I think that for many people, not necessarily out of intentional malice, there is a sense of “control,” that is wanted, or alternatively “exclusivity.” A reason why if I ever did have a partner I would let them know(most likely candidate does) that unless my partner specifically wanted it, monogamy is not something that is in my realm of desire, not for my sake but that they do not feel unnecessarily bound.

People often want things to be “theirs.” It is an understandable selfishness, but it can be truly harmful when engaging in relationships, but is all too common to be seen.

I long for the days even of virtual cuddles, sadly the closest now for me would be presence in Bigscreen since other platforms are garbage and at least vibing to Game Grumps or the like would be possible, even though Bigscreen lacks a lot in terms of avatars and movement, since it is meant to be more of presence-over-action.

Though I only have one who rarely wants to(someone I have tried to court, but besides the point).

“I like trains.”

And that face on leftie in that final shot is such a mood.

But theyre either in relationships so that would be considered cheating, or they would consider my request as me being interested romantically.

The latter is unfortunately the natural assumption in the physical reality because oh what a travesty, someone wants to non-romantically non-sexually feel the warmth and comfort of another! Wild concept for folks.

But to touch on the first part, because of the latter half it would likely be seen that way(ugh), but in terms of the actual truth of the matter, it would not be cheating in the slightest. To me it would be insecurity to believe that giving a friend warmth and comfort is to believe that your partner is cheating on you.

Ill try to be more positive.

Say what is on your mind as you need to dearest sister, we are here to listen and we love you!

Ahhhh, I am so happy to see this follow-up post, I only just now came across it! Hope you will pardon my wayyyy delayed message to you!

We love you dearest sister, and we all have spirals. Next time, if you need to let off your chest what ails you, you have those who care about you to listen.

Stay lovely!

Whether you stay or take this for the road, I offer it:

“Who you are is not who you’ve been.”

Life is a collection of decisions, the good, the bad, the ugly or worse even still. We live with that collection, and that collection makes us who we are today. We should never wish for things to have been different, for had they been, the today we now know would never have happened.

Take care of yourself dearie, know that you are loved.

https://youtu.be/g4edUoRObOc

To quote Mafuyu: “Men are gross.”

The unfortunate truth is, no matter what one does, no matter what one says, no matter your proximity or lack thereof to the person, not exclusively men(I think back to a girl who was my “friend”(debatable) who fetishized me to high hell) but certainly a large relative proportion, one will catch someone’s eye and the unfortunate attention thereof. Especially from self-described incels.

While it is trite to say “ignore it,” the reality is that treating them as the gross folks they are and living your best life is the best remedy, as they are not going to change no matter how much you bend over backwards, so it is best to just stand tall and when they try to be gross, tell them to fuck off.

I am reminded of this song, which while not wholly relevant you did mention in a comment specifically chasers(bastard scumbag pigs…) so you might enjoy the song if you have not heard it before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsG5PThdZfE

Let me look through my growing library-called-a-room:

It might be considered a “safe,” or “of course it is,” pick, but “Love Me For Who I Am,” would be my answer. It is a series that helped me understand myself a lot, and I credit it for helping me understand the complicated feelings I had inside when searching for who I really was and how to engage with the world around me. On the heels of that, “Is Love The Answer?” is a one-shot that is a phenomenal read exploring the spectrum of Aromanticism. Imagine that recommendation coming from me cough bio cough, but seriously, those two reads I think can safely be called cornerstones of my reading journey. I have read many amazing series(SAO:Progressive the LN(not the fake other ones), Drugstore In Another World, When Will Ayumu Make His Move? and otherwise), but those two really helped lay out in print what I could not put into words, and showed that there was an answer.

All of the ones I mentioned I would recommend, but those first two would be my genuine answers to your question.

Very cute, you look stunning!

“Firmly grasp it.”

“Pregananant.”

Le rock.

The real question is why use Google for 99% of searches? There are very few searches where Google is “necessary,”(debatable still).

“Hey I’m Grump, I’m not-so Grump, AND WE’RE THE GAME GRUMPS!”

Suicide always leaves those of us behind with many questions, more than one takes an ever greater toll on the mind of the one left behind, so I want to first say first and foremost, genuinely: Your emotions are valid, and I know firsthand how much it can make one become overwhelmed.

Yes, suicide hotlines are still a thing. For the LGBTQ+ Youth, there is The Trevor Project, for others 988 services general crisis-level calls. You would need to contact particular crisis centers themselves likely for more details, but I would suspect one would need a degree in Psychology or other therapeutic-esque degrees to work in them.

Other than that, the unfortunate and harsh truth is that if one truly intends to go through with it, you as one person are unlikely to know until it is too late. Some choose the mercy of an out on their own accord, and those serious oft not talk about it unprompted. We have to try to be the best we can for those we cherish, and if something happens in spite of that, we know that we gave them a light, however dim it might have been, before the time. It is not a full solace, but it contextualizes an otherwise very overwhelming feeling.

If only GOG was not so problematic with its restorations. A game designed for X era not running on an X era machine because GOG decided to fiddle around with it and break its compatibility on the system. My Windows 7 machine was not very happy with GOG. More power to them for keeping old games alive and DRM-free, but that was a nightmare dealing with.

Firstly, congratulations on nearly reaching the starting line to the rest of your life. 18 always feels different to different people, but mostly everyone finds that life changes quite rapidly after that level-up.

People here have mentioned getting a job, but I want to offer a bit more actionable advice:

1. Contact a temp agency. You might find a direct employment somewhere if you scour the landscape enough, but temp agencies almost always have a contract in need of someone who is willing to show up. A lot of industries use temp agencies to fill in gaps but also to headhunt, and temp-to-hire is a real possibility that could translate into a career. Do not let anyone try to dissuade you from using a temp agency. Especially for those lacking work experience, they are likely your best bet(that was how I began before I was even out of Highschool a decade ago).
2. The fact you are actually working on a website(HTML from scratch or at least some custom HTML usage I would hope?) is really cool! But let it be a side-hobby until you can get enough of that experience under your belt. If you get well-versed enough in web design, you could always freelance for experience and possibly translate that into an opportunity down the line.
3. Starting a business is a lot a lot of work. It is not something a greenhorn(those new to things) should really be vying for, though the ambition is to be admired, I did not have that kind of thinking when I was your age. More power to you there, but do not get lost in the sauce. Like I mentioned in point 2, perhaps you can translate your apparent passion of web design into something eventually, but first you need capital and stability.

I am not going to offer financial advice since, well, I cannot do that. But the above is general job advice from a girlie on the boulevard, you can take it or leave it. I will opine one thing though: Banks usually have a way to automatically transfer money to a savings account and you can set percentages when setting up direct deposits so you can put money in one per paycheck, if you feel so inclined to do so. That is up to you and your situation though, just mentioning it if you were unaware of that.

Very interesting question honestly. The folks at my work probaby wonder it considering I am always giving enthusiasm even at the start of the work week.

I would not so much call it a “cheat code,” but what helps is to place yourself in this moment in time. What happened did, what happens now is, what happens later is not yet reality. To be fully present in the moment you are, and to embrace that and be in tune with your inner realm, that is how you can live life fully. At least, that is how I see it.

Many worry about the past which is just pointless, many worry about the future which will come regardless of worry and can only be changed by being present in the now. If we lose ourselves in times that are not, we lose the time that is, which is a travesty. “Right now is still special because you are here for it.”

It is a matter of expectations. A person who grew up in X situation believes that Y knowledge is fundamental, while one who grew up in Z situation may of had zero exposure to or need of being exposed to Y knowledge, instead learning T knowledge which they find to be fundamental.

There is a book I have actually, the Book of Basic Knowledge. I would say there is a baseline that makes sense for everyone to know for daily life(basic mental mathematics, how to construct sentences/formulate thoughts, a basic grasp of history to help understand why we are where and who we are, etc.), but some might believe there is “Basic Knowledge,” that is outside the scope of that book, because of the logic I posited above. Or some might think that the book goes beyond Basic Knowledge. And some might just outright disagree with what I think is fundamental to interface with the world(though having lived in it long enough, I think what I put is pretty universally needed).

“If you can stand, you can work.”

It was certainly a case of people not knowing what to do about everything. Me and some of the folks commented on it too, being like “oh this is real safe.”

Never before seen someone in a hazmat suit face to face, and that was the last time I had.

And very good! Yay fluids!

Take care and make sure to get your electrolytes! Powerade is friend! Even just some light sips, I know it can be troublesome to try to ingest things when the bug makes it all seem bleh.

From the sounds of it though, having done everything right, you should be on the up-and-up before you know it. Keep being lovely and know that we all love you!

Hearing about Covid reminds me of the time I had to stand out in the cold with a slow-moving line of folks, my thoughts being “oh this is totally not a super spreader incident about to happen.” I go and get tested: Positive. I waited in the room for longer than expected while waiting to hear that result, they come in with a hazmat suit and escort me out the back. That was quite an experience.