#Nightlong Lantern Festival

[khoaahish]

For Izlinda Hani Jamaluddin

They say that in the oldest of times, the moon was always full; and sometimes she walked the world, changing shape as she would, and taught some others to do so.

Movement the First: Transformed

[The Black Panther]:

    Out of my sisters I alone was born unspotted

    under my mother's golden pelt, night-bodied in her warmth.

    She nuzzled me away. Alone, I curdled on winter branches,

    wrapped myself in the hunt. Birthed silence with each breath.

    Day after day the mountain skewered the water

    falling earthways, and the snow like milk

    melted sharp under my tongue.

    I hunted the spotted doe of the moon,

    followed her on mothersoft paws.

    Unseen, even in dreams—

    only the moon saw me

    quick-quick as she darted through the raingrass away.

    I danced the sky on her smell-threads,

    trusting the trees to catch my fall.

[The Moon]:

    She leaps the cloudwood to me,

    pelt as softest dark between

    breath and another breath—

    she dreams she hunts me through that emptiness

    where young winds wrestle, where the grass grows tall

    above the mountain. I have seen a house

        under its sleeping shadow, where a mother

    weary from stillbirths, waits each night

    with love like milk.

    Listen, lithe child, little child,

    night-in-the-night-child—

    once a winter pine wept on my sleeves,

    once a black walnut wept on my shoulder.

    I'll dip these needles into ink:

    hush, lissome, I'll write you a skin-story,

    I'll teach you a girl-shape,

    tell you into a mother's orphaned house.

Movement the Second: Duet with Moon and Mountain

1.

[The Girl]:

    At the gate, lanterns moan

    under the limber fingers of the wind. Mother comes out quilt-warm

    with a pail of milk, and her eyes

    like the serving-women's, carefully averted.

    No, I will not go in, clothe

    in your padded garments, or veil

    this needle-traced skin. I care not that young men

    never ask for me, that pines tilt away,

    that even the wind shuns me—

    the spotted cat of the moon

    my sistersoft leopardess

    curls nightlong by my side, murmurs

    hunt stories.

    In this season of bleached bone

    we'll chase snowrat and cloudhare,

    claw the black mountain frost

    for the sleeping frogs of the stars.

[The Suitor]:

    Ah, this gate. The northeast wind has long peeled

    its bashful paint away, pressed

    caress after wild caress into the surrendering flesh of the wood.

    Some nights, the groaning

    shames the people in. Pretending decency,

    they splash boiling river into clay; heads tilted

    ever so politely to the east, they stir their tea

    and veil the windows with seed-embroidered cloth.

    Nothing like this ever lasts.

    But lately, a young woman

    comes out to the gate alone, undaunted

    by the wind's lovemaking.

    She lifts her storyspelled face, and her hair

    falls back like a moan of night.

    Listen, girl-woman,

    shining woman, still woman,

    skinwild woman, dreaming-fast woman—

    I will go in, where they keep fire captive

    in the deceitful embrace of glazed brick.

    I will gift

    garnet and oystershell to your kinswomen

    and ask for their unmarriageable daughter.

                            2.

                            [Girl:]

                            Sometimes at night, when every stone in slumber

                            and every tree is pacified in matted frost

                            breathed out by starlight, I am waking;

                            uncoiling self to spotted moon,

                                    I muscle in the beast inside;

                                between the clouds we curl together

                                    until she melts into the dawn

                                        and I, into this flesh

[Suitor:]

    Down by the mirrorlake they comb

    my wild-grass hair with pearl and abalone; on the slopes

    they gift me with garnet to flicker around my waist

        where tiger and mountain cat, deer and wild hare

            adorn my coat. And only in this town

    they had forgotten about me, for while I slept

        they thought themselves safe from obligation.

    Yet now that I wake, I do not rage

        at their foolish moth-fluttering lives,

            for she has snarled in my shadow.

    Oh, I've been waiting for long years, polished my sleeves against the night;

    Counting bloodbeats, shaman-hands against the earthskin of my ribs.

    Play me, flowering dark—I long to be released

    from your embrace,

    and flood the heart of my beloved.

Movement the Third: At the Fire Festival

On the evening the starcounters have predicted a lunar eclipse, people come together under the burgeoning moon; dressed in garments of burnt umber and roped with cinnabar, they carry tigerlily torches and revel to the sounds of iron drums as the drum of the sky is devoured by shadow. It is said that at the Fire Festival one meets one’s true love, or else is swept by the sleeve of death.

            [Mother]: dancers    arrogantly young

            in spring's best, and this my child sewed nothing

                    in my late sister's garment. Still, it becomes her—

                seed-embroidery over indigo

                    almost as dark as her eyes. Is it in my womb

            that she was decorated so? What invisible fire

            reached into me and danced over her features,

                leaving this bitter char in its wake?

                        Here, at the fire festival

                    torches bloom; girls, twirling like gadfly wings,

            sweep firecloth against the sweetness of pipe and percussion.

                        Every girl    how I wish I was young still

                followed by suitors springing everywhere like moths from larvae.

                            Is he coming for her    that worthless

                                belted in seed garnet    like he said

                    arrogant in grass-wool        his eyes like opals

                            and each sleeve    conceals a knife

                        and each sleeve sails over the air like stringed bow,

                            voice    treacherous

                                like the voice of the ironframe drum—

                            this one should be right for my daughter,

                                    I often wonder how she's mine.

                [Girl:] oh spotted maiden, mirrored in every river

                        beloved huntress, laughing over each glade—

                    come, pluck me from this pinwheel of suffocating light

                            from the whirligig of steps to the smell of reed and blood,

                        to where there is only silence.

                    And if you are gone,

            my heart will refuse its drumming.

                I will chase spirit-deer in the forests of regret,

                    I will leap over the antlers of ash-trees, follow the scent

                        of the bone-birch and the marrow-maple;

                            hunt—where there is no moon—

                        that shadow-hunter who pursues me.

                He comes from the mountain

            in the cold of the night, when I am alone; measures

                each of my breaths with his fireweed eyes.

                            Fire.

                    I look up and see

                        a roaring through the clotted veins of the sky

                            has swallowed the forests.

                Life-destroyer, in my veins

                    your blood is home,

                        your blood is like my own.

                            Your blood is me—and she is not with me,

                                if she is not with me, where shall I go?

                He comes, he comes in coal-embroidered red

                    roiling from the slopes in woven smoke and ash

                        to dance the firedance in this ghostbone town

                            to dance the firedance with me, or with no-one.

            No, mother. Flee if you want,

                    Flee if you want, but I will stay here.

Coda

They say that the moon descended to the burning town in the shape of a golden leopard, and where she stepped, the lava turned into cold black glass; and some say she came as a maiden, her amber face tattooed with moon-circles, her eyes as dark as winter blood. Dressed only in her starwoven hair she walked unafraid, looking for the one in whose voice the ghosts of reedpipes still whispered, whose heartbeat echoed in the melted iron of the drum—

    the black leopardess

    with pearls of black under her fur

No people remained there to witness, but when they returned with incense and woven offerings to rebuild the town again in winter-hardened stone, she came to them often in dreams

    as soft as breath—you see her curled against her lover's shining

        and growing fatter from the hunt each night

            above the mountain

Black against yellow they make the moon together, casting their long silences into the mirrorlake below like fishing lines after the fallen autumn leaves. And when the moon is new, the spotted maiden walks the world unseen to teach her word-music to those who can hear it;

    and where lake is pearl, and deer and mountain-cat

    are moonstone slivers in his wild-grass hair

        when moon is full,

    the black leopardess leaps down

        to prowl his slopes as night is long,

            to whisper to him as the night is long.

Between the Mountain and the Moon, Rose Lemberg

#poem of the day

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) 遥夕灯会: Chinese Valentine’s Day 2021 Event! Nightlong Lantern Festival Translation (Qixi: EVAN)

“Happy Chinese Valentines. I will cherish and enshrine your heartfelt sentiments within my own. Will you give me a chance to make your wish come true next time?”

*Light and Night Master-list | Evan’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

The setting sun covered the cobblestoned path in a faint sheen of gold. Evan and I were taking a stroll along the old street, basking in the relaxing atmosphere of the evening.

MC: The lantern festival is about to begin.

I secretly planned to give Evan a small surprise, sneakily reaching a hand into my bag in search of a certain something while reaching another out to tug at his hand… Only to grasp nothing but air.

MC: ...Evan?

My heart plummeted. I hurriedly whipped my head around, trying to find him; to spot his silhouette within the crowd.

❖☆———————————★❖

The lantern lights overhead consecutively lit up in sequence just as I turned around. Near and far, like a sea of brilliant stars; illuminating the long street as if it were no different from the day, opening the curtains of the lantern festival.

I was completely enthralled by the display, only snapping back to reality when a familiar warmth fell upon my shoulder. I unconsciously turned around, narrowly brushing across his cheek. The warm yellow halo cast from the lights gently illuminated his features.

Evan: Don't worry. I told you that I'd be with you, which means I'll always be by your side.

His gentle voice was like a magical balm, immediately soothing the sudden panic that had ensnared my heart into a speeding frenzy. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

MC: Right…

Then, I remembered the gift that I’d prepared for him in advance. I’d originally wanted to give it to him the moment the lanterns lit up, but I’d accidentally missed that opportunity...

I turned around to face Evan seriously.

MC: Stick your hand out.

Evan seemed a little surprised by my request but nodded and complied, holding his hand out.

Evan: Okay.

I slowly unclenched my fist, dropping a purple perfumed sachet into his awaiting palm.

MC: Happy Chinese Valentine's.

MC: I wanted to surprise you at the start of the lantern festival, but I suppose now's not a bad time either.

The rich and full-bodied fragrance wafted from it, slowly spreading through the air.

Evan: Thank you for the present. Though… this scent is a little unique, isn't it?

MC: Looks like you’ve already noticed its unique point! Now guess what’s inside it!

Evan: With such a potent scent, I’d say it’s some sort of flower?

Evan: I’m not too knowledgeable about flowers, so this is about as far as I can get.

MC: It’s lilac.

MC: The main bloom is lilac, paired with a bit of resurrection lily. It’s my special invigorating summer sachet!

MC: It works best if you ever feel overwhelmed by work, or if you’re feeling all drowsy in the afternoon! A whiff is all it takes!

Evan: I thought it would be something along the lines of wormwood. I never expected it to be something so intense.

MC: Only because it’s a special occasion, so I thought I’d imbue it with a unique scent. I guarantee that it’ll definitely make a lasting impression!

MC: Actually… I’ve also added a special component to it. Want to try guessing?

Evan: Sure, but the scope is a little too big. Can you give me a hint or two?

MC: Just a small one. It comes from an old poem related to lilacs.

Evan: Let me guess… Cardamom?

MC: Bingo! You’re so spot-on!

Evan: "Lovesickness prevails, atop a lilac branch; and at its tip, cardamom."

Evan: I'm very happy to receive your heartfelt sentiments.

MC: This is the first Chinese Valentine's I'm spending with you, so I want to commemorate it and remember it well.

Evan: What a coincidence. I am of like mind as well.

Evan: That's why I should give you my formal blessings again before the night comes to an end.

Evan: Happy Chinese Valentine's, (Y/n).

MC: I can't help but feel like you're an unexpected stickler for ceremonies sometimes.

Evan: I probably got the bug from a certain young lady who's also very big on ceremoniousness.

Evan: Festivals were meaningless to me in the past…

Evan: But now, I can look forward to it being a special day that I can spend with you.

Evan: I'm very happy to have you with me on this year's Chinese Valentine's.

Evan hooks the perfume sachet on one of his shirt buttons. The night breeze brushes past us, filling our proximity with the rich scent from the perfume sachet. I happily tugged on his hand.

MC: Come on! Let’s go look at those rabbit lanterns over there!

The long winding street was lit up by rows of lanterns, embellishing the place with magnificent splendour under the night sky. We strolled in the crowd.

It was as if we could go on like this forever, eternal; always.

❖☆———————————★❖☆———————————★❖

“My little lady's naturally the luckiest, of course.“

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖           [Who will you gift your perfume sachet to?]

★ Evan ☆ Osborn ☆ Sariel ☆ Charlie ☆ Jesse

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #萧逸 #Osborn #齐司礼 #Sariel #陆沉 #Evan #查理苏 #Charlie #夏鸣星 #Jesse #For Light and Memories #遥夕灯会 #Nightlong Lantern Festival #Qixi 2021

[15hont1c]

Cast Character Sheet

After countless designs for the character cast sheet, I finally managed to design the cast to my satisfaction. In this lineup, I included the character archetypes of  protagonist (hero), mentor, trickster/ally, shadow (villain) and shapeshifter. 

For the villain/shapeshifter’s design, I was inspired by the colourful costumes and heavy make-up of Chinese Opera. In ancient times, warriors heavily painted their faces with colours to scare their enemies. This has been adapted into Chinese opera, where each colour represents something different for each performers’ role in the opera. While they don’t always use masks, the heavy make-up are similar and are used quite frequently. They are used to symbolise the character’s role, fate and personality. 

Each dominant colour represents the character’s personality and role in the opera.

Red

Positive; Prosperity, Loyalty, Courage, Intelligence

Yellow

Negative; Sly, Cruel, Deceit, Ambitious, Corrupt

Green

Negative; Violent, Impulsive, No self-control/restraint

Blue

Positive/Neutral; Steadfast, Astuteness, Stubbornness

Pink

Positive; Sophistication, Level-headed

White

Negative; Evil, Crafty, Treacherous, Suspicious

The larger the white painted area, the crueler.

Black

Neutral; Impartiality, Integrity, Rough, Fierce

Silver/Gold

Neutral; Mysteriousness, Aloofness.

Usually a demon or a spirit. 

Ruby has a mix of white, red and black on her mask. I wanted her character to be some sort of silent assassin-like type that tries to take something valuable from the two protagonists, often resorting to deadly violence. The red and black highlights on her masks show how loyal she is to her mission and the intelligence displayed in evading notice. Her mask isn’t entirely white, meaning she is sort of neutrally evil with a slight chance at redemption. The hint of the colour gold in her eyes shows her mysteriousness and her more ‘supernatural’ nature.

The other creature is Nian (年獸), a beast that supposedly lives under the sea or mountains. The name is literally translated as “Year Monster.” A key character in Chinese mythology and during the Lunar New Year, the Nian comes out of hibernation every year on the eve of the first day of the lunar year to feast on the villagers, children and their animals. The legend and tradition of the story has been retold many times over the years. It sort of led to the many traditions and customs of Lunar New Year that is still relevant in the 21st century. 

In one story, a mysterious old man in beggar clothes went to the village as the villagers were preparing to evacuate before the beast arrives. People paid him no mind as they were trying to frantically leave, except an old woman. The woman let him into her house, feeding and caring for him. She urges the old man to leave with the others as well, warning him of the dangers. He refuses, but promises that he can drive Nian away. 

The next day when the villagers arrive back, they realised in shock that their village seems intact and not destroyed by the Nian at all. Houses were plastered with red papers, bamboo cannons and lights. They realised that the monster is afraid of the colour red and loud noises. To thwart the monster, the villagers started to put up red lanterns and scrolls over their homes and doors. Thus, the tradition of red paper scrolls, firecrackers, and nightlong festivities began to signal the beginning of the festival Guo Nian (過年), meaning pass over Nian or overcome Nian.  

The backstory of this other shapeshifter/villain is quite similar. His physical appearance with the Qilin is no coincidence, and has some significance with the protagonist. I thought the Nian was a good choice as a villain but also provides comedic relief as his plan to eat the humans is constantly thwarted by the protagonists. 

Reference:

http://www.nouahsark.com/en/infocenter/culture/art/opera_masks/meaning.php

https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/the-meaning-of-chinese-opera-masks/

https://steemkr.com/chinesnewyear/@ladydiana/make-some-noise-the-story-behind-chinese-new-year-traditions

#character beastiary #year 2

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) 遥夕灯会: Chinese Valentine’s Day 2021 Event! Nightlong Lantern Festival Translation (Qixi: OSBORN)

“I seem to be missing an accessory within my ensemble. One perfume sachet isn’t nearly enough. I’m awaiting your next gift.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Osborn’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

The lantern lights of the funfair gradually lit up in succession after the night descended. The small lights, connecting, formed a bright and dazzling galaxy.

A warm yellow halo of light wavered above our heads, almost as if a layer of tulle had blanketed our surroundings. It even made Osborn look much warmer than he usually is as he walked beside me.

The crowd at the lantern festival suddenly grew. Faced with the sudden onslaught of the crowd, my hand was suddenly ensnared by the iron-clad grip of another.

Osborn: Don't get lost, Little Miss Directionless.

MC: Not at the lantern festival, no!

Osborn prodded my puffed-up cheek, taking the chance to stuff a piece of malt candy that he'd just bought into my mouth.

The sweet taste spreads throughout my mouth, fusing with the scent of fireworks that were unique to the lantern festival.

Osborn: Okay. Then, I'll follow you since you know the place so well.

MC: Leave it to me! I'll give you a pleasant surprise!

Remembering the gift that I'd hidden inside my bag, I quickly pulled him towards a corner where there were fewer tourists.

❖☆———————————★❖

Turning the corner, we left the hustle and bustle of the fair's lively crowd.

The only sounds surrounding us were the rustling of leaves and the fluttering of streamers in the wind.

Osborn: Not going to walk around anymore?

MC: Close your eyes and stick out your hand.

He obediently shuts his eyes but doesn’t seem to want to let go of my hand at all. Instead, he stuck his other hand out.

I could only try my hardest to fish out the sachet from my bag with one hand and place it into his waiting palm. No matter how light my action was, Osborn noticed it almost at once with his sharp senses. He immediately curled his fist back up, even grabbing my hand along with it.

He opens his eyes to look at me, his orbs brimming with mischief.

Osborn: Caught ya.

MC: ... Not me; I'm giving you a gift!

Osborn: I know. But I wanted to catch you too.

MC: So you don't want your gift anymore?

Osborn: Come on now, I didn't say that. I just thought that you made yourself into a present for me.

MC: That’s way too old-fashioned, plus I think it’ll be better to do something much more fitting for the occasion since it’s Chinese Valentine’s!

Osborn: Then let me have a good look at what this surprise present of yours is.

He let go of my hand to reveal a small satin sachet embroidered with exquisite patterns.

Osborn: A perfumed sachet? That’s certainly fitting. Did you make this?

MC: Of course! It’s easy enough to make a small one.

MC: I wouldn’t ever dream of giving it to my godly R1 Racer all so easily, even if it wasn’t handmade!

Osborn: Don't worry, I'll like anything you give me.

Osborn: But… Just where should I hang this?

Osborn took the sachet from me and spun a full circle, only to come up empty. He looked to be at such a loss as to what to do that it made me laugh at the rare sight.

Osborn: Is it really that funny?

Osborn: Nevermind, I give. You help me choose where to hang it.

MC: Hmm… Let me see...

I looked him up and down before finally deciding to simply hang it at his waist alongside his other accessories.

Amongst the glinting metals, the high-quality material of the sachet reflects a faintly warm glimmer. It stuck out like a sore thumb in his ensemble.

MC: Hmm, feels like it doesn’t suit your vibe all that well. Maybe I should change the material next time so that it attunes well to your image…

MC: How about you hang this up inside your car then? I mean, your car doesn’t have any ornaments or anything hanging around either.

Having said that, I reached out to untie the sachet. Unexpectedly, Osborn had caught my hand in the act, halting its movements.

Osborn: Who said it doesn’t suit me? I like it.

Osborn: I’ll just hang it here then. Then, I’ll swap it out once you gift me a new one.

MC: Okay, sure…

I could feel the warmth of his body, radiating from the palm holding onto mine; it was a heat hotter than this summer itself. And oddly enough, the sachet hanging on his waist had managed to assimilate itself to the image that Osborn portrayed. 

It was almost as if it’d finally found a place to belong within his ensemble of accessories.

❖☆———————————★❖☆———————————★❖

“Don't worry about what stands in your path; I will clear all obstacles in your stead.“

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖          [Who will you gift your perfume sachet to?]

☆ Evan ★ Osborn ☆ Sariel ☆ Charlie ☆ Jesse

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #萧逸 #Osborn #齐司礼 #Sariel #陆沉 #Evan #查理苏 #Charlie #夏鸣星 #Jesse #For Light and Memories #遥夕灯会 #Nightlong Lantern Festival #Qixi 2021

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) 遥夕灯会: Chinese Valentine’s Day 2021 Event! Nightlong Lantern Festival Translation (Qixi: JESSE)

“Happy belated Chinese Valentine's Day! We might not have a photo together, but I've already long since stored everything that happened today in my memory palace!”

*Light and Night Master-list | Jesse’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories *T/N: Suhe is a Chinese medicinal herb

Before we knew it, the lantern lights of the funfair had already dimmed, the bustling crowd thinning out.

Jesse had his attention occupied by the hand-crafted toys on display at the night fair. He picks up a wood carving of a duck, waving it in front of you.

Jesse: This looks like you when you're daydreaming.

MC: This yellow duck is clearly you. Even the colour of its clothes fit you perfectly!

The owner of the store thought we were a couple, enthusiastically coming up to us and suggesting that we buy the rosewood comb instead, saying that it represented the good wish of "eternal binding".

I pretended to cough twice as I tugged on Jesse's sleeve.

MC: Come on, I have something I wanna give you.

 ❖☆———————————★❖

We rounded the corner. There, a sacred fig tree stands quietly by the low wall. Its lush branches and leaves are filled with wishing tags.

MC: Stick out your hand.

Jesse: You're being awfully secretive… What, do you want to tie a red string to my pinky or something?

Jesse joked about it, but still lifted and opened his right palm up.

I gently placed the small sachet into his waiting palm, curling his fingers around it.

The fragrance of snowdrop bush and dahurian angelica faintly wafted from the cloth sachet woven from the five-coloured thread.

Jesse: This is… a perfumed sachet of your making?

Jesse: You're giving it to me?

MC: Yup.

Jesse: How fragrant…

He suddenly moved closer, his action stirring up a light breeze, gently lifting the hair by my ears.

MC: What…?

Jesse: Seems like your shirt collar has the same scent on it too.

MC: It might have accidentally caught on when I was weaving the sachet earlier.

Jesse: It's a light and calming fragrance, very pleasant. Much better than a sachet filled with wormwood from the Dragon Boat Festival!

Jesse: What's in this thing?

MC: Some herbs that help with damp-heat clearing and soothes the nerves; especially suited for summertime use!

Jesse: (Y/n), you do have impeccable timing! How did you know that I haven't been sleeping well recently?

MC: You were rambling a lot in your sleep in the afternoon. People tend to do that when they're tuckered out.

Jesse: Huh? I didn't say anything weird, did I?

MC: Why, is there something I'm not supposed to be hearing?

Jesse: Of course there is! Things like… the password to my bank account~

He grinned as he hung the perfume sachet on his phone case. It swung about, gently casting a long shadow under the light of the lanterns.

Jesse: Got any more of these special-effect perfumed sachets? Like one that can repel mosquitoes, or one that can perk you right up and the like?

MC: I think what you need is an essential balm.

Jesse: I just wanted to hang a few more… Can you make me another as a Chinese Valentine's gift every year?

Jesse: This scent smells just like you. It really puts me at ease.

Jesse: Maybe people’s olfactory memory are linked to their senses. The scent from this perfume sachet might be faint, but this scent never fails to make me remember the Summers back when we were kids.

Jesse: I’d eat an ice cream, and then go search for the perfume sachet that you hid by following its scent.

MC: You’ve gone and written a whole essay. How can I not make you more?

We conversed endlessly with each other, our laughter drowned out by the silence of the night. 

All that remained was the lingering scent of Suhe.*

❖☆———————————★❖☆———————————★❖

“You are the most dazzling in my eyes!“

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖         [Who will you gift your perfume sachet to?]

☆ Evan ☆ Osborn ☆ Sariel ☆ Charlie ★ Jesse

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #萧逸 #Osborn #齐司礼 #Sariel #陆沉 #Evan #查理苏 #Charlie #夏鸣星 #Jesse #For Light and Memories #遥夕灯会 #Nightlong Lantern Festival #Qixi 2021

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) 遥夕灯会: Chinese Valentine’s Day 2021 Event! Nightlong Lantern Festival Translation (Qixi: SARIEL)

“The lantern lights and the fireworks are so beautiful. It's a night worth remembering for now. Also, happy Chinese Valentine's.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Sariel’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories *T/N: It’s a reference to Tencent QQ’s Red Envelope Activity HAHAHA *That’s all for this year’s L&N Qixi!

The lantern lights lit up the moment night descended, like countless dazzling stars, converging into one galaxy, brightening the sky of the quiet night.

MC: There’s someone blowing sugar figures there! Come on! How about we go there and take a look?

Sariel: You're only making such a big fuss about it because you rarely see it.

MC: I’ve not seen one in years! The last time I saw it was at a temple fair when I was really little.

MC: Plus, it’s boring if you come to a lantern festival without going around the stores at least once. Unless… you’re here just to land yourself in the penguin daily steps taken rankings?*

Sariel: ...It's not like I want to come here.

Even though he says that, Sariel still allowed me to pull him into the crowd.

The sugary syrup rippled amber in the copper spoon that held it.

Moments later, the owner blew a figure of a running rabbit. A little girl takes the stick from him, happily waving the rabbit and running off into the distance.

MC: Grandpa, can I get a sugar figure like this?

Having had a flash of inspiration, I brought my phone up before him to show him an example of what I wanted made. The old man nodded in understanding.

And thus, that was how I ended up wielding a pufferfish as I walked down the street.

MC: Want a bite?

I brought the stick up before Sariel. He took one glance at said pufferfish, seemingly unfazed.

Crack!

Just when I thought that he wasn’t going to do anything at all, the puffer fish’s tail suddenly disappeared.

Sariel: ...Tastes terrible.

MC: It’s all just for the novelty. And I even especially left the first bite for you.

I happily chomped off one of the puffer fish's spikes, the sweet taste of maltose spreading through my mouth.

It was just like him to add a jibe even after having taken a bite out of the sugar figure.

MC: Look at how huffy it looks. Don’t you think it looks like how you get angry every so often?

Sariel: Your childishness never fails to exceed my imagination.

Following that, another crack sounded as the puffer fish’s head disappeared. The fox, who was the culprit, looked away to the side, pretending that nothing happened.

MC: The one who eats the most of it is clearly the more childish one here.

Dragging Sariel along, we went from store to store. Before we knew it, the crescent moon had already climbed high into the sky, and we’d reached the end of the long street.

❖☆———————————★❖

The bustling crowd slowly died out as we stopped at the riverbank. The night breeze gently blew past, lifting Sariel's short silvery-white hair. He was the very epitome of serenity, standing there in silence with not a word.

Following his gaze, I saw the stars of the starry sky up above reflected on the rippling surface of water, brighter and much more dazzling. The noise from the lantern festival on the other side of the bank drifted over, making people have the illusion of being in an entirely different dimension.

In the dimly lit night, he looked ethereal and far out of reach. I could stop myself from reaching out to him.

MC: ...Sariel.

Sariel: Stop dragging me every this way and that in public where there are countless people around.

The usual sense of familiarity hits me again at the sound of his voice. I quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

MC: I'm really, really, glad that you agreed to come out with me today.

Sariel: Who said that I—

I decided to interrupt him before he went on into his usual tirade like a broken recorder. A perfume sachet appeared before his eyes, seemingly making the furrow in his brow grow even deeper.

MC: A small thank you gift. Thank you for accompanying me today.

The moon-white perfume sachet falls into Sariel’s palm.

Sariel: Is there a need for you to be thanking me? If not me, then who else do you dare to befall curses upon?

Sariel: The needlework is careless and sloppy, and the chosen fabric is unflattering. However… the fragrance it is imbued with is somewhat acceptable.

MC: Brilliant!

Sariel: Your ability to talk to yourself is getting better by the day.

Sariel: I’ll give you credit for this seeing that it’s hard to find such good-quality agarwood.

MC: It’s worth the price if it manages to garner your approval of it.

MC: I just knew it would suit you the moment I got a whiff of it!

The light and refreshing scent wafted and spread along with the night breeze.

Sariel: Then, you’ll have to see it through. Help me hang it.

MC: You can just be honest and say that you don’t want to keep it, and that you want to always keep it within your sights.

Sariel: …Stop reading through the lines so baselessly.

Saying so, he opened his palm before me. I took the perfume sachet from him once more, helping him secure it around his wrist. Then, I placed my hand onto his palm, gripping firmly onto it.

❖☆———————————★❖

We crossed the stone bridge yet again, heading towards the sea of lantern lights. Suddenly, several dragon-shaped fireworks were set off in the distance, swiftly speeding up into the skies. I excitedly pointed them out to Sariel.

The vibrantly coloured lights illuminated his handsome side-profile, and it looked like this was the first time he’d ever seen fireworks, judging from the serious look on his face.

I want to keep following him, to pull on his hand; to admire the lantern lights together with him, the snow, the flowers, to see all the fireworks in the world. I want to stay with him forever and always.

MC: Happy Chinese Valentine's Day, Sariel.

MC: I hope I can celebrate every Chinese Valentine’s to come with you from now on.

I leaned against his shoulder. Suddenly, a large hand reaches over to pinch my cheeks.

I looked up at him. His countenance and eyes appeared especially soft beneath the warm sea of lantern lights.

Sariel: Happy Chinese Valentine's Day.

❖☆———————————★❖☆———————————★❖

“Look in the mirror. Someone's grin is going to reach the back of her head.”

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖       [Who will you gift your perfume sachet to?]

☆ Evan ☆ Osborn ★ Sariel ☆ Charlie ☆ Jesse

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #萧逸 #Osborn #齐司礼 #Sariel #陆沉 #Evan #查理苏 #Charlie #夏鸣星 #Jesse #For Light and Memories #遥夕灯会 #Nightlong Lantern Festival #Qixi 2021

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) 遥夕灯会: Chinese Valentine’s Day 2021 Event! Nightlong Lantern Festival Translation (Qixi: CHARLIE)

“Happy Chinese Valentine's Day, my dear fiancée. I hope that we can go a step further next year and spend this romantic festival together as husband and wife.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Charlie’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

Lying at the end of the funfair was a lone garden. The bustling sounds of the crowd and festivities slowly died down, fading away; leaving only the lights of the lanterns and the elongated shadows they cast.

Charlie and I were both carrying piles of odd-looking plushies, stumbling as we went.

The small mountain of plushies blocked my view of the path before me. All I could do was come to a halt and shoot Charlie an aggrieved look.

MC: Who in their right mind would clear out the claw machine like that?

Charlie: It's all to fulfil your expectations, of course

MC: My expectations?

Beep beep!

His car keys gave two beeps before the boot of his car slowly opened. I promptly dumped all the plushies I carried into it.

With a hand braced against the door, Charlie watched me with utter seriousness.

Charlie: Based on my observations, I realized that you always changed targets and that you've gone for a round on every claw machine here.

MC: So?

Charlie: Which goes to show that you want to bag all the plushies.

Charlie: Very ambitious. You're not too shabby; I like people with ambition.

MC: I was just trying to gauge which one would be easier to nab…

MC: Also, you can literally buy all the machines here with the money you just spent.

I rubbed my sore shoulders. Charlie stood before me, the moonlight softly shining down on his shoulders.

There was even a small sheep plush, that was clutching his head, in the pocket of his coat.

Charlie: You want the claw machines too? I could, if you want.

Charlie stared at the boot of his car that was filled to the brim with plushies, seemingly giving the idea some serious thought.

MC: Charlie.

Charlie: Hm?

Hearing me call out to him, he turns around.

The sparse light coming from the lit lanterns made the surroundings appear especially tranquil; the winds that blew past us imbued with a nearly imperceptible fragrance.

MC: I have something to give you.

I gently placed a perfume sachet embroidered with a peacock pattern into Charlie’s hand.

His hand was very large, which stood in stark contrast with the small perfume sachet. All he had to do was to gently close his fist, and it’d be completely enveloped by his hand.

Charlie: This is… a gift?

His eyes widened as he stared incredulously at the small perfume sachet in his hand.

After a good long while, he finally snaps back to his senses. The smile playing at his lips grew even deeper.

Charlie: I knew you cared about me after all.

Charlie: Mint invigorates the spirit and mind, biond magnolia flowers dispel wind-cold, and black atractylodes rhizome helps invigorate the spleen.

MC: Aren't you a doctor specializing in western medicine? Why do you know all this…?

I softly muttered under my breath. Though, he seemed to really like the perfume sachet, flipping it back and forth over and over again a couple of times.

Charlie: You must have made this yourself.

MC: Ahem, no! I bought it off the street!

It's not like I hadn't given him a gift before, yet I couldn't help but to feel a smidge of embarrassment as the Chinese Valentine's Day draws closer to its end.

Charlie: Oh?

Charlie: So, is this merchant who's selling these perfumed sachets you?

Charlie edges closer, the red string attached to the perfume sachet wound around his index finger. He then released the small perfume sachet from his grasp, letting it dangle before me.

Charlie: If you really bought it off-handedly off the streets like that, then why is there my dearest fiancée's initials embroidered on it?

MC: Why are you asking so many questions!?

I pretended to attempt taking it back from him, but a jerk was all it took for Charlie to lift the perfume sachet higher out of reach. I tried jumping up to get it, but not only did I fail to even reach his sleeve, I even fell right into his arms.

Charlie: You've already given it to me, so why are you trying to take it back now?

Charlie: I know. Every stitch that went into this is filled with my fiancée's affections.

Charlie: Rest assured. I'll keep this on my person at all times. It's perfect to let others know that "this bachelor's already off the market".

He half entrapped me within his embrace, the faint herbal scent wrapping around me.

I don’t know just what sort of performance was going on down at the heart of the venue, which was just a distance away; but the rapid beat of the drums brought about a series of long-lasting cheering.

MC: Let's go then, Mr. "Bachelor".

I tugged him back into the crowds and fireworks, the familiar warmth spreading from his palm to the far depths of the moonlit night.

❖☆———————————★❖☆———————————★❖

“Only your agreement to marry me will meet the criteria of everything I want coming true.”

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖        [Who will you gift your perfume sachet to?]

☆ Evan ☆ Osborn ☆ Sariel ★ Charlie ☆ Jesse

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #萧逸 #Osborn #齐司礼 #Sariel #陆沉 #Evan #查理苏 #Charlie #夏鸣星 #Jesse #For Light and Memories #遥夕灯会 #Nightlong Lantern Festival #Qixi 2021