So, as most of you may know, I'm in the eastern time zone of the United States. This means that, just an hour ago, the clock struck midnight, and the year moved from 2020, to 2021. And I, like most people in the world, had a shitty 2020. It was a horrible year, with me losing family members, one of my cats, and losing most of my outlets that allowed me to destress and keep myself going. At many points during the year, I could feel myself slipping into a depressive state, and I felt awful about it. However, even with everything that was going on, there was one place that I knew I could rely on, through everything. That place, for me, was Beastsofbeyond. A website that I always knew I could come to and just escape. I could indulge myself with my silly little characters, and enjoy myself as much as I wanted without needing to worry about sickness, or sadness, or any of the real life shit that was going on.

And I know that 2021 isn't going to fix every problem in the world right now, but for the first time in a long while, I actually find myself feeling hopeful. So, I decided that I was going to make this thread, to thank a bunch of the people on BoB who made my last year so much better than it would've been without this place. This list is in no particular order, really, and it'll probably get rambly bc it is 1 am and I am emotional so yknow

Threecaballeros / BossTaurus / Andy: What can I really say abt you that I haven't already said? You're my shithead sibling, and I love you a lot. You're a wonderful friend, and your jokes and great art (not even art for me, just your art in general) has been a large part of why I've been able to get through this year. Even when I was feeling absolutely awful, I always knew that you would be here for me, and that was part of what kept me going. We've been friends on and off for a long time (mainly bc of site changes lmao) but I really hope we don't have any off periods anytime soon, since you make my life so much brighter and more fun.

Rexaraneo / Percy: Percy, you're actually one of my newer friends of the last year. Not that we didn't interact from the very beginning when I got to BoB, but I really got to know you over the last year, and I gd love your company. Much like Andy, your humor always kept me in good spirits, and frankly my characters wouldn't have been half as awesome without your adorable little army of pixels you made for them. Plus, Michael and Diya's friendship is something that can routinely make me cry happy tears, so that's considered a win in my book. I can't wait to go into the new year and learn even more about you, and I hope that your life with Torin is amazing.

Maple: Honestly Maple, you're probably the person on BoB that I've known the longest. And while that also means we lived through the absolute horrors of select other sites together, it also means that I'm amazed we've known each other and been friends for so long. Your characters to this day never fail to make me smile or love to hate them, which is really, really funny when you look at the person who plays them. You're incredibly lovable, and I can never forget the way that you dm me with silly shit you think will make me laugh or smile, especially in the hard times <333

Tikki: Tikki, you're another person that I've known for a while, but it's more like known of for a while, tbh. Back on other sites, I was always too intimidated to talk to you, but honestly I'm so glad that I eventually got to. I love the relationships that our characters end up having, and I generally just love interacting with you. You're usually incredibly chill and sweet, and you were really a positive light in this shitshow of a year. I really hope that you can have a bit of rest and relaxation in this new year, and I hope that your birthday is off to a good start

Egg: Egg, I am really not exaggerating when I say that I love every single character that you play. From Goldie to your lesser known (at least atm) characters like Roy, your writing really inspires me to better my own, and makes me grin whenever I read it. Not only that, but you're an incredible artist, and your ref sheets completely lit up days where I was feeling at my rock bottom. In terms of friendship, I'm so glad that we've become friends and interacted more in the last year, and I love seeing your comments about video games and being able to go back and forth about things like LoZ.

Rhett: Rhett, much like Egg, your writings are just... gorgeous. I'd be lying if I said that my himbo brain doesn't sometimes stall out while trying to read it, but that's mainly just because of how poetic and beautiful it is. Not only that, but you're a wonderful, wonderful person to be around. Your character jokes are great, and I love seeing what devious new plot twist you'll throw at your characters next, no matter how much it'll make my heart ache. I can't wait to see what your characters will bring into the new year, especially since you're in the future and all

Matt: Matt, you are... absolutely feral, and that's what I love about you. You're a great friend who always brings a smile to my face, even if I have to wear protective armor so that you don't go biting my limbs off. Your drawings and creatures are always so inventive and interesting, and I love sharing cursed shit with you, because I know that you will always respond with equally cursed shit. Not only that, but you also understand my Beatles references, so that automatically makes you amazing???

All of Tanglewood / Typhoon: I'm lumping these two together because they're the two main big groups I was in this year, and as usual, my experience while I was in them was absolutely incredible. So many great character interactions and development, so many good in jokes and innovations, so many great new plots. It's impossible for me to overstate how much these two groups made my year better, considering they were my constant escape from what real life was throwing at me. I can't wait to see where they both go as we head into the new year. Especially since I've gotta figure out where Tanglewood is going this year sjfjkskgkg

The Palm Glades: When I first created Palmclan much earlier this year, I wasn't sure how far we would actually get before things started to fall apart. I was at a demoralized point, considering my last unofficial group had fallen apart due to me needing to take a mental health break. Despite this, people said they were interested in a more traditional group on BoB, and I was more than happy to bring that to you all. And the outpouring of support was incredible. Things started off slow, but before long we were filling the entire uncharted territories with our threads, and we even became the first group to get a backboard, and to reach platinum status!!! I never thought we would reach this point, especially not before 2020 was even over. I'm really not exaggerating when I say I bawled my eyes out over how much we've accomplished this year, and I can't wait to see what we accomplish in 2021. So to everyone currently in Palm Glades, especially people like Axiom, Astral, Wisker, Rhos, Machiro, Quietly and everybody else... thank you all so much for truly making Palm Glades the success that it is.

Orion: Finally, I wanted to save you for last, Orion. Mainly because, without you, none of the messages above ever would've happened. Without you going through all the effort of creating BoB and building it up, I wouldn't have reunited with so many old friends, nor would I have made so many new ones. And honestly, it's a crime that 2020 has been such a bitch of a year to you, because you don't deserve that in any way, shape, or form. I'm sorry to have ever contributed to any stress you might've been under this year, and I hope that you can forgive me, because I want the best for you. I want 2021 to be an absolutely stellar year for you so that you can finally have a chance to relax and just enjoy all that you've been able to create. Mainly because, if you hadn't created all of this, I probably would've spent all of 2020 just passing aimlessly through life, stuck in a depressive state constantly. Not only that, but you're just a good person. You're an amazing guy, and your jokes, personality, and general vibes helped to keep me upbeat even when you weren't doing so well. Honestly, I just hope that 2021 can be a better year for all of us, but especially you, man.

And with that, I think I'd better wrap this up, bc I've rambled on for like half an hour at this point. Overall, I just wanted to make this thread to let you all know how much you've changed my life, and how you all made 2020 so much more bearable for me, through all of the bullshit that came with it. And even if you're not named specifically on this list, just know that I'm still thinking about you, and how much you've made things better for me. In the end, all I want to say is...

Thank you, Beasts of Beyond, and happy new year.