gap year), and also a failed exam despite consistent efforts. Yes, there's more I could have done to avoid that failure, and I know there are topics I didn't fully understand even by the time the exam came, and there are extended practice sheets (not complusory but helpful practice, and I did all the compulsory work and then my own extra study including asking questions on what I didn't yet understand) that were available that I'm doing now in preparation to re-sit the exam. All of this is to say, despite this, it feels too much like some sort of cycle of underperformance I need to break out of, yet pushing through seems to be becoming less effective. In slightly-post-covid-but-pre-university times, it was things like missing the top grade I needed by a few marks, but I have never failed an exam before this.
For more context, just a few months pre-Covid I was scoring not only best in year but in the whole school in mathematics, and yes I worked very hard, but it didn't feel like I was walking through fire to do so, and was excelling in almost all of my subjects, and also really enjoying the process of learning, with much better mood overall, and was even getting quite fit! Even if I was albeit on auto-plilot of having a streak of good previous results, and didn't even believe mental health 'existed' or could have a serious impact on how people function from what I'd heard, and they should just push through, which of course is what I'm actually now trying to figure out. In regards to getting my mental health sorted, I'm working on doing that as much as I know how to, and learning through knowledge on reddit and more, without being triggered to the point of having study affected, and have reached out for advice.
These days I'm fighting the self-doubt of repeated underperformance and anxiety about my current study methods and more fundamentally if I'm even targeting the right areas, not being completely sure of what went wrong in certain past exams since scripts aren't returned.
I've done so much research on studying smarter not harder, and fighting perfectionistic tendencies of reading the notes on the topic that precede the questions for so long that I've used all energy on that rather than active practice, (and then procrastinate or even fall asleep at my desk) especially for a subject like mathematics where practice is key.
If anyone of this subreddit could give any insight into this I'd truly appreciate it. If it helps, I'm INFJ-T the last 5 times I did the Myers-Briggs test. Thank you.
I've pasted an excerpt below on Carl Jung's book 'Memories, Dreams and Reflections' approx pages 44-49:
EXCERPT:
"Whenever it was a question of an equivalence, then it was said that a : a, b : b, and so on. This I could accept, whereas a : b seemed to me a downright lie or a fraud. I was equally outraged when the teacher stated in the teeth of his own definition of parallel lines that they met at infinity. This seemed to me no better than a stupid trick to catch peasants with, and I could not and would not have anything to do with it. My intellectual morality fought against these whimsical inconsistencies, which have forever debarred me from understanding mathematics. Right into old age I have had the incorrigible feeling that if, like my schoolmates, I could have accepted without a struggle the proposition that a : b, or that sun : moon, dog = cat, then mathematics might have fooled me endlessly--just how much I only began to realize at the age of eighty four. All my life it remained a puzzle to me why it was that I never managed to get my bearings in mathematics when there was no doubt whatever that I could calculate properly. Least of all did I understand my own moral doubts concerning mathematics. Equations I could comprehend only by inserting specific numerical values in place of the letters and verifying the meaning of the operation by actual calculation. As we went on in mathematics I was able to get along, more or less, by copying out algebraic formulas whose meaning I did not understand, and by memorizing where a particular combination of letters had stood on the blackboard. I could no longer make headway by substituting numbers, for from time to time the teacher would say, "Here we put the expression so and-so," and then he would scribble a few letters on the blackboard. I had no idea where he got them and why he did it--the only reason I could see was that it enabled him to bring the procedure to what he felt was a satisfactory conclusion. I was so intimidated by my incomprehension that I did not dare to ask any questions. Mathematics classes became sheer terror and torture to me. Other subjects I found easy; and as, thanks to my good visual memory, I contrived for a long while to swindle my way through mathematics, I usually had good marks. But my fear of failure and my sense of smallness in face of the vast world around me created in me not only a dislike but a kind of silent despair which completely ruined school for me. In addition, I was exempted from drawing classes on grounds of utter incapacity. This in a way was welcome to me, since it gave me more free time; but on the other hand it was a fresh defeat, since I had some facility in drawing, although I did not realize that it depended essentially on the way I was feeling. I could draw only what stirred my imagination. But I was forced to copy prints of Greek gods with sightless eyes, and when that wouldn't go properly the teacher obviously thought I needed something more naturalistic and set before me the picture of a goat's head. This assignment I failed completely, and that was the end of my drawing classes. To my defeats in mathematics and drawing there was now added a third: from the very first I hated gymnastics. I could not endure having others tell me how to move. I was going to school in order to learn something, not to practice useless and senseless acrobatics. Moreover, as a result of my earlier accidents, I had a certain physical timidity which I was not able to overcome until much later on. This timidity was in turn linked with a distrust of the world and its potentialities. To be sure, the world seemed to me beautiful and desirable, but it was also filled with vague and incomprehensible perils. Therefore I always wanted to know at the start to what and to whom I was entrusting myself. Was this perhaps connected with my mother, who had abandoned me for several months? When, as I shall describe later, my neurotic fainting spells began, the doctor forbade me to engage in gymnastics, much to my satisfaction. I was rid of that burden--and had swallowed another defeat. The time thus gained was not spent solely on play. It permitted me to indulge somewhat more freely the absolute craving I had developed to read every scrap of printed matter that fell into my hands. My twelfth year was indeed a fateful one for me. One day in the early summer of 1887 I was standing in the cathedral square, waiting for a classmate who went home by the same route as myself. It was twelve o'clock, and the morning classes were over. Suddenly another boy gave me a shove that knocked me off my feet. I fell, striking my head against the curbstone so hard that I almost lost consciousness. For about half an hour afterward I was a little dazed. At the moment I felt the blow the thought flashed through my mind: "Now you won't have to go to school any more." I was only half unconscious, but I remained lying there a few moments longer than was strictly necessary, chiefly in order to avenge myself on my assailant. Then people picked me up and took me to a house nearby, where two elderly spinster aunts lived. From then on I began to have fainting spells whenever I had to return to school, and whenever my parents set me to doing my homework. For more than six months I stayed away from school, and for me that was a picnic. I was free, could dream for hours, be anywhere I liked, in the woods or by the water, or draw. I resumed my battle pictures and furious scenes of war, of old castles that were being assaulted or burned, or drew page upon page of caricatures. Similar caricatures sometimes appear to me before falling asleep to this day, grinning masks that constantly move and change, among them familiar faces of people who soon afterward died. Above all, I was able to plunge into the world of the mysterious. To that realm belonged trees, a pool, the swamp, stones and animals, and my father's library. But I was growing more and more away from the world, and had all the while faint pangs of conscience. I frittered away my time with loafing, collecting, reading, and playing. But I did not feel any happier for it; I had the obscure feeling that I was fleeing from myself. I forgot completely how all this had come about, but I pitied my parents' worries. They consulted various doctors, who scratched their heads and packed me off to spend the holidays with relatives in Winterthur. This city had a railroad station that proved a source of endless delight to me. But when I returned home everything was as before. One doctor thought I had epilepsy. I knew what epileptic fits were like and I inwardly laughed at such nonsense. My parents became more worried than ever. Then one day a friend called on my father. They were sitting in the garden and I hid behind a shrub, for I was possessed of an insatiable curiosity. I heard the visitor saying to my father, "And how is your son?" "Ah, that's a sad business," my father replied. "The doctors no longer know what is wrong with him. They think it may be epilepsy. It would be dreadful if he were incurable. I have lost what little I had, and what will become of the boy if he cannot earn his own living?" I was thunderstruck. This was the collision with reality. "Why, then, I must get to work!" I thought suddenly. From that moment on I became a serious child. I crept away, went to my father's study, took out my Latin grammar, and began to cram with intense concentration. After ten minutes of this I had the finest of fainting fits. I almost fell off the chair, but after a few minutes I felt better and went on working. "Devil take it, I'm not going to faint," I told myself, and persisted in my purpose. This time it took about fifteen minutes before the second attack came. That, too, passed like the first. "And now you must really get to work!" I stuck it out, and after an hour came the third attack. Still I did not give up, and worked for another hour, until I had the feeling that I had overcome the attacks. Suddenly I felt better than I had in all the months before. And in fact the attacks did not recur. From that day on I worked over my grammar and other schoolbooks every day. A few weeks later I returned to school, and never suffered another attack, even there. The whole bag of tricks was over and done with! That was when I learned what a neurosis is. Gradually the recollection of how it had all come about returned to me, and I saw clearly that I myself had arranged this whole disgraceful situation. That was why I had never been seriously angry with the schoolmate who pushed me over. I knew that he had been put up to it, so to speak, and that the whole affair was a diabolical plot on my part. I knew, too, that this was never going to happen to me again. I had a feeling of rage against myself, and at the same time was ashamed of myself. For I knew that I had wronged myself and made a fool of myself in my own eyes. Nobody else was to blame; I was the cursed renegade! From then on I could no longer endure my parents' worrying about me or speaking of me in a pitying tone. The neurosis became another of my secrets, but it was a shameful secret, a defeat. Nevertheless it induced in me a studied punctiliousness and an unusual diligence. Those days saw the beginnings of my conscientiousness, practiced not for the sake of appearances, so that I would amount to something, but for my own sake. Regularly I would get up at five o'clock in order to study, and sometimes I worked from three in the morning till seven, before going to school. What had led me astray during the crisis, was my passion for being alone, my delight in solitude. Nature seemed to me full of wonders, and I wanted to steep myself in them. Every stone, every plant, every single thing seemed alive and indescribably marvelous. I immersed myself in nature, crawled, as it were, into the very essence of nature and away from the whole human world."
2024.06.08 18:19 Immediate-Diamond-7 Jung on Neurosis related to study & how I can learn from this to overcome challenges with my own studies
What I'm trying to understand is what Jung means when he says 'That was when I learned what a neurosis is', and how I can apply that to ending challenges with studying.
I did some research and to my current understanding, (please correct me if any parts are different) he seems to say that neurosis is about avoiding reality due to anxiety related to performing a certain task?Would Jung fainting be a symptom of the neurosis around studying here?
And it seems he's saying he was fainting on purpose, or perhaps 'allowing' the fainting because he didn't want to study? He finally overcame the fainting by having a change of mindset of wanting to avoid not being able to work in the future, and then proceeding to simply push through the fainting and study the Latin grammar. When he says that day he finally understood what a neurosis is, is he saying the anxiety around study was bringing about the physiological response of fainting, but such responses, if brought to the conscious, can be controlled (and controlled immediately in one sitting, albeit with a string drove to do so in his case)?
Also, why does Jung feel guilt and shame around the event, (intrinsically it seems, aside from others' opinions too) and seem to give the idea that he orchestrated the event, it seems he's referring to being the cause of even the part where he got pushed by the other boy? Is this more of a spiritual take where because he didn't want to study, his desire became reality (in a painful way) and therefore he felt guilty for wanting to find escapism from study? Or is it more literal?
Also is a point being made in the final paragraph that being in solitude for the purpose of exploring nature and spirituality, and using escapism, away from society, can lead to and exacerbate a neurosis?
So I ask all of this yes out of a growing interest in psychology especially Jungian, but very practically because I'm trying to understand how I can solve challenges regarding my own studies.
I'm currently studying maths at university, and have had challenges with studying since the time following Covid 19. These included moving school to one where I was one of very few new students, bullying, longing for the past (both previous school and how life was pre-covid), along with study becoming a lot more independent. As well as away from school: having challenges navigating my beliefs, home life as a 2nd gen (born in country of origin but moved as a baby) where cultural values between home and current country clashed, and just generally (especially following standstills due to lockdowns), realising both practically and in in my observations (which I would ruminate on regardless of if I could do anything to solve the challenges whether personal or in some news article), very suddenly and rapidly, that the world is a very harsh place, very different from how I once viewed it with rose-tinted glasses.
There's several factors to consider, that could be making studying effectively more challenging, of course even without what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Studying poses its own innate challenges as learning new content is challenging in itself. So now differentiating this from these challenges is yet anther challenge to overcome.
Nevertheless, alongside working on overcoming the 'side challenges' I'll call them, my main pursuit has consistently been to 'push through' as it seems Jung did to improve his studies. I would say I've done well overall, come a long way, and I am proud of my achievements, yet there have beent several occurences of not meeting goals, (causing an unplanned gap year), and also a failed exam despite consistent efforts. Yes, there's more I could have done to avoid that failure, and I know there are topics I didn't fully understand even by the time the exam came, and there are extended practice sheets (not complusory but helpful practice, and I did all the compulsory work and then my own extra study including asking questions on what I didn't yet understand) that were available that I'm doing now in preparation to re-sit the exam. All of this is to say, despite this, it feels too much like some sort of cycle of underperformance I need to break out of, yet pushing through seems to be becoming less effective. In slightly-post-covid-but-pre-university times, it was things like missing the top grade I needed by a few marks, but I have never failed an exam before this.
For more context, just a few months pre-Covid I was scoring not only best in year but in the whole school in mathematics, and yes I worked very hard, but it didn't feel like I was walking through fire to do so, and was excelling in almost all of my subjects, and also really enjoying the process of learning, with much better mood overall, and was even getting quite fit! Even if I was albeit on auto-plilot of having a streak of good previous results, and didn't even believe mental health 'existed' or could have a serious impact on how people function from what I'd heard, and they should just push through, which of course is what I'm actually now trying to figure out. In regards to getting my mental health sorted, I'm working on doing that as much as I know how to, and learning through knowledge on reddit and more, without being triggered to the point of having study affected, and have reached out for advice.
These days I'm fighting the self-doubt of repeated underperformance and anxiety about my current study methods and more fundamentally if I'm even targeting the right areas, not being completely sure of what went wrong in certain past exams since scripts aren't returned.
I've done so much research on studying smarter not harder, and fighting perfectionistic tendencies of reading the notes on the topic that precede the questions for so long that I've used all energy on that rather than active practice, (and then procrastinate or even fall asleep at my desk) especially for a subject like mathematics where practice is key.
If anyone of this subreddit could give any insight into this I'd truly appreciate it. If it helps, I'm INFJ-T the last 5 times I did the Myers-Briggs test. Thank you.
I've pasted an excerpt below on Carl Jung's book 'Memories, Dreams and Reflections' approx pages 44-49:
EXCERPT:
"Whenever it was a question of an equivalence, then it was said that a : a, b : b, and so on. This I could accept, whereas a : b seemed to me a downright lie or a fraud. I was equally outraged when the teacher stated in the teeth of his own definition of parallel lines that they met at infinity. This seemed to me no better than a stupid trick to catch peasants with, and I could not and would not have anything to do with it. My intellectual morality fought against these whimsical inconsistencies, which have forever debarred me from understanding mathematics. Right into old age I have had the incorrigible feeling that if, like my schoolmates, I could have accepted without a struggle the proposition that a : b, or that sun : moon, dog = cat, then mathematics might have fooled me endlessly--just how much I only began to realize at the age of eighty four. All my life it remained a puzzle to me why it was that I never managed to get my bearings in mathematics when there was no doubt whatever that I could calculate properly. Least of all did I understand my own moral doubts concerning mathematics. Equations I could comprehend only by inserting specific numerical values in place of the letters and verifying the meaning of the operation by actual calculation. As we went on in mathematics I was able to get along, more or less, by copying out algebraic formulas whose meaning I did not understand, and by memorizing where a particular combination of letters had stood on the blackboard. I could no longer make headway by substituting numbers, for from time to time the teacher would say, "Here we put the expression so and-so," and then he would scribble a few letters on the blackboard. I had no idea where he got them and why he did it--the only reason I could see was that it enabled him to bring the procedure to what he felt was a satisfactory conclusion. I was so intimidated by my incomprehension that I did not dare to ask any questions. Mathematics classes became sheer terror and torture to me. Other subjects I found easy; and as, thanks to my good visual memory, I contrived for a long while to swindle my way through mathematics, I usually had good marks. But my fear of failure and my sense of smallness in face of the vast world around me created in me not only a dislike but a kind of silent despair which completely ruined school for me. In addition, I was exempted from drawing classes on grounds of utter incapacity. This in a way was welcome to me, since it gave me more free time; but on the other hand it was a fresh defeat, since I had some facility in drawing, although I did not realize that it depended essentially on the way I was feeling. I could draw only what stirred my imagination. But I was forced to copy prints of Greek gods with sightless eyes, and when that wouldn't go properly the teacher obviously thought I needed something more naturalistic and set before me the picture of a goat's head. This assignment I failed completely, and that was the end of my drawing classes. To my defeats in mathematics and drawing there was now added a third: from the very first I hated gymnastics. I could not endure having others tell me how to move. I was going to school in order to learn something, not to practice useless and senseless acrobatics. Moreover, as a result of my earlier accidents, I had a certain physical timidity which I was not able to overcome until much later on. This timidity was in turn linked with a distrust of the world and its potentialities. To be sure, the world seemed to me beautiful and desirable, but it was also filled with vague and incomprehensible perils. Therefore I always wanted to know at the start to what and to whom I was entrusting myself. Was this perhaps connected with my mother, who had abandoned me for several months? When, as I shall describe later, my neurotic fainting spells began, the doctor forbade me to engage in gymnastics, much to my satisfaction. I was rid of that burden--and had swallowed another defeat. The time thus gained was not spent solely on play. It permitted me to indulge somewhat more freely the absolute craving I had developed to read every scrap of printed matter that fell into my hands. My twelfth year was indeed a fateful one for me. One day in the early summer of 1887 I was standing in the cathedral square, waiting for a classmate who went home by the same route as myself. It was twelve o'clock, and the morning classes were over. Suddenly another boy gave me a shove that knocked me off my feet. I fell, striking my head against the curbstone so hard that I almost lost consciousness. For about half an hour afterward I was a little dazed. At the moment I felt the blow the thought flashed through my mind: "Now you won't have to go to school any more." I was only half unconscious, but I remained lying there a few moments longer than was strictly necessary, chiefly in order to avenge myself on my assailant. Then people picked me up and took me to a house nearby, where two elderly spinster aunts lived. From then on I began to have fainting spells whenever I had to return to school, and whenever my parents set me to doing my homework. For more than six months I stayed away from school, and for me that was a picnic. I was free, could dream for hours, be anywhere I liked, in the woods or by the water, or draw. I resumed my battle pictures and furious scenes of war, of old castles that were being assaulted or burned, or drew page upon page of caricatures. Similar caricatures sometimes appear to me before falling asleep to this day, grinning masks that constantly move and change, among them familiar faces of people who soon afterward died. Above all, I was able to plunge into the world of the mysterious. To that realm belonged trees, a pool, the swamp, stones and animals, and my father's library. But I was growing more and more away from the world, and had all the while faint pangs of conscience. I frittered away my time with loafing, collecting, reading, and playing. But I did not feel any happier for it; I had the obscure feeling that I was fleeing from myself. I forgot completely how all this had come about, but I pitied my parents' worries. They consulted various doctors, who scratched their heads and packed me off to spend the holidays with relatives in Winterthur. This city had a railroad station that proved a source of endless delight to me. But when I returned home everything was as before. One doctor thought I had epilepsy. I knew what epileptic fits were like and I inwardly laughed at such nonsense. My parents became more worried than ever. Then one day a friend called on my father. They were sitting in the garden and I hid behind a shrub, for I was possessed of an insatiable curiosity. I heard the visitor saying to my father, "And how is your son?" "Ah, that's a sad business," my father replied. "The doctors no longer know what is wrong with him. They think it may be epilepsy. It would be dreadful if he were incurable. I have lost what little I had, and what will become of the boy if he cannot earn his own living?" I was thunderstruck. This was the collision with reality. "Why, then, I must get to work!" I thought suddenly. From that moment on I became a serious child. I crept away, went to my father's study, took out my Latin grammar, and began to cram with intense concentration. After ten minutes of this I had the finest of fainting fits. I almost fell off the chair, but after a few minutes I felt better and went on working. "Devil take it, I'm not going to faint," I told myself, and persisted in my purpose. This time it took about fifteen minutes before the second attack came. That, too, passed like the first. "And now you must really get to work!" I stuck it out, and after an hour came the third attack. Still I did not give up, and worked for another hour, until I had the feeling that I had overcome the attacks. Suddenly I felt better than I had in all the months before. And in fact the attacks did not recur. From that day on I worked over my grammar and other schoolbooks every day. A few weeks later I returned to school, and never suffered another attack, even there. The whole bag of tricks was over and done with! That was when I learned what a neurosis is. Gradually the recollection of how it had all come about returned to me, and I saw clearly that I myself had arranged this whole disgraceful situation. That was why I had never been seriously angry with the schoolmate who pushed me over. I knew that he had been put up to it, so to speak, and that the whole affair was a diabolical plot on my part. I knew, too, that this was never going to happen to me again. I had a feeling of rage against myself, and at the same time was ashamed of myself. For I knew that I had wronged myself and made a fool of myself in my own eyes. Nobody else was to blame; I was the cursed renegade! From then on I could no longer endure my parents' worrying about me or speaking of me in a pitying tone. The neurosis became another of my secrets, but it was a shameful secret, a defeat. Nevertheless it induced in me a studied punctiliousness and an unusual diligence. Those days saw the beginnings of my conscientiousness, practiced not for the sake of appearances, so that I would amount to something, but for my own sake. Regularly I would get up at five o'clock in order to study, and sometimes I worked from three in the morning till seven, before going to school. What had led me astray during the crisis, was my passion for being alone, my delight in solitude. Nature seemed to me full of wonders, and I wanted to steep myself in them. Every stone, every plant, every single thing seemed alive and indescribably marvelous. I immersed myself in nature, crawled, as it were, into the very essence of nature and away from the whole human world."
submitted by Immediate-Diamond-7 to Jung [link] [comments]
I did some research and to my current understanding, (please correct me if any parts are different) he seems to say that neurosis is about avoiding reality due to anxiety related to performing a certain task?Would Jung fainting be a symptom of the neurosis around studying here?
And it seems he's saying he was fainting on purpose, or perhaps 'allowing' the fainting because he didn't want to study? He finally overcame the fainting by having a change of mindset of wanting to avoid not being able to work in the future, and then proceeding to simply push through the fainting and study the Latin grammar. When he says that day he finally understood what a neurosis is, is he saying the anxiety around study was bringing about the physiological response of fainting, but such responses, if brought to the conscious, can be controlled (and controlled immediately in one sitting, albeit with a string drove to do so in his case)?
Also, why does Jung feel guilt and shame around the event, (intrinsically it seems, aside from others' opinions too) and seem to give the idea that he orchestrated the event, it seems he's referring to being the cause of even the part where he got pushed by the other boy? Is this more of a spiritual take where because he didn't want to study, his desire became reality (in a painful way) and therefore he felt guilty for wanting to find escapism from study? Or is it more literal?
Also is a point being made in the final paragraph that being in solitude for the purpose of exploring nature and spirituality, and using escapism, away from society, can lead to and exacerbate a neurosis?
So I ask all of this yes out of a growing interest in psychology especially Jungian, but very practically because I'm trying to understand how I can solve challenges regarding my own studies.
I'm currently studying maths at university, and have had challenges with studying since the time following Covid 19. These included moving school to one where I was one of very few new students, bullying, longing for the past (both previous school and how life was pre-covid), along with study becoming a lot more independent. As well as away from school: having challenges navigating my beliefs, home life as a 2nd gen (born in country of origin but moved as a baby) where cultural values between home and current country clashed, and just generally (especially following standstills due to lockdowns), realising both practically and in in my observations (which I would ruminate on regardless of if I could do anything to solve the challenges whether personal or in some news article), very suddenly and rapidly, that the world is a very harsh place, very different from how I once viewed it with rose-tinted glasses.
There's several factors to consider, that could be making studying effectively more challenging, of course even without what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Studying poses its own innate challenges as learning new content is challenging in itself. So now differentiating this from these challenges is yet anther challenge to overcome.
Nevertheless, alongside working on overcoming the 'side challenges' I'll call them, my main pursuit has consistently been to 'push through' as it seems Jung did to improve his studies. I would say I've done well overall, come a long way, and I am proud of my achievements, yet there have beent several occurences of not meeting goals, (causing an unplanned gap year), and also a failed exam despite consistent efforts. Yes, there's more I could have done to avoid that failure, and I know there are topics I didn't fully understand even by the time the exam came, and there are extended practice sheets (not complusory but helpful practice, and I did all the compulsory work and then my own extra study including asking questions on what I didn't yet understand) that were available that I'm doing now in preparation to re-sit the exam. All of this is to say, despite this, it feels too much like some sort of cycle of underperformance I need to break out of, yet pushing through seems to be becoming less effective. In slightly-post-covid-but-pre-university times, it was things like missing the top grade I needed by a few marks, but I have never failed an exam before this.
For more context, just a few months pre-Covid I was scoring not only best in year but in the whole school in mathematics, and yes I worked very hard, but it didn't feel like I was walking through fire to do so, and was excelling in almost all of my subjects, and also really enjoying the process of learning, with much better mood overall, and was even getting quite fit! Even if I was albeit on auto-plilot of having a streak of good previous results, and didn't even believe mental health 'existed' or could have a serious impact on how people function from what I'd heard, and they should just push through, which of course is what I'm actually now trying to figure out. In regards to getting my mental health sorted, I'm working on doing that as much as I know how to, and learning through knowledge on reddit and more, without being triggered to the point of having study affected, and have reached out for advice.
These days I'm fighting the self-doubt of repeated underperformance and anxiety about my current study methods and more fundamentally if I'm even targeting the right areas, not being completely sure of what went wrong in certain past exams since scripts aren't returned.
I've done so much research on studying smarter not harder, and fighting perfectionistic tendencies of reading the notes on the topic that precede the questions for so long that I've used all energy on that rather than active practice, (and then procrastinate or even fall asleep at my desk) especially for a subject like mathematics where practice is key.
If anyone of this subreddit could give any insight into this I'd truly appreciate it. If it helps, I'm INFJ-T the last 5 times I did the Myers-Briggs test. Thank you.
I've pasted an excerpt below on Carl Jung's book 'Memories, Dreams and Reflections' approx pages 44-49:
EXCERPT:
"Whenever it was a question of an equivalence, then it was said that a : a, b : b, and so on. This I could accept, whereas a : b seemed to me a downright lie or a fraud. I was equally outraged when the teacher stated in the teeth of his own definition of parallel lines that they met at infinity. This seemed to me no better than a stupid trick to catch peasants with, and I could not and would not have anything to do with it. My intellectual morality fought against these whimsical inconsistencies, which have forever debarred me from understanding mathematics. Right into old age I have had the incorrigible feeling that if, like my schoolmates, I could have accepted without a struggle the proposition that a : b, or that sun : moon, dog = cat, then mathematics might have fooled me endlessly--just how much I only began to realize at the age of eighty four. All my life it remained a puzzle to me why it was that I never managed to get my bearings in mathematics when there was no doubt whatever that I could calculate properly. Least of all did I understand my own moral doubts concerning mathematics. Equations I could comprehend only by inserting specific numerical values in place of the letters and verifying the meaning of the operation by actual calculation. As we went on in mathematics I was able to get along, more or less, by copying out algebraic formulas whose meaning I did not understand, and by memorizing where a particular combination of letters had stood on the blackboard. I could no longer make headway by substituting numbers, for from time to time the teacher would say, "Here we put the expression so and-so," and then he would scribble a few letters on the blackboard. I had no idea where he got them and why he did it--the only reason I could see was that it enabled him to bring the procedure to what he felt was a satisfactory conclusion. I was so intimidated by my incomprehension that I did not dare to ask any questions. Mathematics classes became sheer terror and torture to me. Other subjects I found easy; and as, thanks to my good visual memory, I contrived for a long while to swindle my way through mathematics, I usually had good marks. But my fear of failure and my sense of smallness in face of the vast world around me created in me not only a dislike but a kind of silent despair which completely ruined school for me. In addition, I was exempted from drawing classes on grounds of utter incapacity. This in a way was welcome to me, since it gave me more free time; but on the other hand it was a fresh defeat, since I had some facility in drawing, although I did not realize that it depended essentially on the way I was feeling. I could draw only what stirred my imagination. But I was forced to copy prints of Greek gods with sightless eyes, and when that wouldn't go properly the teacher obviously thought I needed something more naturalistic and set before me the picture of a goat's head. This assignment I failed completely, and that was the end of my drawing classes. To my defeats in mathematics and drawing there was now added a third: from the very first I hated gymnastics. I could not endure having others tell me how to move. I was going to school in order to learn something, not to practice useless and senseless acrobatics. Moreover, as a result of my earlier accidents, I had a certain physical timidity which I was not able to overcome until much later on. This timidity was in turn linked with a distrust of the world and its potentialities. To be sure, the world seemed to me beautiful and desirable, but it was also filled with vague and incomprehensible perils. Therefore I always wanted to know at the start to what and to whom I was entrusting myself. Was this perhaps connected with my mother, who had abandoned me for several months? When, as I shall describe later, my neurotic fainting spells began, the doctor forbade me to engage in gymnastics, much to my satisfaction. I was rid of that burden--and had swallowed another defeat. The time thus gained was not spent solely on play. It permitted me to indulge somewhat more freely the absolute craving I had developed to read every scrap of printed matter that fell into my hands. My twelfth year was indeed a fateful one for me. One day in the early summer of 1887 I was standing in the cathedral square, waiting for a classmate who went home by the same route as myself. It was twelve o'clock, and the morning classes were over. Suddenly another boy gave me a shove that knocked me off my feet. I fell, striking my head against the curbstone so hard that I almost lost consciousness. For about half an hour afterward I was a little dazed. At the moment I felt the blow the thought flashed through my mind: "Now you won't have to go to school any more." I was only half unconscious, but I remained lying there a few moments longer than was strictly necessary, chiefly in order to avenge myself on my assailant. Then people picked me up and took me to a house nearby, where two elderly spinster aunts lived. From then on I began to have fainting spells whenever I had to return to school, and whenever my parents set me to doing my homework. For more than six months I stayed away from school, and for me that was a picnic. I was free, could dream for hours, be anywhere I liked, in the woods or by the water, or draw. I resumed my battle pictures and furious scenes of war, of old castles that were being assaulted or burned, or drew page upon page of caricatures. Similar caricatures sometimes appear to me before falling asleep to this day, grinning masks that constantly move and change, among them familiar faces of people who soon afterward died. Above all, I was able to plunge into the world of the mysterious. To that realm belonged trees, a pool, the swamp, stones and animals, and my father's library. But I was growing more and more away from the world, and had all the while faint pangs of conscience. I frittered away my time with loafing, collecting, reading, and playing. But I did not feel any happier for it; I had the obscure feeling that I was fleeing from myself. I forgot completely how all this had come about, but I pitied my parents' worries. They consulted various doctors, who scratched their heads and packed me off to spend the holidays with relatives in Winterthur. This city had a railroad station that proved a source of endless delight to me. But when I returned home everything was as before. One doctor thought I had epilepsy. I knew what epileptic fits were like and I inwardly laughed at such nonsense. My parents became more worried than ever. Then one day a friend called on my father. They were sitting in the garden and I hid behind a shrub, for I was possessed of an insatiable curiosity. I heard the visitor saying to my father, "And how is your son?" "Ah, that's a sad business," my father replied. "The doctors no longer know what is wrong with him. They think it may be epilepsy. It would be dreadful if he were incurable. I have lost what little I had, and what will become of the boy if he cannot earn his own living?" I was thunderstruck. This was the collision with reality. "Why, then, I must get to work!" I thought suddenly. From that moment on I became a serious child. I crept away, went to my father's study, took out my Latin grammar, and began to cram with intense concentration. After ten minutes of this I had the finest of fainting fits. I almost fell off the chair, but after a few minutes I felt better and went on working. "Devil take it, I'm not going to faint," I told myself, and persisted in my purpose. This time it took about fifteen minutes before the second attack came. That, too, passed like the first. "And now you must really get to work!" I stuck it out, and after an hour came the third attack. Still I did not give up, and worked for another hour, until I had the feeling that I had overcome the attacks. Suddenly I felt better than I had in all the months before. And in fact the attacks did not recur. From that day on I worked over my grammar and other schoolbooks every day. A few weeks later I returned to school, and never suffered another attack, even there. The whole bag of tricks was over and done with! That was when I learned what a neurosis is. Gradually the recollection of how it had all come about returned to me, and I saw clearly that I myself had arranged this whole disgraceful situation. That was why I had never been seriously angry with the schoolmate who pushed me over. I knew that he had been put up to it, so to speak, and that the whole affair was a diabolical plot on my part. I knew, too, that this was never going to happen to me again. I had a feeling of rage against myself, and at the same time was ashamed of myself. For I knew that I had wronged myself and made a fool of myself in my own eyes. Nobody else was to blame; I was the cursed renegade! From then on I could no longer endure my parents' worrying about me or speaking of me in a pitying tone. The neurosis became another of my secrets, but it was a shameful secret, a defeat. Nevertheless it induced in me a studied punctiliousness and an unusual diligence. Those days saw the beginnings of my conscientiousness, practiced not for the sake of appearances, so that I would amount to something, but for my own sake. Regularly I would get up at five o'clock in order to study, and sometimes I worked from three in the morning till seven, before going to school. What had led me astray during the crisis, was my passion for being alone, my delight in solitude. Nature seemed to me full of wonders, and I wanted to steep myself in them. Every stone, every plant, every single thing seemed alive and indescribably marvelous. I immersed myself in nature, crawled, as it were, into the very essence of nature and away from the whole human world."
2024.06.07 18:14 offsugar Mamoru Oshii's review of 'Spirited Away'
The Tale of Chihiro and No-Face
"Spirited Away" rewrote Japanese cinematic history, earning a staggering 30.8 billion yen at the box office. Needless to say, this record remains unbroken to this day. (Note: "Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train", released in 2020, surpassed "Spirited Away" to become the highest-grossing film in Japanese box office history).Mamoru Oshii: What struck me the most while watching the movie was the opening scene. It starts with a reluctant Chihiro in the backseat of a moving car, right? This is almost identical to the opening scene Miyazaki envisioned for "The Story of Yanagawa's Canals." If I remember correctly, it was a boy in that story, but otherwise, almost the same. Miyazaki initially intended to make "The Story of Yanagawa's Canals" into a live-action film. The opening he described during a planning meeting ended up becoming the beginning of "Spirited Away". What I mean to say is that while I might be a man of fixations, Miyazaki is even more so. Coming back to "Spirited Away," it's, as always, a film where scenes he wanted to create are strung together.
I rewatched it, and the story does feel somewhat disjointed. Why was it necessary to turn Chihiro's parents into pigs in the first place? And the way those pigs gorged themselves was so realistically depicted, it was like a horror movie.
Mamoru Oshii: That scene baffled me too. I thought, "Miyazaki loves pigs so much, why aren't the pigs here cute at all?" They were portrayed only in a negative light, a stark contrast from the adorable pigs in his previous works. Even the food in that scene didn't look appetizing.
The specific reason isn't clear, but turning the parents into pigs probably served as a convenient plot device to send Chihiro to work at the bathhouse. The parents barely appear in the middle of the story, right?
There's a part where Chihiro tries to find her pig-ified parents, but at least in the latter half, restoring them to their original forms doesn't seem like her primary goal anymore.
Mamoru Oshii: Miyazaki's primary concern was how to make the city-bred Chihiro engage in manual labor and, through that labor, experience personal growth and become independent. Turning her parents into pigs was an easy way to achieve that, without the need for further exploration. The parents' role was essentially fulfilled at the beginning. You could call it "convenience over coherence."
That's quite a harsh assessment!
Mamoru Oshii: Well, it is a Miyazaki film, so it comes with the territory. The plot threads are unclear, and the protagonist's internal journey is somewhat unconvincing.
I cried when Chihiro ate the rice ball Haku gave her, while crying herself.
Mamoru Oshii: That's just a detail, a single moment within the film. I've said it many times, Miyazaki is incredibly skilled at making details convincing. But judging a film is a different matter. I, for one, wouldn't watch a movie just for the details. While they're important, details alone don't make a film. I have to ask, where should a director's talent be directed? It should be in giving the film a backbone, a core, a structure - these are the director's responsibilities. I see that Miyazaki is also credited with the screenplay, but he probably didn't actually write anything down.
Not writing a script is somewhat reminiscent of Hong Kong films from a certain era. Speaking of which, Hong Kong films back then didn't even have shot lists.
Mamoru Oshii: That approach works for Jackie Chan's action films because the audience is there to see Jackie Chan's death-defying stunts. However, Studio Ghibli's works always present grand themes. Generally, you can't be so haphazard with that. So, it's just a tactic employed by Suzuki Toshio. He promotes these grand themes as a marketing strategy, not because the work inherently possesses them.
This time, the tagline was "On the other side of the tunnel, there is a wondrous town."
Mamoru Oshii: That was just the initial version; it changed later. Toshio must have been working behind the scenes, pushing for a change in the tagline. He shifted the focus to No-Face. Toshio's logic dictates that this is a story about No-Face and Chihiro.
The tagline was changed to "Everyone has a No-Face within them" midway through.
Mamoru Oshii: Exactly. "Spirited Away" is essentially a film about No-Face. Toshio apparently counted the number of shots each character appeared in, and surprisingly, No-Face had the most screen time among the supporting characters. He does frequently appear in the corner of the frame.
I don't think Mr. Miyazaki intended for him to appear so often.
Mamoru Oshii: You could call it the director's unconscious at play. Miyazaki never intended for this to be a film about No-Face. It was Suzuki Toshio who unearthed this crucial character from Miyazaki's subconscious. That's why he's so good at publicity (laughs).
Doesn't No-Face resemble the "monster from the Id" in "Forbidden Planet"?
Mamoru Oshii: No-Face symbolizes the desires of those living in modern society. No matter how much he consumes, how much he acquires, he can never find true fulfillment. He is desire itself, which is why he has no face and is called "No-Face." That's one interpretation. "Spirited Away" is about how Chihiro confronts him. In other words, it's a story about Chihiro, a girl who, after going through hardship, learns to empathize with others, and how she tames No-Face. So, it's accurate to say that this is a story about Chihiro and No-Face. Haku? Who knows where he wandered off to. Where did that pretty boy go?
I was actually thinking about him all this time.
Mamoru Oshii: Come on, Haku is just a flimsy supporting character.
True, that's rather cruel. Initially, his presence was quite significant, but it seems the director got tired of him midway through... They really did him dirty.
Mamoru Oshii: Anyone who watches this movie initially assumes it's a story about Chihiro and Haku. However, as it progresses, the strange, almost monstrous, old man, No-Face, who only appeared occasionally at first, starts to occupy more and more screen time, leaving viewers wondering where the story is headed. That's very much Miya-san's style; he creates films unconsciously. It's not wrong to say that this film embodies the essence of Miya-san more than any other.
Starting with the "Troubled Child" Trope
Rewatching the film, the character of Chihiro intrigued me. Her personality eludes me. It's understandable that she'd be sad about moving from her familiar life in Tokyo to the countryside, but isn't her demeanor a result of the situation, rather than her inherent personality? Why is it portrayed as if it's her usual self?Mamoru Oshii: Exactly. It shows that Miyazaki wasn't particularly interested in portraying this girl as a fully-fleshed person. He draws a scene, adds a touch of discontent, and considers it done.
However, don't you find it recurring in Ghibli films that urban children with flaws or issues undergo self-improvement and self-discovery in the countryside? "Kiki's Delivery Service" reverses this by moving from the countryside to the city, but "Spirited Away", "My Neighbor Totoro", and "When Marnie Was There" all follow this pattern. Why repeat this formula? I don't see any connection to Miyazaki's essence here. This points to distribution-related reasons, which means Suzuki Toshio created this formula. It has to resonate with the contemporary Japanese audience, has to have a marketable theme. Otherwise, as the producer in charge of publicity, I'd never get my moment in the spotlight – I imagine Toshio thinking something along these lines.
The whole point of publicity is to grab the public's attention. What are the people living in Japan worried about these days? Distill those concerns into a universally understandable form, find the greatest common denominator, and you get the theme of "a troubled child living in the city discovers themselves in the countryside." People readily understand and are drawn to this theme. To put it bluntly, that's what it boils down to. That's precisely why Ghibli films almost always start with a troubled child. The only exception might be "Porco Rosso," though, strictly speaking, even "Castle in the Sky" follows this pattern.
So, even Mr. Miyazaki is being manipulated by Mr. Suzuki?
Mamoru Oshii: During the making of "Kiki's Delivery Service," Toshio insisted on a story about an indecisive young girl, and this somehow became a "fixed pattern" in Ghibli films.
In "Spirited Away," Chihiro is initially hesitant, but she quickly pulls herself together and transforms into a hardworking, well-behaved child, doesn't she? I felt that the transition was too abrupt.
Mamoru Oshii: Like I've said many times, Miyazaki dislikes wishy-washy kids who whine about disliking work, so he completely skips over that process. He instantly transforms Chihiro into a hardworking child who enjoys her work. Since he's the one drawing, he wouldn't want to spend time drawing a character he finds unpleasant.
Is that the only reason? Generally speaking, the process of growth is crucial, isn't it?
Mamoru Oshii: Generally, yes, but this is Miyazaki, so naturally, it's different. This film is constructed according to the "Miyazaki grammar," so to speak. It's a different kind of personal expression compared to "Porco Rosso." You could say it's Miyazaki's masterpiece.
By "masterpiece", do you mean including its box office success? Speaking of which, why did it become such a huge hit? It's true that many charming characters appear in the film. Is that the sole reason for its popularity?
Mamoru Oshii: There's a simple explanation for why a flawed film like this could become a box office smash hit: "Because Ghibli films always succeed commercially." That's just how Japanese people are; they won't criticize something that has achieved significant success. The same goes for Akira Kurosawa.
Shinji(Shinji Higuchi) once said, according to his "chair theory," the answer to the question, "Who can sit on Akira Kurosawa's chair?" is "Hayao Miyazaki." No one can criticize the person sitting on that chair because the occupant is a master. That's predetermined. In Japan, masters are exempt from criticism.
That's certainly an easy explanation to understand.
Mamoru Oshii: Let me share another of Shinji's theories, the "underwear theory": "A director's worth is determined by how they take off their underwear." Surprisingly, this applies to almost every director. According to this theory, Miyazaki is "a genius who pretends to take off his underwear but never actually does." That's precisely why he's such a successful entertainer. As for Anno, he'd probably take his underwear off immediately in most situations. The problem is, "what's underneath is quite strange."
Those are amusing analogies. What about you, Oshii-san?
Mamoru Oshii: Shinji says I'm the type who "acts like I'm taking it off, but underneath, it's all fake."
Well said! What about Higuchi-san himself?
Mamoru Oshii: It's hard to be objective when evaluating oneself. But if I were to use the chair theory we just discussed, the chair that corresponds to me would be "Junya Sato's chair," I suppose. Everyone around Shinji loved Sato's "The Bullet Train," and Shinji himself aspires to occupy the position of "a director who consistently delivers genuine blockbuster films."
But getting back to the topic, the film director everyone in Japan, young and old, knows used to be Akira Kurosawa. Now it's Hayao Miyazaki. From grandparents to kindergarteners, everyone knows him. Once you reach that level, it no longer matters who evaluates you. There's nothing but praise, at least in Japan.
Visual Quality and Maturity
A film that grossed 30 billion yen at the box office is bound to receive high praise. Moreover, it even won an Academy Award! The flooded bathhouse scene was truly beautiful, reminiscent of Kutani ware.Mamoru Oshii: No, even from a visual quality standpoint, it's not that great. The colors are somewhat muddy, especially in the bathhouse scenes.
Really? The colorful konpeito candy that the soot sprites eat was quite beautiful. It felt like the color contrast was carefully considered.
Mamoru Oshii: That's what I've been saying – it's the power of details. I've said it so many times. When discussing Miyazaki's films, the usual phrases are "that scene was amazing," "that child was so cute," "that character was the best." They only focus on specific moments and rarely offer any evaluation of the work as a whole.
What struck me the most in this film was the layout. The quality of the layouts has clearly declined. The spatial inconsistencies within the boiler room and the bathhouse are a recurring issue, so let's set those aside. Even so, the dynamism in the layouts is gone. They created such a grand, three-dimensional bathhouse, yet there's hardly any verticality in the layouts. The camera moves only horizontally, and vertical movement is achieved through an elevator, believe it or not. I was astounded. The Miyazaki from the past would never have resorted to such shortcuts. He would have created elaborate staircases and expansive settings. The idea of using an elevator is just unbelievable.
Perhaps he started with the intention of creating something truly grand, but his energy waned. This decline was already noticeable during "Princess Mononoke." He gradually started relying on other key animators to share the workload. On an animation production, the visuals are always a hot topic. During the making of "Spirited Away," I often heard comments like, "Even Miyazaki..." It's the reality of aging, I suppose. Animation is largely a hand-crafted art form, so such changes can't be completely concealed.
Rewatching Miyazaki's works with this perspective, I believe that the visual quality peaked with "Kiki's Delivery Service." After that, the peak of his personal work, in terms of maturity, was around the time of "Spirited Away." It's interesting, isn't it? The peak of his work and the peak of his visual quality don't coincide. This phenomenon isn't limited to Miyazaki. It happens to others as well. It's ironic, in a way, that "Kiki's Delivery Service" is probably the film Miyazaki wants to revisit the least.
What about you, Oshii-san?
Mamoru Oshii: My visual peak was "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", and the peak of my work was "Patlabor 2: The Movie." I'm confident in that assessment. I have a firm grasp of myself, but it's hard to say whether Miyazaki has the same grasp on himself.
On a different note, there's also the "spring roll legend," right? The story goes that Mr. Miyazaki kept having the animators redraw the scene where the parents eat spring rolls because he insisted they weren't eating them correctly. It's become a famous anecdote.
Mamoru Oshii: I think that story originated from an NHK documentary. But to me, it felt like a broken record.
He's been saying things like that ever since I met him, complaining about how "animators these days are becoming increasingly detached from the real world." We've even argued about it.
You argued again? (laughs)
Mamoru Oshii: While I was working on "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", Miyazaki was working on "Howl's Moving Castle", and I often visited Ghibli. Once, we were having a casual conversation, but Miyazaki's mood gradually soured. He started grumbling about "animators these days..." and "the mentality of artists..." I gradually lost my patience and retorted, "Why are you still harping on about that? Nothing has changed about that for the past 10 or 20 years!" Our voices echoed through the studio as we argued. That was probably the last time I saw Miyazaki. I haven't seen him since.
Wow, you two are close. (laughs)
Mamoru Oshii: What? We're not close at all!
Come on, now. So, what are your thoughts on the "spring roll" issue?
Mamoru Oshii: Actually, Miyazaki isn't entirely wrong. Young animators these days have no real-world experience outside of their desks. They've grown up watching nothing but anime, often just robot anime. Human beings eat, sleep, and use the bathroom. These animators work in a place far removed from the realities of being alive, which is not how it should be. Their job is to depict the real world. So I agree with Miyazaki when he says, "There's no need to strive for perfect accuracy. Recreating the feeling of life, that's the ultimate goal for an animator." He said, "Start by observing things." That's because exceptional animators are all geniuses at observation. And it goes without saying that Miyazaki is a genius in this regard.
The Best Scene in Cinematic History
That's why the eating scenes in Miyazaki's films always look so delicious. It was the first time I saw rice balls that looked so appetizing.Mamoru Oshii: Mm. The eating scenes are classic. As far as I know, no one can top Miyazaki when it comes to depicting food.
I incorporate eating scenes in my own work because I resonate with Miyazaki's approach. His depiction of food has been outstanding since "Future Boy Conan." I always include eating scenes in my work, both in live-action and animation, but it's no easy feat. The difficulty increases exponentially with animation, often ending in failure. Come to think of it, my friendship with Miyazaki actually blossomed over our shared appreciation for food scenes. For Miyazaki, eating scenes are just as important as running or flying scenes. The scene where Chihiro eats the rice ball while crying is the ultimate expression of savoring delicious food.
That scene moved many people to tears, myself included. I believe there was a limited-edition DVD release that came with a replica of Haku's rice ball. Mr. Suzuki really knows how to capitalize on these things.
Mamoru Oshii: These are the dilemmas that plague Miyazaki. "A rice ball is only a rice ball if it's hand-rolled and warm. Those plastic-wrapped things from convenience stores aren't fit for human consumption!" I'm sure he wants to say things like that. But he has to swallow those words. The more successful he becomes, the more he's exploited by the very world he despises. But that's the reality of working within a commercial system.
I've spoken at length about the contradictions within Miyazaki, and this is perhaps the greatest one: achieving tremendous success and reaping the benefits within a world he loathes. In a way, it's as if he's being pummeled by his idealized self. But he refuses to acknowledge this, which is why he constantly expresses his dissatisfaction.
He even felt uncomfortable about making all that money himself, so he once took me on a scouting trip to Europe. I'm sure there were other "adult world" reasons for that, though. (laughs). I think that was also Miyazaki's way of atoning in his own way.
That's a bit sad.
Mamoru Oshii: But one thing remains unchanged: the sheer power of his scene composition, especially the scene where Chihiro and No-Face ride the train to Zeniba's house. It's clearly a depiction of the Sanzu River, and I'm sure Miyazaki himself was aware of it. The railroad tracks submerged in shallow water, Chihiro and No-Face boarding the train and embarking on their journey together—that Sanzu River imagery is the most remarkable cinematic scene I've ever witnessed.
In Miyazaki's filmography?
Mamoru Oshii: In all of cinema.
Really?
Mamoru Oshii: Seijun Suzuki has directed similar scenes, many directors have attempted it, but Miyazaki's execution is unparalleled.
You consider it superior to the train scene in "Grave of the Fireflies"?
Mamoru Oshii: Of course. That scene is dark and melancholic. But Miyazaki's Sanzu River possesses a remarkable transparency, a certain serenity. The surrounding silence is profound. It's truly exceptional. The passengers are depicted as blurry shadows, which is a difficult technique to pull off effectively. In other words, he poured his heart and soul into crafting that scene.
You could say it's a scene that encapsulates Miyazaki's view on life and death. Compared to Takahata-san's perspective on life and death as depicted in "Grave of the Fireflies," Miyazaki's is demonstrably more profound. Takahata Isao is, at his core, a disagreeable intellectual. That train scene is probably what the Sanzu River looks like in the imagination of an intellectual.
But you've praised that particular scene in "Grave of the Fireflies" before.
Mamoru Oshii: I praised it because that's the only scene from "Grave of the Fireflies" that left a lasting impression. Of course, I had to acknowledge it. There are very few films that achieve that level of emotional resonance. However, compared to Miyazaki's Sanzu River, it pales in comparison. The persuasive power, the understanding of human mortality and the cycle of life and death, the depth of their respective insights—the difference is stark. That's something I want to emphasize. That Sanzu River scene is just brilliant!
The problem arises with the scene after they cross over.
Chihiro has tea at Zeniba's house, right?
Mamoru Oshii: Everything leading up to that point was exceptional. But upon arriving, it leaves you with a sense of "is that all there is?" That's a realm best left unexplored.
Having said that, no director could truly depict what lies beyond. Even if they could depict the journey to the other side, they couldn't portray what awaits there. Attempting to do so would result in something akin to Tetsuro Tanba's "The Great Spirit World"—it would become cartoonish.
Why is it impossible to depict the afterlife? Because none of us have experienced it. To borrow from Miyazaki's logic, "Animators can't draw what they haven't seen."
So why did he draw it?
Mamoru Oshii: He could have ended the scene with Chihiro and No-Face on the train, suddenly opening her eyes as if awakening from a dream. But why didn't he? Perhaps Miyazaki overthought it, feeling that "it wouldn't be right to end it there." But I wanted to tell him, this is a story that defies logic, so why be so fixated on making that particular part coherent?
In the end, Haku comes to get Chihiro. Was that scene necessary to clarify the relationship between Haku and Chihiro?
Mamoru Oshii: Like I said, the relationship between Haku and Chihiro was an afterthought. Miyazaki wasn't particularly invested in it. He kept adding unnecessary elements that only served to expose his true intentions.
Personally, I'm most curious about where Miyazaki drew inspiration for No-Face. Even if you consider him an unconscious genius, don't you find the originality of No-Face quite remarkable? The fact that he can be perceived as originating from the other side, from the afterlife, is why the Sanzu River scene appears. But the origin of his design, that's something I'm still incredibly curious about.
_________
The content is from a Japanese book 誰も語らなかったジブリを語ろう (Let's talk about Ghibli that no one has talked about).
Interviewer: Maki Watanabe
Shinji refers to Shinji Higuchi
Anno refers to Hideaki Anno
The Sanzu River is a river in Japanese mythology that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. It is said to be a river of blood, pus, and tears, and that the souls of the dead must cross it before they can reach the afterlife. The river is also said to be guarded by a ferryman, who charges a fee for passage.
There are three bridges across the river, each of which corresponds to a different level of virtue in the deceased:
The Bridge of Causality: For those who have lived a virtuous life. The Bridge of Justice: For those who have lived a life of justice. The Bridge of Aspiration: For those who have lived a life of aspiration.
The river and its bridges are often depicted in Japanese art and literature. It is a symbol of the passage from life to death, and the judgment that awaits the soul in the afterlife.
2024.06.04 20:00 ranc1 Social anxiety as rollercoaster (II) - tracks
 | Social anxiety is often times perceived as bunch of panic physical symptoms, being silent and shy - and that nothing else - but this is only a tip of iceberg. Beneath these innocuous emotions that appear as irrelevant small, teen issue actually lies deep trauma, called CPTSD. submitted by ranc1 to SocialAnxiety_Ideas [link] [comments] If a grown man, someone who is 18 years old or older - has social apprehensions and doubts how to approach social situation - this is not romance fantasy introversion or shyness. This is serious trauma - caused and produced by mentally ill people and evil manipulative and controlling psychopaths around such person. The purpose of my rollercoaster analogy is to bring into awareness various hidden trauma elements which current default medical response to social anxiety (CBT) do not recognize at all. This way CBT is telling us that we are choosing to be a victim and that our brain is abnormal, hence adding more of new layers of trauma and shame and guilt. With CBT and self-help books and various social anxiety coaches we do not know where to go and how to respond to rejection - even with their advice. All we are being told is to put on a fake social mask of being confident - as if this will help us with social anxiety. Because social anxiety is perceived by CBT as a mere shyness. Then in the real world - we get various symptoms which appear to us as panic and many blocking elements which we cannot discern as toxic shame or inner critic at all - because CBT is ignoring the trauma element from the picture. Without knowing what is happening inside us and why - we won't know how to act, where to go, what decisions to make in social situations. We will be as if on autopilot, as if on invisible train tracks - where we copy paste the same mechanisms and tools and actions and decisions that we learned to do in childhood. Because we never had healthy model to form anything else. We had hysteria, criticism, nagging, complaining, discipline, scrutiny, invalidation - as model to sculpture our persona, our likes and dislikes. "Normal" people were exposed to idiots since their early teen years and they figured out how to ignore the baiting. We didn't. We started our isolation in our teen years - usually around the age of 12 - and we never had lessons in life how to deal around the hate. All we had is isolation and imagination and rumination - and to copy paste the lessons from our life before the bullying incident happened - so our mechanisms and tools around social situations are based on childhood. Now as adults we are in arrested development - where our avoidance from the bullying incident onwards prevented us to learn how to handle social situations without panic and self torturing ourselves. Now as adults - we have only tools of fawning and pleasing others and inferiority complex - as ways how to muddle through the social life with plenty of avoidance. For example, even though I had twitter account since 2009, and I used social media as a way to communicate openly and without much of social anxiety with other people since 2000, I still copy pasted the same tools I learned in my teen years. And it is only after I learned about Fawning as trauma response and after I learned what is narcissistic abuse - that 2 years ago I actually started to use block/ignore and mute button. Before that - I didn't use this at all. I was convinced due to CBT that I must not avoid other people - even when they are abusive and anti-social. That I somehow am responsible for them being angry at my opinion and that it is my responsibility to be assertive with pathological liars and people who refuse to listen or communicate. My tools of socialization were people pleasing and never saying no to someone and keeping my opinion to myself - and agreeing with others and perceiving anyone loud and sociable as a god to follow. I was convinced before that if I block them or mute them - that they will talk behind my back and gossip about me - and I won't know from where or from whom the new danger will come from. This was my unconscious fear that I had no idea was inside me, commanding me to people please others. It is as if I was on railroad track and that was the only way to go in life - to follow this rollercoaster track that do not allow any deviations from the path, and I had no option or choice to choose different theme park. CBT perceives social anxiety as shyness issue, like this: Social anxiety as CBT perceives it Therefore most of self help books and online articles and you tube videos about social anxiety - will explain the social anxiety as a shyness issue. Plus, the CBT will explain that our brain is abnormal, that our brain is pumping out cognitive distortions - and that these distortions are the cause of anxiety. Even though the social anxiety is in its name - clear about where anxiety is coming from - it is social+anxiety. Anxiety stemming from the social element, social factor as toxic people that are causing the anxiety. Not our thoughts. It is not called self anxiety. After all - if our cognitive distortions are creating social anxiety - then these same cognitive distortions would ruin all other aspects in our life. We would be cripples - we would not be able to read, to learn, to observe. We would not be able to make any kind of contact - even with safe people. Our cognitive distortions would appear all the time even when we are in calm place. And this is not the case. Our social anxiety acts up only when we are in contact with someone toxic and intrusive and anti-social. When we were in contact and when we are about to be in contact with someone who is psychopathic and abnormal. Our social anxiety is see-saw effect - it comes , it flairs up on the surface only and only when we are experiencing attack and assault and unfair interaction with difficult people who refuse to behave in civilized manner. With trauma - we associated triggers (toxic people) with pain. Other people also feel this mess and all uncomfortable emotions like we do - but for people without apparent social anxiety it is not distressing. For them, toxic people appear as a blimp on their awareness radar. And they move on. People without apparent social anxiety feel panic/overstimulation - but 1) it is not hyperemotional 2) they do not associate toxic people and embarrassment with the pain. That is their secret - why other people do not exhibit social anxiety. They do feel social anxiety - but it is in small quantities - and without deep education in psychology - they would label these emotions as mysterious or as annoyance or as bad day, or as unfortunate event. They would not self pathologize themselves with psychiatric "panic" labels - because they do not see significance in their distress. They do not perceive it as distress at all. Some of them label it as anger - and they attack the toxic person and argue with someone who is pathological liar hence without achieving any resolution to problem - but there is no emotional attachment with the abusers. Any kind of conflict with difficult people won't affect them to lose their sleep or to quit their job or to contemplate suicide. The important thing here is to realize that all people experience social anxiety - they simply label it differently and they do not have operant conditioning connections with the uncomfortable emotions that would make them stop and start to ruminate and worry incessantly about other people. They do not have toxic shame (deep core belief that they are inept and worthless) and they do not have deep rooted harsh inner critic telling them that they are crap who must isolate and hide away from others. They do not have somatic, body reactions such as panic - and if they have some hormones adrenaline rush in heated argument - their brain does not associate these uncomfortable body feelings and sensations as their personal failure or catastrophe or psychiatric disorder - as CBT is explaining to us and gaslight us into believing that we are mentally ill and abnormal for feeling overstimulation. Without CBT or self help books which would pathologize their social anxiety emotions, other people simply move on with their lives. People without apparent social anxiety are not gaslighted by CBT into toxic belief that they are worthless, and second class citizens without rights, for having social anxiety symptoms. Even though I wrote this topic "Everyone has social anxiety" two years ago - and even though I was practically banned from the main reddit social anxiety forum for writing it - it was only the last week that I truly realized that other people do have the same pathologized emotions as any traumatized person has. Until 7 days ago, I believed that other people have "pure" scary emotions and that trauma emotions are only reserved for the traumatized ones. Nope. All people experience the very same emotions that psychiatry is pathologizing in DSM - and then make us believe that we are special in negative way for being honest about our scary emotions and difficult painful feelings. The very fact that I realized this only 7 days ago - tells us that we need constant education in trauma from trauma informed therapists and survivors of abuse who are willing to share their insight with us. There is so much to learn about trauma - and CBT is pathologizing us from all sides in mainstream media and provides us with wrong, limited and self defeating unverified information. Since non-socially anxious people feel social anxiety but they do not associate it with the pain - it is obvious that operant conditioning lies behind social anxiety - and what we need is a process of Dishabituation and Desensitization which CBT mistakenly label as Exposure. Exposure to toxic people and to toxic people will not make us stronger or better or harder or more masculine. Instead - exposure to mobbing will drive us to explode and to develop physical illness such as cancer and allergies. Exposure in social anxiety means exposure to pain. Not social situations. Not talking. Not being confident. Not nitpicking our brain with CBT's ABC model of eradicating so called cognitive distortions. We need to remove this link to the pain that we have associated in ACE and ACoA years. Demand avoidance in autism. Sometimes this pain is rational like bad medical service. If we live in poor country where medical personnel is dangerous in its nepotism and getting the diploma through corruption and buying the medical degrees - it is totally rational to avoid such doctors. CBT would label this avoidance as hallucination. In my personal experience - allergy to penicillin was misdiagnosed by my doctor as sickness for pregnant women. At another time, allergy to pollen was misdiagnosed as bone deformity in nose that supposedly needed surgery. Few years ago this same doctor misdiagnosed someone's appendix as a fever and the patient died - and she was never brought in media or trial, it was hushed up due to nepotism, clans and corruption. So if we develop avoidance as response to this legalized criminal activities - it is not social anxiety, it is totally rational fear of legalized murderers walking free around. The thing is - when we remove our protective cocoon (avoidance and social anxiety) - what happens is 1) suicide idealizations (self aggression) and 2) hysteria (external aggression) - "klikusha" described in Dostoyevsky books. ("Klikushi are people prone to hysterical fits, during which they emit violent screams") Social anxiety is cocoon that protects us from becoming anti-social hysterical psychopaths who pushed un into trauma. Instead of believing in CBT false explanation of social anxiety as abnormality to destroy, we need to reframe social anxiety as perfect response to impossible situation - like being financially trapped with psychopaths in power. We only end up with avoiding (which CBT pathologizes as abnormality that leads to mental illness) because we can't control impossible situation in any other way but through social anxiety. We isolate ourselves because we are unable to assert ourselves, we are unable to say no to intrusive people, we keep missing opportunities and chances and not taking risks because of psychopaths in power who punish us for attempting to do anything in life. With CBT, we will "cure" our social anxiety with white lies that we tell ourselves and other people. That we avoid people and events in life because "we are not interested in them". We will lie to ourselves in order to appease the ableist CBT and to signal other people that we are normal even though we miss social situations. That is what CBT is doing to us. It does not resolve the trauma and does not address toxic people in power. It simply push us to lie to ourselves and to rationalize away the abuse. Our goal in life is totally ignored by CBT. The goal is to be creative, to have new ideas, to take risks, to organize events and to meet people and to enjoy social interactions. With CBT we end up being a machine that monitors his or hers panic symptoms and then prune them with lies. We won't do it - we won't become full adult with his or hers likes and dislikes, with our interest in life, with our authentic self that is not defined through the prism of confidence and being courageous - but our goals will be in the primary focus. Due to ACE and ACoA we don't have any other emotional regulation system other than social anxiety. Social anxiety is our only way to regulate ourselves. Without it - we will lose any mechanism to soothe ourselves - and CBT is pushing us to remove social anxiety. This way CBT is forcing us to develop mental illness. Even Freud died of overdose, and Marylin Monroe who was treated with CBT tools like medication and endless hamster wheel talk therapy. Emotional regulation means being in Ventral Vagal state - where we naturally connect with other people without feeling toxic stress or danger. When we are in contact with psychopaths and sociopaths - this is impossible task. When we are forced to be in contact with narcissists and impulsive borderlines - we will suffer mentally. This is not our fault. This is not our weakness or defect as CBT portrays social anxiety. It is perfectly normal reaction to abnormal people around us. CBT does not explain this at all. CBT explains that our brain is creating the disorder and that our task in life is to be reactive machine that must always expose to abnormal people without our choices and goals in life. CBT does not tell or explain that abnormal people are the problem. The sole problem. That there is nothing wrong with our panic reactions to abnormal sick anti-social people whom we must interact with - in our job or in family. CBT does not perceive amnesia as problem. Amygdala hijacking. CBT will label this as our personal choice which can be cured if we somehow become macho masculine hero and when we stop being a coward. There is no self identity inside us - CBT does not mention this at all. CBT presumes that once we expose ourselves to social situation, that magically we will start to know who we are, what we like and that our GPS inner guidance system will start to work on its own. It won't. What happens in real life - is that our GPS become toxic people around us who manipulate us into coercive control to be their slave. CBT does not tell us that we need to rebuild ourselves like in ancient Greek myth, where with each trigger, with each incident, with RSD, with blunder in social situations - our traces of self are eradicated - and we need to pick up who we are over and over again, each day. Toxic people eat away our innards while we stay strung on a rock - and with each day we are forced to rebuild our body - only to be eaten away by predators the next day. CBT does not explain this process that socially anxious people go through - because we are surrounded by toxic people who cause our social anxiety. Each time we re-learn what makes us happy and safe. Without realizing that this is happening -we are stuck on rollercoaster autopilot, on tracks laid in front of us, and our self is actually Schizoid empty core, as Sam Vaknin said in his video: "When child has no contact with reality, no contact with other people – the child feels estranged from his own life. The child has no self, no functioning self. He has identity disturbance. He has fragmented self. Self states. Pseudo-identities. He doesn't have central core. There is emptiness instead of core, we call this the schizoid empty core. This child feels he doesn't exist. When you don't exist, you can't have life, you can't own your life. Unable to inhabit his own life. This child become adult who retreats into familiar modes of infancy and remains fixated there. Leads to concept of inner child. Child like element inside us. IFS Model. Construct of inner child to induce healing." CBT's easy explanation that cognitive distortions are the problem in social anxiety only adds more to the empty self problem. I end up believing that I am defective inside - and therefore I am empty inside. There is no Self inside that comes up with new ideas. Now with CBT I believe that my brain is only pumping out abnormality and distorted thoughts - where my only job in life is to list these thoughts and then fight with them in endless civil war battles with my own brain. CBT ought to be banned - it is doing such incredible psychological damage to anyone being traumatized by providing pseudoscience that didn't work even for Freud. CBT adds distrust to our own brain, to our decisions, to our ability to trust ourselves. We end up with no goals - because now we are convinced that our ideas, innovative ideas are abnormality filled with so called distortions. And then we become codependent and people pleasers since - if we cannot trust our own judgement, we need to trust other people who are without social anxiety and who are super confident and strong and masculine and forceful - and guess who will come to our doors to lead us - narcissists, psychopaths and sociopaths. Or another solution is to isolate ourselves and become avoidant with push-pull anxious- avoidant attachment style. Rollercoaster tracks in social anxiety - as I depict it in the sketch - they are twisted into pretzel as a way to adapt ourselves to sociopaths and psychopaths and all predatory types of people who trigger us into social anxiety. We are responding to sick and abnormal people and surreal toxic ambient of narcissism build on their fantasy and their needs and agenda of exploitation of others and competition and mostly their inferiority complex masked as superiority. Then we are forced to act in certain way in order to regulate and calm toxic people. And that's how loops of rollercoaster tracks happen. These will contribute to somatic bodily feelings like nausea, panic, overwhelm already present due to genetic and external mess. And we will be forced to repeat it, repetition compulsion. And we are not aware of this. CBT does not explain it. Other people do not explain it. CBT, self help books and other people's viewpoint of anxiety explains the social anxiety as our oversensitivity and our choice. Like with Cassandra Syndrome (The Cassandra metaphor relates to a person whose valid warnings or concerns are disbelieved by others. The term originates in Greek mythology. Cassandra was a daughter of Priam, the King of Troy.) - most people will not believe us when we tell them that the toxic person is dangerous and intrusive - mostly because abusers appear charming to non-affected people. Ambient, people around us, our history (ACE/ACoA) shape the tracks so it is not our fault as we believe with toxic shame and inner critic that it's our choice and we can change it with logic and will. Tracks are daily chain of decisions and actions and isolation and avoidance and choosing how to react to people. If we avoid people, these tracks will become imaginary and more complex with paranoid twists, twisted by memory of past abuse and rancor. If we stay with toxic people, these tracks will become also imaginary and paranoid, too – part of shared fantasy, tracks will be skewed by toxic people's observations and series of punishments. We can attempt to reshape the tracks – but they will still depend and then be formed by the ambient (such as shame culture country and or lack of finances or external dysfunction of any sort) – due to Cooley's Looking Glass Self. Secondary dysfunction is that repression leads to disturbance in immune system, we make ourselves sick by trying to survive in toxic ambient – and then it appears as if social anxiety is problem – CBT – our thoughts are sick – and then this belief that we are abnormal leads to more repression and more of physical illness – that creates new tracks of self sabotage and illness, due to self hatred and self rejection and self disgust – due to CBT we see ourselves as abnormal, weak, pathetic and worthless – Mathew Effect happens, black hole, hamster wheel loop of doom. With social anxiety we suppress our anger, our wagon of masking runs these tracks being suppressed - and then we ran into the mess, external abusers who are angry and we have no idea how to handle hysterical people, other than holding on to tracks of repression and wagons of masking, as we were programmed to do in ACE and AcoA childhood where our needs and emotions were punished, mocked, ashamed and silenced away. Then any predator can easily manipulate and control and exploit us (Mate Crime). Up next are rollercoaster Wagons of social anxiety. |
2024.06.03 19:59 ranc1 Social anxiety as rollercoaster
 | Once I learned about trauma, I ran across this amazing depiction of Inferiority complex map found in this link: submitted by ranc1 to SocialAnxiety_Ideas [link] [comments] http://www.incidentalcomics.com/2014/12/the-inferiority-complex.html The sketch / picture drawn by Grant Snider from Incidental comics web site shows the inferiority complex as a map - and I thought social anxiety ought to be depicted in the same way - as something that will depict complex topic into easily observable sketch. And here it is: Social anxiety rollercoaster map When I was making this sketch I noticed the patterns that I was not aware before. I noticed that there is primary and secondary reactions to social anxiety, that appear as one entity to the socially anxious. For example, due to ACE and ACoA - we will carry toxic shame with us - HOWEVER, toxic shame will appear as loops once we expose ourselves to the rollercoaster ride (such as for example job interview, or going to date, party or meeting of any sort). Plus there will be a storm, a rain of toxic shaming from the external sources - such as toxic people or past trauma or cultural toxic shame as living in a Shame Culture country. From the socially anxious point of view - shame is coming from our brain, and this is how CBT tricks us into self hatred and self rejection and self disgust, blaming our brain for pumping out toxic shame - which leads to more of toxic shame. Roller-coaster map depicts element found in social anxiety: 1) Wagons - mentality 2) Tracks - autopilot 3) Loops - symptoms 4) Clouds (weather conditions) - the mess CBT will explain to us that social anxiety is brain issue. That our thoughts are the problem. While obviously - this is simply not true. CBT explanation will set us up for believing that we are choosing social anxiety and that we must use logic in order to be "strong". This belief will add to toxic shame (because we will believe that our deep core of who we truly really are - is abnormal and sick). With CBT explanations we will end up with mental illness, borderline condition where we refuse to accept ourselves and we end up depending on other people to mold us and carry us through life - since we are now brainwashed into believing that we cannot rely on our natural brain & gut reactions and our own decisions in life. Let's start with 3 modes of roller-coaster wagons. Think of wagons as placeholders of our thoughts. It is result of socialization and operant conditioning that we were exposed during our formative years when we were supposed to be loved and secured and been surrounded by safety and consistency - we received the invalidation, discipline and scrutiny which we internalized in the form of inner critic and toxic shame. So wagons - it is not something that we can wish away. We cannot remove them by sheer logic. We cannot replace them with better models - because due to Confirmation bias - we do not know what is better to begin with. We hear the words like self love and self compassion - but because we never formed these concepts naturally during our formative developmental years - we cannot apply them to our adult life. We will keep interpreting self love as conditional love: that we will love ourselves only once we are super confident, once we have money, once we have billions of friends, once we are free from worry and troubles in life - this is how we depict self love. Self compassion too - we believe now that self compassion means conditional compassion - that we will allow ourselves to validate ourselves only when we are totally free from all problems in our lives and when nothing can harm or hurt us in any way. We simply cannot absorb the information that we love ourselves and accept ourselves as we are - with social anxiety, with our fears, with our flaws, with our imperfections, with our mistakes, with our compulsions, with our symptoms. And CBT along with self help industry - gives us brainwashed messages that we will love ourselves only when we get rid of ourselves of social anxiety. That is not self love. That is conditional love - and conditional love is part of the problem - it is part of the illness. If you imagine rollercoaster wagons - they can come in 3 modes: 1) Decrepit wagons. This is what we have now with social anxiety. Analogy would be living in poor country - where rollercoaster theme park if far from Disney version. These wagons are like Chernobyl theme park - abandoned, rusty and looks like background of horror movie. Social anxiety wagons - place where we put our thoughts and perspectives and conclusions and bias and viewpoints - are: Self pathologizing, operant conditioned, habituation, reactive 2) Secure wagons. These are realistic ones. When we live in reality. When we are aware what is problem - we will have mechanic to fix problems, not cover it up like with decrepit wagons and pretending we do not see problems. Secure attachment - means we take care of our brain, our well-being - and self improvement here is not narcissistic - we do not take care of our thinking and operating in the world for the purpose of impressing strangers. But instead we truly are inspired to be organized and healthy and strong for the purpose of building a happy and secure and best life that we are aware we can create with our own bear hands. These wagons are: Validate, not pathologize my symptoms. Self aware. 3) Narcissistic wagons. These wagons happen when we try to remove and destroy social anxiety by putting on a make-up of super confidence. This is commonly found on You tube videos about social anxiety- where authors of videos and various social anxiety "coaches" depict social anxiety as abnormality and sickness to cure and remove - and replace by being super confident. Think of Russian Potemkin village (Britannica: "in its original meaning, any of a number of fake villages designed to impress the Russian empress Catherine the Great"), It is obvious how social anxiety can lead to narcissism very easily - as a mechanism and defensive tool against inferiority complex and poor reality - which we may try to remove by a fantasy that we invent inside our heads. The analogy of Rollercoaster - would be that we decide to draw our own rollercoaster - out of our imagination. The result of this will be inability to live in reality, clash with reality, inability to have reality testing, and constant struggle and battle with other people - by exploiting them and attacking any kind of feedback which reveals to us how reality looks like - rollercoaster loops in our life. These wagons are: Fantasy, grandiosity, spite. Codependent. Competition. Rush. Rat race. So the quick idea to remove our construction of rollercoaster - is path to mental illness, delusions and paranoid disorders - where we refuse to accept reality. This is why CBT and self help books and social anxiety coaches are dangerous. All the do is cherry pick small part of social anxiety like unconfidence - and present the cure for social anxiety in building a fake persona of someone talkative. When I looked at my rollercoaster sketch - and once I started to fill it in with the mess - loops inside it - I thought, wait a minute - but all of these are mental constructs and I can remove them by not believing in them. This is not how our brain works. Our fears and panic are being pulled and railed on railroad - this cannot be removed by logic or our will power. Even psychiatry tells us that without stress we would wither and die - human beings need healthy amount of stress in order to be healthy. We need constructive criticism - or better term: scientific feedback - in order to learn from our mistakes. Any kind of criticism and feedback will be painful to hear because we invested a lot of money and energy into our decisions and emotions and we will feel cognitive dissonance - but this is part of life -where we can either accept anything in life or try to change it - depending on our values and goals in life. With social anxiety - we are on autopilot and we have no idea what our values and goals are in life. When we were growing up - we were suppose to learn these basic life skills and basic life GPS directions in life: to know deep down who we are as person - that nobody can take this away through them being rude to us. We were suppose to learn that we are allowed to form our own values and directions and goals in life - and with social anxiety as byproduct it is clear smoking gun proof that we did not. We were exposed instead to ACE and ACoA - and we never ever learn how to develop our authentic self - and nobody explained us that we miss this basic GPS mechanism inside us. Instead of creating our own rollercoaster routes - we ended up in someone else's theme park through codependency and enmeshment and trauma bonding - without us being aware at all that we are codependent and without self love. Why rollercoaster is needed? Rollercoaster - is when we feel panic and overstimulation in social situations. Another word for rollercoaster would be Exposure. Or Socializing. Any kind of contact with other people. Usually with social anxiety- we do not feel social anxiety or full blown panic attack social anxiety uncomfortable symptoms when we are 1-on-1, when we are around people whom we trust and whom we know are safe, like family members or someone close to us like friends, acquaintances or colleagues. We will feel social anxiety in those situations where the other person or persons are erratic, hysterical, abusive, dangerous, intrusive, unfair, judgmental, narcissistic and/or borderline. Rollercoaster would be going to job interview. Going to a new job where we do not know anyone or what is expected of us. It is going to any kind of meeting. We need these types of situations when we have goals in life and needs. When we need to pay something or get money - we will need to go through rollercoaster loops - and it will feel like being on rollercoaster. Without going to rollercoaster, we will isolate ourselves and be avoidant- yet we are still obliged to pay the rent, to change our clothes, to take out the garbage. With severe social anxiety, agoraphobia and extreme isolation - taking out the garbage will be felt like rollercoaster - because any person can judge us, mock us, ask something from us and then attack us if we do not know what to say to them. Social anxiety comes in spectrum. CBT explains social anxiety as going to shopping. And as if there is only one type of social situation - where the other person is not interested into us. CBT does not see (or doesn't want to see) situations like abuse, narcissistic abuse, violence or any kind of bullying and mobbing. CBT and self help books will explain to us that social anxiety is issue of feeling shyness when going to parties and when going shopping. This simplistic explanation of social anxiety is misleading and demeaning to anyone who is socially anxious - because social anxiety is trauma. It means we went through some shocking and difficult situations in life such as teen bullying that started social anxiety isolation in the first place. We need rollercoaster - we need to go through it. We cannot imagine it away, we cannot create fantasy where we pretend the loops and problems are not there- or to imagine that we can re-shape the rollercoaster tracks or wagons by simply thinking harder. Without going through roller-coaster loops / thrills we will tend to imagine the reality. Instead of reality we will tend to create delusions and paranoia, false conclusions. Imaginary scenario - it will play inside our mind when we are isolated and avoidant. So social contact is important for us - for our mental health. The problem is that with existence of social anxiety- social anxiety being inside us - this is the clear sign that our ambient is toxic. People around us are toxic. Our past is toxic. And this is not due to our fault. We did nothing to contribute for someone being evil. We did not cause someone to be evil nor them to act evil. Evil toxic people will convince us that we are the cause of them being evil - and we will end with heavy shame and burden of toxic guilt, imposed by toxic people to us. CBT will tell us that we need to Expose to anything and everyone - this is the same as if to say that we must go to rollercoaster in Chernobyl - which is decrepit, not functional, it is filled with toxic radiation that is lethal - but CBT and toxic masculinity ideology and patriarchy will claim that this is the only way to become masculine and manly - that we become super strong uber mensch who is not afraid of anything in life. While in the same time - we have ticket and money to go to Disneyland and to experience quality premium thrills of rollercoasters- That is how CBT is teaching socially anxious to remove social anxiety -that we stay stuck in dysfunctional families and inside narcissistic abusive relationships and toxic jobs - just for the sake of exposing ourselves to our "fears". Well I say - any kind of exposure to narcissistic abuse will not make us resilient. It will not make us manly. It will make us filled with toxic stress, like toxic radiation and it will kill us slowly from the inside. And instead of choosing exposure to anything and everyone - we can actually make a discernment and choose healthy models of exposure. For example - If we are gay - the natural path for us would be to join gay community and find jobs in gay community - instead of chasing rat race, pretending to be straight and living life that is functional only for straight people. Or another example is - if we are HSP - the correct exposure would be to pursue artistic life - instead of suppressing our artistic nature and instead conforming to herd mentality and group think mob and hoarding up money that will not fulfill us anyway. CBT does not make this explanation at all - self help books and social anxiety coaches will guide is and misguide us into direction of herd mentality group think and neurotypical lives which will not be fulfilling for anyone experiencing social anxiety. Instead of pathologizing the social anxiety as abnormality and sickness - I would see it as symptom and reaction of something much larger than our uncomfortable panic symptoms. It is a pointer, it is a signal, it is a voice, a message - that we are surrounded by controlling, judgmental, biased and mostly toxic people who cause and trigger our social anxiety symptoms - where we are forced to shut up, become inferior and to make ourselves small in order to make toxic people happy and satisfied - without us speaking the truth. Instead of CBT - there are humanistic therapies like IFS Model that see anyone struggling with mental health issues related to social anxiety as client issues - not as a patient being the problem. Or Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy DNMS - "The developmental needs meeting strategy is a psychotherapy approach developed by Shirley Jean Schmidt. It is designed to treat adults with psychological trauma wounds and with attachment wounds." Or Coherence Therapy - "Coherence therapy is a system of psychotherapy based in the theory that symptoms of mood, thought and behavior are produced coherently according to the person's current mental models of reality, most of which are implicit and unconscious." Think of rollercoaster ride (Exposure to social situations) as LED lights in a dark room. We can see objects inside it when we socialize and make social contact. Exposure here includes negative emotions and social anxiety itself, not hiding it, not masking it, not avoiding the emotions, not suppressing emotions. So that I learn my lesson and door slam toxic people forever. CBT exposure says stay stuck with toxic people. We can see the neurosis as an attempt to heal unrecognized problems (trauma) and social anxiety itself in order to create healthier model. Jung talked about it. For example - if I mask my social anxiety and if I am ashamed of it, and if I see it as abnormality and problem to remove - I will end up with being concerned how I look to the others, so others won't attack or shame me – I end up being neutral and without character. I never develop my taste, my opinion, my stance. From my perspective I appear strong and without social anxiety and super confident because I may not care what other people think - but in reality - what happens is that I actually end up with ostrich effect. With my head buried in the sand and not looking reality - because it is painful and I don't want to feel the pain. Soon enough - because I do not have my preferences (which I never could develop as reaction to standing up to toxic people) - I will limit my life and end I will end up with attachment style issues. And this is where CBT and self help books are leading us to be - that we conform and become "normal" and neurotypical - so that we forfeit our intellect for the sake of exposing ourselves to toxic people and toxic ambient just for the sake of exposing. As if our emotions are the problem - and not toxic people who trigger our natural uncomfortable emotions inside us that feel scary to us and appear as sole problem to us and to CBT. Instead of feeling negative emotions - CBT instructs us to be scared of negative emotions and that we must invest our time, money and energy into curing and fixing our social anxiety. We need to change how we perceive and see social anxiety. The pain and hurt and negative emotions are stemming from the toxic people in power around us. Narcissists and psychopaths of any type. Cover or overt - they cause us to feel social anxiety. Social anxiety is simply a reflection a ripple effect - and toxic people are the ones who throw the rocks and who rock the boat. With CBT we end up blaming ourselves for feeling social anxiety. And we end up with CBT instructions to cure our thinking with ABC method - which ends up as deep toxic shame, where we are deeply ashamed and repulsed by our brain - for providing us with panic and overstimulation which we now pathologize. While in reality -these negative emotions are negative because they are pain signals - they are telling us that we are under attack - and that toxic people cause us to feel social anxiety pain - not our brain, not our thoughts, as CBT explains it to us. Without clear explanation what is going on when we feel social anxiety - we will end up with defective, unhealthy, dysfunctional, maladaptive coping mechanisms. And we did - as children - we had no insight into psychology, we had no ability to label toxic people as abnormal and mentally ill - and we ended up with self pathologizing ourselves - and CBT only confirms this childish Confirmation bias - that we are the sole problem with social anxiety. Even though the name itself hints that anxiety stems from the social element: social+anxiety. It is not called Self anxiety. Anxiety stems from the social factor: toxic people who are manipulative and controlling and who operate on antagonistic agenda of harming others via any means available to the psychopaths. Social anxiety stems from exposure to narcissistic abuse, ACE and ACoA. We were exposed to unhealthy adults in our developmental stage, age - when we were vulnerable and unable to form solid persona - since it was in its developmental stage. It is like first people in the history of the world exposed to attack from the future like aliens or Terminators. We were exposed to assault that our early persona identity could not handle as adult would. This means - we will develop narcissistic defenses like Honor. In order not to appear as coward - because in patriarchy society - someone who is calm and silent - is perceived as weird and abnormal, that something is wrong with their brain. So we will learn to be ashamed of who we are - once we did not received the safety and love and validation in childhood - we will feel responsible for not feeling safe around people. And we will try to cover it up - we will invent mask to appear better than our inferior damaged self. Social anxiety coaches over on you tube - claim that our sole problem with social anxiety is us being shy and silent - and that we must develop persona of super confidence in order to cure this social anxiety shyness. This cannot work - because problem is not our silence or lack of confidence. We are silent and without confidence - not because there is something broken inside us - but because we were programmed to act this way, to have autopilot of silence and unconfidence. We were exposed to operant conditioning to appear shy. We were punished when we expressed our true opinion, when we had needs, when we disagreed with someone - we were punished over and over again (negative and positive reinforcement). We were told that our job in life is to make others happy - by us being calm and without needs. This is not our fault. And it is not our abnormality. Our brain is working perfectly - it is simply following the input program coded by narcissists and psychopaths and untreated mentally ill people around us when we were children. Then with instructions to become "strong" we end up developing narcissistic mechanisms and tools how to handle other people - by us becoming cruel, and competitive and predatory. We may begin to see life as threat and as a game where only we can be the winners. Social anxiety is normal. Social anxiety is caused by mentally ill psychopaths around us in our formative years. This includes the bullies too who pushed us into full blown isolation and avoidance of social anxiety. Social anxiety fawning, inner critic and shaming makes inside us as outwardly external peacemakers and supply for psychopaths. And that is how we end up with models of wagons presented in the sketch of social anxiety analogy of the rollercoaster, and with rollercoaster tracks which cause us to be on Autopilot mode and in Repetition compulsion mode, going through social anxiety symptoms over and over again in the loop, created by more loops inside. Up next are Tracks in social anxiety - tracks found in rollercoaster. |
2024.06.03 03:22 SpltSecondPerfection I don't know what to do anymore
So, I just found this sub last night.
I've had mild anxiety as long as I can remember. Always been socially awkward and introverted, and I a handful of random anxiety attacks over the years. Nothing too serious, usually passing in just a few moments.
But something changed about a year and a half ago. I was working for a transport company (basically a taxi service for freight train railroad workers). Right after the train derailment in East Palestine last February. I drove thru East Palestine a few times a week for my job. About 2-3 days after the train derailed there I was sent down that way for work, I didn't want to go but I also didn't want to be unemployed and starve to death, lol.
That's when it started. Driving up the hill, 2 railroad workers in the back of my company minivan, and boom, severe panic. Felt disconnected from my body/mind, kinda like vertigo I would guess. The worst of the physical issues peaked and subsided rather quickly, but the feaparanoia stayed. My social awkwardness kept me from even mentioning it to the passengers in my van. I drove them to their drop off point and never said a word, just tried to "shake it off" but it wouldn't shake.
The next night I had to drive down to Pittsburgh (a little over and hour drive, routine for me at the time) and about halfway there it happened again, but worse and more prolonged. I remember being alone on a dark highway, and I began chanting to myself "you're OK, you're ok" but I wasn't. I pulled the work van over at a small building near the "no stop" turn pike scanners. There company/authority vehicle parked there. I walked over to see if anyone was in the car because I thought I may need someone to call emergency services for me, I had no idea what was happening. There was no one there. I paced on the side of the dark highway, poured my water bottle over my head, foced myself to vomit a few times. Eventually I felt "good enough" and knew I needed to get my work van moving again before someone started asking questions. I made the rest of the drive to the Pittsburgh area, barely holding on, running a cold wet rag over my face and head the whole way there (I think the sensory stimulation may have helped ground me just enough)
I picked up my passengers, not saying a word of my issues, and barely held on to get them to their dropoff point. Drove home still running a cold rag over my head and face to ground me enough to make it back.
I called off work the following 2 days because I was still feeling "lightheaded/disconnected". On the second day a manager and another worker and 2 police officers showed up at my door to retrieve the company van from me, effectively fir8ng me at the same time (guy was an asshole and didn't like that I didn't take his shit since he wasn't even technically my manager). The anxiety and physical issues continued for months, all the while I never said a word to anyone.
I got a new job in an area I was actually excited about. And before I knew it, I wasn't having the issues anymore, and it was great. Until about 2 months ago. Company decided to shut down several days a week, and my hours were drastically cut. About 3 weeks ago I had another episode, and it has been lingering ever since.
One of my biggest issue through all of this has been that I don't have medical insurance so I haven't even been able to see a doctor to tell me that it is indeed anxiety and not something wrong with my heart/brain. Which leads to more fear and paranoia. Everything I've experienced seems to fit perfectly with what others have described as anxiety/panic attacks, but not having that medical assurance and just having my own best guess that it is indeed just anxiety just doesn't help thing.
Now I need to find a new job to make money again, but I don't even know how I would make it through an interview lt alone actually starting new job without having a severe attack at the wrong time. Which also leads to even more stress and anxiety.
To be honest, this is the first time I've told anyone about all of this. And, it kinda felt good just writing it all out here.
Thankyou for coming to my TeD talk, lol
submitted by SpltSecondPerfection to Anxiety [link] [comments]
I've had mild anxiety as long as I can remember. Always been socially awkward and introverted, and I a handful of random anxiety attacks over the years. Nothing too serious, usually passing in just a few moments.
But something changed about a year and a half ago. I was working for a transport company (basically a taxi service for freight train railroad workers). Right after the train derailment in East Palestine last February. I drove thru East Palestine a few times a week for my job. About 2-3 days after the train derailed there I was sent down that way for work, I didn't want to go but I also didn't want to be unemployed and starve to death, lol.
That's when it started. Driving up the hill, 2 railroad workers in the back of my company minivan, and boom, severe panic. Felt disconnected from my body/mind, kinda like vertigo I would guess. The worst of the physical issues peaked and subsided rather quickly, but the feaparanoia stayed. My social awkwardness kept me from even mentioning it to the passengers in my van. I drove them to their drop off point and never said a word, just tried to "shake it off" but it wouldn't shake.
The next night I had to drive down to Pittsburgh (a little over and hour drive, routine for me at the time) and about halfway there it happened again, but worse and more prolonged. I remember being alone on a dark highway, and I began chanting to myself "you're OK, you're ok" but I wasn't. I pulled the work van over at a small building near the "no stop" turn pike scanners. There company/authority vehicle parked there. I walked over to see if anyone was in the car because I thought I may need someone to call emergency services for me, I had no idea what was happening. There was no one there. I paced on the side of the dark highway, poured my water bottle over my head, foced myself to vomit a few times. Eventually I felt "good enough" and knew I needed to get my work van moving again before someone started asking questions. I made the rest of the drive to the Pittsburgh area, barely holding on, running a cold wet rag over my face and head the whole way there (I think the sensory stimulation may have helped ground me just enough)
I picked up my passengers, not saying a word of my issues, and barely held on to get them to their dropoff point. Drove home still running a cold rag over my head and face to ground me enough to make it back.
I called off work the following 2 days because I was still feeling "lightheaded/disconnected". On the second day a manager and another worker and 2 police officers showed up at my door to retrieve the company van from me, effectively fir8ng me at the same time (guy was an asshole and didn't like that I didn't take his shit since he wasn't even technically my manager). The anxiety and physical issues continued for months, all the while I never said a word to anyone.
I got a new job in an area I was actually excited about. And before I knew it, I wasn't having the issues anymore, and it was great. Until about 2 months ago. Company decided to shut down several days a week, and my hours were drastically cut. About 3 weeks ago I had another episode, and it has been lingering ever since.
One of my biggest issue through all of this has been that I don't have medical insurance so I haven't even been able to see a doctor to tell me that it is indeed anxiety and not something wrong with my heart/brain. Which leads to more fear and paranoia. Everything I've experienced seems to fit perfectly with what others have described as anxiety/panic attacks, but not having that medical assurance and just having my own best guess that it is indeed just anxiety just doesn't help thing.
Now I need to find a new job to make money again, but I don't even know how I would make it through an interview lt alone actually starting new job without having a severe attack at the wrong time. Which also leads to even more stress and anxiety.
To be honest, this is the first time I've told anyone about all of this. And, it kinda felt good just writing it all out here.
Thankyou for coming to my TeD talk, lol
2024.06.03 00:18 MissDemeanor94 Advice needed on no contact
TW for SA mention, TLDR at the bottom.
So, I (29, Non-Binary) went NC with both NParents about 2.5 years ago. Long story short, they hijacked my vacation/work weekend, my wallet was stolen, they railroaded every attempt I made to make a report/find it, and when I asked for a discussion to address that I need to react to situations in my own way moving forward (because not being able to move independently hindered necessary results), my NM blew up at me and DARVO'd like her life depended on it. As a bonus, my NF stopped taking my calls even though he wasn't there for the blowout/confrontation (he likes to only take her side on issues because they're codependent AF).
This brings me to trying to navigate my other familial relationships in the time that has passed. I've accepted that my brother is resigned to his role and doesn't want to rip himself away from the comfort of his carefully constructed reality. We don't talk much, except on birthdays. My sister, after 6ish months, brought up on her own that she was aware I'd gone NC by asking me if that was still the case. She said she was just curious, and wasn't trying to pressure me into reconnecting, so I answered her question with no further details and left it at that.
In fact, details are hard to get into with both of my siblings because they are avoidant when it comes to facing the reality of what we went through, even though they both acknowledge that we're all messed up from how we were raised. Regardless, the big issue is, she likes to say things like, "everyone makes mistakes" when I mention certain abusive acts, or bids for control that our patents consider their bread and butter (meaning, they still do it if they can get away with it) in passing. It's incredibly dismissive and ignorant of the reality of BOTH of our experiences. A MISTAKE is her not knowing her (now EX-husband) SA'd me multiple times because he was manipulating the situation to his advantage at all times so she couldn't know (and I wasn't ready to say).
But our parents doing everything they can to exert power and control over their children at every turn isn't a mistake. It's a pathological pattern of behavior that they double down on all the time (as opposed to my sister being outraged and mortified when I finally did tell her what her ex was doing to me, which shows she never would have made the decision to enable him if all of the facts had been available to her). But if I bring things like this up, it can backfire in any number of ways. Outright dismissal ("You're taking this too seriously," "Nobody's perfect, you know..." "You're being too sensitive/dramatic," etc.), to blameshifting and placing me back into the scapegoat role ("You just ALWAYS have to find a problem with everything, don't you?" "YOU cause problems, too, but we don't cut you off!" "You're making me not want to talk to you because you always bring up drama," etc.). These aren't all from my sister, so much as a collaboration from different family members, but they all have the same vibe IMO.
TLDR- My sister says she understands I need space, understanding, and room to talk about our past with our parents, but doesn't actually give an opportunity for any of those things. It's starting to turn into a, "We all make mistakes" dialogue and I'm worried she'll start saying, "But they're you're parents!" as well. What are some good ways to communicate the issues with this at least once? Hopefully without forcing communication (it's not an effective way to talk with her), and without it being a huge novel to read (because, as you can see, those are my neurodivergent specialty). I'm willing to go NC if need be, but I'd rather not lose access to my niece, and I really want to give this a fair chance at communicating before giving up because I really value how we've been able to work on our relationship in literally EVERY other way since she got divorced and stopped living for her ex. TIA 🫶
submitted by MissDemeanor94 to raisedbynarcissists [link] [comments]
So, I (29, Non-Binary) went NC with both NParents about 2.5 years ago. Long story short, they hijacked my vacation/work weekend, my wallet was stolen, they railroaded every attempt I made to make a report/find it, and when I asked for a discussion to address that I need to react to situations in my own way moving forward (because not being able to move independently hindered necessary results), my NM blew up at me and DARVO'd like her life depended on it. As a bonus, my NF stopped taking my calls even though he wasn't there for the blowout/confrontation (he likes to only take her side on issues because they're codependent AF).
This brings me to trying to navigate my other familial relationships in the time that has passed. I've accepted that my brother is resigned to his role and doesn't want to rip himself away from the comfort of his carefully constructed reality. We don't talk much, except on birthdays. My sister, after 6ish months, brought up on her own that she was aware I'd gone NC by asking me if that was still the case. She said she was just curious, and wasn't trying to pressure me into reconnecting, so I answered her question with no further details and left it at that.
In fact, details are hard to get into with both of my siblings because they are avoidant when it comes to facing the reality of what we went through, even though they both acknowledge that we're all messed up from how we were raised. Regardless, the big issue is, she likes to say things like, "everyone makes mistakes" when I mention certain abusive acts, or bids for control that our patents consider their bread and butter (meaning, they still do it if they can get away with it) in passing. It's incredibly dismissive and ignorant of the reality of BOTH of our experiences. A MISTAKE is her not knowing her (now EX-husband) SA'd me multiple times because he was manipulating the situation to his advantage at all times so she couldn't know (and I wasn't ready to say).
But our parents doing everything they can to exert power and control over their children at every turn isn't a mistake. It's a pathological pattern of behavior that they double down on all the time (as opposed to my sister being outraged and mortified when I finally did tell her what her ex was doing to me, which shows she never would have made the decision to enable him if all of the facts had been available to her). But if I bring things like this up, it can backfire in any number of ways. Outright dismissal ("You're taking this too seriously," "Nobody's perfect, you know..." "You're being too sensitive/dramatic," etc.), to blameshifting and placing me back into the scapegoat role ("You just ALWAYS have to find a problem with everything, don't you?" "YOU cause problems, too, but we don't cut you off!" "You're making me not want to talk to you because you always bring up drama," etc.). These aren't all from my sister, so much as a collaboration from different family members, but they all have the same vibe IMO.
TLDR- My sister says she understands I need space, understanding, and room to talk about our past with our parents, but doesn't actually give an opportunity for any of those things. It's starting to turn into a, "We all make mistakes" dialogue and I'm worried she'll start saying, "But they're you're parents!" as well. What are some good ways to communicate the issues with this at least once? Hopefully without forcing communication (it's not an effective way to talk with her), and without it being a huge novel to read (because, as you can see, those are my neurodivergent specialty). I'm willing to go NC if need be, but I'd rather not lose access to my niece, and I really want to give this a fair chance at communicating before giving up because I really value how we've been able to work on our relationship in literally EVERY other way since she got divorced and stopped living for her ex. TIA 🫶
2024.06.02 05:50 _Mad_Maddy My Take on the Indigo Park Lore Part 3!
CONCLUSION
And finally, here’s the final part! If you have any thoughts, or any disagreements, comment down below! I’d love to discuss the game’s lore with you all!
At its heart, Indigo Park is a tragedy, one that would make both Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks proud. It starts off with the creator wanting nothing but good, but slowly devolves into a horrifying, downward spiral. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Isaac Indigo has a dream of bringing his imagination to life, for people everywhere. The beginning of the twentieth century began horrendously, World War 1 being the deadliest conflict at the time. Wanting to help everyone and bring at least a spark of joy into their lives, Isaac Indigo launches headfirst into the media of his choice: cartoons.
Indigo comes up with his first permanent Mascot, Lloydford L. Lion. A loud, booming, rambunctious character, Lloyd sought to be the spark of happiness that Indigo hoped he would be. Lloyd would the very best actor, showman, and orator. He’s arrogant, but not pompous. He’s loud, but not with ill will. He’s the beginning of the cast that Indigo envisions, a character whose sole purpose is to please the world. It’s not a surprise that Lloyd is an actor, after all. He seeks to distract the world from its woes, at least for a bit, and make everyone have a good time.
Indigo, emboldened by his sudden fame and success, proceeds to churn out four more individuals: Rambley the Raccoon, Mollie the Macaw, Salem the Skunk, and, eventually, Finley the Sea Serpent, though he comes in separate from the other three.
Rambley Raccoon, a quick thinking, sharp tongued, cheeky little gremlin, is an instant hit with the people, becoming the second most popular character out of the five. Mollie Macaw, a happy-go-lucky bird with a love for the open skies, acts as Rambley’s best friend, the two practically glued together. Together, alongside Lloyd, these three represent the ‘good guys’, a trio that want nothing but the best for the people.
However, every hero needs a villain, and thus, Salem the Skunk was born, a snappy, malevolent little critter that wished for the world to revolve around herself. She has a knack for potion making, a capable chemist who uses her concoctions to bend the wills of others to herself, only for herself.
Rambley and Salem end up becoming fated rivals, nemeses who dislike each other the most, out of every character that Indigo created. Using Salem, Indigo would spread the message of peace, of friendship and everlasting bonds that always triumph against evil, and Salem.
This continuity continues for a period of time, Indigo eventually adding one more character to his roster: the melancholy sea dragon, Finley. Finley’s main goal was to be the educator, to explain the natural world around people and share the fascinating and the beautiful, especially in regard to the ocean, a concept still so unexplored, while also trying to appeal to an older crowd alongside Lloyd.
However, poor Finley wouldn’t ever be that popular amongst his peers. Perhaps it was his gloomy, exhausted aura that pushed people away, or perhaps it was his towering, and frankly scary, size, or even maybe because he was deemed boring by the youngest, who were more keen on Rambley, the character that appealed to them the most. Even the other characters, whether Indigo intended for this or not, seemed a bit annoyed by Finley, and often left him to his devices.
And, for a while, Indigo’s plan succeeded. His popularity and notoriety only increased as time went on, gaining him influence, money, and prestige. His plans were working! He was making a difference, making smiles appear on the faces of people who would otherwise be swept away by the woes of the world!
Everything started to crumble, however, when yet another horrifying conflict arose: World War II. The Old World was thrown into chaos, Europe, Africa, and Asia becoming the bloodiest battleground in human history, surpassing even the Great War that came before it.
So, Indigo concocted a scheme, a way to raise the spirits of those he could currently help, his fellow Americans. Indigo Park was to be his magnus opus, his monument that would transcend his lifetime. Here, all of his creations would gather, all of them having their own attractions, bringing a level of access that had never yet been realized before. Costumed people would walk around during operational hours, bringing his characters into the real world to interact with those that needed refuge from the outside horrors.
However, while his park became a success, spearheaded by Lloyd the Lion, the very first, there was something that bothered Indigo. These costumed performers, while certainly a stroke of genius, underperformed. Besides that, they sometimes broke character, and destroyed the immersion of the guests, and were quite costly to keep around, alongside the engineers, the logistics division, and the Ranglers that helped run Indigo Park. Not to mention, the cost of custom costumes, of fabric and materials, rose higher and higher as quotas began to be placed and maintained in the USA, due to the resources it sent to its allies overseas, before eventually joining their allies in the fight against evil.
If he couldn’t simulate his characters, why not make them? Animals that would be living, breathing creatures that would merely need care, compassion, and basic necessities? Hiring a bunch of the best scientists, he gave them a special role: The Royal Ranglers, those that would be entrusted with this secret project.
Indigo, while a creative man, didn’t understand science as well as these individuals, and likely never would, but he would make them keep logs, records of their successes and failures, of their many experiments. And eventually, their labor paid off: One of each character, Mascots, came to life. They breathed air, had red blood flowing through their veins, were real, physical creatures, but also remained gentle with the guests. Once they were unveiled, there was no longer a need for costumed performers to roam around Indigo Park. They could also be trained to perform shows of their own, such as Finley and Lloyd, while the others could supervise their respective districts! It was a win win!
However, not everyone was so pleased with the results. The performers that once roamed the streets found themselves without jobs, only some kept around to care for the new Mascots, their betters, their replacements. And that made them furious. Why should these abominations, these stupid, ugly freaks replace them? Behind Indigo’s back, these disgruntled employees would begin their revenge slowly, minimally. Withholding a small amount of the supplies the Mascots needed, occasional cruel words. As time went on, this turned into a coping mechanism, the treatment of the Mascots progressing into physical violence, vile, cutting words on the regular basis.
Sometime before this Lloyd would end up giving up the title of main character to Rambley, who had gained immense popularity, even more than Lloyd himself. While it annoyed the proud Lloyd to be first mate, he would hand over the title graciously, partially because Rambley had always been jealous of Lloyd’s popularity and fame, and maybe, just maybe, this change would do them all good. Their abuse had been escalating, much worse than any thought possible. Salem was the only one to oppose this decision, thinking that it was all only to the benefit of Rambley. Mollie was the opposite, supportive of her best friend. And Finley … well, there was no way to consistently speak with the reptile. He was always kept in Oceanic Odyssey, far away from their cages underneath Jetsream Junction. And besides, none of the four particularly … liked Finley. Sure, Rambley had befriended the sea serpent, but that was done moreso to have some rapport and sway over the gentle giant, who was much too shy, like, ~obnoxiously~ ~shy.~ He was always so gloomy, so pessimistic, so willing to accept whatever came his way. No, Finley was definitely not an agent of change, but of pitiful complacence, locked away with his prized shell collection.
However, things did not improve at all. In fact, it only got worse. Tension between the Mascots was at an all time high, Rambley having become hurtful to even his best friend Mollie. He was still suspicious of Lloyd, convinced the lion would steal back his position as ringleader. Salem and Rambley, and thus with Mollie, also began to sour drastically. Salem was convinced that Rambley wasn’t doing anything to help the five. After all, he and Mollie practically abandoned Finley, someone who they claimed was a ‘friend’. Lloyd too became frustrated with the raccoon, Salem whispering in his ears, convincing him that Rambley had only pushed for Lloyd’s demotion to finally be the one above Lloyd, to have more power.
Mollie was soon caught in the crossfire of a particularly intense feud, Salem and Lloyd on one side, Rambley by himself on the other. Rambley, her best friend in the whole wide world. Rambley, that same friend who would sometimes be mean to Mollie for no apparent reason. However, no matter what Rambley had done to their relationship, it wasn’t Rambley’s fault. It was one time when Lloyd became particularly aggressive that Mollie had to finally end this.
The fault does not belong to Rambley! “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!”
And suddenly, it clicked for the Mascots. No matter how much some of the Mascots didn’t like each other, there was one person they all could agree to hate: Isaac Indigo. Their creator who had left the newborn animals to the mercy of vengeful, spiteful, horrible people who did nothing but spit upon and abuse the Mascots. It was decided that they would fight back. They would show those humans that they were not muzzled dogs, but barely contained predators.
The next time the Mascots were in the presence of these Ranglers, Lloyd finally snapped. It was a particularly brutal day, and Lloyd would suffer no longer. With a crippling roar, Lloyd launched himself at the Ranglers, the other Mascots following suit.
Isaac Indigo had walked into work expecting the day to be like usual, but it was to his horror that he learned of the Mascots attack upon their Ranglers. Calling a hasty evacuation, guests were shoved outside of the park with no explanation, no answers. Even the authorities would not be able to provide answers. No, they couldn’t learn of such a thing; it would ruin Isaac Indigo and all that he had worked for.
Temporarily, the entire park fell under the control of the Mascots, who were a bit shocked with how easy it was to win their freedom. However, their victory would not last. They all would suffer the consequences.
Lloyd was deemed the biggest threat to Indigo’s plans, so he had to be the one dealt with first. But how? The scientists that Indigo had hired came up with a plan; repurpose the Critter Cuffs to make a high enough pitch to incapacitate the lion, before locking him up for good in his theater. Alongside this, in order to better guarantee the safety of their people, a resuscitation feature had been added to potentially save an employee's life, if it came down to it.
Luring the beast to his stage area, the humans spring their trap, their Critter Cuffs wailing, racking Lloyd with so much pain that he couldn’t do anything but curl up into a ball. With the help of some engineers, they lock Lloyd in his own theater, a special clearance required to even access the area. This is where they toss most of the assets Indigo Park does not wish anyone see. Research papers, binders, notebooks, it’s all scattered here. And while here, Indigo decides to deal with Mollie Macaw as well.
Mollie is dangerous in that she knows planes and how to use them. They’re massive weapons, so, the way to disarm the bomb that is Mollie is to lock Jetstream Junction behind the Critter Cuffs, as well as a massive lock and key. The key itself would be stored at the very back of Lloyd’s theater, a place where only they would know to look. And once they seal the doors one final time, Mollie, Rambley, and Salem would have no access to it.
Finley would be left to his own devices; he’s contained in his attraction and as long as they don’t approach, they’ll be fine. The remaining Mascots can’t hide there forever either, and the humans know that. Even if Finley is a deterrent, the humans would eventually invent a way to deal with the serpent, who would be unwilling to resist for too long.
And thus, two Mascots were dealt with, one Mascot crippled. Only Salem and Rambley remained threats with their rides and arsenals, though Mollie is still dangerous with her sharp beak and claws.
After some time, Mascot Rambley and Salem decide to retreat further into Indigo Park, further away from the entrance. Their movements were too easy to track with that blasted Artificial Intelligence system watching through the bountiful cameras. Mollie, however, can’t bear to leave her home, her hangar. She tries to reason with the two others, but ultimately, no agreement can be reached. Salem and Rambley would withdrawn, and Mollie would come, if she wanted to.
Eventually, the two sneakiest Mascots, once sworn enemies, were now the only one the other could rely on. Now brother and sister, they tried their best to weather the storm, but were ultimately dealt with. Mollie, grief-stricken with the loss of her home and being abandoned by the ones she called friend, had no will to fight anymore.
This entire process took almost ten years, finally ending in 2015, while the park had been closed in 2006. Outside, people slowly forgot about the enigmatic end to the once beloved park, distracted by the rapid expansion of other sources of fun and media. Indigo, saddened by the fate of what he once thought of as his greatest achievement, didn’t have the heart to tear the place down. It was too dangerous, so he merely bribed the local authorities to close it off from curious onlookers. He would command the AI Rambley to have most of his files wiped concerning the fate of the park, wiping all data concerning the back and forth between humans and their experiments brought to life. He’d be restricted to the Registration Center, cut off from the actual park, and only present in one computer until Indigo found a way to salvage the situation. And that’s where Isaac Indigo left Indigo Park.
Mascot Mollie is left alone to wander the park, all her friends gone, missing. She stumbles into Rambley Railroad, the only place that she can see all her friends, before she stops at Salem’s exhibit. Eyes narrowing in hate, Mollie remembers that it was Salem that pushed and manipulated them all to fight back. If Salem hadn’t been there, none of this would have happened. This leads Mascot Mollie on a destructive rampage, wrecking the whole area as much as she could. She eventually stumbles upon an animatronic version of herself, which shocks her when it repeats Mollie’s own words, almost like snidely trying to hurt Mollie with her own words. “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!” Once again angered, Mascot Mollie pounds upon the robot until the lights fade from its painted eyes, slumped in a pile of metal rods and broken brick. From there, Mascot Mollie leaves, vowing to stay away from the place.
However, what Indigo did not account for was an urban explorer duo that made it their life mission to explore a wide variety of places. Laura and Ed made quite the dynamic duo, always exploring what they wanted, where they wanted, how they wanted. Though they trespassed and sometimes even burgled, they were never caught by the authorities, and their concealed presences on their channel was enough for the two to not be charged and arrested.
However, the two found themselves in a weird limbo. All of their newest explorations lacked a certain ‘oomph’, with even their viewers noticing the lack of excitement and passion of the two. So, Ed decides to set his sights on a big fish: Indigo Park.
Laura, his partner, is instantly worried by Ed’s choice. All the places they went to before were practically abandoned, the maximum they had to worry about were old motion detectors and an occasional camera or two. Indigo Park, however, would most likely be very secure, swarming with cops, even, so she tries to dissuade Ed, but Ed only becomes more pumped to break inside. Resigned, Laura promised assistance if Ed could find a way inside. Ed finally goes to this famed Indigo Park, home of so many of his treasured memories as a child, intent on having all of his personal questions answered.
It is to his surprise that the place is so easy to slip into. All he had to do was avoid the occasional patrol car, climb a fence, and viola, he was there. The entrance gates being locked up, however, was a bummer, but maybe the Registration Center would have some information. It would be even more of a shock to discover an AI Rambley, the same that Indigo had locked there.
AI Rambley would guide Ed, the first visitor in exactly eight years, inside, Ed collecting all sorts of goodies, such as plushies, ears, drinking containers, and even a vintage Rambley costume mask. However, Ed is disappointed by the way the AI practically ignores the state of disrepair Indigo Park has fallen into.
Lured by the sudden sound of Rambley speaking Mascot Mollie rushes over; Rambley came back for her! But it is to her horror that it’s merely a mockery of Mascot Rambley, that old AI speaking to a human! Mollie, wary and frightened of the implications of this, decides to merely follow cautiously.
Following the directions of the AI, Ed travels through Rambley Railroad, fixing the ride when in breaks in the wrecked zone of Salem the Skunk, her cutout and props left in broken pieces. It is during this ride that Ed senses he’s not alone, and notices Mollie Macaw stalking him. However, she’s not threatening in any way, so he leaves her be. Why antagonize this … Mascot? Person? Ed doesn’t know what to think of her, but maybe, if he’s careful, he won’t have to deal with her.
Ed is then directed to Jetsream Junction, but is disappointed to find it locked away, not only by Critter Cuff, but also by lock and key. The AI mentions a key in Lloyd’s theater, though, so he heads that way. What Ed does not expect to find is Mascot Lloyd himself, dozing on the stage. Quickly noticing Ed’s presence, however, Lloyd flees, remembering all too well of the danger that humans posed to him.
Unfortunately, Ed is left without AI Rambley’s presence, and Lloyd is slowly but surely pushed farther back into his domain. Lloyd at one point tries to attack, but the lion is clumsy. Though he can’t die of thirst or hunger, he still suffers from their effects, his body weak and dirty. Lloyd then leaves and lets this man do whatever he wants. Maybe if Lloyd hides in a corner, the scary human won’t come for him.
However, he is soon consumed by anger when he realizes that Ed takes the keys to Jetstream Junction. He can’t let this human escape, he might try to go and hurt Mollie! She’s probably locked in there like he’s locked in here!
Lloyd attacks, or tries to, at least. The accursed Critter Cuff wails, its high-pitched waves causing Lloyd to be paralyzed with pain. Once the sound stops, Lloyd runs away, his fears of torture reignited as he is subjected to pain he had not faced for almost twenty years.
Mascot Mollie, always lurking, heard the Critter Cuff go off, and she draws her conclusions well; Lloyd tried to fight the human, but was driven back, hurt and embarrassed in his own territory. From here, Mollie’s old, unresolved anger begins to build, following Ed as he opens up Jetstream Junction, much to her surprise. At first, she’s delighted. Finally, her old domain is open! She explores the place, running into Ed as they both take notice of one another. Perhaps she’ll let Ed go; he did do her a favor, after all.
But that notion is soon dissolved as she watched Ed run about the place like he owns it, Mollie’s anger mounting as he goes deeper into her home. Finally, she has enough. She attacks Ed, chasing him through the halls and tunnels Mollie so loves. Unfortunately, this final act turns out to be Mascot Mollie’s last. Just as she lunges for him, her head gets severed from her body by a metal door, her blood coating it and the surrounding environment bright red.
It is from here that AI Rambley is forced to acknowledge that this is not his familiar Indigo Park; it’s old and worn, the Mascots that once made people laugh now try to hunt them down. He forgets that they were abused because those files were wiped from him, and Mascot Mollie’s cries are very hard to discern as the echoes and Mascot Mollie’s own voice is ruined by age.
AI Rambley decides his best course of action is to enlist Ed’s help to repair the whole theme park. After all, he has all the information on how to go about it in his database, it just requires a physical body to do, something that the AI sorely lacks. And so, AI Rambley directs Ed toward the first place they need to kick back up: Oceanic Odyssey, home of the Mascot Finley. Perhaps this shy, reclusive sea snake won’t be trying to kill Ed.
On the way, though, Ed nearly stumbles upon the laboratories where the Mascots were made, so the AI makes sure to block that avenue. Ed was AI Rambley’s only hope of success, he wasn’t risking the man run away in terror from the sights and notes that likely were down there.
Ed finally reaches the Oceanic Odyssey attraction, pushing open the doors and following AI Rambley inside, catching a glimpse of a long, green, sea dragon in one of the aquariums …
END
Well, that’s about it! 12k words and 24 pages in, and I only covered the first chapter. Hoo boy …
I don’t think I need to reiterate that this is what I think happened, canonically. There will obviously be some wrong information due to the limited evidence I have to work with, and I intentionally remained vague during certain parts.
Despite that, I am very confident in a few ideas, such as the Mascot uprising, the weaponization of the Critter Cuff specifically against Lloyd the Lion, and the secret laboratories hidden behind that Royal Ranger Room area.
If you have any ideas of your own, let me know as well! I would love to theorize about some things that all of you think as well!
Also a huge shoutout and thank you to the creator of Indigo Park, Mason Myers, or UniqueGeese. The guy is insanely talented, considering this took him only one year to do. ONE! I can’t want to see the twists and turns he has to offer.
See you all later in Chapter 2! - Maddy
submitted by _Mad_Maddy to GameTheorists [link] [comments]
And finally, here’s the final part! If you have any thoughts, or any disagreements, comment down below! I’d love to discuss the game’s lore with you all!
At its heart, Indigo Park is a tragedy, one that would make both Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks proud. It starts off with the creator wanting nothing but good, but slowly devolves into a horrifying, downward spiral. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Isaac Indigo has a dream of bringing his imagination to life, for people everywhere. The beginning of the twentieth century began horrendously, World War 1 being the deadliest conflict at the time. Wanting to help everyone and bring at least a spark of joy into their lives, Isaac Indigo launches headfirst into the media of his choice: cartoons.
Indigo comes up with his first permanent Mascot, Lloydford L. Lion. A loud, booming, rambunctious character, Lloyd sought to be the spark of happiness that Indigo hoped he would be. Lloyd would the very best actor, showman, and orator. He’s arrogant, but not pompous. He’s loud, but not with ill will. He’s the beginning of the cast that Indigo envisions, a character whose sole purpose is to please the world. It’s not a surprise that Lloyd is an actor, after all. He seeks to distract the world from its woes, at least for a bit, and make everyone have a good time.
Indigo, emboldened by his sudden fame and success, proceeds to churn out four more individuals: Rambley the Raccoon, Mollie the Macaw, Salem the Skunk, and, eventually, Finley the Sea Serpent, though he comes in separate from the other three.
Rambley Raccoon, a quick thinking, sharp tongued, cheeky little gremlin, is an instant hit with the people, becoming the second most popular character out of the five. Mollie Macaw, a happy-go-lucky bird with a love for the open skies, acts as Rambley’s best friend, the two practically glued together. Together, alongside Lloyd, these three represent the ‘good guys’, a trio that want nothing but the best for the people.
However, every hero needs a villain, and thus, Salem the Skunk was born, a snappy, malevolent little critter that wished for the world to revolve around herself. She has a knack for potion making, a capable chemist who uses her concoctions to bend the wills of others to herself, only for herself.
Rambley and Salem end up becoming fated rivals, nemeses who dislike each other the most, out of every character that Indigo created. Using Salem, Indigo would spread the message of peace, of friendship and everlasting bonds that always triumph against evil, and Salem.
This continuity continues for a period of time, Indigo eventually adding one more character to his roster: the melancholy sea dragon, Finley. Finley’s main goal was to be the educator, to explain the natural world around people and share the fascinating and the beautiful, especially in regard to the ocean, a concept still so unexplored, while also trying to appeal to an older crowd alongside Lloyd.
However, poor Finley wouldn’t ever be that popular amongst his peers. Perhaps it was his gloomy, exhausted aura that pushed people away, or perhaps it was his towering, and frankly scary, size, or even maybe because he was deemed boring by the youngest, who were more keen on Rambley, the character that appealed to them the most. Even the other characters, whether Indigo intended for this or not, seemed a bit annoyed by Finley, and often left him to his devices.
And, for a while, Indigo’s plan succeeded. His popularity and notoriety only increased as time went on, gaining him influence, money, and prestige. His plans were working! He was making a difference, making smiles appear on the faces of people who would otherwise be swept away by the woes of the world!
Everything started to crumble, however, when yet another horrifying conflict arose: World War II. The Old World was thrown into chaos, Europe, Africa, and Asia becoming the bloodiest battleground in human history, surpassing even the Great War that came before it.
So, Indigo concocted a scheme, a way to raise the spirits of those he could currently help, his fellow Americans. Indigo Park was to be his magnus opus, his monument that would transcend his lifetime. Here, all of his creations would gather, all of them having their own attractions, bringing a level of access that had never yet been realized before. Costumed people would walk around during operational hours, bringing his characters into the real world to interact with those that needed refuge from the outside horrors.
However, while his park became a success, spearheaded by Lloyd the Lion, the very first, there was something that bothered Indigo. These costumed performers, while certainly a stroke of genius, underperformed. Besides that, they sometimes broke character, and destroyed the immersion of the guests, and were quite costly to keep around, alongside the engineers, the logistics division, and the Ranglers that helped run Indigo Park. Not to mention, the cost of custom costumes, of fabric and materials, rose higher and higher as quotas began to be placed and maintained in the USA, due to the resources it sent to its allies overseas, before eventually joining their allies in the fight against evil.
If he couldn’t simulate his characters, why not make them? Animals that would be living, breathing creatures that would merely need care, compassion, and basic necessities? Hiring a bunch of the best scientists, he gave them a special role: The Royal Ranglers, those that would be entrusted with this secret project.
Indigo, while a creative man, didn’t understand science as well as these individuals, and likely never would, but he would make them keep logs, records of their successes and failures, of their many experiments. And eventually, their labor paid off: One of each character, Mascots, came to life. They breathed air, had red blood flowing through their veins, were real, physical creatures, but also remained gentle with the guests. Once they were unveiled, there was no longer a need for costumed performers to roam around Indigo Park. They could also be trained to perform shows of their own, such as Finley and Lloyd, while the others could supervise their respective districts! It was a win win!
However, not everyone was so pleased with the results. The performers that once roamed the streets found themselves without jobs, only some kept around to care for the new Mascots, their betters, their replacements. And that made them furious. Why should these abominations, these stupid, ugly freaks replace them? Behind Indigo’s back, these disgruntled employees would begin their revenge slowly, minimally. Withholding a small amount of the supplies the Mascots needed, occasional cruel words. As time went on, this turned into a coping mechanism, the treatment of the Mascots progressing into physical violence, vile, cutting words on the regular basis.
Sometime before this Lloyd would end up giving up the title of main character to Rambley, who had gained immense popularity, even more than Lloyd himself. While it annoyed the proud Lloyd to be first mate, he would hand over the title graciously, partially because Rambley had always been jealous of Lloyd’s popularity and fame, and maybe, just maybe, this change would do them all good. Their abuse had been escalating, much worse than any thought possible. Salem was the only one to oppose this decision, thinking that it was all only to the benefit of Rambley. Mollie was the opposite, supportive of her best friend. And Finley … well, there was no way to consistently speak with the reptile. He was always kept in Oceanic Odyssey, far away from their cages underneath Jetsream Junction. And besides, none of the four particularly … liked Finley. Sure, Rambley had befriended the sea serpent, but that was done moreso to have some rapport and sway over the gentle giant, who was much too shy, like, ~obnoxiously~ ~shy.~ He was always so gloomy, so pessimistic, so willing to accept whatever came his way. No, Finley was definitely not an agent of change, but of pitiful complacence, locked away with his prized shell collection.
However, things did not improve at all. In fact, it only got worse. Tension between the Mascots was at an all time high, Rambley having become hurtful to even his best friend Mollie. He was still suspicious of Lloyd, convinced the lion would steal back his position as ringleader. Salem and Rambley, and thus with Mollie, also began to sour drastically. Salem was convinced that Rambley wasn’t doing anything to help the five. After all, he and Mollie practically abandoned Finley, someone who they claimed was a ‘friend’. Lloyd too became frustrated with the raccoon, Salem whispering in his ears, convincing him that Rambley had only pushed for Lloyd’s demotion to finally be the one above Lloyd, to have more power.
Mollie was soon caught in the crossfire of a particularly intense feud, Salem and Lloyd on one side, Rambley by himself on the other. Rambley, her best friend in the whole wide world. Rambley, that same friend who would sometimes be mean to Mollie for no apparent reason. However, no matter what Rambley had done to their relationship, it wasn’t Rambley’s fault. It was one time when Lloyd became particularly aggressive that Mollie had to finally end this.
The fault does not belong to Rambley! “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!”
And suddenly, it clicked for the Mascots. No matter how much some of the Mascots didn’t like each other, there was one person they all could agree to hate: Isaac Indigo. Their creator who had left the newborn animals to the mercy of vengeful, spiteful, horrible people who did nothing but spit upon and abuse the Mascots. It was decided that they would fight back. They would show those humans that they were not muzzled dogs, but barely contained predators.
The next time the Mascots were in the presence of these Ranglers, Lloyd finally snapped. It was a particularly brutal day, and Lloyd would suffer no longer. With a crippling roar, Lloyd launched himself at the Ranglers, the other Mascots following suit.
Isaac Indigo had walked into work expecting the day to be like usual, but it was to his horror that he learned of the Mascots attack upon their Ranglers. Calling a hasty evacuation, guests were shoved outside of the park with no explanation, no answers. Even the authorities would not be able to provide answers. No, they couldn’t learn of such a thing; it would ruin Isaac Indigo and all that he had worked for.
Temporarily, the entire park fell under the control of the Mascots, who were a bit shocked with how easy it was to win their freedom. However, their victory would not last. They all would suffer the consequences.
Lloyd was deemed the biggest threat to Indigo’s plans, so he had to be the one dealt with first. But how? The scientists that Indigo had hired came up with a plan; repurpose the Critter Cuffs to make a high enough pitch to incapacitate the lion, before locking him up for good in his theater. Alongside this, in order to better guarantee the safety of their people, a resuscitation feature had been added to potentially save an employee's life, if it came down to it.
Luring the beast to his stage area, the humans spring their trap, their Critter Cuffs wailing, racking Lloyd with so much pain that he couldn’t do anything but curl up into a ball. With the help of some engineers, they lock Lloyd in his own theater, a special clearance required to even access the area. This is where they toss most of the assets Indigo Park does not wish anyone see. Research papers, binders, notebooks, it’s all scattered here. And while here, Indigo decides to deal with Mollie Macaw as well.
Mollie is dangerous in that she knows planes and how to use them. They’re massive weapons, so, the way to disarm the bomb that is Mollie is to lock Jetstream Junction behind the Critter Cuffs, as well as a massive lock and key. The key itself would be stored at the very back of Lloyd’s theater, a place where only they would know to look. And once they seal the doors one final time, Mollie, Rambley, and Salem would have no access to it.
Finley would be left to his own devices; he’s contained in his attraction and as long as they don’t approach, they’ll be fine. The remaining Mascots can’t hide there forever either, and the humans know that. Even if Finley is a deterrent, the humans would eventually invent a way to deal with the serpent, who would be unwilling to resist for too long.
And thus, two Mascots were dealt with, one Mascot crippled. Only Salem and Rambley remained threats with their rides and arsenals, though Mollie is still dangerous with her sharp beak and claws.
After some time, Mascot Rambley and Salem decide to retreat further into Indigo Park, further away from the entrance. Their movements were too easy to track with that blasted Artificial Intelligence system watching through the bountiful cameras. Mollie, however, can’t bear to leave her home, her hangar. She tries to reason with the two others, but ultimately, no agreement can be reached. Salem and Rambley would withdrawn, and Mollie would come, if she wanted to.
Eventually, the two sneakiest Mascots, once sworn enemies, were now the only one the other could rely on. Now brother and sister, they tried their best to weather the storm, but were ultimately dealt with. Mollie, grief-stricken with the loss of her home and being abandoned by the ones she called friend, had no will to fight anymore.
This entire process took almost ten years, finally ending in 2015, while the park had been closed in 2006. Outside, people slowly forgot about the enigmatic end to the once beloved park, distracted by the rapid expansion of other sources of fun and media. Indigo, saddened by the fate of what he once thought of as his greatest achievement, didn’t have the heart to tear the place down. It was too dangerous, so he merely bribed the local authorities to close it off from curious onlookers. He would command the AI Rambley to have most of his files wiped concerning the fate of the park, wiping all data concerning the back and forth between humans and their experiments brought to life. He’d be restricted to the Registration Center, cut off from the actual park, and only present in one computer until Indigo found a way to salvage the situation. And that’s where Isaac Indigo left Indigo Park.
Mascot Mollie is left alone to wander the park, all her friends gone, missing. She stumbles into Rambley Railroad, the only place that she can see all her friends, before she stops at Salem’s exhibit. Eyes narrowing in hate, Mollie remembers that it was Salem that pushed and manipulated them all to fight back. If Salem hadn’t been there, none of this would have happened. This leads Mascot Mollie on a destructive rampage, wrecking the whole area as much as she could. She eventually stumbles upon an animatronic version of herself, which shocks her when it repeats Mollie’s own words, almost like snidely trying to hurt Mollie with her own words. “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!” Once again angered, Mascot Mollie pounds upon the robot until the lights fade from its painted eyes, slumped in a pile of metal rods and broken brick. From there, Mascot Mollie leaves, vowing to stay away from the place.
However, what Indigo did not account for was an urban explorer duo that made it their life mission to explore a wide variety of places. Laura and Ed made quite the dynamic duo, always exploring what they wanted, where they wanted, how they wanted. Though they trespassed and sometimes even burgled, they were never caught by the authorities, and their concealed presences on their channel was enough for the two to not be charged and arrested.
However, the two found themselves in a weird limbo. All of their newest explorations lacked a certain ‘oomph’, with even their viewers noticing the lack of excitement and passion of the two. So, Ed decides to set his sights on a big fish: Indigo Park.
Laura, his partner, is instantly worried by Ed’s choice. All the places they went to before were practically abandoned, the maximum they had to worry about were old motion detectors and an occasional camera or two. Indigo Park, however, would most likely be very secure, swarming with cops, even, so she tries to dissuade Ed, but Ed only becomes more pumped to break inside. Resigned, Laura promised assistance if Ed could find a way inside. Ed finally goes to this famed Indigo Park, home of so many of his treasured memories as a child, intent on having all of his personal questions answered.
It is to his surprise that the place is so easy to slip into. All he had to do was avoid the occasional patrol car, climb a fence, and viola, he was there. The entrance gates being locked up, however, was a bummer, but maybe the Registration Center would have some information. It would be even more of a shock to discover an AI Rambley, the same that Indigo had locked there.
AI Rambley would guide Ed, the first visitor in exactly eight years, inside, Ed collecting all sorts of goodies, such as plushies, ears, drinking containers, and even a vintage Rambley costume mask. However, Ed is disappointed by the way the AI practically ignores the state of disrepair Indigo Park has fallen into.
Lured by the sudden sound of Rambley speaking Mascot Mollie rushes over; Rambley came back for her! But it is to her horror that it’s merely a mockery of Mascot Rambley, that old AI speaking to a human! Mollie, wary and frightened of the implications of this, decides to merely follow cautiously.
Following the directions of the AI, Ed travels through Rambley Railroad, fixing the ride when in breaks in the wrecked zone of Salem the Skunk, her cutout and props left in broken pieces. It is during this ride that Ed senses he’s not alone, and notices Mollie Macaw stalking him. However, she’s not threatening in any way, so he leaves her be. Why antagonize this … Mascot? Person? Ed doesn’t know what to think of her, but maybe, if he’s careful, he won’t have to deal with her.
Ed is then directed to Jetsream Junction, but is disappointed to find it locked away, not only by Critter Cuff, but also by lock and key. The AI mentions a key in Lloyd’s theater, though, so he heads that way. What Ed does not expect to find is Mascot Lloyd himself, dozing on the stage. Quickly noticing Ed’s presence, however, Lloyd flees, remembering all too well of the danger that humans posed to him.
Unfortunately, Ed is left without AI Rambley’s presence, and Lloyd is slowly but surely pushed farther back into his domain. Lloyd at one point tries to attack, but the lion is clumsy. Though he can’t die of thirst or hunger, he still suffers from their effects, his body weak and dirty. Lloyd then leaves and lets this man do whatever he wants. Maybe if Lloyd hides in a corner, the scary human won’t come for him.
However, he is soon consumed by anger when he realizes that Ed takes the keys to Jetstream Junction. He can’t let this human escape, he might try to go and hurt Mollie! She’s probably locked in there like he’s locked in here!
Lloyd attacks, or tries to, at least. The accursed Critter Cuff wails, its high-pitched waves causing Lloyd to be paralyzed with pain. Once the sound stops, Lloyd runs away, his fears of torture reignited as he is subjected to pain he had not faced for almost twenty years.
Mascot Mollie, always lurking, heard the Critter Cuff go off, and she draws her conclusions well; Lloyd tried to fight the human, but was driven back, hurt and embarrassed in his own territory. From here, Mollie’s old, unresolved anger begins to build, following Ed as he opens up Jetstream Junction, much to her surprise. At first, she’s delighted. Finally, her old domain is open! She explores the place, running into Ed as they both take notice of one another. Perhaps she’ll let Ed go; he did do her a favor, after all.
But that notion is soon dissolved as she watched Ed run about the place like he owns it, Mollie’s anger mounting as he goes deeper into her home. Finally, she has enough. She attacks Ed, chasing him through the halls and tunnels Mollie so loves. Unfortunately, this final act turns out to be Mascot Mollie’s last. Just as she lunges for him, her head gets severed from her body by a metal door, her blood coating it and the surrounding environment bright red.
It is from here that AI Rambley is forced to acknowledge that this is not his familiar Indigo Park; it’s old and worn, the Mascots that once made people laugh now try to hunt them down. He forgets that they were abused because those files were wiped from him, and Mascot Mollie’s cries are very hard to discern as the echoes and Mascot Mollie’s own voice is ruined by age.
AI Rambley decides his best course of action is to enlist Ed’s help to repair the whole theme park. After all, he has all the information on how to go about it in his database, it just requires a physical body to do, something that the AI sorely lacks. And so, AI Rambley directs Ed toward the first place they need to kick back up: Oceanic Odyssey, home of the Mascot Finley. Perhaps this shy, reclusive sea snake won’t be trying to kill Ed.
On the way, though, Ed nearly stumbles upon the laboratories where the Mascots were made, so the AI makes sure to block that avenue. Ed was AI Rambley’s only hope of success, he wasn’t risking the man run away in terror from the sights and notes that likely were down there.
Ed finally reaches the Oceanic Odyssey attraction, pushing open the doors and following AI Rambley inside, catching a glimpse of a long, green, sea dragon in one of the aquariums …
END
Well, that’s about it! 12k words and 24 pages in, and I only covered the first chapter. Hoo boy …
I don’t think I need to reiterate that this is what I think happened, canonically. There will obviously be some wrong information due to the limited evidence I have to work with, and I intentionally remained vague during certain parts.
Despite that, I am very confident in a few ideas, such as the Mascot uprising, the weaponization of the Critter Cuff specifically against Lloyd the Lion, and the secret laboratories hidden behind that Royal Ranger Room area.
If you have any ideas of your own, let me know as well! I would love to theorize about some things that all of you think as well!
Also a huge shoutout and thank you to the creator of Indigo Park, Mason Myers, or UniqueGeese. The guy is insanely talented, considering this took him only one year to do. ONE! I can’t want to see the twists and turns he has to offer.
See you all later in Chapter 2! - Maddy
2024.06.01 22:52 Louis-Capet-XXVI Pine Valley / Pine Rd. Philadelphia, PA 19115 USA - House of Orleans
 | https://preview.redd.it/zjch56hnw04d1.jpg?width=2550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98d0733797746125238fc27127d7857d2013550c submitted by Louis-Capet-XXVI to u/Louis-Capet-XXVI [link] [comments] Wider than NYC, at 2.5 miles, built in the 1950's by the Royal Family.... This is a photo of my parents home. My mother's name is Arlene, and so also is the shape of the streets inside Philadelphia 19115. It also says, #Orleans if you switch the last two letters, the "NE" in Arlene to "AN" ...as in the #HouseofOrleans. It spans 2 miles, bigger than Central Park and wider than Manhattan, NYC. Starting at Pennypack Park on Pine Rd. at Kingsfield Rd and concluding at Red Line Road. My parents were the inaugural homeowners in the 1960s, the 1st owners. Within this neighborhood, the streets are named after distinguished military figures from England, spanning various eras from the American Revolution to World War II. Streets like Lockart, Darlington, Welsh, and Clinton allude to espionage and historical military significance. British Commander-in-Chief during the #Revolution Clinton Rd 19006 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clinton_(British_Army_officer,_born_1730)) Lockhart Rd & Place 19115 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Lockhart Darlington Rd. 19115 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Darling Welsh Rd. 19115 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Welsh_(East_India_Company_officer)) - - or - - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunt_Walsh Grant Ave 19115 - There's Ulysses S. Grant, and then the British have 7 different British Military leaders named Grant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Grant_(British_Army_officer)) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Keir_Grant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Grant_(colonial_administrator)) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Grant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Grant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Grant_(19th_century_British_Army_officer)) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Grant_(British_Army_officer,_born_1720)) Contrary to what one might assume, the street name is unrelated to Ulysses S. Grant and instead commemorates British military leaders. In the 1950's Grant Ave. was named and mostly completed, as prior it had many different names. Frankford Ave. aka The King's Highway was built by #King George II from 1682 to the late 1790's. http://kingshighwayfilm.com - Those dates were all before The American #Revolution and Civil War, so regardless of the construction date of Grant Ave, I would still say the name Grant Ave. has absolutely nothing at all to do with Ulysses S. Grant. We also have Portis Rd. which is a combination of 2 words = La Porte + Paris = Portis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaud_II_de_La_Porte - La Porte was named Intendant of the Civil List (Minister of the Royal Household) in December 1790 which gave him direct control of the large sums of #money that were considered the private wealth of the King of France and so not subject to public audit. Across the street from my home is Durand Road. Durand was the name of the fake ID they gave to the King of France during the #French Revolution when the King of #France and his family tried to escape with Barron Batz. See p24 hosted on the University of Chicago's website: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/ThayeE/GazetteePlaces/Europe/France/_Texts/CROROY/Fuite_de_Varennes*.html - More on Barron Batz can be found in your local library, or here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean,_Baron_de_Batz - Keep in mind, Louis XVI's grandfather Louis XIV had 30 children. When my parents moved in, the area was all farmlands. Directly across the street from us at 1855 Melmar Road 19006 was the country home of Nicholas Biddle w/ 33 Rooms, & 9 Bathrooms. Though, there was nothing in between us except empty fields, there house was about 1,000 feet away. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Biddle - He was the President of the Second Bank of the United States. It is now called the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. That's where everybody gets there monthly $600 social security checks from... and, there still located here very close to this zip code printing checks for the majority of #America. His original home is still there, but... In the 1980's, they turned his land into a development of multi-million dollar homes now called Biddle Estates. His brother, married a #Falcone girl, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Biddle_(Michigan_politician)) and members of their family built Drexel University and also Lippincott Medicine, who are book publishers, and also the name of the next street across from me, Lippincott Rd. 19006. A lot of the homes here go for over 1 million dollars. My house was right there in the middle, on Pine Road at the top the shape of the "L" that looks exactly like the Boston Red Sox logo. We're on the city line, so I'm inside #Philadelphia, but the homes on the other side of Pine are not. Were on very high elevation here. At the bottom of the hill is Huntingdon Valley aka Lower Moreland. Bryn Athyn, and #Hollywood, PA are at the top of the valley. On the other side of the valley, at the top of that hill, is Abington, PA. Coincidently, also the same place based on the TV show, The Goldbergs. Additionally, The Golden Girls which aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992 also talk about us in every episode, "Shady Pines" was the retirement home Rose burnt down... as in Shady Lane & Pine Rd located at Fox Chase Farm, and the World Headquarters for the Medical Mission Sisters, who bring justice and healing to women, children and men in 17 countries on five continents. Their 2nd office is in London. [www.medicalmissionsisters.org](www.medicalmissionsisters.org) They also speak frequently inside the United Nations. Previously, that property belonged to the oldest home in Pennsylvania, the Ury House, & it was located here. Built in 1640 it frequented visitors such as: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and even George Washington slept here. The school located on the grounds, has now relocated as the Valley Forge Military Academy. https://hiddencityphila.org/2017/10/ury-house-demo-in-the-1970s-erased-oldest-home-in-pa In addition, one of the 4 main actresses in the show, Blanch Devereaux, coincidently the United States DoD - Department of Defense is located on Devereaux St & Oxford Ave, about 10 minutes from here, as Pine Road changes names to Oxford Ave & Rising Sun Ave at a 5 points. This DoD site encompasses over 134 acres, in which its warehouse offices and other buildings amount to 2,250,000 square feet. The rap group N.W.A Music w/ Dr Dre sings about us in a lot of songs, in "Straight out of Compton" They say, "Until them dumb motherf*ckers see clearly, that I'm down with the Capital C-P-T" ...and, at the same time in the video, they keep showing a picture of map with areas marked out in red marker. (That's C-P-T as in #Capet, as in Louis Capet XVI) https://youtu.be/TMZi25Pq3T8?t=62 There's a lot going on here, too much for me to type on Facebook. ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children" with Kelly Ripa, which aired January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, is based in "Pine Valley" PA, a suburb of Philadelphia, the same name as my neighborhood, but in the soap opera, they are actually located on the other side of Philadelphia. https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2021/01/all-my-children-reboot-pine-valley-abc-kane-santos-family Get it? "All My Children" as how Louis XIV had 30 children. In 2023, the TV series "Pine Valley" aired as a prime time spin-off of the daytime drama soap opera “All My Children.” Their description reads as, "Set in a fictional Philadelphia suburb called Pine Valley, it delves into the dark and murderous history of the town." It also starred the same cast, Kelly Rippa & Susan Lucci again from "All My Children." https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13561428 Unrelated, but the first 10 years of "All My Children" ...The original recordings from the 1970's were destroyed in a fire. The highest elevation inside #Paris & oldest Military Base in #Paris is Montfaucon - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbet_of_Montfaucon now called the Parc des Buttes Chaumont - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_des_Buttes_Chaumont as in my name, Mont Faucon / Matt Falcone. The word Falcon in English translates to Faucon in French. Also, the City of MonFalcone in Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monfalcone Also, the City of Falcone, in Sicily. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcone,_Sicily Also, the Falcone International Airport in Italy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcone_Borsellino_Airport Billionaire Empire, The Falcone Group in the USA - https://falconegroup.info A different entity, Billionaire Empire, Phillip Falcone - with 20% ownership of the The New York Times - plus owner of 5,000 different Television Station Networks, and 5,000 Satellites in space, & 5,000 Satellite repeaters on land, such as the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles California. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Falcone - In addition he owned & controlled Harbinger Capital aka HRG Group which was created by former President George H. W. Bush Senior - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HRG\_Group#Glazer\_era\_and\_the\_birth\_of\_Harbinger\_Group\_Inc. In 2019, he sold one of his homes in NYC. It went for a record breaking most ever paid for a residential townhouse in New York City - https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/hedge-fund-founder-john-griffin-buys-most-expensive-nyc-townhome-1.1270334 and https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-07/hedge-fund-founder-john-griffin-buys-most-expensive-ny-townhouse 9643 pill (My address 9643 Pine Rd.) = Prochlorperazine is a phenothiazine (FEEN-oh-THYE-a-zeen) antipsychotic medicine that is used to treat #schizophrenia. It is supplied by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. https://www.drugs.com/mtm/prochlorperazine-oral-injection.html 9643 PILL IMPRINT - https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?imprint=9643&color=&shape=0 https://ruger.com/products/pcCarbine/specSheets/19115.html - - Ruger® PC Carbine™ Autoloading Rifle Model 19115 < - - - 19115 Royal Pine Litte Tree's Air Freshener's since 1952 - https://www.littletrees.com/fragrances/royal-pine On the east side of the words, in the "E" in Arlene, or the "N" in Orlean on the map of 19115, we have Geiger Road. A Geiger Counter is an instrument that measures radioactive levels. In the 1990's Lockheed Martin had a factory here on Geiger Road. They are a leading American aerospace and defense corporation, specializing in cutting-edge technology and solutions for air, land, sea, space, and cybersecurity challenges. [www.lockheedmartin.com](www.lockheedmartin.com) On Red Line Road, we had "The Budd Company" who specialized in manufacturing Railroad Cars. They were a 20th-century metal fabricator, a major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars, airframes, missile and space vehicles, and various defense products. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Company - During WW2, they switched production from rail cars to war heads & various Military Equipment. During their tenor, they left behind contaminated land, from PCB's oil leakage, and Radioactive Waste. Though, I had the radioactive reports 5 years ago before covid, which described the radioactivity levels, stretching as far south as Bustleton Road, via an underground creak, that crosses Red Line Rd just about 100ft north of Bustleton Ave, I do not have those links anymore, ...maybe on an old computer. I did recently find the reports where the NCR, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has terminated the license held by the Budd Company for another facility in Philadelphia, which may have occurred at both locations, as this location, which consisted of 75 acres was their main manufacturing facility, and the other may have been primarily used for offices, mailing address, and smaller manufacturing. https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0037/ML003702451.pdf - The Budd Company operated a hot cell facility in Philadelphia from l956 through l967 to manufacture sealed sources for use in industrial radiography. (A hot cell is a heavily shielded enclosure in which radioactive materials are handled by persons using remote manipulators, such as mechanical arms, and viewed through shielded windows or periscopes.) A small amount of unsealed cesium-137 was also used for a brief time at the facility. In addition, we also have Laramie Road. I always wondered what the meaning of Laramie meant, as I have seen roads all over the world with the same name, such as in Canada. The Laramie Mountains in Black Hills / Paha Sapa, USA was one of the largest Uranium mining sites in the USA. https://www.nuclear-risks.org/en/hibakusha-worldwide/black-hillspaha-sapa.html The Black Hills are considered a sacred place by the Lakota people and are representative of the entire four-state region of South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, where thousands of uranium mines or exploration wells are located. For more than 40 years, the local population has been exposed to the radioactive legacy of the former uranium rush. Behind my house at 9643 Pine Rd. inside Buckley Place, and also Buckley Terrace, Almatt Place, Almatt Terrace, Myers Circle, Mark Place, Johnathin Place, Kismet Place, etc... etc... and so on, whatever... we have various dead end streets, which the locals refer to as a "cul-de-sacs" as they strikingly resemble a cement covered missel silo's, aka launch sites, in which the process requires the cement cover to be blown off by explosives, so the missile underneath can launch intercontinentally. We also have, "Flagstaff Rd." ...Get it? Flag, like the American Flag & Staff. In the 1985 movie, Back to the Future, Marty Visits Hill Valley, as in Pine Valley / Huntingdon Valley - https://youtu.be/i9-4phPA_mQ?feature=shared Also, in Back to the Future, the Mall Scene where the Libyans arrive to get back their stolen Plutonium, the name of the mall is "Twin Pines" ...there is also a "Lone Pine" Mall in the movie. So, the Twin Pines Mall in the movie, is almost an exact replica of the Plymouth Meeting Mall, which is about 25 minutes away from Pine Rd. Though, the mall had a makeover in around the year 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfLPiMPAReU or here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AChCcVIJaCE Also, in Back to the Future, Marty's mom's name is Lorraine. As a play on words in French, "Reine" means "King" in France, So, Lorain would translate in French to King Louis, Lou, Lo. In the South Park SE 8 EP 1 2004 Paris Hilton inserts a Pine Apple up her vagina. Get it, Paris as in France, like how the streets here are shaped into the words: Arlene & Orlene, ....and, a Pine Apple like Pine Rd. https://youtu.be/HS5_opSMxDc?t=91 and/or https://southpark.cc.com/video-clips/n0cqud/south-park-the-whore-off https://youtu.be/XkvIlrLiy9o - The 1993 movie, the Coneheads as in Falcone, Fal-cone, in this clip, ...they say, "Were from France" and also their homes look identical to ours. In addition, as explained above + http://www.LaserLightShow.ORG as myself... also in the movie, plus many more: https://youtu.be/56XbBVUuwl4?feature=shared Eminem - Slim Shady like Shady Lane Road & Pine Rd. https://youtu.be/BBY4-BqR08o In the movie, Trading Places Movie with Eddie Murphey, that was filmed in Philadelphia, ....his name is Billy Ray Valentine, but, it sounds like Billy Revel on Pine, as in the French Revolution. Did you ever hear the saying, "We'll that's the word on the street?" or... "The word on the street is..." My parents were my best friends. I bought my 1st home in 2004, in the 19115, When they got old & sick, I had to move back in w/ them & keep my home vacant. We wanted to prevent them from going into a nursing home, and also having the nursing home take away their home. We had nurses, round the clock for 24 hours. I was not embarrassed living with my parents. I actually enjoyed it very much. We would eat dinner together every day. We never argued. My whole life I was never yelled at. They were a lot older than me, and as their age progressed, things became tough. I had to cook for them 3 meals a day, and do everything for them... because I didn't want to put them in a nursing home. One time, my vegan diet gave my father low iron, low hemoglobin (which requires a blood transfusion to fix immediately), it makes you weak, and you can't move.... So, I had to sleep on the floor next to him for a month. I didn't know about the Nutrition Tracking Meal Diary Cell Phone Free App called [www.cronometer.com](www.cronometer.com) at that time. I miss them very much, and think about them all the time. My father was a prominent Book Publisher, similar to myself also a publisher. He was the VP at Ruttle, Shaw & Wetherill. One of their notable works that they published was the Merck Manual Professional // Merck Manual Consumer, an indispensable resource for medical professionals; it was the most popular reference guide for Medical Professionals, on how to treat hospital patients. It's what Hospitals used before the internet & computers. My mother worked at Orleans Technical College & also the School District of Philadelphia as a part time substitute #teacher, and hemy friends worked in operations. They also owned a printing company specializing in medical forms. They both retired around 1990. I think this is the best home in #America. I don't care about those big homes in California or Florida nor Donald Trump's home in Key Largo.... I don't think his home is better than mine. I only mention that b/c I hear it in the news every day for the past 5 years... but, maybe that's why the Donald Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia in New Jersey is located in a city, with the same name as mine, Pine Hill / Pine Valley. Here, we have the Fox Chase Farm, it's 117 acres, 1 hour walk to loop it. The only homes or Cities that might even come close, might be Dubai, United Arab Emirates - World Islands, or Dubai Palm Island ....but, we did this in the 1950's, and they just started. WhatOnEarth"l'état, c'est moi"Capet XXI (My Grandmother's Maiden Last Name) http://www.LouisXXVI.com 🔴🔴🔴🔴 ⚡ Louis XVI & The American Revolution Louis XVI's financial support to the United States during the American Revolutionary War primarily came in the form of loans and supplies. The financial assistance was crucial for the American colonists in their fight against British rule. Here are the details of how the money was distributed: Financial Agreements: In February 1778, France and the United States signed the Treaty of Alliance, formally allying France with the American colonists. As part of this agreement, France pledged its support, including financial aid, to the United States. Loans: France provided substantial loans to the United States to fund their war efforts. The most significant loan came in 1778 when the French government arranged a loan of 2 million livres (a French currency) from the French banking house of Le Couteulx et Cie. This initial loan was followed by additional loans, including a total of 10 million livres in 1779 and 24 million livres in 1780. Supplies and Military Aid: In addition to financial assistance, France also provided military supplies and aid to the American colonists. The French Navy played a crucial role in the war by assisting in naval blockades and engaging in key battles, such as the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, which was a decisive victory for the Americans. The French military support included troops, warships, weapons, and ammunition. Benjamin Franklin's Role: Benjamin Franklin, the American envoy to France, played a significant role in negotiating and securing French support. He worked closely with the French government to secure financial aid and other resources for the American cause. Franklin's diplomacy and influence were instrumental in obtaining French assistance. Distribution of Funds: The funds received from France were primarily managed by the Continental Congress, the governing body of the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. Congress used the funds to pay for various war-related expenses, such as purchasing supplies, equipping troops, and maintaining military operations. Some funds were also used to pay off existing debts. It is important to note that while Louis XVI and France's support was crucial for the American cause, the financial aid alone did not guarantee victory in the war. The American colonists faced numerous challenges throughout the conflict, and the outcome of the war was determined by a combination of factors, including military strategy, perseverance, and the support of other nations such as Spain and the Netherlands. 🔴🔴🔴🔴 ⚡ Family Relationships of France & England Louis XVI's wife, Marie Antoinette, and King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte, were sisters-in-law as they both came from the House of Habsburg-Lorraine through their mother, Maria Theresa. This made Louis XVI and King George III brothers-in-law by marriage. In addition, there were also related by blood by former ancestors. The British and French royal families have a long history of intermarriage, resulting in blood connections between the two dynasties. Here are some key relationships that link the British and French royal families: The House of Stuart and the House of Bourbon: One significant connection between the two royal families was through the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, a member of the Stuart dynasty, to Francis II of France, who belonged to the House of Valois-Bourbon. Their son, James VI of Scotland (later James I of England and Ireland), became the first monarch of the Stuart dynasty to rule over England and Scotland, effectively uniting the crowns from 1567 to 1625. The House of Hanover and the House of Bourbon: The Hanoverian dynasty in Britain began with the accession of George I in 1714. The Hanoverians were related to the French Bourbon dynasty through Sophia of Hanover, whose mother was Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI and I. Sophia's uncle, Charles I of England and Scotland, married Henrietta Maria of France, a member of the House of Bourbon. Therefore, there was a blood connection between the Hanoverians and Bourbons through the Stuart lineage. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the House of Orléans: In the 19th century, the British royal family, known as the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later renamed the House of Windsor), had a connection to the French royal family through Queen Victoria. In 1840, Victoria married Prince Albert, who was a member of the German noble House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Their daughter, Princess Victoria, married Prince Louis of Battenberg, whose mother was a member of the House of Orléans, a branch of the French royal family. Edward III and Isabella of France: Edward III of England, who reigned from 1327 to 1377, was married to Philippa of Hainault. However, a significant blood connection between the British and French royal families came through Edward III's mother, Isabella of France. Isabella was the daughter of King Philip IV of France, making Edward III a grandson of a French king. These are only a few examples of how the British and French royal families were related. While these connections highlight the historical ties between the British, The Royal Family, and French royal families, it is important to note that they represent a small portion of the complex web of intermarriages among European royal houses throughout history. The relationships between the two dynasties were often influenced by political considerations, diplomatic alliances, and the desire to strengthen familial connections among European monarchies. Matt Falcone - http://LouisXXVI.com |
2024.06.01 04:41 Sweet-Count2557 Best Weekend Getaways in West Virginia
 | Best Weekend Getaways in West Virginia Looking for the ultimate weekend escape in West Virginia? Look no further, folks! We've got the lowdown on the greatest getaways in the state that are bound to leave you speechless.From the quaint charm of Berkeley Springs, where you can soak in mineral water springs and immerse yourself in the vibrant art scene, to the historical wonders of Harpers Ferry, where you can explore museums and trek through the national historical park, we've got it all.So, join us as we embark on an adventure through the very best weekend getaways in the Mountain State. Let's hit the road, shall we?Key TakeawaysBerkeley Springs is known for its mineral water springs, art, historic architecture, and rejuvenating spas.Harpers Ferry offers a unique blend of history, outdoor activities, and scenic beauty at the confluence of Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers.Martinsburg is a Shenandoah Valley city with historical districts, attractions, outdoor activities, and a vibrant nightlife.West Virginia offers a variety of outdoor adventures and natural beauty, including the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Snowshoe ski resort, Blackwater Falls State Park, and Seneca Rocks.Berkeley Springs: A Relaxing RetreatBerkeley Springs offers a relaxing retreat with its mineral water springs, historic architecture, and rejuvenating spas. Nestled in the picturesque West Virginia countryside, this charming town is the perfect destination for weekend getaways in West Virginia.One of the main attractions in Berkeley Springs is its mineral water springs. Known for their healing properties, these natural springs have attracted visitors for centuries. Take a dip in the warm waters and feel your worries melt away. The soothing effect of the springs is truly rejuvenating, leaving you feeling refreshed and revitalized.In addition to the mineral water springs, Berkeley Springs is also home to a wealth of historic architecture. Take a stroll through the town and admire the beautiful buildings that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The streets are lined with charming shops, art galleries, and restaurants, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore and discover the town's rich history.For those seeking ultimate relaxation, Berkeley Springs is home to several world-class spas. Indulge in luxurious treatments and massages that will leave you feeling pampered from head to toe. Whether you prefer a traditional Swedish massage or a unique mineral water bath, the spas in Berkeley Springs have something for everyone.Harpers Ferry: A Historic AdventureLet's embark on a historic adventure in Harpers Ferry, nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. This charming town is a haven for history enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers alike.Here are five reasons why Harpers Ferry should be on your weekend getaway list:Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: Immerse yourself in the rich history of this town by exploring the national park. Hike along the trails, climb the hills, and picnic by the rivers. The park offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and is a perfect spot for outdoor activities.Scenic Beauty: The confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers creates a picturesque setting that will leave you in awe. Take a leisurely stroll along the riverside and soak in the natural beauty that surrounds you. Capture the perfect Instagram-worthy shots against the backdrop of the rolling hills and sparkling waters.Accommodations: Whether you prefer camping under the stars, staying at a cozy inn, or relaxing at a luxurious resort, Harpers Ferry has a variety of accommodations to suit every traveler's needs. Unwind after a day of exploring in a comfortable and welcoming setting.Museums and Exhibits: Dive deeper into Harpers Ferry's history by visiting the various museums and exhibits scattered throughout the town. Learn about the town's role in the Civil War and the famous John Brown's raid. Discover artifacts and stories that bring the past to life.Historic Buildings: Wander through the streets of Harpers Ferry and marvel at the well-preserved historic buildings. From quaint houses to restored storefronts, each structure tells a tale of the town's storied past. Don't forget to explore the bookshops and galleries that showcase local art and literature.Harpers Ferry promises an unforgettable experience filled with history, natural beauty, and adventure. So pack your bags and get ready to explore this hidden gem in West Virginia. Freedom awaits in Harpers Ferry!Martinsburg: Discovering Shenandoah ValleyWe can't wait to explore the historical districts, houses, and neighborhoods of Martinsburg, a charming city nestled in the Shenandoah Valley. With its rich history and vibrant culture, Martinsburg offers a myriad of activities and attractions for visitors seeking a weekend getaway.One of the highlights of Martinsburg is its historical districts, which are filled with beautifully preserved buildings and architectural gems. Strolling through the streets, you can't help but be captivated by the charm and character of the historic houses. From Victorian mansions to quaint cottages, each structure tells a story of the city's past.In addition to the historical districts, Martinsburg also boasts a variety of intriguing neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own unique character, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of the locals. Whether you're wandering through tree-lined streets or exploring the vibrant downtown area, you'll find a sense of community and warmth in every corner.Beyond the historical districts and neighborhoods, Martinsburg is home to several notable attractions. The Martinsburg Roadhouse is a must-visit for music enthusiasts, offering live performances and a vibrant atmosphere. The Belle Boyd House, a museum dedicated to the Civil War spy, provides insight into the city's role in this tumultuous period of American history. The Martinsburg Roundhouse, an impressive railroad structure, showcases the city's industrial heritage.For those seeking outdoor adventures, the Yankauer Nature Preserve is a perfect destination. With its picturesque trails and scenic vistas, the preserve offers opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, and wildlife spotting. After a day of exploration, you can unwind and indulge in the local cuisine at one of Martinsburg's many restaurants.As we bid farewell to Martinsburg, we eagerly anticipate our next adventure at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, where thrilling experiences and natural beauty await.New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: Thrills and Natural BeautyAs we venture into the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, we're greeted with a thrilling combination of outdoor activities and breathtaking natural beauty. This destination is a must-visit for those seeking an exhilarating experience in the midst of West Virginia's majestic landscapes.Here are five reasons why the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve should be at the top of your travel list:Whitewater Rafting: Get your adrenaline pumping as you navigate the rapids of the New River. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rafter, there are options for everyone to enjoy this heart-pounding adventure.Hiking and Biking: Lace up your hiking boots or hop on a bike to explore the park's numerous trails. From scenic overlooks to hidden waterfalls, there's something for every nature enthusiast to discover.Rock Climbing: Test your skills and conquer the towering sandstone cliffs that make the New River Gorge famous among rock climbers. With over 1,400 routes, this is a playground for thrill-seekers.Wildlife Viewing: Keep your eyes peeled for the diverse array of wildlife that calls this park home. From bald eagles soaring above to black bears roaming the forests, there's always a chance to encounter the wonders of nature.Camping: Immerse yourself in the beauty of the park by spending a night under the stars. With several campgrounds to choose from, you can fully embrace the freedom of the great outdoors.As we bid farewell to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, our hearts are filled with the memories of adventure and the awe-inspiring landscapes we've encountered. But our journey doesn't end here. Next, we'll explore another remarkable destination in West Virginia: The Greenbrier, where luxury and recreation await in the mountains.The Greenbrier: Luxury and Recreation in the MountainsOur journey continues as we explore the luxurious and recreational offerings of The Greenbrier in the picturesque mountains of West Virginia. Nestled amidst lush green gardens, The Greenbrier is a sprawling resort that offers a perfect blend of luxury and outdoor adventure. Whether you're seeking relaxation or excitement, this resort has something for everyone.One of the highlights of The Greenbrier is its world-class golf courses. With five championship courses to choose from, golf enthusiasts can indulge in their favorite sport while enjoying the stunning mountain views. Tennis lovers can also test their skills at the resort's tennis stadium, which features state-of-the-art facilities.For those seeking ultimate relaxation, The Greenbrier's signature spa services are sure to rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul. From soothing massages to invigorating facials, the spa offers a wide range of treatments designed to pamper and revitalize.Accommodations at The Greenbrier are equally luxurious, with options ranging from elegant rooms and suites to estate homes and legacy cottages. Each accommodation is designed with comfort and style in mind, offering a peaceful retreat after a day of adventure.Speaking of adventure, The Greenbrier offers a plethora of activities to keep guests entertained. Thrill-seekers can test their skills at the climbing wall or embark on a canopy tour, while nature lovers can explore the resort's hiking and biking trails. Fishing enthusiasts can also enjoy a day of angling in the nearby rivers and streams.To provide a better understanding of the luxurious and recreational offerings of The Greenbrier, the following table highlights some of the key features:FeaturesHighlightsGolf CoursesFive championship courses with stunning mountain viewsTennis StadiumState-of-the-art facilities for tennis enthusiastsSignature SpaWide range of treatments for ultimate relaxationAccommodationsElegant rooms, suites, estate homes, and legacy cottagesActivitiesClimbing, canopy tours, hiking, biking, and fishingAt The Greenbrier, you have the freedom to indulge in luxury, explore the great outdoors, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you're seeking tranquility or adventure, this resort offers the perfect escape in the mountains of West Virginia.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat Are Some Recommended Hiking Trails in Berkeley Springs?Some recommended hiking trails in Berkeley Springs include:The Cacapon Resort State Park trails, which offer scenic views and varying difficulty levels.The Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area also has beautiful trails to explore, with opportunities for bird watching and wildlife observation.The Tuscarora Trail is another option, offering a longer and more challenging hike with stunning vistas.Whether you're a beginner or an experienced hiker, Berkeley Springs has trails that cater to all levels of outdoor enthusiasts.Are There Any Guided Tours Available in Harpers Ferry?Yes, there are guided tours available in Harpers Ferry! Explore the historic town and its popular attractions with knowledgeable guides leading the way.Discover the rich history and natural beauty of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park while hiking, climbing, biking, or picnicking.Immerse yourself in the stories of the past as you visit museums, exhibits, bookshops, and historic buildings.With campgrounds, resorts, hotels, inns, and lodges available, you can enjoy a memorable weekend getaway in Harpers Ferry.What Are the Top-Rated Restaurants in Martinsburg?There are several top-rated restaurants in Martinsburg that you should check out. From delicious local cuisine to international flavors, there's something for everyone.Some popular options include:Martinsburg Roadhouse, known for its mouthwatering burgersBelle Boyd House, where you can enjoy a fine dining experience in a historic settingDon't forget to visit the Martinsburg Roundhouse for a unique dining experience.With its diverse culinary scene, Martinsburg is sure to satisfy your taste buds.Can You Go Whitewater Rafting in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve?Yes, you can definitely go whitewater rafting in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve! It's a must-visit destination for adventure seekers in West Virginia.The park offers thrilling opportunities for whitewater rafting, boating, kayaking, and fishing on the New River.In addition to water activities, you can also enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, climbing, and picnicking in the park.Don't forget to explore attractions like Trump-Lily Farm, Richmond Hamilton Farm, Grandview Area Trails, and Sandstone Brooks Area Trails while you're there!Are There Any Family-Friendly Activities or Amenities at the Greenbrier?Yes, there are plenty of family-friendly activities and amenities at The Greenbrier.The sprawling resort offers a range of accommodations, including rooms, suites, estate homes, and legacy cottages.Kids can enjoy climbing, canopy tours, aerial adventures, and biking, while the whole family can partake in activities such as hiking and fishing.The resort also has golf courses, a tennis stadium, and a signature spa for adults to unwind.With its beautiful gardens and diverse offerings, The Greenbrier is a perfect destination for a family getaway.ConclusionAs we come to the end of our journey through the best weekend getaways in West Virginia, we hope you have been inspired to explore this beautiful state.From the serene retreat of Berkeley Springs to the thrilling adventures of the New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia offers a diverse range of experiences.So pack your bags, embrace the mountains, and let West Virginia weave its magic around you like a warm and comforting blanket on a chilly evening.Happy travels! submitted by Sweet-Count2557 to worldkidstravel [link] [comments] |
2024.05.31 21:20 Future_Ad_3485 To Catch a Fallen Feather Part Thirty-Three: A Cartoon of Misfortune and Cruelty
Nyx:
Standing outside the bouncing bubble of a dimension, cheery music had me scratching the back of my head. This adventure was going to be a hoot, my presence was the sole one around. Everyone had an excuse today, a bitter wave of hurt dimming my eyes. Plucking my blade from my back, a strong hand grabbed my shoulder. Deerthos waved down at me, his eager grin causing relief to wash over me. Happy to see him, a hearty laugh tumbled from his lips.
“Did you need a little help today?” He inquired with another big smile, a sharpened antler bouncing off of his fur robes. “How about it, my dear pal?” Chuckling to myself, he spoke the word dear. Confusion twisted his features, my humor going over his head. Shaking off the small bit of hurt at the missed joke, we stepped through. Groaning bitterly to myself, the black and white scene of a nineteen twenties cartoon greeted me. Trees and animals bounced up and down while singing, Deerthos’ energy matching my own sea of pure annoyance. A piano played a villain’s song that sounded like we were tied to the railroad tracks. The animals ran away from the incoming storm clouds, the dust threatening to choke us. The villain music picked up, the trees twisting into evil monsters. His chances of surviving the first attack was slim, the energy picking up. Pushing Deerthos away, a bunch of dynamite landed by my feet. Stomping my boot on the inky ground, an ice wall protected me from the blast. Apologizing as I helped him up, immortality wasn’t on his side. Dragging him into the black hole inches from us, hot air lashed at my cheeks as we whistled into a giant vat of black ink. Deerthos tossed me over the edge, ink splattering against a white wall the moment my face met a hard white surface. Whipping the ink off of me, the cartoon effects were aiding me for the first time. Deerthos landed next to me, a quick shake resulting in him being clean. Staring up at the ceiling, hand drawn gears clicked and groaned. Glancing back at each other with matching wicked grins, the antler spun in his palm. Tossing it into the biggest one, a blast of ice began to grind the rest to a stop. Nodding his head towards a ladder in the opposite corner, our footfalls echoed towards the only way up. Scurrying up the rungs, the cartoon had been put on pause. Hiding behind a thickest tree, a sleazy cartoon styled demon lurked with noises to announce his presence. His slicked back oily hair glittered in the light of a bomb, his big cartoon eyes circling around in a creepy way. Staring down at my ruby lace summer dress, the pop of color seemed foreign in this world of black and white. Ink grazed my fingertips, the liquid dripping from the smooth tree. Soaking my dress in the ink, a wave of relief washed over me at the inky goo soaking into the light material. Digging at the grass underneath me, curiosity twinkled in my eyes at the grass flaking away instead of the usual tearing noises. Tapping my blade against my leg, something had to give. Fishing around my pocket, my genuine smile lingered on my face as I lent him my spare dagger. The bone dagger looked right in his palm, the carved wooden hand had the mark of his people.
“Your grandfather passed this onto me. The weapon never quite liked me. Something tells me that it loves you.” I urged with another friendly smile, tears splashing onto my palm. “Forgive me for changing its composition but I infused my feather into the blade. The darn thing should be as tough as you.” Nudging my shoulders, his presence reminded me of an old friend. Whistling in a pinstripe suit, his sinister grin met my defeated scowl. Throwing his bomb in my direction, Deerthos punched the bomb back in his direction. Mumbling a quick drats, the word boom popped up. Floating into the sky, a thin line of ash stuck out of his pants. Sucking in a steady flow of souls, our eyes traced the line to a cage of living humans dangling over a boiling river of lava. Dramatic music drummed to life, his elastic arms snapping into place. How do we destroy the indestructible? Tapping my foot incessantly while thinking, a metallic noise had me grinning ear to ear. Judging by the water sloshing around what seemed like a water tower. Ink washed away with one drop, my brow cocking. Mouthing the words water tower, his wink confirmed our plan. Crashing towards the newly formed body, our punches slid through his body. Falling flat on our faces, attacking him would be pointless. Burying my fingers into the lush grass, ice crept out from underneath my palm. Devouring everything in sight, Deerthos brute strength would help me out. Bouncing up to us in his cartoon form, the ice had made his realm brittle. Rolling over to face that bastard, a silver dagger glinted in his hand. Aiming it for my heart, my boot smashing into the hilt sent him flying back.
“Now!” I shouted over his steady stream of curse words, Deerthos slamming his dagger into the weakest point. Ominous cracks had his arm curling around my waist, his strong arms taking him with me the moment he leapt into the air. His dimension melted into the water sloshing around in the water tower, Deerthos and I catching the remaining survivors. Summoning a slide of ice, our steady hands pushed themselves onto the pine needle riddled forest floor. A ball of black energy burst from the busted water tower, feathers drifting aimlessly the moment I opened up my wings. Pushing off the edge, a chilly breeze nipped at my cheeks. Shock rounded my eyes at Emberon smashing into me, his hands curling around the base of my wings. A tortured wail burst from my lips the moment he ripped them out, the two of us zooming towards the dirt. His flames whisked him away, panic twisting my features. Angling my blade for the dirt, the vibration of the tip sinking into the dirt had me flipping off the hilt. Cursing under my breath, my weapon was too far from me. Sniffing the air, ash confirmed the sulfuric scent of Emberon. Smashing his knee into my back, a fountain of blood exploded from my lips as every organ burst. The cracking of my spine made the moment that much worse, Deerthos catching me on his arm. My blade bounced off his robe, my head shaking at him placing me in front of a tree gingerly. Shoving a vial of his type of medicine into my mouth, a cloud of dirt obscured him running away. Biting down hard enough to shatter the glass, the sweet liquid coated my throat on the way down. Everything doubled, my antlered friend taking the hits with ease. Spirits of his ancestors floated around him, strengthening his every blow. Horror rounded my eyes at a spot opening up, Master Scarston moving him out of the way. Taking the stab to the heart, his broken smile met mine before blood dripped down the corner of his lips.
“Consider this payment for your services, Nyx. The table is yours to command.” He wheezed, raising his scythe over his head. “Make me proud.” Violent sobs wracked my useless body, what remained of the demon floated by my head. Grabbing it with my hands, my ice ate the ball until it shattered into pieces. A limp Mr. Scarston rolled up next to me, his body decaying to jet black butterflies. Fluttering into the sky, the abrupt jolt of my body healing had me crying out in both physical and emotional agony. Bones clicked back into place while my organs weaved themselves back together, the final second allowing me to pop to my feet. A blizzard roared to life, midnight black snow dancing furiously with my increasing rage. My irises darkened to the shade of the darkest night, Deerthos knowing to get out of the way. Charging at him with increased speed, a smug surprise rounded Emberon's eyes at my kick knocking him through a couple of trees.
“How dare you!” I roared brokenly, every teardrop freezing. “Time for you to pay, you rotten bastard!” A wave of his flames headed towards me, terror rounding his eyes at the lack of results. Freezing his next waves, his boots crunched backwards. Raising my foot over my head, inky blood poured from my eyes, ears and nose. Slamming my heel into the ice, spikes impaled him. Struggling to escape, his claws dug into the thickening ice. Marching up to him with a snarl, my claws extended from my fingernails. Digging them into his eyes, his claws shredded my arm. Collapsing onto my ass, his flames whisked him away. The snow lightened to the pure ivory it once was, my blood painted the icy wasteland with every coughing fit. Fresh tears mixed with the blood, the ice catching my forehead. Weeping into the ice, the howling winds covered my endless bout of screams. Sensing Deerthos, his hand rubbed my back. The ice melted in the morning sun, the mud painting my face. Deerthos scooped me up, his arms carrying back into the safety of his territory. The beauty of his world seemed like nothing with what I saw, his steady hands sitting me underneath a hidden waterfall. Chilly water washed away my sins of that day, the corner of my lips quivering. Washing the mud out of my hair, his next words had me staring oddly in his direction.
“I vow to serve you as my master.” He promised with a sad smile, an infinity mark appearing on his palm. “Seeing you lose someone woke me up to the bigger mission at hand. Rest easy knowing that I will never die.” Massaging a natural shampoo in my hair, my eyes darted over to the glistening water. Parting my lips to protest, his head shook with a confident smile.
“I want this. You need me and I need you. Consider it our own special bond.” He chirped cheerfully, looking hopefully in the sky. “He told me to protect you with my life and I always want to be by your side in your war. Your war is mine.” A fresh scent washed away the brimstone tainted death, the rush of the water stealing me into a rough slumber.
Stirring awake in a hotel room, the setting was familiar. Deerthos offered me a ruby Victorian style dress, his tired smile speaking of all that he had done for me. His mouth moved, the words not hitting my ears. Helping me to my feet, his nimble hands peeled off the fur robes he placed over my shoulder. Dropping the modernized style of a dress over my head, the hem floated around my knees. Fussing with the bell sleeves, silent tears dripped off his skull. Spinning around to face him, my thumbs wiped away his tears. Reading his thoughts, the others kicked him out. Shoving him away, his life was destroyed because of me. Why did I do that!
“Sorry.” I blurted out while clenching my fists, the tears never ending. “It’s all my fault your life is ruined.” Waving my concern away, the bed groaned in protest the moment he sat down. Patting the bed, my shaky legs didn’t give me a choice. Please don’t hate me. Never hate me, I pleaded dejectedly to myself.
“The king thing wasn’t my gig. The truth is that I chose you before I became immortal. My cousin took over in my stead.” He admitted with an honest smile, his hands crossing on his lap. “My father told me to follow my heart and I did. You have my loyalty.” Resting my head on his shoulder, the door burst open. Salem skidded in, his nice black suit matching my dress perfectly. Stumbling to my feet, his arms caught me. Burying my head into his shoulder, his loving embrace was all that I needed at that moment. Kissing the top of my head, a bit of warmth returned to my soul. Comforting me with more kisses, he knew what brought me back to life. Lifting up my chin with his finger, his lips pressed against mine tenderly. Getting lost in the moment, the pain slapped me in the face as he released me from his spell.
“You have to keep it together to greet your council.” He encouraged me sweetly, his thumbs wiping away my tears. “Make his sacrifice worth every second of it. I love you, Nyx.” Stepping back, I slid my feet into my boots. I thought I gave him immortality, Madame Maria finding her way in with a broken smile. Someone looked seconds from bursting with a confession, the primary question haunting my mind.
“He drew that mark on his palm whenever he met with you. It never stuck. I suppose death can’t have immortality.” She wept openly, fussing with her onyx suit. “You tried but I told him to tell you. Please don’t be mad.” Opening up my arms, her hair brushed against my cheek in her desperate embrace. Soaking my shoulders with her emotions, God chose to take a friend away from me. Too broken to be infuriated with him, a sad smile haunted my lips. Hiding that secret from me was simply like him, his spirit floating in the corner giving me pause. Asking everyone to leave, no one protested. Walking over to him, I placed my hands on my hips. Fighting a fresh wave of tears, his shoulders shrugged casually. Death should never be this casual, I sighed to myself.
“I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.” He admitted with tears staining his cheeks, his icy hands cupping my shoulder. “Sorry but I wanted you to be happy and you looked so happy when you saw it. Color painted his pale cheeks, his hand ruffling my hair. A bright light glowed above him, so many questions rested on the tip of my tongue.
“I love you.” I choked out through a wall of tears, his hands cupping my cheeks. “You could have said something and I would have protected you with everything I had.” Kissing my forehead, immortality was something he never wanted. Burying me in one of his bear hugs, his chin rested on my head. Could you never let me go? My heart knew that he would move on the moment he released me.
“I made a deal with God a long time ago. I did my time and now I get to get reborn into a nice life.” He chuckled with his tears soaking the top of my head. “Thanks for everything. Remember kiddo, this isn’t goodbye but another way to see you later.” Floating into the bright light, a numbness came over my face. Moving through the motions of walking through the twisted halls with my support by my side, the others rose to their feet at the sight of me. Bowing in my direction, I took my seat at the head of the table. A scythe necklace waited for me, Maria dropping it over my head. Rising to my feet, they commanded my full respect. Gathering my wits, he left the council to me. Speak like a damn leader.
“Regret haunts me with the fact that Master Scarston died.” I spoke shakily, death glares snapping in my direction. Shouting endless rants in my direction, every breath grew shorter. Leaning onto the table, none of this was fair. Too much loss followed me, the room began to spin around me. Slapping Maria’s hands away, the complaints were hitting me all at once. Ice crept out from underneath my feet, spikes creaking to life around them.
“Shut up! Shut up!” I barked hotly, watching frozen tears shatter onto the table. “He came out of nowhere and took a deadly strike for my friend. That wasn’t my decision and you should know that. Listen to me and listen to me well. I vow to protect you guys with all I have. Our team will always be there for you if monster problems come up. Let’s get to business.” Sinking into my seat, they slid their files over to me. Confused as to what to do, Maria guided me through the paperwork. Swiping their checks, she placed her own on top of the pile.
“We pay our dues to run this operation.” She whispered discreetly, playing with my hair. “Keep up the good work. Their respect lies with you.” Standing straight up, Deerthos stepped up to my left shoulder. Zoning in and out of the meeting, Salem took notes behind me. Rising to their feet with me, they bowed on their way out. Shifting my attention towards Maria, my hands took her. Sniffing the air, a busted smile lingered on her lips.
“Many apologies for your loss, my dear friend.” I apologized for the thousandth time, my palm pressing against her flat stomach. “All isn’t lost. You have a lovely little bat in you. I promise to be there to protect you both with my life. I have to go before I lose my shit.” Turning to leave, her fingers curled around my wrist. Yanking me close to her, mixed emotions had her trembling in front of me. Calm down, friends secrets would always be locked away in my mind
“Don’t tell another soul about this.” She pleaded with the smile I bore when Salem died, my arms burying her into a bear hug. Soaking my shoulder with her emotions, her hands caught the blood soaking my back. Stumbling back with a look of terror and motherly concern, her shaking hands lowered the top of my dress. Rubbing her palms along the bloody nubs, her next question threw me off. How embarrassing for her to see such a filthy mess?
“Does this sting?” She inquired honestly, her tears slowing to a stop. “Do they grow back?” Smiling back at her with the strongest smile I could muster, she had nothing to worry about. The sweetness in her tenderness left me wishing for Scarston’s gentleness all over again. Fighting back the tears, the silence between us was strenuous. Scarston had found himself in my living room quite a bit, his presence brightening the house.
“They grow back. I have a potion at home. If it means anything, I would have traded my wings for his survival.” I sighed tiredly, pulling the top of my dress back up. “If I could rewind time, I would have smashed into him. The information is yours to work through.” Clicking out of the conference room, we would have to meet at the mansion next time. Wishing that I could fly away, I lingered by the window. Sitting on the ledge, my feet dangled freely. Salem embraced me from behind, his chin resting on the top of my head.
“If you could fly, the sky would be yours.” He promised sweetly, sitting down next to me. “Is this what it looks like all the way up here?” A warm breeze blew our hair back, his hand cupping mine. Leaning my head on his shoulder, true beauty could be seen in the sky. Touching the stars was like nothing else, abrupt sobs wracked my body. As dark as it may seem, the flames of hope dwindled down to a small flicker.
submitted by Future_Ad_3485 to NaturesTemper [link] [comments]
Standing outside the bouncing bubble of a dimension, cheery music had me scratching the back of my head. This adventure was going to be a hoot, my presence was the sole one around. Everyone had an excuse today, a bitter wave of hurt dimming my eyes. Plucking my blade from my back, a strong hand grabbed my shoulder. Deerthos waved down at me, his eager grin causing relief to wash over me. Happy to see him, a hearty laugh tumbled from his lips.
“Did you need a little help today?” He inquired with another big smile, a sharpened antler bouncing off of his fur robes. “How about it, my dear pal?” Chuckling to myself, he spoke the word dear. Confusion twisted his features, my humor going over his head. Shaking off the small bit of hurt at the missed joke, we stepped through. Groaning bitterly to myself, the black and white scene of a nineteen twenties cartoon greeted me. Trees and animals bounced up and down while singing, Deerthos’ energy matching my own sea of pure annoyance. A piano played a villain’s song that sounded like we were tied to the railroad tracks. The animals ran away from the incoming storm clouds, the dust threatening to choke us. The villain music picked up, the trees twisting into evil monsters. His chances of surviving the first attack was slim, the energy picking up. Pushing Deerthos away, a bunch of dynamite landed by my feet. Stomping my boot on the inky ground, an ice wall protected me from the blast. Apologizing as I helped him up, immortality wasn’t on his side. Dragging him into the black hole inches from us, hot air lashed at my cheeks as we whistled into a giant vat of black ink. Deerthos tossed me over the edge, ink splattering against a white wall the moment my face met a hard white surface. Whipping the ink off of me, the cartoon effects were aiding me for the first time. Deerthos landed next to me, a quick shake resulting in him being clean. Staring up at the ceiling, hand drawn gears clicked and groaned. Glancing back at each other with matching wicked grins, the antler spun in his palm. Tossing it into the biggest one, a blast of ice began to grind the rest to a stop. Nodding his head towards a ladder in the opposite corner, our footfalls echoed towards the only way up. Scurrying up the rungs, the cartoon had been put on pause. Hiding behind a thickest tree, a sleazy cartoon styled demon lurked with noises to announce his presence. His slicked back oily hair glittered in the light of a bomb, his big cartoon eyes circling around in a creepy way. Staring down at my ruby lace summer dress, the pop of color seemed foreign in this world of black and white. Ink grazed my fingertips, the liquid dripping from the smooth tree. Soaking my dress in the ink, a wave of relief washed over me at the inky goo soaking into the light material. Digging at the grass underneath me, curiosity twinkled in my eyes at the grass flaking away instead of the usual tearing noises. Tapping my blade against my leg, something had to give. Fishing around my pocket, my genuine smile lingered on my face as I lent him my spare dagger. The bone dagger looked right in his palm, the carved wooden hand had the mark of his people.
“Your grandfather passed this onto me. The weapon never quite liked me. Something tells me that it loves you.” I urged with another friendly smile, tears splashing onto my palm. “Forgive me for changing its composition but I infused my feather into the blade. The darn thing should be as tough as you.” Nudging my shoulders, his presence reminded me of an old friend. Whistling in a pinstripe suit, his sinister grin met my defeated scowl. Throwing his bomb in my direction, Deerthos punched the bomb back in his direction. Mumbling a quick drats, the word boom popped up. Floating into the sky, a thin line of ash stuck out of his pants. Sucking in a steady flow of souls, our eyes traced the line to a cage of living humans dangling over a boiling river of lava. Dramatic music drummed to life, his elastic arms snapping into place. How do we destroy the indestructible? Tapping my foot incessantly while thinking, a metallic noise had me grinning ear to ear. Judging by the water sloshing around what seemed like a water tower. Ink washed away with one drop, my brow cocking. Mouthing the words water tower, his wink confirmed our plan. Crashing towards the newly formed body, our punches slid through his body. Falling flat on our faces, attacking him would be pointless. Burying my fingers into the lush grass, ice crept out from underneath my palm. Devouring everything in sight, Deerthos brute strength would help me out. Bouncing up to us in his cartoon form, the ice had made his realm brittle. Rolling over to face that bastard, a silver dagger glinted in his hand. Aiming it for my heart, my boot smashing into the hilt sent him flying back.
“Now!” I shouted over his steady stream of curse words, Deerthos slamming his dagger into the weakest point. Ominous cracks had his arm curling around my waist, his strong arms taking him with me the moment he leapt into the air. His dimension melted into the water sloshing around in the water tower, Deerthos and I catching the remaining survivors. Summoning a slide of ice, our steady hands pushed themselves onto the pine needle riddled forest floor. A ball of black energy burst from the busted water tower, feathers drifting aimlessly the moment I opened up my wings. Pushing off the edge, a chilly breeze nipped at my cheeks. Shock rounded my eyes at Emberon smashing into me, his hands curling around the base of my wings. A tortured wail burst from my lips the moment he ripped them out, the two of us zooming towards the dirt. His flames whisked him away, panic twisting my features. Angling my blade for the dirt, the vibration of the tip sinking into the dirt had me flipping off the hilt. Cursing under my breath, my weapon was too far from me. Sniffing the air, ash confirmed the sulfuric scent of Emberon. Smashing his knee into my back, a fountain of blood exploded from my lips as every organ burst. The cracking of my spine made the moment that much worse, Deerthos catching me on his arm. My blade bounced off his robe, my head shaking at him placing me in front of a tree gingerly. Shoving a vial of his type of medicine into my mouth, a cloud of dirt obscured him running away. Biting down hard enough to shatter the glass, the sweet liquid coated my throat on the way down. Everything doubled, my antlered friend taking the hits with ease. Spirits of his ancestors floated around him, strengthening his every blow. Horror rounded my eyes at a spot opening up, Master Scarston moving him out of the way. Taking the stab to the heart, his broken smile met mine before blood dripped down the corner of his lips.
“Consider this payment for your services, Nyx. The table is yours to command.” He wheezed, raising his scythe over his head. “Make me proud.” Violent sobs wracked my useless body, what remained of the demon floated by my head. Grabbing it with my hands, my ice ate the ball until it shattered into pieces. A limp Mr. Scarston rolled up next to me, his body decaying to jet black butterflies. Fluttering into the sky, the abrupt jolt of my body healing had me crying out in both physical and emotional agony. Bones clicked back into place while my organs weaved themselves back together, the final second allowing me to pop to my feet. A blizzard roared to life, midnight black snow dancing furiously with my increasing rage. My irises darkened to the shade of the darkest night, Deerthos knowing to get out of the way. Charging at him with increased speed, a smug surprise rounded Emberon's eyes at my kick knocking him through a couple of trees.
“How dare you!” I roared brokenly, every teardrop freezing. “Time for you to pay, you rotten bastard!” A wave of his flames headed towards me, terror rounding his eyes at the lack of results. Freezing his next waves, his boots crunched backwards. Raising my foot over my head, inky blood poured from my eyes, ears and nose. Slamming my heel into the ice, spikes impaled him. Struggling to escape, his claws dug into the thickening ice. Marching up to him with a snarl, my claws extended from my fingernails. Digging them into his eyes, his claws shredded my arm. Collapsing onto my ass, his flames whisked him away. The snow lightened to the pure ivory it once was, my blood painted the icy wasteland with every coughing fit. Fresh tears mixed with the blood, the ice catching my forehead. Weeping into the ice, the howling winds covered my endless bout of screams. Sensing Deerthos, his hand rubbed my back. The ice melted in the morning sun, the mud painting my face. Deerthos scooped me up, his arms carrying back into the safety of his territory. The beauty of his world seemed like nothing with what I saw, his steady hands sitting me underneath a hidden waterfall. Chilly water washed away my sins of that day, the corner of my lips quivering. Washing the mud out of my hair, his next words had me staring oddly in his direction.
“I vow to serve you as my master.” He promised with a sad smile, an infinity mark appearing on his palm. “Seeing you lose someone woke me up to the bigger mission at hand. Rest easy knowing that I will never die.” Massaging a natural shampoo in my hair, my eyes darted over to the glistening water. Parting my lips to protest, his head shook with a confident smile.
“I want this. You need me and I need you. Consider it our own special bond.” He chirped cheerfully, looking hopefully in the sky. “He told me to protect you with my life and I always want to be by your side in your war. Your war is mine.” A fresh scent washed away the brimstone tainted death, the rush of the water stealing me into a rough slumber.
Stirring awake in a hotel room, the setting was familiar. Deerthos offered me a ruby Victorian style dress, his tired smile speaking of all that he had done for me. His mouth moved, the words not hitting my ears. Helping me to my feet, his nimble hands peeled off the fur robes he placed over my shoulder. Dropping the modernized style of a dress over my head, the hem floated around my knees. Fussing with the bell sleeves, silent tears dripped off his skull. Spinning around to face him, my thumbs wiped away his tears. Reading his thoughts, the others kicked him out. Shoving him away, his life was destroyed because of me. Why did I do that!
“Sorry.” I blurted out while clenching my fists, the tears never ending. “It’s all my fault your life is ruined.” Waving my concern away, the bed groaned in protest the moment he sat down. Patting the bed, my shaky legs didn’t give me a choice. Please don’t hate me. Never hate me, I pleaded dejectedly to myself.
“The king thing wasn’t my gig. The truth is that I chose you before I became immortal. My cousin took over in my stead.” He admitted with an honest smile, his hands crossing on his lap. “My father told me to follow my heart and I did. You have my loyalty.” Resting my head on his shoulder, the door burst open. Salem skidded in, his nice black suit matching my dress perfectly. Stumbling to my feet, his arms caught me. Burying my head into his shoulder, his loving embrace was all that I needed at that moment. Kissing the top of my head, a bit of warmth returned to my soul. Comforting me with more kisses, he knew what brought me back to life. Lifting up my chin with his finger, his lips pressed against mine tenderly. Getting lost in the moment, the pain slapped me in the face as he released me from his spell.
“You have to keep it together to greet your council.” He encouraged me sweetly, his thumbs wiping away my tears. “Make his sacrifice worth every second of it. I love you, Nyx.” Stepping back, I slid my feet into my boots. I thought I gave him immortality, Madame Maria finding her way in with a broken smile. Someone looked seconds from bursting with a confession, the primary question haunting my mind.
“He drew that mark on his palm whenever he met with you. It never stuck. I suppose death can’t have immortality.” She wept openly, fussing with her onyx suit. “You tried but I told him to tell you. Please don’t be mad.” Opening up my arms, her hair brushed against my cheek in her desperate embrace. Soaking my shoulders with her emotions, God chose to take a friend away from me. Too broken to be infuriated with him, a sad smile haunted my lips. Hiding that secret from me was simply like him, his spirit floating in the corner giving me pause. Asking everyone to leave, no one protested. Walking over to him, I placed my hands on my hips. Fighting a fresh wave of tears, his shoulders shrugged casually. Death should never be this casual, I sighed to myself.
“I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.” He admitted with tears staining his cheeks, his icy hands cupping my shoulder. “Sorry but I wanted you to be happy and you looked so happy when you saw it. Color painted his pale cheeks, his hand ruffling my hair. A bright light glowed above him, so many questions rested on the tip of my tongue.
“I love you.” I choked out through a wall of tears, his hands cupping my cheeks. “You could have said something and I would have protected you with everything I had.” Kissing my forehead, immortality was something he never wanted. Burying me in one of his bear hugs, his chin rested on my head. Could you never let me go? My heart knew that he would move on the moment he released me.
“I made a deal with God a long time ago. I did my time and now I get to get reborn into a nice life.” He chuckled with his tears soaking the top of my head. “Thanks for everything. Remember kiddo, this isn’t goodbye but another way to see you later.” Floating into the bright light, a numbness came over my face. Moving through the motions of walking through the twisted halls with my support by my side, the others rose to their feet at the sight of me. Bowing in my direction, I took my seat at the head of the table. A scythe necklace waited for me, Maria dropping it over my head. Rising to my feet, they commanded my full respect. Gathering my wits, he left the council to me. Speak like a damn leader.
“Regret haunts me with the fact that Master Scarston died.” I spoke shakily, death glares snapping in my direction. Shouting endless rants in my direction, every breath grew shorter. Leaning onto the table, none of this was fair. Too much loss followed me, the room began to spin around me. Slapping Maria’s hands away, the complaints were hitting me all at once. Ice crept out from underneath my feet, spikes creaking to life around them.
“Shut up! Shut up!” I barked hotly, watching frozen tears shatter onto the table. “He came out of nowhere and took a deadly strike for my friend. That wasn’t my decision and you should know that. Listen to me and listen to me well. I vow to protect you guys with all I have. Our team will always be there for you if monster problems come up. Let’s get to business.” Sinking into my seat, they slid their files over to me. Confused as to what to do, Maria guided me through the paperwork. Swiping their checks, she placed her own on top of the pile.
“We pay our dues to run this operation.” She whispered discreetly, playing with my hair. “Keep up the good work. Their respect lies with you.” Standing straight up, Deerthos stepped up to my left shoulder. Zoning in and out of the meeting, Salem took notes behind me. Rising to their feet with me, they bowed on their way out. Shifting my attention towards Maria, my hands took her. Sniffing the air, a busted smile lingered on her lips.
“Many apologies for your loss, my dear friend.” I apologized for the thousandth time, my palm pressing against her flat stomach. “All isn’t lost. You have a lovely little bat in you. I promise to be there to protect you both with my life. I have to go before I lose my shit.” Turning to leave, her fingers curled around my wrist. Yanking me close to her, mixed emotions had her trembling in front of me. Calm down, friends secrets would always be locked away in my mind
“Don’t tell another soul about this.” She pleaded with the smile I bore when Salem died, my arms burying her into a bear hug. Soaking my shoulder with her emotions, her hands caught the blood soaking my back. Stumbling back with a look of terror and motherly concern, her shaking hands lowered the top of my dress. Rubbing her palms along the bloody nubs, her next question threw me off. How embarrassing for her to see such a filthy mess?
“Does this sting?” She inquired honestly, her tears slowing to a stop. “Do they grow back?” Smiling back at her with the strongest smile I could muster, she had nothing to worry about. The sweetness in her tenderness left me wishing for Scarston’s gentleness all over again. Fighting back the tears, the silence between us was strenuous. Scarston had found himself in my living room quite a bit, his presence brightening the house.
“They grow back. I have a potion at home. If it means anything, I would have traded my wings for his survival.” I sighed tiredly, pulling the top of my dress back up. “If I could rewind time, I would have smashed into him. The information is yours to work through.” Clicking out of the conference room, we would have to meet at the mansion next time. Wishing that I could fly away, I lingered by the window. Sitting on the ledge, my feet dangled freely. Salem embraced me from behind, his chin resting on the top of my head.
“If you could fly, the sky would be yours.” He promised sweetly, sitting down next to me. “Is this what it looks like all the way up here?” A warm breeze blew our hair back, his hand cupping mine. Leaning my head on his shoulder, true beauty could be seen in the sky. Touching the stars was like nothing else, abrupt sobs wracked my body. As dark as it may seem, the flames of hope dwindled down to a small flicker.
2024.05.30 21:21 nannerooni Withheld tubal ligation referral at Woman’s: reasons why
Went to see a highly rated gyno named Dr. Sharon Lee, Louisiana Women’s Healthcare at Woman’s Hospital. I have a fear of pap smears so I sought her out for her experience. Unfortunately she repeated a lot of strange personal opinions, unscientific claims, and outright falsehoods during my appointment.
To be completely transparent and honest, Dr. Lee did the most exemplary exam and pap I’ve ever had. She was efficient, gentle, and explained what she was doing. Even with my anxiety it was the best pap smear I’ve ever had. I would like to visit her again, but I’m afraid to have a conversation with her.
Before that, we had an argument/“discussion.” The amazing and kind nurse Brandy told me that despite my hesitation, I should bring up tubal ligature if I was interested because that is “everyone’s choice.” I was emboldened by her kindness so I mentioned it to Dr. Lee.
I’ll transcribe the conversation below while it’s fresh on my mind, but here are the highlights. Nothing I could say would convince her to give me one, but she wouldn’t tell me outright she wouldn’t give me one at first; she wanted me to go through all my reasons so she could “debunk” them. The main reason she kept repeating, of course, is “you might change your mind,” “you think you’re sure but you don’t know.” Then she told me I could come back at age 35 and asked if I understood her. I said that I disagreed but wanted to move on and she said ok.
At the end she asked if we were “square” and I said yes, but I don’t know what else I was supposed to say. I don’t think “No, you upset me by saying near and outright lies about pregnancy and essentially telling me I’m not adult enough at age 26 to make decisions about my body.” would have gone over well. In my experience actually telling doctors this who try to railroad me, it doesn’t go well.
So Dr. Lee, if you’re reading this, that’s why I said we were square. Because I was afraid not to. Unfortunately you have and seem to be aware that you have control over my health, which creates a power imbalance. I cannot be honest with you. Especially after you have been dishonest with me… how hard would it have been for you to say “I don’t make referrals for tubal ligation under age 35 because of personal opinions”? We could have saved so much time.
Additionally adding to my distrust, you told me I might want to have a period sometimes to “clear everything out.” I double checked online after the appointment, but I have done research on this in the past as well. As far as I know, there is no evidence that women need to have a period for health reasons. Menstrual suppression is considered safe at this time. And if I am not having a cycle due to continuous birth control usage, there is no endometrium building up to be “cleared” anyway.
Try not to be angry that I am repeating your words and questioning you. Please understand that you are in a position of medical power and are obligated to repeat true, scientifically accurate information and that you are not a therapist. Your job is not to enforce birthing, promote pregnancy, or make sure that I am incapable of changing my mind. My therapist says I should get a tubal ligation if I want to. If you’re keeping me from it, it’s your own PERSONAL opinion.
Points I made and Lee’s counterpoints:
Lee: “Why would you not want to get pregnant?” Me: “Why would I want to get pregnant?”
Q: “I am so afraid of getting this pap smear right now, I don’t want more people touching my vagina.” A: “You’re going to have to get pap smears forever anyway so we’ll just have to work on that. Do you have a history of trauma or sexual abuse or something?”
Q: “I am terrified of doctors, blood, needles, pain, and medical procedures.” A: “If you get tubal ligation they will put a needle in you and give you anesthesia. If you get pregnant, you doctors appointments will just be them doing ultrasounds to look at the baby.”
Q: “I have always not wanted children and pregnancy is one of my biggest phobias.” A: “I had a patient who always said that too and she changed her mind. Also, you’re on birth control pills so you won’t get pregnant.”
Q: “Are you saying birth control pills are 100% effective?” A: “They are 99.9% effective and so is a tubal ligation so there’s no point. Also if you got a tubal ligation then you wouldn’t take birth control and vice versa.”
Q: “Are you saying that I can’t take birth control after having tubal ligation?” A: “there’s no point.”
Q: “But we just discussed my history of severe period pain and gastrointestinal issues, so that would be the point of taking it, like I told you.” A: “Well if you’re going to take birth control you don’t need the procedure.”
Q: “ok, but what if I lose access to birth control? It’s next on the chopping block in this political administration.” A: “if you can’t have birth control then come back and see me. But they wouldn’t do that, it won’t happen.”
Q: “but abortion just got outlawed” A: “yeah, but it won’t last. They’ll bring it back to after a 15 week ban. Anyway, nobody actually thinks you shouldn’t be able to get an abortion after rape or incest. They don’t believe that.”
Q: “but I could die during pregnancy” A: “well isn’t the miracle of birth and life worth it?”
submitted by nannerooni to batonrouge [link] [comments]
To be completely transparent and honest, Dr. Lee did the most exemplary exam and pap I’ve ever had. She was efficient, gentle, and explained what she was doing. Even with my anxiety it was the best pap smear I’ve ever had. I would like to visit her again, but I’m afraid to have a conversation with her.
Before that, we had an argument/“discussion.” The amazing and kind nurse Brandy told me that despite my hesitation, I should bring up tubal ligature if I was interested because that is “everyone’s choice.” I was emboldened by her kindness so I mentioned it to Dr. Lee.
I’ll transcribe the conversation below while it’s fresh on my mind, but here are the highlights. Nothing I could say would convince her to give me one, but she wouldn’t tell me outright she wouldn’t give me one at first; she wanted me to go through all my reasons so she could “debunk” them. The main reason she kept repeating, of course, is “you might change your mind,” “you think you’re sure but you don’t know.” Then she told me I could come back at age 35 and asked if I understood her. I said that I disagreed but wanted to move on and she said ok.
At the end she asked if we were “square” and I said yes, but I don’t know what else I was supposed to say. I don’t think “No, you upset me by saying near and outright lies about pregnancy and essentially telling me I’m not adult enough at age 26 to make decisions about my body.” would have gone over well. In my experience actually telling doctors this who try to railroad me, it doesn’t go well.
So Dr. Lee, if you’re reading this, that’s why I said we were square. Because I was afraid not to. Unfortunately you have and seem to be aware that you have control over my health, which creates a power imbalance. I cannot be honest with you. Especially after you have been dishonest with me… how hard would it have been for you to say “I don’t make referrals for tubal ligation under age 35 because of personal opinions”? We could have saved so much time.
Additionally adding to my distrust, you told me I might want to have a period sometimes to “clear everything out.” I double checked online after the appointment, but I have done research on this in the past as well. As far as I know, there is no evidence that women need to have a period for health reasons. Menstrual suppression is considered safe at this time. And if I am not having a cycle due to continuous birth control usage, there is no endometrium building up to be “cleared” anyway.
Try not to be angry that I am repeating your words and questioning you. Please understand that you are in a position of medical power and are obligated to repeat true, scientifically accurate information and that you are not a therapist. Your job is not to enforce birthing, promote pregnancy, or make sure that I am incapable of changing my mind. My therapist says I should get a tubal ligation if I want to. If you’re keeping me from it, it’s your own PERSONAL opinion.
Points I made and Lee’s counterpoints:
Lee: “Why would you not want to get pregnant?” Me: “Why would I want to get pregnant?”
Q: “I am so afraid of getting this pap smear right now, I don’t want more people touching my vagina.” A: “You’re going to have to get pap smears forever anyway so we’ll just have to work on that. Do you have a history of trauma or sexual abuse or something?”
Q: “I am terrified of doctors, blood, needles, pain, and medical procedures.” A: “If you get tubal ligation they will put a needle in you and give you anesthesia. If you get pregnant, you doctors appointments will just be them doing ultrasounds to look at the baby.”
Q: “I have always not wanted children and pregnancy is one of my biggest phobias.” A: “I had a patient who always said that too and she changed her mind. Also, you’re on birth control pills so you won’t get pregnant.”
Q: “Are you saying birth control pills are 100% effective?” A: “They are 99.9% effective and so is a tubal ligation so there’s no point. Also if you got a tubal ligation then you wouldn’t take birth control and vice versa.”
Q: “Are you saying that I can’t take birth control after having tubal ligation?” A: “there’s no point.”
Q: “But we just discussed my history of severe period pain and gastrointestinal issues, so that would be the point of taking it, like I told you.” A: “Well if you’re going to take birth control you don’t need the procedure.”
Q: “ok, but what if I lose access to birth control? It’s next on the chopping block in this political administration.” A: “if you can’t have birth control then come back and see me. But they wouldn’t do that, it won’t happen.”
Q: “but abortion just got outlawed” A: “yeah, but it won’t last. They’ll bring it back to after a 15 week ban. Anyway, nobody actually thinks you shouldn’t be able to get an abortion after rape or incest. They don’t believe that.”
Q: “but I could die during pregnancy” A: “well isn’t the miracle of birth and life worth it?”
2024.05.30 21:15 nannerooni Louisiana gaslight (i mean gyno) appointment
First time poster here. Went to see a highly rated gyno named Dr. Sharon Lee in Baton Rouge, LA, Louisiana Women’s Healthcare at Woman’s Hospital. I have a fear of pap smears so I sought her out for her experience.
To be completely fair and honest, Dr. Lee did the most exemplary exam and pap I’ve ever had. She was efficient, gentle, and explained what she was doing. Even with my anxiety it was the best pap smear I’ve ever had.
However, before that, we had an argument/“discussion.” The amazing and kind nurse Brandy told me that despite my hesitation, I should bring up tubal ligature if I was interested because that is “everyone’s choice.” I was emboldened by her kindness so I mentioned it to Dr. Lee.
I’ll transcribe the conversation below while it’s fresh on my mind, but here are the highlights. Nothing I could say would convince her to give me one, but she wouldn’t tell me outright she wouldn’t give me one at first; she wanted me to go through all my reasons so she could “debunk” them. Then she told me I could come back at age 35 and asked if I understood her. I said that I disagreed but wanted to move on and she said ok.
At the end she asked if we were “square” and I said yes, but I don’t know what else I was supposed to say. I don’t think “No, you upset me by saying near outright lies about pregnancy and essentially telling me I’m not adult enough at age 26 to make decisions about my body.” would have gone over well. In my experience actually telling doctors this who try to railroad me, it doesn’t go well.
So Dr. Lee, if you’re reading this, that’s why I said we were square. Because I was afraid not to. Unfortunately you have and seem to be aware that you have control over my health, which creates a power imbalance. I cannot be honest with you. Especially after you have been dishonest with me… how hard would it have been for you to say “I don’t make referrals for tubal ligation under age 35 because of personal opinions”? We could have saved so much time.
Additionally adding to my distrust, you told me I might want to have a period sometimes to “clear everything out.” I double checked online after the appointment, but I have done research on this in the past as well. As far as I know, there is no evidence that women need to have a period for health reasons. Menstrual suppression is considered safe at this time. And if I am not having a cycle due to continuous birth control usage, there is no endometrium building up to be “cleared” anyway.
Try not to be angry that I am repeating your words and questioning you. Please understand that you are in a position of medical power and are obligated to repeat true, scientifically accurate information and that you are not a therapist. Your job is not to enforce birthing, promote pregnancy, or make sure that I am incapable of changing my mind. My therapist says I should get a tubal ligation if I want to. If you’re keeping me from it, it’s your own opinion.
Points I made and Lee’s counterpoints:
Lee: “Why would you not want to get pregnant?” Me: “Why would I want to get pregnant?”
Q: “I am so afraid of getting this pap smear right now, I don’t want more people touching my vagina.” A: “You’re going to have to get pap smears forever anyway so we’ll just have to work on that. Do you have a history of trauma or sexual abuse or something?”
Q: “I am terrified of doctors, blood, needles, pain, and medical procedures.” A: “If you get tubal ligation they will put a needle in you and give you anesthesia. If you get pregnant, you doctors appointments will just be them doing ultrasounds to look at the baby.”
Q: “I have always not wanted children and pregnancy is one of my biggest phobias.” A: “I had a patient who always said that too and she changed her mind. Also, you’re on birth control pills so you won’t get pregnant.”
Q: “Are you saying birth control pills are 100% effective?” A: “They are 99.9% effective and so is a tubal ligation so there’s no point. Also if you got a tubal ligation then you wouldn’t take birth control and vice versa.”
Q: “Are you saying that I can’t take birth control after having tubal ligation?” A: “there’s no point.”
Q: “But we just discussed my history of severe period pain and gastrointestinal issues, so that would be the point of taking it, like I told you.” A: “Well if you’re going to take birth control you don’t need the procedure.”
Q: “ok, but what if I lose access to birth control? It’s next on the chopping block in this political administration.” A: “if you can’t have birth control then come back and see me. But they wouldn’t do that, it won’t happen.”
Q: “but abortion just got outlawed” A: “yeah, but it won’t last. They’ll bring it back to after a 15 week ban. Anyway, nobody actually thinks you shouldn’t be able to get an abortion after rape or incest. They don’t believe that.”
Q: “but I could die or get complications from pregnancy” A: “well, isn’t the miracle of birth and life important as well?”
submitted by nannerooni to childfree [link] [comments]
To be completely fair and honest, Dr. Lee did the most exemplary exam and pap I’ve ever had. She was efficient, gentle, and explained what she was doing. Even with my anxiety it was the best pap smear I’ve ever had.
However, before that, we had an argument/“discussion.” The amazing and kind nurse Brandy told me that despite my hesitation, I should bring up tubal ligature if I was interested because that is “everyone’s choice.” I was emboldened by her kindness so I mentioned it to Dr. Lee.
I’ll transcribe the conversation below while it’s fresh on my mind, but here are the highlights. Nothing I could say would convince her to give me one, but she wouldn’t tell me outright she wouldn’t give me one at first; she wanted me to go through all my reasons so she could “debunk” them. Then she told me I could come back at age 35 and asked if I understood her. I said that I disagreed but wanted to move on and she said ok.
At the end she asked if we were “square” and I said yes, but I don’t know what else I was supposed to say. I don’t think “No, you upset me by saying near outright lies about pregnancy and essentially telling me I’m not adult enough at age 26 to make decisions about my body.” would have gone over well. In my experience actually telling doctors this who try to railroad me, it doesn’t go well.
So Dr. Lee, if you’re reading this, that’s why I said we were square. Because I was afraid not to. Unfortunately you have and seem to be aware that you have control over my health, which creates a power imbalance. I cannot be honest with you. Especially after you have been dishonest with me… how hard would it have been for you to say “I don’t make referrals for tubal ligation under age 35 because of personal opinions”? We could have saved so much time.
Additionally adding to my distrust, you told me I might want to have a period sometimes to “clear everything out.” I double checked online after the appointment, but I have done research on this in the past as well. As far as I know, there is no evidence that women need to have a period for health reasons. Menstrual suppression is considered safe at this time. And if I am not having a cycle due to continuous birth control usage, there is no endometrium building up to be “cleared” anyway.
Try not to be angry that I am repeating your words and questioning you. Please understand that you are in a position of medical power and are obligated to repeat true, scientifically accurate information and that you are not a therapist. Your job is not to enforce birthing, promote pregnancy, or make sure that I am incapable of changing my mind. My therapist says I should get a tubal ligation if I want to. If you’re keeping me from it, it’s your own opinion.
Points I made and Lee’s counterpoints:
Lee: “Why would you not want to get pregnant?” Me: “Why would I want to get pregnant?”
Q: “I am so afraid of getting this pap smear right now, I don’t want more people touching my vagina.” A: “You’re going to have to get pap smears forever anyway so we’ll just have to work on that. Do you have a history of trauma or sexual abuse or something?”
Q: “I am terrified of doctors, blood, needles, pain, and medical procedures.” A: “If you get tubal ligation they will put a needle in you and give you anesthesia. If you get pregnant, you doctors appointments will just be them doing ultrasounds to look at the baby.”
Q: “I have always not wanted children and pregnancy is one of my biggest phobias.” A: “I had a patient who always said that too and she changed her mind. Also, you’re on birth control pills so you won’t get pregnant.”
Q: “Are you saying birth control pills are 100% effective?” A: “They are 99.9% effective and so is a tubal ligation so there’s no point. Also if you got a tubal ligation then you wouldn’t take birth control and vice versa.”
Q: “Are you saying that I can’t take birth control after having tubal ligation?” A: “there’s no point.”
Q: “But we just discussed my history of severe period pain and gastrointestinal issues, so that would be the point of taking it, like I told you.” A: “Well if you’re going to take birth control you don’t need the procedure.”
Q: “ok, but what if I lose access to birth control? It’s next on the chopping block in this political administration.” A: “if you can’t have birth control then come back and see me. But they wouldn’t do that, it won’t happen.”
Q: “but abortion just got outlawed” A: “yeah, but it won’t last. They’ll bring it back to after a 15 week ban. Anyway, nobody actually thinks you shouldn’t be able to get an abortion after rape or incest. They don’t believe that.”
Q: “but I could die or get complications from pregnancy” A: “well, isn’t the miracle of birth and life important as well?”
2024.05.30 18:34 wihdinheimo Why We Can't Capture Clear UFO Images?
We've all seen the blurry UFO videos and images, and perhaps (as much as it pains me to say) Mick West has a point: why do we lack clear evidence showing these objects in detail beyond reasonable doubt?
Perhaps the blurry images of UAPs and UFOs aren't a bug. Maybe it's a feature.
Numerous reports describe instruments behaving erratically near these objects, as if they were emitting an area of denial. This zone might prevent direct capture, much like how a black hole is observable only through its effects on the surroundings.
If these objects are visiting the present timeline from a potential future, future entities might police the present to ensure no accidental technology transfer occurs. High-quality photos and videos could reveal details of this advanced technology, so they are entirely prevented. This would suggest the existence of an entity we could refer as the time police.
Grusch has mentioned the existence of crash retrieval programs, but what if they are actually controlled by these same entities? Examining high-profile incidents, such as the Paintsville incident in 2002 where a UAP allegedly crashed into a coal train, raises curiosity. The report by the conductors describes a response time that seems unachievable by humans.
"We could hear what sounded like an army of workers immediately tending to our train. Vehicle doors slamming, guys running by in weird outfits and lights glaring from all directions, the one thing missing was railroad officials.
A guy named Ferguson shook my hand and asked me to follow him into the old yard office. We did, once inside they, and by they I mean I have no idea who these people were, began to ask us hundreds of questions, they then told us for our own protection we'd be medically tested before we could leave.
I asked repeatedly to talk to my road foreman or trainmaster and not only were these requests denied but they confiscated my conductors cellular phone.
Hours later we were led outside the old yard office and the strange things continued to happen, the 2 locomotives and two cars were removed from the rest of the train we had brought in and my only guess was parked 4 tracks over under a huge tent like structure buzzing with activity. We were lead off property and told due to national security our silence on this matter would be appreciated."
Naturally, such activity would leave loose ends, like we see in this case. Mistakes happen, and occasionally a seed of truth slips by. That's what we see with Grusch, Paintsville, and other convincing high level incidents.
Disclosure of the true nature of UAPs and UFOs might remain impossible as long as the future time police prevent it. A superintelligence from the future could oversee and protect the entire timeline, ensuring any clear evidence of time travel and the true nature of UAPs is swiftly removed to prevent paradoxes or technology transfer.
It seems they cannot stop these anomalies from occurring in our timeline, but they actively manage them to keep our present stable and information about these operations hidden. What we see could be ripples of malfunctions, rogue probes, or planned events to guide humanity toward a desired future. Events they didn't bother to hide completely, or maybe they just did a poor job of cleaning it up.
TL;DR: The UAP and UFO phenomena might be explained by time travelers from a potential future timeline, who use an area of denial to prevent capture of clear evidence and police the present timeline to avoid technology transfer.
submitted by wihdinheimo to UFOs [link] [comments]
Perhaps the blurry images of UAPs and UFOs aren't a bug. Maybe it's a feature.
Numerous reports describe instruments behaving erratically near these objects, as if they were emitting an area of denial. This zone might prevent direct capture, much like how a black hole is observable only through its effects on the surroundings.
If these objects are visiting the present timeline from a potential future, future entities might police the present to ensure no accidental technology transfer occurs. High-quality photos and videos could reveal details of this advanced technology, so they are entirely prevented. This would suggest the existence of an entity we could refer as the time police.
Grusch has mentioned the existence of crash retrieval programs, but what if they are actually controlled by these same entities? Examining high-profile incidents, such as the Paintsville incident in 2002 where a UAP allegedly crashed into a coal train, raises curiosity. The report by the conductors describes a response time that seems unachievable by humans.
"We could hear what sounded like an army of workers immediately tending to our train. Vehicle doors slamming, guys running by in weird outfits and lights glaring from all directions, the one thing missing was railroad officials.
A guy named Ferguson shook my hand and asked me to follow him into the old yard office. We did, once inside they, and by they I mean I have no idea who these people were, began to ask us hundreds of questions, they then told us for our own protection we'd be medically tested before we could leave.
I asked repeatedly to talk to my road foreman or trainmaster and not only were these requests denied but they confiscated my conductors cellular phone.
Hours later we were led outside the old yard office and the strange things continued to happen, the 2 locomotives and two cars were removed from the rest of the train we had brought in and my only guess was parked 4 tracks over under a huge tent like structure buzzing with activity. We were lead off property and told due to national security our silence on this matter would be appreciated."
Naturally, such activity would leave loose ends, like we see in this case. Mistakes happen, and occasionally a seed of truth slips by. That's what we see with Grusch, Paintsville, and other convincing high level incidents.
Disclosure of the true nature of UAPs and UFOs might remain impossible as long as the future time police prevent it. A superintelligence from the future could oversee and protect the entire timeline, ensuring any clear evidence of time travel and the true nature of UAPs is swiftly removed to prevent paradoxes or technology transfer.
It seems they cannot stop these anomalies from occurring in our timeline, but they actively manage them to keep our present stable and information about these operations hidden. What we see could be ripples of malfunctions, rogue probes, or planned events to guide humanity toward a desired future. Events they didn't bother to hide completely, or maybe they just did a poor job of cleaning it up.
TL;DR: The UAP and UFO phenomena might be explained by time travelers from a potential future timeline, who use an area of denial to prevent capture of clear evidence and police the present timeline to avoid technology transfer.
2024.05.30 18:06 wihdinheimo Why We Can't Capture Clear UFO Images?
We've all seen the blurry UFO videos and images, and perhaps (as much as it pains me to say) Mick West has a point: why do we lack clear evidence showing these objects in detail beyond reasonable doubt?
Perhaps the blurry images of UAPs and UFOs aren't a bug. Maybe it's a feature.
Numerous reports describe instruments behaving erratically near these objects, as if they were emitting an area of denial. This zone might prevent direct capture, much like how a black hole is observable only through its effects on the surroundings.
If these objects are visiting the present timeline from a potential future, future entities might police the present to ensure no accidental technology transfer occurs. High-quality photos and videos could reveal details of this advanced technology, so they are entirely prevented. This would suggest the existence of an entity we could refer as the time police.
Grusch has mentioned the existence of crash retrieval programs, but what if they are actually controlled by these same entities? Examining high-profile incidents, such as the Paintsville incident in 2002 where a UAP allegedly crashed into a coal train, raises curiosity. The report by the conductors describes a response time that seems unachievable by humans.
"We could hear what sounded like an army of workers immediately tending to our train. Vehicle doors slamming, guys running by in weird outfits and lights glaring from all directions, the one thing missing was railroad officials.
A guy named Ferguson shook my hand and asked me to follow him into the old yard office. We did, once inside they, and by they I mean I have no idea who these people were, began to ask us hundreds of questions, they then told us for our own protection we'd be medically tested before we could leave.
I asked repeatedly to talk to my road foreman or trainmaster and not only were these requests denied but they confiscated my conductors cellular phone.
Hours later we were led outside the old yard office and the strange things continued to happen, the 2 locomotives and two cars were removed from the rest of the train we had brought in and my only guess was parked 4 tracks over under a huge tent like structure buzzing with activity. We were lead off property and told due to national security our silence on this matter would be appreciated."
Naturally, such activity would leave loose ends, like we see in this case. Mistakes happen, and occasionally a seed of truth slips by. That's what we see with Grusch, Paintsville, and other convincing high level incidents.
Disclosure of the true nature of UAPs and UFOs might remain impossible as long as the future time police prevent it. A superintelligence from the future could oversee and protect the entire timeline, ensuring any clear evidence of time travel and the true nature of UAPs is swiftly removed to prevent paradoxes or technology transfer.
It seems they cannot stop these anomalies from occurring in our timeline, but they actively manage them to keep our present stable and information about these operations hidden. What we see could be ripples of malfunctions, rogue probes, or planned events to guide humanity toward a desired future. Events they didn't bother to hide completely, or maybe they just did a poor job of cleaning it up.
TL;DR: The UAP and UFO phenomena might be explained by time travelers from a potential future timeline, who use an area of denial to prevent capture of clear evidence and police the present timeline to avoid technology transfer.
submitted by wihdinheimo to aliens [link] [comments]
Perhaps the blurry images of UAPs and UFOs aren't a bug. Maybe it's a feature.
Numerous reports describe instruments behaving erratically near these objects, as if they were emitting an area of denial. This zone might prevent direct capture, much like how a black hole is observable only through its effects on the surroundings.
If these objects are visiting the present timeline from a potential future, future entities might police the present to ensure no accidental technology transfer occurs. High-quality photos and videos could reveal details of this advanced technology, so they are entirely prevented. This would suggest the existence of an entity we could refer as the time police.
Grusch has mentioned the existence of crash retrieval programs, but what if they are actually controlled by these same entities? Examining high-profile incidents, such as the Paintsville incident in 2002 where a UAP allegedly crashed into a coal train, raises curiosity. The report by the conductors describes a response time that seems unachievable by humans.
"We could hear what sounded like an army of workers immediately tending to our train. Vehicle doors slamming, guys running by in weird outfits and lights glaring from all directions, the one thing missing was railroad officials.
A guy named Ferguson shook my hand and asked me to follow him into the old yard office. We did, once inside they, and by they I mean I have no idea who these people were, began to ask us hundreds of questions, they then told us for our own protection we'd be medically tested before we could leave.
I asked repeatedly to talk to my road foreman or trainmaster and not only were these requests denied but they confiscated my conductors cellular phone.
Hours later we were led outside the old yard office and the strange things continued to happen, the 2 locomotives and two cars were removed from the rest of the train we had brought in and my only guess was parked 4 tracks over under a huge tent like structure buzzing with activity. We were lead off property and told due to national security our silence on this matter would be appreciated."
Naturally, such activity would leave loose ends, like we see in this case. Mistakes happen, and occasionally a seed of truth slips by. That's what we see with Grusch, Paintsville, and other convincing high level incidents.
Disclosure of the true nature of UAPs and UFOs might remain impossible as long as the future time police prevent it. A superintelligence from the future could oversee and protect the entire timeline, ensuring any clear evidence of time travel and the true nature of UAPs is swiftly removed to prevent paradoxes or technology transfer.
It seems they cannot stop these anomalies from occurring in our timeline, but they actively manage them to keep our present stable and information about these operations hidden. What we see could be ripples of malfunctions, rogue probes, or planned events to guide humanity toward a desired future. Events they didn't bother to hide completely, or maybe they just did a poor job of cleaning it up.
TL;DR: The UAP and UFO phenomena might be explained by time travelers from a potential future timeline, who use an area of denial to prevent capture of clear evidence and police the present timeline to avoid technology transfer.
2024.05.30 10:29 _Mad_Maddy My Take on Indigo Park Lore Part 3!
CONCLUSION
And finally, here’s the final part! If you have any thoughts, or any disagreements, comment down below! I’d love to discuss the game’s lore with you all!
At its heart, Indigo Park is a tragedy, one that would make both Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks proud. It starts off with the creator wanting nothing but good, but slowly devolves into a horrifying, downward spiral. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Isaac Indigo has a dream of bringing his imagination to life, for people everywhere. The beginning of the twentieth century began horrendously, World War 1 being the deadliest conflict at the time. Wanting to help everyone and bring at least a spark of joy into their lives, Isaac Indigo launches headfirst into the media of his choice: cartoons.
Indigo comes up with his first permanent Mascot, Lloydford L. Lion. A loud, booming, rambunctious character, Lloyd sought to be the spark of happiness that Indigo hoped he would be. Lloyd would the very best actor, showman, and orator. He’s arrogant, but not pompous. He’s loud, but not with ill will. He’s the beginning of the cast that Indigo envisions, a character whose sole purpose is to please the world. It’s not a surprise that Lloyd is an actor, after all. He seeks to distract the world from its woes, at least for a bit, and make everyone have a good time.
Indigo, emboldened by his sudden fame and success, proceeds to churn out four more individuals: Rambley the Raccoon, Mollie the Macaw, Salem the Skunk, and, eventually, Finley the Sea Serpent, though he comes in separate from the other three.
Rambley Raccoon, a quick thinking, sharp tongued, cheeky little gremlin, is an instant hit with the people, becoming the second most popular character out of the five. Mollie Macaw, a happy-go-lucky bird with a love for the open skies, acts as Rambley’s best friend, the two practically glued together. Together, alongside Lloyd, these three represent the ‘good guys’, a trio that want nothing but the best for the people.
However, every hero needs a villain, and thus, Salem the Skunk was born, a snappy, malevolent little critter that wished for the world to revolve around herself. She has a knack for potion making, a capable chemist who uses her concoctions to bend the wills of others to herself, only for herself.
Rambley and Salem end up becoming fated rivals, nemeses who dislike each other the most, out of every character that Indigo created. Using Salem, Indigo would spread the message of peace, of friendship and everlasting bonds that always triumph against evil, and Salem.
This continuity continues for a period of time, Indigo eventually adding one more character to his roster: the melancholy sea dragon, Finley. Finley’s main goal was to be the educator, to explain the natural world around people and share the fascinating and the beautiful, especially in regard to the ocean, a concept still so unexplored, while also trying to appeal to an older crowd alongside Lloyd.
However, poor Finley wouldn’t ever be that popular amongst his peers. Perhaps it was his gloomy, exhausted aura that pushed people away, or perhaps it was his towering, and frankly scary, size, or even maybe because he was deemed boring by the youngest, who were more keen on Rambley, the character that appealed to them the most. Even the other characters, whether Indigo intended for this or not, seemed a bit annoyed by Finley, and often left him to his devices.
And, for a while, Indigo’s plan succeeded. His popularity and notoriety only increased as time went on, gaining him influence, money, and prestige. His plans were working! He was making a difference, making smiles appear on the faces of people who would otherwise be swept away by the woes of the world!
Everything started to crumble, however, when yet another horrifying conflict arose: World War II. The Old World was thrown into chaos, Europe, Africa, and Asia becoming the bloodiest battleground in human history, surpassing even the Great War that came before it.
So, Indigo concocted a scheme, a way to raise the spirits of those he could currently help, his fellow Americans. Indigo Park was to be his magnus opus, his monument that would transcend his lifetime. Here, all of his creations would gather, all of them having their own attractions, bringing a level of access that had never yet been realized before. Costumed people would walk around during operational hours, bringing his characters into the real world to interact with those that needed refuge from the outside horrors.
However, while his park became a success, spearheaded by Lloyd the Lion, the very first, there was something that bothered Indigo. These costumed performers, while certainly a stroke of genius, underperformed. Besides that, they sometimes broke character, and destroyed the immersion of the guests, and were quite costly to keep around, alongside the engineers, the logistics division, and the Ranglers that helped run Indigo Park. Not to mention, the cost of custom costumes, of fabric and materials, rose higher and higher as quotas began to be placed and maintained in the USA, due to the resources it sent to its allies overseas, before eventually joining their allies in the fight against evil.
If he couldn’t simulate his characters, why not make them? Animals that would be living, breathing creatures that would merely need care, compassion, and basic necessities? Hiring a bunch of the best scientists, he gave them a special role: The Royal Ranglers, those that would be entrusted with this secret project.
Indigo, while a creative man, didn’t understand science as well as these individuals, and likely never would, but he would make them keep logs, records of their successes and failures, of their many experiments. And eventually, their labor paid off: One of each character, Mascots, came to life. They breathed air, had red blood flowing through their veins, were real, physical creatures, but also remained gentle with the guests. Once they were unveiled, there was no longer a need for costumed performers to roam around Indigo Park. They could also be trained to perform shows of their own, such as Finley and Lloyd, while the others could supervise their respective districts! It was a win win!
However, not everyone was so pleased with the results. The performers that once roamed the streets found themselves without jobs, only some kept around to care for the new Mascots, their betters, their replacements. And that made them furious. Why should these abominations, these stupid, ugly freaks replace them? Behind Indigo’s back, these disgruntled employees would begin their revenge slowly, minimally. Withholding a small amount of the supplies the Mascots needed, occasional cruel words. As time went on, this turned into a coping mechanism, the treatment of the Mascots progressing into physical violence, vile, cutting words on the regular basis.
Sometime before this Lloyd would end up giving up the title of main character to Rambley, who had gained immense popularity, even more than Lloyd himself. While it annoyed the proud Lloyd to be first mate, he would hand over the title graciously, partially because Rambley had always been jealous of Lloyd’s popularity and fame, and maybe, just maybe, this change would do them all good. Their abuse had been escalating, much worse than any thought possible. Salem was the only one to oppose this decision, thinking that it was all only to the benefit of Rambley. Mollie was the opposite, supportive of her best friend. And Finley … well, there was no way to consistently speak with the reptile. He was always kept in Oceanic Odyssey, far away from their cages underneath Jetsream Junction. And besides, none of the four particularly … liked Finley. Sure, Rambley had befriended the sea serpent, but that was done moreso to have some rapport and sway over the gentle giant, who was much too shy, like, ~obnoxiously~ ~shy.~ He was always so gloomy, so pessimistic, so willing to accept whatever came his way. No, Finley was definitely not an agent of change, but of pitiful complacence, locked away with his prized shell collection.
However, things did not improve at all. In fact, it only got worse. Tension between the Mascots was at an all time high, Rambley having become hurtful to even his best friend Mollie. He was still suspicious of Lloyd, convinced the lion would steal back his position as ringleader. Salem and Rambley, and thus with Mollie, also began to sour drastically. Salem was convinced that Rambley wasn’t doing anything to help the five. After all, he and Mollie practically abandoned Finley, someone who they claimed was a ‘friend’. Lloyd too became frustrated with the raccoon, Salem whispering in his ears, convincing him that Rambley had only pushed for Lloyd’s demotion to finally be the one above Lloyd, to have more power.
Mollie was soon caught in the crossfire of a particularly intense feud, Salem and Lloyd on one side, Rambley by himself on the other. Rambley, her best friend in the whole wide world. Rambley, that same friend who would sometimes be mean to Mollie for no apparent reason. However, no matter what Rambley had done to their relationship, it wasn’t Rambley’s fault. It was one time when Lloyd became particularly aggressive that Mollie had to finally end this.
The fault does not belong to Rambley! “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!”
And suddenly, it clicked for the Mascots. No matter how much some of the Mascots didn’t like each other, there was one person they all could agree to hate: Isaac Indigo. Their creator who had left the newborn animals to the mercy of vengeful, spiteful, horrible people who did nothing but spit upon and abuse the Mascots. It was decided that they would fight back. They would show those humans that they were not muzzled dogs, but barely contained predators.
The next time the Mascots were in the presence of these Ranglers, Lloyd finally snapped. It was a particularly brutal day, and Lloyd would suffer no longer. With a crippling roar, Lloyd launched himself at the Ranglers, the other Mascots following suit.
Isaac Indigo had walked into work expecting the day to be like usual, but it was to his horror that he learned of the Mascots attack upon their Ranglers. Calling a hasty evacuation, guests were shoved outside of the park with no explanation, no answers. Even the authorities would not be able to provide answers. No, they couldn’t learn of such a thing; it would ruin Isaac Indigo and all that he had worked for.
Temporarily, the entire park fell under the control of the Mascots, who were a bit shocked with how easy it was to win their freedom. However, their victory would not last. They all would suffer the consequences.
Lloyd was deemed the biggest threat to Indigo’s plans, so he had to be the one dealt with first. But how? The scientists that Indigo had hired came up with a plan; repurpose the Critter Cuffs to make a high enough pitch to incapacitate the lion, before locking him up for good in his theater.
Luring the beast to his stage area, the humans spring their trap, their Critter Cuffs wailing, racking Lloyd with so much pain that he couldn’t do anything but curl up into a ball. With the help of some engineers, they lock Lloyd in his own theater, a special clearance required to even access the area. This is where they toss most of the assets Indigo Park does not wish anyone see. Research papers, binders, notebooks, it’s all scattered here. And while here, Indigo decides to deal with Mollie Macaw as well.
Mollie is dangerous in that she knows planes and how to use them. They’re massive weapons, so, the way to disarm the bomb that is Mollie is to lock Jetstream Junction behind the Critter Cuffs, as well as a massive lock and key. The key itself would be stored at the very back of Lloyd’s theater, a place where only they would know to look. And once they seal the doors one final time, Mollie, Rambley, and Salem would have no access to it.
Finley would be left to his own devices; he’s contained in his attraction and as long as they don’t approach, they’ll be fine. The remaining Mascots can’t hide there forever either, and the humans know that. Even if Finley is a deterrent, the humans would eventually invent a way to deal with the serpent, who would be unwilling to resist for too long.
And thus, two Mascots were dealt with, one Mascot crippled. Only Salem and Rambley remained threats with their rides and arsenals, though Mollie is still dangerous with her sharp beak and claws.
After some time, Mascot Rambley and Salem decide to retreat further into Indigo Park, further away from the entrance. Their movements were too easy to track with that blasted Artificial Intelligence system watching through the bountiful cameras. Mollie, however, can’t bear to leave her home, her hangar. She tries to reason with the two others, but ultimately, no agreement can be reached. Salem and Rambley would withdrawn, and Mollie would come, if she wanted to.
Eventually, the two sneakiest Mascots, once sworn enemies, were now the only one the other could rely on. Now brother and sister, they tried their best to weather the storm, but were ultimately dealt with. Mollie, grief-stricken with the loss of her home and being abandoned by the ones she called friend, had no will to fight anymore.
This entire process took almost ten years, finally ending in 2015, while the park had been closed in 2006. Outside, people slowly forgot about the enigmatic end to the once beloved park, distracted by the rapid expansion of other sources of fun and media. Indigo, saddened by the fate of what he once thought of as his greatest achievement, didn’t have the heart to tear the place down. It was too dangerous, so he merely bribed the local authorities to close it off from curious onlookers. He would command the AI Rambley to have most of his files wiped concerning the fate of the park, wiping all data concerning the back and forth between humans and their experiments brought to life. He’d be restricted to the Registration Center, cut off from the actual park, and only present in one computer until Indigo found a way to salvage the situation. And that’s where Isaac Indigo left Indigo Park.
Mascot Mollie is left alone to wander the park, all her friends gone, missing. She stumbles into Rambley Railroad, the only place that she can see all her friends, before she stops at Salem’s exhibit. Eyes narrowing in hate, Mollie remembers that it was Salem that pushed and manipulated them all to fight back. If Salem hadn’t been there, none of this would have happened. This leads Mascot Mollie on a destructive rampage, wrecking the whole area as much as she could. She eventually stumbles upon an animatronic version of herself, which shocks her when it repeats Mollie’s own words, almost like snidely trying to hurt Mollie with her own words. “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!” Once again angered, Mascot Mollie pounds upon the robot until the lights fade from its painted eyes, slumped in a pile of metal rods and broken brick. From there, Mascot Mollie leaves, vowing to stay away from the place.
However, what Indigo did not account for was an urban explorer duo that made it their life mission to explore a wide variety of places. Laura and Ed made quite the dynamic duo, always exploring what they wanted, where they wanted, how they wanted. Though they trespassed and sometimes even burgled, they were never caught by the authorities, and their concealed presences on their channel was enough for the two to not be charged and arrested.
However, the two found themselves in a weird limbo. All of their newest explorations lacked a certain ‘oomph’, with even their viewers noticing the lack of excitement and passion of the two. So, Ed decides to set his sights on a big fish: Indigo Park.
Laura, his partner, is instantly worried by Ed’s choice. All the places they went to before were practically abandoned, the maximum they had to worry about were old motion detectors and an occasional camera or two. Indigo Park, however, would most likely be very secure, swarming with cops, even, so she tries to dissuade Ed, but Ed only becomes more pumped to break inside. Resigned, Laura promised assistance if Ed could find a way inside. Ed finally goes to this famed Indigo Park, home of so many of his treasured memories as a child, intent on having all of his personal questions answered.
It is to his surprise that the place is so easy to slip into. All he had to do was avoid the occasional patrol car, climb a fence, and viola, he was there. The entrance gates being locked up, however, was a bummer, but maybe the Registration Center would have some information. It would be even more of a shock to discover an AI Rambley, the same that Indigo had locked there.
AI Rambley would guide Ed, the first visitor in exactly eight years, inside, Ed collecting all sorts of goodies, such as plushies, ears, drinking containers, and even a vintage Rambley costume mask. However, Ed is disappointed by the way the AI practically ignores the state of disrepair Indigo Park has fallen into.
Lured by the sudden sound of Rambley speaking Mascot Mollie rushes over; Rambley came back for her! But it is to her horror that it’s merely a mockery of Mascot Rambley, that old AI speaking to a human! Mollie, wary and frightened of the implications of this, decides to merely follow cautiously.
Following the directions of the AI, Ed travels through Rambley Railroad, fixing the ride when in breaks in the wrecked zone of Salem the Skunk, her cutout and props left in broken pieces. It is during this ride that Ed senses he’s not alone, and notices Mollie Macaw stalking him. However, she’s not threatening in any way, so he leaves her be. Why antagonize this … Mascot? Person? Ed doesn’t know what to think of her, but maybe, if he’s careful, he won’t have to deal with her.
Ed is then directed to Jetsream Junction, but is disappointed to find it locked away, not only by Critter Cuff, but also by lock and key. The AI mentions a key in Lloyd’s theater, though, so he heads that way. What Ed does not expect to find is Mascot Lloyd himself, dozing on the stage. Quickly noticing Ed’s presence, however, Lloyd flees, remembering all too well of the danger that humans posed to him.
Unfortunately, Ed is left without AI Rambley’s presence, and Lloyd is slowly but surely pushed farther back into his domain. Lloyd at one point tries to attack, but the lion is clumsy. Though he can’t die of thirst or hunger, he still suffers from their effects, his body weak and dirty. Lloyd then leaves and lets this man do whatever he wants. Maybe if Lloyd hides in a corner, the scary human won’t come for him.
However, he is soon consumed by anger when he realizes that Ed takes the keys to Jetstream Junction. He can’t let this human escape, he might try to go and hurt Mollie! She’s probably locked in there like he’s locked in here!
Lloyd attacks, or tries to, at least. The accursed Critter Cuff wails, its high-pitched waves causing Lloyd to be paralyzed with pain. Once the sound stops, Lloyd runs away, his fears of torture reignited as he is subjected to pain he had not faced for almost twenty years.
Mascot Mollie, always lurking, heard the Critter Cuff go off, and she draws her conclusions well; Lloyd tried to fight the human, but was driven back, hurt and embarrassed in his own territory. From here, Mollie’s old, unresolved anger begins to build, following Ed as he opens up Jetstream Junction, much to her surprise. At first, she’s delighted. Finally, her old domain is open! She explores the place, running into Ed as they both take notice of one another. Perhaps she’ll let Ed go; he did do her a favor, after all.
But that notion is soon dissolved as she watched Ed run about the place like he owns it, Mollie’s anger mounting as he goes deeper into her home. Finally, she has enough. She attacks Ed, chasing him through the halls and tunnels Mollie so loves. Unfortunately, this final act turns out to be Mascot Mollie’s last. Just as she lunges for him, her head gets severed from her body by a metal door, her blood coating it and the surrounding environment bright red.
It is from here that AI Rambley is forced to acknowledge that this is not his familiar Indigo Park; it’s old and worn, the Mascots that once made people laugh now try to hunt them down. He forgets that they were abused because those files were wiped from him, and Mascot Mollie’s cries are very hard to discern as the echoes and Mascot Mollie’s own voice is ruined by age.
AI Rambley decides his best course of action is to enlist Ed’s help to repair the whole theme park. After all, he has all the information on how to go about it in his database, it just requires a physical body to do, something that the AI sorely lacks. And so, AI Rambley directs Ed toward the first place they need to kick back up: Oceanic Odyssey, home of the Mascot Finley. Perhaps this shy, reclusive sea snake won’t be trying to kill Ed.
On the way, though, Ed nearly stumbles upon the laboratories where the Mascots were made, so the AI makes sure to block that avenue. Ed was AI Rambley’s only hope of success, he wasn’t risking the man run away in terror from the sights and notes that likely were down there.
Ed finally reaches the Oceanic Odyssey attraction, pushing open the doors and following AI Rambley inside, catching a glimpse of a long, green, sea dragon in one of the aquariums …
END
Well, that’s about it! 12k words and 24 pages in, and I only covered the first chapter. Hoo boy …
I don’t think I need to reiterate that this is what I think happened, canonically. There will obviously be some wrong information due to the limited evidence I have to work with, and I intentionally remained vague during certain parts.
Despite that, I am very confident in a few ideas, such as the Mascot uprising, the weaponization of the Critter Cuff specifically against Lloyd the Lion, and the secret laboratories hidden behind that Royal Ranger Room area.
If you have any ideas of your own, let me know as well! I would love to theorize about some things that all of you think as well!
Also a huge shoutout and thank you to the creator of Indigo Park, Mason Myers, or UniqueGeese. The guy is insanely talented, considering this took him only one year to do. ONE! I can’t want to see the twists and turns he has to offer.
See you all later in Chapter 2! - Maddy
submitted by _Mad_Maddy to IndigoPark [link] [comments]
And finally, here’s the final part! If you have any thoughts, or any disagreements, comment down below! I’d love to discuss the game’s lore with you all!
At its heart, Indigo Park is a tragedy, one that would make both Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks proud. It starts off with the creator wanting nothing but good, but slowly devolves into a horrifying, downward spiral. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Isaac Indigo has a dream of bringing his imagination to life, for people everywhere. The beginning of the twentieth century began horrendously, World War 1 being the deadliest conflict at the time. Wanting to help everyone and bring at least a spark of joy into their lives, Isaac Indigo launches headfirst into the media of his choice: cartoons.
Indigo comes up with his first permanent Mascot, Lloydford L. Lion. A loud, booming, rambunctious character, Lloyd sought to be the spark of happiness that Indigo hoped he would be. Lloyd would the very best actor, showman, and orator. He’s arrogant, but not pompous. He’s loud, but not with ill will. He’s the beginning of the cast that Indigo envisions, a character whose sole purpose is to please the world. It’s not a surprise that Lloyd is an actor, after all. He seeks to distract the world from its woes, at least for a bit, and make everyone have a good time.
Indigo, emboldened by his sudden fame and success, proceeds to churn out four more individuals: Rambley the Raccoon, Mollie the Macaw, Salem the Skunk, and, eventually, Finley the Sea Serpent, though he comes in separate from the other three.
Rambley Raccoon, a quick thinking, sharp tongued, cheeky little gremlin, is an instant hit with the people, becoming the second most popular character out of the five. Mollie Macaw, a happy-go-lucky bird with a love for the open skies, acts as Rambley’s best friend, the two practically glued together. Together, alongside Lloyd, these three represent the ‘good guys’, a trio that want nothing but the best for the people.
However, every hero needs a villain, and thus, Salem the Skunk was born, a snappy, malevolent little critter that wished for the world to revolve around herself. She has a knack for potion making, a capable chemist who uses her concoctions to bend the wills of others to herself, only for herself.
Rambley and Salem end up becoming fated rivals, nemeses who dislike each other the most, out of every character that Indigo created. Using Salem, Indigo would spread the message of peace, of friendship and everlasting bonds that always triumph against evil, and Salem.
This continuity continues for a period of time, Indigo eventually adding one more character to his roster: the melancholy sea dragon, Finley. Finley’s main goal was to be the educator, to explain the natural world around people and share the fascinating and the beautiful, especially in regard to the ocean, a concept still so unexplored, while also trying to appeal to an older crowd alongside Lloyd.
However, poor Finley wouldn’t ever be that popular amongst his peers. Perhaps it was his gloomy, exhausted aura that pushed people away, or perhaps it was his towering, and frankly scary, size, or even maybe because he was deemed boring by the youngest, who were more keen on Rambley, the character that appealed to them the most. Even the other characters, whether Indigo intended for this or not, seemed a bit annoyed by Finley, and often left him to his devices.
And, for a while, Indigo’s plan succeeded. His popularity and notoriety only increased as time went on, gaining him influence, money, and prestige. His plans were working! He was making a difference, making smiles appear on the faces of people who would otherwise be swept away by the woes of the world!
Everything started to crumble, however, when yet another horrifying conflict arose: World War II. The Old World was thrown into chaos, Europe, Africa, and Asia becoming the bloodiest battleground in human history, surpassing even the Great War that came before it.
So, Indigo concocted a scheme, a way to raise the spirits of those he could currently help, his fellow Americans. Indigo Park was to be his magnus opus, his monument that would transcend his lifetime. Here, all of his creations would gather, all of them having their own attractions, bringing a level of access that had never yet been realized before. Costumed people would walk around during operational hours, bringing his characters into the real world to interact with those that needed refuge from the outside horrors.
However, while his park became a success, spearheaded by Lloyd the Lion, the very first, there was something that bothered Indigo. These costumed performers, while certainly a stroke of genius, underperformed. Besides that, they sometimes broke character, and destroyed the immersion of the guests, and were quite costly to keep around, alongside the engineers, the logistics division, and the Ranglers that helped run Indigo Park. Not to mention, the cost of custom costumes, of fabric and materials, rose higher and higher as quotas began to be placed and maintained in the USA, due to the resources it sent to its allies overseas, before eventually joining their allies in the fight against evil.
If he couldn’t simulate his characters, why not make them? Animals that would be living, breathing creatures that would merely need care, compassion, and basic necessities? Hiring a bunch of the best scientists, he gave them a special role: The Royal Ranglers, those that would be entrusted with this secret project.
Indigo, while a creative man, didn’t understand science as well as these individuals, and likely never would, but he would make them keep logs, records of their successes and failures, of their many experiments. And eventually, their labor paid off: One of each character, Mascots, came to life. They breathed air, had red blood flowing through their veins, were real, physical creatures, but also remained gentle with the guests. Once they were unveiled, there was no longer a need for costumed performers to roam around Indigo Park. They could also be trained to perform shows of their own, such as Finley and Lloyd, while the others could supervise their respective districts! It was a win win!
However, not everyone was so pleased with the results. The performers that once roamed the streets found themselves without jobs, only some kept around to care for the new Mascots, their betters, their replacements. And that made them furious. Why should these abominations, these stupid, ugly freaks replace them? Behind Indigo’s back, these disgruntled employees would begin their revenge slowly, minimally. Withholding a small amount of the supplies the Mascots needed, occasional cruel words. As time went on, this turned into a coping mechanism, the treatment of the Mascots progressing into physical violence, vile, cutting words on the regular basis.
Sometime before this Lloyd would end up giving up the title of main character to Rambley, who had gained immense popularity, even more than Lloyd himself. While it annoyed the proud Lloyd to be first mate, he would hand over the title graciously, partially because Rambley had always been jealous of Lloyd’s popularity and fame, and maybe, just maybe, this change would do them all good. Their abuse had been escalating, much worse than any thought possible. Salem was the only one to oppose this decision, thinking that it was all only to the benefit of Rambley. Mollie was the opposite, supportive of her best friend. And Finley … well, there was no way to consistently speak with the reptile. He was always kept in Oceanic Odyssey, far away from their cages underneath Jetsream Junction. And besides, none of the four particularly … liked Finley. Sure, Rambley had befriended the sea serpent, but that was done moreso to have some rapport and sway over the gentle giant, who was much too shy, like, ~obnoxiously~ ~shy.~ He was always so gloomy, so pessimistic, so willing to accept whatever came his way. No, Finley was definitely not an agent of change, but of pitiful complacence, locked away with his prized shell collection.
However, things did not improve at all. In fact, it only got worse. Tension between the Mascots was at an all time high, Rambley having become hurtful to even his best friend Mollie. He was still suspicious of Lloyd, convinced the lion would steal back his position as ringleader. Salem and Rambley, and thus with Mollie, also began to sour drastically. Salem was convinced that Rambley wasn’t doing anything to help the five. After all, he and Mollie practically abandoned Finley, someone who they claimed was a ‘friend’. Lloyd too became frustrated with the raccoon, Salem whispering in his ears, convincing him that Rambley had only pushed for Lloyd’s demotion to finally be the one above Lloyd, to have more power.
Mollie was soon caught in the crossfire of a particularly intense feud, Salem and Lloyd on one side, Rambley by himself on the other. Rambley, her best friend in the whole wide world. Rambley, that same friend who would sometimes be mean to Mollie for no apparent reason. However, no matter what Rambley had done to their relationship, it wasn’t Rambley’s fault. It was one time when Lloyd became particularly aggressive that Mollie had to finally end this.
The fault does not belong to Rambley! “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!”
And suddenly, it clicked for the Mascots. No matter how much some of the Mascots didn’t like each other, there was one person they all could agree to hate: Isaac Indigo. Their creator who had left the newborn animals to the mercy of vengeful, spiteful, horrible people who did nothing but spit upon and abuse the Mascots. It was decided that they would fight back. They would show those humans that they were not muzzled dogs, but barely contained predators.
The next time the Mascots were in the presence of these Ranglers, Lloyd finally snapped. It was a particularly brutal day, and Lloyd would suffer no longer. With a crippling roar, Lloyd launched himself at the Ranglers, the other Mascots following suit.
Isaac Indigo had walked into work expecting the day to be like usual, but it was to his horror that he learned of the Mascots attack upon their Ranglers. Calling a hasty evacuation, guests were shoved outside of the park with no explanation, no answers. Even the authorities would not be able to provide answers. No, they couldn’t learn of such a thing; it would ruin Isaac Indigo and all that he had worked for.
Temporarily, the entire park fell under the control of the Mascots, who were a bit shocked with how easy it was to win their freedom. However, their victory would not last. They all would suffer the consequences.
Lloyd was deemed the biggest threat to Indigo’s plans, so he had to be the one dealt with first. But how? The scientists that Indigo had hired came up with a plan; repurpose the Critter Cuffs to make a high enough pitch to incapacitate the lion, before locking him up for good in his theater.
Luring the beast to his stage area, the humans spring their trap, their Critter Cuffs wailing, racking Lloyd with so much pain that he couldn’t do anything but curl up into a ball. With the help of some engineers, they lock Lloyd in his own theater, a special clearance required to even access the area. This is where they toss most of the assets Indigo Park does not wish anyone see. Research papers, binders, notebooks, it’s all scattered here. And while here, Indigo decides to deal with Mollie Macaw as well.
Mollie is dangerous in that she knows planes and how to use them. They’re massive weapons, so, the way to disarm the bomb that is Mollie is to lock Jetstream Junction behind the Critter Cuffs, as well as a massive lock and key. The key itself would be stored at the very back of Lloyd’s theater, a place where only they would know to look. And once they seal the doors one final time, Mollie, Rambley, and Salem would have no access to it.
Finley would be left to his own devices; he’s contained in his attraction and as long as they don’t approach, they’ll be fine. The remaining Mascots can’t hide there forever either, and the humans know that. Even if Finley is a deterrent, the humans would eventually invent a way to deal with the serpent, who would be unwilling to resist for too long.
And thus, two Mascots were dealt with, one Mascot crippled. Only Salem and Rambley remained threats with their rides and arsenals, though Mollie is still dangerous with her sharp beak and claws.
After some time, Mascot Rambley and Salem decide to retreat further into Indigo Park, further away from the entrance. Their movements were too easy to track with that blasted Artificial Intelligence system watching through the bountiful cameras. Mollie, however, can’t bear to leave her home, her hangar. She tries to reason with the two others, but ultimately, no agreement can be reached. Salem and Rambley would withdrawn, and Mollie would come, if she wanted to.
Eventually, the two sneakiest Mascots, once sworn enemies, were now the only one the other could rely on. Now brother and sister, they tried their best to weather the storm, but were ultimately dealt with. Mollie, grief-stricken with the loss of her home and being abandoned by the ones she called friend, had no will to fight anymore.
This entire process took almost ten years, finally ending in 2015, while the park had been closed in 2006. Outside, people slowly forgot about the enigmatic end to the once beloved park, distracted by the rapid expansion of other sources of fun and media. Indigo, saddened by the fate of what he once thought of as his greatest achievement, didn’t have the heart to tear the place down. It was too dangerous, so he merely bribed the local authorities to close it off from curious onlookers. He would command the AI Rambley to have most of his files wiped concerning the fate of the park, wiping all data concerning the back and forth between humans and their experiments brought to life. He’d be restricted to the Registration Center, cut off from the actual park, and only present in one computer until Indigo found a way to salvage the situation. And that’s where Isaac Indigo left Indigo Park.
Mascot Mollie is left alone to wander the park, all her friends gone, missing. She stumbles into Rambley Railroad, the only place that she can see all her friends, before she stops at Salem’s exhibit. Eyes narrowing in hate, Mollie remembers that it was Salem that pushed and manipulated them all to fight back. If Salem hadn’t been there, none of this would have happened. This leads Mascot Mollie on a destructive rampage, wrecking the whole area as much as she could. She eventually stumbles upon an animatronic version of herself, which shocks her when it repeats Mollie’s own words, almost like snidely trying to hurt Mollie with her own words. “Not Rambley! He hurts Lloyd! He hurts Lloyd!” Once again angered, Mascot Mollie pounds upon the robot until the lights fade from its painted eyes, slumped in a pile of metal rods and broken brick. From there, Mascot Mollie leaves, vowing to stay away from the place.
However, what Indigo did not account for was an urban explorer duo that made it their life mission to explore a wide variety of places. Laura and Ed made quite the dynamic duo, always exploring what they wanted, where they wanted, how they wanted. Though they trespassed and sometimes even burgled, they were never caught by the authorities, and their concealed presences on their channel was enough for the two to not be charged and arrested.
However, the two found themselves in a weird limbo. All of their newest explorations lacked a certain ‘oomph’, with even their viewers noticing the lack of excitement and passion of the two. So, Ed decides to set his sights on a big fish: Indigo Park.
Laura, his partner, is instantly worried by Ed’s choice. All the places they went to before were practically abandoned, the maximum they had to worry about were old motion detectors and an occasional camera or two. Indigo Park, however, would most likely be very secure, swarming with cops, even, so she tries to dissuade Ed, but Ed only becomes more pumped to break inside. Resigned, Laura promised assistance if Ed could find a way inside. Ed finally goes to this famed Indigo Park, home of so many of his treasured memories as a child, intent on having all of his personal questions answered.
It is to his surprise that the place is so easy to slip into. All he had to do was avoid the occasional patrol car, climb a fence, and viola, he was there. The entrance gates being locked up, however, was a bummer, but maybe the Registration Center would have some information. It would be even more of a shock to discover an AI Rambley, the same that Indigo had locked there.
AI Rambley would guide Ed, the first visitor in exactly eight years, inside, Ed collecting all sorts of goodies, such as plushies, ears, drinking containers, and even a vintage Rambley costume mask. However, Ed is disappointed by the way the AI practically ignores the state of disrepair Indigo Park has fallen into.
Lured by the sudden sound of Rambley speaking Mascot Mollie rushes over; Rambley came back for her! But it is to her horror that it’s merely a mockery of Mascot Rambley, that old AI speaking to a human! Mollie, wary and frightened of the implications of this, decides to merely follow cautiously.
Following the directions of the AI, Ed travels through Rambley Railroad, fixing the ride when in breaks in the wrecked zone of Salem the Skunk, her cutout and props left in broken pieces. It is during this ride that Ed senses he’s not alone, and notices Mollie Macaw stalking him. However, she’s not threatening in any way, so he leaves her be. Why antagonize this … Mascot? Person? Ed doesn’t know what to think of her, but maybe, if he’s careful, he won’t have to deal with her.
Ed is then directed to Jetsream Junction, but is disappointed to find it locked away, not only by Critter Cuff, but also by lock and key. The AI mentions a key in Lloyd’s theater, though, so he heads that way. What Ed does not expect to find is Mascot Lloyd himself, dozing on the stage. Quickly noticing Ed’s presence, however, Lloyd flees, remembering all too well of the danger that humans posed to him.
Unfortunately, Ed is left without AI Rambley’s presence, and Lloyd is slowly but surely pushed farther back into his domain. Lloyd at one point tries to attack, but the lion is clumsy. Though he can’t die of thirst or hunger, he still suffers from their effects, his body weak and dirty. Lloyd then leaves and lets this man do whatever he wants. Maybe if Lloyd hides in a corner, the scary human won’t come for him.
However, he is soon consumed by anger when he realizes that Ed takes the keys to Jetstream Junction. He can’t let this human escape, he might try to go and hurt Mollie! She’s probably locked in there like he’s locked in here!
Lloyd attacks, or tries to, at least. The accursed Critter Cuff wails, its high-pitched waves causing Lloyd to be paralyzed with pain. Once the sound stops, Lloyd runs away, his fears of torture reignited as he is subjected to pain he had not faced for almost twenty years.
Mascot Mollie, always lurking, heard the Critter Cuff go off, and she draws her conclusions well; Lloyd tried to fight the human, but was driven back, hurt and embarrassed in his own territory. From here, Mollie’s old, unresolved anger begins to build, following Ed as he opens up Jetstream Junction, much to her surprise. At first, she’s delighted. Finally, her old domain is open! She explores the place, running into Ed as they both take notice of one another. Perhaps she’ll let Ed go; he did do her a favor, after all.
But that notion is soon dissolved as she watched Ed run about the place like he owns it, Mollie’s anger mounting as he goes deeper into her home. Finally, she has enough. She attacks Ed, chasing him through the halls and tunnels Mollie so loves. Unfortunately, this final act turns out to be Mascot Mollie’s last. Just as she lunges for him, her head gets severed from her body by a metal door, her blood coating it and the surrounding environment bright red.
It is from here that AI Rambley is forced to acknowledge that this is not his familiar Indigo Park; it’s old and worn, the Mascots that once made people laugh now try to hunt them down. He forgets that they were abused because those files were wiped from him, and Mascot Mollie’s cries are very hard to discern as the echoes and Mascot Mollie’s own voice is ruined by age.
AI Rambley decides his best course of action is to enlist Ed’s help to repair the whole theme park. After all, he has all the information on how to go about it in his database, it just requires a physical body to do, something that the AI sorely lacks. And so, AI Rambley directs Ed toward the first place they need to kick back up: Oceanic Odyssey, home of the Mascot Finley. Perhaps this shy, reclusive sea snake won’t be trying to kill Ed.
On the way, though, Ed nearly stumbles upon the laboratories where the Mascots were made, so the AI makes sure to block that avenue. Ed was AI Rambley’s only hope of success, he wasn’t risking the man run away in terror from the sights and notes that likely were down there.
Ed finally reaches the Oceanic Odyssey attraction, pushing open the doors and following AI Rambley inside, catching a glimpse of a long, green, sea dragon in one of the aquariums …
END
Well, that’s about it! 12k words and 24 pages in, and I only covered the first chapter. Hoo boy …
I don’t think I need to reiterate that this is what I think happened, canonically. There will obviously be some wrong information due to the limited evidence I have to work with, and I intentionally remained vague during certain parts.
Despite that, I am very confident in a few ideas, such as the Mascot uprising, the weaponization of the Critter Cuff specifically against Lloyd the Lion, and the secret laboratories hidden behind that Royal Ranger Room area.
If you have any ideas of your own, let me know as well! I would love to theorize about some things that all of you think as well!
Also a huge shoutout and thank you to the creator of Indigo Park, Mason Myers, or UniqueGeese. The guy is insanely talented, considering this took him only one year to do. ONE! I can’t want to see the twists and turns he has to offer.
See you all later in Chapter 2! - Maddy
2024.05.30 00:38 ConsciousRun6137 The Royal Society: Part II
Excerpted from my book Royal Bloodline Wetiko & The Great Remembering: Chapter 10: The Royal Society
From 1760 to 1840, using raw materials pilfered by the East India Company from Asia, the Industrial Revolution gathered pace in the UK. Steam and water power were used to produce iron and manufacture chemicals. The textile industry led the way as Crown factories hired desperate serfs to work their new machines. Much of the cotton and dyes came from Bengal.
From 1870 to 1915, the Second Industrial Revolution occurred. Machine tools were developed, standardization became entrenched, interchangeable parts were common, and mass production became possible. Railroads and telegraph lines swept across Europe, water and sewer systems were modernized, and oil was discovered and utilized as a new power source.
A Third Industrial Revolution occurred in the mid-20th century, featuring the replacement of analog and mechanical systems with electronic, digital, and eventually computerized ones. This marked the beginning of the Information Age.
The second focus of the Royal Geographic Society is to tell us how we evolved from the Great Apes. Though it is certainly a possibility, their evolutionary theory has yet to be proven in this regard. The fossil record is incomplete, the effectiveness of carbon dating has come under increased scrutiny, and the “missing link” between Great Apes and humans has yet to be established.
For decades, Ramapithecus was paraded around by Crown-funded anthropologists at Yale led by Elwyn Simons as the missing link. But research by biochemist Allan Wilson and Berkeley anthropologist, Vincent Sarich, led a group of scientists in challenging this belief. Though initially dismissed by the mainstream scientific community, the mounting evidence that Ramapithecus was, in fact, Sivapithecus (the ancestor to orangutans), became overwhelming and even Simons was forced to admit his error.
Despite this new scientific discovery, many otherwise highly-educated people in the world still believe in evolutionary theory as gospel. This Crown-driven junk science has indeed become their new religion.
Similarly, the Royal Society of Physics had driven the particle physics train for centuries, informing us that all matter was made up of highly predictable elementary particles called atoms. This belief had existed since the 6th century. But starting in the 19th century many began to question this orthodoxy, giving rise to subatomic physics.
It began with scientists identifying positively-charged protons and neutral neutrons. Smaller and smaller particles were identified, but their actions were not at all predictable. This understanding developed into quantum field theory, which maintained that particles and their interactions were the same since their movements could even be affected by the mood of the experimenter. Sir Isaac Newton’s Crown-funded laws were quickly unravelling.
In the 1950s, particle accelerators like CERN were developed to try to smash the smaller and smaller particles like quarks and leptons into one another to find even smaller ones. This very expensive madness has resulted in new theories like the unified field theory and string theory, which revolve around Higgs boson, popularized as the God particle, after a book of the same name by Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman of Crown-controlled Columbia University.
But a new science alternative to particle physics has emerged which focuses on matter that consists of electricity rather than particles. This new plasma physics has made serious inroads at major universities, where it is now taught that there are four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. David Talbot and his Thunderbolt Project are pioneers in this field.
Talbot’s discoveries also carry over into astronomy, another of the Nephilim’s always-inverted seven sacred sciences. The Royal Astronomical Society has espoused the Big Bang Theory, which uses particle physics theories and Einstein’s theory of relativity to posit that the universe was created in one massive explosion.
Talbot and his plasma physics ilk have challenged this theory, finding that the universe is electric, plasma-based, and ever-changing. They argue that most of what has transpired in the creation of the universe is not based on collisions or explosions, but on electrical charges caused by cosmic lightning storms.
One cannot escape the pattern that emerges from the Crown’s “science” in trying to explain things like the origin of man, what constitutes matter, and how the universe was created. Their conclusions in these areas involve explanations that tend to diminish mankind, to atomize and dissect reality, and to explain away Wakan Tanka’s mysterious creation as resulting from random, chaotic, and violent events in the universe.
Again, they are projecting their dark worldview into their new scientific Trojan Horse as a means to discourage humanity from the possibility of real progress. Rather than seeing what is actually in front of them, they instead reflect in their findings a colonizer mindset, bent on proving the superiority of the bloodline at the expense of nature, humans, and even God.
Hatched in Babylon as an Annunaki means to control humans, religion and spirituality had been well-utilized by the Crown to maintain control of their Holy Roman Empire. But the Catholic Church had renounced the Templar knights of the Crown as heretics, and Protestantism wasn’t injected with enough guilt and shame to keep the peasants in line. Judaism could and would still be mobilized occasionally, but only to garner sympathy from the public when required.
The answer to maintaining control over the growing global population lie in the Royal Societies and their Malthusian, bloodline supremacist, dark view of the world. They had already destroyed human relationships with nature in their push to enslave humans into agriculture. Now they would push them into cities to work at Crown corporations. An urbanized population is a scared population, and one more likely to adopt such dark views as to the nature of reality.
Better to rid the world of any notion of a supreme and benevolent Creator, though they had done their best to portray God as angry and quick to condemn. Now they would go back to their Sumerian and Egyptian pagan roots and coerce populations by the sword and by science, inverting the Nephilim fallen angel’s seven sacred sciences to assuage humanity to acquiesce to their continued tyranny.
ROYAL BLOODLINE WETIKO & THE GREAT REMEMBERING
In his seventh book, Dean Henderson tracks the royal Annunaki bloodline from Sumeria through Babylon, Egypt, and Rome to their current power base in the City of London and deconstructs their methodology to keep humans enslaved and isolated during this relatively brief period of human history. Drawing upon ancient Lakota culture to remind us who we are, Henderson sees a great remembering unfolding which makes this royal bloodline very nervous.
submitted by ConsciousRun6137 to u/ConsciousRun6137 [link] [comments]
From 1760 to 1840, using raw materials pilfered by the East India Company from Asia, the Industrial Revolution gathered pace in the UK. Steam and water power were used to produce iron and manufacture chemicals. The textile industry led the way as Crown factories hired desperate serfs to work their new machines. Much of the cotton and dyes came from Bengal.
From 1870 to 1915, the Second Industrial Revolution occurred. Machine tools were developed, standardization became entrenched, interchangeable parts were common, and mass production became possible. Railroads and telegraph lines swept across Europe, water and sewer systems were modernized, and oil was discovered and utilized as a new power source.
A Third Industrial Revolution occurred in the mid-20th century, featuring the replacement of analog and mechanical systems with electronic, digital, and eventually computerized ones. This marked the beginning of the Information Age.
The second focus of the Royal Geographic Society is to tell us how we evolved from the Great Apes. Though it is certainly a possibility, their evolutionary theory has yet to be proven in this regard. The fossil record is incomplete, the effectiveness of carbon dating has come under increased scrutiny, and the “missing link” between Great Apes and humans has yet to be established.
For decades, Ramapithecus was paraded around by Crown-funded anthropologists at Yale led by Elwyn Simons as the missing link. But research by biochemist Allan Wilson and Berkeley anthropologist, Vincent Sarich, led a group of scientists in challenging this belief. Though initially dismissed by the mainstream scientific community, the mounting evidence that Ramapithecus was, in fact, Sivapithecus (the ancestor to orangutans), became overwhelming and even Simons was forced to admit his error.
Despite this new scientific discovery, many otherwise highly-educated people in the world still believe in evolutionary theory as gospel. This Crown-driven junk science has indeed become their new religion.
Similarly, the Royal Society of Physics had driven the particle physics train for centuries, informing us that all matter was made up of highly predictable elementary particles called atoms. This belief had existed since the 6th century. But starting in the 19th century many began to question this orthodoxy, giving rise to subatomic physics.
It began with scientists identifying positively-charged protons and neutral neutrons. Smaller and smaller particles were identified, but their actions were not at all predictable. This understanding developed into quantum field theory, which maintained that particles and their interactions were the same since their movements could even be affected by the mood of the experimenter. Sir Isaac Newton’s Crown-funded laws were quickly unravelling.
In the 1950s, particle accelerators like CERN were developed to try to smash the smaller and smaller particles like quarks and leptons into one another to find even smaller ones. This very expensive madness has resulted in new theories like the unified field theory and string theory, which revolve around Higgs boson, popularized as the God particle, after a book of the same name by Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman of Crown-controlled Columbia University.
But a new science alternative to particle physics has emerged which focuses on matter that consists of electricity rather than particles. This new plasma physics has made serious inroads at major universities, where it is now taught that there are four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. David Talbot and his Thunderbolt Project are pioneers in this field.
Talbot’s discoveries also carry over into astronomy, another of the Nephilim’s always-inverted seven sacred sciences. The Royal Astronomical Society has espoused the Big Bang Theory, which uses particle physics theories and Einstein’s theory of relativity to posit that the universe was created in one massive explosion.
Talbot and his plasma physics ilk have challenged this theory, finding that the universe is electric, plasma-based, and ever-changing. They argue that most of what has transpired in the creation of the universe is not based on collisions or explosions, but on electrical charges caused by cosmic lightning storms.
One cannot escape the pattern that emerges from the Crown’s “science” in trying to explain things like the origin of man, what constitutes matter, and how the universe was created. Their conclusions in these areas involve explanations that tend to diminish mankind, to atomize and dissect reality, and to explain away Wakan Tanka’s mysterious creation as resulting from random, chaotic, and violent events in the universe.
Again, they are projecting their dark worldview into their new scientific Trojan Horse as a means to discourage humanity from the possibility of real progress. Rather than seeing what is actually in front of them, they instead reflect in their findings a colonizer mindset, bent on proving the superiority of the bloodline at the expense of nature, humans, and even God.
Hatched in Babylon as an Annunaki means to control humans, religion and spirituality had been well-utilized by the Crown to maintain control of their Holy Roman Empire. But the Catholic Church had renounced the Templar knights of the Crown as heretics, and Protestantism wasn’t injected with enough guilt and shame to keep the peasants in line. Judaism could and would still be mobilized occasionally, but only to garner sympathy from the public when required.
The answer to maintaining control over the growing global population lie in the Royal Societies and their Malthusian, bloodline supremacist, dark view of the world. They had already destroyed human relationships with nature in their push to enslave humans into agriculture. Now they would push them into cities to work at Crown corporations. An urbanized population is a scared population, and one more likely to adopt such dark views as to the nature of reality.
Better to rid the world of any notion of a supreme and benevolent Creator, though they had done their best to portray God as angry and quick to condemn. Now they would go back to their Sumerian and Egyptian pagan roots and coerce populations by the sword and by science, inverting the Nephilim fallen angel’s seven sacred sciences to assuage humanity to acquiesce to their continued tyranny.
ROYAL BLOODLINE WETIKO & THE GREAT REMEMBERING
In his seventh book, Dean Henderson tracks the royal Annunaki bloodline from Sumeria through Babylon, Egypt, and Rome to their current power base in the City of London and deconstructs their methodology to keep humans enslaved and isolated during this relatively brief period of human history. Drawing upon ancient Lakota culture to remind us who we are, Henderson sees a great remembering unfolding which makes this royal bloodline very nervous.
2024.05.29 01:22 WorldGoneAway "No, We Don't Want To Participate In The Stupid Tournament"
(TL;DR - Player wants to try running the game, I let him do so, he's not great at it, and his forced subplot ends up having negative health effects on the player he wanted to participate the most)
Not every problematic situation has a "bad guy". Sometimes the problems come from genuinely good people that either make a mistake, don't communicate properly or just end up trying to force one aspect of a game over others, sometimes to the detriment of other players. This story is very recent, the end of it happened last week.
I have a player in my games (fantastic guy, a great player, a good role-player, a little akward, but he's very enthusiastic) ask me if he can occasionally take the reins of being the DM once in a while. It's kind of healthy to do this sometimes just so that the forever DM's can actually get a chance to play, and some players can really begin to understand just how difficult our job is sometimes, so I agreed to it.
We finished up one of the main story arcs, I took control of an NPC in the party, and let this player be the DM for a little while. Initially really nothing was too terrible, he found a couple of modules that he wanted to run to kind of get an idea of how to do so, and the first one was sort of strange but it worked out pretty good.
But there was a slight hangup on the second one.
Players need a certain amount of guidance, if you describe a scene, it is up to the players to ask questions about it and it is up to you to describe it. Generally this all works great.
My friend, on the other hand, didn't quite read enough of the module beforehand, so he sort of didn't explain enough and more or less left us in an open town with very little explanation and too few leads. So what basically happened is we tried to be detectives in a town infected with some kind of weird fungus parasite, it was time sensitive, we didn't know that, and it turned out to be a murder-hobo slugfest when it was never actually intended to be that way.
An important take away from that one, one of which I spoke to him about, is that the party had three fighters and a bard. The character that I chose was one of the fighters, and it would've honestly worked way better if I had played a mage of some kind. Knowing the way the module was written, he made no attempt to dissuade me from using that character. I explained that to him, and he very graciously thanked me and said that he would take party composition more into consideration when he ran the next one.
We do another story arc with me, and then he takes over again, this time using a short adventure he had written himself. I used a rogue this time, as per his suggestion.
This one in particular was something of a murder mystery. We arrive in town for a wedding to which we were all invited and at about the same time there is a tournament happening.
We arrive in the town, everybody is talking about the tournament. DM asks us if we're going to inquire about it, and no one replies. He asks if anyone wants to enter and we each decline in turn, as our characters are ill-suited or disqualified in some way. The wedding is getting ready to happen, and everybody is still talking about the tournament. The wedding banquet opens up, with everybody continuing to talk about the tournament, and finally I flat out ask if the tournament is actually important to this particular plot. He says it isn't really, it's just a B plot to "get more milage". Wonderful.
Just then the bride collapses, we are all deputized to investigate it, and are then left to our own devices.
So we start talking to people, and we try to get as much info as possible, but unfortunately due to a combination of bad rolls and the characters we were playing, we weren't getting anywhere.
We had a paladin, two fighters, a rogue, and an oracle. Not a single one of us had enough points in investigative skills or diplomacy.
How far do you actually think we got with this inside the span of a few hours?
So finally the DM capitulates and kind of throws a Scooby Doo ending at us to try to get some kind of resolution, and it really doesn't make any sense, focusing primarily on two characters we barely encountered at all and the only character to pass the most important check was the gnoll, so the way he offered this information to the party was delightfully akward. We let it go and hoped that there was something more to it than that. The DM shifted through his notes for a moment before speaking again.
"So, uh, let's go on to the tournament!"
At this point in time the fighters player simply says "no" and gets up from the table and goes to bed. Keep in mind this was well past midnight, and fighter was supposed to be up at 4 AM to go to work. The rest of us kind of agreed that it was time to wrap it up and we called it a night.
So the next day I talk to my roommate (the fighters player) and find out that he called out of work because he was violently ill. The reason he needed to go to bed early is because he is hypoglycemic and if his blood sugar isn't controlled in the morning probably because he stayed up too late and slept in more than he should've, he gets mega violently ill. When I came home from work, he was still in a bad way, so I asked him why he didn't duck out earlier.
My roommate then told me that the DM had been borderline harassing him all week about playing and staying awake to play because he was "needed" for the session, because of the goddamn tournament that no one wanted to enter.
So the DM had made an earnest effort to try to include something for everyone, put way too much effort into one particular event that absolutely none of us even wanted to participate, and tried to railroad the one player that could do the event into participating to the detriment of that players own health.
An important thing to note is that during the session where we were doing the investigation, my roommate's character didn't do a single thing, mostly because it was outside of his specialty. He was up way later than he should've been, sitting in on a game, not doing a single thing, except say "no" five hours in.
So I tried talking to the DM, but he said he wants to at least do the tournament before handing the game back over to me. I told him we were going to vote on it, but not to expect that anybody would want to go ahead with it. I'm sure that it hurt his feelings, but at this point in time I just need to put my foot down. At the time of this writing we haven't had a session yet where we could call the vote.
Update: The fighter has decided to leave the game. He announced this at the begining of last night's session and the DM admitted that the tournament was actually his A-plot and that he was a little myopic for writing it entirely around one player, and that he is sorry that he structured the storyline the way that he did. He asked for constructive criticism, we gave it, and retconned a couple of things and everything is cool.
submitted by WorldGoneAway to rpghorrorstories [link] [comments]
Not every problematic situation has a "bad guy". Sometimes the problems come from genuinely good people that either make a mistake, don't communicate properly or just end up trying to force one aspect of a game over others, sometimes to the detriment of other players. This story is very recent, the end of it happened last week.
I have a player in my games (fantastic guy, a great player, a good role-player, a little akward, but he's very enthusiastic) ask me if he can occasionally take the reins of being the DM once in a while. It's kind of healthy to do this sometimes just so that the forever DM's can actually get a chance to play, and some players can really begin to understand just how difficult our job is sometimes, so I agreed to it.
We finished up one of the main story arcs, I took control of an NPC in the party, and let this player be the DM for a little while. Initially really nothing was too terrible, he found a couple of modules that he wanted to run to kind of get an idea of how to do so, and the first one was sort of strange but it worked out pretty good.
But there was a slight hangup on the second one.
Players need a certain amount of guidance, if you describe a scene, it is up to the players to ask questions about it and it is up to you to describe it. Generally this all works great.
My friend, on the other hand, didn't quite read enough of the module beforehand, so he sort of didn't explain enough and more or less left us in an open town with very little explanation and too few leads. So what basically happened is we tried to be detectives in a town infected with some kind of weird fungus parasite, it was time sensitive, we didn't know that, and it turned out to be a murder-hobo slugfest when it was never actually intended to be that way.
An important take away from that one, one of which I spoke to him about, is that the party had three fighters and a bard. The character that I chose was one of the fighters, and it would've honestly worked way better if I had played a mage of some kind. Knowing the way the module was written, he made no attempt to dissuade me from using that character. I explained that to him, and he very graciously thanked me and said that he would take party composition more into consideration when he ran the next one.
We do another story arc with me, and then he takes over again, this time using a short adventure he had written himself. I used a rogue this time, as per his suggestion.
This one in particular was something of a murder mystery. We arrive in town for a wedding to which we were all invited and at about the same time there is a tournament happening.
We arrive in the town, everybody is talking about the tournament. DM asks us if we're going to inquire about it, and no one replies. He asks if anyone wants to enter and we each decline in turn, as our characters are ill-suited or disqualified in some way. The wedding is getting ready to happen, and everybody is still talking about the tournament. The wedding banquet opens up, with everybody continuing to talk about the tournament, and finally I flat out ask if the tournament is actually important to this particular plot. He says it isn't really, it's just a B plot to "get more milage". Wonderful.
Just then the bride collapses, we are all deputized to investigate it, and are then left to our own devices.
So we start talking to people, and we try to get as much info as possible, but unfortunately due to a combination of bad rolls and the characters we were playing, we weren't getting anywhere.
We had a paladin, two fighters, a rogue, and an oracle. Not a single one of us had enough points in investigative skills or diplomacy.
How far do you actually think we got with this inside the span of a few hours?
So finally the DM capitulates and kind of throws a Scooby Doo ending at us to try to get some kind of resolution, and it really doesn't make any sense, focusing primarily on two characters we barely encountered at all and the only character to pass the most important check was the gnoll, so the way he offered this information to the party was delightfully akward. We let it go and hoped that there was something more to it than that. The DM shifted through his notes for a moment before speaking again.
"So, uh, let's go on to the tournament!"
At this point in time the fighters player simply says "no" and gets up from the table and goes to bed. Keep in mind this was well past midnight, and fighter was supposed to be up at 4 AM to go to work. The rest of us kind of agreed that it was time to wrap it up and we called it a night.
So the next day I talk to my roommate (the fighters player) and find out that he called out of work because he was violently ill. The reason he needed to go to bed early is because he is hypoglycemic and if his blood sugar isn't controlled in the morning probably because he stayed up too late and slept in more than he should've, he gets mega violently ill. When I came home from work, he was still in a bad way, so I asked him why he didn't duck out earlier.
My roommate then told me that the DM had been borderline harassing him all week about playing and staying awake to play because he was "needed" for the session, because of the goddamn tournament that no one wanted to enter.
So the DM had made an earnest effort to try to include something for everyone, put way too much effort into one particular event that absolutely none of us even wanted to participate, and tried to railroad the one player that could do the event into participating to the detriment of that players own health.
An important thing to note is that during the session where we were doing the investigation, my roommate's character didn't do a single thing, mostly because it was outside of his specialty. He was up way later than he should've been, sitting in on a game, not doing a single thing, except say "no" five hours in.
So I tried talking to the DM, but he said he wants to at least do the tournament before handing the game back over to me. I told him we were going to vote on it, but not to expect that anybody would want to go ahead with it. I'm sure that it hurt his feelings, but at this point in time I just need to put my foot down. At the time of this writing we haven't had a session yet where we could call the vote.
Update: The fighter has decided to leave the game. He announced this at the begining of last night's session and the DM admitted that the tournament was actually his A-plot and that he was a little myopic for writing it entirely around one player, and that he is sorry that he structured the storyline the way that he did. He asked for constructive criticism, we gave it, and retconned a couple of things and everything is cool.
2024.05.28 19:10 JustAPerspective How often should DMs try to fool players?
For most DMs, it's easy to fall into the habit of trying to challenge players by outwitting them. For far too many DMs, it seems like the default trope has been "cursed items" for so long.... that players aren't impressed anymore.
What is a "Cursed Item"? At its core, it's Bait'n'Switch by the DM: Look, something shiny & neat! Oh, it bit you, so sad! Now you have to do things you don't want to in order to stop this awful effect... that you brought on yourself! (which ain't true - the DM brought it upon the player)
Now, how many Cursed Items would realistically exist in a magical universe? Considering the absurd construction costs in the RAW, it seems highly unlikely that anyone would spend the combined time, gold, and resources to craft a Cursed Item to just leave lying around.
Then considering that Dispel Magic is a word & a gesture by a capable caster and your item is functionally worthless... that's a poor investment for anyone except maybe a sociopathic ultrawealthy asshole... & Musk ain't D&D lore.
Recently ran a 1-shot, Level 5, simple military deployment, "find & retrieve at all costs". Soldiers are loyal, skilled, salute & take off into a chaotic battle... wherein they quickly find incredibly powerful magical items that they were sent seeking.
The plan was "Get the items, learn they're awesome, kick some butt all over a horde of low-CR, then see if they reported back honestly to their officers (curiosity - it was a one-shot, but their characters from that one-shot might become the sub-BBGs of the main game).
All of the players were immediately suspicious, an largely unwilling to take the items being offered freely to them. Not because of lore reasons, yet literally because "We have past trauma from other DMs." Eventually, despite specific orders, only 2/3 of the players accepted the gifts - fearfully, begrudgingly, because they felt they were being railroaded into being cursed, as opposed to being railroaded into receiving a bounty.
So... this got we to wondering:
• how often should DMs be fooling the players • how important is it that DMs are a source of trusted information • what are ways to keep the trust clear & clean?
How do you see it?
submitted by JustAPerspective to DungeonsAndDragons [link] [comments]
What is a "Cursed Item"? At its core, it's Bait'n'Switch by the DM: Look, something shiny & neat! Oh, it bit you, so sad! Now you have to do things you don't want to in order to stop this awful effect... that you brought on yourself! (which ain't true - the DM brought it upon the player)
Now, how many Cursed Items would realistically exist in a magical universe? Considering the absurd construction costs in the RAW, it seems highly unlikely that anyone would spend the combined time, gold, and resources to craft a Cursed Item to just leave lying around.
Then considering that Dispel Magic is a word & a gesture by a capable caster and your item is functionally worthless... that's a poor investment for anyone except maybe a sociopathic ultrawealthy asshole... & Musk ain't D&D lore.
Recently ran a 1-shot, Level 5, simple military deployment, "find & retrieve at all costs". Soldiers are loyal, skilled, salute & take off into a chaotic battle... wherein they quickly find incredibly powerful magical items that they were sent seeking.
The plan was "Get the items, learn they're awesome, kick some butt all over a horde of low-CR, then see if they reported back honestly to their officers (curiosity - it was a one-shot, but their characters from that one-shot might become the sub-BBGs of the main game).
All of the players were immediately suspicious, an largely unwilling to take the items being offered freely to them. Not because of lore reasons, yet literally because "We have past trauma from other DMs." Eventually, despite specific orders, only 2/3 of the players accepted the gifts - fearfully, begrudgingly, because they felt they were being railroaded into being cursed, as opposed to being railroaded into receiving a bounty.
So... this got we to wondering:
• how often should DMs be fooling the players • how important is it that DMs are a source of trusted information • what are ways to keep the trust clear & clean?
How do you see it?