the more the merrier

4 hours ago, AromanticAardvark said:

I'm probably going to get her fun stationary and make a bracelet or something). So... anxious?

Handmade gifts are the best! I hope that she loves your b-day offering!

1 hour ago, hemogoblin said:

Not a jelly bean fan either? :o

Jelly beans!

13 minutes ago, alto said:

I have made a pact with myself that I will try to contact my ex-friend on every major holiday.  It's a compromise between putting up with a hard relationship and completely ghosting him.  I don't know.  I'm a bit nervous.  But hopefully it will go well.  I didn't even know we were this close to V Day, honestly.

I feel nervous for you! Is this your first time giving this a go? How has it felt before for you?

Welcome! 

@Apex recently shared her glorious web serial with us - Katabasis! The characters' expressions are to die for - I think they're so evocative! I would heartily recommend it to you!

I want to savour Katabasis as much as possible. I love the way that academia is right at the heart of the narrative!

There's also a cast birthday today! Many happy returns of the day to Cat Lange, Kata's super lovely scholar!

15 hours ago, Keith said:

Dumplings with strawberries

Yum! Pierogi z truskawkami? I've always wanted to try these!

Braised lotus root?

Invite TPBY on an Arcade adventure! Share boba together, a wholesome picnic, or… invite yourself to their place for breakfast? (This title is also grammatically problematic.) Go on holiday together!

Befriend TPBY!

If you’re especially enthused by a suggestion: firstly, accept the offer above you & secondly, share an invite of your own for TPBY!

(No adventures are required to play out in the real world! Let's frolic, new fronds!)

Shall we begin?

I would love to sample ice-skating for the first time! TPBM, let’s go together!

A gloster canary who maintains this may have a short life. Don’t get too close. Dogs are the ultimate. They will protect you and your avian friends until the last.

None of these sentences have been written in English.

Congratulations!!

Fantastic, I can't wait to read it! Thank you for sharing your work with us!

3 hours ago, OkTomato said:

Thanks for this. I guess I know this, but needed to hear it from someone else if that makes sense. Time to talk to my partner and we'll have to see how compatible we are...

Hi! We wish you all the best for this chat!

19 hours ago, Guest Flyora_88 said:

No elders to seek advice from, no peers in this orientation.

Greetings! We can be our own elders! 

I'm so sorry for your experience.

Perhaps as her mind calms, she will come to you with a heartfelt apology. Perhaps this is how she truly thinks and(/or) perhaps it was an outpouring of hurt feeling on her part - perhaps she felt that romantic spark for you and lashed out when feeling alone in this, especially after finding such a gorgeous connection which she may have instinctively read as romantic. You were upfront, you didn't rise to anger and you handled the night with maturity. I hope she learns from your grace this night.

15 hours ago, roboticanary said:

ok

next person wins a legless lizard

its very drunk and very angry

Oh my goodness, I'm in love!

@Colorfullblobs, I realise this might not be quite in the spirit of the game at present, yet I'm open to barter.

Would you be willing to trade this gloriously legless bestie (and such a stick as this!) for some 3D latte art, atop a coffee on a largely inaccessible bench, waiting for you during the most tempestuous gale of your young life?

It may not last long, you don't like coffee, and you definitely don't trust latte art.

8 hours ago, i-was-here said:

This is how I found this site! I was trying to figure out where the background image came from as I saw this meme on reddit, but a reverse image search only brought me here, which is also good :)

Welcome aboard, @i-was-here! Our best memes are recruiting for us, this is truly a new age for Arocalypse.

We're so happy that you're here!

Welcome, @SpectralWizard!

How long have you been a wizard for? Are there any particular arcane specialisms that you like to dabble in? Would you teach us your skills?

7 hours ago, SpectralWizard said:

i hope you have a wonderful rest of your life and beyond (if you are into that)

(Love this!)

Love this idea! What a sweet find! Thank you so much!

Here's their submission form, too! https://forms.gle/CGSFDLQAkFFt9CZA8

15 hours ago, hemogoblin said:

If someone points out you blushing, just own it! "Oh yeah, haha, I do that a lot. It's so annoying!" You don't even have to do it a lot, but now you've owned it...

It's all about the response! 🤘

Lovely F23! Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Please may I second this pride in your bravery?

You may not need this now, yet I would heartily recommend respiratory physio, if that's something your therapist might consider referring you towards, for even more help with panic attacks, if you ever need this in the future. It can be so transformative!

You know, if you would ever like to stay here, the acceptance here is immense. We learn so much here, every day, and I would love to learn more with you! We wish you every happiness as you quest for understanding and self-acceptance! You are not alone! 

On 1/29/2023 at 2:30 PM, Apex said:

My passion is my web serial; I've been publishing it for 2.5 years now and it's my baby.

Wow! What is this called, if you don't mind the question? Would you mind if we checked it out?

Dogs (need more votes)!

On 1/31/2023 at 7:26 AM, Nix said:

This expression! Too, too cute! You truly have the best cat! What is their name? How long have they been in your life?

On 1/23/2023 at 10:24 PM, roboticanary said:

Im currently reading 'Roman Britain a new history' by Guy de la Bédoyère.

Really interesting book, sort of gives a good overview of things i sort of half remember from school or vaguely learned about from tv or visiting places,

Thanks for mentioning this, I'll check this out! Do you know 'Rome: Eternal City' by Ferdinand Addis? It's a pretty sweet intro! 'Emperor of Rome' by Mary Beard is also coming out in September and it sounds like it's going to be top-notch.

@roboticanary, as our Glorious Leader and a true Brit, will you be the one to write 'Aromantic Britain: A New History' for us?

Welcome, @Ravensplat! Ace username!

7 hours ago, Ravensplat said:

Not entirely sure what I'm meant to do on here but I'm sure I will work it out.

Spamming in the Arcade is our true calling.

Please treat yourself to a wonderful time here!

Sure! Cheers! *clink!* Wow, this smell, what a speciality!

Welcome! Would you mind if we all stayed with you in Narnia for a bit? Do you need any coconut-flavoured chocolate or any other provisions? (We'll bring edible reinforcements! )

Please enjoy a glorious time here, @KoconutBounty!

19 hours ago, neelc said:

I have massive amounts of computers in my second room.

So cool! I would love to see this!

20 hours ago, roboticanary said:

food

Im a bloody good cook now, so its not just me being greedy

 

also physics has kind of grown into a passion, although its nice that its an area of knowledge that can pay the bills i do also do a fair bit of experimental messing around in my spare time, usually astronomy related.

How did this proficiency develop for you? Was it gradual, and did anything in particular (perhaps necessity?) spark your rise to nom mastery?

Are you working on any of these experimental projects at the moment, too?

Queen, Gorillaz, Foo Fighters - all such great & classic choices!

Owl City! I don’t think there’s an album in its entirety which gives me as much nostalgia as Ocean Eyes (oh my goodness, let’s chat about it!).

Do you have a favourite Queen song? ‘Barcelona’ was this for me at one stage - it’s so dramatic!

I'm new to your other suggestions, or only know them by name! Where would you suggest beginning with any of these?!

2 hours ago, AromanticAardvark said:

I think it doesn't have to be one or the other?

This!

Hi @lotusflower! If the urge to find certainty is particularly strong for you, perhaps you’re consciously thinking about this a lot, when it might also help, even if it feels counter-intuitive, to endeavour to let go of this quest for a moment, and to let it bubble away in the back of your mind. This way, we can let our subconscious mull over something that puzzles us, whilst we’re absorbed in an activity or on a walk, creating a sweet scenario for the possibility and occurrence of breakthroughs.

As a specific example, you could pose something like this to yourself: “I’m going to work on the hypothesis that my experiences align with being grey-aro” and let this pre-theory rest for a week, or a month, or so. Within this time, let yourself be immersed in favoured activities, and see if your mind naturally presents any evidence in support or contrary to this, whilst you’re focused on something else. Let's let ourselves be, and gently observe what we may find.