An Apology [Long]

Just an hour ago I queued up with the most cheerful and cooperative people I have ever had the pleasure to play with.

An hour ago I decided I wanted to relearn my main so I can play him like I used to be able to. So my teammates saw me pick Jax, considerately picked complimentary champions without even being asked, or picked champions that would help everyone succeed, and we collectively decided on three bans that everyone was happy with. It was the most positive experience I've ever had in pre-game.

My jungler, a Nunu, received his leash just fine, roamed all over the map, warded, and helped me secure first blood against the enemy jungler. He helped me when I got my ass handed to me by a very skilled Poppy player, even though it cost him an unholy amount of experience and he ended up being four levels behind. Somehow, he still found time to gank bottom lane, with marginal success until the enemy Twitch got fed.

Then everything turned sour. Our bottom lane was torn to shreds, and I was losing handily against what should have been a favorable matchup. Before I knew it, it was mid game, I was getting my ass kicked at 3/7/1, I had 77 CS, and my jungler, support, and ADC all had negative KDAs.

Everyone was feeding, me worst of all, except for the midlaner, an Ahri who was somehow 7/0/1.

That Ahri carried us. She helped us take Drake not once, but three times. She helped me and Nunu kill the Herald. She would 1v5 and walk away with three kills. And before we knew it, we were back in the game, and I had a positive KDA and was starting to carry as well.

And the five of us kicked butt, and worked together, and fended off the other team even though they grabbed Baron twice and Elder Drake once. And we whittled them down until there were only two of their towers still standing: the ones in front of the nexus. We were winning every team fight, every member of our side was up, and we had super minions spawning in two lanes.

We were poised to win, and I had just finished typing a strategy to finish when there was a power outage in my home. The wi-fi went down. By the time I got it back up, the game was over. Later, when I contacted her, the Ahri said that we lost. She said the others were just happy she got her S+, and that there were no hard feelings.

A couple years ago, I thought I had fallen out of love with League. I queued up for what I said was going to be my last game. Jax top, against a Malzahar. I was destroyed in the early game, but I had a respectable CS. However, all of our lane towers were gone, one from inside the base, and we had only taken one turret. Some of the people wanted to surrender, but with cooperation and teamwork, we came back from that game. That was the most fun I've ever had in League. And today, the game almost was as fun as it was back then.

I would like to apologize and give my thanks to those lovely four souls who not once suggested a surrender, nor once bad-mouthed any other member of the team, nor once blamed another person for putting us in that position of hardship. Thank you for giving encouragement and maintaining a sense of humor, for reminding me that this is just a game when I was apologizing for my mistakes, and for forgiving me when I cost you all a victory you deserved and soiled what was possibly the most enjoyable game I've had in two years. It was a pleasure to play with you, and best of luck in the future.