Someone sent me an unsolicited message saying they liked my RP and

it’s nice

@Testament

Firstly, huge hugs/good vibes/prayers/whatever you like best sent your way. I’ve been in the ER for anxiety… a lot. Probably over ten times at this point.

Secondly, it sounds like this isn’t your first rodeo with anxiety, but if it is, here’s what you do. First, do everything in your power to curb avoidance of what is making you anxious. Avoidant behavior makes anxiety really, really bad (source: in recovery for severe agoraphobia). Second, see a psychatrist asap. If you can’t see a psychiatrist, see your primary care doctor. Be open to them about what’s happening and ask for medicine. If you have an addictive personality or a history of substance abuse, make sure they’re aware of that before they prescribe you any benzodiazepenes. Having anti-anxiety meds will help you stabilize so you can move on to the third and most important step–therapy.

You’re probably gonna have to do therapy. It sounds like you may need to do some intensive therapy. Find a specialist in cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy, along with exposure therapy, is an extremely effective method of treating anxiety and depression, which it sounds like you also have.

None of this is easy. If it were, I wouldn’t be a half-employed lawyer who struggles to bill 15 hours a week and who needs her parents to drive her places at 33 years of age. It frequently REALLY SUCKS. But it’s doable. I’m making huge strides in my recovery.

You’ve got this. If you need to DM someone who has been through this shit, whether to ask for advice, chat about it, or just scream directly into a sympathetic ear, I’m here.

I’m rooting for you.

Here’s a really good “steps to protect yourself from a worst-case scenario” thread on bluesky from a person who is very reasonable about these things (rahaeli, if any of y’all use dreamwidth): https://bsky.app/profile/rahaeli.bsky.social/post/3labvxce57a2r

If you’re in a spiral, having concrete steps to take will help you out of it.

If you need legal assistance in the States, regardless of where you are, and you don’t know where to go, reach out to me. I will help you find people who can help.

If you’re in Louisiana and can’t leave, reach out to me. I will help you myself, or find people who can. Also, like, reach out to me so I can have more friends.

I don’t care if we’ve fought like cats and dogs in the past. If you need legal help and don’t know what to do, reach out.

The issue has been addressed and is out of my hands!

My only comment on here is that Concordia is about seven cities from seven worlds that got dropkicked into an alien planet 60ish years ago, at which point giant holes in the sky opened up and started barfing out Serious Issues.

This does not conform to the Standard Model, is all I’m saying

@Wizz said in Stupid Memes:

how am I both completely blown away and yet not surprised at all by this information

I’m gonna need Brits to harden the fuck up when it comes to rats (seriously?) and geese (understandable, but you’d still WIN).

Everything after goose is just maniac shit.

ETA: having dealt with geese and cats both, I’d like to say that people are wildly overconfident re: housecats if they’re that concerned about geese

Very few people who did not grow up as girls are fully aware of this problem. These stories are heartbreaking, upsetting, and horrifyingly frequent. Threads like this help inform people largely unaffected by the issue and help inform people in these kinds of situations that they aren’t alone and that help is available.

@Jennkryst

I think you’re doing the thing I do where you try to make sure you don’t offend people by mixing in humor, but what ends up happening is people can’t easily tell what you’re joking about and what you’re not joking about, and so misunderstandings happen, and so you try to use more humor to defuse the situation, and then more misunderstandings happen, and now oh gosh things are getting out of hand

Anyway, I can understand why you’re annoyed at piecemeal changes to rules being made, and I can believe that you weren’t trying to toe the line. But what staff told you seems fairly obvious, and so an accidental misunderstanding on your part could definitely be seen as intentional.

Communication sucks.

I’m being very vague on purpose here, and I’m not going to elaborate.

I play on a game where someone is playing a minority character. The way they are playing that character strikes me as not quite right. It feels stereotyped and almost offensive. It does not feel natural to me.

I’m not a member of that minority. I definitely don’t have the breadth of knowledge to even guess as to whether the player is a member of that minority. I have very vague vibes that make me uncomfortable, and because I’m not directly affected by the portrayal I’m unwilling to get others involved.

“But Rinel then why are you talking about it here—” Because this is venting and it’s a situation where I feel guilty for any action I do or do not take and I want to vent about it.

I kind of feel bad for her insofar as it really felt like she was totally out of her depth both rhetorically and emotionally, but being out of one’s depth emotionally doesn’t mean other people should have to put up with your relentless diatribes.

I always lean towards “forgive and let back in when possible,” but in this case I think “when possible” would be “after some hard evidence indicating serious work on emotional regulation.”

@Roz said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

@Rinel said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

@Testament said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

Probably better than Origins. Like, who the fuck ever used Wynn.

Wynn is my favorite companion from Origins, haha

DA2… well. It certainly looks good in retrospect, doesn’t it?

):<

@Testament said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

Probably better than Origins. Like, who the fuck ever used Wynn.

Wynn is my favorite companion from Origins, haha

DA2… well. It certainly looks good in retrospect, doesn’t it? I wasn’t a fan of a lot of its choices, but pretty much all of them (besides rushing it and endlessly reusing environments) were better than Veilguard. Like, yeah, I think the only really memorable enemy is the Arishok, but he’s absolutely incredible.

@Testament said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

If you like the lore, it’s mostly consistent with the lore and adds stuff onto it.

Honestly my biggest complaint about the game is the massive elimination of basically any mystery from the past several thousand years.

@Tez said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

DAI burnt the shit out of me. I really did not like it. I’m waiting for wider reporting and feedback on Veilguard from people I trust. SO HURRY UP GUYS.

Much better combat than inquistion, much less mmo feel, equally or perhaps even more scattered focus in terms of setting and story, worst writing in the series by far. Really suffers from essentially no connection to prior games or locations.

Fundamental miss on so much of what made Origins and II so compelling (religion, politics, culture, how people are products of their environment). Pretty much all of your companions feel like folks from 2024 isekai’d into Thedas.

On that last note: some people are BIG MAD about the focus on trans issues, but they can shove it. The options for Rook being trans are actively good, and a subplot regarding a character discovering their own gender identity is fumbled pretty badly but is at least attempted.

Liz verdict as she nears the end: buy now if you’re the hugest DA fan ever or are desperate for even an ok game (I got it for the election), wait for a sale if you like DA and aren’t desperate for a game right now, possibly avoid if what matters most to you is a lore rich world full of interesting issues and solid characterization.

6.5 out of 10. Hurt most by the fact that comparisons to early games come so easily.

Here’s a really good “steps to protect yourself from a worst-case scenario” thread on bluesky from a person who is very reasonable about these things (rahaeli, if any of y’all use dreamwidth): https://bsky.app/profile/rahaeli.bsky.social/post/3labvxce57a2r

If you’re in a spiral, having concrete steps to take will help you out of it.

If you need legal assistance in the States, regardless of where you are, and you don’t know where to go, reach out to me. I will help you find people who can help.

If you’re in Louisiana and can’t leave, reach out to me. I will help you myself, or find people who can. Also, like, reach out to me so I can have more friends.

I don’t care if we’ve fought like cats and dogs in the past. If you need legal help and don’t know what to do, reach out.

@Pavel said in why is nobody talking about Veilguard:

Additionally, from my limited checking, most of the voice actors seem to be culturally/ethnically appropriate – save for the main character, for obvious player-choice-related reasons. ETA: So the accents aren’t necessarily ‘silly fake’ they’re just accents. They might be put on, but they’re not like the formerly faux-French we’ve had to deal with.

I think the Antivans are mixing Spanish and Italian, or am I missing something?

Also, is the female British VA for Rook Scottish? I keep hearing a twinge to her vowels.

I do agree with you with the escapism, but I’m not going to lie, I’d really, really, really like to kick some Tevinter ass for all the shit they’ve pulled

I know you people are playing it. I’m playing it. I didn’t even finish Inquisition (because Origin deleted my save and I was STUPID ENOUGH TO BE USING CLOUD SAVES) and I am playing Veilguard and I am enjoying it.

What do y’all think? I think they filed a bit too much off when sanding down the super grimdark edges, but it’s definitely better to err on the side of being too soft than on the side of casual sexual assault and fantasy ghettos “alienages.”

And most importantly whom are you smooching? I’m smooching Lucanis. I’m going to smooch Lucanis with his silly fake Mediterranean accent so hard

@Floof

@Popes

SAME SOUL SAME PERSON BRING IT ON I’LL NERD FIGHT FOR YEARS

@Popes

I am terrified at how willing I am to play this.

Just remember it’s canon that Lanfear lived!