God, it's been a while since I've released a scripted video. I just looked back on old Randomrings Blog entries and stumbled across an update one from last summer. This was right before I moved into a terrible apartment complex. I now live in a much more tolerable apartment complex. I can now make toast without setting off the smoke detector too. That's probably not the kind of update you wanted.
I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start with "the goods". The stuff you actually give a damn about.
Randomrings Channel
Yeah, I don't fucking know. I have an unfinished Gumflap script centered on Final Fantasy XIV that talks about MMOs in general. I added characters and a bunch of dialogue that beefed it up too much. This made me lose motivation to gut the script so I haven't touched it in months. I have a new idea for a scripted video that will look like my Pokemon Battle Revolution Gumflap episode but won't feature me. I mean, it will but not in character. It would be more of a mini, faux-animatic thing? It covers a more serious issue than "I love/hate this video game". I don't want to say too much about it in case I actually do it. But right now I'm trying to think of entertaining ways to express the idea and it hasn't clicked yet.
I have debated just making short opinion blurb videos about games, TV, or movies. Wouldn't be the first time. I have a handful of scripts for these. Still don't know if I'll go through with them. We wouldn't want another cookie-cutter, cynical review channel on the internet, now would we?
I have been posting Twitch updates here. That's about it. Hopefully that will change in 2021 but well, read below.
Randomrings Let's Plays
This new channel ended up being more of a daunting beast than I anticipated. I just care too much about making stupid let's plays. But now that's up. I have more Pokemon Omega Ruby Nuzlocke in the chamber. At some point, the audio capture for the game just gave up. That's why we have been stuck on Part 12 of the series for a while now. Among other things.
Randomrings on Twitch
I have been trying my hand at streaming and it has been fun so far. I plan on streaming whatever I want really but am most excited to stream games that people don't really talk about very often. So far, I have streamed Downwell, Resident Evil Zero, and some Mario games. But I want to get into weirdo stuff in the future. Stuff like Ristar, Pulseman, Threads of Fate, Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom. Just stuff no one really talks about or at least not anymore. For now, it's October, so I'm streaming Halloweeny (heeheehee) games. In November, I might stream something like Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom or Dragon's Dogma. I could also revisit Super Mario 3D All-Stars Super Mario Sunshine but probably won't any time soon.
I don't have much of a goal with Twitch. I don't think I even necessarily want to go Partner. I would be plenty content with Affiliate status. I guess I just want a big enough following for people to come in often enough to have a good time.
If you want to join in on the fun, as of October 2020, I have been streaming on Thursday nights at 7:00pm EST. Check @RandomringsChan on Twitter for updates to that or just check twitch.tv/randomrings
Randomrings Blog
Still exists.
Lexi Karma
I have an itch for making music but between the stuff listed above and making money to do all that, I just can't buckle down long enough to make satisfying progress. Part of my problem however is that I keep working ahead to other Lexi Karma ideas before I finish the one that I said would probably come out 3 years ago. So I guess I'm working on that and hopefully my distractions will pay off in the form of shorter development cycles for the other ones.
Personal Life
Going to therapy after a year/life of gaslighting, abuse, and manipulation from family and people I have become close to in platonic, romantic, or sexual fashion. I was planning on taking a big plunge and getting out there more, seconded by my therapist. Then COVID-19 appeared. I don't trust people and now I really don't trust people because even people with good intentions could kill me because of idiots. Anyway. Therapy has been going decently okay though. Probably helping me more than I realized. Sorry that this whole post is almost completely void of humor. It's almost 2am as I type this.
I changed my name. Any old work you see is with a name I don't want to associate with anymore. Now, for those who don't already know, I'm Ayden.
I came out as an enby man or masculine non-binary. This means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. What it means for me is that I have always considered myself to be a "girly man" even as a teenager. I just kept a lot of cis man stuff on the up and up because it was socially expected. Now I shave almost all of my body hair and a few of my tops and jackets were originally designed for women. And I really like them. My pronouns are still he/him, which is why I didn't make a big announcement or anything. At first, I only came out to three or four people. There are still people I haven't come out to because I don't really think it would change anything in our relationship one way or another. They already know me and how I appear. They don't need a label.
[edit: I no longer identify as an "enby man", just "enby". I don't like masculine labels. I now use they/them, he/him, and she/her pronouns to identify myself. Many of my friends refer to me as "they" but "he" is also fine.]
I started at home "laser hair removal" which is not wholly accurate to what it is but that's basically what it is. I'm about a month or month in a half in now. I don't see too much noticeable change but am now much more accustomed to the pain of it. I can't wait to rarely have to shave. To the point where I am still considering HRT. I'm still not sure if growing little boobs and risking dick atrophy is worth having better pores. But you have no idea how much I want girl skin and girl hair follicles. The kind that don't grow in with full force every single fucking day. Having some hips wouldn't hurt me either.
Lost some friends and was kind of betrayed by a few more. I look back on these moments and think "how do I still keep faith in any section of humanity?" I still have no answer.
Web comic
Still writing, I swear.
That's the update. I need to go to fucking bed. I've been up for about 18 hours now. Stay tuned for any of that stuff that might come out. A lot of it probably sounded kind of pessimistic but facing my gender and changing my name have made me feel more in tune with myself than I have ever felt and it feels so fucking good. I'm doing fine over here and can't wait for us to all bask in the glow of my weird brain bile!
