Exchange Part III

Fury of the gods is absolute, even the strongest shield in the world stands to perish. 

But magic is just an imitation of that absolute prowess. No matter how cryptic the theory is, the origin relies on the manipulation of simple elements around the magicians. For example, alchemy of transmuting lead into gold is possible, by either replacing lead with a known source of gold or by add enough energy to reconfiguring the nuclear cores. 

Magic is the science of gods, but not the miracle of the gods. 

Even so, for someone who cannot comprehend the magical theory, this force is miraculous, or should I say absolute. And in the hand of that man, this force is pernicious. 

“What do we do, princess?” The apprentice is asking in a low voice. The percussion in his heart grow louder every second, yet his hand is still calmly grasping the tilt. He knows that his training, though spiteful at the time, is the only power resisting fear, so his legs are tense enough to keep his knees above the ground, tense enough not to fall to the ground and tremble. 

A long and excruciating silence accompanies the intransigent tension. The two sides stand still at the bridge head. Even though their formation hardly changes, the moral of each no longer remains the same. One side, satiated grin of dominance envelopes the hungry beasts. The other side, the air is more ambiguous. Intimidation has certainly triumphed pompously, but the defenders hold their ground. No one has yet taken one step backward.  

The princess is biting her lips. 

She needs a surprise. Only when the enemy attention is diverted, the last guardians of this bridge can retreat safely and destroy the structure to stall enemy’s advance. But what can surprise the armored man now? Her fairy magic may be able to distract him temporarily, but the convoy is still under threat of Thunder Lancer. She has confidence to block two strikes with her magic shielding, but she does not have mean to cover so much ground before the incantation ends. Given the wind magic she knows, she can easily cover the ground between the armor and her in an instant. However, doing so will expose her, the convoy, and the knights. Close combat, not her forte, is seemingly innocuous against the enemy she is facing now.

"What say you, Princess of Fortune? I would like a quick answer. My lord does not have all day waiting for us to arrive. Your decision, please. "

His haughtiness taunted the guardians of the bridgehead. Even though time may not be on his side, it hardly matters now. A minute passed means nothing about the safety of the convoy. 

Then it should end as quickly and as decisive as possible. 

“We need diversion.”

“I concur, princess.” The youngster nodded at the knight's proposal, “And I have a plan, if you don’t mind.”

The low whisper brings princess back to her attention from indecision. “Then let’s punish them for their foolery, and I insist to be the decoy.”

Knowing the other three will disagree, she emphasizes, “I can escape with Zephyr Step.” 

Man, she was just too stubborn. But she is the fastest of all of us under that cast, which works ideal for a distraction. 

“Alright, I have to say that is the trump card. Then please, princess. Set Zephyr Steps to level 4, towards the right, double delay, cast on my mark. Ready and charge Fairy’s Protection.”

“Gentlemen, run to the other side of the bridge with all your might. I got your back.”

“And your sir, ready for a tender package. Good good.” Well, not only the apprentice knight, but no one really understands what he meant. 

"Ready, on my mark, three… two…”

And blank. Darkness overcomes her startling disbelief. Struggling, she sees Sharron’s fist landed lightly below her chest, forcing out the oxygen which her consciousness is starving for. 

“Sorry, never said I would approve using the trump card.”

You bast… stop pro…

Last thing she could remember was being tossed to the apprentice and carried away, losing all her pride on the spot. Well, that is not as bad as being captured or forced to escape under water. Sharron told the captain to announce her injury due to combat. 

Thunder Lancer exploded rather closely somewhere, and then again far away. The night finally closes its curtain.

Delusional Heartbeat

All begin with a simple wish,

Not to be granted in full.

All end with a simple answer,

Not to be comprehended in full.

The two hearts here and there,

Beat Skip Beat Skip.

Phalanx of inured shields

Takes away all pains and anguish.

What is delusional?

What is the truth?

Too vague for the farthest remembrance,

All that survive

A pristine hope

One day, I will see you again. 

Heaven's Feel

Every time you ask of me,
a little bit of sanity is robbed away,
until eternity is covered in thick darkness,
chilling and helpless heartbreaks. 

Yet I can't let go of those hands,
the warmth that contradicts cruelty,
unfeeling abyss of uncompromising reality,
so abhorrent yet sublime and fragile. 

When the world is tainted in incarnadine,
shadows rise from the earth,
flame rains from the heaven,
Tragedies flower like the prairie spring. 

I pondered, to be or not to be.
Kindness ultimately leaves the world with nothing,
and world offers no comfort.
Smile becomes a reflex of despair. 

Even if innocents are the sacrifices of your crime,
I will keep my oath and bear your burden.
Even if living itself becomes a sin,
So be it, stride on, for the world to come. 

The guardian of humanity,
becomes the enemy of the world,
for that one reason,
despite of everything else, everything once was precious. 

To live humbly for one's cause;
regret, towards one's ability, not conviction.
The golden rays bring forth a new dawn,
and red cloth fades into vast emptiness. 

Code Geass: Lelouch of Rebellion & R2

There are a few things to say about Code Geass, but really one word sums all--epic. 

In a world of leading character dominated by hot blood good guys, a calculating villain (or seems to be) is refreshing. Moreover, something other than a hutch from personality or just simple mindedness has shown to prevail over incredible odds. Lelouch Vi Britannia shows that fate does not require luck, but rather meticulous planning, ironic to how the first piece of the puzzle, his encounter to the "witch" C.C. is purely accidental.  

So what of this Sunrise and Clamp crossover? Why there are thousands Black Knights hailing both in the world of Zero and in reality?

Charisma. 

What made Code Geass so great is a vast cast of characters, each developed to its fullest over the two seasons. The relationships between these characters, how the bonds between two change them and the world around them. The conflicts between characters, ideological or other wise. Code Geass have done a remarkable job depicting the complexity and simplicity, consistency and deviation of human mind.  

Lelouch is the epitome of these coexisting contradictions and endless evolutions. He sought to create a world that will accept him and his sister. However, his goals were not simply to find a good job and make a fortune so there will be no fear of insecurity; he desired perfection. First, the wrong must be punished:  he will punish the man who watched the siblings suffer, his father, the emperor of Britannia, and revenge for his mother, the former empress of Britannia. It was shocking to witness his determination of creating a world that will guard and cherish his sister. He has loved and killed; he has made friends and betrayed friends; he stained his own hands and even bended his sister's will and used his own life as the exchange for a world that he believed his sister would be happy. All these pure devotions, behind a mask, as no one in the world will know and acknowledge his devotion except his closest allies. As he took the world's all evil into him for a better world to be born from the nurturing ashes. 

But this is not the only path he has to question...

Similarly, his closest ally, which was also his worst enemy, Kururugi Suzaku, as the series #2 male lead, also faces dilemma as he stands to create a better world, with the same desire as Lelouch, but only standing as his friend's foe.

There are just plethora of conflicts, contradictions, mysteries, schemes, and of course, romance that surrounds each characters, weaving each individual gem into a mosaic of tales of love and hatred, trust and betrayal, hope and despair. It is not something can be described by words alone. It is the experience of the inevitability and chances in the world and how great or insignificant human beings are compared with. 

Story aside, the overall quality of this production is at the zenith, comparable (maybe just a bit of “not yet”) to the legendary Neo Genesis Evangelion (which is holding the perfect score on my anime ranking along with Rorouni Kenshin). The original music soundtracks are astonishingly great, especially the performance by HITOMI fitting into the emotional scenes. Voice actors really bring the characters to life. Even though it is a bit overly dramatic at times, but this series is one that survives and flourishes on drama. Character designs, settings, and story boards are well-thought out and nicely executed (C.C. is HAWT, woah, C.C. is REALLY HAWT). Well, beside the unavoidable graphic decline as the series became popular, the graphic quality is quite constant in season one, and well…not so much in season two (Other than C.C. is HAWTER in season two). 

To conclude, I give Code Geass Season One a perfect 10.0/10.0 (Congratulations, good thing you have a cliff ending like EVA, or else I can’t rate you anymore) and R2 a 9.0/10.0 (Too much plot twisting with bad pacing in the second half, but still amazing overall). Kudos to Sunrise and Clamp. For anyone out there who has not seen this marvel yet, YOU MUST SEE THIS!! It is available for FREE on AnimeNewsNetwork, both dubbed and subbed versions.

Go and change the world (with C.C. fan-service…as you wish). 

Image from Animesuki Code Geass Image Thread with rights to the respective artists. 

 

 

Another Year’s End 5/13/09

Who would think I am writing another personal update? I haven't done this for a long time, probably because college is keeping me busy (nonsense, you mean the hangovers...right). But banzai for another year's end, I am going to be a senior and busy for the next year...Banzai!
Well, this summer looks rather interesting. I am taking Ceramic I, another step toward the art minor (two more classes after that) and then the ten week REU at NNI in UI (get to live in the Mayflower finally and have a "great" experience). I am looking forward to do ceramics, at least one piece in mind that might turn out to be ... cute? If I ever have the opportunity, I am taking sculpture. For now, it is not happening. REU isn’t bad; I am working with my mentor, so I am pretty familiar with the lab already. But for the other places I applied, it was pretty sad and I am not going to pretend like them, “we are very sorry…blah blah blah.” Just need, “Oh yeah, you suck. Don’t come here. We all hate you.” That is a lot better.
Next year is looking packed, Japanese I (finally), Advanced Inorganic, Physical Measurement, Psychology, and Ceramic II. Plus president for Math Club, 10K logistic, tutoring, and maybe AAC as well. Not to mention countless essays for graduate schools, scholarships, and hopefully a fellowship (someone please give me one). Ah…my life really really really is … complicated?
Well, that is next year. For now, four finals down and one more to go, I am pretty pumped for partying out on Friday. Prince is not coming out at all, story wise. I have done plenty of character designs and stuff though, so who knows. It is really turning into a long-term project that may never get finished. Oh, I am super excited about Starcraft II. IT IS GOING TO BE awesome!!! And Sakura Wars V (in English OMG) is coming out…which is a bit late? They should release the first one somehow since it is just one the best game I have ever played.
Anyways, peace out.

• Mood: Slightly agitated
• Music: Platinum from Cardcaptor Sakura
• Drinking:  Diet 7-Up
• Currently Tracking: K-ON!

Dreams

Who are you? The mysterious girl without a face,
yet  my heart boils in the whisper of your name.
What is it again?
The last trace, a shadowy silhouette of flowing long hair,
Glimpse of eyes as bright as the glittering gems,
My own too cautious and embarrassed
to be caught in its lustrous rays.
An affection that will bring ruins to a friendship;
An affection so obvious and constantly denied.
A sail out of an isolated island into the tempesting sea,
A border entrenched deep, kneel, touch, and sigh in regret.
Among all, my sight only fixed on you,
even though I believed we both understood,
I brought no proof, no confirmation, no declaration, and no condolence.
The call that asked me,
“What do you want the most?”
I am afraid to say you,
so I replied,
“Knowledge on the motive, the process, and the structure of the humanly heart.”
Or because I am afraid of myself, the uncontrollable variable.
“Don’t you already have it?”
The incomprehensible existence, I do acknowledge.
Yet I cannot say it.
Maybe one day, when I finally relinquish my role
as a knight, a protector from burdens.
I can become your equal. 

Exchange Part II

The Veroné Bridge is one of the most ancient manmade structure on the continent. Its first construction was dated way back, rumored to be a relic from the Second Divine Intervention. The legend has it that one of the twelve guardians, Vercirphone, purged the one of twenty-seven Archdemon from the central of the lake by freezing the entire lake and then piercing it with the Lance of Crimson Roses. The lance was said to have sealed the demonic power and convert the remains of the Archdemon into a sizable island in the middle of the lake. Thus, the island became one of the holy sites for all who worship the three goddesses of creation.
The bridge from the south bank was first constructed as a road of pilgrimage, since frequent fogs upon the lake and strong current made boating navigation difficult. Later, the Church found that the island can function as an anchor point for a bridge way that connects the south bank to the north bank. Traveling across the lake by the bridge, which usually involves heading west for the ferry at Cheron, was then easier and faster. The missionary outpost soon became a popular trading ground and a vital transportation route. Since the bridge way did pass through one of the "holy grounds" declared by the Church, it was quite legitimate for the Church to pass through a travel tariff for any traffic using the bridge .
However, bridge ferry soon became more popular as the business expanded on the lake banks, lands that were not taxed by the Church. Ferry services overtook the carriage services and became the most dominant transportation method. As long as the bridge could be seen in the fog, the boat had no problem reaching the docks on the islands. Traders picked their preference of  boats, having a greater capacity and lower maintenance cost. The pilgrims rarely traveled by horses. The carriage travel on bridges became an exclusive for the upper class. So the two lane stone bridge was never expanded on for the past, maybe a few hundred years, but was  maintained frequently in good shape to be the guide for trading boats. Maybe a few years after the construction of the north bank bridge, the Church dropped the rate on bridge crossing and increased the docking fee. No surprise there.