#for better and for worse i maintain the belief that all people are people and therefore even people who say/believe the worst things can

[spocks-kaathyra]

.

[frogeyedape]

I think I needed to reread the first bit, actually. I'm unfamiliar with any meme where that phrase is used (yay for not having that shit on my dash, boo for lack of instant recognition of vile tripe). I zeroed in on the much more generic "'The Past' is better than today" and mistook that idea of "we must return to the Golden Age" for the central theme ie not the actual literal nazi slogan that I can add to my "strongly side eye anyone who says this once, suspect nefarious ideologies if they say it again" book. So, having reread the beginning: yes, saying an actual literal nazi slogan in whatever tone except (as you did) to address it's existence/use/harms is at best highly suspect and at worst an outright admission of nazi beliefs. To be absolutely clear, I'm explicitly against "jokes" and "irony" (not actually joking or being ironic) on such subjects ^^ up there.

"reject modernity embrace tradition" isn't even a dogwhistle it's literally just saying regressive ideology directly. how does anyone not get this

[badscienceman]

I saw someone ask what "I hope this hurts" means beyond the obvious, and I started to respond only for it to turn into an essay... Because I don't feel like dumping something so long in some unsuspecting person's notifs, I'm just going to post it here instead.

I started writing this after playing the game, but ended up watching a playthrough because I couldn't remember exactly where "I hope this hurts" was repeated. I think I caught the only few times it was mentioned, but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed something, so feel free to correct me on that or anything else I might have gotten wrong.

Spoilers for the full game and CWs for everything you would expect from discussing Mouthwashing apply.

Edited 10/16/2024 for clarity and some minor issues with formatting. I added sections in hopes of making it more readable, as well as a few more screenshots that I hope will support my points better. *Indicates where I made potentially significant additions to my original analysis.

Part One: Jimmy

Jimmy is someone who has a delicate ego. This means that he's very concerned with how he's perceived by those around him. We see this in how he responds to Curly and the news of the company's closure, which he takes it as a personal attack in spite of it very clearly having nothing to do with him on a personal level.

For people like Jimmy, a threat to one's image (whether it's a matter of their perception of themselves or, maybe worse, the perception others have of them) brings intense emotional pain. Even though it's clear that Curly meant no personal offense, and likely saw more good in Jimmy than was actually there, Jimmy sees this as a great threat to his own image, and thus identity.

To be clear, it's not just that Jimmy thinks Curly is looking down on him. It's also that Jimmy needs his role in the company to maintain his image, and he needs to eventually become captain. This is his ultimate goal because the respect and control that someone like Curly has, in Jimmy's mind, is tied to the title he possesses. And Jimmy wants that. He wants respect, he wants to be listened to, he wants power over others. (This is also why Swansea's final speech is so important, in relation to the belief that if one just reaches this next goal, they might feel a little more human, a little more in control, a little more fulfilled, but as Swansea shows us, that's just not the case. And it's true for Jimmy, too. Jimmy isn't magically fulfilled by obtaining the title of captain.)

But in the beginning, Jimmy has yet to realize that just getting the role of captain won't magically make him a man who is respected, or even a man who is truly in control. He sees no opportunities for himself on earth. The only option is to stay in this company and become a little lord of his own ship... and suddenly that's ripped out from under him. He will never reach the goal he's been chasing for all of this time.

Anya telling him about her pregnancy is the final push he needs to go over the edge.

Part Two: Captain

Returning to the initial reveal that the company is shutting down for a second, I think it's important to keep in mind a few things:

1. The importance of the title of captain in Jimmy's mind.

2. How this extends to his perception of Curly, him being the current captain.

3. Jimmy's self-centeredness preventing him from understanding the feelings and perceptions of those around him.

When Curly says what he does, Jimmy immediately jumps to the conclusion that Curly sees himself as above everyone else (and most importantly, as above Jimmy), to the point of considering them "dirt." I don't think Jimmy is just projecting his greatest fear (being seen as lesser) onto Curly. I think he's projecting his own perceptions.

He's placed all of this importance on the title of captain, and thus Curly. The captain is above Jimmy. Jimmy is beneath him, is lesser. And we know how Jimmy treats those he sees as lesser (first Anya, and then the rest of the crew once he's captain, *manipulating Daisuke into putting his life at risk because Daisuke, who is just an intern after all, just isn't important to Jimmy being an example).

I think this is a fair reading because Jimmy does something similar with Swansea when he insists that Swansea is keeping the last cryostasis pod for himself. I understand some might say that this is just Jimmy's attempt to manipulate Daisuke and Jimmy doesn't actually believe it, which is a fair interpretation, but I sincerely think he believes what he's saying in this instance. And I think that because Jimmy sees selfishness as common sense. It's what he would do were he in Swansea's position, and what makes him giving the pod to Curly significant.

Part Three: Anya

So, Jimmy is already hurt and panicking. He sees his chance at power and thus fulfillment slipping away. And then Anya tells him that she's pregnant.

Anya, who he has shown time and time again that he thinks little of.

Anya, who he clearly sees as beneath him.

Any mention of the pregnancy, no matter how gently it was worded, would immediately feel like a threat to him on multiple levels. And not only that, but a threat from someone lesser than him. His image, his status, his control, his power—it's already slipping from his fingertips. *It's happening right then, in that moment. It's not just a potential future where he's held accountable in a real way (maybe if Anya involved authorities, or if Jimmy was legally responsible for supporting a child once they returned to earth). It's happening now, because his image is crumbling.

For this reason, I believe I hope this hurts to be directed at anyone and everyone that he sees as "threatening" him.

Anya and Curly have made him hurt. He wants to make them hurt.

He doesn't care about Daisuke and Swansea. If anything, he's so caught up in himself and this contorted vision of reality, I wouldn't be shocked if he convinced himself in the moment that they, too, were looking down on him for some reason. (See again, "I know what everyone is thinking. The way they look at me." Obviously this is said in the midst of his spiral, after the crash, but I wouldn't doubt the paranoia was there before that moment.)

He wants to make them hurt as they've hurt him. He may also want to make himself hurt in order to vent out his emotional pain. If not, death may simply be the easiest way to escape pain and the threat the future holds in his mind.

*Part Four: Without the Guilt

In addition to all of this, I think crashing the ship (making them hurt) is his vision of what Curly has done or is doing to him. This is how he "leave(s) the dirt behind."

To understand this, I'm going to include the birthday conversation and the conversation between Jimmy and Curly about crashing the ship.

Jimmy: ... So I guess you got what you wanted. Without the guilt. Curly: Jim... If I had known... Jimmy: I can go back to my, how'd you put it? "Struggle of a life?" Jimmy: Anya never got into medical school because she's... well, let's be real. Jimmy: And how many employment years Swansea got left in him? Jimmy: Daisuke will be fine, mommy and daddy have him covered. So there's that at least. Jimmy: But you. Headed for bigger and better, right? Curly: I'm just... I'm just working on my life being a place I don't have to fucking escape! That's what I was trying to tell you, nothing mor- Jimmy: We're the ones you're trying to escape! Leave the dirt behind now that your boots are clean! Curly: That's not what I meant. Jimmy: It is what you meant. Jimmy: You just couldn't frame it to yourself in a way that kept you as the hero. Jimmy: Abandon the crew but remain the model captain.

To me, this is one of the most important and revealing sections of the game. Jimmy is not only projecting onto Curly, he's telling us exactly what he's going to go on to do (or attempt to do) when he becomes captain.

In addition to this, we see his manipulation on full display as he twists Curly's words and won't allow him even a moment to truly speak beyond a few lines he manages to get in between Jimmy's ranting.

That's not to mention we see the beginning of yet another pattern in Jimmy's behavior: getting a person to admit their weakness, then using it against them and/or using it to hurt them (he does this with Daisuke, for example, when he hears Daisuke's fears/desire for approval and proceeds to use it to get Daisuke in the vent). Here, Curly speaks about feeling trapped. Jimmy will soon trap him in a crashed ship just as much as he traps him in his own body, which Jimmy will proceed to drug. But I'll return to that.

Curly: Jim. I can fix this. Jimmy: What do you think will happen when we get back? Hm? Curly: We can figure all of this out. You and me. Take care of it. Kills ninety nine percent. Jimmy: All I ever hear is how great of a leader you are. God, it's so annoying. Jimmy: But, now... What do you think will happen now when we get back? Curly: We'll fix this together. Jimmy: Everything you and I worked for in our lives. Accomplishments, changes. Jimmy: None of it will matter. Curly: You've gotten through difficult situations before. This time won't be any different. Work through it, one day at a time. Jimmy: It's not just me, is it? Jimmy: You were supposed to be the one who had everything under control. You said so yourself. Jimmy: The ship, this crew, everything that happened here... Jimmy: This was your responsibility, Captain. Jimmy: That is what you'll be hearing the rest of your life. Take responsibility. Jimmy: Or this can all be remembered as a tragedy. Jimmy: Despite what must have been the best efforts of its acclaimed captain. Jimmy: The Tulpar crew was never found. Jimmy: No one survived to tell the tale. Take responsibility. Jimmy: You're standing at the top. Jimmy: Feet in cement. Jimmy: I get it now. Right? Curly: ... Curly: ... Right.

This is an important moment, because aside from the scene in which Jimmy is approaching Curly while he's on fire, it's the only other time that I can recall the game separating from their perspectives to allow us to see them both, standing together.

We see a flash of Take care of it. Kills ninety nine percent. Jimmy begins to pull away. Another flash. He continues to draw back. Another. He turns towards the cockpit.

Jimmy sees through Curly. He sees Curly's worst where Curly sees only Jimmy's best, and he's more that willing to use that against Curly.

He sees a man who is not going to do what's hard. He sees a man who is going to try to "fix it" only in the most superficial sense. A man who confuses the appearance of cohesion and peace with the reality of it. Someone who sees the rocking of the boat as a manifestation of taking action against a wrong rather than the wrong itself.

In the end, it seems they're both ruled by appearances. And Jimmy will soon rip appearances in every sense from Curly's fingertips. He will make him hurt. He will get his revenge. He'll turn Curly into the villain, taking away his title, his respect, and his very face.

For daring to look down on him, Jimmy will turn Curly into dust.

But I think these words—I hope it hurts—come back to haunt him.

Part Five: The Eye as a Mirror

Like I said, I went back to try to find each time the phrase is used. There's the beginning, of course, but then there's the pregnancy sequence, for lack of a better name.

When the Polle monstrosity emerges from the giant uterus (?), we see these words:

In this sequence, we see a lot of different images and concepts connected: Anya's pregnancy and thus her sexual assault by Jimmy are tied to Polle and the company. The emergence of the Polle monster from the giant uterus (and the idea of the removal of the pregnancy) is tied to the mouthwash, as it's an act of "cleansing." This is all then tied to the phrase I hope this hurts.

Unless I missed something, these are the only two moments when the phrase is used: When Jimmy crashes the ship, and when he's experiencing this hallucination.

All clean! Really gets rid of that bad taste in your mouth, huh? Through wreckage! Through silence! Wash it away! All day fire fresh!

"Clean" is important immediately. "Leave the dirt behind you now that your boots are clean," Jimmy says. Because in this accusation is Jimmy's actual intentions himself. He wants to rise above others and clean himself from their filth. Now, he wants to clean himself of his sins.

I think "Really gets rid of that bad taste in your mouth" is mocking him. A direct challenge to the thought that he could ever truly be "cleaned," at least in the ways he's so desperately trying to go about it. *Not to mention how this connects to the mouthwash, as it might get that 99%, but there's always going to be 1% left.

"Through wreckage" obviously refers to the wrecking of the ship, but also of their lives. All by Jimmy. Though I wouldn't doubt in his mind it connects to the wreckage of consequences (ie. Anya's pregnancy resulting from Jimmy's actions).

"Through silence" I feel connects back to Jimmy's attempts to keep everything quiet, both literally and figuratively.

"Wash it away" also has a mocking edge, as if stressing the foolishness of Jimmy's attempts to treat these very serious events as if it's all just "dirt" he can wipe off.

Finally, we see "All day fire fresh!" This line stresses the connection to the mouthwash, of course. It also calls to mind the concept of cleansing by fire. Important considering Curly.

And after each, I hope it hurts. Jimmy's statement of pure, childish rage. His desperate desire to make others hurt as he hurts. To lash out, to get revenge. To have control until the very end.

This is also why Polle haunts him. Because he, as a man desperate for control, will always be under the thumb of the company even with that title of captain. That hurts him. And maybe the closest thing to ever recognizing the evil he's done to Anya is envisioning it as similar to the company's control, but even that feels like a mockery because he's so horrifically incapable of seeing her as a human being that she's been reduced to her womb. That's what he's really afraid of, in the end, and the fear feels like something else is in control. It makes the organ feel giant, larger than him, capable of hurting him.

When I was watching the playthrough, I thought that there was going to be four or five "I hope it hurts." I thought it would represent each person Jimmy hurts, or all of them, because he hurts himself too. When the sixth came, I thought so much for that theory. But then, I thought about it and there's the fetus. That makes six.

So, I hope this hurts means "I want to hurt you the way I've been hurt. The way you've hurt me." It's Jimmy saying that if his life has been wrecked, he'll wreck yours. It's Jimmy saying he'll shut you up. It's Jimmy saying he'll burn everything down if it means he can maintain control, or even just the illusion of it.

Part Six: Pain

But I think there's another side to this. Like some of the other lines I said feel are mocking him, I think I hope this hurts turns against Jimmy, especially here. And more than that, pain (and by extension, pain medication) plays a massive role in the game, after all. So I hope this hurts feels as if it haunts every moment where it's involved.

Jimmy says this the first time he gives Curly his pills. Pain is how we know we're still living.

The pills are clearly connected to death from the start. If "pain is how we know we're still living" then pain is connected to life and freedom from it is connected to death. That's saying nothing of Anya's use of the pills to kill herself. I think this connects back to the crash, as well. If life is pain, death is an escape from it.

I think it's also significant that the act of swallowing the pain pills is in and of itself painful.

The pills that are meant to take the pain away become a method of torturing Curly. It's a way to make him hurt, and to exert control over him. Even something that should take away his suffering is just an extension of it.

At one point, Jimmy says "Once these are out, we'll have nothing to keep him quiet." In this sense, the pain pills are meant to suppress, not to heal (Through silence!). They're supposed to shut Curly up and keep him from expressing his anguish in the only way he has left (the noises that disturb Jimmy's sleep).

Others have compared this, or Curly's state, to how Anya has been forced to bottle up her own suffering. Jimmy is keeping them both quiet, or at least attempting to. The ultimate form of keeping them quiet would be to, of course, kill them all.

The pills can also be seen as an attempt to hide or conceal the hurt that has been caused rather than to actually heal. In this way, they're like the mouthwash: something that's not really helping, just covering up an issue (and thus making it worse). And the mouthwash represents Jimmy's attempts to "fix" things. He doesn't actually want to make things right, because that would mean taking accountability. He wants to protect his own ego by "fixing" things in a mimicry of Curly "fixing" things in which he wants to create a sense of "rightness" without actually adressing what (or who) has been wronged. Jimmy can't stand to look at himself, because he would see that he really is constructed of his worst moments, or at least, that's what I suspect he would see.

Conclusion

Considering all of this, I hope this hurts can then become a mantra about living in spite of everything. I hope this hurts means "I hope I'm alive in the end. I hope we're all alive in the end." It could mean "I hope I'm allowed to hurt, because I am hurt, and the harm that's been done to me must be seen rather than suppressed and hidden." It could mean "You can't keep me quiet. You can't ignore or hide what you've done to me."

Maybe most of all, I think it means I hope you reap what you sow. When it's turned back on Jimmy, when it's almost mocking or haunting him, it becomes in part about his emotional weakness. About his inability to look at himself and his reality without experiencing the pain of humiliation. I don't think he ever experiences half of the pain he's inflicted on those around him. Still, he has to deal with the fact that his attempt to hurt others instead of facing himself has caused him more pain rather than taken it away as he'd hoped.

And I think that's why he suddenly decides to make Curly a "hero" instead of a "villain." There's a tipping point where he's pushed into a corner. The pain is too much. He hasn't confronted his own actions in any real way, but he's done enough that he can't stand to save himself anymore. It hurts too badly to live with what he's done. It sends him into another stage of fantasy/delusion. The only thing left to do is what he intended to from the start: kill himself to escape and damn Curly to a slow death. Because to go on living in spite of the pain would be the right thing to do, in a sense. To live in the hell of his own creation. To face what he's done. But instead, he'll entrust those heroics to Curly.

This feels barely coherent in the end, so I might come back in a few days and say wow what the fuck was I talking about? But hopefully there's something here that captures some truth. Again, please feel free to correct me if I'm misremembering anything or if I missed something.

[intheholler]

east tennessee native here, and we don't call them "halfbacks" but the problem is just awful. we have about 30,000 people in my town and most of them live in the older, eastern part of town, and range from poverty-level to middle class. but those "halfbacks" have been tearing up our natural ridges, buying up lake property that used to be priced reasonably for the middle class, and selling it all to other rich folks or to development companies, or using them as vacation houses for a month or two a year.

what's worse is that the local government thinks that pandering to them is the best option since they're rich. our tax dollars aren't going towards upkeep and renovation for the older part of town, which has many more people, but to developing the beautiful forested ridges and farmland on the western end into upper-middle class, cookie-cutter house subdivisions, or worse.

then the devils decided to build a community center - which would be great, if it was in a place accessible to everyone. instead, they build it way out on the west end, too far for those without transportation to walk, and the real kicker is that, even though our tax dollars fund and maintain it, they still charge you a fee to enter. it's plain out tailored to the rich folks.

i don't know what to do about it other than get sad. i'm sick and tired of rich folks and northern conservatives buying out our land and then coming down here and pretending we've ever thought like they did, or that they could ever fit in with the salt of the earth when they're the scum of the earth.

"i'm sick and tired of rich folks and northern conservatives buying out our land and then coming down here and pretending we've ever thought like they did, or that they could ever fit in with the salt of the earth when they're the scum of the earth."

tattoo. that. on. my. ass.

man. reading this ask stoked a real ancient anger in me. i don't know what to do except be sad, neither. sad n pissed.

the speed with which the general sentiment went from "fuck appalachia, let's just saw yall off into the ocean" to "i can fix her with my old money and my backwards politics, actually" liked to gave me whiplash.

atp, id rather them stay home, keep their uninformed beliefs about appalachia and let us in peace to do our thing. better than them coming up the holler and cutting down a tree just to make an expensive sign telling us we're spellin hollow wrong

solidarity, east tn <333

[taffywabbit]

I touched on this during a stream last night but like. the thing that's probably really confusing about Mormonism is, if it's so wildly restrictive and puritanical and alienating, why do people actually want to JOIN the religion and claim to like it and feel that it improves their quality of life?

I've talked at length before about how, like any good cult organization, the church weaponizes rejection from outsiders and a deliberate sense of self-perpetuated othering to keep people trapped in the organization and feeling like they can't trust "the world" - they're only safe and understood and accepted within the confines of this very specific and unattractive in-group who have all been messed up in the same ways they are.

but like, as much as the statistics show that Mormons don't actually get many new converts for the amount of money and resources they spend on missionary efforts (and thus have to focus on long-term retention through the above methods, and also compelling their members to have a dozen kids who will grow up Mormon, in order to grow/maintain the church's numbers), some outsiders DO join, and some members who are more resistant to the feelings of isolation DO remain in the church out of a sincere belief that it makes them happier and more fulfilled. so like, what's up with THOSE people? how do they convince themselves this horrible restrictive lifestyle that cuts them off emotionally from the rest of society is what they actually want?

well, I'm sure there are a lot of deeper psychological factors that vary between individuals, but if you think about good old-fashioned Puritans and why THEY were so focused on the constant denial of basic earthly pleasures, you can get a little insight into this. from what I've figured out in the years since I left, a lot of this religion's supposed emotional benefits boil down to moral relativism.

most people want to feel like they're a good person, and some people have a really hard time feeling like they're a good person unless they have someone who is "worse" than them to compare themselves to. a lot of Christianity in general runs on this - the more evangelical or puritanical a sect is, the more you hear them speaking dismissively of outsiders and nonbelievers and heathens, and sometimes even talking about "purity" (ew). Granny Baker down the street could be the sweetest kindest old lady who volunteers at the food bank every Tuesday, but if she's not an avid churchgoer, especially in your particular chosen denomination, then she's still inferior to you in some meaningless intangible way and you get to feel like you're special for doing nothing. that's pretty much it! Christianity for a lot of people is just about getting to feel better about yourself without needing to improve in any actual substantial ways. you read your special book, say your prayers, sit in a church for an hour every week, never ever think any gay thoughts, and boom! you're "righteous" and god loves you, so who cares if Granny Baker thinks you're kind of a judgy asshole.

Mormons, though, take this to the next level. it's ALL about moral escalation, baby. it's not good enough to just do the basic Christian stuff - you need to prove you've joined GOD'S ONE TRUE RELIGION by being even more holy and special than any other Christians, too! they think drinking is frowned upon? well not only do Mormons NEVER drink or smoke or do drugs, they don't drink coffee or tea either! regular Christians go to church for an hour every Sunday? Mormons go for 2-3 hours, plus potentially some extra meetings if they have additional responsibilities in some kind of council or whatever, PLUS all kinds of other shit during the week to make sure they're in the church as often as possible. PLUS adult Mormons are supposed to attend several-hour ordinance sessions at a temple (those bigger fancier pointier churches that nonmembers can't enter, where all the REALLY cult-y looking stuff goes on) as frequently as they're able. regular Christians (if they're kinda old-fashioned) try not to work on Sundays? Mormons aren't supposed to do ANYTHING on Sundays besides church stuff. don't buy things, don't do schoolwork, don't go to the movies, don't listen to music that's "irreverent", etc etc... at EVERY level of this lifestyle your priority is to make sure you're extra special and holy and living a more devoted life than anyone else so you never have to question if they're more kind or benevolent or accepting or, y'know, actually Christlike than you. you follow all your little arbitrary extra rules and thus win a game that nobody else is playing.

something especially funny that non-Mormons may notice is that SOME Mormons take it EVEN FURTHER, too. not content to just do the bare minimum as set forth by the church's many councils of wrinkly businessmen in Utah, they make up ADDITIONAL personal rules for their family to live by, so they can be extra sure they never step anywhere CLOSE to being morally inferior to anyone. this is why you may have met Mormons who also say they don't drink cola or caffeinated soda or any soda at all, or who don't play video games on Sundays, or who not only don't swear but don't even say substitutes like "crap" and "dang it" and "freaking". (hey guess what! I was all of these at one point! my parents gave up on that last one after a while tho lol.)

they'll often tell you these extra house rules are part of their religion too, even though they're technically not in the books anywhere... and in a way they're not wrong, because that IS largely what Mormonism is about on a cultural level. you don't have to care about being homophobic or racist or uncharitable or various other things that come with essentially just being a Utah Republican But As A Religion, because every week you get to go to a place that praises and affirms you for being better and smarter than everyone else by following all the special little secret arbitrary rules that make you Morally Invincible and immune to anyone else's judgment.

so how does this tie into why people find the church interesting and want to join/stay? well of course, a desire to always win your internal comparisons against others goes hand-in-hand with a desire to be privy to secrets and tricks and obscure knowledge that others aren't. it's not just that Mormon beliefs can make you feel righteous - they ALSO make you feel smarter than all the other dumbasses out there who couldn't figure out that literally all you need to do to be happy is Stop Drinking Coffee and also Give 10% Of Your Income To An Organization With A $100 Billion Stock Portfolio. they entice you with the promise of teaching you stuff that everyone else is apparently just too dense to comprehend, and make you feel clever and special for recognizing the Truth. it's not just a social in-group you're being invited into, it's an EXCLUSIVE CLUB full of SECRET KNOWLEDGE with HIGH STANDARDS and only SMART COOL PEOPLE get to join! if you're going through some rough times or your self-esteem is low or you feel vaguely guilty about your life and don't know how to feel better, you are a lot more likely to be ensnared by what they promise you. (trust me! when I was a missionary they literally trained us to ask questions that would help us efficiently target those people!) and then before you know it, you're isolated inside that ecosystem, normal people find you intimidating and weird, it's hard to get back out, and the church won't leave you alone if you do. oops! aren't cults fun?

[thetravelingmaster]

Short Story: Conquering the Dream

Male's Point of View - Hypnosis

I watched her jump on the sofa and couldn't help but smile.

"Look Master! I got a new pair of kitty ears! Aren't they the cutest?" she said excitedly. "I think I should wear them the next time you turn me into Kitten..."

My girlfriend was so gorgeous compared to me that most people couldn't figure out how we started to date. Which always makes me laugh in a way because in truth, she was much more than simply my girlfriend, but I couldn't very well tell people that she was also my hypnotic plaything and obedient slave.

Thankfully, the story of how we met is a fairly common story in college.

Well... The beginning of it anyway...

Pretty girl takes a class she isn't interested in, but knows it will give the credits she'll eventually get on job applications. Of course, she only aimed to pass said course and isn't truly interested in the material. Since she doesn't however, she finds herself in the sticky situation where she can't maintain a passing grade. Sadly, her calculations of getting a pass from the teacher because she's cute and flirty backfired because of his strong ethics.

Now the girl is desperate because failing an extra credit course looks much worse than not applying for the class in the first place.

Pretty girl then looks for an affordable tutor to help her get back on track and earn a passing grade. She eventually found me and as expected, she was very flirty and hinted that if I would give her some sort of discount on my tutoring fees, it would be worth my wild. Not being immune to the attentions of a pretty girl even if it was obviously a ruse to get me to tutor her for free, I offered a deal.

Since I was a psychology major, I told her that if she helped me with my hypnotherapy studies, I would help her with her class studies. I was about to add that I could use our hypnosis practice to help her focus on her classes, but she interrupted me by excitedly accepting.

Saying that she found the arrangement more than fair all while looking visibly relieved she didn't have to pay me. She was VERY skeptical about hypnosis in general and that actually helped me a lot in my studies because I had to be creative in my induction plans. Thankfully, she was a real sport about it since my tutoring was already showing promising signs in her class.

Eventually though, I was able to place her in a trance and to my utter delight, she turned out to be quite the open minded and trusting subject. Since I was a geek, she viewed me as completely harmless so her subconscious didn't put up any sort of defense when I began to explore her mind.

And tweak it...

I started slow, but when I saw that she remained clueless to my influence, even after I implanted a suggestion that she needed to be in her bra and panties for her tutoring session with me, I concluded that I could be bolder.

I knew very well that she didn't find me in any way attractive, but since she had come to trust me so completely, I had a solid base to work with and after a few clever sessions, I found a part of her that had the potential to find me attractive. Nurturing that sentiment went so much better than I could have hoped and before long, she was unconsciously dressing up extra pretty when she knew she was coming over to see me.

She didn't notice it at all when her body made every excuse to pose for me or brush up against me when I tutored her. Or at least, her conscious mind didn't notice.

Her subconscious definitely did and it fueled her growing attraction even more.

Since she proved to be so pliable, I decided to do a little experiment by having her strip naked while still in her trance. She didn't resist at all and I could even see tale tell signs that part of her was enjoying it. Getting even bolder, I had her wake up with the belief that she wasn't naked at all.

Admittedly, it was more than a little entertaining to watch her unconsciously flirt with me while she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothes. Since she still remained completely clueless to what she was truly doing, I decided to leave her subconscious with a few new things to think about before she left.

It took a few more sessions, but eventually those little sprouts of thought bore fruit as her attraction to me shifted to outright arousal. Since she had an unconscious habit to wear revealing clothes, it was plain to see how horny her body became in my presence.

And thanks to a few interesting suggestions, I was glad to see it react that much more when ever I phrased my instructions with words like 'you will do this now' instead of 'you should try this next time'. Even if I was slow and deliberate with my suggestions, it still fascinated me to no end that with all the changes I was making to her behavior, she still remained clueless, even when it became clear that our hypnosis sessions weren't at all something I could use in class.

Although... I'm sure most of my fellow students wouldn't have minded it at all if we did an 'adult' demonstration of the many triggers floating around in her mind.

Eventually, all my meddling came to a wonderful head when midterms came around and she passed her exam with flying colors. She was so happy and grateful for my help that she decided to offer me a home cooked meal at her place as a way to thank me for all my hard work. I hadn't specifically suggested anything more than a deep desire to reward me for my work, so I was pleasantly surprised by her offer.

All evening, she 'doted' and flirted with me until it was time to leave, where she honestly surprised me again by pushing me against the door so she could kiss me. I was always planning for her to feel overwhelmed by her growing attraction for me, but originally thought it would take longer to break down her preconceptions of me. It didn't take long for our lustful make out session to take us to her bedroom where she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Which may or may not be something I slipped into her mind...

Regardless, we fucked and for me, it was the best evening of my life! I learned afterwards, once we were done and I took advantage of our post coital cuddling to drop her in a trance, that unsurprisingly, even though she hadn't faked her release, it hadn't been as wonderful for her. Thankfully, her mind was so open to my influence by then that it took very little convincing to shape her memory of the event into something she thought was earth shattering and deeply meaningful.

After that first night, her attraction for me wasn't just something I had nurtured in her subconscious anymore so when we had our next hypnotic 'rendezvous', her mind took to my suggestions even better than before. So much so that she didn't even think to notice that I used a hypnosis session, which was supposed to be meant only for my studies, to have her do a long erotic strip tease for me once the 'trance' was over. As expected, she thought it was all her idea as a way to seduce me into sleeping with her again.

Which we obviously did and like before, I didn't waste the relaxing cuddling we enjoyed and dropped her back in a trance so I could work on her sexual appreciation of my meager talents in bed. Surprisingly enough, my previous 'work' had already made our second session of love-making much more agreeable for her, but nonetheless, I made sure to tweak her memories to make sure it was extra special.

Since everything had gone so well and she was still so utterly clueless about my hypnotic influence, I decided to kick things up a notch during our next session. So far, I had only made her strip during her trance while only giving her hypnotic suggestions of pleasure and enjoyment. However, once she dropped in a deep trance, I tested how she would react to a suggestion that made her masturbate. I held my breath as I watched her hand slowly make its way to her already dripping folds, but to my glee, she stayed perfectly entranced as her fingers began to play with herself.

After a long edge, I had her wake up, still naked, and talked with her as if our session was done. Like before, she gave no indication she realized she was naked, but moreover, she also didn't give off any indicators that told me she was aware she had just masturbated in front of me.

Needless to say, I started to include a lot more pleasure in her trances after that, which I made sure to link it to those initial fun suggestions that made her aroused whenever I 'commanded' her to do something. By the time we had our next fuck, I could already notice a sharp shift in her attitude in bed when I flexed my authority.

Obviously, when I dropped her after our fun, I made sure to expand those feelings and tweak her memories a little to make sure she noticed the link in her conscious mind.

To my immense delight, it worked like a charm because when we met up again for our usual tutoring, she was extra flirty and VERY attentive towards me. When we switched from our tutoring to her hypnosis session, I capitalized on that feeling and made it bloom even more into a deep desire to please me as she mindlessly masturbated for me.

By the time her trance was over, she was so overwhelmed with pleasure that she didn't even register that my cock was already in her mouth as she awoke from trance. Her desire to please mixed with her mind-melting pleasure so perfectly that she didn't miss a beat and sucked me off as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Obviously, I wasted no time and placed her in a VERY deep trance once I came. Just to make sure she remembered how enjoyable it was to please me like that. However, I didn't have to change her memories all that much because apparently, she had enjoyed it a lot already. That surprised me because up until that point, she hadn't really bothered to pleasure me orally during our fucks and it had made me assume it was because she didn't enjoy doing it. Needless to say, after that little conversation with her subconscious and her blooming desire to please me, she found herself quite eager to try it again the next time we were intimate and of course, I subsequently made doubly sure she remembered how incredible it felt.

Once she was firmly convinced of how awesome and satisfying it was to suck and fuck me, I began to introduce suggestions that would trigger when ever we were intimate. Or... To be more precise, whenever she gave my cock pleasure.

It wasn't anything like a deep trance, but the hypnotic suggestion still pulled her down in a mild compliant trance, which ended up doubling her enjoyment of our carnal time together because by that point, her mind was more than a little addicted to being in a trance. Plus, as an added bonus, her increased compliant mindset and enhanced pleasure did wonders to continually condition her.

Cementing her deep enjoyment of my control...

After a while, I couldn't resist the urge to implant an oral pleasure trigger and even if I knew that with all I had already done, the odds were that she wouldn't even realize it was a hypnotic manipulation, I was still mildly anxious the first time I trigger her while we relaxed and watched a movie. My angst was extremely short lived however because all she did when I spoke the trigger was smile mischievously as she 'thought' about something erotic she wanted to do to me.

I still remember how satisfying it felt to watch her giggle naughtily as she moved down on the sofa so she could blow me.

Spending almost every available night over at her place also meant that I could work on her subconscious as much as I wanted. It made it so easy to substitute the way she called me when we were alone. And still, her conscious mind remained completely clueless to the fact that she had started to call me Master. Even when I came over one night and casually collared her, she didn't think it was odd or weird at all because to her subconscious, she had already surrendered herself to me a thousand time over.

I'm honestly unsure if it was because of my patience and skill or if it was simply because her mind turned out to be so pliable, but by the time she moved in with me, her mind was so open to my influence that a firm command, if repeated a few times, acted as well as triggers without the need to place her in a deep trance.

For example, I commanded her to kneel and feel aroused whenever I snapped my fingers and even if it didn't quite work the first few times she consciously obeyed, I quickly realized that the instructions took hold in her subconscious because it didn't take long for it to work as intended. Nowadays, if she sees me snap my fingers, she instantly kneels with a deep moan as her pussy moistens in anticipation.

The last step that admittedly caused me anxiety was to make her aware that I was still hypnotizing her on a regular basis. Because of how clueless she had been to everything else, I didn't HAVE to do it, but I desired with her a little more openly at home and having a subject become fascinated with her own triggers was something I wished to experience with her.

As with every other step, it turned out I had no reason to be nervous at all because the moment I proposed erotic hypnosis, her eyes began to sparkle with anticipation. All she could think about was how much more pleasure she could offer me if we started to play like that. 

Honestly, I was still surprised that it never even occurred to her that I could use my hypnotic talents in the way that I did. But she never did and we’ve grown so comfortable and happy in our relationship that even our friends stopped finding our relationship weird.

No doubt they chalk it up to being some sort of modern fairy tale where the nerdy average guy manages to conquer the heart of the pretty girl through his hidden charm and brilliant intellect.

I mean… They aren’t totally wrong…

After all, I DID conquer her in my own brilliant way.

[ddarker-dreams]

Hi!!!! (Sorry if you already answered this) how do you think your faves would react to your major being criminal psychology, especially the actual criminal ones, like Chrollo and Giorno?

(all of my favs when they hear my major with the sole exception of the upstanding citizen Gojo Satoru)

unsurprisingly, chrollo would be amused by the irony. i'm not really interested in apprehending criminals, where my heart lies is prevention and rehabilitation. he'd probably gauge how far my empathy is willing to stretch. an ideal of mine is that no one is beyond redemption, but if i'm being honest, it isn't always an easy belief to maintain. he'd be like a shark smelling blood in the water when he figures that out 😭 my only hope is that he finds me cute enough that he spares my bleeding heart at least a little. however! his upbringing would prove where i'm coming from. i've volunteered with so many people who would've avoided high risk behavior if they had access to the right resources. i'll fight him idc. if i can make one person's life better than i consider every ounce of effort worth it.

giorno has the charisma and acumen to bend me a little if he really wanted to. he's got the brando blood. i wouldn't ever agree with his methods, but i'd begrudgingly admit that it's better he's in the position than someone worse. still, organized crime does irreparable harm. he'll be the exception to the rule; most of his underlings won't share his integrity. we'd both end up in a deadlock. i would reconsider my morals if he made me a bunch of baby rabbits though...

scara wouldn't get why i bother caring and stress that for every 'good' act of mine, someone out there has already committed two or more reprehensible acts. net negatives or whatever. mr mommy issues would give me an existential crisis. i recover from those pretty fast though. all it takes is a yummy snack, good night of rest, and a fun outing with friends. then i'm :D once more. he'd probably reduce me to a pile of ash because i'll call him lame to his face. doomers are cringe imho. i find that worldview to be very pitiful. choosing optimism in the midst of hardship speaks to the strength of someone's character. there is goodness in this world and i'll throw hands (and promptly lose) with him over this.

as for blade.................................... he's just going to ask silver wolf to get his wanted posters removed from my area so i remain none the wiser jkghsdjfklgs

[perfectlovevn]

In your mind, is Eris pretty? And other characters too! rate all of their appearances from a scale 1-10 !!

Love ur game so much btw

Appearance I feel like is kind of subjective, but I will try to do my best.

Eris - 7/8. I think they definitely give off an air of mystery due to their eyes and their general demeanor. It’s the kind that makes you turn to look, but when you actually interact with them, it feels… unnerving, though you’re not sure why.

PreMilo -6/7. Milo I think is probably good looking if you were actively looking closely at him, but with his kind of slouching form and his eye bags, it’s obvious that he doesn’t take care of himself, so appearance wise he looks like he needs to work on himself a little more.

Manipulation Milo -8/9. Since he now focuses very heavily on his appearance, he has become incredibly appealing to most people. Even if not by appearance, his demeanor draws people in. He’s the kind of person who you can’t help but gravitate towards, and by then it might be too late for you.

Violence Milo - 7/8. He takes more care of himself, and he’s physically more fit so his body is pretty well maintained. Not as pretty as Manipulation Milo, but there is a level of attractiveness that people will fall for. Unfortunately your attractiveness will probably fall greatly when he punches you in the face or otherwise deck your kneecaps.

Ryan- 6/7. He’s kind of just average. Not ugly (except in personality), but not jawdroppingly pretty either. He actually probably looks better than PreMilo in most cases, but his posture makes him look a bit worse than he should. I think if he took the time to dress up better, he would actually look quite handsome. Until his opened his mouth, that is.

Seph - 8/9. Strikingly pretty. It’s one of those things that he’s born with, but unfortunately he hides behind that book of his a lot, so you never really get to see his face. He also only cares about some monster in the woods, so trying to flirt with him is utterly useless. It’s a waste, you might think, but hey. He knows what he wants. He wants to be killed by a monster, go king. I guess.

Valli - 7. An acquired taste, that’s for sure. She loves fashion and does take the time to dress herself up, sometimes a little too much. She always puts on the facade of using a valley girl accent (get it, cuz Valli) and acting dumb, but she is actually very smart. She knows how to guide the conversation and she will steal your credit card number and your SSN and probably all your pet photos. Maybe it’s best to get off the internet and delete your browsing history (not that it will save you, you poor soul).

Desmond -5/7. He’s very average looking and rather short. I think he is attractive to some people, but he usually doesn’t overdo it on his looks, even if he does take very good care of himself. His attractiveness is either added or detracted from his personality because while he has a good heart and is hard working, he’s also stubborn on his beliefs and gets angry very easily. But hey, he did end up with a 6ft + tall girlfriend who likes to fight and tease him so he’s probably doing something right.

Poison -6/8. Very heavily depends on how much you like a tall person with scars and muscles, so it can range from ugly to very nice. Doesn’t take care of any battle scars as she views them as rewards for good fights, but does take good care of their body. Hopefully you look like a weakling otherwise she might decide you’re a good opponent whether you want to fight them or not.

Perfect Milo - ???. How much do you like Milo? A lot right? He’ll look like anything you want right? Since he’s your perfect love, right? You can’t leave him, you can’t leave him.

In other news I think I got all of the stories written down for extra stories. There should be about four new characters in those, so unless I come up with another brilliant idea, I guess that should be it for now. If you send another ask relating to that after, I can rate them too.

[sassysnakedemon]

I've been thinking (I know, that's dangerous)

So, I last posted about being weird about the news about GO3, and drinking whiskey with fly shit in it. Well, now I've been drinking whiskey without fly shit in it, and I have new thoughts.

Mostly these - it doesn't really matter what they do with GO3. It doesn't really even matter if we get a GO3. Because the planet is burning, and there's an American election on the horizon that has the potential to change the entire world. GO3 seems small in that comparison. Maybe that's the whiskey talking, but there it is.

I have a sinking suspicion that the Orange Menace is going to win. My friends are taking odds on it, but the main consensus is that he will win. And then enact (or try to) a dictatorship in America. America, who was the first enactor of Democracy. This will reverberate throughout other Democratic nations. There are several of them that are starting to be fascist leaning. My own (Canada) included. Yes, I said Canada. Canada is starting to lean so far right that fascism isn't out of reach. I live in fear. And in poverty, as, while inflation in the US is ridiculous, it is damaging to human life in my country.

I'll give an example. I make roughly 30k per year. My husband makes roughly 60k per year. My mother, who lives in the same house makes roughly 30k per year. Our house has recently been valued (and it used to be valued at about 300K) at 1.5 MILLION. Our combined incomes could not even get us 10% down on a mortgage on the home WE LIVE IN. Thank Somebody that we already own it, or we for sure could NOT afford it now. And yes, I absolutely recognize the privilege that we already owned this property at the earlier value. Thank Somebody for generational 'wealth'. I say that in quotes, because we're nowhere near wealthy, and yet, so much better off than others.

I personally know people who cannot afford to live on CANADA's minimum wage (which is a slightly respectable 17.30 per hour), one of whom is living in my house (despite her making almost 25 per hour), and I cannot fathom how anyone is expected to live on the US's 7.25 per hour. That was the minimum wage when I last worked in the US - almost 20 years ago. And it wasn't enough then. I now make almost 40 an hour (as a business owner, no less), and it still isn't enough. Not enough to get ahead. I maintain, at best. That's where we are up here in Canada. 40 per hour doesn't get you shit all. So, what does that say about 17.30 per hour? Or, even worse, 7.25 per hour (which by CAD today is 10.05)?

So let's go back to the Orange Menace trying to enact a fascist dictatorship in America - it's possible. He will try to undermine the Constitution at every turn. Because it doesn't sit well with his narcissism. And yes, Generals of the military are willing to put a stop to him going against Constitutional order. But are their underlings in the military willing to do the same? Because if not, friendly fire is a thing. And I know there are many Trump supporters within the military. So that sits us with a Civil War in America. Again. But now, the 'New Improved Civil War, this time with NUKES!' Do you want that? I admit, it makes for excellent entertainment value, but it has far reaching consequences. Consequences that affect far more than just the US. We're talking all Democratic nations, as well as all Enemies of the State. Not to mention that the US will be dealing with a Civil War at the same time.

This sounds like Hell to me. And if it is to be, then I don't want to be here for it.

I have fought intrusive thoughts for so long. I have fought them with the belief that things would get better. They are getting worse. America is set to become Gilead, Canada is set to follow suit, Democracy is set to fall, and if that all happens, then I'll say a cheery 'Bye', and take myself out of it.

So after thinking all of that, what a few people do for a show I very admittedly love, seems small. The world is burning. I am burning with it. I am angry, desperate, willful, but in this moment, defeated.

I am so sorry for this whiskey-soaked rant. But at the same time, not so sorry. The world picture is bleak, and we can soak our souls in entertainments while the world burns, but it won't stop the world burning.

As a last cry from Gen X - FIGHT THE POWER!!! Fight as hard as you can - NOLITE TE BASTARDES CARBORUNDORUM!!!

And go vote if you're an American. Only you can stop a Civil War in its tracks.

[deltaruminations]

Following the approach that EggMan Gaster and Goner_Maker Gaster are two different shards of the fractured whole (which i do believe), how do you think him being shattered in this manner will affect the whole conflict between him and the Angel?

GOOD QUESTION this is very interesting to think about

on a symbolic level, we could guess that Tree Man, to Gaster (or Gaster as we know him, “The Voice”), is sort of what Gaster as a whole is to the Angel (or the person acting on its behalf; i’ll just use “Angel” as shorthand for both). Like mollystars pointed out in TDT3, there's an irony or maybe hypocrisy in how Gaster seeks to free deltarune from the Angel’s narrative, while insisting on some amount of compliance to his own Prophecy. Tree Man, then, is the glitch in his game (or at least one of a number of glitches lol), an ungovernable force that encourages players to behave in ways beyond what the Prophecy prescribes. in a sense, Tree Man might be the most radical distillation of Gaster's actual values – freedom, curiosity, compassion, etc. — as well as his flaws — maybe, above all, a weak sense of boundaries. Tree Man, perhaps not unlike Gaster, may just want to help. but his presence is inherently destabilizing – change is inherently destabilizing – and even Gaster, the agent of entropy, might not be comfortable having his own internal order disrupted by an interloper he didn’t invite.

resolving Gaster’s “internal” conflict, asking him to acknowledge his blind spots or “Shadow” (encompassing, among other things, the faults in his perspective and his approach), might be a prerequisite for any meaningful intervention with the Angel, because he needs to understand why the Angel is receiving his attempts to “help” as antagonization. he has to understand how he’s making the situation worse before he can try to make it better.

it makes sense to me that meaningful intervention would start with Gaster; Gaster is the one we're closer to, and as the agent of Curiosity and Freedom, the one who's constantly inviting input and feedback, it seems reasonable to say he's the one who's more receptive to, you know, re-evaluating his beliefs based on new information lol. the main hurdle might just be getting him to see and acknowledge the information to begin with. the Angel (or whoever) is the tougher nut to crack, because its entire ethos is seemingly to resist challenge, resist feedback, resist change. the Angel’s position might be that maintaining the status quo of the story is better than risking it being made worse; or, rather, its fear of a worse story matters more to it than any belief or hope it might have for a better one. and to be fair, the Weird Route is basically the ultimate confirmation that those fears have a real basis. so how do you really “help” someone who’s that afraid? i mean, you stop doing shit that scares them even more, obviously. but then what do you do? you can’t guarantee them that it will only get better, even if you do happen to believe in that. you can’t control an uncertain future any more than they can.

maybe there’s nothing more to be done than for someone to just meet them where they’re at, in the Darkest Place, and ask them: what do you want from a better world? if i said a better world was possible, would you help me make it? if i said the world needed you, really needed you, would you believe me? would you take that responsibility? and if you make a mistake — when you make mistakes — if i said someone would be there to ride out the pain with you, and help you pick up the pieces, would you believe that, too?

of course, they’d need proof that such a person exists in order to believe it. and certainly there’s no character we can think of who by that point will likely have proven themself, if sometimes in flawed and clumsy ways, to be supernaturally determined, radically optimistic, infinitely patient, and stubbornly devoted to causes (and perhaps people) that matter to them, who also exists on the same metaphysical level as the Angel and might be capable of actually matching its power long enough to be able to talk to it. surely, no one like that, exists,

[shihkas]

It’s dishonest not to include in your loud and angry defence of Allison Miller that she voluntarily surrendered her license *after* she was investigated by a professional licensing board that found she said she ‘had no reason to doubt the authenticity’ of her patients stories (but she doesn’t believe them, huh?), that her beliefs about abuse and trauma and mental health were unusual and out of step with the field, and that she expressed unfounded certainty about cult activity. The way people who want to die on the hill of this project monarch shit cherry-pick information and leave it out when it’s inconvenient to defending your favorite conspiracy doctors is shameless.

Why are you bold-faced lying in my inbox when the links I cited directly counter your claims?

I'll break it down: we have two parties, The Satanic Temple/Grey Faction (Douglas/Doug Mesner/Doug Misicko/Lucian Greaves), and Alison Miller, countering one another's claims. One of these people aggressively hates Jewish people, and the other describes antisemitic survivor beliefs; it shouldn't surprise you that groups and cults who torture people probably don't have the greatest morals and probably pass on some pretty awful beliefs to those they abuse.

From Alison Miller:

“The reason I discontinued my membership in the College of Psychologists has nothing to do with the Grey Faction’s harassing complaint about my writings and online videos. I left the College because I am 78 years old. I retired two years ago.”

“When Evan Anderson [director of Grey Faction] complained about my work, the College asked [not investigated] me about my professional activities since retirement, and let me know that (a) I did not have to remain a member after retirement as long as another member knew the location of my clinical records, and (b) speaking and writing were considered to be providing psychological services, which was forbidden to non-practicing members—but if I discontinued membership, my speaking and writing activities would no longer be the concern of the licensing body. It became evident to me that I no longer needed to maintain this unnecessary membership which now prohibited me from speaking and writing, so I resigned from the College.”

So to be clear what happened was the College told her "just so you know, you can't provide psychological services because you're retired, but you can also just revoke your membership." It literally had nothing to do with Grey Faction's claims. They (the College) just didn't know she was offering "psychological services" (...speaking and writing) until Grey Faction brought it to their attention. Keep in mind once again Grey Faction exists entirely to deny the existence of ritual abuse and target therapists and survivors.

And nowhere did I bring up Project Monarch what the fuck are you talking about? I think you're jumping to conclusions that I'm one of those fucking "RAMCOA Minecraft script" believer people.

Ritual abuse is relatively common in the global south and so-called third world countries. As someone who is an immigrant and as someone whose Entire family has been DIRECTLY affected by ritual abuse for multiple generations I would Really appreciate not being lumped with 15 year olds who just want to be special.

To be clear I also don't think RA, MC, or OA are "the worst types of abuse", that's how we got here in the first place. There is no "worst type of abuse". There are just DIFFERENT types of abuse. It's not good for trauma recovery to fixate on what's "worse" or "better".

I'm putting the rest of this under a read more as I want to cite sources and provide evidence of how ritual abuse isn't actually as outlandish as people make it sound. Upsetting descriptions of CSA and ritual abuse as well as cited examples are below the cut so tread carefully.

First of all let's define "ritual," here is the Cambridge dictionary definition of the word "ritual":

"a way of doing something in which the same actions are done in the same way every time [...] a fixed set of actions and words, especially as part of a religious ceremony."

In this context, "religious ceremony" can also be understood as expressing devotion to an ideology (which is also exactly what religious ceremonies are anyways.)

Examples of common "rituals" (also referred to as a schedule, routine, etc., see synonyms below):

Having a specific "morning" or "evening" routine, especially if you do them in a set order

Having set meal times, especially in the context of a family's routine (even more so if it is important for the family to say grace prior to eating, or similar habits)

Having tea at a specific time every day

Examples of common abusive "ritual practices":

Hazing rituals, which have been documented in fraternities and sports teams

Gang initiations, especially if violent

Military initiations (sanctioned and unsanctioned)

(some of) Merriam-Webster's synonyms for the word "ritual":

habit

custom

practice

routine

pattern

regimen

Let's define "ritual abuse", and I won't use Miller's description just for this argument specifically. Here is the article I am citing. This is a research article. This article is impartial to the belief and disbelief of ritual abuse because you are Supposed to be as impartial as possible when you are writing research papers. The writers of this article are simply presenting their findings.

First, here's a definition of organized abuse, as ritual abuse falls under the umbrella, also keep in mind I said "a definition" and not "THE definition" as organized sexual abuse is not the only type of organized abuse (labour trafficking, etc.):

Sexual child abuse involving a network of perpetrators acting repeatedly and jointly on multiple victims is defined as ‘organized abuse’

And here is their definition of ritual abuse:

Organized abuse that follows a (pseudo-) ideological strategy (e.g., symbols or group activities with religious, magical, or supernatural connotations) in order to frighten and intimidate the children or to force the victims to participate whilst simultaneously accomplishing the perpetrators’ exculpation is referred to as ‘ritual abuse’

When they say "...magical or supernatural connotations" they are not saying that these groups are Literally magical or supernatural in nature. They are relaying information from the individuals surveyed, where some stated that their abuser groups aligned themselves with magical or supernatural elements.

What they are basically saying is that these organized groups pervert ideology (religion, spirituality, etc.) to scare group members. For example: "if you don't do this the devil is gonna get you," which sounds ridiculous to you and I because we're adults, but a five year old isn't going to know any better.

So now let's talk about a well-known example of ritual child abuse that happened in America, the Waco siege and the Branch Davidian cult:

(the following is from "The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog" by child psychiatrist Bruce D. Perry)

Inside the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, children lived in a world of fear. Even babies weren’t immune: cult leader David Koresh believed that the wills of infants—some just eight months old—needed to be broken with strict physical discipline if they were to stay “in the light.”

And he was a god who ruled by fear. Children (and sometimes even adults) were in constant fear of the physical attacks and public humiliation that could result from the tiniest error, like spilling milk. Punishment often involved being beaten bloody with a wooden paddle called “the helper.” Davidian children also feared hunger: those who “misbehaved” could be deprived of food for days or put on a bland diet of only potatoes or bread. Sometimes, they would be isolated overnight.

And, for the girls, there was knowledge that they would ultimately become a “Bride of David.” In a unique form of sanctioned sexual abuse girls as young as ten were groomed to become Koresh’s sexual partners. A former member said Koresh once excitedly compared the heartbeats of the prepubescent girls he violated to those of hunted animals.

Throughout the rest of this chapter in this book, Perry, who worked closely with these children, describes in even more explicit and upsetting detail the trauma these children and infants were put through. This isn't a fucking conspiracy theory, this actually happened. Some of these children are still alive today. This is what ritual abuse Actually Is.

Do not come back in my inbox and tell me this is fake or I am misconstruing ritual abuse. You are the one who has been lead to misbelieve that ritual abuse = men in black robes belonging to worldwide satanic cults decapitating babies en masse and chanting over their bodies while surrounded by candles (which, by the way, that kind of murder and maiming of children, including infants, in this fashion does, very tragically, actually happen in war and conflict.)

[adiscoveringsoul]

A quick run down of my own beliefs:

When we say "oneness of G-d", to me that means the miracle of existence, that we are all intricately connected as a circle of life, is G-d. I don't look for a supernatural, omnipotent, judging being. I look at the miracle that is life. And I toast to it daily.

I'm a zionist, of the strictest definition of the word. Jews have the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Period.

My belief in zionism doesn't mean that I think no one else has the right to self-determination in that same land. It is the homeland for many peoples who descend from the Levant.

I believe that all peoples, of all nationalities, religions, races, should be able to live peacefully side by side.

I believe whole heartedly in a two state solution, in which both Israelis and Palestinians have their own governments who work side by side to maintain peace in the area.

I also believe whole heartedly that there cannot be peace in the area so long as Hamas exists.

I don't believe that Israel is committing genocide. The intent isn't there. The intent has been shown again and again that Israel wants the destruction of Hamas, not of Palestine as a whole.

Hamas, however, lays out genocidal intent towards all Jews in their own charter.

I believe Hamas intentionally hides behind their own civilians. It has admitted to seeing all civilians as martyrs for the cause, and therefore no one can really be considered and innocent civilian by Hamas. I believe that Hamas is very clever and knows that every civilian "martyred" makes Israel look worse to Western leftists.

I believe Hamas is preying on culturally Christian Westerners who have been socialized with the casual antisemitism of the church.

I mourn the lives falling victim to Hamas, Palestinians and Israelis alike. As I said before, the very existence of life is a miracle. Each one of our lives is prescious. I don't take their loss in a time of war lightly.

I believe there is an alarming rise in antisemitism, globally, thanks to the tactics of Hamas and the millennia long lies of the Christian church regarding Jews.

I believe a lot of people, on both sides, are full of shit. And what I mean by this, is that if you are incapable of examining your own thoughts and opinions and asking yourself if you've left out nuance or could potentially be wrong... you're full of shit. Ask yourself, now, today if you are full of shit. And then try to do better. I do this a lot. It's why I'm here laying out my beliefs that I've gone rounds about.

Jews are encouraged to question everything; from G-d to themselves. This is something that I believe makes us strong. And I think everyone should embrace it. (This applies to the point above. But I think deserves its own bullet because I find it that important.)

Your existence is a miracle. Our capability of nuance is a miracle. Let's embrace it. Let's remember the humanity in each other. Let's question ourselves, our echo chambers, the inherent biases we've been taught.

[imminent-danger-came]

Me: "I‘m so glad I‘m not suffering from lmk brainrot anymore, I managed to distance myself a bit. I‘m sure this way I‘ll be fine until season 5 comes out" :)

*stumbles upon one of your posts again

Me: "…I‘ll just take a peek. I‘m sure they haven’t written any posts that‘ll put me in a chokehold… I mean, she didn’t get any new material to work with. This. Is. Fine."

*three hours of scrolling later

Me: *sobbing on the floor uncontrollably about actual LEGOs.

The; 'Macaque views MK as the person he used to think Wukong was', and just how the Monkeys other than MK have started their healing arc, whereas the main character is about to fucking SNAP.

Wukong vs. MK??????

Every gosh darn instance of 'the World vs. the life of a friend' that’s been shown so far. The increasingly sympathetic villains that deconstruct the ENTIRE concept of good and evil, that MK bases most of his beliefs on???

His absolutely unconditional LOVE and FAITH in his friends????? In WUKONG???

And just- everything about him and Mei! They are each others most favorite people in the WHOLE world! If it was them or the universe it wouldn’t even BE a question, THEY ARE EACH OTHERS UNIVERSE. But then what about the Hero turning into a Warrior, what about the Warrior revealing themselves to be a Hero instead????

MK VS. MEI!!!

Watching his loved ones grow into the best version of themselves, healing, learning to understand themselves better. While he himself desperately fights against every secret he unwillingly discovers, against every step they take towards the future. Because they are following the very path DESTINY carved for them.

And sure, everyone makes their own choices, but does that even make a difference if those choices align with destiny anyway?

What exactly is stopping him from becoming the Harbinger of Chaos? How does he know that one day, when he inevitably pushes them too far, hurts them too much, (No matter what he does and how hard he tries, he always seems to make things WORSE. Even now, when he tries to help, all he does is cause destruction, and chaos) can he be sure his friends won’t be forced to turn against him? That he won’t FAIL them?

His complacency is his last ditch effort in protecting and maintaining what little mundanity he has left in his life. Don‘t ask questions, stop looking for trouble, don‘t think to hard about every earth shattering revelation you’re confronted with, and maybe, just maybe, he can avoid his fate that is looming on the horizon.

…

…I‘m sure you‘d never be able to tell that I‘ve gone the rabbit hole that is your lmk theories right? I still sound like a well adjusted human being that has totally NORMAL thoughts and feelings about a SHOW about LEGOS made for KIDS… RIGHT?!?!?

Completely forgot I wrote something along the lines of "Macaque views MK as the person he used to think Wukong was", so reading this ask completely blindsided me AND hurt my feelings (post anon was referring to).

"I mean, she didn’t get any new material to work with." is also cracking me up holy shit. LMK is so dense, who even needs new material. I just rewatch any ep and have a breakdown about it. Tbh there are still so many things I haven't posted about (and the list keeps growing, god help me)

With MK's complacency, I will say that I think he's always been complacent in some way. Like it's definitely morphed into what you've described, but overall I think MK was never someone with high aspirations. He was always someone completely fine with being a noodle delivery boy, someone completely fine with what his life was before becoming the Monkey King's successor. And he's so real for that honestly

[chwoyaz]

how i perceive skk and their philosophical beliefs, particularly existentialism and absurdism

in my opinion, dazai's an existentialist. his character explores around the concept of finding meaning in life bcs he has no idea what's the point of it all. is there even value in the act of living? or is it just a foolish desire human beings have?

we all know dazai struggles with human emotions and has a constant conflict with his own identity

and yet, dazai constantly makes his choices in order to seek meaning (ex. staying in the mafia for a period of time, joining the ada, saving people, etc.)

the thing is, he WANTS to learn what it means to be human; wants to understand and find the value of life

as for chuuya, i believe he's an absurdist.

chuuya's journey is simply—for lack of a better word—ridiculous.

he has faced many absurd challenges in his life, yet managed to turn his life around through sheer force of will (mind you), and continues to live through it all with a devoted passion towards maintaining his relationship with humanity

like dazai, chuuya also struggles feeling human. at his worse moments, he feels like a weapon only wielded for war

despite that, chuuya continues living and commits himself to the people around him as an act of defiance in my opinion

yes, the conditions of his life is inane. laughable. maybe even pointless. but does it matter?

he doesn't particularly care abt the greater value of life or actively search for the meaning behind it, since he has already lived his entire life accepting its madness

he does and will constantly choose to live in spite of his conditions bcs he refuses to give in to the notion that he's not human and therefore shouldn't even cease to exist

in the end, chuuya rejects the promise of death and the power of destruction he's clearly capable of in order to stay in touch with his humanity—no matter how absurd his life is

[camojacketfag]

Fucking hell, dude. Your blog hit me in the gut like a nine-pound hammer. I’m a Michigan boy, born and bred, but did spend a year living in rural Indiana — and your pictures and posts and reblogs feel like home. For better or worse, they feel like home.

My year in Indiana was wild and reckless and free. That was where I lost my faith, where I lost my virginity, and where I found a part of my soul that I didn’t realize I’d been missing. The Midwest is a wild place, and she raises wild children who will always carry their mother with them, in their hearts and blood and bones, no matter how far we go, or how hard we try to leave her behind.

Thank you for this. Thank you for sharing what these places mean to you, and what you see in them. Thank you for sharing who you are through these places.

The way I’ve had your confession in my inbox for like two weeks man and I just keep ruminating on the right shit to say but I don’t really know what to say because it feels like you tore a fucking page out of my own notebook and said exactly what I’m trying to confess every god damn day. I lost my virginity to some dude named josh when I was 18 who read me his favorite bible verses after all was said and done. I learned to eventually find comfort and joy in inhabiting this part of the world after a tumultuous four years in which I made the fucking choice to finally heal and try and assess who it is I wanted to be. I’ve lost so much man. Friendships, relationships, moments I know I’ll never recover, all because I made the stupid ass decision to seclude myself and try and heal and comprehend why it is I am the way that I am. Most of my anxiety nowadays comes with wondering if I made the right decision in the end. I’m still in my 20s, and I’ve got so much left to learn and experience yet I spend my afternoons piling dirt onto the graves of those I’ve lost along the way. Every year is spent fighting with the remains of my dwindling faith. I’d like to maintain a belief in the mysticism of everyday life. In the idea that things happen to you for a reason and that ever so passionately you’re being guided by a mystical force much wiser and powerful than you could ever imagine, yet I spend the first half of most my years losing my faith, only to then somber and beg for its return in the later half of the year. Recently I’m grateful for the return of my vibrant rage man. I lost it earlier this year due to a relapse in my obsessive and compulsive nature and the desperation for hope that follows after. As of last week, somehow, I ended up in the right place, at the right time, to acknowledge the rage still residing deep within. How it hungers to break and bend and spit and scream and destroy and show everyone I spend mourning over that they’ll someday realize how worthy I was of keeping around. I’ve made my choice man. No return, I say. I know what I suffer from. I know what it is I’ve gone through. I know why it is my brain works the way it does and it took so much unnecessary sacrifice. So fucking be it man. Often, I wonder if others perceive me as selfish for doing this. I wish I could make them understand that I decided to get better, not only for myself, but to be a better being for them as well. Yet, we can’t go back. Growing up here, living here, feeling invisible here, feeling alone here, will only add to the strength you’ve acquired as you’ve gotten older. For now, I’ll sit back, I’ll people watch, I’ll listen to my records, read my books, write my words, rage every chance I’m given, and I’ll find a way to make peace with the idea that it will all work out in the end. I’ve no mountains to run to. No skyscrapers I can dig myself underneath. No late night booming clubs I can drown my sorrows with. Just plains and corn and a hunger to be more. To never settle. And I hope, you feel the same man. Take care of yourself and try and be kind to yourself! Thanks for reaching out. Means a lot.

[anthonybialy]

Statist of Confusion

Poor confused leftists can’t figure out why this rotten universe rejects their dreams.  Wait: I don’t feel bad for them.  Their awful notions have ruined our world in reality, so they can cram it with worthless bills.  Uplifting notions don’t even work in theory when experiments are conducted by poets who never rhyme.  Free verse gets costly.

We are only poor financially and philosophically, so finances are swell otherwise.  The allegedly downtrodden took charge and really tread everywhere.  The delusional are pitiful without being pitied.

Professional victims are desperate to feel they’re opposing oppression means they can never announce things are okay.  Ruining everything is how warriors who condemn toxic male behavior maintain truth.  They just need to ladle on more of their gentle policies, which is presumably why they exceed power boundaries to spread misery.

Acting like tyrants while claiming to be democracy’s sole defenders is for the benefit of those struggling.  Politicians getting rich off making everyone poor claim everyone but them is in life for selfish reasons.

Israel is where the good guys reside, in case anyone’s confused.  That rather obvious conclusion is startlingly resisted by fans of the oppressed who tacitly cheer for slaughter.  Fighting back against terrorists is treated as terrorism by the usual inverters of perception.  A bold and brave stance against an imagined genocide to prevent an actual one surely isn’t overcompensation for getting World War III wrong.  The only thing worse than obvious moral preening is doing so on behalf of the side that spurred conflict by attacking people listening to music.

The side of the line that struggles to get water to run uncannily blames its successful neighbor.  They didn’t connect their hose to your faucet.  The hometown of Hamas might just be a primitive society by virtue of choosing terror over trade.  Enemies of free markets and people aren’t assigned rottenness any more than they’re oppressed by those who lucked into working plumbing.

Liberals are for the poor, which is why they create so many of them.  Viewing life as a struggle while making it so would almost seem like a trick were it not responsible for causing untold devastation.  Claiming life shouldn’t revolve around money is a popular smug boast amongst those who ensure the destitute stay that way.

Who knows better how to help you than those who harmed you?  There’s not enough money in the economy to help those suffering, claim those who drained it.  Wondering why that’s so in the first place is for people who believe in cause and effect, which doesn’t include the party that made potatoes unaffordable.

These advanced times feature ignoring even more examples as they get easier to discover via search.  Your phone can be used to look up socialism’s failures.  Its very existence is based on the opposite.  Progress happening despite their beliefs summarizes same.  

Creating problems they condemn only sounds like a sitcom.  It would be funny if we weren’t living with the consequences of monumental screwups who never learn.  Spot the truly compassionate by their incessant claim that nobody would give to charity voluntarily as they drain the economy to let politicians choose what’s worthy.  The decision is mandatory, of course.

Never grasping incentives applies wholeheartedly.  People might be able to give on their own if they weren’t taxed to the point where essentials are a stretch.  And we might even need less assistance with people spending what they earned.  But how would Democrats show they care?

You oppose healthcare and safety from gun violence for all because you pawned your heart to the Heritage Foundation.  Your stubborn insistence that a guarantee may not do as claimed stands in utopia’s way.  Nobody spending their own money would trust a corporation whose business they can decline, but surely government must keep its promises.  Otherwise, this world has no morality, and that would turn out just horribly.  Submitting to authority in the lamest way spares us from worrying we might not have swell judgment.

Calling people producing useful things greedy is the typical occupation of the useless.  Naturally pushy Democrats can’t even find worthy causes to fund with what they take.  You’d think all that time dedicated to shiftlessness might spur self-reflection, but it’s tough to account for all personality types.

Spotting a lack of empathy is part of being empathetic.  The commitment to remaining unproductive extends to not identifying what spurs anguish.  Conglomerates decided they wanted to overcharge just as soon as Joe Biden got his way.  You can remember for him.

Calling the country they’ve distorted at will cruelly oppressive isn’t the fun sort of irony.  Liberals love nothing more than pretending America’s problems stem from its freewheeling finances and not from the welfare state they wanted and got.  What next: citing unfathomable crime levels in areas with heavy gun control as proof guns cause crime?  Oh: right.

Calling everything they don’t like right-wing is the best case foes of semantics have.  People who only have claims aren’t going to flaunt anything showy like improvements.  Their habit of announcing they’re for equality and against hate as they exacerbate gaps with malice is a nice touch.  Implementation of their ideas creates toxic trash that they use as evidence that America features too much autonomy.  The Munchausen by proxy faction inflicts diseases they claim to know how to cure.  Get on a waiting list.