If you’re a bit too far from stage to tell which of the three guitarists is actually a bassist, and can’t make out the headstock to count the strings, just look for which player is having the best time. Always works
(Band is Bipolar Weather from southern AZ)
I can’t imagine how people can be so grumpy/hostile in VC straight away, before the game even starts!
Like, we’re playing a video game, dude! We are here to have fun! Why are you even here if you’re in such a sour mood? Is this your baseline?
I don’t understand :/
I've been told by a variety of people that I'm a good listener. Not only that, but I've been in the place you very well might be right now. I like to think that while we can't go back and change things we've been through, we can at least try and ensure we haven't been through them for nothing.
I don't know everything, and don't want to imply that I can understand what it is that brought you here, because I can't; all I can say is that whatever it is you're facing, you can make something good out of it. And if you need someone to help you find your way, I'm here.
I believe in you, friend :D even if you don't!
I'm sitting here, day after empty summer day, trying to better myself with the free time I've been graced with between semesters; but no amount of reading or exercise or music practice can satisfy that one craving I've always had: people.
I've always liked people. When the weather was nicer, this past spring, I would spend my off days walking ~6 miles to the nearest bus stop so I could just ride the line and interact with strangers. That was a decent use of time; it made me better at my day job, at least, because I got more and more comfortable with initiating conversations with strangers.
But now, in the summer? Between semesters? It's hell out there. By 9 AM it's already nearing 100 degrees: you can't just walk around and chat with strangers on the street. And there are no "third spaces" in this suburb, where you can go just to mingle and meet people. The closest thing to that would be going to some bar, spending way too much money on drinks, and getting in my head over trying to be outgoing while doing my best to not make anyone uncomfortable.
But tonight, while trying to learn the bass line to Australia by The Shins (by ear, since I want to get better at doing that,) I get a discord friend request:
Anime pfp,
generic, uwu-esque/feminine-sounding handle,
no mutual servers,
account age just shy of 2 years
no trace of an identity anywhere else on the internet
They speak vaguely, asking "why aren't you talking in game?" without mentioning anything specific. When I respond, clarifying that they've likely added me by mistake, they're amiable. And not just that, but they go on to introduce themselves; as if they were so intent on fixing a comms issue in a multiplayer game one second, but have ample time to talk to a random stranger the next.
They say they're 26. "Odd," I think; "I'd figure a scammer would try and pose as a younger woman, no?" But that's just me making assumptions about the demographics they're likely targeting. I'd think a honeypot targeting lonely losers on discord would be served better by posing as some barely-legal femboy or MPDG. 26 just seems so odd, partly because it would put us just one year apart.
Makes me wonder how "random" this friend request is; maybe there's some database out there that has my discord handle lagged with a birthday. Hells, in 2026, it's likely there's some board out there where it's all been laid out together as nicely as possible, all for the purpose of helping scammers feign synchronicity. It makes me think about the person whose job it likely is to put something like that together: is it some script kiddie holding the database together to try and demonstrate competence, so they can move up their corporate ladder?
Or is it one of the people who contributes to anonymous postings online because they found that one specific thing their brain is broken for and decided to jump in and take up the mantle, like those blessed souls who vet Wikipedia sources or write patches for Skyrim mods?
Whomever they are, maybe it'd be nice to meet them. It's not quite as direct as chatting with strangers on the bus, but it's better than nothing, isn't it?
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