CW: Therapy, Mental Illness Castlevania's lore is focused on the Belmont family and their duty to protect the world from monsters and vampires. Generations of Belmonts have served to defeat Dracula and we highlight Simon in his journey from Castlevania 1 & 2. Maria and I discuss Simon's trauma, the unique narrative of men sharing emotion when societal narratives deeply discouraged men showing emotions other than anger. This has changed a little in the past 30 years but we still have a long ways to go. If you need emergency help with mental illness, please contact the National Suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Also, please seek therapy if you are noticing any symptoms. Life is very difficult and our circumstances as a society are steadily becoming more stressful. We also know there is a lot of privilege in this statement as mental health care is not easily accessible for everyone. However, we want to provide a base reflection from our own experiences and work with the community on how we actually create better conditions for people to access the care they need. This is the beginning of a conversation, not the end. Phenomena Gaming has a lot of goals for 2024 and we are excited to meet you as we start going to some local conventions. Our dream of a gaming focused worker cooperative will take all of us to want better conditions in gaming employment. We hope you will join this journey with us in 2024.