Waiting on Slow Nights

I was hoping (counting on) June would have some slow summer nights, to be able to immerse myself in film. But it’s not giving ‘Restoration after unmeasurable loss and grief’. It’s giving ‘Bible study camp ‘cause wth was that?? And wtf is this?!’ Or something like it. It is not the quiet after the storm, it is the freakin' storm. In my case, personally, not only am I still requiring some major adjustments mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, but also within the physical. So as much as I may wish for it, I’m not yet in a state where I can indulge in movie magic as it is merited. Therefore, that will have to be on another date. At least for me. Please remember, however, that just because I put something off doesn’t mean I don’t value it and, quite often, it is instead the contrary - I value it so much that I prefer to give it the time, energy, and attention it deserves, not merely get it done and over with.

When am I doing more Media Appreciation, then? Ideally, not too far in the future. I’ll keep you posted!

The Artist's RPG / Suggestions

Y’all, I might not get a single day without any more The Artist’s RPG madness. Tune OUT while you can if you wish to! You can come back to it later, when all is more in place and ready to go. And you can then see if this game is for you or not. At the moment, though, I’m still busy sorting a lot of it out.

Apparently, I ought to introduce these too, sooner rather than later, to the gameplay. I quickly grabbed some old paper textures to make them look like scrolls. However, it turns out that this entire aspect of the game is also very beige-coded. (So the final design should indeed be mainly beige.)

They are like ‘Suggestions’. Or you can take them as such. Free will, and all that. But they’ll pop up every now and then, during the journey, with hints as to how to approach a situation. If you’re lost or stuck, maybe just indecisive, or indifferent about how to proceed, they can be particularly helpful.

The Beige Essence, nevertheless, is way more complex and sophisticated than one would initially realize. It does invite you to meditate, to track your steps, and to pace yourself. To not miss out on what rushing would have you missing out on. So these “scrolls” (gotta think of a suitable name still) are not meant to merely be shortcuts to get you to where you’re going quicker and without a pause. They are meant to bring more of the path(s) into awareness. Then you do with that what you must.

A few examples of how they might show up with the components. I figure they will mostly come with these quantities (1,3,5), but not necessarily. These are simply samples, for now, of what's yet to come with this feature. Stay tuned for more! (Or not. Preserve your sanity at all costs. I be puzzling like it's my first nature because it is, but you don't have to. 👌✌👍)

The Artist's RPG / Teams

There is plenty to introduce in The Artist’s RPG, and I will in due time. Yet, something I want to bring up sooner rather than later is Teams. Because we can love and/or hate characters all we want, perhaps not even believe in them, let alone follow them, but at the end of the day, what do you really stand for, regardless?

There isn’t one huge “everyone is worthy, let’s all just get along” assembly that brings the ultimate WORLD PEACE. At least not at this point. However, there are 3 clearly defined teams that gather more people together. Instead of countless ones with never-ending infighting.

And a character just is or isn’t part of a team. You can choose which one and decidedly align with it. But if you think you’re out of all of them, think again. You may be, in your actions or lack thereof, furthering one team more than another. On that note, it is also possible (quite likely, actually) that, even as a member of a team, you have little to no clue what you’re headed for. Self-deceit and delusion in order to believe that your team is The Best Team by this or that measure is also a common phenomenon.

Another interesting aspect of it is that, while Team ENTROPY and Team A.R.T. are in undeniable opposition, Team AOTWS switches up between them depending on who seems to be winning. And like it or not, they play a part in deciding victory.

I’m Team A.R.T., of course. I tried being Team AOTWS. Most miserable years of my life. Please stop suggesting I go back to it!

Spot The References

It is absolutely delightful when pals and more are able to spot references in works and realize that there's more than meets the eye. But some of us, freaks, are over here, going out of our minds, yet trying to keep it cool, because... No. Actually. It didn't make 3 references, Katie. It is making 10 to 20+. AND ON TOP OF THAT, you gotta consider the socio-political, cultural, and historic context that all led up to it. And AHHH! I'm fine. This is fine. We're fine.

Just breathe and calm down. You can list it all out later.

TikTok Stories?

I NEED TO BE MESSY. BUT I DON'T WANT MESSES.

Time to give TikTok stories a try? I'll post some there and see if it flies with me.

Don't Mind Me and My Depleted Social Bar

My current state is that I had to shut off being a 'Host' and instead am being a Cook with some overhearable chitchatter in the back kitchen. But people are still welcome to dine here. ✌

Happy Labor

This year is not so ideal yet, as I rush and scramble to have all that counts in order to call this out of the 'Loading' phase, but I dream of having more days off next year. And be able to do my work steadily and comfortably. That's paradise for me.

A Crowned G?

November 10th, 2020. Remember the time I made a fuss about this bed cover? Back then, I only noticed the obvious. But I seem to be developing a better eye for detail now. There's a G with a Crown, there's O O O, I also see 2D, and more. Anyway, this is still my fav bed cover because it was such an unexpected and serendipitous find that felt custom-made for me. Some things are just timeless, if you know what I mean. And this is only one instance, out of many, of me being 'in love' with the wonder around me. My best advice right now: TAKE PICTURES. You will thank yourself later. I'm still aiming to organize my past better, so please be patient with me and my sporadic (and often seemingly incoherent) posts. Once I can get going again, I'll be putting everything in place. And it'll be MAGICAL!

The Artist's RPG / Character Profiles: Yoel

Alright, while introducing Profiles, might as well introduce a second character. This is, let’s call him, Yoel. I was looking for a male name that starts with ‘Y’ and was quickly set on ‘Yoel’ when I saw it. Funnily enough, in Spanish, if you break apart the syllables as Yo-El, it is basically saying Me-Him. And that’s quite fitting, in my opinion. So I’m keeping it.

As with Gary's, and any profile that’s yet to come, the details may be off. But I tried my best to stick with what I witnessed and/or intuited as I watched him take shape. That’s one dangerous configuration he has there, indeed. Especially if/when the masses are sheeple. Truth be told, though, he can entice practically anyone until he’s done with his act or we’re done with it.

And speaking of acts. I got one for Gary so I had to get one for Yoel, too. Same process: vague prompt, grab the first one that comes up. And this is what I got. Some parts of the lyrics snuck in and surprised me. Still, I personally find Gary’s to be more of a banger. And WTH? He sounds like the Devil, yet is calling somebody else the devil? Should I interpret that as a typical projection/false accusation, or is there some sort of inside “joke” there? Or what? Hmm.

(By the way, for both videos, I let YouTube pick the thumbnails. Just saying.)

The Artist's RPG / Library

Apparently, Gary wants you to believe in him. And I just want you to dispel as many illusions as you possibly can, wherever that leads. So, while I haven’t yet brought up the base descriptions of the essences, the least I can do is point you to how they translate within the context of learning, for knowledge and understanding. Hence, here’s the "Library" (specifically, for 'circuit-based' learning).

Ya’ll, I don’t think they got Solarpunk in the future…
Regardless, may our studying bring, if nothing else, the clarity we crave.