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Rafal the Unethical Psychologist - Part 3

HOW-TO: The Running of an Evil School

Disclaimer: Please Do Not Try This At Home.

Rafal has a habit of following studies done by other unethical psychologists who've earned such infamy that all Never pedagogy is driven by them. There are several few who've been elevated to the status of household names, known for their dastardly methods. All the Evil professors recognize them and their foremost publications at Rafal's behest.

Today, Sophie read from one of the academic journals he subscribes to.

Sophie: A new publication by an accredited Woods psychologist called Skinner has led me to believe we've been running our School all wrong these past few years! He's famed for his work in behaviorism in the field of education!

Rafal: Let me guess. Is he an Ever psychologist? Evers have such delicate, sensitive psyches. Even the slightest bit of trauma sets them off for years.

Sophie: By that name, he sounds like a Never. Besides, I just read that punishment only teaches students to avoid punishment. They become better at evading it by lying, so I don't think it's effective.

Rafal: But what we've done has been working, hasn't it? We've had successful alumni, aside from the 200-year curse.

Sophie: I suppose you could be right.

Rafal: Anyway, we don't want to eliminate or extinguish problematic behaviors. That may hold true for Evers, but for Nevers, undesirable consequences reinforce exactly what we are trying to teach. Evil is our aim, is it not?

We punish them so they become better liars and perpetrators. So they are stealthier and more cautious, more clever in their cheating.

We don't want pro-social behaviors from them! We don't want to elicit healthy, emotional regulation from them! That's the point, my love.

For a student to work hard and succeed, or for a student to cheat and succeed—there is little difference here at our School because our professors design classes to be cheating-proof, against traditional methods. Thus, succeeding by cheating already innately requires a student to possess some proficient level of stealthiness, of cleverness, of guile.

And, when you're a Never in the Woods, survival depends on results, not the means you use. That is our advantage over the Evers. They fuss about how they go about doing things and who they impact, but to Nevers—it doesn't matter.

Simply stated, they don't care about the unintended ramifications of their actions, as they rightly should, to best serve themselves and their endings.

They will do anything to emerge victorious, and we should pride ourselves on that fact, on their resourcefulness and the desperation that drives the darkest hearts.

Sophie: That's all well and good, darling. I know that already. You and your monologues. Same old, same old. [She feigns a yawn.] On an unrelated note, our School desperately needs a makeover. The Nevers' faces are positively scabrous, and I have half a mind to mandate facials, if they resist!

Rafal the Unethical Psychologist - Part 2

Further clarification on what exactly this actually is:

These posts are part of a loose AU collection that will consist of exactly what the title implies. The posts also kind of slice-of-life in a perverse way.

Most of the posts are headcanons, little snippets of scenes, or conversations, but they don't have enough plot or a structure to be a full-fledged story. It's just a vision, a collection of Rafal's musings, mishaps, misadventures, and miscalculations, concerning himself, the students, and his dubious teaching methods.

Also, these posts are largely intended to be humorous and satirical/hyperbolic in tone, sort of. You'll see.

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There will be some posts alluding to "experiments," trials, trial runs for new innovations, among other exercises in scientific rigor, all in order to sate Rafal's curiosity, and suit his personal interests—at least, according to the man himself.

At the discretion of Rafal's brother, "experiments" has been flagged with quotation marks, as he would've preferred the term: "criminal acts" or perhaps, "crimes against humanity."

The psychologist himself however has chosen to override this request, in what will be his latest publication, as according to him, Rhian is a "melodramatic pearl-clutcher," and constantly emits stricken gasps at a high frequency, especially for someone who should be accustomed to his brother's standard operating procedures.

Furthermore, to clear the air, Rhian isn't to be trusted as a reliable narrator of any forthcoming events. As such, readers should take Rhian's interjections of: "Horror. Oh, the horror" lightly.

Next, the term "mishaps" should be taken as "minor misunderstandings," "differences of opinion," or "split-perspectives."

Sophie herself refers to conflicts as: "a clash between you [Rafal], the epitome of sound judgment, and the Woods-Wide Scientific Institute's good sense. Your little tiffs and rows with them are absurd. They can find reason to quarrel about anything!"

Update: It's purported that Sophie has appended more to her previous statement: "Quite frankly, my role is exhausting! Storian knows what you've forced me to witness, stand trial to, mediate and mitigate. I've just about had enough of it, darling!"

Rhian Mistral was unable to comment during the time of the referenced press conference as he was too nauseated to speak. Thus, a written submission by him is pending.

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Bypassing dissenters' commentary, what could possibly go wrong? Nothing. Especially not with the victims, [hacking, wheezing cough, clears throat] ahem, students. My apologies.

Rhian: [with a long sigh] Freudian slip.

Rafal the Unethical Psychologist - Part 5

[Today’s feature article was titled: “How Strategic Incongruity and Cognitive Dissonance in Visuals Enhance Victims' Distress Levels," which Rafal read as one would the morning paper.]

Rafal: [grouchily] What a bore. As if I don’t already know that. Is that what institutions are squandering their money on these days?

[Sophie walks in, as if on cue.]

Rafal: Look, [He waves the paper in Sophie’s general direction.] we know this, no studies needed to prove it. [He glances over at Sophie in an airy, primrose pink gown and glass slippers.]

Sophie: [smirks at the headline]

Rafal: Why do you think I chose you for Evil? Your Evil is splendid, my love. Magnificent, alluring, the best disguise.

Sophie: Thank you, darling. [she preens] It's time someone acknowledged my genius—I’d make a phenomenal case-study, wouldn’t I?

Rafal: Interesting proposition, but I’m too hopelessly biased in your favor and bound to your whims to conduct any sort of experiment.

Sophie: Naturally. But say we did conduct one—where would we find someone new to scare?

Rhian: [from the other end of the table] Can't you two ever have a normal breakfast conversation without plotting?

Sophie: Hello 'voice of reason.' I don't recall inviting you into our high-minded dialogue.

Rhian: High-minded? Well, that's certainly one way to put it.

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Ok, to explain the joke here, if anyone would like more clarification: Sophie is basically the incarnation of cognitive dissonance, Evil yet Ever-like, deadly yet beautiful, which would probably cause an initial fog of confusion in the minds of unwitting victims.

Poor, angst-ridden Rafal... he looks great in that dim glow though.

unfinished thing of rafal.

i really like this one and wanted to finish it, but i woke up with the worst cold ever today and couldn't go along with my plan to finish it over the course of the next few days. still, i really enjoy this piece, and wanted to post it anyway.

The most correct and resonant thing I've heard anyone say all day, haha—

And I may have a few WIPs (if I finish them) lined up to sate that very need.

we need more rafal whump tbh