I've been thinking about the story of the Psychic 7 more and the world of Psychonauts, and I think part of the reason why it just stuck so intensely in my brain is because of the little glimpses we get of their past, and how towards the end of the game, after everything that's happened, the group is reunited. Yes, there's things to work out, things they have to talk about (primarily looking at you, Ford), but despite everything, they're all together again.
Let me explain. (Also, please keep in mind I haven't played the game in almost 2 years and I only recently started rereading things for the games, I could miss some details).
In the world of Psychonauts, the world is not kind to psychics.
We're told this right away in the beginning of the first game. When Raz is reciting the text from the pamphlet for the summer camp, he has these lines:
Raz: You were born with a special gift but the people around you treat it like a curse. Your mother is afraid of you and your father looks at you with shame in his eyes. Come to Whispering Rock psychic summer camp and you can show them all! Back home your powers make you a loner, an outcast, a circus freak, but in this dojo in this psychic dojo they make you a hero.
As they show different campers in this scene, we know that these words hit home for them. They can all relate to the words Raz is reciting. Even by Raz's time, even after there's been a Psychic organization helping people for years, psychics aren't fully accepted.
To anyone that's ever felt othered, felt like they didn't belong somewhere, these words are relatable. We instantly relate to our main character, and potentially to the other psychic characters we meet. We know what their struggle is like.
Now like I said, this was in Raz's time. But back in the Psychic 7's time? There wasn't an organization like the Psychonauts. Back then there would have been even less reason for them to be accepted, so I think things were potentially even worse back then. There was far less known about how psychic powers worked since Otto and the others were the ones to do the research, and no doubt people were probably more afraid of psychics then.
However, despite living in a world that was even less accepting of psychics, the Psychic 7 still found each other. They still found each other, found others just like them, and they basically formed this little family.
Personally, what makes this hit even harder is the fact that none of them were exactly young when they all found each other, they were all adults and well into adulthood. They all had different backgrounds, different experiences. Lucy had already married and lost a husband, Bob had already lost both parents, Helmut was a struggling performer, Cassie escaped a dangerous environment, and more. They were all adults with different lives and came from different places, but they still found each other. Making friends as an adult is hard, but they still found each other and not only became friends, but became a little family.
And then, after Maligula, after losing Helmut, after being separated for so long, once they all see Lucy, they hug. They're back together again. They're not missing any members of their family again.
So that's what really makes it Hit Different for me. The fact that, despite the world they all lived in at the time, the Psychic 7 found and made their little family, and even after so much time and tragedy and separation, they came back together.
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War Anniversary Press Conference
As always
it's not 1:1
quotes are marked
I paraphrase and summarize
I could get things wrong because too fast or I don't hear the translator or ...
(First few minutes are missing because of issues with my internet.)
Like everyone else in society, Ze says, he changed too. Got tougher.
He tries to be as honest as possible when he talks / to everyone. But sometimes he can't talk about all the details.
Ze says very important new detail about France support is coming soon - but he wants Macron to announce it
Ze still hopes in Congress support because otherwise he can't understand in which world we live in in
he met with Congress members and they know all the details what they need and Ukraine hopes for a soon decision
there are security garanties for the money from the US
Ukraine must be supported today not till the end or the end will come soon
the Poland matter is an internal matter, a political power struggle
using Ukraine as a pressure on EU insitutions is not fair
it is important to mantain the alliance with Poland, Ze says
if they don't find a solution, Ukraine will protect it's business
Russian matter is strong / intense in several places
Ukraine has reduced their advantage but they still have advantage
Ukraine has to reach the point where they can conduct a CO, until that point they will still loose land
but it's more important to not loose (more) people
Ukraine needs to put pressure on the partner's on the already agreed packages so Ukraine gets stuff and can succeed against Russia
the US support is not about money, it's about weapons
Ukraine has the weapons they have and that's it - they need more weapons to continue
there are different types of weapons
if US doesn't deliver, sime weapons could be given to Ukraine from other countries but that's difficult because not all countries want to give their weapons
Europe is really shifting and changing to increase production (ammunition, artillery, defense), their attitude towards the war is changing and understanding that Russia / Putin / the war is also dangerous to them
they start to understand that Putin will continue is war
Ze says the problem is not the military sector not being ready, the problem is that the European socities are not ready for Putin to come to them and he hopes Putin will not come to them - hence why it's important for Ukraine to be strong and fight (and defeat Putin)
Ze says Ukraine lost about 31,000 soldiers in the war so far
Russia: 180,000 (total amount 500,000 - KIA, WIA)
they don't know for sure how many civilians have been killed by Russia because several places are still occupied and people have been deported
every partner believes that Ukraine will be in NATO in the future
US and Germany are the main ones who have a lot to do with the invitation to NATO
Ze sees no risks of Ukraine in NATO
Ze and Putin had an unofficial meeting during the Nomady meeting in December 2019
Ze explained Putin that the agreements would not work and it would not work how Putin imagined it, especially with the troops still present
they talked about the possible frozen conflict for 20 years
they also talked about the exchange
Ze doesn't remember all the details because it's so long ago, like from a different life
Taurus missiles are important
Ze is thankful for the strong German support / support from the Chancellor
the US still stands above Germany and Ze sees the problem in the US not in Germany
but Ze is optimistic that US will move their position and they will get results / what they need
Ukraine speaks about jets with partners and that's all he wants to say
if partners continue their support depends on a lot of things: diplomatic contact, upcoming election results, society, ...
Russia will try everything to underminde the support
Ukraine improving the production in droes
everything is about making Putin a poorer person because that's what Putin cares a lot about
if the frozen Russian money is transferred to Ukraine it will weaken Putin, Ze thinks
big oligarchs and big businesses will not be happy (Russian ones)
if Putin gets poorer (like with transfering the money) he will start calling everyone not just Ze to stop the war
Ze knows that Canada supports Ukraine
the new document with Canada will support and strength Ukraine until they're in NATO
Ukraine would be happy if Aserbaidschan would support Ukraine and Ze thinkgs they would because they support the sovereignty of Ukraine
Ukraine is working on the countries who don't support Ukraine to join them
Ze thinks this is not the weakest moment
February 24 was a shocking moment
the most difficult period was that the world started to forget that the war is still going on, not only because of the Middle East
neverthelss they feel the effect with less weapons
the first year was all about survival, the second about resilience
third year will be a difficult year (elections, fatigue, ...), full of challenges, it's a turning year
this year will define the format of the ending of this war
Ze doesn't understand why they spilt the grain - he understands it's about politics but still doesn't understand it
it's bad that Poland's actions (the spilled grain) is playing into Russian Propaganda and that shouldn't be
it's not happening on Ukraine territory so Poland has to / can stop it, not Ukraine
Ze is not telling the Polish gouvernemnt what to do, that's not his right, but in regards of relations it's not right what the people do at the border
the longer this war goes the bigger will be the casualities (civilian, military)
losing time means losing money which is frustrating
the longer the war the longer the horrors for the people
the longer the war the longer it's hard for the countries who support
Ukraine can not loose time
(Huge part is missing because the livestream was having massive problems and made it impossible to follow.)
there has been evidence that Russia is using artillery and missiles from North Korea
there is nothing Ukraine can do besides help Ukraine
North Korea will continue to give weapons to Russia
Ukraine is not negotiating with partners on the use of their armys on Ukraine territory
strongest security guaranty would be Ukrain ein NATO
Ukraine will have a difficult time in the next few months because of the US
EU has shown their ability of leadership and support
Russia will prepare their CO at the beginning of summer / April if they can
Ukraine will be prepared for Russia
Ukraine will prepare their own planes
the US elections will show Ukraine what it will be after that
Ukraine prepares the first Peace Summit ad prepares the document about a just peace and the end of th war for Ukraine and everyone
what the end of the year looks like depends on a lot of factors
END
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