001 [Video] | Forward-dated to midday the 24th

[lifetothefullest]

[Well, it's definitely been an interesting two weeks.

Too interesting, maybe, because after two weeks he's learned a little about a lot of things regarding this place, but not nearly enough on any one subject. Most information comes from individual sources too, with little to no corroboration from others, making it less reliable.

And then there's the people themselves.

So, being no stranger to the internet, he decided to try out making a post on Hadriel's network. Figuring out how to do it isn't too difficult, especially since he's already spoken to Will over video--that was certainly a thing--and so he's soon broadcasting from the spare room in the apartment he claimed; it's not particularly decorated yet, mostly because he can't move or lift anything heavy at the moment, but it'll get there.

He offers a small, genuine smile to the camera as the video starts, and to those that met him on the first day he looks a lot better now, still a bit bruised but bright-eyed and not nearly as pale. He's also found a new suit--or a few of them, actually, thanks to the whole ball thing--and so appears more put together, even if the way he talks doesn't necessarily match his appearance.]

So um, hi everyone. My name's Lance, and I just got here a few weeks ago.

[He'd debated for a bit with himself about how formally to introduce himself and decided to with the most casual for a few reasons.]

You all probably get this a lot, but I have a few specific questions I was hoping to get different takes on. I read the guide for new arrivals and several people here have been really helpful in explaining things, but the more perspectives the better.

[Although he can't directly ask some of the things he's most interested in, answers from enough people about other subjects might tell him something. However, on that note--]

Before I start, though, I feel like I should be upfront with the fact that I'm a psychologist. I know not everyone is comfortable talking to psychologists or psychiatrists or any other mental health professionals, so full disclosure.

That said, I'm just as lost being here as anyone else was when they first got here. I mean, I can't exactly psychoanalyze my way out of a cave in another dimension.

[Not that he thinks that's actually what's going on, but that's an issue for another time. Point is that sure, he fully intends to read into people's answers and pick up as much of what they're not saying as what they are, but that's no reason not to answer his questions. He does genuinely need the help and insight.]

So I guess my first question is what exactly is 'normal' here. I've heard that a lot of occurrences that have happened in the past were difficult or outright dangerous, but few specifics on anything that's happened so far or what can be done to manage the situations that arise.

I'm also interested in what people do in this place when something specific isn't happening.

[Aka he feels like boredom might become a problem, and boredom is the last thing he wants to deal with at the moment.]

The last thing is about the supposed Door that brought us here. I've heard there's certain criteria for who it brings through, but does anyone know anything more about that?

[Because he's not taking Will's word for it alone, that's for sure. Also, ow. That's more talking in one short span of time that he probably should've done, so he'll just end things there.]

[[ooc: I have a permissions post up here for Lance's shrinky psychologist analyzings, so anyone willing to fill it out would help me a lot! ♥]]

Comments

Video

[knifecollecting]

Hey Lance, I'm Jo. [She lifts a hand to wave at him.]

When there's not something going on I try to get ready for the next thing. [She laughs quietly.]

Video

[lifetothefullest]

Hey Jo. Nice to meet you.

[He gives another small smile.]

Is it usually that bad?

[To require that kind of preparation, and to be so at the forefront of one's thoughts.]

Re: Video

[knifecollecting]

I'm probably a little paranoid. [She laughs. Might as well give the doctor something to work on, right?]

Sometimes it's not so bad.

text. tags you out of order idefk

[torrefied]

1. There is no "normal." Everything here is unpredictable, save for the timing of the Door's opening to draw in new arrivals. That's regular as clockwork. One of the other residents compiled a list of past events that I'm working on bringing up to the current date and adding to the guide, but I suppose I could share what I already have with you if you simply can't wait.

2. There are plenty of things to do besides survive what the gods throw at us. There's an entire library of mostly indecipherable books you could analyze, for example. Some people kill time drinking at the bar, or broadcasting advice columns that no one asked for over the network.

3. The Door draws on chaos and disorder because that is when emotions tend to run highest. That explanation comes directly from the god Sorrow himself, and any of the gods will tell you he's the authority on the subject.

text. there's no such thing as out of order okay tag what your heart wants

[lifetothefullest]

[Normally he doesn't mind typing--he writes books, after all--but typing on a phone with a broken hand is a lot of trouble and so his responses are a little shorter than they might otherwise have been.]

1. That sounds useful; I won't rush you but anything you're willing to share I'd be interested in.

2. Advice columns?

[He can't pass that mention up, though he's more making a mental note of the part about the library. And the drinking.]

3. So it's less a focus on chaos and disorder specifically and more on the intensity of emotions that go along with them.

[That would make sense with the other things he knows about the gods.]

text. my <3 just wants to tag you in general ok

[torrefied]

1. This is what I have so far. It doesn't include the most recent events: a compulsion to kiss anyone you found yourself with while near mistletoe; a city-wide contest to create the most influence for whichever god decided they liked you best; and an attack from outside assailants that Fear attempted to prevent and ended up splitting the city into halves. He eventually fixed it, obviously.

2. Correct. Thankfully, that project seems to have been abandoned. Now the trend is idle gossip about the love lives of the other residents, though that too seems to have died down for the moment.

3. That's not a bad hypothesis. A higher degree of emotional intensity would mean more power for the gods, though it would probably skew heavily in the favor of Fear, Confusion, and Rage, so I'm not sure what benefit that would offer the rest of them.

video

[64th]

[ she feels a little weird talking to a psychologist because WOW does winning the Hunger Games give you a lot of Issues but Cashmere is also not going to pass up an opportunity to be something of a smartass, so she presses on. ]

Oh, well, it's complicated but the gods have us and potential residents stack ranked using a number of highly classified criteria and they just started at the top and are working their way down. [ she is so full of shit but she's smiling coyly and it's pretty obvious that she's gotten away with plenty based on that smile alone. ] It's probably mostly based on blood type or number of molecules of blood in your left foot.

I'd say it was intelligence but a few people here have already proved that wrong.

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[lifetothefullest]

[Uh huh. He's not at all bothered by the sass, though, because it means he should be good to respond in kind and he's been seriously missing opportunities to be sarcastic.]

We might actually be able to test the blood type theory.

[Which, now that he thinks about it, isn't a bad idea in general although that's for practical purposes and not the matter at hand. Also they'd have to have supplies to do the typing, so never mind.]

video

[64th]

Yeah? Do you have a microscope in your pocket? [ is that how blood typing works? she has no idea. it's probably close enough. ] Because I'll come over right now.

Or it could just be some sort of purgatory.

[tablewithoutpity]

Interesting. One might think that the gods have concocted some plan to bring many psychiatrists and psychologists to this place. My name is Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and I myself am a psychiatrist, and we have yet another colleague here in Dr. Lee Rosen. We both see patients at the clinic, if you would like to join us.

[lifetothefullest]

[Oh, so this is the Dr. Lecter that Lee had mentioned. Excellent; he'd been wanting to meet him but thought calling him out of the blue would be a little strange.]

It's nice to meet you, Dr. Lecter. I met Dr. Rosen when I first arrived, and he told me that the two of you had been working on setting up a practice here.

[As for seeing patients at the clinic--]

I'd like to help in any way I can.

[tablewithoutpity]

A pleasure to meet you as well. May I ask if you have any particular specialties?

[blessedmaiden]

Rydia here and I'm not entirely sure what a psychologist is but as long as you dont' try to mind control anyone you're okay in my book.

I'm not sure why we're here or if we share common traits but... I can tell you what I do when nothing is happening. I spend time in the library looking for an actual book, I spend time around my friend from home and... I try to enjoy the time before an unpleasant event and the next one?

[lifetothefullest]

[He smiles at that first part and decides to explain.]

A psychologist is someone who studies human behavior, emotions, thought processes, things like that. A lot of us then use that training to help people with problems they might have mentally or emotionally. There's definitely no mind control involved.

[And okay, that's two responses so far suggesting the library, as well as two mentioning working around the potential future events.]

Someone else mentioned the library too; if it's difficult to find anything readable in it, what is mostly there?

[blessedmaiden]

Oh, I see, that's certainly an interesting job! [Even if she assumes things won't be too easy in a place with an high number of non humans like the city they're in.] And if most people use that kind of knowledge o help others then please, go ahead and do what you're supposed to do.

[Ugh, she could just reply with 'garbage' but...]

Charred or molded tomes, mostly, plus some weird things written in languages I can't understand or... lists. Silly things like a top 100 teacups list - now with pictures book or equally useless things. [Rydia sighe heavily] I would pay to find a good tale or something.

[Video]

[drabsolutelynot]

Well I don't think anyone has actually tried psychoanalyzing themselves out of here before

[Video]

[lifetothefullest]

Really? I guess it's worth a shot, then.

[He's joking, although who knows; if this really is a dream then actually maybe he could psychoanalyze his way out.

But then again he doubts his subconscious would be that cooperative.]

Re: [Video]

[drabsolutelynot]

I would say 'let me know if it works' but I suppose if it did you would no longer remember who I was.

Video

[utulien_aure]

Is your profession so dishonorable, that people would not wish to speak with you?

Re: Video

[lifetothefullest]

[That's not a response he's expecting to get, and it almost makes him laugh not just because it's unexpected but because he could actually see one of his friends claiming that yes, being a psychologist is that dishonorable.]

No, no, it's not that. Psychologists study human behavior and thought processes, and some people find it... Unsettling, or feel like they're being judged.

Re: Video

[utulien_aure]

[Well, Fingon is the product of a race of immortal warrior-artists. It's not the environment where one invents psychology.Someone really ought to have, in retrospect, but that's beside the point.]

A strange thing to be concerned by. Rare and precious are those close enough to us not to judge.

video

[rehashing]

[ Elena's back from a run, steeping what resembles tea Caroline brought back from the feast. She has her phone in her hand, listening to everything he has to say. She doesn't catch everything broadcast throughout the day, she's not of the all technology all the time generation, but when she does catch something, she pays attention. Caroline believes (rightfully so) that they should meet as many people as possible.

She brings her cup over to their small table in their kitchen taking a seat. ]

I think 'difficult' and 'dangerous' sums up what I've heard, too. The festival last week and other cave-wide events like it are rare. [ This, she's heard. ] And, when something isn't happening, don't people get to know one another? We can't live our lives in fear of the next event inspired by Fear. There was also a bar, Delight's, but I hear it's no longer there. [ With the split. ] I don't know about the door, but I'm also curious as to why it brings us. [ Also why the when itself can differ. She brings the cup to her lips, blowing across the top. ] I'm also Elena, I probably should have led with that. [ It's easy to lose her basic manners. She's not used to broadcasts. She's used to one on one or one on two web cams. ] Can I ask, why you went into psychology?

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[lifetothefullest]

[Tea is a good idea, although coffee would be better in his opinion. Note to self: go get coffee after these conversations.

Lance listens to her answers, and judging from how she qualifies many of them with 'I heard' he presumes she's probably a recent arrival as well; a lot of what she says is also the gist of what he's gotten so far, which makes him think that at least it's not just him people have been vague with so far.

He'll start off with the formalities, then get into the other stuff.]

Nice to meet you, Elena. Yeah, that's the impression I've gotten too about the events, but surely people here can't spend all the off-time just talking and getting to know each other.

[Please let there be more to do than that; as much as he likes people and his job revolves around them, that's far different from nonstop casual social interaction especially at the awkward pre-friends stage.

As for her question, what lead him to psychology is a long and personal story he won't get into but he can at least give a distilled version that gets the same sentiment across.]

I went into psychology because I wanted to help people. I thought about a few different jobs, but eventually I decided I wanted to work on a more personal level than, for instance, being a medical doctor.

text

[greywaren]

i was in the first batch after the door turned on.

ask what you want about this place but keep personal questions to yourself

text

[lifetothefullest]

[Well, fair enough. And hearing this person was in the first batch of arrivals is definitely interesting, and one question comes to mind immediately.]

How long has it been?