They hurt you, and they left you afraid, and then they simply left you. And that’s where you were at the moment that something began to change.
It was the first of many transformations. At the time, it was difficult to articulate in any coherent fashion. You saw yourself as failing. But you were learning how to synthesize. How to find the smile when there was nothing else for you to grin about. How to reach something within yourself and give your heart to another person struggling even as your own was being ripped in two. It was nothing you could cleanly articulate, but in your heart some part of you understood that you had to do this.
Not because other people would abandon you otherwise; they would do that anyway. Because you knew that cruelty was consumptive and relentless. Because you knew, in your heart, that you had a choice. You could let the pain turn you into that. You could let yourself lash out at the world that hurt you. Hell, maybe the world would deserve it.
Or you could insist on being kind, and gentle, and warm. An act not of naivete but of defiance. A decision. If the world is cruel and meaningless and without hope, so be it. But that doesn’t justify your cruelty. And if you truly hate it, you can make yourself the point where that stops.
Bonus question: Are you a rollercoaster person? What’s the best one you’ve ever ridden?
​Andrew Ross (@dengarsw): Exercise games will get some attention, though probably after I clean some trash at my local park on Saturday for Earth Day. Pokemon Violet will probably get attention too for the Blissey event mostly, and maybe I’ll do more than my dailies in Splatoon 3.
I’m not a coaster person, mostly due to motion sickness. No joke, taking a loop backwards is easier for me, so I just avoid them for the most part. That being said, I did enjoy Space Mountain when they did a Star Wars-themed track, as the cool air helped cut down on my motion sickness and the lights made it feel like Star Wars lasers were shooting past me. Super cool experience!
Andy McAdams: I don’t really have a good idea what I’ll be playing. World of Warcraft just isn’t holding my attention. I might try Lord of the Rings Online (which I’ve never really played before) or EverQuest II or … who knows?
Bonus Question: I do love roller coasters, but I don’t really have a favorite one. Though, I have to echo Bree in that I prefer steel over wooden coasters for the same reason that I prefer my bones distinctly unrattled.
Brianna Royce (@nbrianna, blog): I’ll be dabbling in Lord of the Rings Online this weekend for the anniversary. So far, I’ve realized all five of my human characters look absolutely dead and dreadful after the customization patch (why do they all look like they just ate a lemon), and my Beorning is now bald since several Beorning hairstyles just… vanished. Clearly, the patch shipped with some bugs, and I’m going to have to muck around to save these toons. Or just play hobbits and elves. Actually, I might just do that.
I love rollercoasters, but I’m all about the big drops (Millennium Force) rather than the bone-rattling wooden coasters (The Beast), so I usually prefer steel. Actually, my favorites tend to be suspended coasters where you kinda glide along like flying, but they’re not very common.
Chris Neal (@wolfyseyes, blog): I’ve had the random itch to play some more New World recently, so that is probably going to wriggle its way in alongside my usual stuff in Final Fantasy XIV and Destiny 2. I also think I’ll continue mucking with the Klingon I made in Star Trek Online recently.
Bonus question: Nope. Definitely not a roller coaster person. I hate ’em.
Eliot Lefebvre (@Eliot_Lefebvre, blog): It’s time to play everyone’s favorite game, unpacking all of my life and trying to put furniture and displays back together! What a joy! (It’s not actually a joy, that’s what we refer to as sarcasm.) Otherwise I’ll be playing some FFXIV, putting in some time on an overdue game review (I received it late, it’s not just my life being a mess), and spending some time with family.
When I was younger, I’d have said sign me up for roller coasters. I really did enjoy them. Now that I’m older, though… the thought just makes me unhappy. I guess I grew out of them. Nothing stays the same forever.
Justin Olivetti (@Sypster, blog): I’m not going overboard with LOTRO’s anniversary content, but I wouldn’t mind picking up a few housing items for my characters. What I’m really on fire for, though, is getting my new Fallout 76 wastelander to a good start – and a trusty shotgun on the hip.
Mia DeSanzo (@neschria): I am hoping to do a fair amount of crocheting and painting this weekend. And catching up with No Man’s Sky. I might play Terraria with my kids and grandkids too.
I was fond of The Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. RIP. It has been gone for years.
Tyler Edwards (blog): Will be continuing with New World most likely.
Bonus question: As a naturally anxious person, I have a complex relationship with rollercoasters. I don’t like big drops, but I do enjoy the speed and more gradual ups and downs. My favorite ride at Canada’s Wonderland is one that’s meant to simulate a car chase (originally a tie-in with The Italian Job, now more generically branded). It’s mostly horizontal movement with only one small drop, but it’s really fast. I’ve also found I need to keep my eyes closed on rides or else I get The Fear.
Every Saturday, join the Massively OP community and staff for What Are You Playing, our roundup of what MMORPGs and other games we’re hoping to play this weekend (with a bonus question or two for our amusement). Tell us what you’re up to! Go off-topic! And don’t forget to have fun!
