Poem: "Best Measured in Friends"
Feb. 23rd, 2017 06:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the February 7, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from Anonymous on Dreamwidth. It also fills the "talk with a friend" square in my 2-1-17 Platonic card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the Officer Pink thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. Note that these events take place shortly after Turq and Ansel meet, concerning one of Turq's cohort.
Warning: This poem contains some intense stuff. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It features homelessness, disconnection, feelings of loss and despair, depression due to mad science torture, shame, references to computer hacking, poverty, sleep disturbances, difficulty asking for help, and other challenges. Nebuly is a mess, because everyone who survived Carl Bernhardt's attention is a mess, but he's doing a little better now. This poem captures a turning point when friends become family of choice. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
"Best Measured in Friends"
Nebuly ducked his head under
the pump, gave the long handle
a few brisk strokes, and relished
the sudden spurt of cold water.
Straightening up, he brushed
the water off the short white hair
at the sides of his head, and then
wrung out the long black dreadlocks
that hung down from the top.
The late summer weather was
sweltering and the Meadowsweet Faire
was over, but even so, Nebuly hated
the thought of leaving Shaker Pine.
He had made friends here,
good ones, people whom he
didn't want to leave either.
This wasn't ... quite ...
the only place where he had
felt at home since his escape,
but it had lasted the longest,
two whole months of the faire.
There had been a lovely hostel
in Sandydown for almost that long
before he couldn't pay the rent, and
the shrink in Clearwater who had been
so helpful before the antidepressant
had gone horribly wrong and ended
in Nebuly fleeing the town in terror.
He'd been too ashamed to return to either.
Nebuly looked around the faire site
as people packed up, trying not to let
the lump in his throat strangle him,
because if he did that, he'd lie down
and not be able to get back up.
It had been good work, while it
lasted -- enough that he could get by
without needing to risk a hacking job
more than once or twice a month.
He had made do with drifting and
scuffling since his escape from a place
that he thought of simply as hell on Earth,
which had been a few years ago now,
not that he felt much better.
Working the faire circuit was
the first time he'd found anything
that he wanted to keep doing
for more than a week or few.
Maybe he was just getting used
to being a rennie, and that's why he
seemed so attached to this faire, but ...
Nebuly shook himself off and
looked around for something to do.
"Hey, Nebuly, give us a hand?"
That was Amergin, the bard who
sang in seven or eight languages,
most of which Nebuly could not
even recognize. "We need help
packing up the apothecary shop."
Amergin's wife Marjoram ran that,
and it had so much stock that they had
to put most of it into a baggage trailer
of their caravan, because it wouldn't
fit in their own little vardo trailer.
"Sure, I'll help," Nebuly said.
The hard work took his mind off
the faire's closure for a few hours,
until they shut the baggage trailer
and sat down to one last supper of
ham-and-beans over the cookfire.
"We've been thinking," Amergin said.
"Would you like to ride out with us?"
"You mean join your caravan?"
Nebuly asked, startled. It was
a serious matter, in rennie terms,
like renting a house together.
"Yeah, I know you don't have
ties to the town," said Amergin.
"We could use an extra hand
on the road. We're heading for
Breton Faire in Onion City and then
south to Lyonesse Faire in River City.
What do you say, my friend?"
"I'll need a few minutes to pack,"
Nebuly said. "Thank you so much."
He wolfed down the rest of his meal,
then hurried back to his campsite.
As promised, it only took Nebuly
a short time to break camp.
When he came back to the vardo,
Marjoram stared at him and said,
"That's what you're bringing?"
"What?" Nebuly said, looking down at
his gear. He had a lean-to tent, bedroll,
folding stool, axe, lantern, two changes of
faire clothes plus what he was wearing,
three sets of mundane clothes, and
a few odds and ends in a satchel.
"Is this too much? Won't it fit?"
He hated the idea of abandoning
anything, because he had so little,
but he would if he had to.
"No, I mean, is that all you have?"
Marjoram said, frowning at him.
"Um, yeah ..." Nebuly said,
looking away. He couldn't afford
to own more, especially since he
often wound up carrying it -- he had
to be able to lift it all at once.
Needless to say, he relied heavily
on the Washer Women to keep him
in clothes clean enough to wear.
"Leave him be, Marjoram,"
said Amergin. "I've seen
his camp. That's it."
Amergin was homefree,
and tended to think that
Nebuly was too, instead of
homeless. Nebuly had not
disabused him of this notion.
"Okay, then," said Marjoram.
"You're sure you don't mind me
coming along?" Nebuly said. "It's
a long trip and a small space."
“A journey is best measured in friends,
rather than miles," Amergin said,
waving him toward the door.
Their vardo was beautiful,
its outside decorated with trees,
its inside all of knotty wood.
"Amergin and I sleep
in the back bedroom,"
said Marjoram. "The futon
is yours, so you can stow
your stuff underneath."
Nebuly did so, then
brewed himself a cup
of the Gypsy Moon Tea
that Marjoram had devised
to help him sleep at night.
She took the first shift driving,
which left Amergin in the back
with Nebuly. "I'm glad that you
agreed to come," said Amergin.
"Thanks for asking me," Nebuly said.
He fidgeted on the futon, even though
the furniture was perfectly comfortable.
"Is something wrong?" the bard said,
casting him a look of concern.
Nebuly dredged up half a smile.
"I don't think I'll get much sleep
tonight, is all," he said. He hated
asking for help, but he didn't know
what else to try. "Could you ...
maybe play for me a little?"
"Of course," Amergin said.
He brought out the harp that
he called a clairseach and began
to play something slow and sweet.
The music cast a gentle net
over Nebuly and pulled him
tenderly down into sleep.
* * *
Notes:
Nebuly (Darian Cormac) -- He has pale skin and gray eyes. His hair is short and white on the sides of his head, while the top has a row of long black dreadlocks. His body hair is patched and swirled in black, brown, and white. He is tall and strong. He has a stretched lobe tunnel and upper lobe piercing in each ear. He has bridge, both nostril, and septum piercings in his nose. He has a labret, snakebites, and two pairs of corner piercings in his lower lip. Nebuly uses the occasional pain from piercings to break through the numbness of depression and remind him to take good care of himself. His BlackSheep handle is Bagwyn.
Darian grew up in a happy, healthy family until he and his parents were attacked by human traffickers when Darian was 10. His parents fought ferociously to protect him, and managed to kill at least one of the attackers. Due to all the blood spilled, Darian suspects that his parents were also killed, and doesn't really want to find out the truth. He is about 21 now.
Origin: Mad science torture. The supervillain Carl Bernhardt locked Darian in a strange metal chamber and bombarded him with mysterious energies that caused his body to warp. He escaped when he finally manifested Vaporous Form. Now he works as a rennie and occasionally as a hacker.
Uniform: Street clothes. He usually wears black. Sometimes he lightens up with white, gray, or brown. Rarely he wears brighter colors like blue or purple. He also has some medieval garb.
Qualities: Good (+2) Fortitude, Good (+2) Leader, Good (+2) Hacker, Good (+2) Historical Re-enactment, Good (+2) Tall
Poor (-2) Depression
Powers: Good (+2) Cryptid Shifter
In Nebuly's case, the metapower of Cryptid Shifter includes various abilities and variable enhancements to vision. Good (+2) Control Electricity (Signature Stunts: Average EMP, Average Lightning Bolt, Average Neural Disruption), Good (+2) Regeneration, Good (+2) Shapeshifting, Good (+2) Vaporous Form (Signature Stunt: Average Liquid Form), Average (0) Merle, and Average (0) True Sight. His alternate forms include myrstag.
Motivation: To put his life back together.
In heraldry, a line nebuly (or nebulée) is drawn with deep curves meant to resemble clouds. The term comes from the Latin word nebula, "a mist, vapor, or cloud." Here is heraldic shield displaying Barry nebuly of nine azure and argent.
The myrstag form has sharp antlers for defense, a heavy coat which sheds rain, hooved paws for walking on soft ground, and the ability to digest almost anything. The outer guard hairs are coarse and wiry; the middle hairs are silky; and the woolly undercoat is soft. Myr is Swedish for a bog, a moor, or a wetland. The myrstag has a musky scent.
Amergin (Alroy Sheach) -- He has pinkish-fair skin, green eyes, and short curly chestnut hair. He uses his faire name pretty much all the time now. His family pronounces their surname as "shuck" although other branches say "sheech" or "sheeck." He speaks Beurla Reagaird, Cornish, English, French, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Manx, Spanish, and Welsh. His heritage is Irish, Scottish, French, and American. His parents work the Renaissance Faire circuit; his mother is a blacksmith and his father is a silversmith. He is the husband of Marjoram. Amergin is homefree and a dedicated rennie with the Caravan Driver skill. He is a bard who plays bodhran, clairseach, guitar (both six and twelve strings), lute, mandolin, recorder, pennywhistle, and shawm. He can play the three strains (Geantraí for merriment, Goltraí for sadness, and Suantraí for sleep) of bardic legend, although currently at ordinary rather than super level. This helps his friend Nebuly to manage his moods.
Qualities: Good (+2) Bard, Good (+2) Dexterity, Good (+2) Homefree, Good (+2) Kindness, Good (+2) Languages
Poor (-2) Mainstream Culture
Marjoram (Mary Jane Grader) -- She has fair skin with freckles, hazel eyes, and long hair of reddish-gold. She has a sturdy body with small breasts and hips and little waist definition. She uses her faire name most of the time. Her heritage is Irish, British, and American. Her father is a professor of literature and her mother is a bohemian shopkeeper. Marjoram is the wife of Amergin. She works the Renaissance Faire circuit as an herbalist, although she still has a room in her parents' house. She invented the Gypsy Moon Tea for her friend Nebuly to help him sleep. A dedicated rennie, she has the Caravan Driver skill. She loves people and has an impish sense of humor.
Qualities: Good (+2) Constitution, Good (+2) Extrovert, Good (+2) Herbalist, Good (+2) Kindness, Good (+2) Naturalistic Intelligence
Poor (-2) Academics
* * *
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”
– Tim Cahill
Nebuly's camp is very simple.
See the exterior and interior of the vardo that Amergin and Marjoram share. Such vardos appear occasionally at Renaissance faires in local-America, but they are considerably more common in Terramagne-America.
Hand pumps come in various styles. They are ideal for providing water in places where the need is periodic and/or electricity is unfeasible.
Scuffling means taking whatever short-term menial work is available, without ever managing to build up to anything more lucrative or reliable. It is the lowest level of odd jobs. Many people in Terramagne-America do odd jobs as a kind of handywork home business, which is much more secure.
Hacking means breaking into a computer system. When the purpose is malicious, hackers prefer the term cracker; but most people consider hackers to be malicious criminals. Some hackers work for hire at various tasks. Nebuly writes self-modifying code, and one of his specialties is erasing inconvenient data.
There are many jobs in historical re-enactment, some of them quite specialized such as guilds. In addition to the assigned employees, however, most Renaissance Faires often hire some generalists who are available to do whatever needs doing. They're often called hired hands or hands. Faires are also prone to attracting freelancers who take whatever odd jobs they can. These may be called free hands, hands, jacks or jills of all trades (often shortened to jacks), roadies, drovers, roustabouts, or various other terms. Faires may have one or the other or both; they may or may not distinguish between the types. Some people travel the circuit from one faire to the next. People who work or volunteer at a Renaissance faire are called rennies.
Torture can have lasting health effects, one of which is depression. Rehabilitation offers challenges for clinicians. Sometimes energy work helps, such as qigong or t'ai chi. Caregivers can help survivors of torture, and there are self-care steps for survivors too. Human trafficking has similar issues.
Traumatic stress can lead to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder or prolonged duress stress disorder. When children or adolescents suffer extended hardships, this can cause developmental trauma disorder, as the abuse and/or neglect prevent some physical or psychological features from growing in properly. This is a different problem than when trauma disrupts the mature systems of an adult. Nebuly had a loving family before he was violently kidnapped and subjected to mad science torture, so at least he understands what healthy relationships look like. He's just messed up from the maltreatment. There are ways to cope with traumatic stress or live with someone who has it.
Depression can be a mental illness (arising from within) or a mental injury (caused by an outside force). Child abuse and neglect cause changes in the brain which increase the risk of mental issues in general. Torture is prone to cause PTSD, exhaustion, impairment, and depression. While some people find antidepressants helpful, they don't work for everyone and are notorious for horrible side effects. This iffy pattern among ordinary people is even worse among soups due to the wider variation in body/mind features. There are many different ways to overcome depression and to support someone through it.
Enjoy a recipe for Campfire Ham-and-Beans.
A caravan is a number of vehicles and people traveling together, sometimes called a convoy. One way that you can tell T-America respects homefree traveling people is the wider recognition of special convoy rights. So long as a group of vehicles traveling together has a clearly marked 'head' and 'tail' they are permitted to function as a single vehicle for the purpose of passing, crossing intersections, etc. In the case of Renaissance caravans, the identification is often the vehicles themselves: vardos stand out from everything else on the road just by being what they are. Because the head and tail positions are so important, they are usually occupied by senior members of the caravan, with fancier vehicles. If the vehicles don't stand out naturally, or state laws require it, they may also have signs marking their status. Caravan Driver is a subspecialty of the Drive skill which indicates specialized training, in this case customarily taught through apprenticeship. An experienced Caravan Driver can easily get a job at any Renaissance Faire, although it may not be listed as a separate skill from their faire job -- many serious rennies in T-America learn this one. Caravan Master typically is listed on its own. Casual caravans may develop as people travel to a faire, and are the most common version in L-America. Sometimes the oddjobbers run in loose groups too. Serious caravans are more like gypsy caravans: a group of people traveling from one faire to the next as a unit, often family of choice. Joining this type of caravan typically takes a formal invitation, although some are easier to join than others. There are a few of these in L-America, more in T-America. Browse some tips for caravaning with friends and for advanced techniques.
Worth mentioning is that the variety is much wider in T-American faires than it is in L-American faires, although the latter have diversified more in recent years. What we have here are mostly generic English Renaissance faires, with some medieval, some French or Highland events, and a few pirate or fantasy ones. T-America has Renaissance faires of many countries -- which means they spread over that whole time period, because the Renaissance arrived at different times in different places. Pirate faires are enormously popular, and fantasy ones are well known. Ethnic faires often network with Sankofa Clubs, such as the occasional African or Egyptian event. Among the events:
Meadowsweet Faire in Shaker Pine, MN (mid-late summer)
somewhat inspired by the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (Shakopee, MN, August 19-October 1, 2017)
Breton Faire in Onion City, WI (early-mid autumn)
somewhat inspired by the Bristol Renaissance Faire (Kenosha, WI, July 8-September 4, 2017)
Lyonesse Faire in River City, MO (late autumn)
somewhat inspired by the St. Louis Renaissance Faire (Wentzville, MO, September 16-October 15, 2017)
(This used to be a spring faire.)
Midwinter Faire in Bluehill, MO (early winter)
Meadowsweet is an herb that grows in damp fields, associated with magic and faery.
Breton refers to the people, language, and other aspects of Brittany.
Lyonesse comes from the Arthurian Cycle with French, Scottish, and Cornish input.
Vardos began as horse-drawn wagons used by the Romani people. They have since become popular with other folks, such as the tiny house movement. In T-America, Romani vardo makers are still prized as experts, although plenty of other people now make them. In many places, it's illegal to travel in a trailer which is separate from the vehicle pulling it, which makes them a lot less useful on long road trips. (Some people do it anyway.) In T-America, it's typically legal provided that the trailer has a means of communicating with the cab, such as an intercom or cellphones; some places require that the trailer be of minimum size or sturdiness for passengers. This is another concession to traveling people, who make longer and more frequent drives than average drivers.
Nebuly's material possessions are necessarily limited. See his black peasant outfit, gray peasant tunic, and gray trousers. He also has a brown peasant outfit. The shirt is customarily tucked in when worn with the vest, but it's long enough to belt over the pants when worn alone. Nebuly only wears the hat at faires that dislike his hairstyle. These are his mundane clothes.
Nebuly keeps his clothes in a buckle-top satchel. He keeps his personal supplies in a drawstring satchel.
In L-America, there are several variations of Washer Women, some who actually wash clothes all day long and others who just pretend while doing bawdy songs or other entertainment. In T-American, they're almost always genuine, as many rennies have a limited supply of garb and access to laundry facilities. The Washer Women at the Meadowsweet Faire have a large well. Some other places use tubs instead.
Traveling people come in many types. Some cultures discriminate against them by refusing to provide pitch sites, penalizing them for not having houses, and trying to force them into a conventional lifestyle. L-American society doesn't always recognize the difference between homefree and homeless. T-America does better by offering more access to camping areas. Adding to the confusion is the fact that some people choose to be homefree, but may slide into homeless status later. In this case, Amergin is homefree, while Nebuly has been homeless. There are many ways to help the homeless.
Herbs for sleep can help many people with nightly problems. There are many different recipes for nighttime teas, varying in potency. Gypsy Moon Tea is primarily chamomile boosted with some stronger sleep aids, soothers, and adaptogens.
Gypsy Moon Tea
12 parts chamomile flowers
8 parts lemon balm
4 parts catnip
4 parts marjoram
4 parts passionflower
1 part American ginseng
1 part hop flowers
1 part St. John's wort
1 part valerian root
Adaptogens help the body deal with stress. American ginseng is "at risk" in L-North America but only "sensitive" in T-North America, due to avid efforts by wildcrafters to establish healthy populations.
The clairseach is a type of Celtic harp, customarily a medium-sized traveling harp. There used to be three typical sizes of harp -- tiny hand harps, the medium lap harps favored by traveling harpers, and what was then considered a floor harp but is often called a lap or folk harp now. Modern pedal harps are enormous, and while some people do travel with theirs, it's not optimum.
The three strains of bardic legend are Geantraí for merriment, Goltraí for sadness, and Suantraí for sleep. Here is an album called Suantrai, and a video of the song "Suantrai" by the Belfast Harp Orchestra.
Warning: This poem contains some intense stuff. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It features homelessness, disconnection, feelings of loss and despair, depression due to mad science torture, shame, references to computer hacking, poverty, sleep disturbances, difficulty asking for help, and other challenges. Nebuly is a mess, because everyone who survived Carl Bernhardt's attention is a mess, but he's doing a little better now. This poem captures a turning point when friends become family of choice. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
"Best Measured in Friends"
Nebuly ducked his head under
the pump, gave the long handle
a few brisk strokes, and relished
the sudden spurt of cold water.
Straightening up, he brushed
the water off the short white hair
at the sides of his head, and then
wrung out the long black dreadlocks
that hung down from the top.
The late summer weather was
sweltering and the Meadowsweet Faire
was over, but even so, Nebuly hated
the thought of leaving Shaker Pine.
He had made friends here,
good ones, people whom he
didn't want to leave either.
This wasn't ... quite ...
the only place where he had
felt at home since his escape,
but it had lasted the longest,
two whole months of the faire.
There had been a lovely hostel
in Sandydown for almost that long
before he couldn't pay the rent, and
the shrink in Clearwater who had been
so helpful before the antidepressant
had gone horribly wrong and ended
in Nebuly fleeing the town in terror.
He'd been too ashamed to return to either.
Nebuly looked around the faire site
as people packed up, trying not to let
the lump in his throat strangle him,
because if he did that, he'd lie down
and not be able to get back up.
It had been good work, while it
lasted -- enough that he could get by
without needing to risk a hacking job
more than once or twice a month.
He had made do with drifting and
scuffling since his escape from a place
that he thought of simply as hell on Earth,
which had been a few years ago now,
not that he felt much better.
Working the faire circuit was
the first time he'd found anything
that he wanted to keep doing
for more than a week or few.
Maybe he was just getting used
to being a rennie, and that's why he
seemed so attached to this faire, but ...
Nebuly shook himself off and
looked around for something to do.
"Hey, Nebuly, give us a hand?"
That was Amergin, the bard who
sang in seven or eight languages,
most of which Nebuly could not
even recognize. "We need help
packing up the apothecary shop."
Amergin's wife Marjoram ran that,
and it had so much stock that they had
to put most of it into a baggage trailer
of their caravan, because it wouldn't
fit in their own little vardo trailer.
"Sure, I'll help," Nebuly said.
The hard work took his mind off
the faire's closure for a few hours,
until they shut the baggage trailer
and sat down to one last supper of
ham-and-beans over the cookfire.
"We've been thinking," Amergin said.
"Would you like to ride out with us?"
"You mean join your caravan?"
Nebuly asked, startled. It was
a serious matter, in rennie terms,
like renting a house together.
"Yeah, I know you don't have
ties to the town," said Amergin.
"We could use an extra hand
on the road. We're heading for
Breton Faire in Onion City and then
south to Lyonesse Faire in River City.
What do you say, my friend?"
"I'll need a few minutes to pack,"
Nebuly said. "Thank you so much."
He wolfed down the rest of his meal,
then hurried back to his campsite.
As promised, it only took Nebuly
a short time to break camp.
When he came back to the vardo,
Marjoram stared at him and said,
"That's what you're bringing?"
"What?" Nebuly said, looking down at
his gear. He had a lean-to tent, bedroll,
folding stool, axe, lantern, two changes of
faire clothes plus what he was wearing,
three sets of mundane clothes, and
a few odds and ends in a satchel.
"Is this too much? Won't it fit?"
He hated the idea of abandoning
anything, because he had so little,
but he would if he had to.
"No, I mean, is that all you have?"
Marjoram said, frowning at him.
"Um, yeah ..." Nebuly said,
looking away. He couldn't afford
to own more, especially since he
often wound up carrying it -- he had
to be able to lift it all at once.
Needless to say, he relied heavily
on the Washer Women to keep him
in clothes clean enough to wear.
"Leave him be, Marjoram,"
said Amergin. "I've seen
his camp. That's it."
Amergin was homefree,
and tended to think that
Nebuly was too, instead of
homeless. Nebuly had not
disabused him of this notion.
"Okay, then," said Marjoram.
"You're sure you don't mind me
coming along?" Nebuly said. "It's
a long trip and a small space."
“A journey is best measured in friends,
rather than miles," Amergin said,
waving him toward the door.
Their vardo was beautiful,
its outside decorated with trees,
its inside all of knotty wood.
"Amergin and I sleep
in the back bedroom,"
said Marjoram. "The futon
is yours, so you can stow
your stuff underneath."
Nebuly did so, then
brewed himself a cup
of the Gypsy Moon Tea
that Marjoram had devised
to help him sleep at night.
She took the first shift driving,
which left Amergin in the back
with Nebuly. "I'm glad that you
agreed to come," said Amergin.
"Thanks for asking me," Nebuly said.
He fidgeted on the futon, even though
the furniture was perfectly comfortable.
"Is something wrong?" the bard said,
casting him a look of concern.
Nebuly dredged up half a smile.
"I don't think I'll get much sleep
tonight, is all," he said. He hated
asking for help, but he didn't know
what else to try. "Could you ...
maybe play for me a little?"
"Of course," Amergin said.
He brought out the harp that
he called a clairseach and began
to play something slow and sweet.
The music cast a gentle net
over Nebuly and pulled him
tenderly down into sleep.
* * *
Notes:
Nebuly (Darian Cormac) -- He has pale skin and gray eyes. His hair is short and white on the sides of his head, while the top has a row of long black dreadlocks. His body hair is patched and swirled in black, brown, and white. He is tall and strong. He has a stretched lobe tunnel and upper lobe piercing in each ear. He has bridge, both nostril, and septum piercings in his nose. He has a labret, snakebites, and two pairs of corner piercings in his lower lip. Nebuly uses the occasional pain from piercings to break through the numbness of depression and remind him to take good care of himself. His BlackSheep handle is Bagwyn.
Darian grew up in a happy, healthy family until he and his parents were attacked by human traffickers when Darian was 10. His parents fought ferociously to protect him, and managed to kill at least one of the attackers. Due to all the blood spilled, Darian suspects that his parents were also killed, and doesn't really want to find out the truth. He is about 21 now.
Origin: Mad science torture. The supervillain Carl Bernhardt locked Darian in a strange metal chamber and bombarded him with mysterious energies that caused his body to warp. He escaped when he finally manifested Vaporous Form. Now he works as a rennie and occasionally as a hacker.
Uniform: Street clothes. He usually wears black. Sometimes he lightens up with white, gray, or brown. Rarely he wears brighter colors like blue or purple. He also has some medieval garb.
Qualities: Good (+2) Fortitude, Good (+2) Leader, Good (+2) Hacker, Good (+2) Historical Re-enactment, Good (+2) Tall
Poor (-2) Depression
Powers: Good (+2) Cryptid Shifter
In Nebuly's case, the metapower of Cryptid Shifter includes various abilities and variable enhancements to vision. Good (+2) Control Electricity (Signature Stunts: Average EMP, Average Lightning Bolt, Average Neural Disruption), Good (+2) Regeneration, Good (+2) Shapeshifting, Good (+2) Vaporous Form (Signature Stunt: Average Liquid Form), Average (0) Merle, and Average (0) True Sight. His alternate forms include myrstag.
Motivation: To put his life back together.
In heraldry, a line nebuly (or nebulée) is drawn with deep curves meant to resemble clouds. The term comes from the Latin word nebula, "a mist, vapor, or cloud." Here is heraldic shield displaying Barry nebuly of nine azure and argent.
The myrstag form has sharp antlers for defense, a heavy coat which sheds rain, hooved paws for walking on soft ground, and the ability to digest almost anything. The outer guard hairs are coarse and wiry; the middle hairs are silky; and the woolly undercoat is soft. Myr is Swedish for a bog, a moor, or a wetland. The myrstag has a musky scent.
Amergin (Alroy Sheach) -- He has pinkish-fair skin, green eyes, and short curly chestnut hair. He uses his faire name pretty much all the time now. His family pronounces their surname as "shuck" although other branches say "sheech" or "sheeck." He speaks Beurla Reagaird, Cornish, English, French, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Manx, Spanish, and Welsh. His heritage is Irish, Scottish, French, and American. His parents work the Renaissance Faire circuit; his mother is a blacksmith and his father is a silversmith. He is the husband of Marjoram. Amergin is homefree and a dedicated rennie with the Caravan Driver skill. He is a bard who plays bodhran, clairseach, guitar (both six and twelve strings), lute, mandolin, recorder, pennywhistle, and shawm. He can play the three strains (Geantraí for merriment, Goltraí for sadness, and Suantraí for sleep) of bardic legend, although currently at ordinary rather than super level. This helps his friend Nebuly to manage his moods.
Qualities: Good (+2) Bard, Good (+2) Dexterity, Good (+2) Homefree, Good (+2) Kindness, Good (+2) Languages
Poor (-2) Mainstream Culture
Marjoram (Mary Jane Grader) -- She has fair skin with freckles, hazel eyes, and long hair of reddish-gold. She has a sturdy body with small breasts and hips and little waist definition. She uses her faire name most of the time. Her heritage is Irish, British, and American. Her father is a professor of literature and her mother is a bohemian shopkeeper. Marjoram is the wife of Amergin. She works the Renaissance Faire circuit as an herbalist, although she still has a room in her parents' house. She invented the Gypsy Moon Tea for her friend Nebuly to help him sleep. A dedicated rennie, she has the Caravan Driver skill. She loves people and has an impish sense of humor.
Qualities: Good (+2) Constitution, Good (+2) Extrovert, Good (+2) Herbalist, Good (+2) Kindness, Good (+2) Naturalistic Intelligence
Poor (-2) Academics
* * *
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”
– Tim Cahill
Nebuly's camp is very simple.
See the exterior and interior of the vardo that Amergin and Marjoram share. Such vardos appear occasionally at Renaissance faires in local-America, but they are considerably more common in Terramagne-America.
Hand pumps come in various styles. They are ideal for providing water in places where the need is periodic and/or electricity is unfeasible.
Scuffling means taking whatever short-term menial work is available, without ever managing to build up to anything more lucrative or reliable. It is the lowest level of odd jobs. Many people in Terramagne-America do odd jobs as a kind of handywork home business, which is much more secure.
Hacking means breaking into a computer system. When the purpose is malicious, hackers prefer the term cracker; but most people consider hackers to be malicious criminals. Some hackers work for hire at various tasks. Nebuly writes self-modifying code, and one of his specialties is erasing inconvenient data.
There are many jobs in historical re-enactment, some of them quite specialized such as guilds. In addition to the assigned employees, however, most Renaissance Faires often hire some generalists who are available to do whatever needs doing. They're often called hired hands or hands. Faires are also prone to attracting freelancers who take whatever odd jobs they can. These may be called free hands, hands, jacks or jills of all trades (often shortened to jacks), roadies, drovers, roustabouts, or various other terms. Faires may have one or the other or both; they may or may not distinguish between the types. Some people travel the circuit from one faire to the next. People who work or volunteer at a Renaissance faire are called rennies.
Torture can have lasting health effects, one of which is depression. Rehabilitation offers challenges for clinicians. Sometimes energy work helps, such as qigong or t'ai chi. Caregivers can help survivors of torture, and there are self-care steps for survivors too. Human trafficking has similar issues.
Traumatic stress can lead to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder or prolonged duress stress disorder. When children or adolescents suffer extended hardships, this can cause developmental trauma disorder, as the abuse and/or neglect prevent some physical or psychological features from growing in properly. This is a different problem than when trauma disrupts the mature systems of an adult. Nebuly had a loving family before he was violently kidnapped and subjected to mad science torture, so at least he understands what healthy relationships look like. He's just messed up from the maltreatment. There are ways to cope with traumatic stress or live with someone who has it.
Depression can be a mental illness (arising from within) or a mental injury (caused by an outside force). Child abuse and neglect cause changes in the brain which increase the risk of mental issues in general. Torture is prone to cause PTSD, exhaustion, impairment, and depression. While some people find antidepressants helpful, they don't work for everyone and are notorious for horrible side effects. This iffy pattern among ordinary people is even worse among soups due to the wider variation in body/mind features. There are many different ways to overcome depression and to support someone through it.
Enjoy a recipe for Campfire Ham-and-Beans.
A caravan is a number of vehicles and people traveling together, sometimes called a convoy. One way that you can tell T-America respects homefree traveling people is the wider recognition of special convoy rights. So long as a group of vehicles traveling together has a clearly marked 'head' and 'tail' they are permitted to function as a single vehicle for the purpose of passing, crossing intersections, etc. In the case of Renaissance caravans, the identification is often the vehicles themselves: vardos stand out from everything else on the road just by being what they are. Because the head and tail positions are so important, they are usually occupied by senior members of the caravan, with fancier vehicles. If the vehicles don't stand out naturally, or state laws require it, they may also have signs marking their status. Caravan Driver is a subspecialty of the Drive skill which indicates specialized training, in this case customarily taught through apprenticeship. An experienced Caravan Driver can easily get a job at any Renaissance Faire, although it may not be listed as a separate skill from their faire job -- many serious rennies in T-America learn this one. Caravan Master typically is listed on its own. Casual caravans may develop as people travel to a faire, and are the most common version in L-America. Sometimes the oddjobbers run in loose groups too. Serious caravans are more like gypsy caravans: a group of people traveling from one faire to the next as a unit, often family of choice. Joining this type of caravan typically takes a formal invitation, although some are easier to join than others. There are a few of these in L-America, more in T-America. Browse some tips for caravaning with friends and for advanced techniques.
Worth mentioning is that the variety is much wider in T-American faires than it is in L-American faires, although the latter have diversified more in recent years. What we have here are mostly generic English Renaissance faires, with some medieval, some French or Highland events, and a few pirate or fantasy ones. T-America has Renaissance faires of many countries -- which means they spread over that whole time period, because the Renaissance arrived at different times in different places. Pirate faires are enormously popular, and fantasy ones are well known. Ethnic faires often network with Sankofa Clubs, such as the occasional African or Egyptian event. Among the events:
Meadowsweet Faire in Shaker Pine, MN (mid-late summer)
somewhat inspired by the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (Shakopee, MN, August 19-October 1, 2017)
Breton Faire in Onion City, WI (early-mid autumn)
somewhat inspired by the Bristol Renaissance Faire (Kenosha, WI, July 8-September 4, 2017)
Lyonesse Faire in River City, MO (late autumn)
somewhat inspired by the St. Louis Renaissance Faire (Wentzville, MO, September 16-October 15, 2017)
(This used to be a spring faire.)
Midwinter Faire in Bluehill, MO (early winter)
Meadowsweet is an herb that grows in damp fields, associated with magic and faery.
Breton refers to the people, language, and other aspects of Brittany.
Lyonesse comes from the Arthurian Cycle with French, Scottish, and Cornish input.
Vardos began as horse-drawn wagons used by the Romani people. They have since become popular with other folks, such as the tiny house movement. In T-America, Romani vardo makers are still prized as experts, although plenty of other people now make them. In many places, it's illegal to travel in a trailer which is separate from the vehicle pulling it, which makes them a lot less useful on long road trips. (Some people do it anyway.) In T-America, it's typically legal provided that the trailer has a means of communicating with the cab, such as an intercom or cellphones; some places require that the trailer be of minimum size or sturdiness for passengers. This is another concession to traveling people, who make longer and more frequent drives than average drivers.
Nebuly's material possessions are necessarily limited. See his black peasant outfit, gray peasant tunic, and gray trousers. He also has a brown peasant outfit. The shirt is customarily tucked in when worn with the vest, but it's long enough to belt over the pants when worn alone. Nebuly only wears the hat at faires that dislike his hairstyle. These are his mundane clothes.
Nebuly keeps his clothes in a buckle-top satchel. He keeps his personal supplies in a drawstring satchel.
In L-America, there are several variations of Washer Women, some who actually wash clothes all day long and others who just pretend while doing bawdy songs or other entertainment. In T-American, they're almost always genuine, as many rennies have a limited supply of garb and access to laundry facilities. The Washer Women at the Meadowsweet Faire have a large well. Some other places use tubs instead.
Traveling people come in many types. Some cultures discriminate against them by refusing to provide pitch sites, penalizing them for not having houses, and trying to force them into a conventional lifestyle. L-American society doesn't always recognize the difference between homefree and homeless. T-America does better by offering more access to camping areas. Adding to the confusion is the fact that some people choose to be homefree, but may slide into homeless status later. In this case, Amergin is homefree, while Nebuly has been homeless. There are many ways to help the homeless.
Herbs for sleep can help many people with nightly problems. There are many different recipes for nighttime teas, varying in potency. Gypsy Moon Tea is primarily chamomile boosted with some stronger sleep aids, soothers, and adaptogens.
Gypsy Moon Tea
12 parts chamomile flowers
8 parts lemon balm
4 parts catnip
4 parts marjoram
4 parts passionflower
1 part American ginseng
1 part hop flowers
1 part St. John's wort
1 part valerian root
Adaptogens help the body deal with stress. American ginseng is "at risk" in L-North America but only "sensitive" in T-North America, due to avid efforts by wildcrafters to establish healthy populations.
The clairseach is a type of Celtic harp, customarily a medium-sized traveling harp. There used to be three typical sizes of harp -- tiny hand harps, the medium lap harps favored by traveling harpers, and what was then considered a floor harp but is often called a lap or folk harp now. Modern pedal harps are enormous, and while some people do travel with theirs, it's not optimum.
The three strains of bardic legend are Geantraí for merriment, Goltraí for sadness, and Suantraí for sleep. Here is an album called Suantrai, and a video of the song "Suantrai" by the Belfast Harp Orchestra.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-02-23 05:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-02-23 07:32 pm (UTC)and tended to think that
Nebuly was too, instead of
homeless. Nebuly had not
disabused him of this notion.
Ouch. This really resonates with me because of the obvious parallels to childfree (which I am) and childless (which some of my friends are, and I know how it hurts them).
"I don't think I'll get much sleep
tonight, is all," he said. He hated
asking for help, but he didn't know
what else to try. "Could you ...
maybe play for me a little?"
OTOH, this is promising -- repaying trust (they invited him into their home) with trust (that they won't mock or shame him for asking for help).
Clearly, Nebuly isn't nearly as messed-up as Turq is, and this looks like a major step toward him getting his life back together. A place to stay, meaningful work, and friends count for a lot.
Any chance that they'll show up at the Bluehill Midwinter Faire? Or did that happen already and I missed it?
Thoughts
Date: 2017-02-23 09:25 pm (UTC)Yes, exactly. If you don't want something you don't have, it's -free. If you want something you can't have, it's -less. The terminology is a bit imprecise, though. People say "houseless" as well as "homefree," but "housefree" would be more accurate. Amergin's home is the open road and his fellow travelers; he has a home, it's just not static like most people's is. And hell, some people who have a static residence don't feel like they have a home. Shiv never did, until the last couple years. He feels more at home in the damn prison than he did in most of his foster families. >_<
Nebuly has been drifting because he was torn away from his roots, and it took a long time for him to heal enough that he could connect with people again. He's making a slow shift from homeless to traveler.
>> OTOH, this is promising -- repaying trust (they invited him into their home) with trust (that they won't mock or shame him for asking for help). <<
Yep. They've been building toward this for a while. It's still hard for Nebuly to ask for help due to past damage, but he's got enough familiarity with Marjoram and Amergin to know in his head that they'll help if they can.
>> Clearly, Nebuly isn't nearly as messed-up as Turq is, <<
Nebuly has a lot of damage, he's just been free longer so he's farther along the recovery scale. Whereas Turq's trouble manifests as anxiety, Nebuly's is depression. There are still days when Nebuly just doesn't have the energy to engage or even to move. :(
>> and this looks like a major step toward him getting his life back together. A place to stay, meaningful work, and friends count for a lot. <<
Yes, this is a big step forward. \o/
>> Any chance that they'll show up at the Bluehill Midwinter Faire? Or did that happen already and I missed it? <<
:D This is the setup for that. I want to introduce Nebuly because he's useful in providing more information about Carl Bernhardt. Also, given the bond among the cohort, it's good for them to be together.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-02-23 10:51 pm (UTC)>> :D This is the setup for that. <<
\O/
YAAAAAAY! I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this thread plays out.
Yay!
Date: 2017-02-23 11:03 pm (UTC)* Ansel and Janie go to the Midwinter Faire for shopping, and pass through Marjoram's booth.
* Nebuly picks up Turq's scent and tracks down Ansel at home. This is when they start talking about their mengele problem. It's also the reunion of Turq and Nebuly.
* A quiet little Christmas for Ansel, Janie, and Turq.
* Post-Christmas shopping at the local mall for a wok as the "household" holiday gift.
I want to bring in Saffron too, but that's a little more complicated.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-02-24 04:16 am (UTC)Yes...
Date: 2017-02-24 06:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-02-24 04:29 am (UTC)Also, Jinseng <3 we live in an area where it used to grow more. Our dad took us with him when he went gathering once and we've never forgotten.
-Yarrow
Thoughts
Date: 2017-02-24 06:29 am (UTC)He is sweet and fragile and probably needs more hugs.
>> Also, Jinseng <3 we live in an area where it used to grow more. Our dad took us with him when he went gathering once and we've never forgotten. <<
:D It's pretty neat stuff.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2017-02-24 07:12 pm (UTC)Our dad let us nibble on the tops of the seng when we went gathering. We kinda like the taste.
-Arya
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2017-02-24 07:26 pm (UTC)Aww! I look forward to that.
>> Our dad let us nibble on the tops of the seng when we went gathering. We kinda like the taste. <<
:D That's cool.
hmmm...
Date: 2017-02-25 02:01 am (UTC)also EEEEEEEEE! NEBULY! (I imagine Saffron would be harder to incorporate considering she spends a lot of her time mostly insubstantial and people think that she's a ghost)
Re: hmmm...
Date: 2017-02-25 07:09 am (UTC)As a sleep aid, yes. Let me break it down a bit more for you:
Chamomile -- mild sleep aid, moderate anxiety soother. Grassy scent has pleasant connotations for many people.
Lemon balm -- mild relaxant and stress reliever; the lemon scent has a moderate uplifting effect on mood.
Catnip -- mild sleep aid, relaxant, and anxiety soother. (Note: some people get mildly stoned on this one. Shiv does; Nebuly doesn't seem to.)
Marjoram -- mild sleep aid and relaxant.
Passionflower -- moderate sleep aid and anxiety soother.
American ginseng -- potent adaptogen, moderate soother of disrupted energy, good booster of general vitality. Adaptogens are all-purpose "fix what's broke" herbs. Ginseng is one of the few remedies that works on magical or superpower complaints.
Hop flowers -- moderate to strong sleep aid and tranquilizer. Many people find the sweet grassy-floral scent to be pleasant and relaxing.
St. John's wort -- strong antidepressant, moderate anxiety soother, mild to moderate sleep aid depending on cause of insomnia.
Valerian root -- strong sleep aid, moderate to strong anxiety soother, tends to lower blood pressure.
Notice that the bulk of the blend consists of mild ingredients. The stronger ones appear in smaller amounts to boost the strength without making it feel overwhelming. (Fast, tangible effects are a trigger for Nebuly's whole cohort, and many people just don't like them.) The interplay of multiple herbs with similar effects helps create a secure network of relief. The adaptogen and the balance between soothing and uplifting elements will keep it from feeling oppressive, gently buffer mood toward a healthy medium, and reduce the chance of grogginess the next morning.
The St. John's wort is the strongest mood lifting element. Everything else in that category is considerably milder.
Overall, this is a pretty strong sleep aid, a moderately strong mood modulator, and generally good for helping someone cope with a fucked-up life. It's similar to what some herbal businesses offer, if you shop around for "sleep tea." There are a few stronger sleep or mood blends that you can buy over the counter, but in my opinion that's getting iffy. Mild things are safe for anyone to explore, and moderate ones reasonable if you do some homework. If you need more than moderate levels of support, however, it's a good idea to consult an expert if feasible. (Nebuly's early attempts to get help ended in disaster, but this time it's working great.) People will sell OTC simples of the really heavy-duty sedative herbs and St. John's wort, but that doesn't make it the best idea. Better than nothing if you can't get help, although you need careful research at that level to avoid some unpleasant problems.
>> is there an appropriate substitute or can you just leave it out of the blend? <<
If you don't need an antidepressant or already have another one, just leave it out. If you want the effect but need a different one, that gets more complicated. Most sleep blends don't have St. John's wort. Marjoram put it in there because Nebuly is pretty obviously depressed, and it works for him.
Many mood blends do include it, because it's one of the strongest herbs in that category. If that's what you're after, you'll need to be careful.
>> I can't take that because of previous experiences with certain prescription medications whose active ingredients are identical to good old St. John's wort. <<
Okay, that's a categorical contraindication. If possible, I suggest that you consult an expert herbalist. I don't have the clinical training; my background is from gardening, herb magic, and home remedies. I do have what amounts to a medicine chest in my tea cabinet, because many of my go-to remedies are herbs, so I know enough to provide some useful input here. Categorical issues are very hard to handle -- I have yet to find a health worker who'll even believe mine, WTF. Alternative providers are often more flexible though.
In order to find a safe replacement for St. John's wort, you would need to know not only what the herb does but how it works. St. John's Wort seems to stimulate the production of serotonin and/or limit serotonin reuptake, much like some popular chemical antidepressants. So you probably need to avoid other herbs that mess with serotonin. Trying to navigate around a boobytrap like that can be very tricky.
Saffron has been listed as an antidepressant, but not how it works. It's not cheap, but it's a well-known safe spice with a floral-nutty flavor that should work fine in this blend. A pinch in a cup of tea should be plenty, a little saffron goes a long way.
This page mentions that turmeric affects serotonin, so stay away from that. Probably as a spice too, because some recipes throw it in by the tablespoon -- it has a vivid presence in many curries.
Ginkgo is a brain booster and memory aid. For you, that might help, depending on specific issues. However, I'd put it with rosemary as contraindicated for people with flashbacks or other intrusive ideation. If it sounds promising, you might consider what's often called 3G tea: ginger, ginseng, and ginkgo. That makes a golden, spicy-nutty tea with mostly mental effects.
Here is a guide to mood herbs.
Other moderate to heavy sleep blends:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/sleepy-tea-
http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/good-
http://frugallysustainable.com/a-
https://hyleysteaonline.com/product/
https://organicindiausa.com/organic-
http://www.localharvest.org/just-knock-
You might also be intrigued by another one of Marjoram's blends, which is milder and has no St. John's wort:
Peaceful Evening
This tea has a light, floral flavor with green and grassy undertones. It is soothing but not soporific -- good for unwinding after work or as a very mild sleep aid.
6 parts linden flowers
3 parts sweet marjoram
2 parts cornflower petals
2 parts elder flowers
2 parts lotus petals
2 parts mimosa flowers
2 parts red clover flowers
1 part bergamot
1 part catnip
1 part chamomile
Some companies make soothing floral teas:
https://www.zhenas.com/rose-mint-
https://www.davidstea.com/us_en/
>> also EEEEEEEEE! NEBULY! <<
:D I'm glad you enjoyed meeting him. I really like him. He's wrecked, but there's a solid core under the rubble.
>> (I imagine Saffron would be harder to incorporate considering she spends a lot of her time mostly insubstantial and people think that she's a ghost) <<
A little more challenging, but I do have an idea of who she's with -- and she's in the area.
Re: hmmm...
Date: 2017-02-27 02:26 am (UTC)Re: hmmm...
Date: 2017-02-27 02:51 am (UTC)If you tell the server that you are allergic to turmeric, they should be able to help you make safe food choices. A good Indian restaurant will not be using "curry powder" out of a bottle. They will be blending their own spices, so they should know what is in the food. An Indian spice blend is called a masala, such as garam masala. That one usually doesn't include turmeric, but be aware that recipes vary. Madaras and curry paste usually do. Turmeric has a vivid yellow-orange color so watch out for things in that color range. Green or white dishes are thus more likely to be safe.
I found a few recipes that have no turmeric:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/45957/
http://www.indiacurry.com/lamb/
http://www.divinetaste.com/archives/
http://www.food.com/recipe/saffron-
Plain naan bread should not have turmeric either.
Re: hmmm...
Date: 2017-05-14 10:00 am (UTC)On the other hand going off it did let me recognize the difference in the way I felt. Which meant that *if I stopped to think about it* I could tell the difference between being "down" for a reason, and being "down" from the depression.
That was a good bonus from a bad situation.
I also got lucky when I finally got back on it a couple years ago. I got one well known side-effect. But it was one I'd heard about and it actually was something I didn't mind that much as it tied into some of my odder quirks. and it got better after a few months anyway. :-)
But I know I got lucky on all this.
I've had another drug where I was getting some not good side effects and didn't realize that until I had to quit taking (again, financial reasons).
They really need to find a way to make things clearer about some side effects (in my case, muscle aches and pains, I had them occasionally before I was on it, so it wasn't until I realized how abruptly they *stopped* after going off it that I realized that I was suffering the side effect.
When I got coverage again, I told the doctor and we tried a different med. It's working fine.
But I'm a lot more careful about side effects now, and a lot more willing to tell the doc if there's anything "off" just in case.
ps. after reading that bit about turmeric, I've made a note to try using curry more often. :-)
Re: hmmm...
Date: 2017-05-14 06:21 pm (UTC)That's good.
>> Sufficiently so that when I had to quit taking mine due to lack of money, I was able to tell the difference.<<
>_< America has the best health care in the world that almost nobody can afford.
>>On the other hand going off it did let me recognize the difference in the way I felt. Which meant that *if I stopped to think about it* I could tell the difference between being "down" for a reason, and being "down" from the depression.
That was a good bonus from a bad situation.<<
Point.
>>But I know I got lucky on all this.<<
Very true. I'm so happy that you have been this lucky!
>>They really need to find a way to make things clearer about some side effects (in my case, muscle aches and pains, I had them occasionally before I was on it, so it wasn't until I realized how abruptly they *stopped* after going off it that I realized that I was suffering the side effect.<<
If they told people more about the side effects, then fewer people would take the drugs. Since other people profit from selling those drugs, that creates a clear conflict of interest. Now add in the fact that many people are pressured or outright forced to take drugs, even if the side effects are bad for them. Doctors routinely violate informed consent by not mentioning risks and/or by issuing ultimatums that amount to "do whatever I say or you don't get any health care."
>>When I got coverage again, I told the doctor and we tried a different med. It's working fine.<<
That's good. It's how things should work. I'm glad to see it does for some people.
>>But I'm a lot more careful about side effects now, and a lot more willing to tell the doc if there's anything "off" just in case.<<
It's a great idea, if and only if you have a trustworthy doctor. In my observations, most are not. They don't care about you, they only care about the money, the rules, and getting their own way. Anything you say can and will be used against you. If you want off a drug because of the side effects, they may tell you it's that or nothing; if you want treatment for the side effects, they may take the drug away instead. You get no choice; they have a monopoly on prescription drugs. Obviously that undermines the quality of service and health, but they don't care about that; nobody's going to penalize them for it. They are assumed to be right simply because they're doctors.
And then they wonder why people don't tell them things. It's maddening.
Re: hmmm...
Date: 2017-05-14 07:08 pm (UTC)If they told people more about the side effects, then fewer people would take the drugs. Since other people profit from selling those drugs, that creates a clear conflict of interest. Now add in the fact that many people are pressured or outright forced to take drugs, even if the side effects are bad for them. Doctors routinely violate informed consent by not mentioning risks and/or by issuing ultimatums that amount to "do whatever I say or you don't get any health care."<<<
Not quite what I was getting at. They mentioned muscle pain as a side effect, but it would have really helped if I had had a better idea of what *level* and *frequency* of pain counted.
Oh yeah, another pet peeve about meds. I have had several that said "do not refrigerate". But they also said "do not store above 86F" Hey, I don't have an air conditioner. What the [censored] am I supposed to do, exactly?
If I get one of those again, I'm planning to write to the company and ask them just what folks are supposed to do. This is stuff that anyone with half a brain should realize needs to be considered.
>>>But I'm a lot more careful about side effects now, and a lot more willing to tell the doc if there's anything "off" just in case.<<
It's a great idea, if and only if you have a trustworthy doctor. In my observations, most are not. They don't care about you, they only care about the money, the rules, and getting their own way. Anything you say can and will be used against you. If you want off a drug because of the side effects, they may tell you it's that or nothing; if you want treatment for the side effects, they may take the drug away instead. You get no choice; they have a monopoly on prescription drugs. Obviously that undermines the quality of service and health, but they don't care about that; nobody's going to penalize them for it. They are assumed to be right simply because they're doctors.<<
Well, I had some real problems with my doctor when I was with [rhymes with "riser"]. I won't go into the list.
But now that I'm one the state's low income health plan, I've actually gotten a series of pretty good doctors at the nearest county health clinic.
I suspect that a lot of that is because they are usually fresh out of med school, and if they are working someplace like that, they aren't in it for the money.
I do note that the women listened better than the men, but even the men aren't that bad.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-03-04 04:45 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2017-03-04 08:28 am (UTC)Such groups actually do exist here, they just aren't nearly as common as in T-America. I've seen them. When I worked at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, we had some of the Rom working there, with their vardos parked off to one side. Also, a number of the vendors had a specific circuit where they always went to the same faires in the same order, and some of them would travel together. There were little clusters of generic rennies, too, who'd travel around together and take whatever work they could get at the next faire.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2017-03-04 11:40 pm (UTC)...okay, it'll be a pain in the ass pretty often too, but then, that's how life goes.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2017-03-05 12:34 am (UTC)It seems less common in SCA than in other Renaissance Faires, probably because the latter are more inclined to travel from one event to another throughout much of the year. However, you may find some SCA folks interested in the idea, especially if any of them have also worked other faires. There is some overlap.
>> ...okay, it'll be a pain in the ass pretty often too, but then, that's how life goes.<<
Follow the links, I included some on how to make a caravan work. Ideally, you want to find some people with experience in communal living. Doing it on the road is harder than in a house. Some further thoughts ...
* You really do need a caravan master, trail boss, or whatever you want to call it. Consensus decision making is fine on the flats, but on the road, only one vehicle can lead. Everyone needs to be willing and able to follow that driver's guidance.
* On the flats, it helps to check for group cohesion regarding decisions. Other communication skills are extremely valuable. Best I've found have been in polyamory texts, but you may turn up other resources. Anything for intentional community may help.
* Plan trips with travel routes and stops in advance. You will sometimes need to deviate from this, but a plan gives you something to aim for.
* It is usually easier to start on a small scale and build up. Two families/vehicles, then three or four. Two events, then more.
* If you have more than 2 vehicles, it is advisable to look up the convoy rules for whatever state(s) you plan to travel through.
I wish you luck with this, and would love to hear how it goes.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2017-03-05 03:09 am (UTC)We also celebrated my theory of We're Not In A Hurry, We Can Sleep In The Van by taking three days to get there (stopping at the VLA for a tour, & in Pie Town for pie) & two to get back (stopping at the Grand Canyon), which was lovely.
We're looking at getting a sales minion for the booth, so that'll bump it up to three people. I know who I want to get, but we have to see if he can work around his new trucking job.
...little by little.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2017-03-05 04:28 am (UTC)Woohoo! \o/ How exciting!
>> We also celebrated my theory of We're Not In A Hurry, We Can Sleep In The Van by taking three days to get there (stopping at the VLA for a tour, & in Pie Town for pie) & two to get back (stopping at the Grand Canyon), which was lovely.<<
That's a good plan. As your business grows, you can always invest in a larger vehicle with more amenities, which makes long trips more comfortable.
>> We're looking at getting a sales minion for the booth, so that'll bump it up to three people. I know who I want to get, but we have to see if he can work around his new trucking job. <<
:D That sounds like an excellent plan. I hope it works out for you.
>> ...little by little. <<
It really is safer and saner that way.
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