the weirdest thing that happened to me in school

by hailey · September 4, 2026 · personal · 0 Replies · 58 views

sometimes the internet gives you these lil moments you don't really think about until years later, when you look back and go wait... that was actually so weird. the kinda thing that feels almost unreal because it lined up in a way you'd never expect. it's honestly one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to me. this is one of those stories. it happened in the 2000s, back when i lived on sonic forums and fansites, and it's still one of the strangest coincidences i've ever experienced. i shared this on discord and twitter last year, and i wanted to give it a home here too.

baddie behavior: finish what u started...

weapon offset and the illusion of choice in game design

by hailey · September 2, 2026 · games · 1 Reply · 544 views

in recent years, fps games have leaned heavily into player customization, from FOV sliders to HUD scaling, crosshair tweaks, and more. but one option has quietly reshaped how these games feel to play, and that's weapon offset.

at first glance it seems harmless, just another setting meant to help players tailor the experience. but once you look closer, it becomes clear that it's not just a cosmetic tweak. it's a choice that undermines the visual integrity of the game, encourages competitive conformity, and slowly erodes the immersive presentation developers used to build with intention.

i want to talk about weapon offset because it bothers me, and because i don't like what it represents. players are beginning to accept design choices without thinking about how they affect the game's identity, and it's become part of a larger trend where people take whatever customization the industry throws at them, even when it undermines the presentation the developers intended. modern fps design has become less intentional than it used to.

tap for the drama...

the day my dreamcast almost killed me

by hailey · August 28, 2026 · personal · 0 Replies · 832 views

quick little story.

back in the early 2000s my dreamcast had the classic lid‑sensor issue, so like a lotta people i played it with the shell off so the disc would actually spin.

one day i had the console under my desk hooked to a capture card. without looking, i reached under to unplug it and rested my palm directly on the exposed power supply, completely forgetting the shell was off.

my hand locked up, my palm muscles twisted, my whole body went hot and fuzzy, and the dreamcast even lifted a few inches on one side with my hand before it slipped off and fell. i was shaking for minutes.

i was being electrocuted. if it hadn't fallen when it did, i might not be here.

so yeah, just felt like sharing. we all messed around with electronics as kids without really understanding the risks, but looking back, we probably shouldn't have been anywhere near open hardware unsupervised.

coming home to myself. my 2000s blog, reborn

by hailey · May 29, 2026 · personal · 0 Replies · 3,560 views

i've missed having a space like this. it's a feeling that's stayed with me for years. after years of thinking about it, missing it, daydreaming about it, i brought my old 2000s blog back to life. not as some messy folder of html, images, and random scripts like i used to make them back in the day, but rebuilt using wordpress in my own style. the theme's called babecore, and honestly it feels unreal to see it actually exist. it's beautiful to me.

i've wanted this for so long. a space that feels like stepping into my head. a place that isn't trying to be anything for anyone else. just mine. my escape from the noise and the stress and the constant little annoyances of the world. somewhere i can hang out, write, distract myself, and just relax.

i wanted the site to feel like a place where you can sense me, my energy, my headspace, just by being here, the way old 2000s spaces used to hold a person's whole spirit without trying... almost like stepping back into that time again.

read on, bestie...

reaching out for mac support help

by hailey · May 9, 2026 · games · 0 Replies · 3,499 views

i thought it was worth posting this here since there's always people reading my blog, and you never know who might come across it. someone out there might be able to help, just like the amazing contributor who added linux support and leaderboards for us.

for anyone who doesn't know, mbupc is our community driven revival of marble blast ultra, the old xbox 360 arcade classic. we rebuilt it for modern systems so people can play it again, whether they grew up with it or are discovering it for the first time.

mbupc is so close to being finished now. it still feels unreal to say that. the game runs beautifully. linux support is done, leaderboards are done, and now we just need mac support. if anyone out there is willing to help with mac support, it would mean everything to me. this game has been a big part of my life, and seeing it working on pc with leaderboards was emotional for me.

the glow gets hotter...

what my criticism is really about

by hailey · November 5, 2025 · personal · 0 Replies · 3,435 views

no one deserves to be hated or mocked for who they are or what they like.
that's something i've always believed with my whole heart.
and if you're ever targeted just for being who you are, i'll stand with you every time.

if you're online, you already know there will always be people who like you and people who don't. sooner or later, someone decides they want to hurt you. they twist your words, smear you, or try to turn others against you. it happens to everyone who's been on the internet long enough.

and if you've been through that, you know how awful it feels, that frustration and helplessness when people spread a version of you that isn't real. i've been a victim of that too.

why everything feels smaller now

by hailey · August 4, 2025 · personal · 18 Replies · 14,582 views

ever notice how places u visited as a kid, like theme parks, playgrounds, even games, feel way smaller now?

went to a theme park 2day w/ my friends. same one i'd been to a few times as a kid. back then it felt huge. like a whole world 2 explore. every ride was an adventure. every corner felt like magic. but now? it felt... small. not bad. just different. it hit me, it's not the park that changed. it's me. when ur a kid, imagination fills in the blanks. we don't see boundaries, we just explore. but as adults, we see the edges. we understand the layout, the limits. that sense of wonder fades a lil.

same thing w/ games. i used to play halo & try to break outta maps like i was discovering a secret universe. it felt endless. but now? i see how small & contained those levels really are. i understand game design, how things are built. that "what's out there?" feeling isn't the same.

i think that's why we can't enjoy games the same way we did as kids. it's not just nostalgia. it's bc our imagination isn't wild like it used 2 b. we're more aware. more logical.

still love games. still love theme parks.. but that feeling of vastness? that sense of limitless wonder? i miss it 💔

why style will always beat realism in sonic games

by hailey · July 13, 2025 · games · 16 Replies · 14,665 views

i was scrolling through twitter the other day and saw people arguing about the visuals in sonic unleashed vs sonic frontiers. of course i had to jump in, so i ended up making a post about it there too.

one tweet showed off how bright and stylized unleashed still looks, even all these years later. the reply tried to counter with a sonic frontiers screenshot that leaned into ultra realistic scenery, with detailed grass and shiny water.

but instead of making frontiers look better, it kinda did the opposite. it was a reminder that high fidelity on its own isn't what makes a game feel good. art direction is what gives a game its personality and its soul.

keep teasing urself...

life, loss, and what comes next

by hailey · May 29, 2025 · personal · 47 Replies · 23,823 views

it's been a while. over a year, actually. i didn't mean to go quiet for this long but, well... life happened.

the past few years have been a whirlwind. beautiful in some ways, heavy in others, and a lot of it just... personal. i don't really share much about my private life online anymore, especially not these days, but let's just say a lot's been happening.

i know a lot of you, especially in ocean palace, have wondered where i disappeared to. saying i've been busy doesn't feel honest. it doesn't explain the silence or the unanswered msgs, especially when i was still popping up on twitter. the truth is, life got messy and overwhelming and a little too real. it pulled me into a place where i couldn't bring myself to share like i used to. the best thing i can do now is just be real about it.

the drama deepens...

halo was never slow, you’re just used to modern FOV and mobility

by hailey · January 4, 2024 · games · 9 Replies · 16,528 views

for over 10 years now, 343 industries has been forcing changes onto halo that nobody asked for and nobody needed. that's the root of the divide between players who want the series to stay true to bungie's vision and players who accept whatever 343 puts out.

one of the most common claims from 343 fans, especially in recent years, is that classic halo is too slow and boring. they rarely say it neutrally. it's almost always delivered with this weird disdain, worded in a way that mocks the original games and the people who enjoy them.

the original halo games were never too slow. they were designed with deliberate pacing that made methodical strategy the core of the experience.

tap for the drama...

1 2 newer posts »

Sythine
SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
weapon offset and the illusion...
I didn't even realize weapon offset was a thing and wish I still didn't haha Sort of reminds me how in Team Fort...
Sythine
AUGUST 27, 2026
how 343 ruined halo’s multikills
I still remember my first Overkill and the achievement it gave. It was one of the last ones I needed for Halo 3. It ...
michaelb88
OCTOBER 24, 2025
why style will always beat...
couldn't have said it any better. i don't care if frontiers is technically more advanced than unleashed, it still lo...
Marcus
SEPTEMBER 13, 2025
about me ♡
Been following you on Twitter for a while now and I recently started reading your blog too. Just wanted to say, I re...
fuchsia_star
SEPTEMBER 9, 2025
about me ♡
I love the Dead or Alive series too. I sometimes used to draw Kasumi in my notebooks during class lol. DOA and Sonic...

the weirdest thing that happened to me in school

weapon offset and the illusion of choice in game design

the day my dreamcast almost killed me

coming home to myself. my 2000s blog, reborn

reaching out for mac support help

what my criticism is really about

why everything feels smaller now

why style will always beat realism in sonic games

life, loss, and what comes next

halo was never slow, you’re just used to modern FOV and mobility

YumeYasha 2nd

LIFE#taboo

Miku

♡˖° ~¹⁹⁹⁹ hailey ²⁰⁰⁵~ °˖♡

you played so good 💗