17 Years.
It's hard to believe that. This site has been a fragment of my life for 17 years thus far. Those elders who warn you that it will be gone in a flash were right 100%. Things fade in and out of your focus as time speeds up and stops for no one. People come in and go out of your life. I came here in middle school and was pretty active for a while, have met many people, but many are gone. Life tends to do that. I played WoW for over 10 years through high school, college, and into the work force and it just slowly began to slip little by little. Would miss a raid here and there due to overtime, then just lost interest in the expansions. I kept in touch with a few key guild mates and many of the people I used to play with were older or had serious conditions that kept them home and online, unfortunately many of these wonderful people have passed on. I managed to remember the password to this account, of which I literally have not touched in 8 or 9 years, and began looking at the people in my watch list. Most are gone and this creates a slightly bitter feeling in wondering what happened to them. I have notes from 2007 talking to many of these friends.
I also went through my gallery, strolling down memory lane of stories that were almost forgotten, but I could read the first sentence and remember the times I sat down to write them using the dA text submission system. I cringe at it now. Younger me sitting there typing these things out over the course of a few hours. I would stop to game a little, eat, listen to music etc. My computers never had Word as I never needed it outside school and to be honest, I kept this account secret from my parents. I didn't want to ask them to buy word. I felt embarrassed to let them know I was writing those stories, that it was somehow weird, that I shouldn't talk about it with them or share it.
I made the decision to delete all of the submissions. They no longer reflect how I would spin the stories. I still daydream from time to time, thinking how cool this or that would be to see within the Sonic universe. I'll think of a fight or matchup etc. It's sad to actually type it out, but many of the characters I created, I didn't remember until I started reading my old works. Most were one offs, but some primary ones have been reworked into newer ideas, more hashed out forms that life experience made richer. Movies I didn't like when I was younger I now appreciate for the ideas expressed and I didn't see my ability to do so with my old works, so this has been part update to you who know me, part reflection, part rambling, but most importantly I would like to say something that may seem weird, but it's closure.
To those characters I spent my time, youth, and energy on, even the one offs. Every single one who ever stoke an image in my head and that I tried to emulate with my unpolished abilities.
To those forgotten and unfinished imaginary lives.
To those stories, those worlds, that have been a hobby in which I could explore and escape.
To those primary characters I build my stories around.
I just want to say, thank you, for all those years. You've been with me for so long and just like the people I work and live with, you've come into my life and go out gracefully. Some of you may have just planted the seed that would become something more fleshed out, but none the less you were there.
I love you, all of you. I fill to you all a parting glass of warmth and good cheer. And I bid a very fond "Adieu". Rest now. You deserve it.