💔 Patch v.1.0 – “SquadClaim”

June 21st, 2025

Somewhere between confusion and clarity

To the One Who Said He Liked Me,

You said you liked me — said it plainly, like it meant something. Like I was supposed to pause whatever I was doing and soak it in as if it were a gift. You claimed your spot in my stream squad with urgency, like being first in line somehow meant you were serious, meant you’d stay. And I’ll admit, for a day or two, it felt good to be chosen. To be seen. I let myself believe, maybe foolishly, that it wasn’t just another fleeting moment of attention. You made plans with me. You talked about builds and farming like we had the time, like we were going to actually do it all. But none of it ever happened.

The first night, we watched your movie — I fell asleep halfway through, not out of rudeness, just disinterest. The second night was my turn. I picked The Beguiled. Slow. Soft. Unsettling in the most elegant ways. You didn’t get it. Called it weird. And I realized you probably weren’t used to sitting with discomfort, or subtlety, or the kind of danger that doesn’t raise its voice. Maybe that was a sign. You began disappearing after that, in ways that weren’t loud, just… gradual. One final message. Then nothing. I checked weeks later just to be sure. Nothing had changed.

You told me you were only looking for something casual. You showed me a photo of your daughter — she was beautiful. You shared music, links, your stream, and memories that felt intimate in the moment, but looking back, I wonder if they were just leftovers from someone else’s conversation. Recycled closeness. You told me I made you want to stream again, and I believed you. I really did. I thought I was special. Different. Maybe even necessary. But I wasn’t. I was just there — at the right time for you and the wrong time for me.

I wasn’t devastated. I didn’t cry. But I was disappointed. Not just by you, but by myself. By how quickly I made space for someone who never really intended to stay. And the truth is, it’s always harder when the connection is quiet and soft and gentle — because it doesn’t explode, it just fades, and you’re left wondering if it was ever really there at all. Still, I’ve grown since then. I’ve patched that vulnerability with something sturdier. I’ve learned not to mistake early attention for real care. That someone showing up for two days with kind words doesn’t mean they’ve earned access to my softness.

You weren’t mean. But you also didn’t care as much as I did. And that’s the part that lingers. That’s not some tragic romance — it’s just exhausting. So if this is the last thing I ever say to you, let it be this: I was never a side chick. You were just a background NPC who showed up to the cutscene and skipped the lore. You missed the entire point of the quest, and honestly, that’s on you.

With no regrets,

but all the patch notes,

— The Empress 👑

P.S. I farmed without you. And I built better.