@Pavel said:

@hellfrog It’s like dating.

This must be why I’m not MU*ing anywhere right now. I understand.

@Artemis

Y’all can come at me if you want and I’m okay with it. However, there are reasons that I’m not willing to commit to relationship RP and if I do commit to it, I have an OOC discussion of things I would like to avoid. I didn’t live on this planet this long without some baggage and I like to keep it out of my fun hobby time. I also respect that others want to play that out, so there is never a bad thing if people don’t want the same.

That said. I get that this can happen.

Thanks to everyone for investing your time in my little gripe. I do honestly appreciate it. The matter is further complicated (or not) that I am an Operations Manager and he is a team member, so it skews power balance and things, I guess. Maybe.

There’s no escalation at this point and not really one to go to. It’s just very frustrating as he’s had to be coached about making comments about people. I just keep thinking what if this was the minor child I have in my employ.

Then I was like, am I being weird? I logically know I’m not but well thanks. It helps to hear that my reaction is probably the more sane one.

I just show up. You’re welcome.

Okay, really though a lot that has been said here. I check out their hooks and connections we might have. I try to pull something that I might know about them to loop them into something.

I fall on their table. I engage directly with them. I swoon across their lap on a dare and make them carry me everywhere… that one might be too specific. I can’t guarantee I’m boring because I have horrible imposter syndrome most the time and think I’m the problem, but I do at least try to include them. Ask questions. Then I go off the vibe because my RP doesn’t fit all RP.

About a week ago, a male co-worker took a picture on his phone of me bending over while I was cleaning and rearranging for work. We pulled cameras and it was clear as day Love that journey for us.

I’m not too in my feels about it. Stupid men (no offense to the good ones) doing stupid men shit. I normally have the ‘talks’ around this but couldn’t as I was involved.

HR circles back to let me know the photo has been deleted. However, the male co-worker said he’s reaching out to his therapist about it and my female HR thinks that’s really good enough. As the photo was deleted and there was no harm.

Again, I don’t feel unsafe. I think he’s a creep, but I already thought that. It just… doesn’t sit well with me and I’m not fully sure why since again, I’m not having a reaction personally.

I work somewhere that has the oddest files and search for work policies and forms they want. I stand beside the fact that I can search them and find them the quickest in the company is because of playing on games and looking for help files.

@junipersky My niece’s 13th birthday is tomorrow. I’m not prepared and yet as the aunt that colors my hair in vivids and owns a ton of makeup and stuff – I’m completely prepared. She’s come a long way from the 8 year old asking me to read her the boob chapter in the ‘my body’ book because you know, I have bigger boobs than the other adults around her so I must understand them better.

Noted: I will remind her of this story tomorrow.

Last night I had a dream about work. Which is pretty rude because I have today off and didn’t want to be there. I feel like I should be compensated for that. I did ask my old director o if I could get paid for that, they said no. Again, pretty rude.

Most of my dreams are slice of life kind of dreams. Some with people I know, some with people I’ll meet later (yeah that’s always creepy). I use to keep a dream journal because mine are pretty vivid. I should get back into that.

My brain tends to play out situations that I’m dealing with RL to try and figure out the best course to take. It’s like I get to have a dream simulation of choices and seeing the outcomes of them. Now, mind you, my brain is also crafting the outcome so it’s very much an unreliable narrator.

@junipersky

I’d play that game. I just hope to write another ‘series’ that blows up all over the grid because I got cold and your grumpy char sent me a cloak. Good times.

Also, side note. Awwwww you included me in your dreamscape. I’m undeserving of that, but I appreciate it.

I think the best selling points were the stories I got to create with other people. I was able to do rich character development and make quasi friends as well.

10/10 would recommend

I am all about protecting minors from abuse. Full stop. There is no ‘but’ added to that. I think children should be protected and be allowed their very short time as children in life to be children.

When it comes to age verification, I don’t even like to confirm my RL anything OOC. I mean, I will confirm I’m over 21 if asked OOC for … reasons. However, I don’t want any of my personal information out there to people I don’t know. Let alone my address or those weird states that have your SSN as your DL number (Do they still do that?).

I understand that for safe space it might be something a game runner wants for whatever reasons (I hope good ones), but I also will not be playing there. It’s just too much trust to a computer screen and no clue the reasons and the person behind it.

@Pavel That made me laugh. Take your vote.

@Tez I don’t discord. I know. I know. I’m old and out of touch or something. But… they want your ID? I guess I get it, but that makes me uncomfortable. Is that normal?

I love this hobby because I like writing with a buddy. I like to talk about what happened in scenes, like other people like game highlights in the sportsball. I like the bios of people like others have trading cards with stats. I like trying to decide how I’m going to have my char react when surprised. I like the the chaos of not knowing and the high of a good scene.

Others, might be in it to write a story and are using prompts? I probably wouldn’t know AI poses to be honest. I think I was stepping away from games when they were getting really big. Maybe not. I am also one of those foolish types that try to see the positive and take things at face value.

On my couch, where I have all the opinions, I can’t imagine they are getting much out of the scene and I feel bad that they are robbing themselves (and others) from the authentic experience.

Player linking bits I think is a whole topic in and of itself with different ramifications than staff bits. Staff bits have an implied power aspect and control difference.

I don’t even think it’s done for ill will, but it can still be jarring. If you think person X is this cool person that you have been playing with, spawning ideas with, cracking jokes with, and maybe sharing RL information with – and then you find out they are someone else. It’s a trust issue. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, but it can disillusion a person. If that happens, sadly every thing done on either alt becomes suspect. Then it starts the brain worm of what else weren’t they upfront about. These kind of small choices have large and lasting impressions.

As a player, you absolutely have a right to complete privacy for your comfort, protection, or preference. As an admin on a game, you have a bit less. You don’t have to disclose your personal information ever, however, you do have to disclose you are the CEO of the game that others are playing. Like stated before it’s the implied trust part of it.

That’s at least my thoughts, doesn’t mean it’s right, but it’s my opinion.

@Prototart

Thank you. It’s the bright blue hair. It fools people.

Also, you can never have that toxic love like you did as a teenager where you LOVED them and people were RUINING YOUR LIFE by saying otherwise.

@bear_necessities

You already know the tea. It’s just the absolute control she had to have over every character action. Women characters were held to a far higher standard. She’d nitpick decisions, make scenes to just lecture, etc.

Rinse. Repeat.

I’m sure they are a good person, but the way they admin left a sour taste in my mouth.

@bear_necessities said in Neon Protocol:

The staff at Neon Protocol is likely the same person that ran The Becoming. I don’t believe that is the same person as jujube/inuki/etc.

Oh. Hard Pass. Hard pass on all their games. Not shocked by this thread now.

My peeve is that this hobby is like a teenage toxic ex to me. I want to give it time, but I don’t have time to really give it. I like the good times, but the bad times were BAD. However, I still really love and miss it. I can’t really quit it, but I can’t start it and I’m in a loop of I miss the stories and writing, but then… but then.

I love all of you though!