#so that’s why I can’t help to connect this anomaly to my poor state

[binoculares]

I know correlation does not imply causation but my life and mental health went down several notches after I heard and liked mirroball by taylor swift

[dafukdidiwatch]

Chapter 9 and 10 End

Got to go, running late on things. Will do recap later

TL;DR: I’m screaming, parent issues are are abundant as abusive and manipulation, and I have a new ship going on.

Edit: Ok I am back and I have new theories on everything going on because Fuck I’m down the rabbit hole here. Where or where do I fucking begin.

Really this session just hammers down the different type of abuse that poor Lucy is going through. It’s even color coded and everything. Blue being cold, isolation, physical and emotional neglect from Thierry. Vs the Red of warm, attentiive, possessive and emotional manipulation that is Fidelia.

I don’t doubt that Fidelia cares for Lucy. But it obviously is really twisted if like only one day in Fidelia is already trying to run Lucy’s life how she thinks it should be. Honestly Seiji nailed it when he pointed out the outfit change was more for Fidelia’s taste instead of Lucys’s.

And this chapter is nothing more than family secrets revealed to Sylas isn’t it? Like, how far do you have to break the boy he’s already hurt enough. His dad literally hating his eldest and lawful child, hates his mother, 100% willing to have an affair and have more children and being told flat to his face he is nothing but a tool. It hurt to learn he was there just as a ploy for Fidelia to keep Lucy to herself, but I loved how he still cared for his half siblings. He wasn’t angry at Emilia’s existence, but how Fidelia had seemed to cast her to the wolves that is their father. He wanted to learn more about Lucy as a person, as his sibling, and was happy that it sounded like they wanted to connect too. But of course he couldn’t because Fidelia made sure to try and nuke that chance before it could bloom. Leaving them both just as lonely as ever.

Ugh it sucks so much because Lucy left from one form of isolation abuse to another!

And a minor note, Peony is probably another bastard child of Fidelia and Dubois. Her and Emilia are probably twins than Dubois didn’t want to take care of both of them so he found a way to ditch one into the streets. I mean, it’s the fucking nose people! The timeline merges and fit to one complicated mess that wouldn’t have happened if two people didn’t decide to bone down.

God I want to know what January will think of this, hearing that the anomaly they were supposed to hunt down is now Fidelia’s pet favorite. Actually, now that Lucy is here, will Fidelia even care for January as much? Or will she still try since this is her way of manipulating the council.

Rin is apparently living her best life as a wolf monster of not giving a fuck and about to do some dirty backdoor dealings with Fidelia. That is Not going to bode well.

And finally, Seiji. Wow did that Bastard Man manage to change my perception of him. You bastard, how dare you make me like you. Fucking Twerp. But god, he is trying to get it through to Sylas that he should go after someone who Likes Him. Which, puts Sylas first as part of his feelings, but also can be flipped on to himself because if Sylas is straight, then Seiji should go after someone who likes him. And that hurts.

And then when he talked to Lucy, like first time ever talked to Lucy, it was cute. It was dramatic. It felt like a normal conversation where they aren’t putting on airs with each other and just trying to figure shit out. And it was, really cute. He has this fucking “devil-may-care” rogue persona that he defaults to when he feels cornered, hence the kiss to piss people off. But, having that be your first form of romantic interest after being in isolation for 5 years, I can see why Lucy may be smitten.

Of Course....it sucks that Seiji only managed to put 2 and 2 together on Lucy and Cylas AFTER he dipped. But he got there eventually. The disaster bastard man.

I think I have a thing where I can only approve of ships if I see some in-canon connection/plausibility first. And it wasn’t a pair I would see dating. But I honestly hope there could be some feelings that sprout between the two. Some emotional development that doesn’t center around emotional abuse since Seiji knows what’s up with Fidelia and calls her out on that.

And since this post couldn’t possibly get any longer: underneath are my theories and just what is up with Morgan and Thierry.

This is what happens when I get caught up on comics, I have IDEAS.

Let’s start off somewhere simple here: Timeline.

Fidelia and Dubois have affair. Multiple times. And it resulted in Morgan. Something Something happened and they pushed Morgan into hiding so it has no connection to them. I’m also thinking that because of how Morgan has no connection to them, since Fidelia lost touch with her kid, she made sure/blackmail the Dubois to raise their next kid as his own to make sure they are taken care of. Hence Emilia’s life.

Anyway Morgan was sick, went to the care of Joe Rothart and Dr. Malliet, where a sudden Husk attack killed Morgan and Dr. Malliet 5 years ago. Where Thierry took them to be raised as “Lucien” under his care.

Thierry “gave up everything” for the kid, meaning he thought it was in his best interest to take Morgan.

The reason Joe has a soft spot for Husks is probably because Dr. Malliet was his significant other/partner. Tobi asked if they “broke up” so it implies they were dating. See here I was thinking that Morgan was like, Joe’s brother or something, way older at the very least. But Morgan was the sickly kid, the patient, and Malliet was the other Husk Expert trying to help.

Basically what I’m saying is that Thierry and Joe were lovers. Thierry Rothart is really Dr. Thierry Malliet. While trying to help Morgan, he used his own magic to maybe siphoned the illness away or something and ended up turning into a Husk himself. So when he squirreled away with Morgan (Lucy) he took the last name of Rothart as a momento of their past relationship/ what could have been and as a way of hiding himself.

Also, Ivy isn’t his cat.

We fucking saw what happened with Captain Yiff of the Wolf Brigard. She turned into wolf mode like Jade did. However!!! Thierry became the bird man of Alcatraz and sprouted feathers. AND! Husks are people who literally reabsorb their magic familiars back into themselves. Meaning that Thierry can’t have absorbed his Peacock Bird familiar AND have Ivy the CAT be his active familiar.

The only way I can think this was any way possible to have a “have your cake and eat it too” moment is because of Su. Su never had magic to begin with, and how she’s a Goat Husk, implying if she did have access to magic her familiar would be a goat. The same could have happened to Lucy.

It was stated that for a Husk the magic comes from the eyes, and eyes are the windows of the soul. Trying to heal Morgan resulted in draining the magic from their eye and that magic latched itself into Thierry, turning him into a peacock man.

....why he wants to have his house be a shrine of peacocks of what he did instead of his own fucking cat, I will never know.

Regardless, I’m thinking that after Thierry did manage to cure Morgan, since he took their eye (again, part of the soul) it probably resulted in memory loss too. I’m thinking that the eyepatch is just covering a hole or dark powers because if Lucy has like one-eye in husk mode that would be really stupid.

It also better explains Ivy helping out Thierry’s Husk mode. Familiars are conduits of magic that allows the Mages/Magicians to safely use their magic without overloading. That’s why when the magic is reabsorbed into the person the magic is out of control and fluctuates on emotion. The animals are safeguards. So Ivy, as Thierry’s familiar, is able to drain away the magic in his emotional states. But that also backfires because draining away magic that wasn’t necessarily his means it was also draining away his memory, hence his behavior issues with Lucy.

Which can also explain Lucy’s own “magic draining powers” is because they is out of balance. They aren’t like  non-magic people where they aren’t able to access their magic. They aren’t like regular magicians where an animal familiar is there to help manage magic. And they aren’t like Husks where all the magic is fully absorbed into their body. Because they don’t have access to their original magic source (Thanks Thierry) their body is trying to balance itself out by siphoning the magic of others. Fill in the gap as it were. Which only works if they are in close physical contact with a magic source. But because it isn’t their original magic, it doesn’t last long. That’s why even though Ana was drained completely of magic, Lucy is unable to use it anymore, or at the very least can’t access it as easily.

The only other thing I could think of is how the hell does Fidelia connect with Thierry. Because Ivy was scared shitless of her or the thought of her. She probably threatened them both as Dr. Malliet to do “whatever it takes” to cure Morgan, and we all know how possessive she is with her children.

Long story short, Dr. Thierry Malliet did some experimental treatment which resulted in his husk form and Morgan’s cure/memory loss/magic issues. To protect themselves from being hunted, he fake their deaths and hid away as a recluse and raising Morgan as Lucy so the city’s magic leaders won’t hunt them down.

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 (6 of 6)

To round of my look into season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, here are my reviews of that season’s last two episodes.

Episode 25: In Theory

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Lt. Commander Data and Lt. Jenna D'Sora are in the torpedo room configuring several probes with which the Enterprise will explore a nearby nebula. D'Sora explains that her ex who she just split up with has asked her to dinner, prompting Data to remind her why they broke up as part of a standing agreement between the pair of them. Later they play together in a chamber concert along with Keiko O'Brien. D'Sora complains of her abilities as a musician, but Data insists that he could not hear anything wrong.

 Later, on the bridge, Data is reviewing the information from the probes sent into the nebula. He theorises that life might have evolved differently in the nebula because of the volume of dark matter detected. Captain Picard orders the ship to the nearest planet within the nebula. Data and Jenna configure further probes, when she kisses him on the cheek and then on the lips, before leaving the room. Data seeks the opinion of his friends, specifically Picard, Guinan, Geordi La Forge, Commander Riker, Counsellor Troi and Lt. Worf. Data decides to pursue the relationship and goes to Jenna's cabin with a bunch of flowers, where he informs her that he created a romantic subroutine for the relationship.

 Meanwhile, the Enterprise is approaching an M-class planet within the nebula. Picard enters his ready room and finds his belongings scattered on the floor. He calls in Worf, who cannot explain their displacement. Jenna arrives at Data's cabin where he is painting. She tells him to continue, but is then annoyed when he does so, causing him some confusion. The ship arrives at the coordinates for the planet but finds nothing there. Then it suddenly appears as the ship's computer warns of a depressurization in the observation lounge. The crew investigate and find all the furniture piled in one corner of the room.

 Data visits Jenna, but she seems unhappy and he is acting erratically in order to find an appropriate response to make her happy. It becomes evident to the crew that the nebula is causing distortions in space; Picard orders the ship into warp to leave the nebula as quickly as possible but this speeds up the distortions. Whilst investigating them, Lieutenant Van Mayter is killed when a distortion embeds her into the deck. Data discovers that dark matter is causing the distortions. The ship can detect the pockets at short range, but not in enough time to move out of the way. Worf proposes using a shuttle to lead the Enterprise out, and Picard insists on piloting it alone.

 Picard pilots the shuttle through the field of distortion pockets; he is initially successful, but the shuttle is damaged near the perimeter of the nebula. Chief Miles O'Brien transports the Captain back to the ship before the shuttle is destroyed. However, the Enterprise is now near enough to the edge of the nebula to no longer need the shuttle to scout ahead, and they quickly depart. Afterwards, Jenna reveals to Data in his quarters that she broke up with her boyfriend because he was emotionally unavailable and then pursued Date because he was the same. Data realises that she is breaking up with him and explains that he will delete the subroutine. Jenna departs and Data is seemingly unperturbed, although his cat, Spot, jumps into his lap as if to comfort him.

Review:

This episode was Patrick Stewart’s directorial debut on the show, following on the heels of fellow cast member Jonathan Frakes taking a shot at directing during the previous season.  Like Frakes, Stewart was handed a Data episode to do, and in some respects it’s a good episode.  In others, it’s less brilliant, specifically having a techno-babble B-plot thrown in because TNG was very much enslaved to the idea that the character always had to have an enemy or an anomaly putting them at risk, regardless of whatever else might be going on.  This plot doesn’t inter-connect with the A-plot except for both things happening in the same episode, and it includes Picard playing shuttle pilot when he’s not really the TNG character of note by way of piloting skills.  In fact, TNG and DS9 never really had a definitive helm officer in the way that the original series had Sulu and Voyager had Tom Paris, which when you have to do an episode with this kind of B-plot is a bit of a must.

 However, the meat of the episode is Data making forays into the world of romantic relationships, and to some degree I appreciate how some of his behaviours in this area are quite autistic.  His asking around the majority of the main cast and Guinan for advice, his inability to pick up relationship skills ‘on the fly’, and his emulation of stereotypical romantic interactions rather than just being himself are all things I can see someone on the spectrum doing.  Hell, I’ve done them all in my own unique way, and I can’t help but cringe a little reflecting on that.

 However, Data is only able to go so far both with his relationship and with his representation of the autistic mindset in this scenario because he lacks emotion.  I understand that this was meant to be the point; according to Memory Alpha, a lot of original series fan mail for Spock was from women who felt they could reach the character’s suppressed emotional core.  This episode was born of a fascination with this aspect of fandom, only it was written to see if a romantic relationship could work with a being who was hard-wired not to feel any emotion, to really explore the ‘ghost in the machine’ concept through Data.

 This, for me, is where the episode’s main plot really loses efficacy, because by definition a romantic relationship requires emotion, and as such Data was never going to succeed.  Frankly, I’d rather have seen them hold this plot off until the films when Data is finally given license to have emotions.  It would have been great to see Data have a romantic relationship then, because it would have been a more complete, well-rounded exploration of his status as an autism metaphor within the world of Trek.  As it is, characters like Voyager’s Doctor and Seven of Nine end up serving better in this capacity.

 It’s also disappointing to see that, not unlike some of my own early experiences in romance, Data isn’t being approached out of a genuine romantic interest on the part of Jenna.  To her, he’s basically a re-bound fling; she’s struggling with being single again, keeps having to be reminded why this is so, and tries to make something happen with Data to ‘fill the void’.  It’s not unlike how some girls used to pretend to go out with me to test, and mock, my gullibility, and for me it’s right up there with people who go out with someone just to avoid being single (done that), or to get something else like a roof over their head or cash.  To my mind, no one should ever do anything like this; if you want a romantic relationship with someone, it should be real romance or nothing.

 If you want a fling, a rebound or anything similar, then you seek out something more casual like friends-with-benefits, and you say that’s what you want up-front.  Leading people on is never ok, and it seems to me it only happens because of neurotypical selfishness and unwillingness to talk about you want before anything happens. The model of discussion-first-action-second is something that already exists within certain forms of sex play, and it’s probably going to gain wider and wider use over time for consent in general, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that would not only make all relationships more autism-friendly, but it would also vastly reduce the potential for being misled.

 What would have improved this episode, aside from Data actually having emotions, would have been to see the female guest character seek him out just from general attraction with no recent ex being mentioned, and perhaps having the B-Plot put the A-Plot characters in danger more directly.  That would have helped the B-Plot gain some additional worth and would have created a dramatic scene that would have more conclusively answered the ‘ghost in the machine’ question around Data.  As it is, it’s a middling episode and a poor showing for something Data-centric; I give it 5 out of 10.

Episode 26: Redemption (Part 1)

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Captain Picard and the Enterprise are asked to attend the installation of Gowron as the Leader of the Klingon High Council, as it is Picard’s final duty as the Arbiter of Succession. Gowron intercepts the Enterprise en route and informs Picard that the House of Duras will challenge Gowron's position, which may lead to a Klingon civil war. Picard states he cannot intervene beyond his role as arbiter, and asks Worf to escort Gowron to the transporter room. There, Worf informs Gowron of the truth about his discommendation; Gowron thanks Worf for killing Duras, but explains that he cannot clear Worf’s name because he needs the support of the council, many of whom are loyal to Duras. Worf then requests a leave of absence from Picard to visit his brother, Kurn, who controls a small fleet of Birds of Prey, and to urges him to back Gowron. Worf plans to use this support as leverage so that once installed as the Leader, Gowron can reinstate their family name.

 Interrupting the ceremony, the Duras sisters present their deceased brother's illegitimate son, Toral, who has the lineage to challenge Gowron. Picard is called on to determine Toral's candidacy. Relying on Klingon law, Picard comes to the conclusion that Toral is too inexperienced to be Leader, and secures Gowron's candidacy. This, however, prompts a majority of the council members to abandon Gowron. Gowron returns to his ship to meet with Worf, who offers his brother's fleet's support in exchange for the return of his family name to honor. Gowron initially refuses, but they are attacked by two ships loyal to the House of Duras. Worf and the arrival of Kurn's fleet dispatch the attackers. Picard completes the rite and installs Gowron as Leader; Gowron restores Worf's family honor.

Gowron and the Enterprise crew learn that the Duras sisters are assembling a fleet to incite a civil war. As the Federation cannot get involved in internal affairs of the Klingon Empire, Worf resigns his commission from Starfleet to assist Gowron and Kurn. As the��Enterprise evacuates the area before fighting begins, Toral and the Duras sisters consider Picard a coward, but their Romulan ally, a woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to the late Tasha Yar, emerges from the shadows and warns them that Picard may return.

Review:

Apparently, this episode was originally planned as the season 3 cliff-hanger finale, but had to be delayed because those working on the show who wanted this episode really had to fight for it.  Apparently, Gene Roddenberry didn’t want to do any kind of war stories, even if that war was internal to the Klingons and not something the Federation got involved in.  Granted, I don’t think this episode could be as good as it is without everything leading up to it, and part of that groundwork lays here in the fourth season as well as the third and second.  Nevertheless, it seems that once again Roddenberry was taking his idealism one step too far, and I’m guessing him having to step back from production of the show due to increasingly ill health around this time was the only reason we got this episode.

 Being only one part of a larger story, of course, the episode loses out a little for not being quite as self-contained as it otherwise would be as a one-part episode.  However, it delivers a lot for part 1 of a two-part narrative; we finally see Worf get his discommendation lifted and Gowron take command of the Klingon Empire, only to then see Worf resign his commission when Picard won’t wade into the civil war, even though we all know by now Picard should realise it’s not even remotely an all-Klingon affair.  Picard and Worf are well aware that the Duras family are thick as thieves with the Romulans, and they’ve had the recent events of ‘The Mind’s Eye’ to illustrate to them that dividing the Federation and Klingon Empire is high on their agenda.  Surely Picard should have been able to put 2 and 2 together in this part and sided with Gowron outright, rather than appearing to cling to the Prime Directive.

 This is where TNG, and Trek as a whole, falls down a little; it can’t seem to come up with a consistent approach to the Prime Directive.  Some episodes it gets broken, others it gets adhered to, and at times you’ll get a non-adherence for a situation that in a later or earlier episode saw the rule being upheld. Back in season 1, Picard was willing to dare the wrath of the Edo’s ‘god’ to save Wesley Crusher from execution, but in this episode, Picard won’t act to save Worf when Gowron’s ship gets fired upon. Both times someone from the Enterprise was in danger, so surely Picard should take the same actions, but he doesn’t. I can’t tell if this meant to be a follow-on from ‘The Drumhead’ and they stupidly cut out some exposition where Picard says ‘we have to be extra careful now to avoid another Satie-style witch-hunt’, or if it’s just a lack of attention to continuity.

 For me, this episode really relies on Worf and Gowron to carry it, as Picard’s so-called ‘tightrope walking’ just makes him look decidedly unheroic and not a little ruthless.  Honestly, this episode would have benefited from a more Kirk-ian/Sisko-esque style of captain.  Overall, I give it 7 out of 10.

[chaotichatsune]

Heaven’s Gift

Summary:  Though BlackWarGreymon may have awoken in a strange, foreign world comprised of nothing but Digimon, the dragon-man still possesses all of his memories of a world that he no longer has a part of, and now on this new land, he now has a chance to be a true Digimon. No longer was he alone in a world dominated by humans, where he lacked purpose, but learning to live in a world without them seems strange. But he must learn to live with his unprecedented circumstances, and find a reason for living--and perhaps, find something more.

...xX~~~Xx...

Immersed in a place devoid of light. I laid in a world of desolation. I felt muted. There was no touch. No sound. I existed in a world that lacked sensation and physicality. I couldn’t feel anything, my body lacking. I had no form. Anything resembling my previous physique, was absent, as I passively floated in this realm of oblivion.

I soon realized that this reality lacked heat and cold, yet I felt peace. There was no such thing as fear. Just a comfortable place of eternal black. I peered around, and decided to judge my surroundings.

Nothing.

I tried taking in a deep breath, but I felt no air enter my lungs. I was doubtful that I even held the capacity to do so. Wherever I was, in any place of time or space, oxygen wasn’t a necessary part of it. I was certain that I still held consciousness, as I held the capacity to observe my situation. I drifted for what felt was forever, but internally I knew that time did not exist in this pit. If it did, I most certainly didn’t feel it.

I tried to force myself to hear, feel or see anything.

I pushed my consciousness as far as possible, and attempted to connect with anything.

Then I heard a faint voice in the background.

“A BlackWarGreymon?”

What?

I could hear muffled voices, but I couldn’t identify the people behind them.

They sounded panicked.

“Seems so…”

I forced myself to grasp their words, yet everything was still lacking in substance.

“Yeah, he just washed up by the shore!”

A bright light engulfed my vision, drowning out the silence. And suddenly, where there was no sensation, I now felt multiple hands touching me. The prodding pulled me out of my state of unconsciousness, and out of that strange space I remembered waking up in. As soon as I registered that I was alive, I began a fit of hacking and coughing, my lungs demanding for air. Yet, I was on the verge of blinking out once more.

“Bring him to Fuchsia Agate!”

I didn’t want to fall back asleep. A dawning dread took hold of me. I didn’t want to go back to sleep! I wanted to live!

“She’ll know what to do!”

She? Who’s she?

“I don’t want to stay dead!”

I screamed those words in an act of delirium.

“Don’t worry! We’ll bring you to safety!”

I could faintly tell that I was being transferred, just before I blacked out completely.

...xX~~~Xx...

Fuchsia stared at the sky, there was a peculiar feeling in her heart. It was an emotion that confused her, an odd presence seemed to follow her throughout the day, distracting her from her duties. The persistent feeling of urgency that came with the premonitions could not be ignored. The dread that the LordKnightmon experienced gave her a strong impression that whatever was coming was not good. In the back of her mind, it was an omen of bad luck. Though, as strong as these sensations were, she had things to do. The woman decided to return back into her work, taking stock of her surroundings, before she arrived at her station. Here, within her home, the female Digimon would create different medicines. Elixirs, potions, ointments and other assortments of important remedies. The woman procured some of the most potent of cures.

Despite being a knight-based Mega, the female felt more at home in her workshop where she spent days using alchemy to help, not just the denizens of her hometown, but she even imported many of her mixtures to neighboring states. Her ability to create would allow her a place of work, no matter where she went.

Though she came from a long line of potion-makers, with vast secrets of magic that dated far back in her lineage, Fuchsia went above and beyond. Unlike her ancestors, whom rarely shared any of their precious wisdom, the woman was open about sharing her information and knowledge, and even acted as a sage of sorts.

Most of her time, whenever she was not producing medications, she’d be teaching others—children or adults—on the art of brewing, and the art of magic and science. She taught anyone willing to learn on how to treat injuries of any kind. The ancient arts of healing were no longer closely guarded by those that came before her. Fuchsia decided that her talents would not be wasted on secrecy. She had the power. Why hide her abilities, when instead they could be used to heal all of those who require her services? She knew that with her capabilities, she might as well base her legacy on the foundation of what she already knew. Her sole purpose in life was to create a place where everyone could benefit her work.

She picked up her list.

“Ah, yes.” The LordKnightmon mumbled. “I have to make more sleeping potions.”

She picked up a couple of dried herbs, and crushed them into a fine powder using her mortar and pestle. She immersed herself, putting all her attention into her craft, until she heard a scuffle.

Fuchsia placed down her incomplete drink.

“Agate!” screamed a female Flamedramon. “Miss. Agate!”

“Yes?” asked the pink-knight, her voice calm. “What’s the issue?”

“We found a random Greymon at the sea! Can you take a look at him?”

She nodded, and waved a hand towards a spare bed.

The group of men that carried the unconscious Digimon gingerly placed him down, while the Flamedramon watched with great anxiety.

“Flare, don’t worry. This doesn’t look bad at all."

The first thing Fuchsia Agate noticed was the broken armour, where there were multiple cracks surrounding a hole on his chest armor, whatever caused it was strong enough to destroy Chrome Digizoid, yet the wound didn’t look at all fatal. If anything, it was deeply superficial, as it did not affect not the flesh underneath it. As for the armor itself, the damage was beneath minor. There was no data pouring out from that location. Even those greatly lacking in experience, and had no idea what they were doing would know, without a doubt, that the fracture wasn’t an issue and wouldn’t need any treatment.

No data? No danger.

Fuchsia might as well do a full-body examine to see any other anomalies.

And so, she began right away.

She took off the BlackWarGreymon’s Dramon-Killers and checked his pulse.

Normal.

“Miss. Agate?” asked the nervous fire-Digimon. “Is he okay?”

“Yes,” she answered, her voice leveled. “The wound you saw was just a crack in the chest plating. There is no damage whatsoever on that area—or any area for that matter. No need to worry.”

She gave out a big sigh.

“All he needs is rest,” added the LordKnightmon, knowing that Flare needed that affirmation.

“Thank Yggdrasil!” The female Flamedramon rejoiced.

A small, but haggard cough drew their attention towards the black dragon-man.

“I’m…I’m not ready to leave!” the Digimon mumbled, wheezing. “I can’t die!”

Everyone turned to the knocked-out BlackWarGreymon, surprised to hear the man speak at all.

Fuchsia shook her head, already having an answer.

“That’s totally normal. This isn’t the first time a patient said something like that.”

Due to her words, they chose to ignore it.

She did another thorough check, before she began to strip him of his armor.

“Uh,” stammered a Gallantmon. “No offence, Miss. Agate, but shouldn’t it be a man to undress him?” his voice rather timid.

The pink-knight merely chuckled.

“If I were that uncomfortable around men I wouldn’t have this job.”

He frowned, feeling out of place.

“Why?” she asked. “Would you rather have someone else do it?”

Her words had no heat. It was a genuine question. There was no implications of impertinence.

“Yes.”

LordKnightmon stood back, signifying her agreement.

“Once he’s dressed call me. Okay?” she requested, making it clear that it was non-negotiable.

With that said. The LordKnightmon decided to carry on with her previous task, turning back on filling out her orders, continuing what she did best.

Yet, Fuchsia Agate still had feelings of uneasiness.

She chose to ignore the men as they helped the poor BlackWarGreymon into proper clothes.

Once she accomplished her task, she went straight away and asked.

“Will you be staying for dinner?”

It wasn’t an invitation, not really. Though it’d be rude to not ask.

“Nah, my wife’s expecting me.” Answered the same Gallantmon from before.

“Well, like, no offence I do live here so I’ll be staying for dinner.”

“Flare,” she started. “May you help me with preparations? I’ll probably be tending to him, so I would appreciate it if you helped. We’re making your favourite.”

“Lamb stew?” the young Digimon asked, looking downright overjoyed.

“What else would it be?”

“Oh, hell yes!” she beamed, making a beeline into the kitchen.

The men were soon finished dressing the BlackWarGreymon.

“We’re done, Miss. Agate. We will be taking our leave.”

“Before you men go, may one of you be kind enough to give Mrs. Olivia her meds?”

“I’ll do it!” volunteered a young teenaged Digimon. It was a Strikedramon, a Champion-level.

Fuchsia gave him multiple bottles filled with a colourful blue liquid.

“Goodnight, you two!”

With that, the Gallantmon, the WarGreymon, the Cyberdramon and Strikedramon politely waved their goodbyes before leaving the manor.

After their departure, sounds of chopping vegetables were heard from the other room, accompanied by the sounds of humming. After a time, a delicious scent wafted into the room, a tantalizing aroma that made her mouth water. The smell of lamb stew was pleasant. Yet, it was apparent that she was not the only one to admire the smell of home-cooked food. The man, whom was once unconscious woke up with a start.

“Where am I?” he asked, confused, his voice rasp. “And what is that amazing smell?”

Men, she thought, amused. Always thinking about their stomachs. Just like mother said, even the fragrance of enjoyable food could wake up the dead.

“Greetings, stranger. I am Fuchsia Agate, and you are at the Abalone Seas. Do you remember anything?”

He grimaced, his voice grim.

“Yes.”

“Hm,” she nodded, understanding, but was taken aback. She wasn’t expecting him to remember anything. Most people had a case of amnesia when washed up on shore, so learning that he retained memories from his previous life was curious. She was brimming with questions, but believed that this was a conversation for another time. “You can tell us later. Would you care for some food?”

“Uh,” he blushed, embarrassed to ask for help. “That’d be good.”

“Can you walk?” she inquired.

“I don’t know.”

She offered a hand, which he accepted, only for a jolt of electricity to course through them.

The LordKnightmon was stunned, dazed by what just transpired. The BlackWarGreymon stared, his face blank, he lacked the ability to process what had occurred. The both of them then stared at each other, and then it clicked—

“Hey! You guys! Dinner’s ready!”

She almost fell over herself. Fuchsia Agate shook her head, not ready to confront the situation, and chose to pretend that never happened.

“I’ll get you something.”

In an attempt to regain her composure, the woman immediately left, but her mind strayed towards her right hand. I don’t have time to think about this. She mused, doing her best to ignore the heat rushing to her face. I’ll deal with this another time.

She entered into a small, clean kitchen.

Flare was done cooking.

“Here you go!” Flare chimed, giving her a single bowl of warm broth. “This one’s for the BlackWarGreymon—wait! Will he be joining us or something?”

“I’ll give it to him.”

“Cool,” she bowed her head. “I hope he likes it!”

The LordKnightmon grabbed the bowl, gave her thanks, and returned to the BlackWarGreymon, whom had a look on his face, filled with guilt and anger. He saw the female knight, and graciously accepted the soup. He began to eat, but his distant, faraway look concerned her.

“Is it to your liking?”

He only shook his head “yes”, but recognized that he was being discourteous.

“I apologize,” he frowned, his face scrunching up. “I was thinking about my friends.”

“I understand, you must be worried about them.”

He looked down at his meal, his state of distress was explicit. He had no desire to discuss about his past. Fuchsia knew not to pry.

“Would you like a drink? I can make any beverage of your choosing. Tea? Coffee? Maybe even juice?”

“Water’s fine.”

Not much of a talker, is he? She dully noted, accepting this to be his nature.

“Water it is.”

She took the jug that was on the bedside table, picked up a glass and filled it with water.

The BlackWarGreymon drank it all, but took care to not come across as impolite.

“I’m exhausted,” he stated, his voice low.

“I understand,” she answered in turn, and gave him a gentle smile, her healing nature shining through. “You can stay here for the night.”

“Thank you,” was the last thing he said, only for him to doze off.

“Have a pleasant sleep.” The ribboned-warrior said, and flicked off the switch.

Fuchsia decided to end her day by joining Flare for dinner before all the lights went out.

However, the feelings of danger didn’t subside, nor did they leave the LordKnightmon’s mind.

Notes:  In this reality, Digimon have sex/genders, so children are a thing. In this universe, anything below Rookie, are babies, and Champion-levels happen to be teenagers, while Mega-levels are considered full-grown adults. I will be using both Japanese and English names, but I will be using English terminology for things like attacks or weapons.

[girlobsessed21]

The 100 - 6x04: The face behind the glass review and predictions.

Before we get into the specifics, I’m a little scared of the rehashing of old narratives that comes to surface in this episode especially. Not sure how I feel about all the parallels. In my trailer analysis, I did point out the fact that it does not seem that much different than previous seasons: There are no good guys, we kill them so that we can live and blah, blah, blah. Even so, I’m interested and invested to see what types of unique twists and turns this story will throw at us. Jason Rothenberg, you better not disappoint.

The face behind the glass written by Charmaine DeGrate and directed by Tim Scanlan, who is known for directing the sex scenes on the show. Dead giveaway. Not my favorite so far, but a lot of things happened that has me excited for the rest of the season.

Is there a better way to open an episode than Diyoza joking with her unborn child? It’s no secret she’s in my top 5 favorite characters and keeps climbing the charts. So, the Sanctumites offer her a deal: Save Rose and we’ll take care of your baby, which she takes, to offer her child a life and it’s something to do other than trying to survive. But in known Diyoza fashion on condition of a gun and a bike. 

Then, Simone begs Russel to cancel naming day on account of spies inside the compund. They’ve already been deprived of three primes (Kaylee’s family) and Rose. Pushing them towards extinction at an alarming rate and it once again becomes obvious that Clarke will become Josephine, yet I’m now intrigued by Madi. The cultish way in which these people worship the primes are uncanny and wayward. But then again all cults are weird. I don’t believe in the divinity of the primes either.

Russel disagrees by saying: “If we cancel, Gabriel wins.” Last week I thought that Gabriel will be brought back to life in one of the hosts, but I think there’s something else going on there. It’s clear now that Gabriel and his children are against the revival of the primes, bringing about the question: How has he survived all these years?

Priya and Jordan share some sweet intimate moments where he tells her he feels guilty for becoming another taunting face behind the glass. Which was necessary to show he’s still grieving his parents even while having fun. Her referral to this line later before she becomes a prime is crucial though, meaning there might be a possibility for her to come back.

The four pillars of Sanctum: Repent, Renew, Rejoice, Rebirth. Accentuating rebirth very literally. We know from episode two that Russel Lightbourne does not believe in God, but by killing a person for no reason other than so that someone you love can live is playing god in the cruelest way imaginable.

Embracing their traditions, Clarke decides to repent for her sins. She tries to apologize to Raven who won’t have any of it and compares her to Octavia. For me, the biggest difference between Clarke and Octavia is the remorse she feels. She knows what she did was wrong and she’s trying to make up for it. Therefore she deserves forgiveness. I wonder how Raven will react to Clarke’s death? 

Gabriel? Who the f#@k are Gabriel and his children?

As I said earlier, the old man is definitely Gabriel. We don’t know if he’s dead or alive. It can’t be that he lives within a computer because then his existence would be known. 

My guess is the split within Sanctum came recently (using the term loosely). Gabriel had to be one of the 12 primes since he came with them and his blood was also altered. Meaning his conscience was also transferred into a host. He was against the hostile takeover of innocent bodies and decided to rebel by saving the hosts. 

If this happened sixty odd years ago, Gabriel could still be alive somewhere (perhaps in hiding due to a failed conviction) and old. Very, very old. I’m not sure whether his followers are literally his children or just those that have sided with him, but either way, they want to continue his cause. Which they’ve clearly lost sight of. Save the hosts, don’t kill them.

Or this anomaly they mentioned somehow extends life, only it’s dangerous. Who knows, I’m a bit boggled here.

Xavier purposefully left his bag out to save Octavia and Rose. I’m sure I’ve seen this before. Right, Lincoln kidnapped her and saved her simultaneously. I know this is such a retelling of their story, but I loved Linctavia and thus cannot help boarding this ship.

Another season one throwback to Bellamy and Charlotte. But I think I’ve voiced my concerns about these. Poor, poor Rose. That scene was heartbreaking. 

Boy oh boy Bellarke and their romances

Clarke apologizes to Bellamy and states her reasons even though Bellamy has already forgiven her because he would be a hypocrite not to. And they share what has now become known as a Bellarke hug since it’s all these idiots can ever do.

Clarke hooks up with Cillian (who turns out to be the spy) within two seconds, now I’m not sure about you, but I rolled my eyes. Oh, cute, Clarke has yet another lover added to her long list of previous ones. Finn, Niyalah, Lexa, and Bellamy always on the side. I’m glad it’s a guy though to showcase that she is indeed bisexual and not gay. Bisexuality really needs some appreciation.

No one can tell if Bellamy was only upset with the party as he stated or Clarke having fun with some random dude. Most will say it’s the former and it probably is, yet it’s filmed in a different way. Why did they put him in this scene in the first place? 

When he sees her having fun, he smiles, he’s happy for her. Then the doctor’s all over her and all of a sudden his attitude changes. I don’t want to read too much into it since I had to watch it like six times to draw this conclusion.

He’s hurt and grieving over a lot of things, especially his sister and then he witnesses his “platonic soulmate” in the arms of another man. She’s always known exactly how to get him to open up, what to say to make him feel better and even though he knows he’s not allowed to feel that way, he’s jealous, he realizes he still needs her. 

And that spurs the single tear and his fight with Echo. He even spares another glance over his shoulder when she asks what’s wrong. Or was that just random? Because once he’s calmed down he apologizes to his girlfriend and comforts her when she tells him her backstory after six years of being lied to.

I felt for Echo, her life wasn’t easy, but none of their lives were. Honestly, I just can’t find Becho’s connection. Even though I try, because at some point we have to accept the fact that this is possibly a long term pairing. I’ve made my peace, I’ll ignore them. Give Echo an individual storyline and I might just start liking her more. 

A Red Queen and a terrorist walk into a bar

First of all, I have to show my gratitude for the glimpses of Octavia’s humanity. She’s in there and she’s slowly swimming to the top. That thorned rose is blossoming once again, thank you, Bellamy, for your part in this.

This is a weapon of mass destruction if I’ve ever seen one. A pregnant terrorist and a former evil queen. Yes, this is what I’m talking about. I might just write fanfiction about it.

“The devils of earth become the heroes of Sanctum.” They’re set out to kill Gabriel, but I doubt that will occur. From all I’ve heard, he’s good. Enhanced by Cillian’s words: “There are two sides to every story.” So, they will most likely join forces against Sanctum in some way. Hopefully not blowing up another planet. Please do something interesting here.

Josephine!Clarke

Okay, my first take on Josephine Ada Lightbourne was very wrong. To me, she seemed smart, funny and confident. Now she looks like the devil in disguise (No pun intended.) 

Reverting back to my earlier assumption about Delilah/Priya. It’s evident that Delilah no longer exists within her body which sets Jordan on edge. But that small statement along with knowing the mind of the host is erased but the brain is unharmed propels me to believe they can come back. Somehow. Hopefully.

Simone says, “I’ll prep for insertion, you clear the host.” Did that mean Clarke’s mind might be stored in some device too? They must have a way of extracting consciousness to transfer it to a host. Thus Clarke Griffin’s mind will be backed up somewhere as well. Not for too long before it’s disposed of, I’m sure.

Come on Madi (Lexa and Becca), Bellamy, Abby, Jordan, Raven, Murphy. You have to figure this out and bring her back before its too late. I refuse to believe Princess Clarke is dead. If she is, my mind is blown in a bullet to the brain kind of way. 

One scenario is that Josephine will have to give forth a ruse of being Clarke and willingly accept the “honor” of becoming a prime. She’s been indulging in all their other conventions, why not this one, right? But Jordan now knows what happened to Delilah, so they will try to stop her. Most likely Madi or Bellamy will notice a difference within her.

The dangerous alternative will be for Josephine to simply embrace her new host by saying they brought her to life after Cillian murdered her. Sanctumites, you have no idea how much Clarke’s people care about her. This might even sway those currently mad at her for an investigation.

A few last things

Russel does feel bad about what he’s doing, but so did Dante Wallace.

Raven and Wick (Sorry the other mechanic) what is that? Five minutes after Shaw’s death. Or was it only the motorcycle. Why does this show give us seedlings of relationships that will have no chance of growing?

Is Shadeheda Cadogen and what will he bring to the table?

Madi tasting her first cookie was awesome!

I missed Murphy this episode. His presence is required at all times.

What will happen to Niylah on the ship? And when will Indra make her appearance?

Will Russel and Simone find out that Abby knows how to create nightblood? 

Let me know what you think.

[zdravstvuysclntse]

DISCLAIMER: Before I begin I wanna re-establish that NOBODY has to agree with or even like my Lore, especially since this particular post is on a Canon Character. These are purely my headcanons and my thoughts as to how this canon character would fit into my lore, I am not about to force these ideas/headcanons onto anyone. Okay? Ooookay.

I. Love Prussia.

Honest to God, I really do, he’s easily one of the most interesting characters in Hetalia, and my Lord has he given me a lot to think about in terms of my lore.

Just in case some of y’all haven’t read through any of my lore posts before, I’ve previously mentioned the anomaly of dissolved Nations and how they slowly and painfully cease to function in this post (there’s blood in the header image so tw for that.) With this quote:

“Then, of course, you get the sad state of a Representative who’s status is slowly dissolving, which – I hasten to add – is why I like APH Prussia so much. That guy has given me a lot to think about, since dissolution would absolutely be a damning part of a Rep just slowing down and growing weaker and weaker until they’re pretty much human. I’ve seen a l o t of theories as to how Prussia would change in the build up to/during his dissolution, but personally, I think he’d just gradually lose everything that made him a Rep, including his healing-rate. I think it would all just slowly and painfully grind to a halt because, quite simply, he wouldn’t need it anymore. It’s a horrible thing to think about, but a Rep’s healing-rate is like the cogs in a machine, and once those cogs jam, the whole thing just shuts down.”

BUUUUUUUT, as you can see, that little excerpt up there is incredibly brief and pretty vague, so it definitely needs to be elaborated on, since a dissolved Nation is a really interesting thing to think about. I also made that post quite a while ago and since then, I’ve though up a few more ideas besides Reps just slowly becoming human when they lose their status.

PLUS: In the grand scheme of things, I think it would be pretty hard for them to “lose their status” just like that in the first place. These guys are pretty much Gods, and if you think about it, vanquishing a God is not easy at all, which is probably part of the reason why poor, dear old Gilbert is still around, as Nonna so rightly said once:

“… We can’t die anyway. You are living and breathing proof of that!”

My theory? Gilbert isn’t dead because he doesn’t want to die. Dissolved Nation/City/whatever Reps, deal with dissolution in different ways. Some of them – as previously mentioned – simply accept their fate, and live with the fact that they will eventually lose their immortality and die. BUT, others will actually latch on to whatever their old land becomes and flat-out refuse to let go, but will have to make do with becoming the back up Rep, the spare, and take the back seat to the newly established Rep.

I think that this is what Gilbert has done.

He still has a stubborn mental hold on and connection to what used to be his land, even though he isn’t the land’s Rep anymore, Reps can actually do this if they’re in a good enough mind-set and if their sheer, raw desire to hold on is strong enough. I’ve never drawn Gilbert before (apart from that 10-minute doodle up there on the post-header) but I imagine him to be a pretty solidly built Rep, kinda tall and lanky but sinewy as fuck. I’m not 100% on Prussian history but I know that the guy did a lotta fightin’, so I reckon it’s safe to assume that he’d be tough as old boots by now. With this in mind, a war-hardened old Rep like him would absolutely have the mental and physical capability to hold on to what used to be his as tightly as he can and outright reject his fate. Sure, he doesn’t have his status anymore, but the fact that he forcefully keeps himself tied to something keeps him alive, it isn’t an ideal existence, but it’s still an existence and that’s all he’s aiming for. (It probably helps that the land he’s holding onto belongs to his brother, too)

But really, what else could you hope to aim for if you were in his shoes? Beggars can’t be choosers.

However, this has an… Interesting effect on his body and on all the things that makes a Rep so durable. For all intents and purposes, he should be dead, his body should have ceased to function because it just isn’t needed anymore, it has no land to Represent. But because he’s stubborn and also capable enough to refuse to let this beat him, his body kind of hasto keep on functioning like normal, only it doesn’t, not fully anyway.

Therefore, my interpretation of Gil has good days and bad days. On some days, everything might be fine and he’ll be able to go about his daily business, but other days he might not even be able to get out of bed, purely because he should be dead. Because of his stubbornness, his body is now stuck in a horrible, confusing loop of desperately trying to shut itself down as a sign that his time is over, while also constantly trying to heal itself because mentally he still believes that that land is his. That strain does definitely get to him sometimes, and he probably does spend quite a lot of his time relying on others to help him out with basic stuff. It isn’t an ideal situation for him to be in at all, but in his mind, it’s better than giving up and dying, and he’s willing to keep himself stuck in this loop until he just can’t hold on anymore.

Honestly? I think he sees it as one last battle, assuming that what I’ve read of his history has had any effect on him (which it probably has.) He probably sees this whole struggle as a final time to fight through and to show everyone that he can still carry on for as long as he can despite literally all the odds being against him. However, the sad truth is; despite his efforts, it will eventually beat him, there isn’t really a way for a Rep to hold on like this permanently, it will gradually become too much for them to deal with no matter how strong-willed they are.

(There is… Also a very nasty side-effect that happens, which is kinda hinted at in the header art… but that’s another story for another day……)

But nevertheless, for now and for as long as he is able, by God, Prussia going to grip onto what he knew with both hands and not let go.

[f4-of-lucis]

Oh goodness >w< And since we’re talking about the older version of Iggy, Gladio, and Prompto, I’m assuming that it’ll be the 10 year timeskip of themselves (meaning a Blind!Ignis as well).

This is gonna be really, really long, I tell you XDD Why? Because that’s an amazing idea right there and I over-elaborated the story— perhaps, too much.

I’m sorry it took a while, though!

And because this became a reader-insert, try out the module below :D (NOTE: It might not work on dashboard and mobile, so you might need to be in my actual blog site.)

Your name: submit What is this?

// <![CDATA[ document.getElementById("submit").addEventListener('click', myHandler); function myHandler() { var v = document.body.innerHTML; var input = document.getElementById("inputTxt").value; v = v.replace(/\by\/n\b|\(y\/n\)/ig, input); document.body.innerHTML = v; } // ]]>

Time and Love don’t go well together, it seems (Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto)

There was once a myth passed around the kingdom of Lucis. An old lore to the commoners; an urban legend to the servants of the Lucian Royal Family— especially those directly connected to the Crystal, such as the Crownsguards.

The myth has varied over the time, but essentially stated the following:

“Every hundred years, a strange phenomenon happens within the walls of the Citadel, home of the Lucian Royal Family. The Crystal— bestowed upon by the Divine Beings to humanity, casts its mystical powers to the worthiest of its protectors.

What happens to the chosen is unclear. Some had disappeared and caused unexplained anomalies, yet some returned with gifts of knowledge of the distant future.

A dangerous power the Crystal grants to the worthy outside of the Royal Family. The reason is unclear and unknown to humanity yet known only by the Crystal itself which shall be recognized by the compelled.”

Sounded like a bedtime story. With the strange phenomenon happening once every hundreds of years, no one had solid proof it actually happens. Not even to the Lucian Royal Family, though they know of its existence.

... Not for long, I tell you (otherwise, this long-ass fanfic/scenario won’t be here XD).

Shortly after the restoration of Light to Lucis and the reclaim of the Insomnian throne, the Crystal had decided to reward its devoted protectors: the three Crownsguard who stood by Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV, current King of Lucis, since the beginning: Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia, and Prompto Argentum.

With Noctis crowned as the new King, all that’s left to do is serve him— as Crownsguards and as devoted friends. For Noct, it was the end of his adventure. For the three men? It obviously wasn’t. A single night and a dream was enough to spark a new adventure for Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto.

One they wouldn’t expect— not even in their wildest of imaginations.

In the morning following that night, the three men met by the Citadel hall, each not knowing the dream of the other, until one obvious someone spoke up about it. Prompto talked about his dream, which matched with both Gladio’s and Ignis’ own dreams. They were rather intrigued, especially the Crystal were “talking to them” through their dreams.

The morning after the second night was when their adventure began.

Instead of waking up in their respective quarters, the three men found themselves in the Crystal Room, all suited up in Kingsglaive attire. No wonder a certain someone complained about how heavy he felt waking up.

The three were undeniably surprised upon fully waking up and realizing where they were. Ignis didn’t need his sight to know he wasn’t laying down on his bed in his room (like waking up on a cold, hard ground wasn’t enough XD).

It was the room where the Crystal was kept, but something was... different about it. The machines were more sophisticated at best. “What are we doing here?!” asked a slightly panicked Prompto. “We didn’t sleepwalked here, did we?!” he continued. “Even if we did, that wouldn’t explain how we got past the tightly-secure vault!” answered Gladio. “And like hell I sleepwalk!”

Unlike the two, Ignis remained calm and asked, albeit with a slightly louder voice to catch Gladio and Prompto’s attention. “Where are we, exactly?”

“In the Crystal Room!”

And just then, a group of men, presumably guards or soldiers, entered the room. They were of military attire. Neither Gladio nor Prompto recognized anyone in the group.

“These men must be what the Oracle was talking about. Bring them to the Queen”

“The Queen?” Ignis asked, which was met with a quick answer by one of the guards. “Yes, the current queen of Insomnia.”

The three were taken aback. Queen? But Noctis was crowned as King not long ago. “What’s going on?” Well, their question was then again met with an answer as they were escorted to the throne room. The Citadel was similar yet different in more ways than one. Not long after, they reached the throne room.

On the throne sat a young woman clad in an attire visually similar to that of the former King Regis, except it was designed in such a way it was a dress. Her physical appearance uncannily resembled that of Noctis’, especially the eyes. Yet what set the two apart, other than their genders of course, was that the female had a much more gentler face.

“Whoa...” said Prompto with a low voice, bewildered by the sight before him. Gladiolus was just as equally as baffled as the blond man. As for Ignis, well, while he can’t see the very person the other two men were shocked to see, he knew it wasn’t Noctis on the throne. It was someone else.

“Three men clad in Kingsglaive attire... just as the Oracle had said. I welcome you three to “future” Lucis, as you might say.” started the young woman, her gentle voice soothing the three men but still confused once “future Lucis” was mentioned. “Future Lucis??” whispered the blond man to Ignis, to which latter replied with “It would seem we traveled to the future, just as the Crystal in our dreams said.”

The Queen stood up as she introduced herself. “My name is (Y/N) Lucis Caelum, CCXV. Might I ask yours?”

Before answering the queen, the three men were taken aback once again. How far into the future did the Crystal threw them into? CCXV? As in the 215th Ruler of Lucis? They were sure as hell Noctis is only CXIV, the 114th Ruler.

“O-Oh uh, Prompto Argentum, your Majesty.” “Ignis Scientia, your Majesty" “Gladiolus Amicitia”

(Y/N) nodded and wasted no time explaining the situation to the three men. “Allow me to explain the situation. Over a century ago, the empire Niflheim has seized almost all of Eos with the exception of Insomnia, the Crown City. I trust you know of this?”

They nodded respectfully. Of course. The three knew that full well. They were there the entire time it happened to Lucis.

“Niflheim was supposed to annex the entirety of Lucis, had it not been for the intervention of the 114th King of Lucis— Noctis Lucis Caelum, and thanks to him, the Niflheim empire has fallen apart since then. Yet, according to written records in the archive, Lucis still succumbed into years of darkness.”

Iggy, Gladio, and Prompto were there too. Those agonizing ten years of night.

“Fortunately, Noctis seemed to have saved all of Lucis from darkness. He’s indeed such a noble King. But now, I fear the same thing might happen soon. It seems that Niflheim has returned from its ashes. The Oracle has warned me of its coming, and predicted that ‘help will come from time’s past’. I figured it was help from the past, and she was right. The Crystal has taken you from your timeline to aid us and warn you of a coming trouble in your time.”

Their purpose was slowly being revealed to them, just as the Crystal said.

“And so I ask you, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto. Will you lend us your aid in defending Lucis?”

Who were they to turn down the plea of the Queen and the will of the Crystal?

Prompto Argentum Oh Lord, let me tell you— Prompto fell head over heels for (Y/N) the moment he laid eyes on her. She seemed like an angel to the poor blondie. Anyways, Prompto served the future Kingsglaive, actually being one of the most talented long-ranged fighter. Ten years worth of practice and this was the fruit.

Much to his surprise, Prompto found himself in the presence of the Lucian queen most of the time. Especially during camping. (Y/N) had enjoyed Prompto’s company, seeing how the blond man always seemed to be full of energy, a slight contrast to her more gentle self.

Since he knew that (Y/N) knows they were from the past, Prompto would show the young queen pictures of him and his friends with her predecessor, Noctis Lucis Caelum, much to (Y/N)’s interest in seeing the savior of Lucis during their time.

Alright, the pistol-wielding blondie knew he liked Lucis’ Queen. Like, a lot. Of course, he knew how (Y/N) deserved better. She’s a queen for crying out loud, and he’s just... a commoner. A Kingsglaive, sure, but still just a commoner. Not only that, she’s from the future.

Prompto has the habit of looking at other girls, sure (especially Cindy), but never did his heart completely loved a woman. He badly wanted to stay by her side and make her smile, but Ignis had pointed out (time and time again) that doing so would cause anomalies in the present day. He knew that. He watched one too many movies to know how changing the future would also change the past.

The day before he and his two other friends returned to present day Lucis, Prompto just had to say it.

“(Y/N), you know I have to go back tomorrow, right? Before that, I wanted to tell you something. You’re the most amazing person I’ve met. I mean— you’re really sweet and kind, you know? But your also really gentle and elegant. And you laugh at my jokes. Not a lot do that! And you made me feel like.. I was at your level. You didn’t look down on me. For once in my life, all my insecurities disappeared when I’m with you. You’re...perfect. I-I guess what I’m saying is... I really fell in love with you, (Y/N). I really love you.”

Mustering all the courage he can get from all the deities (thank Bahamut he actually mustered any strength XD), Prompto— as he embraced (Y/N) albeit tightly, gave her a kiss full of genuine love.

Before he left with Ignis and Gladio, Prompto decided to take one last selfie with (Y/N). One that would serve a memento of their bond.

Ignis Scientia He served as the strategist of the future Kingsglaive and royal adviser to (Y/N). The young woman was actually amazed at how well Ignis can do his role perfectly even without his eye sight.

... much more when (Y/N) found out Iggy could cook without his sight.

Ignis found himself cooking for the young Queen once in a while during his free time and camping times for when (Y/N) decides they needed the four of them (herself included) in the field. It brought happiness to the mother hen of a cook, seeing how the young woman enjoyed his cooking.

Often, the two would end up cooking together. Ignis personally enjoyed teaching (Y/N) the recipes he knew, even more when he discovered new recipes as well.

Overtime, Iggy realized he had developed feelings for (Y/N). He knew it was wrong. He’s from the present and she was from the future. The very flow of time separates them form one another. If he decided to stay, time and space will be messed up. Only then he realized the meaning of that one line in the myth: Some had disappeared and caused unexplained anomalies.

Meaning, some of the chosen had actually decided to stay in the future, therefore changing the present forever. Along with this is the series of unforeseen events.

It pained him. Ignis had loved (Y/N), the Queen of future Lucis, but he had to do the right thing. A long time had passed since the three of them left the present day Lucis. They’ve left Noctis far too long. So he decided to return once everything was over.

On the day of their return to present day Lucis, Ignis made sure he told (Y/N) how he felt. How he loved her. How he was truly happy to find a woman who cared for him just as much as he does for her despite his inability to see.

“I’m genuinely happy to have found a woman who loved me despite my inability. I’ve spent the last ten years of my life in darkness, but you came into my life and became my light. I truly wish I could stay with you, but... I can’t. But you must know that I love you, (Y/N).”

Lastly, Ignis cupped (Y/N)’s face with his hands and planted a long kiss on her soft lips (I mean, if he can cook without his eyesight, definitely he can kiss you XD). That was his first and last time he’ll be able to do it, for the woman he loved lived in a different timeline.

Gladiolus Amicitia Similar to how he served Noctis and— in his youth, former King Regis, Gladio acted as (Y/N)’s shield whilst serving the future Kingsglaive. He wasn’t explicitly told to do so, but the man felt like he should. Whether it was his bloodline as an Amicitia or his personal choice that made him do it, only he himself knows... maybe both.

It felt weird at first for Gladio that someone who looked like Noctis acted like Regis. Because the Noctis he knew was a tad bit different from the Prince’s father.

Even with her shield, the Queen still needs to defend herself, and so Gladio and (Y/N) would often train together. The young woman admitted to learning much thanks to Gladio’s training, much to the man’s content. Despite her calmer demeanor compared to Noctis, (Y/N) still had a form of friendly rivalry with Gladio. A proof of a growing bond between them.

As time went by and the tension between Lucis and Niflheim growing, Gladio couldn’t deny he started to love (Y/N). He wanted to continue being her shield, being by her side to protect her, especially with the war drawing closer between the two nations.

Ever since he arrived in future Lucis, Gladio’s been loyal to his duties to protecting the Lucian Royal Family, and (Y/N) was no exception. Perhaps, his want to be by her side was something beyond his duties as an Amicitia.

It was his true feelings. Gladio knew he had to go back to his original timeline, but he also knew he couldn’t just leave (Y/N) without telling her everything he felt, lest he’ll find himself contemplating to why he didn’t.

After the battle between Lucis and Niflheim, the victory of Lucis is ensured and so is its future. During those times, Gladiolus took the opportunity to tell (Y/N) what he needed to get off his chest. He tried to take it lightly... tried. Gladio found it hard to get his feelings off his chest, which is surprising for a confident man such as himself

“You know, (Y/N), you’re an amazing queen. You’ve risked everything for your kingdom, even your own life, so don’t go looking down on yourself, alright? And don’t put yourself in too much risk. Heck I had to save you almost all the time, and I’d stay by your side as your shield if I could, but we all know I can’t do that. Alright, I‘m just gonna say that I love you, (Y/N). I meant it when I said that if I could stay by your side as your shield, I would. That’s how you mean to me, ‘my queen’.”

On the day of his departure from future Lucis, he gave (Y/N) a passionate parting kiss. He loved her, but he knows he shouldn’t further mess up with and time and space. ____________

... I’m sorry it didn’t end a happy ending ; A ;

[iwishiwasdeadandcold]

The 3 Stages of My Borderline Personality Disorder Episodes

Before I had a diagnosis or engaged in any kind of treatment or made any kind of attempt to understand what was going on, triggers were subconscious. Imagine looking out your window. There is bright sunshine and not a cloud in the sky, and suddenly you are absolutely drenched with ice cold rain the second you walk outside your door. Imagine all the emotions that would come with that. Confusion, anger, disbelief and most important for me was that sense of injustice.

For me, triggers would be instantaneous and unpredictable and the immediacy of the intensity would catch me by complete surprise. This was pre-diagnosis. I didn’t know I was being triggered, so forget about having any kind of coping mechanisms to identify and manage those triggers.

Now imagine you’ve gone outside expecting sunshine, but you’re instantly soaked by rain — and the people you’re around haven’t been. They can’t understand your reaction as much as you can’t understand their lack of reaction. How dare they not feel what you feel? Are they all monsters? Do they not care about the situation you’re in?! I’ll speak more about the emotions involved in stage two.

Triggers are different since I’ve been diagnosed. For me, a diagnosis meant validity and responsibility. Validity that I knew I thought differently to other people and responsibility that I had a choice in how to manage these feelings. Now I am able to identify what triggers me and this is an ever-growing list. I’ve only recently (almost three years after diagnosis) realized my hyper-critical self comes out when I’m anxious about something for example — but hey, I know now. So now “the other guy” in me can be triggered and I have to remain in control to manage that trigger.

The first step for me is acknowledgment — it’s impossible to be stalked by darkness if you turn the light on. After that, I may separate the feeling from the thought. The saying goes that thoughts aren’t facts, well neither are feelings for me. It’s a work in progress to figure out when to go with my gut and when to box those feelings off. Sometimes I can trigger myself with imaginary events that haven’t even happened and I haven’t yet figured out why I do that, though I suspect it’s to do with my self-loathing and poor self-image. Maybe it’s self-sabotage. Maybe it’s a corrupted coping mechanism because life is too “normal”?

This all seems very controlled right? Easy when you know your triggers, surely? The problem with thoughts is they tend to dissolve, whereas feelings and emotions just “sit.” They stay there corroding my already fragile and unstable sense of self. The identity I am frantically trying to remember is not this twisted, disgusting, unlovable beast, but is actually an OK guy. But that emotion just gnaws away, sometimes for weeks burning through the faux veneer I’ve pathetically been trying to create. Trying to dress up in the Emperor’s new clothes until finally… sometimes… “I” happen again.

Stage 2: The Eye of the Storm

“Borderline individuals are the psychological equivalent of third-degree-burn patients. They simply have, so to speak, no emotional skin. Even the slightest touch or movement can create immense suffering.” – Marsha Linehan.

I have no better way to describe it. When I have lost control, when I have not managed that trigger, when I have been soaked through when I expected sunshine — I feel like a primal animal. All that matters is survival and protection of me because my perception of reality has become so distorted that nothing anybody says resonates with me unless it is reinforcing my own negative thought patterns.

I will verbally push away whoever has previously been supportive of me. I will treat everyone with suspicion. I may physically shake, cry, shout… even growl in solitude. I’ve had both auditory and visual hallucinations in my worst periods. There have been times I’ve self-harmed and it’s important people with no experience understand this is not a “cry for help” — I did it because it worked. As hard as that might be to read, it’s the truth as a short-term, high-risk solution. It stopped the mental pain and transferred it to physical pain and physical pain is infinitely easier to manage. I want to believe people are trying to comfort me. I want to believe people are genuine. I want to believe this episode is the anomaly rather than the reality, but when I am triggered, absolutely nothing will convince me I am anything other than a freak who doesn’t belong in the same social contract as the rest of humanity.

At the very worst, I will dissociate involuntarily. And while this removes me from feeling and needing to manage the emotional explosion, it unleashes the other thing in me that uses up all my chances in my friendships. I say that because surely, at some point, people will say enough is enough and at that point, the “other me” will comfort me and remind me he was right all along. He wasn’t of course, I just couldn’t control him. The price of dissociation is a complete freedom for every maladjusted emotional reaction. I can see this happening, but I can’t stop it. I don’t know what stops it but something must. This is the stage I liken to the Incredible Hulk when Bruce Banner gets in an uncontrollable rage, devoid of guilt, intent on destroying anything around him. When the rage subsides, the Hulk fades away and he awakes dazed and confused back as Bruce Banner once more.

Stage 3: The Aftermath

Exhaustion.

Numbness.

Calm.

No more racing thoughts for an hour or two. It’s like my inner world has reset and it’s a blank slate until something reminds it how I process things. Literally an hour or two respite from existence before the clock starts ticking to the next stage two and I begin to manage the triggers once more.

If dissociation is the exhilarating liberation from the intensity of my borderline emotional state as a means of self-preservation, then the reattachment to society is equally painful. Sounds are too loud, lights are too bright. I struggle to see people interact, even strangers. I don’t understand the rules of the world where they have this connection and I don’t. Where they can have this connection and I can’t. All these things feel like they physically hurt and then I feel conflicted by the knowledge that they can’t physically be hurting me… so what’s wrong with me?

Guilt.

Regret.

Remorse.

Anxiety.

Self-loathing.

These charge back into my consciousness like a thousand wild horses rampaging through budding farmland, stomping on any signs of inner peace I felt for those blissful few minutes. I would give anything to believe that short time could be my constant mental state. I experience guilt, regret, remorse and self-loathing either due to the behavior I am ashamed of or the result of debilitating anxiety over what I know I’m capable of, but have no recollection of. Such is the intensity of BPD, anything I feel here is amplified and I know this… I just don’t feel this.

I can’t watch TV because I attach to the fictional emotional states in such a way that it’s too painful to watch or because I attach to the fictional characters in a way that isn’t healthy. I can listen to music and be in tears thanks to my attachment to the lyrics or the memories the songs trigger. That’s the intensity, the hyper-intensity in stage three, before I settle down back to normality and re-enter stage one. That just leaves me with sleep and sleep becomes a favorite pastime. My bedtimes become earlier and earlier until my body just isn’t tired so now I just lay there, unable to entertain myself or relax. I see this as a positive sign now that I’m past the initial stages of reattachment which are the most painful for me.

None of this excuses the cycle. Yes I understand it, but I would hate if people thought I saw this understanding as an excuse. I don’t want to have these cycles. I am confused and frustrated that other people can see when I’m in stage one and I can’t. I’m even more frustrated when I can see I’m in stage one yet still progress to stage two. Amid this intensity, I am also intensely grateful for people who accept this about me and still stick by me. Those people who see the good in me when I struggle to. Those people who simply ask, “Are you OK?” when they see stage one and I don’t. Those people who contact me in stage three or allow me to be quiet if that’s what I need. Thank you.

[how2to18]

NONFICTION SECTIONS of our bookstores feature two radically different kinds of books on the human condition. They update the age-old question — do humans soar with the angels or grovel with the beasts — by arguing for or against human exceptionalism.

The first kind of book still assumes humans are the crown of creation, but now resorts to highlighting our “glorious” free will, consciousness, morality, culture, and so on. Many anthropology books dance around this theme, not denying evolution per se but presenting humans as “a spectacular evolutionary anomaly.” Other animals are invoked not so much for what they can do, but for what they cannot do.

The second kind of book resolutely insists on a biological framework, describing us as one animal among many and stressing our kinship with other species. In this regard, consider the amygdala, that pea-shaped part of the brain that has recently received so much press. Activated by both fear in rats and phobias in humans, it has a common function across species. Last year’s Behave by Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford primatologist and neuroscientist, exemplifies this second type of book, insisting on the neural organization and transmitters we share with all other mammals.

As a student of animal behavior, I won’t hide my overwhelming preference for the second approach, especially after the last few decades when cognitive science has blown big drafty holes in the wall supposedly separating us from the rest of nature. Focusing on human uniqueness is like having eyes only for the tip of the iceberg, whereas we need to grasp the whole submerged mountain to know where we come from. Books that set us apart face the problem not just of shrinking evidence, but also of evolutionary continuity: how to reconcile the slow and smooth transitions of evolution with the assumption that humans represent a fundamental departure? William James, the founder of American psychology, pointed out this dilemma more than a century ago. He predicted that if we keep assuming that humans alone are thinking, self-aware beings, then we’ll have great trouble explaining our origin: “We ought ourselves sincerely to try every possible mode of conceiving the dawn of consciousness so that it may not appear equivalent to the irruption into the universe of a new nature, non-existent until then.”

Cecilia Heyes’s Cognitive Gadgets addresses the perceived human difference by proposing precisely the kind of irruption James warned against. A British expert of animal cognition, Heyes has made waves in her country by questioning nearly every new discovery in this burgeoning field. When chimpanzees were said to recognize their own reflection by inspecting a mark painted on their face, Heyes proposed that they just randomly touch themselves in front of a mirror. When it was reported that Japanese macaques learn how to wash sweet potatoes from watching each other, Heyes suggested that they very well might have been chased into the ocean while holding a spud. Simple associative learning, she argues, is the key to nearly everything animals do. While few of her armchair hypotheses have held up, it is no surprise that after decades of pooh-poohing the abilities of other species, Heyes needs a miracle to explain how we got where we are today. Her answer is that we have culturally invented new ways of learning. These are our “gadgets.” We are masters of imitation, for example, not because we possess mirror neurons or are endowed with a special instinct, but thanks to a uniquely human advance: matching the movements that we see with the movements that we make, and vice versa. Thus, a recent paper by Heyes carried the title: “Imitation: Not in Our Genes.” It’s a cultural innovation.

Her proposal for shoring up our exceptionality ignores the overwhelming evidence for spontaneous matching of movements in other species. Why else do we have the verb “aping”? Fireflies flash in unison, dolphins jump out of the water as one, and a monkey who watches another monkey press a button will press its own button in perfect synchrony. Heyes also downplays the fact that human copying starts so early in life that a cultural explanation is unlikely. It is well-documented, for example, that human babies stick out their tongue in response to an experimenter doing the same, a reaction also seen in other infant primates. Her denial that this even happens has her clashing with developmental psychologists, who went so far as to reanalyze the data in her favorite study. Instead of finding the “mortal blow” to neonatal imitation she had touted, they actually found support for it. Regardless of who is right here, the deeper problem is that Heyes tries to account for human exceptionalism by bypassing evolution, which doesn’t permit the sort of jumps she envisions. A cultural explanation is a poor alternative, though, because culture is by definition variable. It tells us why people differ from place to place, but does not account for traits that characterize our species as a whole. For this, we still need biology.

Explanations of human behavior grounded in biology are wonderfully straightforward. Instead of engaging in theoretical acrobatics à la Heyes, they stress commonalities across species — even with respect to the emotions. In The Emotional Foundations of Personality, the late Estonian-American neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp and his former student Kenneth L. Davis develop an evolutionary approach for understanding human personality. Panksepp founded the field of affective neuroscience, placing human and animal emotions on a continuum, and thus helping to make animal emotions a respectable topic. Known for his studies of joy and “laughter” in rats (registered in their ultrasonic vocalizations), he found that rats actively seek out tickling fingers, probably rewarded by opioids in their brains. His work went far beyond this arcane topic, however, situating emotions in ancient subcortical brain areas shared across all vertebrates rather than in our recently expanded cerebral cortex.

In their book, Panksepp and Davis challenge the so-called Big Five personality traits, still the most popular method for plotting human personality. Its method reflects blinding faith in the thousands of labels that we use to describe personality. A large number of them are thrown into a giant statistical “grinder” (as one critic called it) to see how they hang together. The end product is a factor analysis that usually yields five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. In the old days, the computations were so burdensome that any graduate student who could complete them in four years was said to deserve a PhD. Today, we do them by computer obviously, but we still end up with the same five factors.

The method may be sophisticated, but unfortunately the theory behind it is largely nonexistent. Panksepp and Davis suggest that there is, in fact, little connection between the Big Five and their manifestations in daily life. For one thing, if we analyze adjectives in languages other than English, we often end up with a different number of dimensions. For another, the approach isn’t based on any ideas about how personalities come about in evolutionary terms, how they are expressed, or how they intersect with human biology and neuroscience. In one well-respected study, twins reared in the same household were found to be as similar in personality as twins reared apart. This means that genes are important drivers of personality, which may indeed also explain the parallels between human and animal personalities.

The book devotes several chapters to the temperaments of primates, dogs, rats, even fish. Anyone who has had two cats or two dogs at home knows how much their behavior varies. For my part, I have had aloof cats, who keep their distance, as well as cuddly ones who love to snuggle with both humans and their feline fellows. Panksepp and Davis recognize the same set of basic emotions in all mammals, and argue convincingly that we should ground the science of human personality in bio-drivers rather than linguistic labels. If we can apply genetic selection to the aggressiveness of fish, for example, then this hints at a biological personality trait grounded in an emotion, one called Rage/Anger by the authors, also found in other species, including our own.

The third book under discussion, Alan Jasanoff’s The Biological Mind, is the most accessible, written in an engaging style and with a clear message. He mobilizes his culinary experience in passages like this one: “When I first touched a brain, it was braised and enveloped in a blanket of beaten eggs.” This is certainly one way to evoke the brain-body connection! Since the brain is part of the body in humans as in other species, argues Jasanoff, we should never consider one without the other. Director of the MIT Center for Neurobiological Engineering, he strenuously objects to any hint of dualism between body and mind according to which the brain is in charge. In other words, we can’t say “we are our brain” without also saying we are our body. The brain is connected in a million and more ways to the body, and shaped by everything that happens to it and in it.

A patient’s personality may change after an organ transplant, for example, seemingly adopting part of the donor’s proclivities. Thus, the recipient of a cyclist’s heart may suddenly become a cycling enthusiast. There is also evidence that altering someone’s gut microbiome via a fecal transplant can affect their mental health. These are certainly interesting examples of how the body affects the mind, but the best-documented effects involve the bodily states known as emotions. We describe our emotions in visceral terms for good reason: every one of them arises in the body. Here, too, William James had something insightful to say, claiming that bodily changes accompanying an emotion are not just an expression of it: they are the emotion. Our guts are wrenched by sadness, our blood boils in anger, our heart throbs with infatuation, and so on. Moreover, we are by no means exceptional in this regard. We make ourselves large in anger or get “cold feet” when afraid, similar to the temperature drop in the feet and tail of a scared rat.

Jasanoff rightly objects to the cerebral mystique known as “neuroessentialism,” which reduces our lives and societies to the workings of the human brain. The idea that the brain can be hacked or digitally preserved is one rather extreme manifestation of this view — and in places like Silicon Valley, cryogenically freezing one’s head is now a fad. Wannabe immortalists anticipate the day when their brain’s contents will be “uploaded” to a machine. They are willing to pay a fortune for such a digitally immortal future. Never mind that science hardly knows what a mind without a body would look or feel like — or indeed whether waking up in digital format would constitute a happy moment. Happiness is a bodily state in humans as in other animals, and a brain severed from the body probably doesn’t feel much.

To drive this point home, Jasanoff’s final chapter imagines his own brain in a vat. He, or “it,” can still explore the world to satisfy his curiosity, but because these adventures lack corporal movement or embodiment, they are rather boring and lacking in purpose. The notion that the brain can live by itself undoubtedly stems from the absurd metaphor that brains are machines. Many of us fall for this metaphor even though the brain looks much more like soup than a computer. As Jasanoff writes:

The true brain is a grimy affair, swamped with fluids, chemicals, and glue-like cells called glia. The centerpiece of our biological mind is more like our other organs than a man-made device, but the ways we think and talk about it often misrepresents its true nature.

For me as a biologist, we live in happy times with so many books that expertly treat where we come from, who we are, and how we operate. So long as these books resist the temptation, so prevalent in our culture, to treat the human mind as its own creation, they will, I hope, over time encourage us to embrace our kinship with both the beast within and the beasts without, and consider the angels and our closeness to them just a figment of our imagination.

¤

Frans de Waal, a primatologist and professor of psychology at Emory University, is the author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? (Norton, 2016).

The post Closer to Beast Than Angel appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

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[voyagerafod]

Star Trek Voyager: A Fire of Devotion: Part 2 of 4: Louder Than Bells: Chapter Six

Chapter Six

    “Computer, freeze program,” Tom Paris said. The villainous Doctor Chaotica and his minion Lanzak froze in place.

    “Oh what the hell, Tom?” Samantha Wildman said, wearing a low cut white dress while being tied to a chair.     “What is the reason for this interruption?” Seven of Nine, wearing the uniform of Captain Proton, Defender of the Earth, said.     “Imagine my shock,” Tom Paris said, “when I come down here hoping to spend a little time in this program, that I created by the way, only to find that it is already running.”     “You know, Tom,” Samantha said, “if you wanted the program to be your use only you could’ve enabled the privacy settings.”     “You have invited me to this program on several occasions,” Seven said, holstering her laser gun. “I was under the impression that I was free to use it.”     “Well, yeah,” Tom said, “but as my trusty sidekick Buster Kincaid, or maybe my secretary Constance Goodheart. Side note, her dress looks good on you Sam, if you don’t mind my saying.”     Samantha rolled her eyes and shifted in the chair.     “Look, I’m not mad,” Tom said, “I just wish you’d asked first is all. Besides, I have to pull a double shift tomorrow to cover for Ensign Brooks for her birthday.”     Seven began untying Samantha.     “We can leave if you’d like,” she said.     Tom sighed. “No, no, that’s fine. Though I do have to ask,” Tom turned his head to look directly at Samantha. “Why the damsel in distress role and not the sidekick?”     “Um, well,” Samantha started to say, looking at Seven of Nine who merely shrugged as if to say ‘You’re on your own for this one.’     “It’s okay, I don’t judge,” Tom said, smirking. “Though I am curious what a Borg safeword would be.”

    “That’s not funny, Tom,” Sam said.     “What’s a safeword?” Seven asked.

    “Mine’s ‘teacup’,” Tom said.

    “I cannot begin to explain just how much I did not need to know that Mister Paris,” Sam said, groaning.

    There was suddenly a shudder.     “I thought the program was frozen,” Sam said.     “It is,” Tom said. “I think that was the ship.”     “Sam, Ensign Paris,” Seven said. Tom saw that she was looking out one of the windows in Chaotica’s Fortress of Doom. “We should contact the bridge immediately.”     “What is it? Sam said, moving up to stand next to Seven. “Oh,” she added.     “There appears to be an anomaly inside the holodeck,” Seven said.     “How do you know it’s not part of the program?” Tom said, moving up to the window to look himself. In the sky, hovering above the black and white landscape, was a purple, swirling circular mass. “Okay, definitely not part of the program.”

-o-

    “Computer, end program,” Seven of Nine said.     “Unable to comply,” the computer said. “Holodeck controls are off-line.”     “Because of course they are,” Sam said. Seven nodded. Statistically speaking, holodeck accidents were rare, but Voyager did seem to suffer from a disproportionately large number of them. Only the Enterprise-D, as far as her research had shown, had more than Voyager.     “Paris to bridge,” Tom said. The noise that normally accompanied a communications channel opening did not follow, nor did anyone from the bridge respond. “Bridge, respond.”     “We will need to find the manual overrides,” Seven said.     “There’s an access port on the rocket ship,” Tom said.     “How did you get over there?” a voice behind the three of them yelled. They all turned around, and Seven saw that Chaotica was moving again, as were his minions. “How did you get loose? And who are you?” Chaotica was pointing at Tom.     “It would appear the program has unfrozen itself,” Seven said.     “Nah, really?” Tom said.     “Your sarcasm is uncalled for, Mister Paris,” Seven said. She quickly unholstered her laser gun and fired.     “We are leaving,” she said to Chaotica. “It would be unwise to pursue us.”     Chaotica looked around, looked at the chair he’d been looking at when Tom had frozen the program, the one Samantha had been tied to.     “Fine,” he said. “For now. I will learn how you were able to escape my trap without me seeing, and we will meet again Captain Proton. And when we do it’ll be your doom!”     Seven raised an eyebrow.     “Doubtful,” she said. The three Voyager crewmembers left the Fortress of Doom, Seven watching their backs and grabbing a laser off of a fallen minion to hand to Tom Paris.

    The holodeck began shuddering again. It took Seven a moment to realize that it was not the holodeck that was shaking, but Voyager itself.     “I believe that Voyager is attempting to move but is unable to do so,” she said.     “Sounds about right,” Tom said. “it could be the program I suppose but it sounds more to me like the impulse engines are being strained. Whoever’s in my chair right now better ease up or the reactors are gonna burn out.”     The shuddering got more violent.     “It would appear your advice has been ignored,” Seven said.     “Once again the Borg gift for stating the obvious-”     “Tom, let’s worry about my girlfriend’s verbal tics later,” Sam said, “and focus on getting out of here.”

    Finally, the shaking stopped.     “Did the impulse engines burn out?” Sam asked.     “Nah,” Tom said. “If they had the shaking wouldn’t have just petered out like that.”     “Agreed,” Seven said. “far more likely is the order was given to power down. Whatever happened to the holodeck that makes us unable to turn it off is likely also holding Voyager in place.”     “All the more reason for us to find the door and get the hell out of here,” Tom said.     Finally the three made it to Captain Proton’s rocket ship, both Seven and Paris reaching for the access panel.     “I’ll try to shut down the program,” Tom said. “Get to the periscope and see if Chaotica’s sent his army after us. I don’t know if the safeties are off-line too, but let’s face it they probably are.”     “I’m already on it,” Sam said. “I can’t see the Fortress yet, but another one of those purple distortions just appeared, and both of them are growing.”     “I believe for now we should prioritize exiting the holodeck over deactivating the program,” Seven said. She looked at Tom, who ignored her.     “Mister Paris?” she said, trying to get his attention. Tom sighed.     “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “It’ll be easier to cut power from the outside anyway.”

    Tom continued working on the panel.     “A third one,” Sam said. “That can’t be good.”     “Damn,” Tom said, “I can’t bring up the arch.”     Seven knelt down next to Tom and began pushing buttons on the panel.     “I already tried that,” Tom said.     “I am not attempting to open the door, Mister Paris,” Seven said. “Your initial assessment was correct. I am instead attempting to access transporter control.”     “A site-to-site,” Tom said. “Good thinking.”     Within seconds, Seven was able to access the programs she needed, and seconds after that, she, Sam, and Tom were all in the corridor just outside the holodeck.     “Let’s get to the bridge,” Tom said.     “I’ll join you later,” Sam said. “I need to change first.”

-o-

    Captain Janeway filled Tom Paris and Seven of Nine in on the situation when the two got to the bridge, deciding not to comment on the latter’s outfit as she asked them to accompany her to astrometrics.     “A layer of subspace?” Tom said. “That’s why we can’t move and why the holodeck isn’t working?”     “Among other things,” Janeway said. “We nearly burned out the impulse reactors trying to get free of it. The warp drive is a giant paperweight at this point, and we’re experiencing minor power failures all over the ship.”

    “Once we get to the lab I should be able to find out more about our predicament,” Seven said. Janeway nodded.     “That’s the plan,” Janeway said. Tom then proceeded to fill her in on what had happened on the holodeck.     “Any idea what the distortions are? she asked.     “No clue,” Tom said.

    “I also lack an explanation,” Seven said.     The three quickly arrived at astrometrics, and stepped inside. Seven immediately went to the main console.     “I am running a transpectral analysis,” she said. The large viewscreen began showing results almost immediately, and not for the first time Janeway was glad she let Chakotay and Harry talk her into upgrading this lab.     “It looks like the barrier between normal space and subspace is unstable here,” Janeway said.     “Here, and throughout this entire region,” Seven said. “I believe an appropriate metaphor for the situation would be to compare the subspace layer to a sandbar.”     “Ha, so you were paying attention to all my nautical talk,” Tom said.     “Considering how that mission ended up for you, Ensign,” Seven said “your attitude about it could be considered to be in poor taste.”

    “Children, play nice,” Janeway said. “Could we try realigning our warp field? That could help us escape this sandbar.”     “Doubtful,” Seven said, “but not impossible.”     “Any other ideas?” Tom said.     “I must admit, I have none at this time,” Seven said. She began tapping more buttons on her console. “Gravimetric forces are disrupting our controls. As long as we’re trapped here we won’t have access to the computer core, tactical, the holodecks, all but six replicators.”     “Those distortions in the holodeck,” Tom said. “any idea what connection they may have to this?”     “They appear to be random energy fluctuations,” Seven said. “I do not believe they pose a threat, though Sam did say they were growing. We should prepare for the possibility that my initial assessment of the distortions is incorrect.”

    Janeway nodded. She thought about it for a moment, then made a call that she hoped would turn out to be overly cautious in hindsight.     “Evacuate that deck, just to be safe,” she said. “And keep an eye on the distortions as well.”     “Understood, Captain,” Seven said.     Janeway looked back at the screen, showing a depiction of Voyager stuck up against the subspace sandbar, and it reminded her of something.     “A few years back,” she said, “when I served on the Al-Batani with Tom’s father, we tried to navigate through a dense proto-nebula that stopped us dead in our tracks. For three days straight we attempted to force our way out. That was until we realized that we were trying too hard.

“Every time we engaged the engines we were increasing the resistance of the nebula’s particle field. We may be facing a similar situation here.”     “That makes sense,” Seven said. “Our own warp field may be increasing the gravimetric forces. If we power down the core and use minimal thrusters we might be able to break free.”     “‘Might’ being the key word,” Tom said. “but I can’t think of a reason why we can’t try.”     “Neither can I,” Janeway said. “Let’s do this. I’ll see you both on the bridge. Seven, go ahead and change into your uniform.”     Seven looked down, seeming to have forgotten that she was still dressed as Captain Proton.     “I will do so immediately,” she said.     Janeway chuckled, and patted Seven on the shoulder as she walked past her.     “For what it’s worth, I think it looks good on you,” she said.

-o-

    “Three days of this shit,” Tom said from the navigator’s chair. “and nothing to show for it. We’re just spinning our wheels!”

    “Language, Tom,” Captain Janeway said.     “Isn’t that supposed to be Seven’s line?” Harry said.

    “If Seven were here,” Samantha said from her station, “she’d smack you for that.” She said without malice though. While the vocabulary of the bridge crew had become less formal over the course of the past three days stuck in the subspace sandbar, it had had the effect of keeping moral from dipping too low. Frustration was growing among the crew, Sam could see that easily enough, but she also knew it could be much worse. If some mild teasing among the senior staff could keep the tension levels low, it was worth it, professionalism be damned.

    “Wait, wait,” Tom said, starting to sound excited. “Ha! Finally, we’re moving! Two meters per second but we’re moving.”     Everyone on the bridge except Tuvok let out loud sighs of relief.     “About damn time,” Chakotay said.

    “We’re up to three meters,” Tom said.     “Keep it steady Tom,” Janeway said. Sam refused to let herself become optimistic about this and decided to wait until they could go to warp again before allowing any feeling of happiness to overtake her. She couldn’t help but think how brutal the past several months had been, on Voyager in general, but on her and Seven of Nine in particular. Hardly more than a fortnight could go by it seemed without one of them being in grave danger and the other barely holding themselves together emotionally during the process.     “Nine meters,” Tom said. “Ten. We’re getting a little bit of strain, should we hold it there Captain?”

    “No. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. More than half of our lavatories went down this morning,” Janeway said.     Eww, Sam thought, worried about the kind of disasters that could lead to.

    “Increasing power to thrusters,” Tom said.     “We’re approaching the subspace boundary,” Harry said.     “I’ve got us up to twenty-five meters per second,” Tom said. Despite the strain that Tom had warned about, the ship still seemed to be moving along smoothly, no shuddering or violent shaking.

    As soon as Sam thought about that, however, the ship did shake somewhat.     Great, I jinxed us, she thought.     “Wait a minute,” Tom said. “We’re slowing down.”     “What?” Janeway said, sounding as mad as Sam felt.     “Captain, I’m reading power surges,” Harry said.     “Source?” Janeway asked.

    “I’m not sure,” Harry said. “but they look like weapons signatures.”     “No other ships are detected in this area,” Tuvok said.

    The ship shuddered slightly once more, and Tom began cursing again.     “I take it we’ve stopped,” Chakotay said, his head in his hands.     “Afraid so, sir,” Tom said after his string of profanities subsided.

    “I have isolated the location of the weapon’s fire,” Tuvok said. “Deck six, holodeck two.”     Sam looked at Tom.     “Isn’t that the-”     “The one you, Seven and I had to escape from,” Tom said. “We were never able to get the program turned off.”     “I thought we had that deck evacuated because of the distortions. Who's still down there?” Janeway said.     “No one,” Tuvok said. “I am picking up no lifesigns.”

    “Can we shut it down from up here?” Chakotay said.     “Negative,” Harry said. “I’m trying but the control system is still malfunctioning.”

    “Tuvok, get down there and find out what’s happening,” Janeway said. “Tom, join him. You’re familiar with the program, you can guide him through it.”     “Yes ma’am,” Tom said.

-o-

    Tom and Tuvok made it to the end of the path in the canyon. Tom looked off into the distance, to see smoke coming out of one of what had been one of the many towers of Chaotica’s Fortress of Doom.     This doesn’t bode well, Tom thought. He looked down at the next path, the one to the Fortress itself, and saw it littered with the bodies of Chaotica’s soldiers.     “It would appear a battle took place,” Tuvok said.     “It didn’t look like this when we left,” he said. “Must’ve missed a few chapters.”

    “Holodeck programs don’t normally run by themselves,” Tuvok said.     “Has anything about these past few days been normal?” Tom said. Tuvok appeared to be ready to respond when a noise grabbed both of their attention.     “Invaders from the fifth dimension,” the robotic voice said.     “Satan’s Robot,” Tom said. “one of the Doctor Chaotica’s creations.” Tom went over to where the robot he normally fought in this program was lying down, badly damaged and unable to walk upright anymore.

    “Queen Arachnia is on her way,” the robot said. “Invaders from the fifth dimension. Queen Arachnia is on her way. Invaders-”     “He’s stuck in a feedback loop,” Tom said. “Give me a hand Tuvok, if we can repair his vocalizer maybe he can tell us what’s been going on.” He opened a panel on the front of the robot. “Looks like he burned out a resistor.”

    “I am unfamiliar with that piece of technology,” Tuvok said.     “It’s from a few centuries before duotronic circuitry,” Tom said.     “I see. How do you propose we repair him?”     “First of all,” Tom said, not taking his eyes off his work, “we’ve gotta remove this damaged tube. Let’s see here, just a few crossed wires, and I think maybe we can-”     The robot began moving.     “Your knowledge of this technology is most impressive,” Tuvok said.     “Thanks,” Tom said, smiling. It wasn’t often one got a compliment from the Vulcan, so he wasn’t going to cheapen the moment by responding with sarcasm.     “Intruders,” the robot said, it’s voice still crackling. “Intruders. Intruders.”

    Tom slapped the open panel on the robot closed.     “Intruder alert!” the robot said, clearer now.

    “Tell us what happened,” Tom commanded.     “Invaders from the fifth dimension!”     “Whoa, calm down,” Tom said as the robot began to spin in place, it’s metallic voice tinged with a hint of panic.

    “How did these invaders get here?” Tuvok said.     “Through a portal,” the robot said.

    “That’s not right,” Tom said. “There’s not supposed to be an alien invasion in this story. That’s, that’s...” Tom trailed off as a realization hit him.     “Ensign?” Tuvok said.     “The distortions,” Tom said. “Robot? Take us to this portal.”     As soon as the robot began walking in the direction of where it claimed the invaders from the fifth dimension had entered the holodeck program, both Tom and Tuvok took out their tricorders and began scanning.

    “There,” the robot said. Tom and Tuvok looked in the direction it pointed, seeing three large distortions hanging in the sky higher up than when Samantha had last seen them before they left the holodeck days before. Bolts the same color as the distortions flew out at high speed, and Tom noticed they were coming right at them just in time to pull Tuvok behind a rock pillar.     The bolts exploded on impact with the rock. Once the smoke from the volley cleared, Tuvok scanned the impact points.     “Photonic charges,” he said. “The same signature as the weapons fire we detected. We must report this to the captain.”     “Wait,” Tom said. “I need to check my rocket ship first.”     “Explain,” Tuvok said.     “It’s got sensors. Sort of. Maybe it can tell us something Voyager’s sensors can’t.”     “I do not see how,” Tuvok said. “but I will go along for the time being.”

   -o-

    In the astrometrics lab, Seven of Nine was working on establishing a visual link with the holodeck so they could see what was going on on the lab’s screen. Harry Kim stood next to her.     “I think I have it,” Seven said.     “Looks good,” Harry said. “Putting on the screen, and, oh dear.”     The screen showed more of the distortions that she and Samantha had seen on the holodeck, spread all over the area, all of them sending out bursts of energy.

    “The attack appears to originating from subspace,” Seven said.     “Can you tell where it’s coming from?” Harry said. “I mean from inside subspace, I-”     “I can tell from context what you meant, Lieutenant,” Seven said. “To answer your question, no I cannot.”     The sound of electricity loudly buzzing grabbed Seven’s attention away from her console. She looked up in time to see what looked like sustained bolts of lightning going into the distortions.

    “Chaotica’s death ray,” she said.     “That’s what it looks like,” Harry said. He began pressing buttons on another console. “Let’s see if we can a look inside his fortress, find out what he’s up to.”

    The visuals on the screen shifted to the interior of Chaotica’s lab, several minions running about, and period appropriate music playing.     “Full power to the death ray!” Chaotica’s voice yelled out, and the screen shifted to focus on him. Chaotica held a large device in his hand, a microphone Sam had called it when they were doing the Captain Proton adventures together. “Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People, you have not responded to my summons. Why-”     Seven muted the sound.     “I don’t get it,” Harry said. “Chaotica was supposed to be fighting Earth in this chapter.”     “It would appear he has found a new enemy,” Seven said. She sighed and shook her head. “Were I prone to superstition I would believe I was cursed.”     “Why would you say that?”     “Need I remind you, Lieutenant Kim that this simple entertainment program did not become a threat to the ship’s security until after I began participating in it?”     “You can’t blame yourself for this,” Harry said.     “I don’t. I am merely pointing out that if I were to do so, it would not be a wholly baseless assumption. I think Samantha said it best recently. ‘2375 has not been a red letter year,’”     Harry opened his mouth, but then closed it, instead merely shrugging.     “Can’t really argue with that,” he said instead of whatever he’d initially planned on saying.

-o-

    “These are your sensor readings?” Tuvok asked, as Tom Paris removed a string of paper from the old fashioned telegram device on his rocket ship.     “It’s a telegram,” Tom said. “It’s a message to Captain Proton from the President of Earth. It says, ‘Intercepted Communications Between Dr. Chaotica and Arachnia. Stop. Chaotica At War With Aliens From Fifth Dimension. Stop. Must Strike Now To Disable Death Ray.”     “Stop,” Tuvok said. Tom looked at him, and at Satan’s Robot, who had followed them all the way to ship and was pathetically trying to shove Tuvok out of the way to look at the telegram machine. “Please, summarize the message.”     “Well, it looks like Chaotica has captured a couple of these Fifth Dimension aliens.”     “An alternate universe,” Tuvok said.     “Makes sense. Well, by our standards anyway. These aliens could’ve wandered onto the holodeck through one of those distortions and mistook this simulation for reality.”     A metallic clang interrupted the conversation.     “Intruder!” the robot yelled     Yeah, no shit Sherlock, Tom thought as both he and Tuvok pulled out their phasers.

    “I assume there is no locking mechanism on the hatch,” Tuvok said.

    “It was a simpler time,” Tom said, as a human looking man in a suit stepped around the hatch and entered the rocket ship, holding a device that Tom didn’t recognize, but the way the man held it, it was safe to assume it was a weapon.     “Is he a part of the simulation?” Tuvok said.     “Not that I recognize,” Tom said.     “Invaders! In-”     “Quiet,” Tom said, smacking the robot in the face with the handle of his phaser. “Look,” he said to the man in the suit. “There’s been a misunderstanding. I’m Ensign Paris from the starship Voyager.” Tom put his phaser down on a nearby shelf. “This is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok.”

    “You have killed fifty-three of my people,” the man said.     “We haven’t killed anyone,” Tom said, keeping his hands up where the intruder could see them.     “Everything you see here,” Tuvok said, stepping forward to stand next to Tom, his own phaser holstered. “is a simulation. None of it’s real.”     “Simulation?” the man said.     “A photonically-based projection,” Tuvok said.     “All life is photonic.”

    “We are not,” Tuvok said. “We are bio-chemical lifeforms.”

    Why do I have the feeling this is not gonna end well? Tom thought.

    “I’m not familiar with bio-chemical,” the photonic alien, as Tom now thought of him, said.     “We are carbon-based,” Tuvok continued, trying to reason with the alien. Tom hoped it would work. “We live aboard a starship. I believe we have become trapped in a region of space that intersects your own.”

    “We have detected no starship. Only this planet.” The alien was sounding angry now.     “This planet isn’t real,” Tuvok said, spreading his arms out in a non-threatening gesture, but Tom’s instinct was telling him this wasn’t working. “As I told you, it’s part of a simulation.”     The alien began moving his device up and down. Tom amended his earlier belief that it was a weapon.     He’s scanning us, he thought. Maybe now he’ll see that Tuvok is telling the truth.

“You don’t register as a life-form,” the alien said, now stepping closer. “you are the illusion.”     Oh crap, Tom thought. Suddenly, the robot pushed his way between Tom and Tuvok.     “Citizen of the Fifth Dimension, you will be destroyed,” it said. The photonic alien pointed the device at it, and a burst of energy came out, meaning that it was actually both a weapon and a scanner. It hit the robot in the face, causing it topple backwards, but not before it swung one of its arms, knocking the device out of the alien’s hand. The alien ran towards the hatch exiting the ship.

“I believe it is time for us to report to the captain,” Tuvok said.     “Yeah,” Tom said.     “Damage. Damage. Maintenance required,” the robot said.     “Oh, shut up,” Tom said.

-o-    

    Seven of Nine had seen enough oddities in her life, both as a drone and as an individual, that Tom Paris and Tuvok’s report of what they discovered on the holodeck didn’t faze her at all. Commander Chakotay seemed to take it in stride as well. The Captain, on the other hand, bore the facial expressions of someone nursing a particularly painful headache.     “Let me get this straight,” Janeway said. “Transdimensional aliens have mistaken your Captain Proton simulation for reality.”     “Yes ma’am,” Tom said.     “And now an armed conflict has broken out between these aliens and Chaotica’s holographic army.”     “Yes ma’am,” Tom said. “His Army of Evil.”     Janeway started wringing her hands.     “Will someone please explain to me why we just haven’t shut down the holodeck?” she said.     “We’ve tried, the controls are still off-line,” Seven said.     “Well, somebody is going to have to get through to these aliens,” Janeway said. “Convince them they’re just fighting shadows. Hopefully before they break my ship.”     “We’ve tried, but they don’t believe us,” Tom said. “They think that we’re not real. They can’t detect Voyager, so every time they scan us we seem as artificial to them as holographic characters do to us.”     “That explains why they haven’t answered our hails,” Chakotay said.     “The Doctor is photonic,” Seven said. “He may be able to persuade them.”     “It’s worth a try,” Janeway said. “Tuvok, brief the Doctor on the situation.”     “In the meantime Captain,” Tom said, “I think we should let the program play out.”     Janeway scoffed at that.     “Are you seriously suggesting we wait until this Chaotica defeats the aliens?”     “No, I’m actually suggesting we help the aliens to defeat Chaotica,” Tom said. “They think he’s leading some kind of hostile invasion force. Once that threat is gone, it’s a good bet they’ll leave and close up their portals.”

    “How do you suggest we defeat Chaotica?” Tuvok said.     “Well,” Tom said., “he’s been attacking the aliens with his death ray. In the world of Captain Proton it’s the most powerful weapon there is.”     “It’s lethal to the aliens because it’s photonic,” Chakotay said.     “Exactly,” Tom said. “Now, in Chapter Eighteen, Captain Proton disables the death ray just before Chaotica can use it to destroy Earth.”

Janeway leaned on the briefing room table.     “And you think that Captain Proton, being you, of course, could still do that?” she said, sounding less than convinced.     “Well, we’d have to knock out the lightning shield first,” Tom said.     “Of course,” Janeway said.

“The destructo beam on my rocket ship can disable the death ray but only if someone can get inside the Fortress of Doom and can shut down the lightning shield.”     Janeway blinked twice.     “You do realize how incredibly silly what you just said would sound out of context, right?” she said.

“Who’s supposed to shut down the lightning shield?” Chakotay said before Tom could respond.     “Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People,” Tom said.     “Charming,” Janeway said, openly laughing now.     “Well Chaotica thinks so,” Tom said. “He’s in love with her. He’s been trying to form an alliance since Chapter Three.”     “She is the only one he would trust enough to allow her to get close enough to disable the shield,” Seven said.     “Which means that somebody is going to have to take on her character,” Tom said. “Seven, you up for it?”     “Wait,” Janeway said. “Slight problem with that Tom, did you forget that when this current session of Captain Proton started that you weren’t in the title role?”     “It’s my program Captain,” Tom said.     “That is correct Ensign Paris,” Seven said. “However, as the Captain correctly pointed out, it was not one of your sessions that was running when we hit the subspace sandbar.”     Tom took in a sharp breath. ”Right. You and Sam were running it, and I interrupted you.”     “As such, Chaotica would recognize me as Captain Proton,” Seven said.     “So who’s going to play Arachnia then? Janeway said. After a few seconds of silence, Janeway spoke again. “Why is everyone looking at me like that?”     “It’s the role of a lifetime captain,” Tom said.     “Oh, no, no, no. Hell no,” Janeway said.

-o-

“So all I have to do,” Janeway said Tom as the two walked down the corridor towards holodeck two, “is find the controls of this death ray and deactivate it.”     Tom smiled. He would later admit to himself that perhaps he enjoyed this all a bit too much, but for now, his focus was on helping the captain get into character.     “Well, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Chaotica may be a 1930s villain but he’s very clever. It would help if you knew some of the rules.”     “Shoot,” Janeway said.     “First of all, he’s a megalomaniac, so try appealing to his ego,” Tom said.     “I’ve had to do that before,” Janeway said.     “Use grandiose language. He likes to be called ‘sire,’ and it helps to say things like ‘the clever fiendishness of your evil plan is brilliant.’”     Janeway frowned.     “If my ship wasn’t at stake this is the part where I’d be telling you I’m out,” she said.     “Look at this way Captain,” Tom said, hoping to encourage her. “How many Starfleet captains can say they’ve saved their vessel by acting?”

“I’m pretty sure James T. Kirk did that once,” Janeway said.

“Fair point,” Tom said. “Anyway, try to remember when you’re in there; it’s ray gun, not phaser. Imagizer, not viewscreen. Earthlings, not Terrans-”     “When have I ever referred to our species as Terrans?” Janeway said.

“Right. Anyway, one other thing; these villains always have a trick up their sleeve. Trap doors, secret weapons…”     “We checked, the safeties are on, I can’t be hurt by holographic weapons.”     “That doesn’t mean you can’t be restrained,” Tom said.

Janeway sighed.     “Noted,” she said. Tom was disappointed that she wasn’t as into this as he’d hoped, but he kept going anyway. The mission was still important after all, he couldn’t afford to forget that.     “Now,” he said, “as soon as you get the death ray shut down, call me in my rocket ship and give me the signal to fire.”     “You mean call Seven in your rocket ship,” Janeway said.     “No, I’ll be flying it. Chaotica won’t see me since I won’t have the imagizer up, and I know this program better than she does. I’m pretty sure she and Sam only use it for-”     “I order you to not finish that sentence.”     “Okay, sorry. Anyway,” he handed Janeway his PADD. “here are the specifications for Arachnia’s costume.”     Janeway took the PADD, looked at it and stopped walking.     “Finally,” Tom said, “there are the pheromones you can uncork if you run into any unexpected trouble. It’s from Chapter Sixteen. Chaotica gets a whiff of it, he’ll be under your spell.”     “So, why don’t I just start with the pheromones and save myself a load of trouble?”     “Because you won’t actually have it on you, it’ll be sitting on a small pedestal next to Chaotica’s throne. Try to get your hands on it as soon as possible.”     “Right,” Janeway said. “I suppose I better get fitted for my costume.”     “Excellent. You can do this Captain,” Tom said. As Janeway walked away he grinned and shouted after her, “And remember, you’re the queen!”     “Don’t make me demote you again Tom,” she shouted back.

-o-

Seven of Nine stood behind Commander Chakotay on the bridge as they and everyone else on the bridge including Sam watched the viewscreen, which was showing what was going on on the holodeck.     “I feel like I should’ve made popcorn,” Sam said.     Seven shook her head.     “Best that you didn’t,” she said. “It gets caught in my teeth far too easily for my liking.”     “Nobody else is saying it so I will,” Neelix, who was sitting to Chakotay’s left said, “should we even be watching this at all? Isn’t this like an invasion of privacy?”     “We are monitoring the Captain and Ensign Paris’ progress,” Tuvok said. “This way, we can beam them out should it become necessary. Doctor Chaotica’s weapons cannot harm them due to the safeties working, but the alien’s weapons are under no such restrictions.”     “Fair enough,” Harry said. “Also it’s kind of nice that for once the safeties weren’t the first thing to go off-line, like usually happens when we have holodeck trouble.”     The viewscreen showed the Captain, now in full Queen Arachnia garb, at the drawbridge to the Fortress of Doom.     “Sound,” Chakotay said.     The crew seems to be enjoying this, Seven thought. I suppose the fact that the captain isn’t in any serious danger is part of that, but this does feel uncomfortably voyeuristic.

“I present,” the character of Lonzak said, “her royal highness, Arachnia.”     Janeway stepped into view, her mannerisms and walk exactly as Tom Paris had specified.     “Ahh,” Chaotica said. “At last. At last. My queen.”     Janeway allowed Chaotica to take her hand, who knelt before her and kissed it as the music swelled.     “Can we lose the background music?” Chakotay said.     “It’s part of the program,” Harry said.     “This is an historic occasion,” Chaotica said, still kneeling. “Kindred souls meet a last.”     “It’s an honor to be in your presence, majesty.” Janeway said as Chaotica stood up again. Sam snickered.     “Please don’t laugh Samantha,” Seven said.     “Why not?”     “Because I cannot guarantee that I will not start laughing as well.”

“...always admired your, clever fiendishness,” Janeway said, finishing a sentence that Seven had missed the first part of.

“Ah, your taste is only exceeded by your beauty,” Chaotica said.     As Janeway gracefully moved about Chaotica’s lab, allowing him to regale her with prideful boasts about what each and every single machine could do, the bridge grew increasingly quiet.     “It’s good you have the lightning shield to protect your equipment,” Janeway said.     “Yes,” Chaotica said. “As long as it’s electrified I am invincible! But my greatest achievement is there.” He pointed somewhere off screen.     “What are they looking at?” Harry said.     “Shh!” Samantha admonished him.     “Behold; the death ray,” Chaotica said.     That answers that question, Seven thought.

“Oh,” Janeway said. “it looks like a formidable weapon.” She went up to the device and touched it, the viewscreen shifting, allowing the bridge crew to see it.     “It looks like an oversized marital aid,” B’Elanna said.     “Why’d you have to put that image in my head, Lieutenant?” Chakotay said.     “There is so much more I want to show you,” Chaotica said, offering Janeway his arm. “My throne for example,“ he continued. “The seat of my empire.”     “Ah,” Janeway said, moving towards something. “I see you’ve kept my pheromones. I didn't realize you were the scent-imental type.”     “Oh, boo!” Sam said.     Up until that moment, for the year and a half she’d been on board, only Sam, Naomi, Captain Janeway, and the Doctor had ever heard Seven of Nine laugh, and in the case of the latter two it wasn’t really her per se but rather one of the personalities brought forth by a Borg vinculum. She tried to cover her mouth, but a loud laugh escaped, and everyone on the bridge except Tuvok was now looking directly at her.     “I’m sorry,” she said through her fingers.     “The Captain has palmed the pheromone bottle,” Tuvok said.     “Good,” Chakotay said. “she’ll probably have to use it.”

Janeway sat in Chaotica’s throne, the look on his face suggesting he was more than pleased to see her there.     “Somehow I feel comfortable here,” she said.     “Is that Arachnia talking or the Captain?” B’Elanna said.     “Join me,” Chaotica said, now kneeling next to his own throne and taking the Captain's hand once again. “and you will have your own chair. One adorned with the most precious jewels and the finest silk.”     “Your majesty seems overly concerned with romantic matters,” Janeway said. “when there’s a battle to be won.” She stood up with a look of determination on her face. “That is why you asked me here, is it not?”     “Of course my dear,” Chaotica said. “Forgive me. it’s just that, the air itself seems to vibrate in your presence.”     The bridge filled with the sounds of people stifling laughter.

“We can’t be slaves to our passion,” Janeway said, “not when your empire is threatened. I have assembled my fleet of spider ships, but the lightning shield prevents them from approaching your fortress.”     “We’ll send them directly into battle,” Chaotica said. “Alongside my space force.”     “My soldiers wish to pay homage to you,” Janeway said.     “How gratifying,” Chaotica said, smiling. “Of course, if I lower the shield, my fortress would be defenseless. Even an ally might choose such a moment to seize my throne.”     “Uh-oh, he’s on to her,” Neelix said.     “You don’t trust me,” Janeway said, looking and sounding offended.     “There is a way you could convince me of your loyalty,” Chaotica said.     “Let me guess; marriage,” Harry said.     “I will lower my lightning shield, but first, you must become my queen!”     “Called it,” Harry said.

“Gather my courtiers,” Chaotica said before Janeway could give an answer. “Prepare for the ceremony.”     “Is this how people viewed romance in the 1930s?” Sam said.     “He’s the bad guy, Sam, you’re reading too much into this,” Harry said.     “And don’t forget to deactivate the lightning shield,” Janeway said, increasing the melodramatic delivery of her performance, “so that my subjects may witness the blessed event.”     “Nice one,” Seven heard Chakotay mutter under his breath.

“Very well,” Chaotica said. “Do as she says once her guests have arrived.”

“Yes, sire,” Lonzak said, bowing before leaving the throne room.

“And so my dear,” Chaotica said as he took Janeway’s hand, yet again, “the day you have always dreamed of has arrived. The day you become Bride of Chaotica!” Chaotica began laughing maniacally.

“Any idea how the Doctor’s whole ‘President of Earth’ thing is going with the photonic aliens?” Harry asked. Seven had somehow managed to forget about that portion of the mission.     “I’m sure he’s fine,” Chakotay said.     “You’re only saying that because you don’t want to miss any of the Captain’s performance aren’t you? Harry said.     “Yes I am,” Chakotay admitted.

Several minutes passed as Chaotica’s minions prepared his throne room for a wedding ceremony.     “Did your wedding look anything like that, Samantha?” Seven asked, genuinely curious.     “No. Thank goodness,” Sam said.     “I applaud your good taste,” Seven said

“Queen Arachnia,” Lonzak said, presenting Janeway with a pillow. Janeway picked up a gaudy looking ring from the pillow.     “Let me guess, my wedding ring,” she said.     “Doctor Chaotica’s wedding ring,” Lonzak said, sounding bitter about the whole thing, leading Seven to wonder if that was an intentional bit of subtext added to the program by Tom, or if Lonzak simply didn’t trust Arachnia. Either was plausible. “You are to present it to him at the end of the ceremony.”     “Your majesty,” Janeway said as she dropped the ring back on the pillow and walked over to where Chaotica was standing. “we should lower the lightning shield, in anticipation of my guests.”     “What is this preoccupation you have with my shield?” Chaotica said, looking suspicious.     “Oh dear, she pushed it too far,” Neelix said.     “Forgive me,” Janeway said. “It’s just that, as a fellow ruler of the cosmos I often have to do things myself.”     “Ah, because of the incompetence of your inferiors no doubt,” Chaotica said.     “Something like that,” Janeway said.     “I really hope that wasn’t a dig at us,” Neelix said.     “Oh, Arachnia, my love, my life,” Chaotica said, “How well you understand our plight. If it weren’t beneath my dignity, I would weep. How I’ve longed for someone who would understand.”     “We have a saying on Arachnia,” Janeway said, gently touching Chaotica’s face, much to the apparent amusement of everyone on the bridge except for Seven herself and for Tuvok. “‘It’s lonely at the top.’”     “Hmm. No longer my dear,” Chaotica said.     “Majesty!” a minion yelled. “Proton is preparing to attack!”     “What?” Chaotica shouted so loudly that Janeway visibly flinched. Chaotica went over to a device that the Voyager bridge crew could not see from their angle, but gathered was some sort of detection device. “Bah,” Chaotica said. “Target her rocket ship. Shoot her down.”     Janeway glanced over toward the death ray, where another Chaotica minion was operating it. She moved over to him as quickly as her impractical footwear would allow, and struck him the back. The minion fell over instantly even though the Captain did not appear to have hit him that hard. Janeway grabbed his gun, and held it on Chaotica and Lonzak as they turned to look in her direction after hearing the thud of the minion’s collapse.     “You have betrayed me,” Chaotica said. “You are league with Proton. Impetuous harlot!”     “Oh for the love of.. Just shoot him already Captain!” Chakotay yelled at the viewscreen.     “The Captain cannot hear you, Commander,” Tuvok said.     “I know, I know,” Chakotay said.     “Tell me how to deactivate the lightning shield,” Janeway said, “or I’ll show you just how impetuous I can be.”     “What are you waiting for you great lummox?” Chaotica said to Lonzak. “Kill her.”     Lonzak pulled out a laser pistol and fired it at Janeway, where it dissipated with no effect.     “Ha!” she laughed. “You are no match for Arcahnia!”     Harry chuckled. “I think she’s actually starting to enjoy this.”     “Tell me how to shut down the shield,” Janeway said, suddenly shifting from laughing to glowering at Chaotica.

“The confinement rings,” Chaotica said. Lonzak fumbled briefly with his belt before pushing a button on it. Suddenly the captain was encased in a glowing circular force field. Chaotica laughed.     “Oh don’t worry. I wouldn’t kill my bride. Not until after our wedding night.”     “Wow, that got uncomfortable really quick didn’t it?” Sam said.

“Little bit, yeah,” B’Elanna said.

“Reactivate the death ray! Destroy Proton!”

As soon as the death ray on the holodeck began firing, Voyager itself began shaking, much to Seven’s confusion.     “What’s happening?” Chakotay said.     “The alien’s weapon fire is increasing,” B’Elanna said. “It’s causing the distortions to grow larger. We’re being pulled deeper into subspace!”     That is not good, Seven thought.

-o-

    “Proton’s ship is damaged, but still airborne,” Lonzak said.     So much for being the most powerful weapon in the universe or whatever it was Tom said, Janeway thought as she tried to get loose from her bonds, her hands were now tied behind her back and to a pillar next to Chaotica’s throne.     “Not for long,” Chaotica said. “Fire at will.”     Janeway felt something shift in the sleeve of her Queen Arachnia dress; the vial of pheromones. She just had to be careful not to drop it. She quickly got the cap off, and almost groaned as the pheromones making their way towards the death ray station left a visible trail. Fortunately, that seemed to be only for her benefit as none of the minions, not even Lonzak who had walked right into the path of them, seemed to see it. Lonzak began sniffing the air, and the stream made its way up into his nose.     Okay, not who I was hoping for, but screw it, I need to get out of this.     “Arachnia?” Lonzak said softly as he walked towards her.     “Lonzak, quit dawdling,” Chaotica said, not taking his attention off the imagizer.     “Your beauty is maddening,” Lonzak said, now standing right next to Janeway, who struggled to keep a straight face and not just roll her eyes at this lumbering henchman. “Entangle me in your web.”     “Let me out of here, and I’ll do all that, and more,” she said quietly, though as oblivious as Chaotica appeared to be she wondered if it was even necessary.     “At once, my queen,” Lonzak said, panting.     I am going to need one really long sonic shower after this is over.     Chaotica finally seemed to noticed that Lonzak was standing by her, but continuing his track record so far of being slow on the uptake, simply tried to admonish Lonzak to return to his station, completely failing to notice that he was freeing Janeway from her bonds.     As soon as she was loose, she kneed Lonzak in the groin and grabbed his ray gun, shooting down two of Chaotica’s guards as they made a move for her.     “Deactivate the shield,” Janeway said, pointing the weapon at Chaotica. “Now.”     “Such passion,” Chaotica said, smiling. “Such strength. Together we could conquer the universe. End this madness and you may yet live to my bride.”     Tom, when this is over we need to have a talk about your choice of arch-nemeses, Janeway thought.

    “The shield,” she said. Chaotica, nearly tripping over the machine as he moved backwards the closer Janeway got with her gun, reached over and shut it off.     “I don’t know how to tell you this,” she said, no longer using the Queen Arachnia inflection, and shooting Chaotica in the chest with the ray gun, “but the wedding’s off.”

Chaotica fell over, but unlike his minions who died instantly, Chaotica seemed to be trying to milk his end for every ounce of drama he could get out of it. Janeway would’ve stopped to laugh at him if she didn’t have another task to accomplish.     “Arachnia to Proton,” she said, activating the microphone. “Do you read me?”     “I read you,” Tom said.     “But, but,” Chaotica said, “that’s not Proton’s voice.”     “Not in this version,” Janeway said. “Now just die already, you’re only embarrassing yourself at this point. The lightning shield is down, Proton.”

“Acknowledged,” Tom said. “Doc, target the death ray. Robot, fire the destructo beam on my mark. Ready? Now!”     A loud bang almost made Janeway jump. Chaotica, who had somehow managed to keep himself standing by leaning against the death ray, shook violently but somehow also comically as bolts of electricity arced out from the death ray and into his body. Were he real, Janeway would’ve felt sorry for him.     “Bridge to Janeway,” Chakotay’s voice said over the com a few seconds later.     “Go ahead,” Janeway said.

“The aliens have retreated and closed the distortions. We’re free of the sandbar and are on our way at full impulse.”

“Secure all systems and organize damage repair teams.”     “We’re prepared to shut down the holodeck.”

“Give me a minute,” Janeway said.

“Enjoying the part, Captain?”

Janeway was about to tell Chakotay the truth; that she was simply curious how the program would end naturally. Then a thought occurred to her.     “Commander, have you all been watching this from up on the bridge?”     Silence.     “I thought so,” Janeway said, shaking her head. “Anyone makes any jokes about my performance, they get a reprimand in their personnel file.” The door to the throne room opened, and Tom Paris, the Doctor, still dressed as the President of Earth, and a clunky, awkwardly moving robot entered.     “Well, I was about to say ‘Captain Proton to the rescue’,” Tom said, “but it looks like you’ve got things under control.”     “Arachnia!” Chaotica said, his body jerking to life, though only his neck, head and mouth moved. “Death as you know it has no hold on me. My defeat is but a temporary setback. I shall return to seek my revenge.”     “He doesn’t give up does he?” Janeway said to Tom.     “They never do,” Tom said.

“Our love was not meant to be, my queen,” Chaotica continued. “But be warned. You have not seen the last of…” Chaotica shivered, choking out the final word of his monologue; “Chaotica.”     “The end of a twisted madman,” Tom said.     “The end of me in this stupid outfit,” Janeway said. “These shoes are killing me.”     “I assume that is comedic exaggeration,” the Doctor said.     “Of course,” Janeway said as she removed the shoes. “By the way, how did it go, Mr. President?”     The Doctor smiled. “My performance was unimpeachable.”     Janeway and Tom both groaned loudly.     “Really, Doc?” Tom said, looking like he was in physical pain.     “I’m pretty sure that pun’s a court-martial offense right there,” Janeway said, throwing one of her shoes at the Doctor.

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Maslow on My Mind: How Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Affects Business and Society

Introduction: Maslow in the Big Apple

Abraham Maslow was born in New York in 1908 to poor, uneducated Russian immigrants. He was the oldest of seven children, and therefore pushed by his parents to succeed in education where they had not. Originally studying to be a lawyer, he found it to be of little interest and eventually shifted over to psychology where he excelled. Maslow went on to receive his PhD in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, under the tutelage of Harry Harlow, famous for experimentation with rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. After some time he returned to New York and began studying human sexuality. In addition to this study, during the years of teaching, he had the opportunity to meet many well-respected psychologists which further helped to shape his thoughts on the human needs. The final event which led Maslow to move in the humanistic direction came from the study of the development of the concept of “self-actualization”. It was this study that led Maslow to develop his famous Hierarchy of Needs Theory.[1]

Food for thought: What humans really need

Until Maslow began to develop his theories, most studies on human nature focused on biology, achievement or power to explain the forces that drive us.

Maslow postulated that there were five levels of basic needs that every human attempts to attain: Externally-Satisfied Needs (basic needs that every individual must satisfy before they can progress).

1. Physiological – I’m hungry.

2. Safety – I’m scared.

Internally-Satisfied Needs (needs leading to enlightenment and understanding.

3. Social – I’m lonely.

4. Esteem – I can’t.

5. Self Actualization – I can!

In the 1970s, Maslow further split this hierarchy up into a total of eight levels:[2]

1) Physiological: hunger, thirst, bodily comforts, etc.;

2) Safety/security: out of danger;

3) Belonging and Love: affiliate with others, be accepted; and

4) Esteem: to achieve, be competent, gain approval and recognition.

5) Cognitive: to know, to understand, and explore; (new)

6) Aesthetic: symmetry, order, and beauty; (new)

7) Self-actualization: to find self-fulfillment and realize one’s potential; and

8) Self-transcendence: to connect to something beyond the ego or to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their potential. (new) (This concept is relatively new and many authors such as Dr. Stephen covey express similar views.)[3]

Another way to look at the Needs is to break it into “D-Needs” (Deficiency) and “B-Needs” (Being). Maslow believed that the deficiency needs, once satisfied ceased to be a driving force for the individual, and they were then free to move upward to developing themselves.

If we follow the traditional hierarchical form, we can see that each need forms the basis of the next need above it in the pyramid. Without these previous foundations, Maslow believed that it is impossible to move on to the next stage in the hierarchy.[4]

In spite of the fact that it is very well-known and intrinsically comforting, there seems to be little hard evidence that the theory actually applies to people in general. Even Maslow admitted to this.[5]

A learning experience

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has had a dramatic influence on the field of education. Traditional beliefs regarding educational methodology have shifted to a more humanistic approach, with the focus on meeting the students’ basic needs in order to assist them to progress.

The most important goal in education is to learn, followed by developing an understanding of the material to retain it, and apply it in life. In order to do this, the students need to be motivated enough to work hard to achieve this goal. Without motivation to learn it is unlikely that the education will succeed to the extent that it is intended.

In order to maximize this motivational desire, the educators need to attend to the needs of the student. By understanding Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, teachers can work toward realizing the basic needs that develop the foundation for higher learning, or actualization.

Here is an example of how the school can meet the basic needs of the students:

If the school understands that in order to function at school, students need the basic physiological needs satisfied before they can absorb their studies, they may consider providing lunches if a great deal of the students do not have their own. This would then propel the learners to the next level. By fostering a trusting, safe environment, with a classroom social network, and providing praise in the form of positive reinforcement from the teachers, the students will be able to focus on their learning.[6]

A real example that has come up near the end of the 20th century with respect to this is the problems that have arisen due to the beliefs on “special education”. During the 70s and 80s when where the traditional beliefs of segregating children with special needs (physical, intellectual, or emotional) was employed in the school system anomalies arose that called into question these beliefs. It was believed that by placing these students in separate learning atmospheres they would be able to learn at a pace more appropriate to their abilities, receive special attention and eventually progress through the system to receive the same education at the end of the program. As it turns out, this did not happen and the children’s learning was hampered.[7]

Managing expectations

Focusing on such human needs for successful motivation can very easily be ported over to the business world and applied in the field of Management. In fact, Maslow himself became fascinated with the field of management and attempted to explain the ability of good managers to motivate their employees using a solid understanding of the Hierarch of Needs. He even went so far as to regularly visit a high-tech company in California to study the management practices in the 1960s. Maslow discovered that managers who treat their subordinates with trust and respect created an environment that promoted a better work situation and improved productivity.

Peter Drucker, the famous management guru has said that “Maslow’s contribution to management was a big one. He pointed out hat you have to have different personnel policies for different people in different situations for them to be truly effective.”[8]

Why ‘Y’?

Theories X and Y, as developed by Douglas McGregor fit very nicely into the Needs Theory. If humans are intrinsically searching for something to help propel them to the next level, and have an internal desire to progress, and give back to society, as is believed by the followers of “Theory Y”, then it goes to reason that the humanistic approach, as laid out by Maslow would assist these individuals in reaching their goals. If we believe that human nature responds best to a positive, nurturing atmosphere, then managers that hold the following beliefs with respect to their staff should be able to raise them up higher in an attempt to improve productivity, and the individual goals of the worker:

1. Employees view work as natural.

2. Commitment to goals leads to self-direction and self-control.

3. People will look for situations where they can receive accountability for their work.

4. Decision-making on various levels can be spread among the company and not be the sole responsibility of upper management.[9]

What’s ‘Humanism’ got to do, got to do with it?

Humanism is the “third force” in psychology, following the traditional studies of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rolly May and many others helped to advance this way of looking at the human condition.

Humanism has a long history going back to the times of the Greek philosophers of the 6th century BC. It has come forward in time and developed into three broad categories: religious, secular, educational humanism. When people discuss “humanism” they generally mean the understanding of secular humanism. “Humanism is a broad category of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities— particularly rationality, common history, experience, and belief. Humanism is a component of a variety of more specific philosophical systems, and is also incorporated into some religious schools of thought.

Humanism entails a commitment to the search for truth and morality through human means in support of human interests. In focusing on the capacity for self-determination, humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as a dependence on faith, the supernatural or divinely revealed texts. Humanists endorse universal morality based on the commonality of human nature, suggesting that solutions to our social and cultural problems cannot be parochial.”[10]

Humanists generally believe the following:[11]

1. Humanism is a philosophy focused upon human means for comprehending reality. Humanists make no claims to possess or have access to supposed transcendent knowledge.

2. Humanism is a philosophy of reason and science in the pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, when it comes to the question of the most valid means for acquiring knowledge of the world, Humanists reject arbitrary faith, authority, revelation, and altered states of consciousness.

3. Humanism is a philosophy of imagination. Humanists recognize that intuitive feelings, hunches, speculation, flashes of inspiration, emotion, altered states of consciousness, and even religious experience, while not valid means to acquire knowledge, remain useful sources of ideas that can lead us to new ways of looking at the world. These ideas, after they have been assessed rationally for their usefulness, can then be put to work, often as alternate approaches for solving problems.

4. Humanism is a philosophy for the here and now. Humanists regard human values as making sense only in the context of human life rather than in the promise of a supposed life after death.

5. Humanism is a philosophy of compassion. Humanist ethics is solely concerned with meeting human needs and answering human problems–for both the individual and society–and devotes no attention to the satisfaction of the desires of supposed theological entities.

6. Humanism is a realistic philosophy. Humanists recognize the existence of moral dilemmas and the need for careful consideration of immediate and future consequences in moral decision making.

7. Humanism is in tune with the science of today. Humanists therefore recognize that we live in a natural universe of great size and age that we evolved on this planet over a long period of time, that there is no compelling evidence for a separable “soul,” and that human beings have certain built-in needs that effectively form the basis for any human-oriented value system.

8. Humanism is in tune with today’s enlightened social thought. Humanists are committed to civil liberties, human rights, church-state separation, the extension of participatory democracy not only in government but in the workplace and education, an expansion of global consciousness and exchange of products and ideas internationally, and an open-ended approach to solving social problems, an approach that allows for the testing of new alternatives.

9. Humanism is in tune with new technological developments. Humanists are willing to take part in emerging scientific and technological discoveries in order to exercise their moral influence on these revolutions as they come about, especially in the interest of protecting the environment.

10. Humanism is, in sum, a philosophy for those in love with life. Humanists take responsibility for their own lives and relish the adventure of being part of new discoveries, seeking new knowledge, exploring new options. Instead of finding solace in prefabricated answers to the great questions of life, Humanists enjoy the open-endedness of a quest and the freedom of discovery that this entails.

What is holding us back?

If reaching the summit of the mountain of self-actualization were easy, everyone would be enlightened, happy, hard-working, creative, and wealthy. We would all strive to take responsibility for our actions, and attempt to improve the situation around us by developing new and unique ideas. Unfortunately, this is not happening. What is holding us back from reaching our “fully functional, healthy personality”?

I concur with Maslow that society and the education system are preventing individuals from reaching their full potential. Here is what Maslow has to say on the matter:

“The state of being without a system of values is psychopathogenic, we are learning. The human being needs a framework of values, a philosophy of life, a religion or religion-surrogate to live by and understand by, in about the same sense he needs sunlight, calcium or love. This I have called the “cognitive need to understand.” The value- illnesses which result from valuelessness are called variously anhedonia, anomie, apathy, amorality, hopelessness, cynicism, etc., and can become somatic illness as well. Historically, we are in a value interregnum in which all externally given value systems have proven failures (political, economic, religious, etc.) e.g., nothing is worth dying for. What man needs but doesn’t have, he seeks for unceasingly, and he becomes dangerously ready to jump at any hope, good or bad. The cure for this disease is obvious. We need a validated, usable system of human values that we can believe in and devote ourselves to (be willing to die for), because they are true rather than because we are exhorted to “believe and have faith.” Such an empirically based Weltanschauung seems now to be a real possibility, at least in theoretical outline.” [12]

If society is not instilling the proper values into the youth of today, they are unable to develop a healthy outlook on life. This will hamper their journey to self-actualization. The education system is also currently not providing the proper morals, and positive, nurturing environment for students in order for them to grow. The schools need to focus on the areas of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that are deficient in the student body, nurture them, and help their students to excel in ways that go deeper than just good grades.

Summary: Change Your Socks, Change Your Attitude

In the contemporary business world, a product-centered business style is no longer successful. Companies must now, more than ever before, develop a consumer-centric approach to business. The market is demassifying, and this means that individual needs must be met.

In order for the education system to produce individuals that can reach the peak of Maslow’s pyramid, the schools should also take a similar approach and rather than focus on the product (education), they should instead focus on meeting the needs of the client (student). This will by no means be an easy task for it requires a tremendous amount of time and energy on the part of the supplier (schools), but the end results will produce a much more satisfied customer who is able to benefit from the interaction.

Maslow lists 10 points that educators and teachers ought to consider in order to change their style so as to move toward the self-actualization of the individual. A summary of these points can be found below:

1. Be true to yourself.

2. Do not be bound by your culture.

3. Discover your calling.

4. Life is precious.

5. Do not judge people.

6. See to the satisfaction of basic needs.

7. Take time to smell the roses.

8. Learn self-control.

9. Don’t sweat the little things.

10. Make the right decisions.

These can and should be applied to all aspects of life, from your private time, through education and even in the work environment in order to work toward improving yourself and society.

References

1. C. George Boeree, ‘Abraham Maslow, 1908-1970’, http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/maslow.html

2. Huitt, W. (2004). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html.

3. Stephen R. Covey, ‘The 8th Habit, From Effectiveness to Greatness’, FranklinCovey Co., Free Press, 2004.

4. Wikipedia, ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

5. Educational Psychology Interactive

6. Jones, Michael. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Can Lower Recidivism.” Corrections Today 66.4 (2004): 18–22.

7. Norman Kunc, ‘The Need to Belong:　Rediscovering Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’, Axis Consultation and Training Ltd,, [http://www.normemma.com/armaslow.htm], 1998.

8. Excerpted from Maslow on Management, by Abraham H. Maslow, with Deborah Stephens and Gary Heil, 1998.

9. Robbins, Stephen P., ‘Essentials of organizational behavior, eighth edition’, Pearson Education Inc., 2005, p50

10. Wikipedia definition for ‘humanism’, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism

11. Frederick Edwards, ‘What is Humanism?’, American Humanist Association, 1989, [http://www.jcn.com/humanism.php4]

12. Maslow, A., & Lowery, R. (Ed.). (1998). ‘Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed.)’, New York: Wiley & Sons.