Cycle.
111...
Only 4 more years left... or more precisely, less than 5 years left.
I can only wish now that next year may prove to be better, though that would be quite easy considering this year was really terrible.
Unity project has began. Maybe next year I'll have a fun prototype. I plan to begin some interesting things next year.
Lets see how things play out. Currently the cards are not in my hand.

~ The Adventurer Chronicle 31 ~
"He casually entered her tent.
There she was, nearly naked, in front of the mirror, with a thin paint brush. She had a pallet with different colors and she was painting her own body.
- Don't you get tired of doing this every morning? - he asked.
- I got used after some time. I'd rather be prepared and lose some minutes than have to undergo massive healing in case of an ambush.Besides, don't you think it makes me look pretty?
- Well, it does, but you are beautiful anyway. Though you are quite unique with all that arcane painting.
She cast the enchantment, and the symbols around her shoulders and fore arms glowed gently.
The ink was brown mostly with some royal blue fillings. She had painted most of her body, much of her back, her legs shoulders and arms, her chest, and she was painting her face.
- Don't you complain about being unique, you're much more unique than any of us.
He sat on a bean bag on the left side near the entrance. The place was well lit, and she glanced from time to time through the mirror to look at him. He had inspected the marking on his friend when he entered, but now he kept his sight outside through the thin opening in the tent's door.
- Unique is good. - he said, and waited a few seconds for his focus to come back - How do you manage to paint so precisely in your own back?
- Well, when I don't have help I use some basic spells to keep a steady paintbrush behind me and to reflect my body into an invisible outline in front of me, so I know where I'm painting.
- You know you can ask for my help right?
- Yes, - she giggled - thanks, but I don't think you know much about creating rune spells.
- Indeed, I didn't dwell so much into spellcasting to know how to do that. So what spells do you pre-cast on your body?
* Translator note *
Spells usually take some time to cast, and something more, like some conjuration words, or a sequence of movements to tap into the mana source. With a lot of training in the art, one may cast some spells into their skin, in the form of a rune, or tattoo. This way, they may cast beforehand some spells, and in case they need it, they may cast it quickly, in case of emergencies.
* End of note *
She dressed the top of her outfit, and grabbed her staff near the dresser. She turned to look at him, still painting the rest of her face.
- Ahhh the basic spells for emergencies. Flight, Haste, Barrier, Shell, Mirror, Counter-Spell, Dispel Magic, Jump and just in case I need more fire power, Ice Nova.
- Hehehe, you seem more prepared than us for combat. Doesn't it take a huge amount of mana to cast them?
She finished her conjuration and the symbols in her face glowed pale green and vanished into her skin.
- And that is why I cast them before breakfast. - she said smiling."
~ End of Part 31 ~

Thank you... for... everything.

~ The Adventurer Chronicle 30 ~
"Mid-period recess. Every kid seems to be playing with something.
Of course, like most days groups tend to form according to personal interest. Every one does it, kids just don't realize it.
Mages had taken half the sports field, it has a great area to practice, the young ones look mesmerized the older mages practice some spells. Some of the kids try to imitate, mostly failing, and sometimes a spell back fires sending a kid a few steps back... but no harm done, the spells practiced are never too harmful to create a dangerous backfire. Its more flare and lights than raining meteors.
Athletes occupy the second half, playing with some balls, some gears, but it's generally kids chasing something after something or someone. Near the sidelines some youngsters practices varieties of sports, from basic weapon training with the dummies, to gymnastics and balance with friends trying to create a human pyramid.
Of course, no one goes unwatched. The supervisors have a good training to perceive dangers, and they keep an eye out for trouble.
Alchemists and scholars usually sit near the eating tables, but they are usually older, no kid would dare think of touching a book during recess.
Some girls form groups here and there, usually sitting on a table or in the grass, in the case of more relaxed girls, they usually talk, but from time to time one can be seen casting a spell, using a spiritual power, or even even practicing a weapon.
Rarely a teacher is seen in this part of the school. They usually can be found in the cafeteria on the other side of the main building or on each specific class room where they teach.
Elementalists have their fun, but they can't over do it, usage of elemental powers is restricted, any high concentration of energy would alert the supervisors. Older students can get permission to do specific things, like lowering the temperature on hot days, or creating a ball of light to illuminate everything. Usually more simple things are allowed, as long as any harmful power is avoided.
It was like any other day. Nothing special.
Though one could have paid attention to a group of children playing static tag.
They are around 5 each, about six kids. Two already got caught, and stand very still in the middle of the play area. The chaser is a red headed kid, with long black eyes, he seems to calmly take the time to strike. The other three ran as fast as they could, there were heading towards the lunch tables. The first kid on the left charged towards the closest table, and when in reach he took a sliding dive and passed under the table. This alarmed most people there eating and talking, bringing their attention to the group still running.
The chaser didn't bother, he had other target.
The kid most distant had black hair, with streaks of lighter hair, same as his eyes, he was thin, not much strong, but didn't seem like a weakling. The other kid, was a closer, but a bit to the right, he was fast enough to be in front, his green hair, with dark green eyes, he was focused in front, and did not look back. The chaser knew something was on but what? They were closing in on the sharp turn around the main building he thought it would be better to strike the closest one before he could turn.
The kid in front glanced back, seeing his pursuer ready the attack, he stepped forward turning his body in the process, and making a signal to his friend.
The boy with green hair jumped high to the roof over the cafeteria line. The other boy continued his steps to turn forward again, making sure to get out of the way of the attack. He did plan how to avoid the attack, but since he was too close to the turn, he didn't plan how to avoid the girl that appeared in his way, right behind him. There was no stepping out of the way, no time to jump, and she was clearly paying attention to the conversation with her two other friends, so she would not get out of the way. At his speed he would hurt her, no matter how though she was.
The split second changed many things to come. It was the oddest thing ever to the few people paying attention. The two girls flinched while widening their eyes from the fright of the eminent tackle. The girl startled was turning to see what her friends were reacting to. The boy chasing them was stopping and clearly surprised with this event. The boy had little choice, he did have some knack for reacting quickly, and quite some training playing with the shadows, and there is a technique that comes in handy when avoiding things, one he did like, and would become essential to him. With a lot of energy, very quick concentration, and unleashed his power.
The shadows swept through his body, leaving him translucent, and with a shadowy trail of his movements. This took away his concentration from his stepping, so he leaned back, toward the girl, and tried to put his feet to the ground before falling.
To much of everyone's surprise, the boy passed right through the girl, who felt this energy wave through her body, as for some brief moments the stood on the same place. Everyone gasped. He kept going backwards still trying to avoid falling, but could not keep up with his momentum, eventually when he was no longer in the same place as the girl, his power faded, and he tripped, knocking over some empty metal trays near the food line, which fell over him.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the noise. Those who could see something laughed at him. The supervisors giggled while paying attention to him.
He didn't mind the laughing, he deserved it, he would have laughed if he was in their place, he was just glad he did not hit the girl.
When he shook off the last of the trays he saw one of the few people around him not laughing. The girl, still a bit confused, was crouching in front of him, one hand on her knee for balance, and the other was offered as help, she smiled a bit from the situation.
He reached out for her hand and smiled shyly..."
~ Taken from the Book of Origins ~
~ End of Part 30 ~

Open you senses.
"Some people don't live completely on our world.
This was his case. Like many others he was not bound to the physical traits of our world.
His walk, unlike most did not step in stone. His body did not feel the wind others did. His eyes saw not the obstacles in the road, for closed they would gaze upon another plane.
He felt the waves of mana flowing around him, gently chilling the skin of his arms as they enveloped him.
He seemed to walk, but he passed through the energy flow as if he was swimming.
Concentrated strips of energy dodged him, as they followed the wind, wherever it might take them.
The grayish tone of the energy made the contrast with the generally blue highlight of the whole plane. His form had a more hot coloring, it was light green, though it had not a strict form, but rather it was a green blur shimmering with the energy ripples around it.
He walked calmly, he knew there was no one around for many kilometers.
But interestingly enough, if you were around, you would just see another man, but walking against the cold wind, with his eyes closed. At least the may have been what those in his way thought."

Silence
After so many events in life, after so much has happened, now my voice is silent.
I can't even imagine myself saying to someone the things I feel.
I have no one to lean on. Or at least no one I want to lean on.
It is odd. I feel like I want to jump into someone's arms, but I don't feel like I can jump into the arms of someone I know.

Shit.

By the way... my PC is down for the mean time.

The Map, the Key and he Compass
Each Zelda fan knows there are some basic components to completing a dungeon.
There is the Map, which gives you detailed room disposition from all floors.
The Compass which indicates where the treasures are and where the final boss lies.
And of course, the Big Key, which can open the bosses door, and some times all other doors.
This of course is part of the fun of completing a dungeon, and finding all the treasures in it.
But I'm not here to talk about this marvelous game. I'm here to use this game pattern to talk about life.

In many ways, life isn't much different from completing a dungeon, or even an epic adventure.
Unfortunately for us, we don't have (as far as we know) a map that can give is the disposition of everything to come in our life. So we have to do it the hard way.
We each start our lives with a blank map. One that we fill with every experience. Each experience leads to others, revealing doors as we go through them, sometimes closing others. Sometimes we may find it easy to open a door, maybe we were prepared with a key, but this of course is not always true. Sometimes we have to complete a most difficult puzzle to bypass the closed door, or to reach the lever that opens it. To some these puzzles may seem trivial, while to others it is quite a challenge.
But even going through these doors, we still have no idea of where to go when we start. Some people might help us sharing knowledge of what is behind some doors so that we may enter more prepared or avoid it if desired, and at all possible. But still, where are all the treasures? Where is the last grand battle with the final boss?
Once again life fails to share with us a magical item that can point to all this. And more, we begin with no clue whatsoever of what is we are looking for.
But since we are on the hard path, might as well find these informations along the way. In every experience we can find pieces that we can put together to build our own compass, and so know what sort of treasures are we after, and where are the boss fights we have to go through in other to find our happiness. Some find soon what they want, some stumble upon the boss battles and sometimes even win the fight, without even looking for it.
In the end, we seek out the key to open that final door. For the final challenge.
The key that is not physical, but might still be found in any way that might allow you to reach your final goal.

The curious thing is that neither item is useful without the others.
A lonely map can show you how to move, but not the good places to go.
With just a compass you may know where you can to go, but not how to reach there.
And there is no good in reaching the final boss if you can't cross the door because you have no key.

And so we wander, gathering the pieces as we go.
Sometimes a little piece of treasure may show to us the location of the true treasure we are seeking.
We might see have to trail a path in the opposite direction of our treasure to find the missing piece, but eventually we may be lucky enough to see were happiness lies, before the path closes.
Heck, the trouble of finding the keys to go back in a path may lead you even farther away.

So it is usually better to search carefully every room. You never know if you will be able to back to that room.

Clash of Styles
Life keeps pressing on. All the rush, all the pressures, no one can stop. At least not anymore.
You have to take the offensive. Try to create you path, find your place in society. You can embrace what life gives you, but it is frowned upon if you don't do anything with it.
Everyone demands much of others. Tries to control everything.
When did we become like this?
Or more importantly... why did we become like this?
I'm not like this.
I was born to observe, to be passive, to analyze and to foresee every movement, every outcome.
I was born to take a single action to make the ripples affect everyone in a carefully planned manner.
I find myself in this paradox, where I can't sit idle and let life go by, while it is not natural for me to take point in this world. Pushing, pressing, manipulating, climbing over people.
The future is there, written... but changing every instant. Actions, passive or not changing things.
Observe the glimpses and try to make the best path you can... in your own style.

Time Sink
I've now found a new time sink.
And with it my time has decreased drastically. In inverse reason to the number of new games I purchase.
Steam's weekend deal's are too good an offer to pass. And so I experiment new games, and buy those I think will be nice.
I try to keep a good balance of things, but this is not helping.
But at least it is fun.
Especially when you get to play with friends.

Well, will try to find good words to keep posting here.

First step is the worst.
As the week begins, all that I have planned seems to have fallen apart. At least concerning the plans for this monday.
With one more failure to go take the blood test, a day began, and I knew it was bad.
I tried to contact the doctor, and nothing. I tried to complain about my broken fridge and nothing.
And within the little time I had to complete my promise at work, suddenly all these paperwork appear for me to sign, I have to help others solve some problems, so I end up getting out of work late, hungry and a bit late to take my medicine.
But the best is for last right? I discover that the parking lot has lost my key, and I have to wait for 3 and a half hours til the locksmith comes, breaks the panel of the car to make a copy of the car key. And of course, I discover when I get home that the key does not lock the car, it only turns it on.
Seeing a monday like this really discourages the spirit for the rest of the week.
But of course, the worst seems to be over, so the week tends to get better. Or so the legend goes.
This is like most things in life.
Taking the first step, passing through the beginning is usually the most difficult part.
Guess in the end you just have to power through at the beginning and hope the rest is smooth sailing.