you think I'm weak, I think you're wrong

“There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities; it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.”
~J. Michael Stravinski (said by Andreas Katsoulas, G'Kar's monologue from the Book of G'quan)

And, as a random aside...

[12:21] Lxxxxx Mxxxxxxx is officially going to the Special Hell.

Well, if it helps, you won't be alone.



Let's talk a little bit about F.E.A.R. That stands for Face Everything and Recover, and according to their destination blurb:

F.E.A.R stands for Face Everything and Recover. The region was created while experiencing some anxiety and used to resist that. It is a calming photogenic place with nature for relaxation, but also creative elements inside two houses for fun and aesthetics. There are several freebies in the big house for having some fun. More information about this region is at this link.

I've been to a great many 'psychological support' sims, for lack of a better word. And some of them are very calming places to wander, but almost all of them feel...somewhat sterile. Like zen gardens--pretty, but heavy on the artifice, the meditative organization aspect. This one? Doesn't have that feel, at least to me.



Some large part of this is mesh--as designers learned more about mesh, and designing/working within those restrictions and advantages, landscapers in general have been able to make much more organic forms. And texture artists have really stepped up their game. I can't ignore that I likely wouldn't have seen a sim like this back in 2009.



But stepping onto the dock past the beam-in point, and taking my first look around, it felt very much like standing in a living, thriving space. Nothing grabbed the eye as feeling strongly symmetrical, or cartoonish. It all looked, and felt...natural. That in itself can put us in a more relaxed mindset from go.



Do keep in mind that some of the furnishings have adult options, but it's a moderate sim. I'm fairly sure they don't want avatars rushing over and jumping on some of the sex sets for naked time. But I also know well that some of the sets with the best cuddles sometimes aren't PG pieces. We work with what we have.



If nothing else, this sim is a very good place to wander. There are scattered connected bridges, footpaths, piers, at least one rope swing, and a lot of places to sit and reflect, or cuddle, or simply rest. There are two homes I saw, and since freebies and toys were mentioned, I'm sure they can be found in one of those structures. But we could do far worse than taking some time, watching the rapids in the river, and engaging in some self-calming breathing exercises. If only for that, this sim is a success.