Powers borne through suffering

[3guanoff]

The power to teleport.

It would have allowed me to escape the violence without resorting to greater violence.
Yet it would not eliminate the violence or guilt. The guilt would still be that of a coward. Instead of a brutal, vile coward it would be the guild of a timid, selfish coward. The selfishness of wanting to preserve your life above all else would remain.

The world would remain as violent as it ever was. And I would still be a drunk, if for different reasons.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

You didn't specify it has to be convoluted. ?‍

I shouldn't need to, because more than a single word does not a convoluted power make. It's supposed to be a personal power that is twisted based off of your own personal trauma or traumatic events that you can actually see yourself likely to experience, not a singular concept that is so broad as to be undefinable.
Now you're just being nitpicky to troll with me.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

My body automatically falls asleep when it needs sleep and can't be woken up no matter what.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

My body automatically falls asleep when it needs sleep and can't be woken up no matter what.

But that deals with the sleep deprivation caused by the baby after childbirth, rather than the traumatic event of childbirth itself (which is presumably the traumatic event you are thinking of). Perhaps you're thinking of a different event though, like being roofied and waking in the midst of something like that, in which it is certainly twisted enough in that context.
I'm curious as to how fittingly personal this is or whether this is part of the 'I'd argue that dealing with raising children is a traumatic event' meme.

 

[ElijahRyne]

What's a traumatic event you could feasibly go through or have gone through?

Don't tell me! Just keep the event in mind.

Now, if you received a power that lets you prevent the traumatic event from happening again, but doesn't solve the root problem of the traumatic event, what would you get?

For example, the worst day of my life was when my sister betrayed me, manipulated by my mom in a fashion that made my identity and worldview crumble. The power I would receive would make it so others see me how I want to be viewed, but it does nothing to actually make my identity problems go away. It would prevent this betrayal, this traumatic event, by forcing others to align with my perceptions.
But in the end, it wouldn't solve the root problem: my body.
Instead, it would be a sick, revolting power that does nothing to truly help. It would even make things worse. Worse, it infringes on the right of other's mental sovereignty.

I want hear the twisted powers that would be born from your suffering, the nasty ones that would exacerbate your suffering by being a monkey's paw. Are you able to create such powers or are you too tied to making positive ideation for the future?

The ability to always be breathing, and to never die because of the quality of breath. Doesn’t mean I don’t have difficulty breathing, or any of the side effects. Just that I can’t be killed due to my throat swelling up, suffocation, drowning, etc.

 

[FlutterOfCrows]

The ability to produce droplets containing stimulations and desires I dislike, like stress or anxiety. it does not stop them from occurring, it only serves as a outlet to remove them. And anyone who touches the droplets experiences a lesser form of that experience, let alone those who drink it and experience the full effect. Becoming a literal fountain of the negative experiences.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

It's endless motivation, not endless time, energy, or resources. Cursed to have the desire to do all things but the burden to choose only few.

Man, I may already have that one...

Most of my bad experiences involved fear, so the power would likely be a complete absence of fear, including any linked self-defense traits.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

But that deals with the sleep deprivation caused by the baby after childbirth, rather than the traumatic event of childbirth itself (which is presumably the traumatic event you are thinking of). Perhaps you're thinking of a different event though, like being roofied and waking in the midst of something like that, in which it is certainly twisted enough in that context.
I'm curious as to how fittingly personal this is or whether this is part of the 'I'd argue that dealing with raising children is a traumatic event' meme.

I have PTSD (actually diagnosed) from my ex-boyfriend keeping me awake all night yelling when he was on meth in 2014. He never hit me, but sleep deprivation is physical abuse. I got married in 2018 and gave birth in 2021. I get triggered when a grown-ass adult wants to keep me up past my desired bedtime or interferes with my bedtime routine. I'm bigger and stronger than the kid, so if he abuses me, I can hold him securely with his back to my tummy so I don't get kicked and punched until he chills out. Hitting and kicking is developmentally normal for toddlers. It's up to adults to show the child that that behavior is not appropriate in our culture. Another strategy I use if I'm not trying to sleep is to say, "Oh, you must be trying to kill me and eat me. After you eat me, I will be all gone, and I will not be able to make milk for you anymore." I got that idea from the "drama" tool in "Hunt, Gather, Parent" by Michaeleen Doucleff.

Also:
How Cosleeping Can Help You and Your Baby (berkeley.edu)

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

I have PTSD (actually diagnosed) from my ex-boyfriend keeping me awake all night yelling when he was on meth in 2014. He never hit me, but sleep deprivation is physical abuse. I got married in 2018 and gave birth in 2021. I get triggered when a grown-ass adult wants to keep me up past my desired bedtime or interferes with my bedtime routine. I'm bigger and stronger than the kid, so if he abuses me, I can hold him securely with his back to my tummy so I don't get kicked and punched until he chills out. Hitting and kicking is developmentally normal for toddlers. It's up to adults to show the child that that behavior is not appropriate in our culture. Another strategy I use if I'm not trying to sleep is to say, "Oh, you must be trying to kill me and eat me. After you eat me, I will be all gone, and I will not be able to make milk for you anymore." I got that idea from the "drama" tool in "Hunt, Gather, Parent" by Michaeleen Doucleff.

Also:
How Cosleeping Can Help You and Your Baby (berkeley.edu)

That power is certainly fittingly personal and twisted for you. My apologies for making you feel like you had to defend yourself. I overstepped in making an assumption. I hope I didn't hurt you in expressing curiosity for painful memories. I shouldn't have done so, especially when I made it part of the premise of my prompt that I wouldn't probe.
Sincerely sorry.

On the more positive side, I enjoy your earlier comment/the power you chose with a newfound appreciation for the thought you put into it and your attempt to seriously answer the prompt under the parameters I set. You've definitely put one of the most fitting entries.

 

[theInmara]

Long slow permanent shapeshifting to a new form that brings immense relief. The drawback: society fucking hates it, and attacks anyone who exhibits the power with endless bigotry.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Abstinence.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

That power is certainly fittingly personal and twisted for you. My apologies for making you feel like you had to defend yourself. I overstepped in making an assumption. I hope I didn't hurt you in expressing curiosity for painful memories. I shouldn't have done so, especially when I made it part of the premise of my prompt that I wouldn't probe.
Sincerely sorry.

On the more positive side, I enjoy your earlier comment/the power you chose with a newfound appreciation for the thought you put into it and your attempt to seriously answer the prompt under the parameters I set. You've definitely put one of the most fitting entries.

It's OK. It helps to occasionally talk about it and remember how far I've come since then. It's worthwhile to reflect on that to appreciate what I have now. My husband is certainly not perfect, but he's very honest and willing to work on himself. We've both had individual therapy and family therapy. My ex-boyfriend just scoffed at my psychology minor and insisted that it wasn't a real science. He was indulging in meth every time I went to visit my parents, and I was seeking treatment for depression while I was visiting my parents. It's like another lifetime ago now. 2009-2014.

 

[x50000]

Emotion