Sylvanna Devlin

From “Game Over” A narrators perspective.

(Don’t worry, this is, oddly uplifting).

 

The frequent minor issues of contention were so small compared to the abuse that he didn’t affect her. But to Toad every disagreement counted, even the ones that didn’t so much as raise a flicker of the brow. Or perhaps trying to include them was its own lie, meant to make her feel argumentative instead of simply not being a pushover – not even when kept alive by a votive.

She just thought him over dramatic.

You will see quite a lot of missed marks in this piece, some sickening, some outright hilarious. There is dark pleasure to be had that Sylvanna was too independent to care deeply about his views on her.

He made her anxious and unable to drop her guard. But she had been raised to be her own tower. It was instilled into Sylvanna from childhood that if any are to fear her strength, let her be terrifying. Not a bad start for a satirist. But if you are frightened off her, try fucking with the rest of the family! She’s the cuddly one! (No really she is).

She also had an advantage. A relative had fought and forgotten his words before. And reached for what seemed reasonable. Sylvanna would forgive the individual, but it meant Sylvanna had practice holding on to the truth. This can’t have been easy when it came to attempts at gaslighting.

Now there’s an understatement.

Should you have been lucky enough to have survived a Trump presidency without learning about it^[1], Gaslighting, is trying to make the victim(s) feel at fault – usually by trying to convince the involved parties they are sick or ill – in particular crazy. Sometimes – more typically directed at men – that he is the bully.

It is the tool of the cruel, the cowards and the predators – pretty heinous when done to sane people. To twist around an already mentally ill person is a disgusting, vile act only the depraved would attempt. Yet Toad worked every angle he could like a con man on a street hustle. Particularly using the illness.

Unfortunately for him Sylvanna solved puzzles faster than he could craft them – once she was aware enough to start asking questions.^[2]

Let us begin where Toad did. As soon as they moved in together.

At first, he did not push her to fury. As mentioned, Proto-abuse is a sneaky affair of testing boundaries and breaking them. But even when he didn’t ignite the dragon, Sylvanna would end up crying on the phone to her mother – because a barb had cut deeply.

He’d interrupt. He never said those things. Oh no. She was hallucinating.

Yes. He said that. Just to avoid any potential sign he had done something he shouldn’t.

His ego was that important. His necessity for a perception of perfection entirely entrenched. His lust for control so uncontrolled itself. He lied about a psychotic symptom to her face – scared of what would happen if he didn’t.

She was vulnerable and frightened herself. She had lived with her mother for six years. Her identity had only just started to gel. In the name of the Lugh, she had only really started to recover from treatment seven months earlier. She had faced the world with bravery while first pursuing him. And now was mixed with shrinking back, but still clawing at a better life.

Worse? Shadows moved and ants appeared where there were none. Visual glitches meant she doubted her senses. And he knew it.

So she believed him.

She felt haunted by new symptoms and terrified he would last. She stopped eating, and bent further inwards and became very, very ill. Doubts ignited from this period, while clearly resolved in factual content, continued to plague her until she actually did have auditory hallucinations.

Not just her name in an empty house (though that too). But partially heard conversations filled in by her fears. There are three important differences when you pop your head in through the door to check what was really said.

There was not a single barb.

The individuals being checked on are not expecting it,

Nor what you heard. It’s news to them.

Toad was never. Not once. Not at all, surprised by her reaction. He wasn’t confused that she thought he could say such a thing. He wasn’t compassionate and soothing, explaining what he really said.

He lied.

So she went up on medication.

Do you know what happens if you take too much anti-psychotic? You get worse.

An individual who doesn’t need it will start to show symptoms – the sane will lose their sanity till he stop taking it.

Sylvanna, for quite a number of years, thought it was just a cover-up. He was just that weak and vein. She did not understand it went deeper, more twisted. It kept her ill and thus in theory pliable. But it stopped working.

She seeped herself in facts as a barricade against hallucinations. Toad ensured the truth became an immovable position in opposition to his fiction.

This is when lies became even more impossible. And she held her ground. We know what that means don’t we?

He moved on to a different reason to excuse his behavior, or excuses really, every way he could try to gain or keep victim-hood status. A Rolex watch salesman trying to swap your real one for a fake and fifty-bucks.

This one doesn’t have a scratch!

The most frequent, “cover-up” was one he seemed unable to resist, as if perhaps one day it would start working after zero successes and roughly half a decade (Give or take a year). It was simple, thus simple to refute. In almost absolutely every argument wherein his speech was spat; if she at all summed up his bullshit? he would instantly reply with, “That’s not what I said.”

It would then dovetail, by number into a repetitive argument. She would explain she did need not use the exact same sentence to convey the meaning. While he would argue she didn’t “remember it correctly”.

He was desperately trying to exploit one of her learning disabilities, a short-term memory deficit that was aggravated by rage. But she knew what she could keep and what was lost for a while. Exact wording was not required as shown by the period of time fury was ice cold.

Sylvanna’s long term retention is ridiculous. She can pull from early childhood. But only if you ask the right questions, she needs it to explain or respond to a comment, or that particular piece of information is part of a puzzle she’s working on.

Otherwise every morning is a brand new day with entirely different potential.

It can be a great help to relationships. It’s extra easy to forgive someone when your mind won’t hold on to it. Which unfortunately aided Toad immensely. His attempt to use her very thinking as a weapon did not ever go well for his, however. He still tried it absolutely till the very end.

It was even less successful in attempts to cause doubt in other ways, the most memorable – speaking of – was the day she commented sex used to be every other night and he uttered, “Really?” in the hopes to confuse her.

“Yes we did.”  In the same breath he also tried to make her question her count of once a month. Like that’s hard to notice. She didn’t realize what he was doing because. She thought he was “That dimwitted”. But he had other lies and different goalposts.

Though his other favorite attempt to muddle her mind, was an equally frequent and just as frequently failed to convince her that she didn’t get the meaning right.

That was precious.

She would slam the gate down, usually with “Yes. I fucking did.”  There was no argument as to how. It wasn’t necessary as far as she was concerned, And she was not inclined to comment on her superior command over the English language. Mjollnir was waiting and Toad’s ego knew it. So he tried it about once per fight, and then just try something else.

You’ve seen his suave communication. She could translate that well enough to understand when he had just been a little bitch. After the demise of the relationship, she did consider if he could he have been so terrible he never said what he intended to?

Evil or…?

Remember, no shock at her interpretation, just an argument as to why it didn’t happen or perhaps was unclear?

“It’s just because you’re English! You don’t understand.” Was next after “You’re hallucinating”

She practically laughed in his face.

“You’re not used to communicating.” Came after that.

That one was very damaging. Though not because it worked.

 Leaving aside she was a communication major and it was one of her passions. She believed him for a while. She didn’t know about gaslighting. So while his attempt to manipulate her perception of his words failed. She thought his feedback earnest enough to be an actual observation.

It had been one of her mighty skills to arbitrate between people and to turn one person’s English into another person’s English. She had grown up as the middle person translating for others. And she thought she had lost the knack.

It inhibited her ability to make new friends and left her incredibly depressed by the entirely fictional perspective. She didn’t start to recover from her insecurities about communication until her therapist pointed out she was quite good,.

Serendipity being what it is – or my influence; After her therapist started lifting her out of the ashes others began to chime in that she was quite easy to understand, while Toad was another matter. By then she had forgotten the source of her pain, and had spent two years haunted by the fear she would never get back to full strength – while already managing just fine indeed better by the week.

Next came his most egregious or outlandish attempt. Which he only tried once. He swore he was being a complete and utter bastard out of… Hang on Sylvanna’s giggling.

I can’t believe I didn’t google it earlier! I mean sure, it’s serious – if you use it correctly.

Which of course he didn’t. He claimed his barbs were because of… Oh come on Sylvanna

“Compassion Fatigue!” Haha! Like he knows what it means to care so much it hurts. Let alone do it for a job!

This is no lie. He actually said this – claiming he had gotten it from his therapist.

Now compassion fatigue is a real thing. And it’s all around right now, so Sylvanna is both extra perturbed and extra amused by the absurdity of his attempt:

“Compassion Fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper.”^[3]

If you are reading this remotely close to the time it was written, you have seen it or felt it or both during Covid. Think of the stories of ICU nurses and then Toad trying to leach off Sylvanna’s struggles to claim he was being traumatized. That he was the victim of her mental illness.

Down came Mjollnir.

Sylvanna’s response had been less than elegant but mighty nonetheless.“You’re just tired of caring? Fuck you!”

He couldn’t appear to not care enough. If he wasn’t visibly kind, he couldn’t earn sympathy and be praised by his family for living next to her – little miss bubble it all up and handle it herself. She does not require much out of another unless prodded with a hot poker or herded into help by me.

She faced hell. He caused it. How brave.

As for his therapist they were either conned into believing Toad – and was essentially paid to validate him^[4], or the most patient enby in existance. Toad was the kind of person to pay $64 for an hour of discussion on the same two topics for four years – unless the yearly emergency cropped up. And he would certainly would want to appear to be working on his mental health, So Sylvanna goes with both. She fell for Toad’s lies. But it’s a different perspective for someone trained to dig a person out of an emotional pit – and neither one of us are qualified. The few times Toad did need sorting out they managed quite well.

Though it’s unlikely the idea actually came from anywhere other than Toad’s arse as late into the relationship he claimed… Hang on, Sylvanna’s having another giggle fit.

He’s so lucky I only just googled that too! OMG that’s hilarious!

Are you done?

No. Hang on. Hehehehe. Okay.

This one is actually significantly less serious.

Toad tried to explain she was responding to his “Vagal Tone.”

I know it sounds like Vogon poetry. Which was about as dreadful as listening to him I admit.^[5] But that is a real thing. However the word tone isn’t quite the same one.

Bwahhahaha! Wait till you read it!

*cough*

Sorry. Please continue.

 The Vagus Nerve is cranial, and part of the automatic activities of the body. Such as breathing digestion and heart rate. I’m still not certain the latter isn’t an illusion in his case. 

Toned muscles is a closer comparison and that’s not entirely accurate either but at least that’s not referring to whatever the fuck he was on about as far as speech production and his throat. (It’s an “internal biological process.”^[6])

She ignored him anyway. She was a sound engineer, she knew how vocal chords worked – at least at the time. That nerve isn’t in that spot. Oh she’s laughing again.

Come one. We have the best one coming up.

he must have looked up that singing, humming, chanting and gargling affect it and thought I’d fucking fall for that as being for his voice!^[7] I’m not sure what he thought my science reasoning was. I’d assume he’s just that dimwitted yet again, but…

Ah yes. That’s worth finally explaining, as an awful lot got ignored via the “he doesn’t think defense.”

Sylvanna didn’t really filter who she loves based on IQ^[8]. Even gifted individuals can take extra effort to communicate with – usually on her part. It doesn’t really matter to her what she has to break down or how small the bites need to be, there’s always something and most of the time she doesn’t mind which it is – over text at least. Now verbally it depends on the day. Either way, to her there are other more important qualities to have. Unfortunately Toad didn’t have those either.

After “Compassion Fatigue” But before “Vagal tone” was “It’s my culture, you don’t understand my culture.”

This worked for a while. It confused her, so it stopped her. But she wasn’t quite convinced. By now the goal posts were shifting too much, and he always had an excuse why it was okay to behave in a reprehensible manner.

It morphed from never happening to it being reasonable that it happened. She didn’t notice yet, abuse is sneaky and hard to escape. Particularly if someone had you in his clutches before like Glass Swan had.

Still inhibited by her doubts in her communication skills – her undergraduate major, as pointed out – she busted out the theory in her mind and studied his statement.

For two years she paid extra attention to everyone around him; in person, on Facebook, talking to her or Toad. Finally after what was truly an exhaustive search, she didn’t buy it at all. Lost in the labyrinth, they were in a viscous fight and he snapped with a barb he defended as his “culture”.

“I’ve watched your friends. All of them. None act like this.” She slammed down with Mjollnir – this time with a thunder crack to his balls. No room for defense. He wasn’t remotely capable of refuting her. She had finished studying them and was still analyzing data but could determine that much with utter certainty.

“It’s my family!”

Excuse me? Four people – and not around guests?

Sylvanna pointed out that the word he had used did not refer to extremely small subcultures and that perhaps he should use words he means so he could be understood.

he blurted out, “Stop trying to colonize me” and ran off.

It was so hilarious; I wasn’t even mad.

She managed to suppress laughter until she shared it with her mother. Though there were plenty of comments to the effect of “Do you have a flag?”once she did.^[9] She did not realize this had been gaslighting she just exposed. She really thought he really was: Just. That. dimwitted.

Though she really should have wondered more deeply, as when she would boil an argument down to the tinder under the match, he would frequently object that she was simplifying the situation. It wasn’t about the basic and childish issue that had been the center – such as being interrupted. His feelings were more complicated than that.

The argument wasn’t.

Perhaps if he had actually stated what was bothering him, it wouldn’t have seemed like such a waste of time. Except it was usually about control so it was still not worth the exhaustion of her patience.

That also got ignored.

He did succeed at confusing the issue on one aspect of language.

“Boundary” wasn’t really used by Sylvanna’s family and friends when she was younger as they already generally understood what it meant to be a decent person and didn’t behave like Toad. Indeed, even her worst ex boyfriends didn’t behave like Toad. She had only encountered the concept when working in a bookstore. Someone asked for a self help book on it, ironically while encroaching on her space and ignoring her plea she was being called to the register. It didn’t exactly have a good association.

During the great unraveling, Sylvanna stopped pursuing resolution the next day. It was somewhat pointless anyway, he always denied that it was still an issue but became shocked when the same argument cropped up again.

“We talked about this. This is a boundary.” He would shoot back aggressively.

This had two effects:

a) make the word entirely meaningless so he thought he had succeeded.

And:

b) make the word entirely meaningless so she ignored its existence and internally sneered a little at its use each time. 

Whenever he tried that defense, the argument would be filed under: He can’t understand that either. Oh, Our Lady of Perpetual Naivete. She’s proof predatory creatures like Toad go after those whom are oblivious to faults. As you can see why.

She did learn what it was supposed to refer to near the end, and has this to say

No hon.

a) you never, ever, once, in the entire relationship, stated a boundary up front. Unlike me. You just ignored mine anyway.

And

 b) That’s not how boundaries work. You can not expect subjects with mutual affects to go unchecked.

Excuse the tongue twister. Her elastic snapped and she hasn’t tried saying that yet.

Hey! Mr repetitive emphasis and alteration!

Right. Anyway…

The latter aspect eventually began to cause rage like nothing else. To the point the very last time she ever heard him say the word “boundary” she had to suppress a high degree of fury. You can’t poke a dragon for about half a decade and then expect it to respond nicely when you prod it again. Abuse, in the case of Sylvanna, had a cumulative effect. The height of which we both refer to as a Cosmic wedgie as it was both highly irritating and bordered on a celestial event.

We’re getting there.

As far as his lack of intellect went, it had other issues for him in what remains to be mentioned about gaslighting as there is little to say about lusting after apologies and claiming he was only a little bitch because she had done something to provoke him.

Yes, she does hold the position she could not avoid yelling as he would work a nerve with needling and wheedling no matter what she tried to avoid it – including hide in the bathroom. But it is like going into a punching bag too hard and then blaming it when it swings back and hits you in the face.

Something Sylvanna might just imagine once in a while.

Except in my version it lands on him and he lies under it, squashed  like a pancake with his little toady hands flat out either side!

To get serious again

 – sigh –  Fine

Toad did everything he could to medicalize or change… Sylvanna, basically. Everything beautiful, creative and unique. As touched on earlier, no quirk was accepted or even ignored. And aspects of her very mind were his favorite stomping ground. No glitch of her messy non-linear brain left to be. they were all used in attempts to keep her down and under control.

Hang on a sec.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Bran, dude… you said…

Yeah. But I think we’ve been over this. It’s not something one should attempt without a fire suit and last will and testament.

Toad tried to grasp onto power. With absolutely no shame, and a lack of compassion so extreme, murder hornets are probably nicer.

To actually get serious. Sylvanna’s suffering, her illness, her pain and gutting depression didn’t matter. Bipolar was nothing more than a weapon as far as he behaved – both in accusation of symptoms that didn’t exist, and the drugs involved.

Of all the attempts, nothing was as irritating, angering frustrating and futile as blaming an entire argument on lack of chemicals in her system. No matter how valid her point. How reasonable her words. Nothing she said mattered. If the alarm went off anywhere near Sylvanna’s disagreement, it was the fault of medication running out as he saw said. Usually they were in the car and Sylvanna had slammed down an unmovable position – because pills, clearly.

The meds covered an earlier dose in an overlap and didn’t work that way. He didn’t negate superior logic. But if he didn’t drag her down. Didn’t make her feel it was sickness that caused the fight? He was the problem. Which he was. And she wasn’t fooled into believing he wasn’t.

She just again thought he was, say it with me, that dimwitted.

Her argument would be still silenced because trying to correct him on anything just got annoying. Someone without the capacity to understand how the pills worked.

It was meant to force her to “question herself” for “causing” a fight instead of just refusing to put up with being treated like refuse. He wanted to make her second guess arguing with him, like he was an expert on anything.

Sylvanna only argues when she knows what the fuck she’s talking about. Which is why culture took two years to reject as she had to be certain. The only way to entirely stop her from arguing is to bloody treat her with respect and make valid points!

You would think that wouldn’t be hard.

She grew frustrated with his foolishness. After a very long while it made her angry. But she really didn’t know how to explain he had the knowledge base of a flea and the brain to match. After all. He didn’t even know when he needed his own medication. She had tried to help but he was too thick witted for that even – so she thought.

Sylvanna, next time you get the impression someone just can’t understand something very important – at least to you? Put it back under the rock and walk away.

I can’t hit it with the stone?

No. Nor Mjollnir. Just let it sink into the scuzzy pond.

Sylvanna had done her best to get Toad pharmaceutical relief for his anxiety. After trying a medication in the hospital she had one to suggest for his and arranged a prescription.

I’m not sure she would have succeeded without finding, making the appointment for, and delivering him to a psychiatrist – with the name of the drug in hand. But it was non addictive and potentially helpful. He really needed something. He had feinted in class during the previous semester/school. We’ve been over that.

It worked. And it would have been a godsend.

If Toad wasn’t actually that dimwitted.

Remember, trying to help someone treat anything is walking a line to tread carefully on. But what do you do if you think they’re afraid and need comfort? Once some form of “No.”  Is stated it’s time to back off. But without that? Well there is another clear way, denial of symptoms not… this.

Not long after the pills were in the cabinet she woke up in an amazing mood. Just before someone sullen spiky and anxious roused himself as well. She had seen it before many times. Sylvanna could tell right away that he had the pins pricking your brain sensation. But she was unaware that he was a total prick himself, and couldn’t accept anything less than a perception of perfection. So she suggested medication.

He blamed her for his state, but she was far feeling far too good to take it personally. This would be the first time he used it outside of the classroom so she mistook it as fear.

He’s just scared, you remember that don’t you?

She tried to sooth his concerns, and sweetly urged, nudged, cajoled, and comforted him that it was okay to take it if he needs it. This one isn’t addictive, it doesn’t alter perception, it just softens the feeling of jabbing in your brain. She knew exactly how that could be.

He started to cry into a dry tissue. “Why are you doing this to me?”

?!?!

Her chest began to tighten.

Maybe he didn’t see how his spiky, pissy feeling could be helped?

She knew anxiety felt like sparking wiring. So she gently explained the symptoms he was showing, and that he didn’t need to be stuck with it.

She was attacked and accused of each one, as soon as she shared it. Her mood was fizzling as joy evaporated into the worst form of panic attack she could get without considering paramedics. But she swept her feelings aside. Her partner was so stressed and scared he was projecting. He needed help.

Our Lady of Perpetual Naivete was waiting for him to either let her fetch his pills to prove he worked, or “I want to try without.” Perhaps. “I’m not ready for that.” Maybe setting of an appropriate boundary such as, “I don’t want to.” Or even. “I don’t want to talk about it.” At least, “I don’t feel that way.” Denial is an easy stopping point. But he just insisted her (Forced) patient, calm advice was doing it. He felt that way. But it was her fault.

She was a little too close to the truth and had just encountered gaslighting she could not understand, but didn’t believe. It was still such a grueling awful experience she never repeated it. He would need to learn on his own.

Toad’s understanding of mental illness was dropped even further in her estimation. How could she trust his opinion when he not only didn’t recognize his own state – he thought she was in one!

Let’s pause to enjoy this. Sylvanna was so independent, she did not doubt herself, she doubted him. The first attempt at gaslighting had worked. But it had made certain she had an acute awareness of her situation. Maybe she should say it’s thanks to him that as the illness progressed and she did actually begin to hallucinate, the facts from a trusted source often made them stop. He was not a trusted source however, so no idea how well that would have gone.

To him, telling her she was ill slipped from his tongue in easy lies. Particularly once she was well enough to truly stand her ground and push back, hard.

No apology from her. Certainly no remorse. Increased confidence despite lack of energy, and negative feedback from him. She was lit only by a candle and still getting stronger. So he called her manic while denying his own mood entirely – and the barbs he used.

She was encouraged that it was just an inability to admit wrong.

This perspective was not helpful to his so so during the “It’s anxiety” phase of the arguing, he didn’t give an excuse; he didn’t try to manipulate her further. He gave up and said he wasn’t angry he was anxious, and “Na Uh…” when confronted with his words.

The man could not even acknowledge negative feeling to save… his marriage. 

Sylvanna believed Toad’s claims at first and had him go up on his regular anti-anxiety – which for all she knew he didn’t need and didn’t take. But she heard his excuse so much she wasn’t living with it. If that’s what it did? It needed to be treated.

Oops, Toad was announcing he was sick – his gaslighting exploding in his face. This was going south for Toad and how. If he took responsibility for his words he was anything but the victim. He really was the Minotaur in the maze.

When it came to Sylvanna’s attention, what Toad wanted, he had gotten. But he near demanded her adoration, not her actual support. And that’s not how she operates. She had been raised to understand relationships take work. Some times are harder than others. Worth it. But when you tie her, it is to someone invested in your well-being, just like her mother.

For “The Mum” that involved some patience with her untreated daughter. We’ve been over this, Sylvanna was not easy to live with. And she needed a psychiatrist. It was thanks to the Mum’s effort, Sylvanna finally sought help.

Yes Sylvanna was a tower, but that had been with a foundation provided by an unusual upbringing. Now it was her turn to do her best with a loved one. And put some solid ground beneath his feet. That was her deep idea. Oh, Our Lady of Perpetual Naivete. You can’t put cement on topsoil.

Maybe if she was truly patient he would develop a drop of self awareness. In truth he noticed himself as his entire set of interest, and manipulated and wormed to get what he wanted. But Sylvanna was kicking ass at negotiation. Unfortunately, you can’t combat deliberate nastiness with ridiculous skill.

Sylvanna, listened very carefully and calmly when Toad claimed “I’m not mad at you because of (whatever it was), I’m mad at you because (Something).” She remained easy-going and complimented his on communicating his true feelings.

He flat out denied saying the word “mad” – right afterwards. Not down the line, but after she had heard him finally use those specific words and was just waiting to give him positive reinforcement.

Every time she tried to sweetly bridge the gap, negotiate, give him room to express himself it failed dismally. Though while frustrating for her that she was trying to help him in earnest, he must have been more so, because in his mind her strength was his weakness.

I remember taking a vape and gently, kindly offering to let him express it. That it was okay. He was in a safe space. I’m not going to get angry.

He became furious that I would not accept the lie before me. But I stayed calm and tried to encourage him that it was okay to feel that way. You don’t have to tell me what it is about. Just admit you are.

He didn’t ask me to back off. There was no word of “hey, that hurts.” Or even a simple, “I don’t want to talk about it.” The easiest of all replies to accept. Of all the times stating a boundary would have absolutely been appropriate he didn’t.

I thought perhaps we might have a breakthrough. But he just repeated the horseshit. louder, and angrier. Until…

“Melissa, I know you are only doing this because you are manic.”

She walked out, her fury ignited. She was nowhere near. Nor did he remotely have like the skills to recognize anything meaningful about her mental illness. After [beep] years.

Though it’s worth keeping that argument in mind. As Sylvanna is certain anger was a part of a game to him. And if he admitted it, he lost. We dissect that in chapter fifteen.

A version of “you’re just manic” was the very last thing he said to her before she filed for divorce. Most audaciously, through a friend because he was willing to let a not so mutual see his abuse while attempting to give her the silent treatment.

About what? She was offering knowledge of a divorce workshop and promised she’d give him space. He later proved he really could have done with his advice. But he was too full of his own horse shit to see the path he was on.

As will become clear, Toad thought words about divorce just a battle for control. And then she slammed down the portcullis to lawyer up or stay silent. She would not be allowing him to communicate through anyone she loved again.

him very last message was an attempt at gaslighting. I’m not sure he could help himself.

---

^[1]    (or were too young/not even born then. Just know Trump loved gaslighting his fans by convincing them America was in dire straights and needed an overpowering fix!)

^[2]    It’s worth noting that gaslighting can lead to paranoia – or deepen it. And cause actual psychosis. If you already are having issues with mental illness that can be a huge problem with extremely serious consequences. Follow it with sleep deprivation and an onslaught of harassment and it leads to events like Sylvanna giving up on reality until she could move! That’s the next book. Maybe. If I can figure it out. Because I got confused too. I had to drag in an another animal aspect!

^[3]    From compassionfatigue.org

^[4]    In Fairness. While “Validation” had often fallen under the idea it is something only self centered people need; Covid changed that. So many were isolated or deprived/separated from those whom knew them best, it became clear the idea is actually quite deep. Reinforcement that a feeling is reasonable – or at least understandable – is a necessary step to healing from trauma.

^[5]    From “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” By Douglas Adams.

^[6]    See next footnote. Yes I’m really citing my own footnote.

^[7]    Per an University of Ottawa adaption of “How to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve for Mental health” 2017 by Jordan Fallis. So third hand now.

^[8]    IQ is a measurement of how well you think in standard ways. It’s not exactly treated thoughtfully…

^[9]    See Eddie Izzard’s “Dressed to Kill” Stand up.