You reply in the comments, and i try to guess your age based on a short conversation we have. That’s it!
This will be an unusual challenge for you. I’m intrigued which angle you’ll try to guess my age from.
Ooh this sounds interesting, I’m game
Hi, want to play OSU!?
Hey love this idea! Random shit to start a convo: I just lost my job today (not great but I’ll be ok). I am maybe turning the corner w/ a longstanding chronic pain condition, after which I’m gonna get back to my hobby of fighting people in the park.
Also, if you feel like playing too: what have you been up to today?
Hey mate glad you like the idea. Sorry to hear about your job. If you just want to vent other than playing the game, then that’s fine too. Happy to hear that you’re recovering from chronic pain as well. You fight people in the park as a hobby? What kinda hobby is that?
I haven’t been up to much. Mostly just brushing up on my Excel knowledge in preparation for my internship next week
My brain is skibidi tier rotten and I have absolutely no money in my pockets, but Boxxy is still the queen and fr fr nobody can prove me wrong.
…sorry, I’m doing it on purpose to throw you off tracks. How’s going?
The grammar pedant in me did not appreciate that first paragraph.
It’s going great for now. Tell me about some of your niche interests. Nerd out about it if you want
If it’s any consolation, the grammar pedant in me didn’t like it either. Even if I was the one writing it. (Also, I’m glad that things are going great for you.)
As for niche interests: gardening, cooking, simulation games, constructed languages, ancient languages. Some tidbits of oil painting, but frankly, I suck at it; perhaps I should stick to digital watercolours. (This reminds me Island - the main character was recalling his travels through Switzerland, his mum painting a watercolour, and his dad sarcastically saying “The milk chocolate advertisement that [brand] rejected.”)
But I digress. My gardening is currently pepper plants, I’m trying to breed a new variety following very specific criteria - heat, colour, shape, size. Once I’m done I’m going to spread the seeds here and there, through the city, as some small act of anarchy.
That’s a lot of niche interests. Constructed languages particularly are quite the interesting… interest. I never bothered with it because i found no utility for them.
How long have you been gardening?
Well, constructed languages aren’t something insanely useful, unless you’re into Linguistics or also into constructed worlds. For the former, it’s a good way to explore some “boundaries” of natural languages - conlangs can go beyond natlangs in certain features, but the opposite is almost never true. And for the later it’s that extra step to make the world within a story feel livelier, fleshing out the culture of its inhabitants.
Although my reasons are probably not too far from Tolkien’s, who called constructed languages a “secret vice”. It’s mostly for fun.
How long have you been gardening?
Five years or so, I guess? I mean, beyond simple stuff like planting radishes in my backyard as a kid. I still joke about it with my mum - she outright hated it. “My house is no farm dammit!” (The radishes tasted great though.)
You make a good point about conlangs that’s for sure. At some point, i was deep in the Toki Pona rabbit hole, but decided I’d rather spend that time learning Spanish or German, since I’d like to visit countries that use those languages some day.
What do you do for a living?
If you’re into language learning for pragmatic reasons then I think that the only conlang that could be useful would be Esperanto, and even then it’s like squeezing water from a rock. (I do it mostly for the fun, though. That’s also my attitude towards ancient languages - I’m not exactly using Latin everyday, and Sanskrit will be likely in the same bag.)
German is a great choice but be aware that proficient German/English bilinguals tend to use English as soon as they notice that you can speak it. It’s kind of funny because I’ve seen French speakers with the opposite reaction - as if one side saw a language as a tool, another as a cultural root. (It’s both.)
What do you do for a living?
I’m a translator by trade. I stick mostly to Portuguese, Italian, and English - those are the languages that I’m actually proficient with. Sometimes I pick something from German too, but I don’t typically translate things into German to avoid going full “ich bin ein Berliner”, like that American president. (That reminds me that I promised the old lady next-door to give her some Berlin balls once I prepare them. Her avocado ice cream was amazing. Also, sorry for the amount of off-topic that I tend to go into, but I guess that it’s more data to guess my age?)
Oh you’re a translator, i guess that explains the fascination with languages. How did you get into it, and how long have you been doing it?
Also, sorry for the amount of off-topic that I tend to go into, but I guess that it’s more data to guess my age?)
I was just gonna say, you go on a lot of tangents lmao, but yes it should all help when i deliver the coup de grace
I have a bit of a fever right now, what’s up?
Hey bud. Hope your fever gets better. What are some of your hobbies?
Video games, mostly
What game did this to you?
There was few, but first that pops to mind is Walking Dead season 1
Oh this is such a neat idea for a game! I’ll give you a misleading hint: I grew up watching the Andy Griffith show.
Well that tells me you’re not a boomer, and most probably not Gen X, at least not early Gen X. So late 80’s 90’s or Gen Z are my initial deductions.
So what do you watch? Do you watch any cable TV?
What do I watch currently? Mostly just anime and YouTube. You’re basically spot on. I’m 28, so just like right on the line between GenZ and Millennial.
You didn’t even let me guess🙁. Yeah that’s 1996. I probably would’ve gotten it right though :P
Oh, whoops. I guess I read that as a guess. I don’t know, I just got off of a closing shift at work, brain sleepy.
Nah it’s fine. You should get to resting then
The Grammar Police fails to capitalize the pronoun “I”? 🤔
Hey pal, I’m here to enforce laws not follow them
You have made that abundantly clear so far. And in so little space!
Gotta let you know what you’re dealing with.
Anyways, let’s get to the age verification shall we?
I assumed we were operating on your schedule.
Right right we were. What’s a word that accurately defines your personality?
“Thoughtful”.
What makes you thoughtful? Are you talking about thoughtfulness in the empathetic sense?
I am an antenna engineer and I quit because I hated the company I worked for as they embraced the corporate American model.
Wow, antenna engineer is a new one for me haha. So what have you been doing since then/plan to do now that you’ve quit the old job?
Basically I do what I want when I want. Typically building things. I’m constantly fixing or modifying my cars(they are all old and constantly broken). And I play a lot of disc golf.
Come at me bro
Okay bro, what do you feel like you’re missing out on?
Life in general tbh
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What can I tell you, my brother, my killer, what can I possibly say?
You can tell me whatever you want. Maybe tell me what your #1 pet peeve is
5318008!
And to that good sir, i respond 93N15
Nice. But how old am I???
You’re 14
Ahhh nope calculator only days. Give you a hint, my calculator looked like an owl. Or something like that.
Don’t tell me you’re in your early 40s. 43 maybe
Much closer! 50 next month! And I’m a girl BTW. 😜
Holy hell. Sorry for calling you 14 mom
Ooo, do me. I pledge to answer correctly and not try to throw you off the track as long as it’s not some dangerous personal info or something. I’d like to see how close you get.
Okay, let’s try to get some general information out of you before heading into specifics. What do you currently do for a living?
I quit my job.
Oh wow. What did you do prior, and if you care to share, what was your reason for quitting?
I think this is a pretty entertaining game. Good idea
Thanks. Ready to get your age guessed?
Looking forward to it! Do your worst!
Alright let’s start. What do you do to wind down when you’re done for the day?
Cook dinner, and right now I’m watching Yellowstone Season 2.
If I weren’t doing that, I would likely be playing a video game.
Ooh I haven’t seen Yellowstone. I hear it’s good though.
What video games do you typically play?
Yellowstone is fantastic! I’m loving it
Right now I am playing a lot of Balatro, some Satisfactory, some BG3, some No Mans Sky. Minecraft is also regularly in rotation.
Ooh, an OG gamer. I like it. So far so normal. Everything you’ve said has been pretty run of the mill 20s to 30s hobbies.
At your current stage of life, do you feel like there’s still more to be explored or that you’ve attained self actualisation?