This will potentially be different to the other posts, but please let me know if you wish for your name to be excluded.
To the Remaining Ones, the few I can't dedicate a single post to, but who very much deserve one nonetheless. You were incredibly important to me and someone I talked to daily for weeks or months only for us to fade from each other. In no particular order, and with the knowledge that some I have omitted, not due to any particular reason but because they deserve to be anonymous. If you wish I can change your name here.
Josiah Sylvan
You and I never really reached the potential our friendship showed early on. We befriended each other in mid 2015 or so, and talked before and throughout Heavensward. I remember doing King Mog with you unsynced. You and I and Tyke met through hugs, and I so wish things had been different. We both suffered and so we remained apart and away from each other. Taking longer and longer breaks between chatting, eventually not doing any of it at all. Last time we had a chat was immediately following me randomly seeing you in a dungeon early into Shadowbringers. It was so curious, and endearing. But that was the last time, too. I was always a little envious of the community you had built in your FC, especially as I saw my own community fall apart, mostly due to my own issues, mind. I miss you and I think often about what our friendship could've been like had we let it prosper.
Emoni Lannis
I remember our time from
Mi6. You mostly hung out with Kairi, but we did chat some. We became friendly after both of us had left Mi6, however. I remember you calling me ‘Skrillex’ because of my hairstyle, as we hung out in Limsa Lominsa. You and I never reached a point where we bonded beyond simply /tell-ing each other for hours, but damn did we have some great chemistry. You were so incredibly funny, easy to chat with, you had a way to see things I truly found unique. I wish we could’ve been greater friends. I can recall some pretty hefty walls of text after chatting with you. Not sure what you’re up to nowadays as we haven’t spoken in a few, being very generous now, years.
Kuzh Ma’shtola was brought to my attention through Mi6 and thus conversely by Miah Zhwan. Kuzh was the friend I grew the closest to in Mi6 and the person I stuck by for a while. I have nothing but positive things to say about Kuzh even though our friendship was rather short. I can’t convey with words just how heartbreaking it was to see Kuzh leaving. It was rather sudden too, I have kept most of the letters from that though and I read them sometimes. We became friends through Kuzh asking if someone wanted to join for Crystal Towers, or The Labyrinth of the Ancients. We probably did like 50 of them, it was a blast but I can see that in hindsight it was probably pretty boring doing them over and over. For me, as new player, it was magical but for a seasoned MMO veteran it likely wasn’t. I remember us glamouring and you helping me out with that system. I really can’t convey just how sad it was when you left, I still remember the last day you logged off right next to the bench at the half-bridge thing facing toward the bridge to the GC in Gridania. You logged on once or twice after that but it just wasn’t the same. So much had happened between that we couldn’t simply connect like we used to.
Pepto Bismol and Ree Chu. I remember Pepto as a massive roegadyn who mained WHM and would give Brii advice on WHM. I remember us discussing ilvl, theorycrafting and having great fun doing a lot of different things. I met Ree Chu randomly on the bench, I think it might’ve been prior to the first LS but it could’ve been in between. You would often hang out around there, I remember you having a lot of jobs at 50. You didn’t really main anything in particular, you just leveled them up. I was amazed simply by looking at your search info, all the 50’s. You had leveled all your jobs either fully to 50 or stopped short of 40. I remember Tyke asking if you wanted to join the LS and Hannan mentioning she was also interested. I think Pepto became involved either before or after that happened, like tops 2 days or so. Sadly, Pepto decided to abandon the game. I don’t remember what the circumstances were surrounding that decision, he might’ve just been tired of the game, but I do think he specified wanting to take a break because he was burned out. Sadly, he was never heard from again. I saw him online in 3.x randomly when I checked the LS but thinking it was a fluke or some glitch I checked again and he was gone. He had logged in, left the LS and I suppose then server transferred. Ree Chu would also in that period (around 2.2-2.3 I think) take a break and wouldn’t really return for at least half a year. I think Ree returned closer to 2.4-2.5 and this time he logged off without a word and was gone for years. I sent him a letter like I do with friends who hasn’t logged on in forever: “I hope you’re well, I miss you and take care of yourself, welcome back if you ever read this!”. Ree returned once more in 2017, I want to say it was prior to Stormblood. It was, but I don’t remember exactly how close to Stormblood it was. 3.4-3.5 probably.
Hanaan Hatake is a person I didn’t really talk with a lot despite her joining us, and I never really got close to until around the end of 2014-2015. We did all chat, and I remember a period of time when it really did look like I was gonna bond well with you, Hannan, but then stuff happened. I think I went on vacation for a month, then when I came back you very busy, and so we kinda lost touch. I don’t want to exaggerate, we were never close as in best friends but we would chat. She was primarily active with her FC and as such never really commented in the LS, she would comment every now and then of course and we should’ve done a better job of including her more. Tyke was in her FC and because of that I think she didn’t have a proper reason to talk with us, if she wanted to do something she’d just use her FC, and if not she could go through Tyke. Anyway, when both me and Yuki joined her FC she had a reason to use the LS. It could act as a more private FC-chat, and for a time the LS was basically a Choe-LS with 4 members in it. I don’t know why we stopped but I think we continued talking after we left the FC, but I fear leaving the FC kinda broke down the reasons for talking. I remember us all talking about IRL stuff, sharing stories and expectations, I also remember doing stuff together. I kinda regret not being more active with you in the beginning because you’ve always seemed really lovely. I do remember all of us talking about Fallout Shelter when that was new though, but beyond that I can’t remember a lot of talk between us. You lose bonds you don’t nurture, and I suppose that’s what’ happened here. I wish I could get to know you better. Tsunala used to hang around the bench with her amigos of Michael-brothers (we used to call them that) and her fiancé. I remember hearing about Tsunala through the third person point of view because I would never hang around when she was there. Either I had already logged off or not yet logged on. I heard some really mean stuff, the Michael-brothers had harassed Tyke and called him gay and stuff. It was all through another source again, not Tyke. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t really listen to rumors, I prefer to get to know someone myself so I sat on the bench waiting for you to show up so I could see it for myself and instead of this horrible witch some had told me I found a really kind person. You were incredibly rude, sarcastic and witty but you weren’t mean-spirited. You had your niche, your humor that could probably be seen as offensive, but it was what made me like you. You weren’t invited at first to the LS but after a few weeks we had no choice but to invite you because you would always hang around the bench. I remember harassing your fiancé, and I remember exchanging some heated words with the Michael-brothers (all in good fun ofc). Sadly, I don’t think I have them on my friends list, but I’m sure if you ever read this you’ll know who I’m talking about. I did see one of them every now and then throughout Heavensward, even talked with them for a bit but I haven’t seen them since (around the second tier of Alexander). His name was Saiyuki Ten’batsu, a very lovely person with a great sense of humor. We had different groups of people we’d do things with and then mostly talk and have fun. Kira Ryoku is your name now I think, I remember making you and your fiancé rings for your wedding.
Celestial Edge, Terry Farthing, Miqona Sydlar and the rest of Mi6. You might remember me or you might not. You all brought me into the community and taught me all there was to know about the game and its features. I specifically remember doing Brayflox HM with the bunch of you. Celestial Edge, A lalafell I’ve lost the name of, and Terry + Miah. You taught me proper aoe-usage, and what to farm for the best gear (at the time darklight stuff + a mishmash of mythology gear as the weeks went by). I REALLY wish I’d taken more screenshots, videos and everything from that period because it was such a glorious moment. You guys showed me the game, and because of you I played it for a long time, even though we haven’t talked since I left basically. I saw Celestial Edge a couple times after Triple Triad was released, as we both farmed the same spot but after that I haven’t seen any of you. Oh, how I wish I’d captured it all. It was magic, and I just wish I could experience it one more time. I remember doing Thousand Maws as a noob-marauder with Terry. I had no plans on leveling it, but Terry practically made me join him (for faster queues probably) so I did, and he told me tips and tricks while doing the dungeon. I remember a conversation between Terry and Celestial Edge (or it might’ve been the lalafell)
Celestial: You always say “y”, Terry. I don’t know if you mean “yes” or “why”
Terry: y
It was such a random thing but it was incredibly funny and I will probably remember that for like ages. Terry didn’t use a keyboard I think so he would talk with controller typing thus why “y” made sense instead of having to type out “yes”. Early 2014 but I still remember it. I also remember the lalafell giving me advice on when to attack mobs as up to that point I had attacked them while the tank pulled but he told me to wait till we came to a full stop and give him a second to establish aggro. The poor guy mained PLD before PLD received 57 enmity updates. Dirty Sanchezz is another one I remember greatly, not because we talked a whole lot but because we’d always end up doing the same thing together. While I was leveling BLM and doing the normal FATE farming in Coerthas you’d be there. I remember vividly us doing The Eyes Have It. I’d get killed by the adds and you’d revive everyone including me. Miqona Sydlar was another person always in the background, they’d talk with Kuzh every now and then while I was there. And they’d often join in on our Crystal Tower shenanigans.
Milla Outway, one who I would never really talk with but would always be there in the background. We’d almost always party together because they hosted FATE parties and finally I just decided to add Milla. We’ll do some emotes and Milla always seemed like a really lovely person, just we never got around to talking much. They always organized FATE-trains, and we'd always run into each other.
Mairi Valentine was a person I met randomly in Old Gridania, by the same benches I’d previously met Kitty Swallows and for all I remember Mairi could’ve been one of the people I talked to that very day. I was at this point decent at the game, I had done most of everything and I could tell people tips and tricks I learned as I leveled. Mairi was a person I got good chemistry with almost instantly, and I think if they’d remained we’d been very good friends now. I remember doing Amdapor Keep with you, you as a bard if I’m not mistaken. We’d exchange a lot of tells, but one day you just didn’t log on anymore. And you haven’t. You might’ve changed your account, maybe you’re roaming around with another name somewhere, but I’ve thought about you every now and then, checking your search info to see if you’ve been on.
Another random story of what could’ve been, has to be that time I made an alt. You see, around 2.3 I made an alt to sort of relive the leveling experience and I was rather successful at that. To emulate it completely I decided to fully devote myself to being a noob, I would pretend to be a noob and for all intents and purposes that alt was my only character. During my journey I encountered a group of really lovely people, sadly they’re all gone from my friendlist, as in they’ve either deleted their users or moved across datacenters. I remember one of you as Axel or something similar. You showed me another side of everything and for a good period of time I discussed internally whether to just use my alt as my main. That’s how lovely you people were. I looked forward to logging on, doing all the chores that is leveling with you guys. It was a medium FC with lots of activity, sadly all the names are lost to the void and I can’t find a single person from that time.
Floraidh Strahl is a person I encountered quite early into ARR, I think during our Bench days. You might’ve even been in the first LS. I remember you used to be in an FC called Notorious Monster. I don’t think it exists anymore and I haven’t really seen you since way before SB. We talked a lot, but you mainly talked with Tyke. It’s sort of similar to Armisael in that way. I remember us talking for a while in Ul’dah, discussing crafters and our hopes for the next patch. We had pretty good chemistry, and you were always easy to have a chat with. I don’t know where you went, but I hope you’re good and taking care of yourself.
Dusk Tilldawn. Where do you even begin? You became notorious following 2.3’s release of the hunt system. I don’t know if you truly earned your reputation but in my eyes you’ve always been really nice and lovely. People always said you were an early puller but meh, if you could beat people on PC with an SSD hooked up with your crummy PS4 you deserved to pull. I remember leaving Mi6 over the treatment you received in there towards the end and the new rules concerning hunting they put in place following your departure. You gave me two FCs and I loved it all. It was fun playing with you, and while you didn’t log in after ARR ended you’ve made an impact for sure. I hope you’re good!
Mieko and Kusari Cifer, Lanceifer Tiferet, Sora Mhigo, Jack Hamlet gave me another kind of home and for a while I felt like part of a thriving community. I remember all of us
doing Ifrit HM as marauders, just messing around. I also remember doing Dzemael Darkholds with Mieko and Kusari while they were leveling something, and we did Tam-Tara Deepcroft too. Obviously we didn’t just do two dungeons but those two stick out the most to me. You were really lovely and I hate that we all lost contact after I left the FC. Jack Hamlet used to always be around the bench back in the early days. I’m not sure why you never joined the LS but I figure it has to do with the fact that Hannan and Tyke were already in your FC so there was no need. We didn’t talk a whole lot together but I remember you always being polite and awesome, Sora Mhigo is someone I always talked with. I think we were on opposite ends in a lot of ways. We were always on a path of collision. If I said x you’d say y, and that happened a lot of the time. I remember us arguing about proper pull size in dungeons, whether WAR should use VIT or STR and honestly in hindsight I miss it all. I miss all of you in Choe. Lance would always join in on things and wouldn’t really question it, he’d just help out. I remember doing Qarn HM just as that patch was launched with you. Honestly, I was kinda dumb in leaving you all. I should’ve stuck with you, even if you were inactive for a while. Odinie Sparks was the groups “noob”, at the time at least. She’d always be cheerful though and would often ask for a raise, in a totally random location. “I need a raise at x13 and z20, can anyone help?” and it was always a question of “how did you die there?”. I don’t know what happened to all of you, it’s been so long since we have talked but hopefully you’re great and keeping in touch with each other.
I remember running into all of them again "recently" in a random 24-man. It was a blast, and they're all still going strong I believe. Wish I'd stuck around.
Hotari Yuri is someone I just met randomly in Limsa Lominsa. They used to be in an FC with the tag being <Karma>. Because of my name I immediately recognized it and went in for some quick emotes and a quick chat. I still have the cookies and milk you sent me all those years ago, I keep them close by. I think you left the server, unfortunately but hopefully you’ve found a place to be with friends.
Scarlet Tindomerel was a bright light in an otherwise dark place. I think I just went in for some emotes and after that, every now and then, you’d just strike up a conversation about anything and everything always positive. Sadly it became longer and longer between our conversations and by now I don’t know what happened to you or where you are in the world, I don’t think you’ve been on for a while. Of course, that could’ve changed. I miss our random conversations. In many ways a person like Emoni, just genuine in a way that you don’t often come by. We’d chat about everything, you were primarily a crafter and/or gatherer if I’m not mistaken.
Noxy Dawn was just standing in Limsa, a cute lalafell so I ran up to them and emote spammed some. We got close to each other and talked a great deal about a lot of things. At the time I was incredibly bored, I would log on really late and because of that I didn’t have a lot of friends to play with (all were in bed like sensible people). I remember Noxydawn sending me tells with these random RP-elements intertwined in them. I can’t exactly mimic them but it was something similar to *pulls you in for a hug* etc, just with more charm. We didn’t really do a lot of dungeons, but we talked a lot. Again, I wish I’d capture some fucking screenshots as the conversations we had were awesome. Noxy was into endgame raiding and would vent to me about their troubles, it’s always good to have someone outside your raid group to vent to. I don’t mind, I enjoy listening to people and learning about them. Always liked that. I remember them being really endgame though, they needed a SMN and Noxy leveled one from lvl 1 to 60 within a couple days. It was amazing, like checking out Ree’s search info back in the day. We talked for probably close to half a year on and off. We didn’t do a whole lot of things together, primarily talking through tells. I remember something though, they’d always go out for lunch. Almost every time we talked it would end with “I’m gonna log out, gonna go out for lunch”. It doesn’t mean anything, I just remember that. Our time together was cut short when I went through a tough period of my life. I felt like I didn’t make the progress I wanted and instead of taking some time off to cool it I unleashed barrages on people. But it was never as bad as the one I unleashed on Noxy. At the time I perceived what they said as elitist and toxic and decided that I had “had it with that”. I unleashed onto them a smaller wall of text and promptly deleted then blacklisting them only to realize like a few weeks after how incredibly stupid I’d been. Sadly by that point it was too late, I would never see Noxy again. Checking their lodestone I see that they’ve been active in SB, but what do you say years after the fact? If you, by some miracle, read this: I’m incredibly sorry. I should’ve been more understanding, and if I found problems with what you said I should’ve said so instead of trashing everything. I miss you and I hope you’re well. I still sometimes watch your solo healer video in Alex normal as it’s the closest I can get to you.
Masqurin Aislinn was a person I got to know through Kitty Swallows. We never became super close, but we did chat a few times. I remember us three doing dungeons, and messing around. You were always a WHM, and I believe you also started playing as another character who also went by the last name Aislinn. We got to know each other towards the end of 2015, you left a little later and returned halfway through 2016 or so. After that we lost touch completely.
Yunakari Ren and Damona Sinclair were the two I met with Beor and I think Hayat Minerva and Yume’ Chan while hanging out in The Wolves Den. The huge wooden thing with guard railings you could jump on top of from the top of the ship. Our Gridanian watchtower. We’d all just jump into PVP, didn’t matter if the queue took 5min or 30min because we’d be talking instead. This went on for what felt like weeks, but it ended quite rapidly when I went on vacation to Spain for 3 weeks.
When I returned you’d all established a LS named Fun Club, and by the time I joined it already had around 30-50 members. I didn’t recognize half of these people, I didn’t feel at home at all. I tried to remain active for a while but the pull that I felt before was gone. I think I do better in a larger group if I can maintain a smaller group within, but it just wasn’t there. And when Yunakari and Beor joined Belhi in a static to do endgame raiding all hope was lost. They focused primarily on endgame while I didn’t, and bit by bit we went from people who’d talk all day everyday to people who’d only occasionally run into each other. Yunakari left that static eventually I believe and later left the server, the same thing did Damona so I haven’t heard from either in years.
I was kicked from the Fun Club and it was reserved for a special few inside it. The founding members + more, no more than 8 members. But the fact that it happened made me a little upset, I had been there from the start, but I just couldn’t get in. I understand why I was kicked, I wasn’t active in it at all. I miss our PVPing back in HW. Hope you’ve taken care of each other. I'm not sure what happened to
Yume' nor
Hayat. They were inseperable, but one day neither logged in and then
Hayat moved on and
Yume' simply never logged back on. It blows my mind that all of this happened in 2015-2016, such a wildly long time ago.
Rivai Ri was the only other active member of Mognet Central prior to Yuki handing the FC over to us as we all created The Bench Buddies FC. Through Rivai we got introduced to Sir Currynrice and we had a substantial amount of core members now. Our FC reached new heights. We did lose some and gained some but our core members were always there. I thought this was an upgrade to the LS, but the loss of Brii and Yuki fresh in memory made me cautious. This is something I think the rest of the FC knows very little about but me and Rivai spent quite a lot of time playing together either toward the end of 2016 or very early into 2017. We would do roulettes, talk about random stuff, primarily though we did a fuck load of POTD. This was before they increased the amount of floors available. It came out in patch 3.35 so we spent quite a lot of time together in late 2016 moving on to early 2017. I’m not lying when I say I still think of Rivai when I think of POTD despite having done it with several others for several other reasons. We spent a substantial amount of time in there leveling, messing around and just having a fun time. It was primarily just me and Rivai because we were both logged in at late night/early mornings. Rivai stuck with us despite seeing Yuki leave, his only connection to the FC. He helped build up the FC and helped us get it started, whatever flaws he might’ve had I could easily look past because of what lies underneath. He has always had a tough exterior with a very warm heart and with only everyone’s best interest at mind. Everyone makes mistakes and we should be forgiven for them. Things didn’t work out for us when, after a heated exchange, you left, then rejoined and were kicked. I thought it would last for a few weeks, but as with Yuki it lasted for eternity. I miss that 2016 FC though, so much.
Nyir Reginleif
– You and I were in some ways a mismatch and in other ways we grew quite close. We had two periods, really. I initially got to know you back in 2016-2017 or so, I believe, back during the first Bench Buddies FC period. You would help in the FC. Unlike quite a few others I couldn’t always talk as easily with you, like our best moments were always when others were around. Why that was I don’t know, quite frankly. Eventually the FC sort of erupted and you went on a break and grew inactive and eventually left the FC. You and I would again become close during the lead up to Shadowbringers and especially in Shadowbringers. When I say close I don’t mean BFFs necessarily, but more we’d talk frequently, share stuff, and I remember probably giving you a few million gil worth of materia for free. I wanted to sponsor your trip through endgame because I saw how much joy it gave you. We stopped talking after a while because I stopped being active. I don’t know where you are now, how you are, but I’m hoping you’re fine. We never got quite as close as I would’ve liked, and while I did troll you a little, I did grow to like you a lot and I appreciate what you brought to our collective group. I remember trolling you by making romantic approaches or by showing up wearing the dankest blingblings and the greatest taste in glams.
Armisael Kharon is one I’ve a hard time writing about. Not because there’s nothing to say, but because I’d rather show, but I can’t as I didn’t really take a whole lot of screenshots. You’re likely one of the loveliest people I’ve ever encountered. You had a certain charm you don’t often see in people. We didn’t really talk a whole lot, it was always through a group, as in while on the bench you’d talk with Tyke while I was there or Brii because you’re both from the same country. I sent you a letter with a hearty “welcome back!”-type message and you did respond but at that time I was barely online myself and so I couldn’t talk and when I returned you weren’t really on. You came back to check on things I’m sure, you’re very missed though. I will say that I’ve learned a great deal about myself through talking with you. I remember spending a fair amount of time during 2.4-2.5 just chatting late at night. You were sort of active during Heavensward but it was mostly to raid. I remember doing Moogle Mog HM with you though. I remember you helping us clear T5, and how you were always this cute little scholar Lala. I hope you're fine.
Ruby Berry
was again someone I only talked to a few times, helping them out and offering advice but left a mark nonetheless. We never did all the things we wanted to, and I'm sad you had to meet me at a time when I wasn't in a great state of mind. Still, I'm including you here because you were so genuine and you reminded me of what it was like to be new. You stopped logging in and I'm not sure what happened, but I hope you're well.
There are so many great people I wish I could’ve included but I can’t. Some I have forgotten the names of some have changed their names (several times at that), others I won’t mention because I don’t wanna dox them. My friendlist was filled to the brim with people, many of whom I had engaged with
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