[voice only]

[is_fear_itself]

[soft scuffling sounds, a wheezy cough, a wet and throaty snarl, and then something slams down with force right next to the device. He sounds slurred. Drunk maybe, beat up, definitely. Six of one and half a dozen of the other.]

Don't think've it as 'nother holiday... celebrated joyfully wi'family and friends.

Think've it as another holiday

Comments

voice

[osreborn]

Pessimist, or defeatist?

voice

[is_fear_itself]

Neither. Both.

Trying to keep the--maudlin displays in check.

voice

[osreborn]

At least you are trying. But then, what does it matter? The way is wasted already. Tomorrow this conversation will be just a memory as well.

voice

[is_fear_itself]

[hesitates, thinking he can't very well admit he's just bitching to feel better] Granted.

Perhaps... some memories're more useful than others.

voice

[osreborn]

Certainly. It's as you say... "trauma endures?" Though you can also choose to argue whether or not trauma can even exist without joy to precede it.

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[is_fear_itself]

[momentary silence, mulling over the fact that he chose that to talk about; switches to text so he can type without slurring all over] I choose to argue that trauma can exist without joy, as hate exists when love is exhausted - as fear exists, omnipresent, when courage at last expires.

Does trauma interest you?

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[osreborn]

As it does any man -- it's certainly not an exclusive experience. But take, for example, a pair of young lovers. Does the boy experience greater trauma in losing his girl after a single week, or after months of joy?

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[is_fear_itself]

Aha... a very good question. I'd be lying if I said I could answer that without at least some preliminary study of the people involved. There are certain considerations...

Obviously what you're arguing for is the enhancement of pleasure to hopefully increase the output of trauma. Intuitively, that makes perfect sense.

However, consider another approach with the young and naive - the workings of the imagination, and its tendency to idealize that which it hasn't yet experienced.

The trick is knowing exactly where, between a week and months, is the opportune time - I'm sure I could draw up a bell curve if I knew the people involved.

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[osreborn]

Mm. There are always variables. And of course, you'll notice I said months and not years, young people tend to get disillusioned rather quickly but blindly enraptured until then. When said youths are engaged often proves to be a perilous time.

[ Pause. ] But the balance is important. Without one to balance the other, it ceases to be and merely becomes conventional.

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[is_fear_itself]

Mm, in my attempt to evade assumptions I've made a different one - I'm not sure what you'd want him to lose. A child? The prospect of a child? A wife? People are getting married very young these days...

There still isn't enough information.

Change the how. Trauma is multiplied via personal involvement. An accident is tragic, but can be overcome. Murder is horrific, but forgiveness isn't unheard of. Shift the accountability. Make the surviving victim feel culpable, and you have a ghost to haunt them for decades, almost guaranteed.

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[osreborn]

Only in that at that time is when the height of loss would be greatest -- save for if the girl was with child, or if they had one already. I don't want anyone to lose anything, it was merely a hypothetical. A nonexistent man and a nonexistent conjured up to prove a point.

... Oh, yes. Absolutely guaranteed.

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[is_fear_itself]

Oh, I see. What a shame. Well, be that as it may, I have every confidence in the scenario you've outlined, should you desire to step outside the realms of pure debate.

Mm.

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[osreborn]

Well, these kind of tragedies do happen quite frequently. Who knows, perhaps one day you'll find yourself witnessing one personally.

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[is_fear_itself]

Well, what do you know, you've stumbled on my New Year's resolution.

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[osreborn]

Here's to the New Year.

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[is_fear_itself]

And will I know your name before then, I wonder.