A Love Note to WCC

Okay, let’s take it back a few steps to start.

When I was 13-turning-14, I was hopping through roleplay sites because that was what you did when you were a Warriors fan. There was no such thing as Discord, no such thing as Skype (well… yes there was, but I wasn’t allowed to use it, lol). It was just me, the family laptop, and Proboards. I went on the “Top Warriors RPG” list… yeah, you know the one. Those four cats gazing out at an everlasting sunset are a staple, and I pray we never completely get rid of them. Every time I see them, I think of the day I clicked on Warrior Clan Cat’s banner and started reading the rules.

Looking back, my writing was kind of garbage. I was a kid, can you blame me? I remember refreshing topics constantly and waiting in the chatbox for someone to come online so I could tell them it was their turn. I remember how fun it was to write every day in summer. I remember my favorite plot: Scorchfrost’s redemption. I sometimes sit back and wonder how much better it would’ve been if I had been a little more conscious and if I had planned ahead. The beauty of WCC is that it was still fun, even without all the fussing. When you’re a kid, you don’t think about character arcs and flowy writing. Without WCC, I would’ve been miserable that summer. I was a lonely kid. Even though the culture of the site was a lot different, it meant a lot to know there were people to come back to.

Then, life happened, and I left. RP and I drifted apart, like old flames. I started to wonder around November of last year what had happened to WCC. I was so happy to find that it was still kicking. Even if I was scared that none of these strange new names would know who I was, I knew that I wanted to jump back in. If you can believe it, when my name popped up in the welcome channel of the Discord, at least 3 people immediately knew who I was. I felt like I was an estranged cousin coming back for Christmas. It was great! I got started with Ferretkit and Aspenkit and I remembered exactly how much fun I used to have. Things were a little rocky in the beginning. Late 2018/Early 2019 wasn’t particularly good to me, and it showed in my activity. Then, WindClan’s medicine cat opened up, and I took my shot. Then, you all took a shot on me.

All this sappiness to say that WCC has provided a lot of stability in my very unstable life. I reflect on my history with this Warriors RPG and I reach a new understanding of how much this means to me. How much you guys mean to me, even. 13 year old Grizzly, I want you to know that you’re doing pretty good. Some people are gone, some people stayed, and a bunch of people joined in. You’re going to like them all; you’re going to like them so much that you agree to be a moderator.

And WCC, thanks for being there. I joined in 2016. It’s about to be 2020. While I wasn’t around for everything, I’d like to be around for what comes next. I appreciate you all.

- Grizzly

P.S. Not even retirement from the site would let you be rid of me. You’re stuck with Elder Grizzly, too. Good luck, cat nerds.