====== Pre-Op Psychological Assessment Record ====== A psychological assessment record of a patient prior to undergoing Happiness Surgery. ---- //Psychological consultation for members experiencing pre-op anxiety. The session has been archived per standard protocol. (Patient information has been anonymized for confidentiality.) The consultation record is as follows:// **Fulwish:**\\ Praise the Master of Elation! Is everyone having a //happy// day today? **Member A:**\\ I... I'm so happy. (uneasy, restless) **Fulwish:**\\ No, you're not //happy//. If you were, you wouldn't be here right now. Today I'm not speaking as the president of the Smiles Society. Think of me as just a normal friend, someone you can open up to about what's troubling you. **Member A:**\\ Lady... Fulwish... I'll admit, if it weren't for everyone at the Smiles Society, on the day I got laid off, I probably would've... But with your encouragement, I found a new job and even gained a new family. I think I should give it one more shot and try to find happiness through my own strength, instead of jumping straight into the surgery. **Fulwish:**\\ You're absolutely right. The Society isn't the IPC. We'd never force our members to do anything. Today's just a friendly chat between friends, so relax. Let's just talk about life, shall we? How's work been lately? Getting along with your coworkers? Is everyone //happy//? **Member A:**\\ ... Yeah, everyone's so happy, bursting with energy every single day, and it's all thanks to your help. But sometimes, I feel like we're from two different worlds. Whenever I'm exhausted and just want to sigh, I take one look at them and... it's like I'm doing something I'm not allowed to do. **Fullwish:**\\ I went through the same thing in the days right after the Bloodstained Games ended. Everyone was so kind, but the more help I accepted, the guiltier I felt. I was scared that if they saw even a hint of unease on my face, it would hurt them, too. I was scared that if I cried, it would make them sad. But that only made me lonelier, made me think that //misfortune itself was a kind of original sin//. **Member A:**\\ Yeah, I totally get that! It's like this vibe hanging over all of Planarcadia. Whether it's at the company, out ono the streets, or online... seeing everyone laughing and having a blast always makes me feel like I should join in, but... **Fulwish:**\\ Don't blame yourself. Pursuing //happiness// is human nature. It's precisely because you aren't happy enough that you yearn for that //world of happiness//, and you've mistaken that yearning for alienation. Picture this: everyone around you is laughing, but you're the only one in tears. Your wife and kids are happily chatting away nearby, while all you can do is heave a heavy sigh. Do you really want to turn your back no them? Or would you rather bask in that atmosphere of //happiness//, stand by their side, and share a laugh? Happiness is a divine gift, not something to be ashamed of. When it comes down to it, do you truly resist the //Happiness Surgery//? You simply having recognized your true self yet. Tell me, what is it you really want? **Member A:**\\ I want to... join them. I want to be happy.