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[smear:330066][ A Z ★ A P P R E C[/smear:FF0066] [smear:FF0066]I A T I O N ★ D A Y ][/smear:330066]

The first and foremost purpose of this thread and this 24-25ish hour period, hereby known as Az Appreciation Day, is to say thank you to our resident fox in sheep's clothing, Az! Feel free to post lengthy tributes to the one and only Az. No? Perhaps quirky limericks... or just a simple thank you!

On a normal basis, Az serves as staff on both site and chat box as well as roleplaying her character, Tanaka Chie on an at least above average level; keep in mind that all of this is on top of a very demanding job. Recently however, starting back with the reset, Az stepped up her game and gave everything she had to AK by helping me work through pieces of the new system as well as coming up with an excellent event system that you guys will be seeing in action very soon.The latter in fact kept Az awake on a night before work, when she should have been sleeping, but she went out of her way to contact me so that it could be written down and worked on for the benefit of the site and its members.

This has been what Az has striven to do for the past couple months as well while Cain and myself have been busy with moving and military red tape. She has gone above and beyond the normal call of her assigned job, setting an example for those around her even if it was not followed. I noticed when I could get on and check for the first couple of weeks if not longer, that Az made an effort to be in the box to work up chatting and activity there. She also posted in games to encourage others to do the same, and she made sure to be in the maximum amount of threads that she could be in at one time so that she could provide RP for everyone that she could with her character as I failed, unfortunately, to leave behind more directions as to what staff should do while I was away; a large mistake on my part.

In addition to this, as more time passed and people failed to actively post or log onto the site, Az contacted me asking if it was appropriate for her to exit the inactive participants so that the threads would not stagnate and prevent the people who wanted to post from posting. Upon my confirmation, Az did just that though it isn't in her job description, showing a desire to take on additional responsibility and that she knew the rules and how they should be followed. It was not the only time over the past couple of months that Az has gone out of her way to reach me off-site with questions on how to proceed or if she could so that the site would run smoothly in my absence.

However, despite Az's best efforts, people weren't posting in threads, or games, or even chatting in the box with the exception of a couple of people and this is the other part of this thread. Trust me when I say I know that life can prevent you from being capable of being online and being active and it can make you not want to be on. However, many of you did not post absence notices or you only did so very recently. Many people didn't have reasons at all. Then upon my return, nearly everyone showed right back up. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that you all stuck around long enough to come back, but to Az, who tried her hardest and even posted an encouraging thank you thread to all of you, which only Dect replied to, this hurt her a great deal, especially in the case of staff, who I have often said to that they are the ones who set an example for the rest of AK's members by their actions.

While I didn't leave behind direct orders to anyone, staff or otherwise, as a small and very close community, each person, especially staff members, being active is beyond important. Most of us have known each other going on several years, whether we met on SR, SL, KK, or another RP site or even in person. We've survived other sites failing and AK being reset twice. We've all had our differences and even fights, but we, as a community have made it through by working together. So yes, while this thread is primarily a huuuuuuuge thank you shout out to Az, it is also a request on my part that everyone on AK tries as a community to be more active, whether it be in the box where we share most of our laughs, problems, concerns, and feelings, or on site where we come together in a flood of creativity and entertainment.

I do want to acknowledge a few other people too. Crazy, you tried to keep actively posting as much as you could given that you didn't always have anywhere you could post because you were the last one to post in a lot of things for days at a time and you made time every day to get on and try to chat in the box on top of it all; all being I know you have work and krav as well as family stuff, and before school was out you were going to school too. Dect, you tried to chat in the box every single day as well, and I know you also tried to have an active thread going, as well as the game threads you made. Frox, you posted as much as you could in your own threads despite your own issues outside of AK and you also tried to keep the game threads going. So to you three, I want to say thank you ask well. I really appreciate you guys trying to stay active. (I'm sorry if I missed anyone else who was making an effort to be on and active; I only got glimpses from my phone during that time, then what I could gather through the logs, and what was reported to me by other people.)

tl;dr - Az did a lot for the site while I was away even when others weren't doing anything. I'd like it if we could all work on being more active now, and if you guys could personally thank Az for her hard work. Thanks to Crazy, Dect, and Frox as well!

Well I have to agree with what Ki said. While there isn't much that I can think to say that Ki hasn't said already. I do have to say that you were the one who really held the site together and kept things moving. So for that I would like to say thanks for making sure the site didn't fall apart.

And because Ki suggested a limerick


There once was Az who was a pirate of dread
Who stole the mattresses of the rich who kept money in their bed
While escaping with a priceless vase
She stole a ship and ended up in SPACE
And she became an awesome SPACE PIRATE OF PIRATENESS...and made her enemies dead.

ALL HAIL THE DREAD PIRATE QUEEN AZ.

All who do not wish to suffer at the end of her blade must provide sweets and men of the black haired and lanky variety!

@ki
I always have time for AK. But it's sorta like my cooking, I don't feel the need for people to thank me, but when they do it's greatly appreciated. = )


@az.

Thanks. Grazie(Italian). Dank(German). Merci(french). Go raibh maith agat(Irish).


I have one, large contribution to her day. I declare the following song the 'Az Appreciation Day Theme Song'.

Thanks for all your hard work and the admirable amount of effort you put into us, Az. :D I hope you get to experience ''la vie en rose.'' *winkwink* *nudgenudge*

Az, you fantaztic foxeep you! Keep up the positively azmazing job, darling! <3

While no near the thanks you deserve I am currently unable to properly thank you for all your hard work, Azzy-kins. So a simple (yet terribly under the bar for your efforts) thank you kindly, shall have to do D:

I know we had that chat and I know your general feelings about what's happened recently, and I am partly to blame for that. So on behave of those whom did seemingly vanish into the wood works, only to recently come back. SORRY! Sure we all had our own reasons, but that still doesn't make it any less right.

Additionally, thanks to those other members whom tried to keep things going. You all rock, rock like a hurricane.

SPOILER: Click to show

I know its not much but I wanted to do something more then just an simple thank you.

Im also sorry for not being as active around the site during the time Ki and Cain were absent. I feel esepcilly stupid for not even posting in the thank you thead. It just sliped out of my mind x.x I can only say sorry for that. I tried my best to be active on the bawks but stupid timezones made that akward...All in all sorry for not really trying my best. Also, stupid me for taking so long to actually make a char x.x

Besides that,thanks for all your work.I never even knew you had so much on your head, since I hardly ever get to talk with you lately x.x I hope you arent to mad at me, and that we can talk soon. Thanks a lot for everything :3

Thanks Az!

A while back me and Crazy talked about nominating you for member of the year, but I suppose getting your own day is pretty cool, too.

I'm probably the prime example of inactivity, and I won't go denying it, because it's the truth. Though occasionally I'd chat on box, and Az, Crazy and Dect were there always to greet and chat, even if they were going through a rough day or time. I was basically lurking throughout the time, but I do apologize for not replying to the thread that you made, Az. I remember reading it, but I don't recall if I had ever mentioned a thanks or anything to you in the bawks; if not, I'm sorry!

In short, thanks for all your hardwork, Az, and everyone! You are truly all a pleasure to chat with and be around!

Sadly, Az Appreciation Day is officially over; though you should appreciate Az every day! However, I wanted to personally thank the following people for actively participating in it by posting. So, thank you to, Crazy, Katsu, Dect, Chakaara, Cain, Mal, Haru, Carb, and Court. By posting, you've shown Az that you do care about her efforts to keep the site going while I was gone and you've shown me that you're the group who does care about AK being more than just a forum, but a community that needs to stick together through the good and the bad! As such, I'll be giving everyone who posted in this thread, including Az as it was her special day, but excluding me, 10 RP and 10 Gold, since it's the least I can do as a thank you besides saying it.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to post in this thread. It means a lot to me to see people recognizing the effort I put into trying to keep things afloat while Ki and Cain were gone. I had a lot on my plate in real life, a full time job(with overtime) and amping up for my biggest selling season of the year (back to school), but I continued to try and set a good example on the site by being active and posting. It amazes me how one can still find time to participate in an RP forum and still be busy in real life, its quite easy really, despite the ample excuses I've seen.

I want to also thank the few members that kept active without me having to threaten or nag them too much. There were times when I didn't know why I was bothering, but seeing some quality and reliable RP come from these people kept me going during these last VERY discouraging months.

To those of you who didn't bother to post in this thread and those of you that still hover around the planes of non-existence with your unreliability/lack of posting: I hope to see you more active on the site soon. Its hard for everyone to have a good time when only a few members of the site are making threads and participating in them. We miss you, and hope you decide to RP actively with us again.