Emerald Leaves

Large amounts of time spent in-game inevitably takes its toll, in today's case by referencing itself outside of play. My life wouldn't make a hugely interesting game, so I try to avoid talking about it in this blog, but a Guild Wars analogy surfaced whilst standing a fair distance from my alternate 1152x864 existence that struck me vividly.

She stood there impatiently. An aging, stout, gnome-like woman with a no-nonsense countenance and eyes magnified by her glasses. I fumbled with my bag's zipper, half tearing the crumpled sheet of paper from the pocket.
"Here", I said, placing the tattered chart on the table. We were standing in the school lobby. Students passing by through the automatic doors brought gusts of cold air with them, the woman quickly placed a fist on my exam timetable to stop it blowing away.
"No, you don't have a clash. Look, you'll have philosophy in the morning, then media in the afternoon". She pointed at the contours on the page. A paperweight on the desk read "Mrs Cook - Administration".
"Ah, yeah, ok". I replied. "Won't that mean I have four exams on the same day?"
"Now you listen here, there are people who have seven, and asking for more". The woman's brow furrowed, suddenly affronted.
"In the real world-" she continued,
"Ok, ok. I know all about the real world". I thanked her and left. Strolling out of my usual side gate, across the playing fields and the school's surrounding area I paused to stare up from beneath the trees, marvelling at the emerald green of their translucent leaves against a pure blue sky. I don't know what the real world is like, not even slightly.

A perfect analogy for Guild Wars. What is known as 'pre-seared' Ascalon, the bright, green, lovely fantasy world you are eased in from. As with childhood, you're soon a big fish in a small pond. I've heard of the real world - out of the n00b area - but what's out there? The discovery is like a loss of virginity; a tainted innocence, a taking of one of life's major steps. Arriving in the 'post-seared Ascalon' is a shock. It's scary, and exciting.