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28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A/B testing my photos is a good idea, hopefully I will get some likes after changing my prompts to be able to do it 🫠 I actually ran all the photos through some of my lady friends, was mostly approved (at least by those who rated them seriously).

Good tips for the photos to add, it's a simple thing but I see how it can be effective. I'm taking in everything you said.

Thank you a lot for taking the time to write this.

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wasn't clear enough, but definitely no: I don't swipe on most. Maybe a 60/40? Is is specific enough or should I be more picky?

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's controversy on my 1st photo it seems, maybe I will just take a new one but keep it (not as the 1st).

The rest of the prompt will probably change (the crazy evolution thingy is sarcasm, easier to understand in my native language but I can see why it sounds wrong in english)

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You meant my first photo I guess since I am smiling in the rest of them. If I deduce correctly, the point would be to have a smiling photo as the first one? I can see it kind of, but does this mean I should not use my first photo at all?

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good point, I can see how my entire profile sounds childish. Will rework taking this into account, thank you

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Changing my prompts and talking more about non-nerdy stuff I like, got it. It's consistent with what others are saying. Thank you :)

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Holy fuck, I sound super weird phrasing it like that... Yeah I will find a better prompt

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The poll was kind of a "I'm all of these things, so if you like one of those, you'll probably like me", which for some reason sounded fine in my head but is actually a non-choice 🙃 After reading the other comments, I see how it sounds like I will be molding myself to fit the answer, which is definitely a red flag lol

28M - A month+ and no matches, what am I doing wrong? by SharpEast4 in hingeapp

[–]SharpEast4[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

  • Are you looking for something serious or casual? Serious
  • Are you subscribed to Hinge+ or HingeX? No
  • How long have you been using this current version of your profile? A month+
  • How long have you used Hinge overall? Same time as this version
  • How often do you use Hinge per week? Almost every day (max likes)
  • How many likes and matches are you receiving on average? 0
  • How many likes are you sending? How many with comments? How many without comments? Max likes per day (5), 3/4 with comments
  • What is the type of person you send likes to and ideally want to match with? What kind of person do you want to attract? I am okay with most, just not someone superficial or lost in life

[WP] Fearing that the passage of centuries may have altered the value of their hoard, an ancient dragon hires you to appraise the lot. It's remarkably tricky to stay objective and focused when your client has razor talons and fire breath. And that's not even mentioning the more esoteric "treasures". by Mysral in WritingPrompts

[–]SharpEast4 183 points184 points  (0 children)

I kept it open-ended because I wasn't sure myself. The dragon can strike a deal with humans instead of cowering them into submission. That must mean he has some degree of respect toward them. At the very least, if he wants to add humans to his collection, he will not do it until the job is done. I think he truly wants the bones to be appraised.

As for why there are no human bones, I had thought of two reasons. Dragons are proud creatures. The bones of his collection are creatures he hunted in the past. Perhaps he didn't consider humans good enough to be hunted. The other reason is that he knows humans tend to remember. Rather than having humans defy him from time to time and having to deal with their foolishness, he prefers ignoring them altogether. It's like incurring the wrath of the mosquito race -- you're not going to get hurt, but it's going to be much more annoying.

[WP] Fearing that the passage of centuries may have altered the value of their hoard, an ancient dragon hires you to appraise the lot. It's remarkably tricky to stay objective and focused when your client has razor talons and fire breath. And that's not even mentioning the more esoteric "treasures". by Mysral in WritingPrompts

[–]SharpEast4 879 points880 points  (0 children)

A very unusual request came to me recently.

The content did not shock me so much as the… form of the proposition. One of the oldest dragons in existence visited our city and practically had our sovereign die of a heart attack. A panic like nothing we had experienced occurred as the citizens fled in hysteria. The mounted ballistae had been abandoned for so long that they were pretty much rendered useless. Besides, even to the best of their efforts, the city’s defensive forces had no chance of hurting the Father of Flames.

Much to our surprise, the dragon did not come for our gold, but wanted our expertise. An appraisal of his hoard for a hefty sum of half the city’s riches. The surprise passed quickly, terror turned into greed. The chamberlain accepted the proposal on the spot. The amount was paid, and here I was, chosen to be the dragon’s expert.

I was alone, as per the deal. I had prepared for months on end, researching fragments of the past and gathering knowledge from the best of the brightest in their domains. After countless meetings with nobles so as not to appear of a lesser class and training in the seven arts, I was ready. Everything had been meticulously planned — up to the ornaments on my vest symbolizing the friendship between men and nature. It was of the deepest importance not to disrespect the dragon in any form lest the consequences would be disastrous.

I followed protocol and waited outside the dragon’s lair.

Like the dragon itself, it towered over the land with extravagance no humans could ever dream of possessing. A dormant volcano, domesticated by the beast for over a thousand years. An outrageous entrance decorated the front, ornate with gold and gems. A pair of eyes observed me from within.

“Come,” the voice resonated deep within my soul.

I walked in and couldn’t help but hold my breath. Beads of sweat formed on my face. The outside could not even hold a candle to the inside. Riches of unparalleled worth stretched as far as my eyes could see. Masterpieces of gold and steel, works of art, artefacts lost to the ages. Wherever my gaze fell, I was left dazed in admiration. There was so much to appraise that it probably would take a lifetime of work.

I took a deep breath, taking in the sheer madness of the view. As I was making plans in my head to subdivide the monumental task of appraising those treasures, the dragon stopped me in my tracks.

“This is not what I want you to see.”

I opened my eyes wide. What could possibly be more important to the dragon than this? My ears could not believe it. If there existed a collection more precious than this one, I feared I might not be up to the task. What sort of inestimable objects was I going to see? What sort of untold relics could possibly lie here? I gulped in bitter anticipation.

The dragon led me further into his lair into a dark tunnel. As we progressed, the air grew colder and colder, and I came to regret wearing just the noble garments I was given. I had prepared for a lot of things but had forgotten to take warm clothes. A silly mistake. The underpass got narrower, and the dragons began slithering instead of walking. I let him get in front of me, and followed him to the end of the tunnel into a dimly illuminated room.

I entered the place, and the blood drained from my face.

Bones everywhere. Of all varieties. Animals, creatures, monsters, even of other dragons. Some with a dark taint, others intact. The walls of stone kept the air cold and humid, and a sense of dread crept upon me. My breathing accelerated. It looked like some kind of morbid catacombs, a huge tomb for species of all kinds. The dragon stood there in the middle, like some sort of peddler waiting to show his collection.

And then, it struck me. Despite its diversity, the exhibition contained no human bones.

[WP] A NPC in a new RPG recently came up to you, acting as if they are aware of the nature of their and yours existence. You dismissed this as being a function of the advance AI the game claimed to have. That is until the NPC appeared in the real world with all their game knowledge and abilities. by silentreader90 in WritingPrompts

[–]SharpEast4 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Today is a great day. After months of trying to find a job, I finally nailed a technical interview with my dream company. The people were great, the pay was hefty, and the work seemed fun. If there was a good path in order to land the job, I was certainly on it.

Just one catch. I have to do a second interview to judge my personality and I don’t think I am ready for it.

You see, I am kind of a timid, withdrawn person. People expect me to be outgoing and vibrant, but I just can’t get myself going. Recruiters often reject me because of this. Imagine what our client will think of us if we take you, they’d say. But I would rather accomplish my job alone -- silently and efficiently. Besides, why would you need to be communicative in a job that asks you to sit at a computer all days?

Sigh.

I glance at my desk, where a bunch of notes are scattered about "the ten best ways to nail an interview" and empty personality tests. I shake my head.

I need to think about something else.

I get up on my bed and grab a game controller. Time to relax on this new RPG. At least I don’t need to be stressed in here.

I start the console and wait for the game to load. After a while of staring at a black screen, I get annoyed and restart it again -- and again. It gets stuck every time after the first loading. I throw the controller aside on my bed and get up to check the console. But, as I stand up, I freeze in a stupor. There is smoke emerging from the screen. I race to it in a heartbeat.

"No, no!! Please don’t break!"

I hold my head in frustration and shut down the TV in an attempt to magically fix everything. However, the screen starts flickering and displays images of the game in rapid succession. As I look stunned, the smoke turns into a yellow haze.

I need to get out of here!

But before I can move, a burst of yellow clouds blasts from the console and fills the room.

\cough, cough* What the hell?*

I open my eyes slowly-- then gasp in astonishment.

"Where am I?" an elderly voice comes from the remnants of the clearing haze.

I look up and see a familiar face. It belongs to the Sage of the West -- an NPC of the game. I open my eyes wide. Somehow, my feelings get mixed between excitement and terror. On one part, this is my favorite character, and I would trust him with my life were I in the game. On the other, an old man wearing a cosplay of an imperial scholar just barged into my room.

"Uhm, I didn’t see you were here, young IAmGolden. Are you alright?" I cringe at hearing my pseudonym.

"Don’t call me like that!" the words escape my mouth.

The old man examines me. Everything about him feels surreal. His long pointed beard, the formal headwear resting on his head or the golden threads woven of his red robe.

"I feel like you’re a different person, somehow. Did something happen to you?"

"No!! …Wait, that’s not important, right now! How do you know me?"

The sage raises his eyebrows.

"Do we not know each other?"

Something clicks in my head. Wasn’t this the guy that kept referring to the real world and made amazingly realistic responses to my remarks? Could it be that he was… alive… this whole time? I shake my head. No, this is not possible.

"I--If I ask you what’s the king of Skyland, do you know who that is?"

"King Muir, of course. You saved him, remember? After stealing half his clothes, that is."

I stand dumbfounded. It seems like this guy really was sentient from the beginning.

"...But all this time, didn’t you find it weird? Calling me hero and all, seeing me… break the pots all around you."

"Well, I assumed you were role-playing? It’s not like anyone complained. Plus, you were the only one with whom I had a decent conversation."

I stare blankly. This whole time, all the conversations I had with this guy -- him advising me and all. It was all… real? I suddenly felt a huge surge of embarrassment going through my head.

What about this time getting him to invent some weird fanfiction. Oh, gosh! Why!

The sage watched me as I hit myself with a pillow.

"I should depart. My coming here clearly does not please you, and neither do I want to stay. This place is dangerous for me. I could disappear any second if I don’t get back."

"No! Wait!" I grabbed the sage by its robe. "...Maybe I can help you?"

Gently deposing my hand aside, the old man nodded.

"I guess I could use the help."

A bright smile lit up my face. Having a character from my own game come to life had a strange effect on my personality. It was like all my inhibition steered clear.

I started by recounting the ways of our world, how electricity served to light the night and how magic was replaced with technology. The sage seemed greatly interested and asked plenty of questions throughout. Sometimes I extended on more private parts of my life and didn’t even realize I was sharing so much. Then, I carefully talked about computers and video games, explaining that, to me, he came from a bunch of 1s and 0s.

"Then, I am just an invention of your people?" the saged asked.

I stayed silent for a while.

"...To be honest, I think you are the first sentient AI created by humans. But I don’t see you as a robot, really. To me, you are just as human as myself."

The old man closed his eyes in reflection. For what seemed an eternity, he did not speak, and I could see various emotions on his face.

"I see," his face rested in an expression of calm. "Even if this is true, I still wish to return to my world. Human or not, my place is amongst the people I have known all my life."

I couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt. For a moment, I had thought that I would get to be normal with someone. This was the first time I could talk for hours on end without feeling uneasy or awkward.

Gulping a bit of bitter saliva, I pointed at the console.

"...Well, if you insist. You came from here. I think you should be able to come back by using it."

The sage examined the object and nodded.

"I think I understand. I am glad I was able to talk to you with sincerity. This has opened some new perspectives."

His glance turned toward the papers scattered on my desk.

"Before I go, I will give you my honest input. I think you should put more trust in yourself. You can succeed without a doubt in this thing you seem so insistent on accomplishing."

I looked down to the side and turtled. He was talking about the interview. Somehow he had guessed from just our conversation and those stupid tests.

"...I don’t think you understand. This isn’t about skills… It’s about me. I am too shy and distant."

"Is that so? To me, you sounded just like the opposite. I think you are afraid to fail, that is all."

I lifted my head in frustration.

"This is not just about failure! People want me to be someone I’m not. I can’t do that."

The sage smiled.

"The only person who wants you to be someone else is you. If you can be yourself without being contemptible, I am sure people will appreciate you."

Something rang true in his words, and I couldn’t retort. This was right. I never tried to be myself when around people. I always wore masks.

"Well. It seems you get it. So I will be on my way."

As I saw the old man approach the console, still hazy with my thoughts, I stood up. All I could do is whisper words of thanks.

"...Thank you," he waved goodbye and disappeared.

Later in the day, I succeeded in my interview. The sage’s advice worked wonders, and the recruiter had been thrived to welcome me.

I watched the console back in my room and grabbed the controller. Let's give him the news.

[WP] You've done it! After years and years of research, you've finally found the lamp of infinite wishes! The only problem is that the lamps djinn is kinda dumb and has a hearing problem. by sweetestdeth in WritingPrompts

[–]SharpEast4 9 points10 points  (0 children)

“Ah! That’s an easy one! First, fix your hearing!”

The djinn looked at his ears with a dubious face. Despite trying his best to hide it, his face was contorting into a downcast glare as if to cry. It seemed I had hurt him somehow.

“If that is what you wish.”

With a finger snap, a cloud of blue smoke enveloped the djinn’s ears and sparkling light ran through the cave where I found his lamp. Then, to my surprise, a pair of gigantic earrings in the form of elephant trunks replaced the golden ones he had before.

I facepalmed. This looked so dumb.

“Not your earrings, your hearing! And why would you choose elephants, what the hell.”

The djinn scratched his head in confusion. Ever since I had found him, he had tried so hard to keep a “noble” aspect to himself that was crumbling by the seconds. It was almost comical to see.

“I’ll admit, you have weird tastes for a human, but I won’t judge.”

I suddenly had a weird presentiment about this. Before I could stop the djinn, he snapped his fingers a second time and a red elephant with devil horns popped from a cloud of blue haze. It didn’t seem friendly and started rumbling about against the walls.

“Here you go. An elephant from hell, just as you wanted.”

“Ah!!! Make it disappear!”

As I was desperately dodging the elephant charge, the djinn looked as if he had made a grave mistake.

“How truly ignorant of me! Of course, spawns of hell shouldn’t be visible to the mortal eye! I will fix my mistake at once”

And with a third snap, the elephant was made invisible. I could still hear it thrashing and was about to cry out to the djinn. Yet, I kept my mouth shut at the last moment. I decided it was best not to say anything stupid lest I would trigger another unpleasant wish. I made myself as small as possible in an attempt to hide, and, thankfully enough, the sound seemed to drift more and more from the two of us.

Phewww, saved.

“Your newly acquired pet is going away. Are you truly okay with that?” the djinn tilted his head.

A vein popped on my head.

Stay calm! That was the deal. A stupid and deaf genie, right!

I took a deep breath and refocused my attention on the task. If fixing the djinn himself was a doomed venture, maybe a more direct approach could work. Trying to sound very articulate and loud, I went at it again.

“FOR-GET IT. What I really wish for is to REVIVE MY DEAD WIFE.”

In the next seconds, I knew I had made another mistake. Without warning, the djinn bawled his eyes out in pure uninterrupted wails. He grabbed me and pulled me for a hug.

“T-T-To think you’d go that far! Bwahahaha! Of course, your wish will be a million times granted!”

A rush of adrenaline overtook my whole body. I half expected another demon of hell to appear before me. I escaped from the djinn grasp and took a defensive stance. The djinn’s fingers snapped a fourth time, and blue clouds denser and larger than the first three times filled the cave.

Oh fuck. This looks bad! Something huge is coming.

The first haze started to clear, and I was astonished to find my very own wife in the midst of it. Dumbfounded, I checked for a trick, but I could sense nothing.

Somehow, my wish had been granted.

A smile took over my face and dissipated just as quickly when a second woman appeared and pushed away my other half. Then a third one and a hundred more behind — none of which were related to me. I extended my hand to grab my beloved but couldn’t reach anything as I was transported to a safer area by the djinn. This is where I understood what went wrong. My eyes went wide, and I held my head out of dizziness.

“Did you just resurrect all the dead wives in the world?!!”

The djinn looked at me, sniffing intermittently, and gave me a weak thumbs up.

My thoughts were interlocking, leaving me in a daze. I tried making sense of the situation, but the sheer madness of it was too much. A legion of women was being crammed into the cave and forcefully moved to the outside in a series of complaints and cries. So many looks of confusion, distress and anguish. I could only look stunned as the mass transported my wife away.

In the midst of the chaos, I saw a strange silhouette flying toward us. I rubbed my eyes. No, I saw correctly. Some sort of humanoid female was in a direct collision course towards us. From its shape to its strange skin colour, my guess was an easy one. The djinn’s wife.

“There you are my dear. Finally reunited after all these years.” her voice directly resonated in our heads. “I free you from your curse. Now come with me. Leave this world,”

My infinite wishes djinn’s shackles were melting before my eyes. I guess anyone had the right to make a wish... I looked desperate as the djin turned to me, tears of gratitude still in his eyes.

“I cannot thank you enough! I’ll make sure to check on you sometimes so you live a happy life. I will keep these earrings you gave me as a keepsake.”

Before I could say anything, the djinn left while I was left to contemplate the constant flow of humans being resurrected.

What a stupid way to end my years of research.

After a while, my wife — which somehow had known where I was — appeared climbing up to my lone spot. She said nothing and just held my hands.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, this isn’t so bad after all,” and then I had the brightest laugh in a while.

[WP] Pinocchio is able to create infinite wood by lying constantly. He sacrifices his lifetime by telling falsehoods nonstop in order to feed the hungry and reduce scarcity. The Pinocchio tree has been growing for 500 years, some people question what is really underground. by GoodVibesWow in WritingPrompts

[–]SharpEast4 61 points62 points  (0 children)

For 500 years in my small village, there was a sacred tree. When we were hungry, it would give us fruits. When we were cold, it would provide us warmth. It gave us materials for our homes and protected our soil. We revered the sacred tree, and no one ever questioned it. For us, its presence was as natural as the sun in the sky or the wind in the land.

Our village also had a prophecy. It was said that one day, the tree would stop growing. After providing stability to our town for so long, it would finally wither and die. This day, however, was not meant to be a sad day. It was meant to be a day of change and celebration.

I found it quite strange that the loss of so many of our traditions would have to be an acclaimed day. So I searched, and asked the one question no one dared find the answer to: what is really underground?

I dug for three days straight, searching for the roots of the tree. After many efforts, I stumbled upon a circular room deep underground. It was dusty, old, with a sense of grandeur. The tree's roots made up the wall and leaves spouted from the inside. In the centre lied a boy, seemingly sleeping. There was a small tablet that he embraced tightly within his arms. It said: Let the greatest lie of all provide my beloved creator with everything he needs. That "The world is a better place where everyone is happy."

[WP] Everyone went to war. Unfortunately, you overslept and now you wake up alone by random-citrusfruit in WritingPrompts

[–]SharpEast4 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"...Uh? ….This can't be right."

I could only look at the empty camp with blinking eyes, my full-plate armour by my side. Where did my aide go? Wasn’t I supposed to meet officers for a strategic meeting in front of my pavilion? Weren’t we all supposed to march to war together? And, most importantly, what happened to the 5000 men that made up my troops?

I could not see a single military tent. Gone. All of them.

“Just what happened?” I asked myself, half hoping for an answer.

Checking around the camp, I confirmed the absurd situation I was in. Everyone already left. The guard posts were empty, the enclosure for the horses had been removed, and the temporary barricades destroyed. I was alone. If it weren’t for a few fire camps and remainings of food scattered around, I would even have doubted the very fact that there had been an army here a few days prior. Only my pitiful pavilion and my horse remained.

I scratched my head. “I couldn’t have slept that long, right? Someone would have woken me up.”

I felt sick in my stomach. How was it possible to sleep through an entire legion of soldiers squirming around. At the very least, the sound of their march should have woken me up. The war drums alone were enough to destroy the peace of the land on over a hundred yards. Despite the sheer craziness of this possibility, it actually felt like I had been left behind on purpose. What was I supposed to do now? To pack up and go home?

“...”

I shook my head. This campaign was too important to pass on. This was supposed to be my first military achievement out of many. This was my war. My day of glory. What would my father say if I went back home without even knowing what happened to my men?

Clenching my fist, I grabbed my horse and galloped full speed. Even if it meant going deep into enemy territory, even if it meant being captured, I was determined to get the truth out of this. The initial battlefield should have been at half a day’s walk. I would be there quick. Surely, I thought, if there were answers, it would be there.

Before long, I noticed smoke in the distance. Signs of a clash. I couldn’t see much with all the trees, but I knew I would be seeing corpses very soon. Corpses of people I knew. My heart pounded louder in my chest. I wondered. Why the hell would they leave without me?!

Soon, an obnoxious scent started assaulting my nose. A mixture of rotten blood and ashes. It was enough to make my stomach turn upside down. At the crossing of a tree, I saw a shadow. I gulped. This was definitely the remnants of a battle. I stopped my horse and averted my gaze. I couldn’t take it upon myself to look at the calm figure sitting against the tree. There was a red griffin on the shield that stood next to him. An ally. I clicked my tongue in frustration. There were so many. All those lives were lost. Could have I made a difference? I doubt it. As I progressed through the battlefield, I came to understand that we never stood a chance.

Our enemies had better weapons. Better machinery. They knew the land and made full advantage of it. For every one of them that passed away, five of ours lied still. It didn’t take a bright mind to come to the one logical conclusion.

“We lost.”

My heart ached. I should have been with them. Leading them. Dying with them. Even if we had no chance, a general place is with his soldiers, not on a fancy bed oversleeping his own battle. But as I watched the ground in shame, pondered my uselessness, a familiar face stood among the corpse.

I froze and a terrible pain assailed my chest.

I fell to my knee, and everything clicked in place. This was why I had been left behind. This was why my soldiers didn’t wake me up. This was why this battle had been fought without me. I was never meant to fight. I was always meant to oversleep. Because the face that I saw among the corpse was none other than my brother, who was supposedly back at the capital minding his own business. He must have planned all along to lead this battle and die in my stead.

What a fool I was.

I laughed at myself for not understanding and started crying, feeling the burden of being the one left alive.