<Dudicon> You are a very private person!

<Melian> oh well, with the amount of people I've pissed off online, I'd rather play it safe

<Dudicon> Well you haven't pissed me off yet.

<Melian> because you and most of the people here are nearly like me, pissy and unprissy

<Dudicon> That's true.

<Melian> heh, glad you understand

<Melian> those ultra serious kind piss me off a bit

<Dudicon> Yes

<Dudicon> We have a couple people like that, but not many

<Melian> really?

<Dudicon> Well, we have one chick who is absurdly touchy.

<Melian> do tell, I love war stories

<Dudicon> I mean, she's generally pretty nice and all, but you have to tiptoe around her.

<Dudicon> Well, in case you didn't figure it out by now, this channel is linked to a forum

<Melian> which no one is linking me to in turn

<Melian> Or maybe I'm just being blind and ignorant again

<Melian> gah!

<Dudicon> A month or two back--I don't remember when it was exactly--I was bored and posted a thread in the forum congratulating her for getting pregnant

<Dudicon> She, of course, was not pregnant. Like I said, I was bored, and just wanted to post some bullshit

<Melian> um...

<Melian> You know, I do post a lot of shit online, but I never target a specific person

<Melian> Thats just wrong

<Dudicon> Meh, this community is tight-knit.

<Melian> How long was she on it?

<Dudicon> I've done exactly the same thing several times, and people just take it lightheartedly, even the subject of the joke going along with it just for the hell of it

<Dudicon> Usually just to confuse the noobs

<Dudicon> Her? Hmm, I don't know, two years or so maybe

<Melian> two years, so that would have meant she would have grown some semblance of trust with you people

<Dudicon> Yeah, as I say we're very tight-knit.

<Dudicon> I mean, I know her real name, where she lives, who she dates, what she does, etc.

<Dudicon> In fact, she dates someone who is also on the forum, and they actually MET through it

<Melian> Which would have made it all the more painful for her to know that someone from the community she trusts would post that sort of shit about her

<Melian> And seriously though, getting pregnant is no fucking joke

<Dudicon> No, obviously it isn't.

<Melian> fuck, I play wife for a DAY and it fucking exhausts me

<Dudicon> But she wasn't pregnant, and everyone on the forum *knew* she wasn't pregnant.

<Melian> did they?

<Dudicon> Yeah.

<Melian> you yourself said you knew who she was dating, so then lots would have

<Dudicon> Yes, everyone knows who she's dating.

<Melian> then fuck, I would have guessed that they were getting it on

<Dudicon> Well, no. He lives in England and she in California

<Dudicon> They've only met once.

<Melian> shiiiiit

<Melian> then that would have meant that she thought you were accusing her of cheating on him

<Melian> I've been cheated on, and it aint fucking pretty, which is why I moved to casual sex

<Dudicon> So have I.

<Dudicon> But the thread clearly wasn't implying anything like that

<Melian> Well fuck, I havent read the damn thread and *I* think you are implying it

<Melian> She mustave felt you stuck her into some deep shit

<Dudicon> I mean, would you congratulate someone for getting pregnant if they'd never even had sex with their long-term boyfriend, and

could have only gotten pregnant from someone else?

<Melian> FUCK NO

<Dudicon> Well, exactly

<Melian> But damn it, you're explaining it to me now, and it sure sounds like you were

<Dudicon> No, my point is, going by that assumption, you can assume that the thread implies she got pregnant from her boyfriend, if anyone

<Dudicon> But as I say, everyone knew she wasn't pregnant anyway, so it's pointless anyhow

<Dudicon> And even moreso because people had joked about her being pregnant here on the channel before, and nothing had come out of it.

<Dudicon> So no one had any reason to suspect she would be all of a sudden decide to be bothered by it where before she wasn't.

<Melian> dude, I joke and I post shit, but when it comes to relationships and pregnancy, I hold back, because it is a fucking sensitive issue

<Melian> I would have understood why she got so pissy about it

<Dudicon> Well I know it is, and I can understand how some of the things we do here might not look so nice to an outsider such as yourself. But, after all this went down, no one else on the channel, not even the other females, could understand why she was angry about it. It's just how the dynamics of our weird little community works.

<Melian> Then you must have defective females in here

<Melian> even someone like me who fucks anyone willing knows the consequences of unwanted pregnancy

<Dudicon> The thread itself even made it clear that it was a joke. At one point it said she had just found out, and then just afterwards says she is going to the hospital in labor right now.

<Melian> ..............

<Melian> fucking shit

<Melian> and how old IS she?

<Dudicon> hm. 19?

<Melian> my age

<Melian> fuck

<Melian> I'd be pissed too if someone said I was pregnant that young

<Dudicon> Even if it was clearly a light-hearted joke, and phrased in such a way as to make it clearly impossible and absurd?

<Melian> Yes

<Melian> You dont fucking joke about that

<Melian> It implies too many hurtful things for one person to take

<Dudicon> Besides, you seem to assume the thread made it sound like an unwanted pregnancy. It actually also made it quite clear that it was a joyous, and thoroughly planned (though completely fabricated) pregnancy

<Dudicon> "The happy couple is going to be bringing their first child into this world" etc., that kind of thing.

<Melian> Anyone who willingly wants to have a baby at 19 is more fucked up than I am

<Dudicon> Well, again, that's kind of beside the point because, you know. She wasn't really pregnant.

<Melian> But you were implying she was, which is hurtful in any context save if she was married to that guy

<Dudicon> Eh, it's a new world. There are plenty of couples who live together and purposefully have children, without being pregnant.

<Melian> how can you have kids without being pregnant?

<Dudicon> er.

<Dudicon> *without being married

<Melian> Was she able to read this thread herself, or did people tell her about it?

<Dudicon> Naturally she read it herself

<Dudicon> The thread died in a couple of days, and life went on as normal, everyone firmly convinced just as before that--as was true--she was NOT in fact pregnant.

<Melian> You sure? Because you said she was so totally pissed. If you had said specifically that it was a joke instead of assuming everyone knew it was, I would have thought she wouldnt be as pissed

<Dudicon> In the thread itself, I and the other people involved with the joke never explicitly said it was a joke, though we did say things absurd enough to make it clear it was one. On the channel, however, everyone discussed it openly as a total fabrication.

<Melian> and was she in there when that was happening?

<Dudicon> Of course

<Melian> shit

<Melian> But still Dud, this is *exactly* why you shouldnt joke about relationships, pregnancy and death, since so many fucking things can go wrong and you can really fucking hurt people

<Melian> Fuck it, I feel kinda hurt that you did that to her, and I wasnt even fuckin there!

<Melian> No wonder she was pissed

<Dudicon> Well of course I've apologized to her for it since then, several times in fact. But the fact remains that no one in the channel, people involved in the joke or not, had any suspicion that she would get upset, and while looking back on it it's a shame that she did, and I feel bad about upseting her, there was no way for any of us to predict it and nothing really that can be done about it now.

<Melian> No shit, I wouldnt forgive you either if you were all like "It was a joke, fucking deal with it"

<Melian> I wont fucking deal with it, because YOU started it

<Melian> Especially when there was no clear reason why she deserved it

<Dudicon> Nah, that's not how it went down. There were genuine apologies, but frankly the community is starting to get a bit impatient with her because she simply won't accept any explanation other than "You were all trying to hurt me and be very cruel"

<Dudicon> And it's not helped by the fact that since then, she's displayed continued over-sensitivity to things.

<Dudicon> Like, swear to god, just the other day she claimed she was almost raped because when she was 15 she had heard that some guy thought she was attractive.

<Melian> oh, I would be fucking sensitive too when people I've known for a few years stab me in the chest for no clear cut reason other than to do it for fun

<Melian> Believe me, I cant view christians the same after having bad brushes with them, even though I *know* there are semsible ones out there

<Dudicon> She also continues to insist that she was stabbed in the heart with a sword once because someone hit her with a bamboo stick in the chest.

<Dudicon> I'm not making this up.

<Melian> Getting hit there literally isnt a joke either. One of my cousins got sent to the ER since the pitcher slipped at hit him square in the chest

<Melian> He nearly fucking died

<Dudicon> Yeah. Getting hit in the chest hurts, and can be dangerous.

<Melian> dangerous is an understatement

<Dudicon> But that still doesn't explain where she gets the idea that someone poking her with a bamboo stick was the same as "getting stabbed in the heart with a sword". Her words.

<Melian> ok, how the fuck would she be getting hit with stick or sword anyways? I do know that they *do* make swords out of bamboo, and that they can be deadly if something happens

<Melian> one of my cousins takes kendo

<Melian> Does she?

<Dudicon> She does this Renaissance sword-fighting roleplay thing.

<Melian> holy shit! Thats worse!

<Dudicon> They use... I forget what they're called, practice swords which are actually bamboo sticks with rubber tips.

<Melian> I've heard about them, SCA I think. Those swords are FUCKING HEAVY

* Dudicon shrugs

<Dudicon> Never handled one.

<Melian> I have. No doubt that shit must be painful if someone is hit in the chest. especially a girl. Boobs are hella sensitive

<Melian> And thats not ordinary bamboo either, its SOLID

<Dudicon> Oh yes. I realize how sensitive breasts are, and I have no doubt it hurt.

<Dudicon> The point is, she matter-of-factly believes she was literally *stabbed* in the *heart* with a *sword*.

<Melian> Dudi, I've seen the SCA fight, their definition of *poke* is the same as a home run hit

<Melian> I can only imagine what *stab* must be

<Dudicon> Stab means a sharp object piercing the skin and flesh.

<Dudicon> A big rubber tip on the end of a stick can't do that.

<Melian> A small white leather ball isnt supposed to kill people either

<Dudicon> Yeah, but it can.

<Melian> However you call it, I bet she was seriously hurt, and knowing how those fuckers fight, I wouldnt be surprised if she thought she was going to die

<Dudicon> She wasn't seriously hurt. As I say, I'm quite sure it must have been painful, but she went to the doctor afterwards, who told her she was perfectly fine except for a minor bruise.

<Melian> But still, that was *afterwards* I bet she never told you how she felt immediately *after* she got hit

<Dudicon> She did, more or less. The gist of it was "Man, this really hurts"

<Dudicon> And I have plenty of sympathy for people getting hurt. I don't like it anymore than the next person. It's just the bizarre claims about being stabbed in the heart that make the whole thing weird

<Melian> Oh yeah, when I suffer something that might possibly be fatal, the first thing I tell all my friends is "OMG I'M GONNA FUCKING DIE'

<Melian> Seriously, you having never seen, let alone FOUGHT those fuckers, how can you possibly understand what mustave been going through her head?

<Melian> This one dude I remember seeing was hit in the HEAD and he was unconcious for a good while

<Dudicon> I've seen people like them fight. And I've seen a lot worse things. And I've been in fights myself.

<Dudicon> I don't see what what was going through her head has to do with anything.

<Melian> Honestly, if she thought she was going to die, and turned to this community for support and you put her down like that....

<Dudicon> I used to play lacrosse, and I've seen people get knocked unconscious several times.

<Dudicon> You're missing the point entirely.

<Melian> The point is you cant see why she's making a big deal about being stabbed in the heart with a sword

<Melian> When in reality it means the same exact thing as thinking she was about to die

<Dudicon> We were perfectly willing to lend her whatever support she needed for being wanged in the chest with a bamboo stick. It wasn't like she was suffering from some kind of panic attacks about the event afterwards, or acted as though she needed our support at all. She just told it as a story. The point is, when she told the story, it went "So I was stabbed in the heart with a sword", instead of "So I was hit in the chest with a stick".

<Dudicon> It's like if I told you "Man, a few years back, I was in Africa and a lion attacked me and nearly killed me", when the truth was "I was at my friends house and his cat bit me"

<Melian> Dudi, those dudes *never* call their weapons *sticks*. If they use it as a sword, then it is a sword

<Dudicon> Swords are sharp and pointy.

<Melian> Which would be quite excelent for a reenactment group

<Dudicon> They call them swords because they like to pretend they're actual Renaissance swordfighters. Which is fine by me, I guess, it's not really my gig. But you don't go out into the general public and start claiming you were actually stabbed with a sword.

<Melian> How long ago was she hurt compared to the time she joined?

<Dudicon> I think she was hurt about a year ago. Not sure entirely, at least six months.

<Melian> and she joined *two* years ago?

<Dudicon> Roughly. I don't know dates well.

<Dudicon> Don't remember them well, that is.

<Melian> Well, I'm not her, so I dont know how she would have taken it, but I've been part of chats and forums for mere *months* before I felt like they were more like private communities that I can spill anything to than just the 'general public' as you put it

<Dudicon> Okay, wait, she joined three years ago, apparently

<Dudicon> Aug 29 2004

<Melian> Shit the

<Melian> 3 fucking years?!

<Dudicon> Yes

<Dudicon> I've been on the board for 4 and a half years

<Melian> And dont you feel like its somewhat like a family?

<Dudicon> Most of the people you'll talk to on the channel have been around for between two and five years

<Dudicon> Though there's always a contingency of noobs

<Melian> holy fucking shit....

<Dudicon> Of course I do

<Dudicon> The board was created in Fall of 02, so we're approaching the five year anniversary for a few people

<Melian> Dudi, if she hasnt been spilling all sorts of shit to you by now, then I dont know

<Dudicon> She has been.

<Dudicon> In fact, she and I used to talk via PM like this, about personal issues.

<Melian> and no doubt she probably comes here for support, or just rave about shit thats been going on in her life?

<Dudicon> Yes, just like all of us

<Melian> shiiiit

<Melian> regardless of how you view the whole stabbing shit thing, the mere fact that she told you about it meant it was important for her to share it with you, and that she was hoping you guys would care

<Melian> especially after being there for 3 fucking years

<Melian> I'm sure she's beginning to trust some of you guys very much

<Dudicon> She didn't tell us about it in a seeking-support way. She told us about it in a "man, guess what happened to me, I gotta tell you guys this story" way

<Dudicon> If she wanted support, she would have gotten plenty of it. We have plenty to go around.

<Melian> Isnt that the point of a story? to get people to care?

<Dudicon> You have to understand, most of us are on here every day of our lives. We just talk about every random thing that goes on, like friends in real life do, because we have nothing better to do.

<Melian> Harry Potter never told people "you have to care about me beause the dark lord nearly killed me" but his story was so compelling that millions cared about him anyways

<Melian> maybe she was going for that

<Melian> I maybe a spammer, but in order to be good at it I at least have to know the material that I spam

<Dudicon> Well I mean, obviously we gave support in the form of "damn, that must of hurt, but cool that you're okay". But not like "Man, that must have been such a traumatic experience, we're here for you". Because that's not what she was looking for.

<Melian> Maybe, maybe not, I dont fucking know, I'm not her

<Melian> But really, getting hurt like that, maybe she was unsure how to say it because she didnt know how serious it was at the time?

<Dudicon> She didn't tell any of us the story until well after she knew there was nothing wrong with her other than a bruise.

<Melian> Thats it then! If she thought she was going to die, she didnt want you all to worry until she knew for herself

<Dudicon> :|

<Dudicon> She went to the doctor immediately afterwards.

<Dudicon> Who told her she was perfectly fine.

<Dudicon> She may have been worried just after it had happened, but if she was we wouldn't have had any way to know about it in the first place, even if she had wanted us to

<Melian> But still, it would have been traumatic, and maybe she spiced up the story for extra support?

<Melian> She got hurt, she told you guys, that automatically means she wanted your support no matter how corny her story was

<Dudicon> I don't know why she spiced up the story, frankly. But all evidence points to her just wanting us to think she's a badass and a real sword-fighter.

<Dudicon> Past evidence supports this conclusion.

<Melian> past evidence?

<Melian> Dudi, seriosuly, the way you talk about this girl suggests you've been paying her an abnormal ammount of attention

<Dudicon> What do you mean?

<Melian> Did you have a crush on her or something?

<Dudicon> Not that I know of.

<Dudicon> Like I say, this is just a close community, and the regulars know a lot about each other.

<Melian> She mustave been quite a regular

* Dudicon shrugs

<Dudicon> There's a lot of people who are quite regular.

<Melian> What past evidence are you talking about?

<Dudicon> She has a history of making things up or exaggerating just to--as far as I can tell--get attention.

<Melian> I demand evidence :P

<Dudicon> Well, like as I said earlier. She mentioned once that she was almost raped when she was 14 or 15. Naturally, everyone was all "Shit, really? That's not good. What happened?" etc., but when she finally explained the situation it turned out that "almost being raped" meant she had heard a rumor that one of her classmates thought she was attractive.

<Melian> at 14? When I was that age, I saw any guy hitting on me as an attack on my self

<Melian> Maybe because I was raised by conservatives...

<Melian> Did she elaborate? Were they following her and shit?

<Dudicon> According to her, she just heard a rumor that this guy had said she was attractive.

<Dudicon> He wasn't following her or hitting on her.

<Melian> If it was just 'attractive' then hell, why would she get scared?

<Melian> Wait, was this before or after the pregnancy thing?

<Dudicon> As I say, it happened when she was 15, so some years back

<Dudicon> She only mentioned it the other day though

<Dudicon> Like, not more than two days ago

<Melian> Dudi, if she mentioned it *after* that pregnancy thing, I'm betting she realized she couldnt trust you with her shit like she used to, and maybe changed the story last-minute, otherwise, she wouldnt have bothered mentioning it in the first place

<Dudicon> Well I won't deny that may be a possibility, but based on what I know about her, and the situation, and how she told the story, I think it's extremely unlikely

<Dudicon> She didn't just tell it to me anyway. She told it to the whole channel. I just happened to be here.

<Melian> well, same thing, if she felt she couldnt trust the whole channel, then she probably changed the shit before it hit the fan

<Dudicon> Well it's possible, as I say.

<Melian> hell, I woulndt trust you guys if you pulled that shit on me

<Melian> and I am the one who usually turns on the fan for the shit to fly

<Dudicon> Look.

<Dudicon> Bottom line is, there's been no ill will against her from me. There was a joke that ended badly when it wasn't supposed to, and it's a shame that happened, it really is. I've apologized to her since then, but that's the extent of the guilt I can feel over the incident considering.

<Melian> meh, people react differently to different situations. I would have assumed you have at least thought about how she would react to that joke after you've known her for so long

<Melian> meh, people react differently to different situations. I would have assumed you have at least thought about how she would react to that joke after you've known her for so long

<Dudicon> Well I did.

<Dudicon> I wouldn't have made the joke in the first place if I had thought she would react badly to it.

<Dudicon> It just turned out I predicted wrong, as did a number of other people.

<Melian> sucks for you then. I like to push people *hence being banned* but I know how far I am willing to go. My goal is annoyance only, not something that can be harmful

<Melian> because fuck, it sucks to get hurt

<Dudicon> Well my goal wasn't even annoyance.

<Dudicon> It was just shits and giggles.

<Melian> now you know not to fuck around with topics like that

<Melian> seriously, you've made me feel angry just talking about it to me

<Dudicon> Well, at least not with her. And now I know not with you, either.

<Dudicon> But none of the other females in our community have reacted like that to similar things

<Melian> That girl may have been a pain in the fucking ass, but she still is human, and she does have a bullshit tolerance like the rest of us I'm sure

<Melian> Maybe her's was set to 'low' or 'medium'

<Dudicon> She wasn't a pain in the ass.

<Melian> you were making it sound like that

<Melian> but that wasnt my point

<Dudicon> She's just a bit crazy at times.

<Melian> Everyone is different, you cant assume everyone will react to the same things the same way you do

<Dudicon> Of course not.

<Dudicon> But that doesn't mean I can't sometimes assume they will.

<Melian> Oh well, you know now that you fucked up big time