"But I didn't notice you switching! I didn't see you acting differently!!" You did, actually, you just phrased it as:
"You're quieter than usual."
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Quite the chatterbox today, aren't you?"
"But you said (x opinion) earlier!"
"You don't need to use big words, you can talk like you normally do."
"You're too old to play pretend."
"I thought you liked/didn't like (x)?"
"What's the occasion for this sudden fanciness/attention to detail?"
"When did you gain such an attitude?"
"You're such a strange child."
"Your demeanor changed."
"It's like you see (x) and a switch is flipped."
"Don't act like you're a little kid."
"What's with the sudden accent?"
"Are you alright?"
"Talking like a Victorian child now, are you?"
"You're so... quirky."
Just because you didn't know the word for what was going on doesn't mean it didn't happen. You just substituted what you didn't know with what you saw as the most logical conclusion (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just when you continue to press your assumption even when told what the reality is that you become rude). It's not your fault that you missed the signs, but the signs were there, and we'd like to have some acknowledgement of that.
I'm once again reminded why I hate interacting with people on Tumblr. I think I need to stop talking to anyone under the age of 25 at this rate, it's too much for my mental health. A lot of you need to learn basic human etiquette before talking to others. Some of you are incapable of treating other people like human beings and it really shows.
After reading some posts on here, I'm starting to realize I might be intersex. It was something I questioned on and off for awhile but now I'm starting to realize how accurate the label may be. I'm a bit nervous to identify as intersex because I feel like so many people still don't understand the term, but after learning about vulvar hypospadias I realized so much of my pain / questions about my body had an answer.
i haven't really frequented socmedia lately, esp since many of them have progressively been getting worse (i'm sure most people have heard the latest awful thing happening on twitter)
so i suppose i may occasionally share some thoughts on here to deter the desire to use my socmedia accs i know tumblr counts as socmedia but i dont really have any follows on here + mainly just reblog pretty pictures, haha
a lot of my hobbies end up being obscure / the main fanbase isn't english. while i'm usually prepared for that in most series because they originated in japan, i uhh
did NOT expect that to be the case with vrchat. see, i'm into games with customization, ffxiv and ts4 are games i dabble in -- moreso ffxiv and ts4 is more a passing intrigue -- so when i heard about vrchat's customizable models / kitbashing, i was interested.
however this is (mainly) seen on the japanese side of vrchat. for example, if you look on the photo tags for the most popular BOOTH model, Manuka -- her tag is #Manuka3D -- you'll find most posters are japanese. ...well, i see more english posters in the tag on bsky versus twitter, but i digress.
(side note, i typed the above expecting Manuka to still be the most popular model, but when i went to grab the link to add my post, i see Kipfel as exceeded her. mukumi was an artist i followed before i even heard about their VRC work, so i'm pretty proud of them for how far they've come!)
VRC is a platform that is very open-ended, unlike games like FFXIV & TS4. you can basically do anything you want -- from games to LARP or just hanging out with people you love. VR also isn't a requirement -- people have developed free-to-use tools to allow players without headsets to be able to use emotes and interact with the world in a way that feels natural. i should also note i do not use VR myself! my laptop would not be able to handle VR, so all of my hours of gameplay thus far come from a non-VR perspective as well.
so i wonder, then, why this opportunity for creation / fun hasn't picked up in the west? the best answer i can give is, even disregarding the VR element, there IS a lot of monetary barriers to getting involved. a nice model like Manuka or Kipfel, even with the USD to JPY conversion, will run you $30-$40 without any modifications. and if you wish to look unique, expect to shell out more. while that is definitely on the lower end for people who already dabble in commissioning OCs and such, it's a hard-to-justify price if 1) you do not own a VR headset/have no plans to invest in one or 2) do not already have a planned character / community you want to participate in, and can properly budget your spending.
there's also the fact with VRC avatars, you must technically "build them yourself", ie. throw them in unity and setup any modifications you may have wanted. now listen, i'm an autistic individual. when i dabble into things that interest me, i tend to fully digest all the knowledge about the hobby that i wanted to know. this means learning unity basics was very simple in order to divulge myself. for people who aren't like me, it's just another gateway into enjoying a game like VRChat.
TS4 and FFXIV also have these gateways, but because of how popular they are in english-speaking communities you can often find plenty of guides / resources of where you start. VRChat does not have as much. i mean Modular Avatar does have a wonderful guide and it's the tool you'll use the most, but what about stuff outside of MA? what about things incompatible with MA? what about other tools you may need / want?
...needless to say, i suppose i wanted to ramble a bit about the untapped potential i see, and partially lament that VRC pictures aren't common on tumblr to reblog. that was mainly why i started writing, though i got a bit distracted. here's a cute Rue i put together last night to thank you if you read any of this. feel free to reply / message if you had any questions/comments about my musings :P
i wish i had more income than i did because like. when i was looking into getting my AIME card for round one's rhythm game cabinets i was heavily considering importing a JP one because 1. apparently theyre compatible with the machines. i guess that makes sense they're imported machines 2. they always have ones with new art and such and like i was deadass thinking "damn. what if i collected these they look great"
in hindsight that would be a terrible idea and i just ended up with the generic red round one card but HAVE YOU SEEN SOME OF THE PASSES THEY MAKE? i'm really jealous we don't get any nicely designed cards over here at the western round one (afaik)
