This has gone far too long without me saying anything. I love Iwaku. Not every day of course because I'm not that full of sunshine and kittens. But I love Iwaku. I was really really resistant to it at first, after Moonwings died and Diana came to be the permanent Admin over here. I waited like two or three years between the death of Moonwings and me coming to Iwaku.
Why?
I had been to Iwaku before Diana stepped in and took over. I had stepped into their chatbox (which wasn't the one we have now) and I saw
them. All these dudes and they were being dicks and there was racist and sexist comments flying and I was just like 'No. No thanks. I know this is where Jinx came from and I don't want none.' So I left and then Moonwings died and I never ever considered coming to Iwaku thinking that Diana could actually fix this place.
At the time, I didn't think Iwaku was fixable.
Now, I am on another forum (owned and ran by Diana and some other lovely people) and it crashed one day a few years back. I didn't have Diana on my AIM and had no way of getting a hold of her. So I did what I had to do and that was come to Iwaku to look for Diana. I did NOT intend to stay. I didn't want to deal with all the people I had seen before who had been acting so badly.
I stepped into the chatroom. It wasn't Iwaku's chatroom! That was Kehv's chatroom him and Diana had made! For Moonwings! I can't explain how homey it was to be there. Then there was the names. I saw Dawn and Shiny and Diana and Jinx and Koori and various others who all were Moonwings people!
Yet I didn't feel like Iwaku was home.
I stated RPing on Iwaku in tiny leaps and bounds, with people like Ozzie first and then everyone else just kinda fell in. I stared RPing with Vay even though I was terrified of them! Seriously. I thought Vay was some kinda grumpy asshat but Ocha was all 'We need Vay for this! You'll love everything!'. Ocha was right. That was ... Three years ago? Vay is one of my favorite and one of my best friends now.
It took me several years for Iwaku to feel like home. It was similar and different from Moonwings. It was so much bigger! It was scary! I had to leave a few times over the years as my depression and general brain-weasels made it hard for me to deal with people. But I always came back. Why? Why did I come back when I left? Was it because the RP? Nah. Was it because I had no where else to go? Also nah. Was it because Iwaku had adult RP sections? Definitely nah.
Why do I love Iwaku? Why do I always come back after I get a grip on myself and I can people again?
It's the easiest answer.
Iwaku is my home.
Because my people are here.
Because my people have beautiful brains and are wonderfully creative and I am SO happy to be friends with them, to talk to them, to RP with them, to watch them grow and bloom.
So I love Iwaku because Iwaku is my home because my home is where my loves are.
@Diana
@Vay
@Dawn
@Ochalla
@Shiny
@Kooriryu
@Ozzie Chanter
There's a ton of others to @ but I think you all mostly know who you are. I try not to be stingy with my affection. <3