I would most likely experament on my own- I might tell some of my fellow inflation fans...
What would you do?
Consider this question a call for input to a story I'm working on.
If the universe were just slightly askew and you suddenly discovered by some means that you could actually inflate yourself like a balloon on command and float away, would you tell someone or would you keep it a secret (and how)? Would you assume that there may be others out there like yourself and try to find them?
Now, obviously, there's an allegorical bent to my question, but I'm interested in finding out what really might happen. Be realistic in your thinking - there are no aliens, magical beings (besides you, depending on how you obtained your gift), or shadowy government organizations operating above the law populating this slightly askew universe. You won't find yourself kidnapped and tied to conveyor belt with an evil bald guy monologuing about your inevitable defeat as he aims a "LASER" at you - the only difference is that you (and maybe others) have this gift/curse. You still have to get up in the morning, go to work, and support yourself at some dead-end job in this otherwise mundane world, just like everyone else.
How would people react to such a thing - those you know and the public in general? If you told someone, who would it be? Would anybody believe you, even if you demonstrated it for them? What would be the consequences of being discovered? Would you really want to be discovered?
-Sven
Sun, 08/12/2007 - 18:29
#3
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 06:41
#4
Inflate123
Sievert and I talked at length about the "reality" of the fantasy when we were working on Remote Possibilities. That was the goal, to ground this fantasy scene in a more believable world. All we really worked on were the reactions of the inflatee.
I would likely play it out the way I have handled my fetish: I've experimented on my own and I have "come out" to a very few select people in real life. Online, I find the freedom to seek out other information and find like-minded weirdos. But if I woke up tomorrow and suddenly found myself with an ability straight out of my fantasies, I would keep it to myself, because I don't think there's any real reason for other people to know. I wouldn't want to be labeled a circus freak and I don't think I'd have anything to gain by showing my powers to the public.
I would be tempted to work with science/medical folks to see if they could determine a cause and/or help other people who might have the same issue, realizing that not everybody would be so thrilled...
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 06:46
#5
Auriga
If properly handled, this could be source of money and fame. Just need a good company (media support).
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 09:52
#6
dragon_6860
Hmm...an intresting question. *Warning! Math and sociology rant incoming!*
Let's assume that...oh, .0001% of the population has this power. If i read you right, it just kinda appears one day, a person can inflate, just by thinking about it, right? maybe if you use a tank or something you can inflate with other stuff, but, base point, out of 6.5 billion, 650,000 other people have it. That's not very many, but it's enough.
Now, Lets assume that out of that even less, say, .001 are actual inflation fetishists. That leaves 650 people who have the power, and also would actually try to use it *Rant Over!*
That is the most important thing, I'd imagine, From what you're saying, and again, i could be wrong, this power is totally controllable. if that were the case, the vast majority of people would never use it. Sure, maybe some by accident, but I mean, how many times a day do you try to inflate yourself, just in case you got powers?
I think the average person wouldn't know about it, or would ignore it, save maybe some girls who would use it to increase their curves slightly. ANYWHO, getting back on point, I've never been one for self infaltion, so dunno how i would react. In reality, the people who can inflate, would probaly not know about it, or ignore it for the majority. But who knows, with the willy ways of human nature?
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 18:00
#7
Well, I'm not into male inflation...and being male myself, I probably would not make use of this power, except maybe ballooning my throat to attract a mate.
...Yeah.
But I would try to find other people. Of course I'd try to be discreet, but I'd imagine something would come up like a spectacular show in Vegas, "The Amazing Ballooning Woman" or something. So of course, I would journey there (and catch a Penn & Teller show during the stay) to see if she knows other people who have this unique ability as well...once everyone is found, we would...um...
Hell, what WOULD we do? Fight crime? Might be viable...
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 21:00
#8
doubleintegral
Vertigo wrote:
Well, I'm not into male inflation...and being male myself, I probably would not make use of this power
I'm in the same boat.
However, if my wife had this power...
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 21:30
#9
darth_clone19
well, when you discover a power in yourself, whther you are into it sexually barely comes to mind dont you think?
Mon, 08/13/2007 - 23:22
#10
darth_clone19 wrote:
well, when you discover a power in yourself, whther you are into it sexually barely comes to mind dont you think?
True. But even then, I'd probably use it to be a dick somehow or other. :P
Tue, 08/14/2007 - 00:13
#11
SvenS
Okay, so as Double Integral suggests, let's turn the tables. What if someone you know approached you, asking for your confidence in a little secret they had and then told you about it. For the sake of argument, assume that you knew nothing about BI and had never heard of it up until then. Otherwise, (and I know that I'm taking a *wild* guess here) I'm fairly certain of the response. If it helps, think in terms of if this person said they were from another dimension or a time traveler (instead of self inflation) - same reality rules apply as above.
Would you think it's a joke? Would you think that they were crazy?
Tue, 08/14/2007 - 02:35
#12
darth_clone19
Id need proof. Even then, Id be skeptical, cuz they may be pulling a scooby-doo on me or something.
Tue, 08/14/2007 - 07:10
#13
Inflate123
Proof needed. And I'd think they were nuts until I saw it.
Wed, 08/15/2007 - 03:24
#14
SvenS
Ahhhh - and *after* the proof?
What if turned out that they could, uh, share their newfound gift with you?
Wed, 08/15/2007 - 06:06
#15
dragon_6860
Hm...Well, if people could "share" that gift, I could see a large business of breast augmentation, or other kinds of body modifacation. It'd be easier and probaly cheeper than a boob job.
Wed, 08/15/2007 - 17:41
#16
I'd get those lessons in clowning I've been wanting to take for years, develop my tramp clown character, and use the ability as part of skits.
If I could do it to others, not just myself, I'd think about going into performance art. Or possibly becoming a therapist, inflating my clients as part of psychological therapy/roleplay to help them cope with their more mundane problems.
Wed, 08/15/2007 - 22:37
#17
I wouild keep it to myself, but will experiment a lot. Most certainly will not pop myself--probably.
Thu, 08/16/2007 - 23:30
#18
SvenS
Murkstorm wrote:
...possibly becoming a therapist, inflating my clients as part of psychological therapy/roleplay to help them cope with their more mundane problems.
Ahhh - but that goes to the heart of my first question. Again, remember that most people would never have never heard of such a thing (many don't even believe that this fetish really exists), let alone some odd, real life manifestation of it. I know that if I walked into a therapist's office and such a thing was suggested or started happening, I would honestly freak-out and leave, never to return.
And then, if you suggested/tried such a thing to enough patients, eventually it would get out that you were doing weird, unorthodox, or possibly unethical things and would be exposed. At that point, would anyone actually believe that you had this ability or would they believe that the truth is you somehow drugged or tricked people to take advantage of them?
And THEN, if you had to prove to the world this ability in order to stay out of trouble, of those who didn't choose to disbelieve their lyin' eyes, would you really want the exposure?
Fri, 08/17/2007 - 06:34
#19
SvenS wrote:
At that point, would anyone actually believe that you had this ability or would they believe that the truth is you somehow drugged or tricked people to take advantage of them?And THEN, if you had to prove to the world this ability in order to stay out of trouble, of those who didn't choose to disbelieve their lyin' eyes, would you really want the exposure?
I'm not sure I'd want the exposure, true. But the look on some reporters' face when the man he assumed was a huckster really made a balloon out of him on camera could be worth it.
And on the other hand, a stay at a mental hospital might be good for me.
Fri, 08/17/2007 - 15:47
#20
darth_clone19
Well, he might be like a holistic guru. Few people know where to go, most think he is a hack. Its up to the next patient visiting him to decide that for herself :)
Mon, 09/10/2007 - 07:30
#21
SvenS
darth_clone19 wrote:
This sounds like Heroes with the inflation twist.
Ha. Funny you should say that - I had not watched any of the episodes until this weekend and had just a vague idea of what the show was about. Honestly, I didn't know the full extent of the plot when I first posted the topic. It never fails: every time I think I've come up with something original, it turns out somebody else has thought of it already.
I guess the biggest difference between my little "what if" question and the show would be the absence of the shadowy government operation and maybe the lack of some dastardly plot that must be foiled.
Sun, 09/16/2007 - 00:10
#22
Inflate123
I don't care if you call it Inflation Heroes, dude. Don't let the existence of something similar stop you. :)
Sun, 09/16/2007 - 21:21
#23
darth_clone19
Inflation Heroes....you may have stirred something in my imagination haha
Mon, 03/31/2008 - 09:45
#24
I'd experiment but I'd keep it real quiet, only revealing my adventures through stories passed off as fiction at a website dedicated to folks with a taste for body inflation.
Pongo
Tue, 04/01/2008 - 20:29
#25
JSK00
I probably would experiment first, then make it look like I went in for some expensive surgery for breast enhancement to achieve androgyny. Or, I might wait until I find a girl who also can do so. If we love each other, we can get married, move away, and show off our bodies to each other. If not, well at least we have that thing in common, and so go Platonic.
Whichever way, I'm sure I'll be against exploitation by the masses.
Tue, 04/01/2008 - 22:18
#26
pongo wrote:
I'd experiment but I'd keep it real quiet, only revealing my adventures through stories passed off as fiction at a website dedicated to folks with a taste for body inflation.
Pongo
Very clever. :D
This sounds like Heroes with the inflation twist.
Id research it, and if I found that there is the possibility that others may be like me, Id try to find them. But, theres the possibility that what made me this way, might have been something that happened to me, and not entirely natural. So Id go over my pityful existence and try to deal with it. Afraid of telling others.
Id tell my girlfriend, after Im confident about my abilities, and look to her for support. Id trust her to keep it a secret, cuz Id be afraid that my comfortable, simpleton life might be turned upside down if others, less trustworthy people, knew. People like those idiots at work. And if you worked in a media heavy place, I think you would be more careful about who you tell, if you tell anyone at all.
- Read my stories: darth-clone19.deviantart.com