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GROUP CHAT: [that bowl of the female dormitory] (6 members)
[Red Leaves]: girl what was that performance today! @Firebird Messenger
[Red Leaves]: don’t tell me it’s because you were distracted by the latest brainrot again /lh
[Dancing Rain]: … lh?
[Firebird Messenger]: lighthearted! it’s a tone indicator
[Firebird Messenger]: though in this case maybe guilty as charged </3
[Dancing Rain]: ohh i see, interesting :0
[Dancing Rain]: usually i see that abbreviation used with different meaning lolll
[Windy Rain]: LOL wait omg I have the same problem all the time
[Windy Rain]: bc I like my vc but unfortunately lh…
[Dancing Rain]: ^^,,,
[Firebird Messenger]: oh
[Firebird Messenger]: OH
[Firebird Messenger]: fjalksdjf yeah i’ve heard
[Red Leaves]: what if we instead used like /lh7 or something to clarify the intended reading
[Windy Rain]: sooo does this mean /lh5 (derogatory)
[Dancing Rain]: xD
GROUP CHAT: [you seventh season are all insane] (32 members)
[Red Leaves]: woe! number be upon ye /lh7 @Dark Forest
[One Autumn Leaf]: ?
[One Autumn Leaf]: the hell is this now
[One Autumn Leaf]: like an extra super light hearted? light hearted light hearted light hearted light hearted light hearted light hearted light hearted?
[Red Leaves]: nope same usage as before /gyj
[One Autumn Leaf]: i dont know what that means either
[Flying Sword]: Where is he anyway? I haven’t seen him in a bit
[Wind Guard]: You know actually that reminds me, I was hearing some interesting stories from our guild side…
[Wind Guard]: Something about a very scary female ninja with… interesting… fashion sense. Wreaking chaos in boss fights…
[Flying Sword]: What have you created @Red Leaves /wjx
[Red Leaves]: like you weren’t just as much a part of that!
GROUP CHAT: [happy heroes] (11 members)
[One Inch Ash]: is it considered a social faux pas to use your own name as a tone indicator? Does it have to be canonized by someone else using it first?
[Boundless Sea]: you know that would never stop me /fr and you shouldn’t let it stop you!
[One Inch Ash]: ah… okay
[One Inch Ash]: Thank you! /qyf
[Boundless Sea]: ofc /qyf
[Windward Formation]: Ha you’re really gonna trust dirty fang on something like etiquette?
[Dancing Rain]: and he should trust you instead?
[Windward Formation]: Of course! This man is a fountain of knowledge and wisdom.
[One Inch Ash]: wait senior you use tone indicators too? /gyj
[Windward Formation]: Yes! All the time, haven’t you been paying attention?
[One Inch Ash]: oh! i’ve… never seen, i guess i’ve just associated it with the younger players /gyj
DIRECT MESSAGES:
[Windward Formation]: Wait what’s a tone indicator?
[Lord Grim]: lol
GROUP CHAT: [old friends senior pro sanctuary] (15 members)
[Scene Killer]: update no food for me they closed the kitchen two minutes before i got there /zjl
[Dazzling Hundred Blossoms]: oy what is that. what is my name doing there
[Vaccaria]: Isn’t it obvious?
[Dark Thunder]: yeah you have to admit probably /zjl is one of the easier ones to use and parse
[Blossoming Chaos]: /2jl
[Dazzling Hundred Blossoms]: hey!!!
[Dark Thunder]: yeah hey!!! /hwq
[Dazzling Hundred Blossoms]: bro whose side are you even on
[Dark Thunder]: just keeping things lively /fr
GROUP CHAT: [golden] (20 members)
[Troubling Rain]: ive been seeing a ton of pros using these so-called tone indicators and i just gotta say. i gotta say! i’m not a huge fan!
[Troubling Rain]: i think it is an art form to be able to express yourself over text. to choose your words carefully and precisely in order to convey your intended tone. you should be able to trust the reader to build that bridge toward you so you can meet in the middle in shared understanding
[Dancing Rain]: nothing about succinctness, i see /zx
[Troubling Rain]: kids these days are just gonna over rely on these shortcuts and then what’s gonna happen to the fine art of trash talk?
[Swoksaar]: I’m sure you’ll figure out a way
[Swoksaar]: Just like you figured out a way of ditching the management meeting right now /ywz
[Troubling Rain]: sorry captain be right there captain
GROUP CHAT: [death parade] (10 members)
[Ghost Lantern]: EMERGENCY MEETING /hst
[Ghost Lantern]: guys we’re slacking we gotta get in on the tone indicator trend before all the other teams establish cultural dominance in the chat spaces /zxj
[Blue Exorcist]: It’s just tricky because /lx could be either Captain or Li Xun
[Crying Devil]: Alas if I had a nickel for every time I was unable to be referred to by an epithet due to the risk of being confused with a teammate I would have two nickels /lh7
[Carved Ghost]: /zzk
[Ghost Lantern]: i mean i can always change my name if you want captain /fr
[Crying Devil]: No
[Crying Devil]: *No /wyc
[Ghost Lantern]: you sure? or i could be /gl instead, i’d get so much use
[Transparent]: wait hold up were you always ghost lantern. weren’t you ghost firefly at some point
[Ghost Lantern]: /gf, even better
[Soul Defender]: lmfao you know full well /gf will never apply to us
[Ghost Lantern]: what don’t lose hope. at least we’re not /br
[Carved Ghost]: i don’t think attaching an incomprehensible set of letters to the end of every single message you send is going to help your endeavors on that front, li xun.
[Ghost Lantern]: aww what /zx
[Ghost Lantern]: it’s ok vice captain at least i’ll always have you /fr /fr /fr
[Ghost Lantern]: /fr
[Carved Ghost]: i see what you are doing, and no.
GROUP CHAT: [penguins] (11 members)
[Cloud Piercer]: @One Autumn Leaf /sx /yx /xsq
[One Autumn Leaf]: captain not you too??
[One Autumn Leaf]: what does this meannn
[Cloud Piercer]: /zzk /smc
[One Autumn Leaf]: help @Empty Waves
[Empty Waves]: Captain says that you did really well yesterday and you’ve improved a lot on your coordination but that you should still remember not to let past experiences cause you hesitation on the field
[Cloud Piercer]: /jbt
[Empty Waves]: no problem /gyj
[One Autumn Leaf]: ??????
GROUP CHAT: [Season 5 Debuts] (24 members)
[Total Darkness]: Do you ever get the feeling that every year the newbs are getting more and more incomprehensible
[Boundless Sea]: No? /fr
GROUP CHAT: [normal people] (23 members)
[Boundless Sea]: /lh5
GROUP CHAT: [Glory Professional Players] (245 members)
[Ghost Lantern]: yo yo yo yall ready for a god tier show. reigning champs vs black horse underdogs?!
[Flying Sword]: yeah I’m actually pretty excited, this should be a good battle from both sides. /gl
[Ghost Lantern]: !!! YAY i made it!
[Ghost Lantern]: i’d like to thank the alliance /gcj and my mom /lx and my dad /wyc and
[Demon Subduer]: Holy shit can we! Stop! The stupid tone indicators!
[Demon Subduer]: It has been MONTHS! It was bad enough when it was just the season chat but now everyone??
[Demon Subduer]: Half the time it’s not even being used as a tone indicator!! Just use a fucking sticker like a civilized person!!
[Boundless Sea]: Language is all about evolution and adaptability. /fr
[Demon Subduer]: Fuck off!!!
[Ghost Lantern]: no fun allowed /th
[Carved Ghost]: dirty fang the fuckin finals are right now and you’re messaging the group chat??
[Boundless Sea]: it’s called adjusting my mental state ok do you know what that means miss wu
[Carved Ghost]: i’ll adjust your damn mental state
[Firebird Messenger]: hmmm /dyq
[Ghost Lantern]: hmmm /dyq +1
[Carved Ghost]: go get your ass kicked or whatever i’m leaving
[Cloud Piercer]: /smc
[Boundless Sea]: ha! when no one else got me little zhou got me!
[Boundless Sea]: see you onstage /lh7
[Cloud Piercer]: /lh7