This game has been with me for so much, it's been incredible. I wasn't a day/week/month one player (joined before 1st anniversary), but I've made so many memories with this game it's been incredible.
I remember all of the google translate moments where I was going back and forth between my medium quality game and the draw function on google translate 'cause I didn't know of any sites that actually did translations for the game. I remember the moment where dots connected and I was like "OHHHH that's the character ã" (etc etc). I remember emailing a friend who knew a person who knew a person who could read a titch of Japanese. I learned my first kanji that day - fight!
I remember the frustrations trying to get that darned handkerchief in Wonderland. "I'm clicking down - why am I not moving?!?" Also where on earth the backyard was. Also lots and lots of deaths.
I remember the quests where you needed to beat a certain heartless in some amount of turns, and if you failed one, the counter was reset and you needed to try again. And again. And again. I have never been so mad at a level 20 Wizard.
And then, after that, I learned what a Fairy Godmother is and why it's fantastic.
I remember getting recruited into my first party. I said in the party chat (after much deliberation on whether I should post in English or in Japanese) "Hi I'm VexenReplica, nice to meet you" and then getting a deluge of Japanese messages. Then I found where the "Refresh Chat" button was. And then I consulted google translate. And then the party leader, RAKIã•ã‚“, and I talked in Japanese-English.
The Sunday before the weekly reset I made it a goal that I would get 1 million LUX (remember folks, this is before the LUX nerf). I did and was super happy.
The next day, when I joined RAKIã•ã‚“'s team, I was already double that.
I have vivid recollections of my black gummi route that I would take during first anniversary. Start in Mines 10 and work your way forward, continue to Daybreak Town First Anniversary Area swinging by Mickey for free AP (had no potions), heading to Dwarf Woodlands, and then, if there was time left in the booster, steeling myself to enter THE ROOM in Agrabah. I did this enough to get 2 of the 15' Key Arts, which is one of my FAVORITE assist cards today.
I had unfortunate ciircumstances that left me with Chi-difficient internet for the next few months, missing out on a certain collab (oh darn). When I returned the Halloween event was out in full force and I claimed my hard-earned prize that I had gotten a few months prior - the Black Gummi Outfit. My first ranking outfit - and I still wear it (with the occasional washing) often. I love that costume.
In between the end of October and the end of November I really didn't play much. I came back to the game during the Musketeer Mickey/Donald/Goofy Event in which I got my first Raise Draw boosted cards, the Mickey and the Donald. Mickey was my first Ultimized card. It still works hard in my Olympia and MoG decks.
After my return, I realized that I still was awful at the whole "Japanese" thing. I slowly remembered to end sentences with the ã§ã™/ã¾ã™, follow people's names with ã•ã‚“, and just in general be able to actually read what was going on without the whole google translate business. It was also at this time that I decided to join a party 'cause lol 151 AP, so I joined one of the open parties (the ones that you don't need a leader's permission to join). I still didn't do the Japanese thing and they weren't so great with the English thing, so I bounced around. A lot.
And then, one day when I was checking my rankings, I found a name that looked strangely familiar near mine. I frequented both the KH13 and KHI sites, so I knew most of the big-wig English-speaking folks. So I decided to take the plunge and ask if I could join the party.
Five hours later, I get a response from the team leader herself:
I was now an official member of Team CutiePique.
From that April day to now it has been a rollercoaster of feelings. Mostly good (Drawing a Vexen card after previously drawing two of the Jackpot Marluxias and wasting about 600 RD Tickets - there is no feeling like drawing your favorite character out of the RD batch), some rage (CHIP WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU HIDING DEAR GOD I NEED TO GET TO CLASS), some sad (Bye bye potions, bye bye ethers, bye bye sanity ~ me on 3rd anniversary).
Sometime in that time period I finally caught up on story and met this individual whose name was Ephemera (which will forever be Ephemera because I'm a boring Chi player). It was love at first pixel(?). Whenever I had time to goof around (ie waiting for AP to refresh), I would find Ephemera in Daybreak Town and I would make him talk. A lot. I loved the dude.
And then he riped and then the Chi world cried (and made theories).
So now, today's (Yesterday's? Depends on time zones, I guess) near completion of the story has been a culmination of my two-ish years of playing this game. Being able to beat the bosses with my Vexen/Even Deck was satisfying.
The moment where Ephemera-kuuuuuun comes into the frame and Kami-sama Skuld just smiles <3 I literally needed to keep my voice down because people were still sleeping when I was playing through the story. At that time I wanted to simultaneously throw something at my computer screen and hug Ephemera in the tightest internet hug that I could.一緒ã«è¡Œã“ã†, you betcha Ephemera. We'll go together. Don't... mind... the... river... of... tears...
I know that the game needs to end - every good story needs an ending - yet I just want to stay with it just a little bit longer than the time we have left together...
One of the important things (at least in my opinion) about things like books, movies, and even video games is the idea that you should be thinking about it. Asking questions, especially those without a concrete answer, is what helps me to think critically. Sure it can all be fun and games, but at the end of the day, if you're thinking hard, thinking critically about this game, the game is not just some fun thing that you do in your free time - it's helping you grow and develop into someone different than you were before you started the game. That might not be your cup of tea, but I'm happy it's mine.
In all honesty, the game had me hooked in once I started to "understand" (thanks to all of the amazing translators by the way!) what was going on and be able to come up with my own ideas on how the game might end. (suffice to say my "favorite" theory of those who didn't agree to the Raid Boss Chat age thing that makes sure you're 13+ that most everyone agrees to are the children who will rebuild the world did not, unfortunately, come true... or will it?) I've made so many great friends from this game (most of them are folks on KHI too! Shoutouts to Team CutiePique members and the English Vulpeus communities~). Whether it was uncovering hidden truths about the secret Santa moogles, how to get that snowflake background (yeah, THAT one), Utada Hikaru's return to music, or why there is a bird precariously placed atop the trickmaster sub's hat, the team atmosphere made this a game worth staying in. (... or we're just a bunch of conspiracy nuts. Your choice)
As we all eagerly wait for the translations and the final cutscene(s) of the game, let's remember why we all love Chi, and the simplest way to do it (in my opinion) is to play and enjoy it in its final days.
tl;dr: it's been a wild ride of emotions, but thanks Chi for the memories
Spoiler