A New Stage

First of all, I don't blog very often,

although once in a while, I do donate a little snippet of myself to the vast internet, watching it floating in the countless data sets of information.

If I am defining blogging this way, then my Windows Live Space is absolutely a blog.

It is a small backyard garden, a room of my own, where dreams are a bit closer to the reality.


Visitor seldom came,
I don't mind at all, but spammer is another issue.

So for now, this stage is an imitation of the other, like the luna displaying the radiance of the sol.
How long it will stay its imitation?
I do not know.
Maybe forever...

So let this place first be a view to the inner world of the hermit.

I bid you welcome.
And let this world be filled with light.

A Post-Match Conversation with Kathy

“I should say Congratulations. Good luck in the semifinals.”

I felt an intense glare straight into my eyes, and I averted my eyes so I cannot get blinded by the silent fury.

“…Hm, you got lucky.” And she strove out of the arena’s antechamber without a second thought.

Well, it could be worse. I guess her reactions are in my expected range. Actually, this reaction rates rather highly for me. I mean I was not forced to slip away under a constant power of laser-precision and character-piercing leering, which I had learnt to be extremely cautious of. In fact, my loss is a rather grateful and enjoyable situation, despite it is in front of my little sister. Urg…just remembering getting first place on the artifact enhancement project sends a chill through my shoulders.

So, that is the entire conversation I had with Lady Silverstone, Catherine M. Ahnmes, after losing to her in the free-weapon hand-to-hand combat quarter final round of the intermediate Level Academy Comprehensives. She said more to me in that few seconds than all together last week, and just to note:  we saw each other everyday in the Combat Casting class, and she stopped greeting me outside of classes since the second year.

Well, she has the highest score in every Freshmen courses…almost. I had three more points in the Intro to Alchemy, and a grudge thus was born until probably the end of my life, or hers, whichever is earlier.

Either way, if you want to make a character archetype, a tundra character… I guarantee that.

Go back to the match, her halberd had way more range control than my duel-wielding slim saber. I could not do anything unless in close quarters. This time, there was no chance; she kept her calm brilliantly and just chipping the march slowly. The pressure in the begin was rough, I cannot even parry sufficiently to stay harmless. Who thought that girl had THAT much power? Her muscle power and her face are a perfect mismatch. I tell you, even fifth graders can tell that much.

And somehow I forced a draw and she won the judges with superior technique. I can’t really remember.

But to summarize, I am not going to get any easy time after the finals.


I think she really hates me...^^:

Memoir Over the Nine Years

I am a mercurial creature
whose shadowy caricatures unseen.
I am history's accidental exile,
rooting a fictitious recording.

Folklore's child
blends in an unfinished fairytale.

For the past nine years,
you are the burden of my conscious,
but you are also the fire
that lit my passion,
to reach and to strive.

Maybe you have forgotten that small promise,
Maybe I have not been clear
on where I stand and where I will be,
but I will be here
and I will be there
and I will always be in a place,
close yet difficult to reach,
watching and praying quietly,
until one day you will notice again.

For now, I call the name of Nue,
from now on,
I wait for the one who will discover my true form.

To those of my comrades,
to those of my brothers and sisters,
to that one that I once loved.

2002届初三(1)
					班主任	张红英
鲍　静	陈冰心	陈　诚	陈　敏	华苏婷	江　虹	金瑶函	李梦晶
刘晶琦	刘梦丹	陆　静	潘颖菡	邱晓彦	舒　乐	王光妍	王梦逸
王　燕	吴吟艳	徐思斯	杨晓璐	俞卓君	张　帆	张　俐	张　曦
张易平	周　怡	周志烨	訾彦訚	邹　玮	戴晨飞	房志成	葛　晨
胡晋篪	黄哲远	贾雪晨	解　非	金　晶	冷　超	郦　政	陆佳诚
陆瑶晶	马寅之	祁一鸣	钱　喆	乔　达	芮　欣	万若愚	王　曦
王　昕	王幸寅	薛　斌	严寅杰	姚　宁	张　景	赵　臻	庄嵩杰
陈　昕	张　磬

 

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.