The Way It Was Back Then; H'loa P'rlea

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

Mike, known on here as Andy Jammer, just called me, talking about a fight that happened while I was offline. Things were said, blames were laid, feelings were hurt.

How many times has this happened? How many times have old blood and old wounds, new blood and new wounds, gotten the better of everyone here? I can't say any of the regulars are blameless, especially myself.

What was the fight? I wasn't here for it. I haven't read the posts. I'm probably not going to. I don't care who said what, or who did what, or who was at fault and who wasn't.

You see, as we were talking... he said something to me. He mentioned how it was back in the old days, when CR was first starting out; before all the problems, and all the pain. Sure, the site's gained new members since then, but I'm sure they all remember it from their first days here.

They were days of high adventure, of desperate struggles and forgoten lore. One world seen through many eyes; a partnership between old friends, and someday, we hoped, new ones.

Mike asked me why it couldn't be like that again; why, after all the fighting, all the pain, all the tears, we couldn't lay aside our differences and continue on. It was clear; he hoped that one day, CR would become what it started as: a place where anyone could come and have fun. I couldn't find an answer to his question.

So I'm asking it of all of you, and I know it's not an easy thing to do. Forgiving others is a grueling process, and sometimes, it can never be completed; forgiving yourself for things you've done is ten times worse. Still, I'm asking that everyone, me, Volk, Jess, Mike, Mark, John, Dan, Leo, Jordan, Faey, Aey, everyone, at least try. Because CR deserves to be what it once was. I don't want anyone to lay blame. I want this to be the first wind of change.

The term H'loa P'rlea comes from a book series I once read, in which three warring races come together after a series of conflicts, to join one another in harmony. "H'loa P'rlea" is the first spring wind after a bitter winter, a warm breeze that brings the seeds of plants out of the mountains to repopulate the deadened plains below.

I think this should be our ideal from now on. I'm not saying it will be easy... but still, it's worth trying for.

Please.

Before it's too late.

Miri

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

PS:

After showing this to my friends, Aeyara Rossignol sent me this post; I thought it was a fitting appendix:

"Miri, even though I wasn't there when it first began, heck I didn't even know you then, I know what you mean... and to be honest, after reading that I saw your signature things as well...
"Brother... my brother... Tell me what're we fightin' for?"
Just... it seems rather appropriate.. whatever we're fighting over... it doesnt change that we're friends, and no amount of fighting can change the way it began... sometimes people can't see through their hurt enough to think clearly back on 'how it was before', and they say things that only their dark side means. Things will get better, but not if we just leave it alone... Im sure that everyone will find it in their hearts to forgive eachother, remembering that in a way we are a family, fights especially included. But I sure as hell wouldn't want to be the family that ends on bad terms, and before we get the chance for everyone to say sorry, something bad happens and you regret it forever.
There are no rights or wrongs in this, except for the wrongness of hurting other people's feelings, whether you meant to or not..."

[Gensayce Zidjiai]

The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is not when or who was involved in the aforementioned arguements it has to be why argue, yes alot of tension can build up but the first and foremost thing is this is the internet, I'm not going to say go hunt one another down and have a shouting match but is it really nessecary to do it here? For many people things such as CR are many different things, For some it is a hobby, for some it's brilliant to do after a stressful day at school/work/college especially if your in exams like I am and dare I say it for some it can be a passion.

By bringing arguements here those people ruin what this is for these people and their is nothing worse than seeing something so cool and amazing go down like a lead balloon for some peoples problems. I'm not asking you to constantly agree with one another, by all means bring up your point but don't be offensive about it, and if it does become an arguement simply be the bigger person and say "Fine by me, I refuse to lower myself to an arguement with you" and leave it at that. I think everyone on the site will agree with me when I say the argueing is childish and immature, and yes you can by all means tell me I'm wrong if you wish I have no problems with it.

[glitters]

People argue because they have different ideas. The admins don't get along 100% of the time simply because we all have different ideas of what is good and what is not. You can't help that, it happens.

As for other arguments, such as ones with problem players in past/present, those happen because they are inevitable in an RPG, I'm sorry. That happens and that too, you cannot help. At all.

Arguments? Happen. They'll happen in game, they'll happen out of game, they'll happen because of the game. Say and try to prevent it all you want, but they happen and there isn't a thing in the world anyone can do to stop it. That's life =/

Instead of sitting around lecturing each other about "why we should do this" about an argument it's better to let people cool down and just resume gameplay as we did before. Why have we been sitting around acting like this is the end of the world? It makes it awkward, and when things get awkward a.) more fights happen and b.) people leave because uh...we don't want this place to be awkward.

[Gensayce Zidjiai]

By all means arguements happen, I can happily accept that. People can argue to their hearts content it's when things become offensive that I get annoyed, don't get me wrong I'm as stubborn as hell and hate backing down from an arguement especially when I'm living with an irishman >.<

But to be honest here I admit defeat, your right in that by making it a big deal the arguements themselves will probably just get a helluva lot worse.