Líng Láng 琳琅 & Lùo MíngXi 洛銘西

能不能為您再跳一支舞?

只為您臨別時的那一次回顧

Can I perform one last dance for you?

Just so you look back at me before we part.

Yún FeiFei 雲菲菲 - BáiHú 白狐 (white fox)

...☕?/commission

A Favorite Moment in Mario

I’ve played plenty of games, from casual stuff like DMC5 to more hardcore shit like Papa’s Burgeria. But if there’s one franchise I hold dear to heart, it’s Mario. I sincerely love Mario, next to Kirby, Spyro, and DK, I can never not enjoy a Mario game. Has his stinker stars, but his library is definitely more good than bad. And really, it’s not just because the games to fun to fuck around with, especially the ones like 64, but there are some moments that honestly stick with me that remind me of why I love the games of this red hatted mustache hunk. As such, we roll back to 2009.

Mario Galaxy is not the best, the sequel’s half and half better, but I’m always joyful playing this ever since Elementary school me got it from Game Crazy, may that rest in peace. Get plenty to do, the presentation still holds up, and I still want a Luma plushie. But that isn’t just why I love Galaxy. I could say the ending where the Lumas sacrifice themselves and rebirth the universe anew is what because it made me cry but no. The single best thing about Galaxy has very little to do with the game. That’s when we take a trip to the Comet Observatory library.

We get a serene 12 second cutscene of Mario in awe at the lumas gathering round to Rosalina as she tells them a story. Now when I first went here, as I was playing the game, I didn’t think nothing of it. It’s extra content and I mostly just skipped through the story because I had the attention span of boiling water yet I felt obligated to see it because the game said I could. But as I grew up, I might not have thought about it, but my brain did. 

I feel like it’s something where thanks to the party games, we see Rosalina as more of just one of the princesses with Peach and Daisy than we do as a mother figure to the star children she protected and raised. The moment at the library in Galaxy 1 & 2 is the best we get of her being a mother-figure to the lumas and it’s a shame I haven’t see more of that in the fandom or Nintendo really. After the Galaxy games, to me she’s essentially just a character on a Mario Kart, Party, or Smash roster. In the least, I gotta appreciate these initial scenes because the scene compliments her character as it paints a great image of why the lumas are with her. Going back to the game, it warms my heart going to the library now because not only is it a touching moment but what we get from it is just as beautiful.

Rosalina’s backstory is unapologetically heartwarming. It’s only 9 chapters, but each chapter is an emotional yet peaceful part of Rosalina’s childhood with simple storybook drawings that range from adorable to breathtaking. They especially knew how to make great use of blue and the tune when you read the story never gets old; it’s an ethereal musicbox type jingle that plays a great part in the tearjerker of Galaxy’s finale as much as throughout each chapter. 

And for all it’s presentation, it always sticks out to me when it comes to Mario games because it’s an incredibly unique moment on all front. Even when I’m in my most jaded of moods, I can look at Rosalina’s story, I can remember the whole scene with her and the lumas in the library, and it fills with a relaxing solace that they put the effort in to giving this character an endearing & human side of her that we hardly get to see elsewhere. I think what gets me about this is the game’s finale where the jingle played and even as a kid, I teared up at the sight of my little luma friend plunging themself into a black hole and... hoo loard. It’s probably silly of me, but for Mario, this is the cutest they’ve gone and I really wish we got more stuff like this. In the least, it made me respect the creative touches Nintendo puts into their best. At most, it’s something I wish myself to never forget. Don’t know what else to say,

I Loved It

During the Remembrance of Undercity, we had a segment titled The Ceremony of Embers and Spirit in which Forsaken (and allies) were welcome to toss that which they want left behind to burn in a symbolic fire and help them move forward in their unlife or life. Anything from mementos from long past, banners or tabards or anything that they feel no longer belongs with them and no longer represents them. All were allowed to do this, but focus was put on Forsaken first. We had all who wanted their items showcased fill out a doc so we can share and forever view these small, but impactful, character moments. Down below is everyone who chose to have their moment showcased and what their feelings are that went with it as well as the item itself.

Due to the length of this post, please hit the Read More to view all items that have been tossed into the flames.

Caleb Mcswain Item: A blue star moss boutonnière. This item represented resentment, hatred for Caleb's undeath, and fear of the Horde. Shandras Korpus Item: A stuffed animal "...I can't possibly atone for the murderous rage my Dark Lady once inspired, but I can surely commit to do better." Silffred Queen Item: A patched and beaded Undercity tabard. Silffred leaves his spot, a ratty, patched tabard of the Undercity draped in his hands. He tries to steel himself, and fails. From the crowd, a death knight comes to his side; a -Night Elf- death knight. She whispers something to him and, together, they drop the tabard onto the smoldering bonfire. The Knight puts her hand on his shoulder, and Silffred raises his head to address the crowd. "I cast off my tabard for the final time, and with it... The piece of me that could end up no where else... But the flames." Jarisold Acridwell Item: Wedding ring Jarisold steps up quietly and pulls out a ring. He looks at it with a solemn expression, signing slowly with his free hand. "I have little to say here except I'm sorry. I wish I could have protected you." He grips it one last time, looking over it as he casts it into the fire. Nicolai Wyther Item: A Leatherbound notebook full of old alchemical research. Nicolai looked down at his old leatherbound book. Inside were a mix of notes, research and alchemical studies he had done many years ago for the Forsaken cause. Some were helpful, but many used for harming those who dared to mess with the Forsaken. "I was naive. I didn't know any better." he muttered under his breath as his veil covered his sorrowful face. "Years of my life were written down in this book I used to be proud of it...but when I see this book on my mantle, I don't think of the time I spent with my old Order or the happy memories." his voice trembled. "I only see regret. Anguish!" He opened the book to take out a dried out Arthas Tear, holding it between his skeletal fingers "And I must...move on." As he tossed the book into the fire. Donovan Morris Wightborn Item: A Forsaken insignia of excellence and a medallion with a red soulstone in it. Donovan pulls up a faded insignia from his bags. "Today, I burn two pages of history from my present so they may join the ashes of the past. First, an insignia of excellence given to me by the Dark Lady during the Gilneas campaign. With this, I burn what little respect I had for the Banshee... Along with a deep resentment for the people of Gilneas." He drops his insignia into the flames "And then..." he grasps at a silver necklace with a cracked red gem around his neck and pulls, snapping the chain as he removes it. He stares at it for a moment, in his hand, and holds it up "A soulstone medallion which was once used to twist my soul into undeath, and that I then used to imprison and punish the necromanceress responsible. With this, I let go of an old bitterness and drive: Vengeance. I slew her and her soul is long gone. No need for this to remain and remind me of her. I am Forsaken, driven by the glory and growth of our people, not unfocused hatred of an old witch." with that, he tosses it into the fire and watches it burn. He thought 'Donovan Morris died for Lordaeron. Donovan Wightborn claimed vengeance for him. Now we both live, in this glorious dark rebirth, as Forsaken.' Nettie Ka'an Item: Insignia of a Forsaken soldier Nettie steps foward and takes out a small, shiny object. "This insignia represents my time as a soldier on the Gilnean-Forsaken front. I had just been raised, and unlike many of you, felt little loyalty to the Banshee Queen."She pauses. "I joined to try to preserve my home, Gilneas, despite the Forsaken's onslaught. Since then, I have met and bonded with more Forsaken than I had thought I ever would. This insignia is a reminder of a past era, of distrust towards my own people." She continues. "We have all lost our homes, in one or way another. It is time to move forward." She gently drops the insignia into the fire, where it glows, and rejoins the circle. Geniya Zigzy Item: Old Undercity military ID card Geniya tosses the card into the fire, and it quickly flares up and away. "I used this only once since the fall of Undercity, as a way to pass myself off as the officer in Sylvanas' forces that I once was, for the purpose of sneaking some dissenters to safety. We are now ALL safe. We are free to be whoever we are, with no one watching over us from above. I will never need to use this card again." Benemus Crungey Item: Wedding Ring & Silver Dagger Benemus steps up, twisting a tarnished ring off of his finger and dropping it into the fire. "The last trappings of when I was alive," He said simply. "Attachment to someone who has spoken of her hatred for what I have become. I do not need this reminder that only makes me upset." Then he removes a dagger from his pack, and drops it in as well. "Be well on your journey into the shadows." Édouard Chaudron Item: Old Academy Frying Pan Anger at his Father who didn't support his culinary pursuits nor his soup kitchen for the poor of Lordaeron. His father would be the ghoul that sent him to his unlife, something which he clung to in anger prior to this event. Tossing it was to help let go of his difficult feelings in regards to his relationship with his father and to move past the guilt, doubt and other painful emotions that had him second-guessing his chosen path in life + unlife. Canthar Item: Remains preserved in jars. "I no longer have need for these. That competitive abomination assembly were a thing is disgusting. That I got caught up in it... Regardless. Dead should only be raised willing. These morbid cadavers no longer fascinate me..." Hylden Caspian Levanthorpe Item: An amethyst sphere (a speakstone) Hylden holds in his hand a stone. A beautiful amethyst sphere. Staring down at the thing, the storm of emotions that brewed on his features, in his eyes spoke to something deeper than he could express in words. He closed his fingers around it, and took a breath, staring down at the flames. “This was a gift, from a man I loved more than anythin’. Anythin’ I ever could have described, anythin’ I thought I could have felt. In that awful darkness, he called me a sweet thing. A mouse. That man would have had us believe that he was a snake. A serpent. Clever and connivin’. ...but snakes kill their prey quickly. No.” His eyes flicked upward, burning brightly, focusing directly on the man. “That man was a glue trap. Unfortunately for him, this mouse didn’t stay stuck. His grip was far too weak.” He glanced back down to the fire, opening his hand and staring back into the depths of that sphere, glowing with a life all its own. As his eyes turned from the fire, he lifted his hand and tilted it to the side, letting it roll from his palm as he said, “Goodbye. I’ll always love you. Though I’ll never know if it was my choice or not, will I?”

Vynaendra Highwood Blood Elf Item: Insignia of Sylvanas Vyn feels anger seeing the image of her face. Anger and disgust and sadness. Bagorpagork Mok’nathal A very old tome containing warlock spells and rituals Gork was clutching onto an old tattered book. A black cover with fel green demonic lettering and symbols. He held it out, giving it one last look before tossing it into the flames. "As time passes, sometimes you learn that the things that made you strong, the things that help you win, come at a price. The Alliance may have essentially lost that day. But it cost a great price for the Forsaken. I think uh, Mr Eralos put it quite really... I have begun to question my own power, the price I may someday come to pay. I have decided I do not need this power anymore. It is time to move on" he ended with a small smile. Lembri Vulpiana Shal’dorei Item: Menagerie Insignia Lembri removes an insignia from her satchel, bearing the mark of Suramar's Royal Menagerie. It's been battered with age, and no longer shines like the rest of the silver that adorns her. "I used to be afraid... I thought that I had to help protect the creatures of the outside from their own h-home... I'll never be able to forgive myself fully for the animals still trapped in that sick circus but... T-This is the start of redemption." The nightborne tosses the medal into the fire, feeling great relief as it disappears amongst the flames. Sorrel Silverblade Kaldorei Item: A rosary; an innumerable amount of red strings Sorrel approaches the fire, holding a rosary befitting a priest or priestess of the Church of the Holy Light. Its beads are made of dark, worn wood and yellowed ivory, the strand of silk they're strung on yellowed and brittle. At the end is a truesilver holy symbol, tarnished with age. He opens his other hand, filled with tiny red strands of string, curled and folded as if they'd been tied into position for a long time. He clears his throat a bit. "...you deserved better. A better life. A better son. I killed in your name, as if death or life were a game I could succeed in." He lowers his eyes and ears, gritting his teeth. "...I know better now. Life and death mean much more to me, in each of their forms. To the Light I pray you find solace." He lets the rosary fall into the fire. Sorrel stares intently into the flame. "To the Shadows I pray that they may guide my hand so that I may serve my fellows honourably. To learn from the mistakes of my youth." He lets the red strands fall. "To move past my sins." With that, he returns to his friends. Geniya, on behalf of Gornagh Starcrusher Undead Orc Item: Ebon Blade Warbanner Gornagh gave Geniya the banner to toss into the flames as a way of finally severing himself from the Ebon Blade, an organization he left very abruptly after realizing that his morals no longer aligned with theirs. He wishes to feel free of reminders that make him angry, for a group that he believes is no longer worth his energy to think on. Kuyr Driftwood Tauren Death Knight Item: Decaying old Saronite gauntlet Said: "Watching time pass me by...I should let go of this and work on my bonds. What it will bring with my new tribe. I don't know. But it's better then being alone." Thought's: *The pain and suffering is still unbearable. I can't break free fully. Maybe this will help me fight more to be myself. But I still wish at times just...release.* Litharial Solstar Sin’dorei Item: A single, grey arrow with raven fletching. Approached the bonfire that blazed with the ashes and memories of those that fed it before her. She drew a single, grey arrow with raven fletching, so unlike her golden ones. Examining the arrow a moment, she spoke quietly, "This belonged to my sister, Asarial. We fought together at the battle for Lordaeron when the Alliance broke through the gate, she told me to go first to make sure the wounded were well cared for. Her selflessness cost her her life. And it nearly broke me. Fast forward to the relevancy of this story, I found myself before the city of Ogrimmar, ready to liberate the city. However, it became apparent that loyalists were sabotaging the weaponry." Takes a moment to sniffle, a lone tear falling down her cheek. "It was then that I found the thing of my nightmares. My sister, who was raised as a Dark Ranger to serve the Banshee Queen. It was my duty to defend Saurfang's army and I did so, quickly slaying the two other Dark Rangers with her, and after a terrible duel...her." Her eyes grew ever luminescent as they reflected the warm light of the bonfire. "She lost..." Looking at the arrow once again, she turned it over in her hands, "I understand this ceremony is to honor our Forsaken brothers and sisters. But I can never truly hate the Dark Rangers, for what became of them. I cannot even hate Sylvanas, for she will always be remembered as a hero to Silvermoon for her sacrifice. So it is my hope, that the Dark Rangers and Sylvanaas find their way into this pyre. My sister, at least, shall find hers." Litharial placed the arrow gently, almost reverently, in the consuming fire. The flashed quickly licked the arrow, turning a dark purple where the arrow touched the flames, before blazing a righteous orange again. "Al diel shala, Asarial. Elor bindel felallan morin'aminor, Belore'dorei. Shorel'aran, sister." Dragway Orc Item: An old royal crest banner of the Rally family, it's dark blue banner with a falcon holding a mason hammer and pickaxe in its talons Dragway said this about the banner "This was the crest of Baron Danton Rally, who was a warden to many internment camps for the orcs, I spent my childhood as a slave under him, he was slain when Thrall came to liberate us. I toss my grieve for the child who was living in dirt and mud, and give hope to the adult still standing here. May the orcs...no...no other races, never be put into chains ever again!” Gotosh, on behalf of Katamar Orc Item: A red hair ribbon Gotosh clutched the red hair ribbon in his palm, looking down to it. He thought of what it meant to his friend, a connection to people who are long gone and their souls lost. Part of him didn’t want to toss it into the fire, feeling the weight it carried. But he promised to do this and with one toss the ribbon joined the other items to be burned away. May they rest, he thinks, may he rest too.

Is There Life After Idol? (2014)

"True beauty is something that attacks, overpowers, robs, and finally destroys." - Yukio Mishima

Finding a mysterious idol game, one man glimpses heaven... and is then cast back down to earth. Can anyone hope to recover from love? By Nacchi. Lyrics translated by Honya.

Part I: Baby maybe Koi no BUTTON

The alarm clock rings. Another day. Another sunrise, another empty promise, another agonizing cycle of seventeen-thousand breaths – no, not agonizing.

Even that would be an emotion. Even that would be better than this.

I turn to the clock. It is ticking, far too slowly, as seconds fall off my life. Each click sounds another moment between me and the self I've always wanted to become, widening an eternal gulf. But, of course it does. Humans begin dying the moment they're born; it was naïve of me to think dreams would be any different.

Next to it, in a shattered frame, a single worn photograph.

So, tell me, Hanayo. How am I supposed to go on living when there's nothing left to live for?

Of course, I already know the answer to that. That was the price I paid for my ambition; in embracing that single glorious dream, I had to have known that my recompense would be this purgatory – the greatest curse, to live beyond success.

It was only three months ago. It feels like an eternity now; those days are separated by the void we call “finality”, forever shining on the other side of the cosmos. I was still a legitimate human being then. I can see the transformation in my mind's eye: the weight dropping off, the stubble taking root, the gauntness of body and soul beginning to manifest. Under the steady pressure of time, the corpse rots; the glowing life is forever snuffed out, and hope sluices from the frail frame as it decays.

Do not pity this cadaver. It is already dead, without soul or humanity. It has been dead since it chose to strive for ecstasy. Perhaps that emotion was itself fatal, overloading a system adapted only to a monochrome series of days.

No. Ecstasy wasn't fatal; it was addictive. Within that moment of contact, it had cruelly intertwined with my essence, become necessary for survival.

And then, it had left.

When I had discovered the game, it seemed like a divine windfall. Free of charge. Free of judgment. Just a fun little diversion, a swirling menagerie of tiny delights. I quickly became hooked, and as I spent more and more time with my idols, I had less and less to dedicate to my job, my family, or myself. My wife grew envious. I could see the darkness overtake her, as she began to resent my new happiness. She was “concerned”, and she made it her mission to destroy every bastion of solace I could find. She wanted to go to bed when I was playing; she wanted to talk about my work when I was playing; she wanted me to make dinner for the kids while I was playing.

One day, I simply abandoned everything. I blocked every number I could think of, stepped out into the rain, and called a taxi. I traded my once-comfortable home for a tiny apartment. No matter; the home had become a cage. Full of distractions from the only thing I cared about anymore: My idols.

I began to sell off my possessions. I felt no attachment to the material world anymore. My suit could buy me around 100 Loveca gems, my watch 200. When I had sold everything I owned, I returned home for the first and only time. Someone had changed the lock, but I could make out the silhouettes of my wife and kids gathered around a television set. I left.

Then, the unthinkable happened. I achieved a high enough rank to unlock new content instantly, and had collected and idolized every girl. Certainly, I could have waited for each update, exhausting each new content as soon as it arrived – with my near-unlimited supply of Loveca, I could play forever. But... I couldn't bear the wait. I couldn't bear returning to my normal life. Watching the anime and consuming all possible content sustained me for one sleepless week. But then that was over too, and it seemed I would have to confront reality.

I couldn't do it. I secured a prescription for sleeping pills, hardly a difficult task given my exhausted state but the only time I had left my apartment in months.

As I sat in bed, gazing up at the constellation of characters I had pinned to my ceiling, I had one last thought of comfort: people used to think that when you died, you became part of the stars. Perhaps...

As I shivered, the container of bright, sugar-coated capsules rattled in my hand. Candy for adults.

Rebirth. That was another ancient belief. The glorious hope that when you faded away, you would remanifest in some other form – thus life was not something to be wasted and discarded, but a constant stream wending its way through the fabric of the cosmos. If I were reborn, I knew I would want to become an idol. But even in reincarnation, would that be possible for a soul like mine?

My lips parted slowly as I gathered my will for the final act.

Honoka, Kotori, Umi, Rin, Maki, Nico, Eli, Nozomi... Hanayo... Here I come.

I tipped back the container, and waited for the darkness to descend.

Part II: Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE

I awoke groggy and drenched in sweat, as if from a bad dream. The scent of cherry blossoms filled the air, clearing my hazy mind.

Behind me, I could just make out an imperious tablet attached to the red wall.

“Otonokizaka High School”... Could it be?

I looked down at my hands. I didn't look any different. Maybe a bit healthier than I remembered, better-rested, but still undeniably me. What was going on?

“Heyyyyyyyyyyy!”, a voice called from across the courtyard. That voice...

Nozomi Tojo was standing before me. Shocked, I tried to think of something to say.

“You're my least favorite girl,” I tried. Shit, bad choice.

She either didn't hear me, or pretended not to.

“Nabocchan, we've been waiting for you!”, she sang. Nabocchan was the username I had chosen. “Are you ready to manage us and direct live performances?”

I felt like I was receiving far too much information, far too quickly. But it didn't matter. I had trained for this more than anyone else. I had been born to do this. I nodded.

The next few weeks flew by like a dream. I scouted, formed a group, and carried out a few minor performances. The bond between me and the others grew; I had become part of their world, just as they had become part of mine. Looking back, those were the only days of my life where I was truly happy.

All too soon, the big show had come upon us. We were asked to play in front of the whole school, during lunch – this would be the performance that made or broke us. Truly, an Expert Mode- worthy gauntlet. Our setlist covered the three aspects of idoldom: Pure, Smile and Cool – more specifically, we would start with Mogyutto "love" de Sekkinchuu!, continue with Aishiteru Banzai!, and end with Wonderful Rush. The required LP alone would make this show require a veteran idolmaster. It would require... Me, Nabocchan, the rising star of the idol world!

The performances demanded such attention that I hardly remember doing them. The set passed by as a flurry of circles, a neverending string of commands... But I rose to the task, and by God, my girls didn't miss a beat.

What I do remember is the celebration afterward. We had made it. We were a recognized idol group now, and Otonokizaka High had been saved – and it was all thanks to me.

As I was hoisted up by my legion of beautiful girls, the sun shone down upon my face, and I finally understood – this was the meaning of life. To give it your all, and achieve your dreams. Just like these idols had been singing about all along.

I smiled, raised high above the crowd. The wonderful afternoon was so warm and comfortable, and I had worked so hard on the performance, that I dozed off right there.

Part III: Snow Halation

Painful consciousness invaded my mind, a familiar feeling now. My head felt like it had been split in two, and my stomach was in agony. Something smelled awful.

I opened my eyes to find that my face was caked in vomit, my pillow stained with dried bile. Small capsules littered the floor, and half-digested ramen was spread across my sheets.

I rose slowly and gingerly tiptoed to my phone. I had to use up my LP for today, in order to regenerate them as soon as possible.

LoveLive booted up as it always did, and Hanayo appeared.

“White rice is so amazing,” she cried. “I wonder how it gets so white...”

The same greeting as always. Had nothing changed?

I called her name, but she didn't respond. We were apart again, flung across the banks of the Milky Way. The thin glass screen was an impermeable barrier, separating me from happiness for all of eternity. I broke down there, swiping my framed photograph of Hanayo off my end table. As I wept, I slammed my phone again and again into the ground, making choking noises, as if to release the hope trapped at the bottom of Pandora's Box.

When I stood back up, I saw that my screen was broken, and my idols were gone. Outside, the first snows were drifting gingerly down. My legs buckled, and I embraced sweet oblivion.

Idol. A figure of devotion, representing divinity. A receptacle for emotion, yet one incapable of reciprocating it. How could I have been so foolish...

I tried to call up my wife, to explain my mystical calling. To explain the only time in my life where I had been worth anything. She hung up.

No one would believe me. None of them could stomach the truth that even someone like me could be something at one shining moment, that even I could touch my dreams momentarily. It was of no consequence. As winter faded and the snow melted, it was time for me to leave behind my empty shell.

It was Christmas Eve when I stepped out into the world for the first time in what seemed like eternity, and the last time for all of eternity. As if bearing a sacred ark, I held the Best Live! Collection disc. The streets were decorated for the new year, aglow with lights and awash with festive cheer. The snow shimmered in the winter sun as I stepped upon its virgin surface, defiling the white perfection.

Without really knowing where I was going, I found that I had traveled to my old home. Did I want to see my kids? My wife? Or was it simply muscle memory?

Regardless, fate would not be so kind. Other people had taken up residence there, a young couple. I wondered what I must look like to them, with only a moe T-shirt and boxers to stand against the biting winter air. They hung at the window for a moment, promising human contact, then they too faded away, the curtains sweeping shut. I had yet again been denied the warmth of companionship.

I kept walking, until I found myself in a park. The streets were empty, and the grass buried by heavy snowdrift – it was like the surface of the moon. I looked at my CD one final time, then snapped it in half. The plastic's edge was razor-sharp, and as I touched my hand to it, a sudden warmth burned against the chill.

The warmth comforted me. I saw a thin stream of crimson trickling from my fingertip, quickly losing its heat.

I held the CD against my neck, its curvature gently cradling my delicate flesh, and pulled in a single, fluid motion.

Like a child, I tumbled into the fresh snow. It blushed at my presence, a deep red. I felt absolutely relaxed. The clear sky was truly beautiful.

Laughter welled up deep inside me. I was going to return to my idols, where I belonged. Though I couldn't form the words anymore, I mouthed them, singing along to a few choice lines:

...Before I knew it, my “True emotion” had grown so large.

...It’s painful only seeing it as a dream!

...Shall I name this heartrending pain “Snow halation?”

...It’s vexing but it’s a pure-hearted devotion called love.