The Syndicate

M Plus 7 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:13 am So as some of you already know from the 99 Problems thread, @Spacedaisy and I unfortunately have hit every possible financial obstacle it seems in the midst of this massive transition to California (among other things namely I have been denied for loan after loan). The school is actively trying to work with me now to try and get me funding before my first paycheck on October 1st, but that is still up in the air, and realistically by sometime next week we definitely would have been completely broke if something hadn't come through in time.

I never would have imagined a random vent in a thread about our situation would receive such instantaneous and incredibly generous outpouring from so many of you already, let alone at all.

Spoiler: show

@Boomslang
@ColinIsCool
@dunya
@Elohcin
@Epignosis
@Golden
@Kylemii
@JaggedJimmyJay
@Marmot
@nijuukyugou
@nutella
@Quin
@sprityo
@Tsaiah
...and all of you anonymous donor(s), thank you, whoever you are

I suppose though really I should have, given just how incredible, caring, generous, and loving the people in this is community really are. I could never fully express just how proud, thankful, and amazed I am by that fact. (But I have cried at least 10 times the last couple of days so that ought to at least provide some indication.)

I started working on this website nearly 6 years ago now primarily with Daisy's assistance (as well as S~V~S, bless her as well) both so that I could play online games of mafia with my friends -- friends that I had made from 2010-2012 at all of the Lostpedia-based mafia subcommunities, friends that I made from 2008-2012 from the fine folks in the Just for Fun section of ProgArchives, friends that I made from high school, from college, and other avenues of my life -- and so that all of those people could also share this experience with their friends and the people they care about.

This game helped me bring a lot of very important people in my life whom I care about more than I could ever express from various communities all together. The decision to start working on this website in hindsight certainly ranks as one of the greatest little decisions I ever made, and despite 6 years of incredible memories with you all, I never fully understood just how great the decision was until now.

To think that I very probably wouldn't even be here if I hadn't stumbled onto the Lostpedia community forums in 2010 because I really wanted to talk about an awesome TV show. Then I was introduced to mafia by @nutella who assured me it was a lot of fun. She wasn't kidding. To think back on all the memories I've made interacting with you all in and outside of mafia games (despite what it may have seemed like in game upon occasion!) fills me with so many outstanding emotions that I could never fully express. Mafia has been an important part of my life the last 8 years, to say the least, but that's not due to the game, it's thanks to all of you.

I certainly wouldn't be the person I am today without the love and support of all of my friends, and I always considered myself very fortunate for that. Nonetheless, despite so many incredible reasons I've considered myself thankful for this community, I didn't realize just how fortunate I really am until these past couple of days.

One of the many amazing people here by the name of @Dragon D. Luffy once summarized it well:

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: Whenever someone in the internet tells me asshattery is normal, or that political correctness makes the world worse, or some BS like that, I remember this place exists and and shrug it off.

Thank you all so much. This community wouldn't be what it is without every single one of you.

I gain a lot of faith in humanity every time I interact with all of you. I somehow gained even more the last couple of days.