>>> Racing on...

... into the light.

On Sunday, I was messaged on Facebook by Sarah that her boyfriend and love of the past five years had died suddenly while at work after collapsing on the floor. She'd used his account just before deleting it and I think I just barely got a reply out before she did that.

Now, you're probably wondering why this would be such a big deal, right?

Well, I hadn't mentioned the fact that he was buddy of mine from my army days. A very good buddy of mine, in fact.

His name?

Dylan Ramachandra-Tang.

Also known as Daytona due to his insane love of the arcade racing game of the same name. He'd met Sarah playing the damn thing, too, believe it or not. Since leaving the army, we'd talked off and on, especially since he migrated to Australia with Sarah.

He'd been through a lot, survived the best he could and always, always, kept his head up. Or, at least, tried to. He'd gone through the same thing with Sarah that I'm going through now with Purple, which he always said was the worst period of his life, apart from losing both his parents when he was serving. But I digress...

He'd passed away from a suspected brain tumour [or tumours], especially considering the regularity and insane intensity of his clustered migraines which he'd been suffering from for the last six years or so. According to Sarah, he'd been working at his garage, putting in extra hours to finish a project, when he was hit by a massive migraine that caused him to black out and collapse. They tried to revive him, but failed. He was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital.

He was planning his wedding and was going to visit this city-state in a couple of weeks. He has no next-of-kin and I couldn't even attend the funeral.

I'm going to miss him. He was such a solid chap and a damn good friend. I really will miss him.

Rest In Peace
Dylan "Daytona" Ramachandra-Tang,
11/10/1983 - 04/07/2010.
Good friend, dedicated artisan, amazing listener,
survivor and wonderful soul.
May you find your peace in Heaven.
You will be missed.
Always.
Amen.

I'll see you when I get there, one day, bro.

Right under that giant oak tree I kept telling you about.

>>> Project:DARKFATHER

Two of the three pieces completed for the memorial to a friend who passed on early this year.

Shun, ye ol' bastard, this is for you!



With Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000 flair. *grins*

The third piece hasn't been scanned yet, even though it's already been completed and is technically the first one that was completed.

It'll be up here when it's ready.

Until then...

... Laterz, gaterz!

>>> Another friend leaves the green fields of Terra...

It's been almost a week since Shun's passing and I'm only sitting here now because I have to do his memory justice, and lament the loss of another great soul who believed in living life the way you want to.

It's been nearly a week, and yet I've still been struggling to deal with the sense of loss and the small void that's he left. It's true that you never realize how much a person means to you until s/he is gone.

I'm at a loss to describe what he meant to me as a friend, to explain what he taught me while I knew him. To even say how great a guy he was. And it's not unbelievable that I can't because, well, there aren't words that would truly do him justice.

I actually miss the 'bastard', even his dirty jokes that can cause the putrefaction of the cerebral mass. The knowledge of games that he had was unbelievable and he actually indulged my 'insanities' & listened to me. And such a talented gamer, his understanding of games was nearly on a god-like plane. The first to Brigadier General in BF2142, first to Commander in CoD4 and the one man I know that has played nearly every game on the face of the planet.

And he was like the combination of an uncle and a brother figure in ViD, a veritable institution of ViD, and I know that he will be sorely missed by all. By some more than others, of course, as with all.

Even if he is probably somewhere up in the heavens, or, God forbid, down in hell having a cold one with the demons [and most probably having quite a number of those luscious succubi sidled up to him], watching us and saying "You noobs, what the fuck do you think you're doing!?" while laughing his head off.

*screams* It's too soon and too sudden, goddammit. It's not right, nor is it fair, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!!

But then again, when has anything ever really been fair, eh, noob?

I wish I could write more, but I think that I'm in danger of breaking down, so I'm gonna end it here.

Farewell, Shun; may we meet again, somehow, somewhere, somewhen.

*sigh*

^{Resistance is futile ver.1.4.0.kai
Ver 1.4.2 Silly Fools - No Regrets [by Randis Albion]}

_{86 funerals and counting... 'twill only end 'pon my own.
But 'til then, my friends, I'll live the way that I want.}