You receive a letter bound with red string tied in the middle in a neat ribbon.
You notice that it smells faintly of strawberries and possesses an alluring aura
Looking closely, you observe that the letter seal is of the letter 'A' written in cursive.
I wouldn't be the person I am now without my time here on gaia ngl.
★ An escape ★
Life was so hard as a pre-teen/teen. And the only way I could keep my mind off my never-ending troubles was logging in here. I made it through those dark years because of gaia. The games, the community, and the skills I got here, I'll carry all my life. I wouldn't be here at all if not for all those fun memories.
★ Writing ★
I honed my skills in writing right here on gaia, roleplaying with everyone. I learned a lot of interesting vocabulary thanks to all the CHUUNIBYOS who are roleplaying 24/7 on this site. My vocabulary wouldn't be as grand as it is if not for all those edgy teens and their forelorn quests and woes. And of course, the typing speed needed to counter said chuunibyos lol
I write fanfics for some fandoms now. Some of which have been featured in zines. That's thanks to my time here with the wonderful and creative advanced/literate roleplayers. Spitting out 5++ paragraphs per post, you guys will ALWAYS be legends in my eyes.
★ Events Planning ★
I used to organize events for my guild (Shoutout to The After Party for being my world). And I carry that attention to detail and contingency planning that I picked up from running events to planning photoshoots with friends and helping to organize cupsleeve events and mini-cons with friends!
★ Sociability ★
I'm not gonna lie. I didn't have friends as a child (huhu). My only friends were my gaia friends... People I've never met who know every juicy story in my life at that point. I only learned how to make and keep friends by talking to gaians (admittedly, not the best example LOL!). There's so many introverts just like me hanging around here that it felt easy to connect to them and their interests, as well as their concerns. I met my first boyfriend here as well and some friends who I still talk to even after 10+ years. I've had a falling out with some, but here is also where I learned to process the grief of losing people. One day, your favorite people just won't log in anymore... And... You just have to learn to deal with that.
★ Artistic Eye ★
I decorated my avatar and made layouts like the one I'm using now since ages ago, especially on roleplays just to spice things up. Admittedly, it's easier to layout things here on gaia and arrange your avatar than picking out and putting clothes on yourself IRL (which is so appealing, up till today). Now, I apply that same love of color and interest in design to photography and cosplay. I've been having photobooks made and I arrange my social media posts with the same passion as I did with my roleplay posts. Admittedly, I miss this level of freedom. I mean sure, people who stretch pages can be annoying, but the ability to pick the sizes, colors, and placement of text and pictures is something I miss very, VERY much!
With love,
Aya
You continue to hold the letter in your hands for some time, absorbing the idea fully
You fail to notice, however, the "This letter will self-destruct in ten seconds" notice
Then again, it's written in fine print with invisible ink so I would be disturbed if you did
