Good evening all. I don't know how many of you here on this platform remember, or even know me, as this site has changed drastically from when I became a member. Two, I have been absent from the site for a number of different reasons. Tonight, I just felt like getting some things off my chest, things that I've wanted to say for a very long time, so bare with me, this could get a bit long.
I became a member of this site way back in 2014. This past Jan. 3rd was the 5 year anniversary of my membership here. I remember with deep fondness and joy the first 2 years of my membership here. I was a recent KH player, as I had gotten the first game a few years before I found this site. The wonder of KH was still new to me and sent my mind racing with imagination. I loved, and still love the greater KH community deeply. Within the first year of my becoming a member here, I met one of my most dearest friends in the world, Amber Cole. She no longer comes to this site, but her and I have become like sisters and have grown close over the years. I also met Austin Caudill, whom some ppl may remember on this site as Jack Sparrow. Interestingly, he and Amber got together and they are now dating and have been for a few years and Austin has become the little brother I never had. Through being connected to the KH community on this site, I also met my future love, Jeremy. People here would know him as soravids. We've been dating for 2 and a half years now and I pray for many more to come. But, while as a daily regular on this site in the early years of my membership here, I met several ppl whom I considered my friends. The likes of Ruby Rose, Danex Darkfire+, Geralt,  Kunivas, and several others. I remember spending literally hours a day in private and public chats just horsing around with them and creating all kinds of random adventures and crazy posts. I still look on those days and laugh. I still feel that fun loving joy I had with them, and I miss them all very deeply. I wish so much I could go back to those fun days.
But, things change.
I won't go into to detail to keep the privacy of some who may still be members of this site, but some things happened between me and a few members. Some of them I considered my friends. I had a massive falling out with them almost 3 years ago. I was angry, I was hurt deeply and I was sad. Ever since that day, I stopped coming to the site daily. That soon turned into weeks, which then turned into months. Life for me passed and soon it became years. Oh I would pop in every now and then to check up on news and maybe say hi to one or two old friends who I still try to keep in touch with, but since the falling out, the magic of KH13, and the KH community on this site, died for me. Nothing was or even is the same anymore. I feel so disconnected from this site and the community at large. And it sucks. It sucks hard. I feel like enough time has passed that I would like to come back regular to the site again, but I've been so out of the personal loop on this site that I'm not sure how much of the makeup of this community has changed. I know for a fact there are still some ancient members that come here and are even admins still, but the general makeup of the site is what I may not recognize. I feel like for me, if I do return to daily visits, it'd be like joining the site for the first time all over again.
But in hind sight, that may not be a bad thing at all. I know I would be considered old now by a majority of the KH13 body (I'm 28 ), but hey, I know that the general KH community don't judge, and that's part of the sweet magic of the community. All are welcome, no matter what. And who knows? Starting a new journey may not be so hard.  I get to make new friends and start over again. Maybe even reconnect with the old ones. Guess I should "face my fears" and jump in again.  
What's driving me back is really the start of the new Kingdom Hearts arc. I realized after KH3 came out that a brand new generation of Dandelions just swelled the KH ranks. And the possibilities of the new direction the series will take has been busted wide open! I'd love to debate and chat and theorize about these new ideas again. I really do miss coming to this site on the daily so freaking much!
So yeah. If you made it this far in, thanks for listening to my ramblings. XD I didn't mean for it to be this long, but I just felt like I had to say something. Hope you guys got something out of it, and I look forward to the future with the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
May your heart be your guiding key.

Edited April 3, 20196 yr by Alicia Maddox

As a fellow older member I relate to how difficult it is to come back. I think 2014 was the peak for my activity here, too, and I have a lot of fond memories of kh13 from that time period... I never really had the courage to talk to people or get to know them better, but even then there was this sense of community that I miss... Not that there isn't anymore, but it's just different, and I don't really recognize people anymore. So for a long time I just wasn't very active here, because it just didn't feel the same.

I've tried to be more active lately, too. And you know what? I think I'm rediscovering my love for this place. It's different for sure, but if you can move past that, it's still a lovely community. Maybe more quiet, but lately I feel like more members have been active again. Probably because of KH3, but I really hope it stays this way even as we move further from KH3's release.

I don't really know what I'm trying to say, but if you decide to become more active here again, welcome back.

It's always nice to see older members around, because there aren't that many here anymore. You probably don't remember me, but I remember seeing you around here a lot back then.

It's very different from 2014 KH13 and now. It seems like a lot of new faces pop up with every topic XD. I'm sorry that stuff happened to you and I know that pain a lot in just real life. I used to never be active on here other than lurking but now I'm posting at least weekly which is huge XD It makes me feel more apart of the community than before. Happy to see you again ^-^ I'm an oldie (joining back in 2014 actually XD) and I remember seeing ya around.

Sorry that all that has happened to you man. Lets be friends.

Wow, that is crazy! So much has happened over the past few years, it's hard to think that we've already come this far in life, eh?

But yes, I definitely remember a time when this site was teeming with life, and there were bountiful and endless members left and right. And well, the community was bustling all the time. It's not that it isn't anymore, but like you said, things have most definitely changed. As do all things in life. Ever since I moved to the US, my life has gotten busy to the point that I'm not able to come online daily anymore, hence I only show up once a week or whenever I get the chance. And it sucks, because I used to log in here daily to post in the community and chat with my friends. But one has to be attentive to one's responsibilities, so it's all a part of growing up.

Kingdom Hearts and this website will forever and always be a part of my life, and so long as I live, I will always log in here, no matter how much or how little. But I do hopefully want to be able to make it a habit to come online daily again, even if just for an hour. Hopefully I can make the time soon. But yes Alicia, I feel ya, and like you said, a new saga will bring forth a legion of new fans, so we, the old guard, can welcome the new bloods and enthrall them in the magic that is Kingdom Hearts!

And well, I think that's something we can brag about, that we were here when the website had its old guard, and we can say we are present for the new blood! May our hearts be our guiding key! 

Stay awesome, and know you'll always have a friend in me!

Edited April 3, 20196 yr by The Transcendent Key

10 hours ago, littleTSUBAME said:

As a fellow older member I relate to how difficult it is to come back. I think 2014 was the peak for my activity here, too, and I have a lot of fond memories of kh13 from that time period... I never really had the courage to talk to people or get to know them better, but even then there was this sense of community that I miss... Not that there isn't anymore, but it's just different, and I don't really recognize people anymore. So for a long time I just wasn't very active here, because it just didn't feel the same.

I've tried to be more active lately, too. And you know what? I think I'm rediscovering my love for this place. It's different for sure, but if you can move past that, it's still a lovely community. Maybe more quiet, but lately I feel like more members have been active again. Probably because of KH3, but I really hope it stays this way even as we move further from KH3's release.

I don't really know what I'm trying to say, but if you decide to become more active here again, welcome back.

It's always nice to see older members around, because there aren't that many here anymore. You probably don't remember me, but I remember seeing you around here a lot back then.

I actually do remember you friend! You're one of the few names that I still see here whenever I log in. It is nice to know older members still hang around here.  And thank you for the encouragement. I am trying to come back again. Like another member of this site, Transcendent said, when you get on in life, like college and work for me, it gets harder to come back. But if I can make a connection on this site again, I'll try my hardest.  

8 hours ago, EchoFox23* said:

It's very different from 2014 KH13 and now. It seems like a lot of new faces pop up with every topic XD. I'm sorry that stuff happened to you and I know that pain a lot in just real life. I used to never be active on here other than lurking but now I'm posting at least weekly which is huge XD It makes me feel more apart of the community than before. Happy to see you again ^-^ I'm an oldie (joining back in 2014 actually XD) and I remember seeing ya around.

Aww, thanks friend.  Sorry if I don't recognize your name, but its good to know there's more older members on here than I thought.  

6 hours ago, Mkucherina said:

Sorry that all that has happened to you man. Lets be friends.

Ok.  I look forward to making more friends again. 

7 minutes ago, The Transcendent Key said:

Wow, that is crazy! So much has happened over the past few years, it's hard to think that we've already come this far in life, eh?

But yes, I definitely remember a time when this site was teeming with life, and there were bountiful and endless members left and right. And well, the community was bustling all the time. It's not that it isn't anymore, but like you said, things have most definitely changed. As do all things in life. Ever since I moved to the US, my life has gotten busy to the point that I'm not able to come online daily anymore, hence I only show up once a week or whenever I get the chance. And it sucks, because I used to log in here daily to post in the community and chat with my friends. But one has to be attentive to one's responsibilities, so it's all a part of growing up.

Kingdom Hearts and this website will forever and always be a part of my life, and so long as I live, I will always log in here, no matter how much or how little. But I do hopefully want to be able to make it a habit to come online daily again, even if just for an hour. Hopefully I can make the time soon. But yes Alicia, I feel ya, and like you said, a new saga will bring forth a legion of new fans, so we, the old guard, can welcome the new bloods and enthrall them in the magic that is Kingdom Hearts!

And well, I think that's something we can brag about, that we were here when the website had its old guard, and we can say we are present for the new blood! May our hearts be our guiding key! 

Stay awesome, and know you'll always have a friend in me!

Shige, you're gonna make me cry here. XD You're like one of the only old friends I still come here to talk to.  I feel you about adult life kicking all the fun to the curb. But like you, I'll try to make as much time for this place as I can and when I can.  Thanks for always being around. You're basically the Sora of this site. XD 

4 hours ago, Alicia Maddox said:

Aww, thanks friend.  Sorry if I don't recognize your name, but its good to know there's more older members on here than I thought.  

You all good ^-^ I barely made posts back then so XD

While I didn't even have an account back then, I did visit the site all those years ago as a lurker.

And while things here may certainly have changed since then, things in life often do, I want to welcome you back as well and hope that you enjoy your stay in this community once more

25 minutes ago, LunaCatte said:

While I didn't even have an account back then, I did visit the site all those years ago as a lurker.

And while things here may certainly have changed since then, things in life often do, I want to welcome you back as well and hope that you enjoy your stay in this community once more

Thank you Luna.  I hope to enjoy this site again like I once did. 

Good to meetcha! I'm glad you decided to come back to the site, though I'm sorry that such  unfortunate circumstances caused you to leave the site in the first place. That couldn't have been easy and I'm glad you were finally able to return. I'm pretty new to the site, having joined in January of 2018, and so far the community has been amazing, so I hope you're able to settle back in again without any issues. 

And by the way, there's no shame in being an older fan of the series. Heck, I'm 26 (turning 27 in August) and I've been with this series literally since its inception back in 2002. I saw the commercial on TV and asked for the game for christmas, and 16-17 years later, here we are. So you're not alone on that front. Feel free to message me if you're looking to chat; I love meeting new people and making new friends.

I guess in short, what I'm trying to say is welcome back to the site! I can't wait to get to know you better!   

6 hours ago, Allwil13 said:

 

And by the way, there's no shame in being an older fan of the series. Heck, I'm 26 (turning 27 in August) and I've been with this series literally since its inception back in 2002. I saw the commercial on TV and asked for the game for christmas, and 16-17 years later, here we are. So you're not alone on that front. Feel free to message me if you're looking to chat; I love meeting new people and making new friends.

I guess in short, what I'm trying to say is welcome back to the site! I can't wait to get to know you better!   

I am 26 and I love adventure time and my little pony and I can explain why I like it does types of people that say you can only like something because "reasons" are no people who are worth  listening to. Do what you love and be good!

2 minutes ago, Dustin Lübbers said:

I am 26 and I love adventure time and my little pony and I can explain why I like it does types of people that say you can only like something because "reasons" are no people who are worth  listening to. Do what you love and be good!

Glad to see another big fan of animated shows! Gravity Falls is hands down one of my top three favourite shows of all time!

1 minute ago, Allwil13 said:

Glad to see another big fan of animated shows! Gravity Falls is hands down one of my top three favourite shows of all time!

yea I wanted to watch it so bad but we still dont have Hulu here in germany we got netflix sure but it only has I think like 2 seasons or so And when I watch a show than I binch watch it

15 hours ago, Allwil13 said:

Good to meetcha! I'm glad you decided to come back to the site, though I'm sorry that such  unfortunate circumstances caused you to leave the site in the first place. That couldn't have been easy and I'm glad you were finally able to return. I'm pretty new to the site, having joined in January of 2018, and so far the community has been amazing, so I hope you're able to settle back in again without any issues. 

And by the way, there's no shame in being an older fan of the series. Heck, I'm 26 (turning 27 in August) and I've been with this series literally since its inception back in 2002. I saw the commercial on TV and asked for the game for christmas, and 16-17 years later, here we are. So you're not alone on that front. Feel free to message me if you're looking to chat; I love meeting new people and making new friends.

I guess in short, what I'm trying to say is welcome back to the site! I can't wait to get to know you better!   

Thanks Allwil!  Yeah, it was, but I'm putting all that behind me.  Oh cool. My birthday is in Sept. I sadly didn't come into the series until much later in life, but I enjoy every bit as much as an old fan does I think. And I look forward to getting to know you and others better too.

9 hours ago, Dustin Lübbers said:

I am 26 and I love adventure time and my little pony and I can explain why I like it does types of people that say you can only like something because "reasons" are no people who are worth  listening to. Do what you love and be good!

Thanks.

Hey! I have to say I feel a little similar to you as in a lot of my friends stopped coming here, but I've kept in touch with most of them, and there's a lot of new members on here who I'm glad I got to know. It's always good popping in every once in a while! Also please tell Jack Sparrow I miss his posts DEEPLY! Glad to hear that you're all doing well too ^.^

7 hours ago, 2 quid is good said:

Hey! I have to say I feel a little similar to you as in a lot of my friends stopped coming here, but I've kept in touch with most of them, and there's a lot of new members on here who I'm glad I got to know. It's always good popping in every once in a while! Also please tell Jack Sparrow I miss his posts DEEPLY! Glad to hear that you're all doing well too ^.^

Ahh, so you know the evil scallywag.  I'll be sure to pass it on. 

On 4/3/2019 at 5:51 PM, Alicia Maddox said:

Shige, you're gonna make me cry here. XD You're like one of the only old friends I still come here to talk to.  I feel you about adult life kicking all the fun to the curb. But like you, I'll try to make as much time for this place as I can and when I can.  Thanks for always being around. You're basically the Sora of this site. XD 

Well hey, I'm all for emotional moments! I live for the feels! XD Yessss, it's crazy how there are so few of us left here on the site from the olden days! Just goes to show that we're still tight, though!  

Ha, and yeah, well, even though adulting can be hard, it's necessary for survival, but that doesn't mean we should stop doing the things we love! It's all about a balance! Yep, same here! Here's hoping I can become a daily presence again! And hey, no prob, you know I'm always here!

Yesss, I take that mantle of being Sora very proudly! I'll happily be this site's Sora!

This is also my reply from my topic that I created almost a year ago. Yes, I do still remember you, Alicia!

Soravids also talked about you with me, I hope your relationship with soravids will be better till you both be together!

Yes, I'm also surprised that this forum has changed much, and I'm not sure if old members still recognize me, but thank you to KH3, I'm able to visit this forum once again, although I sometimes felt lazy to back here in the past (that's the reason why I didn't response your reply at my topic at August 2018 back then, I'm really sorry )

13 hours ago, Felicia Novita said:

This is also my reply from my topic that I created almost a year ago. Yes, I do still remember you, Alicia!

Soravids also talked about you with me, I hope your relationship with soravids will be better till you both be together!

Yes, I'm also surprised that this forum has changed much, and I'm not sure if old members still recognize me, but thank you to KH3, I'm able to visit this forum once again, although I sometimes felt lazy to back here in the past (that's the reason why I didn't response your reply at my topic at August 2018 back then, I'm really sorry )

Oh don't apologize.  I still remember you too. The last half of 2018 was a little strange for us. And we are doing amazing! We're still together and hoping to see each other in person one day soon.  

Ah the old days. Those were the times. It is unfortunate how things are bound to change with time. I hope you continue to enjoy Kh as a whole still. That newfound happiness and excitement we all got when we first played the series will never be lost! First time I've been on in months and here I am lol.