“Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart.” - Washington Irving
It has been a rough night for me and for a lot of you who heard the news last night. I was contacted by Lily’s cousin and with a heavy heart, he has informed me that our beloved Lily passed away on July 7, 2016. Lily’s player was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in June and while she and her family had great hopes, she unfortunately lost the battle. Lily’s player was a very private person when it came to her real life, so for that reason, this is all the information I will provide about what happened, but through the power of writing and ideas, we got to know Lily’s spirit, and for that I am sure we are grateful.
We can all remember logging into Tumblr in the morning and seeing her coffee posts praising the always-needed liquid gold she adored. In fact, many of us bonded over her love of coffee and boy did she choose some tasty looking memes. We also remember her positive perspective when it came to life. From what I gathered, she had found a comfortable position in her life and she believed in positive thoughts and vibes. Those of us who have her on Skype can recall her message: Be excellent to each other, from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, reminding us that we are all in this together. And that was Lily. She was always trying to bring out the good and positive in us. She was as fierce as the character was, and I’m pretty sure that the image of the tiger was not Lily alone, but her player as well, for I know she was protective and caring, like the gentle tiger. She would tell me about how she cared for her family and I know that many times, she would rise up and stand up for us if we needed that support. No one messed with her friends and family, and she made sure of that. Her writings were beautiful poetics and she knew how to weave a picture with words. The Asian inspirations of peace and serenity show us this zen that not only Lily wielded, but her player as well.
I can speak for myself when I say I’m heartbroken. I remember the Tiny Assassin, walking into the sewers to poke at the Rat King, only to have this woman do the impossible with a man who had given up on love. In real life, she would tell me that our friendship had helped her let go and open up, realizing that a friend can be there and not just disappear, like many of us have experienced before. I promised her I wasn’t going anywhere. Ratty wasn’t going anywhere. We would be here waiting for her. Ingame, she helped me achieve great lengths and I was so grateful for that. In RP, she helped me develop a character I love with a character who was simply amazing. In real life, she was online every single day, moment, second I was in the hospital. She stood beside me and I’m sure that if she was here, she would have held my hand through the entire ordeal. That’s the type of person she was. She bettered me and I cannot forget the moments we spent with each other. It was close to two years that I had known her and that we had rp’d and talked about life. When a person impacts you that strongly in that short amount of time, there’s something special about them and Lily was beyond special. She was a shining star in a world of darkness.
I feared this news so much. I sent her messages over and over since June and it aches my heart to think that she never saw them. Like many of you, I never got the chance to say goodbye and that hurts so much, but life carries on and Lily would not have wanted us to sit around and mourn, but rather celebrate those moments we shared with her. Her cousin said, “She did pass at peace and wouldn’t want you to grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the good times,” and that’s absolutely correct. We didn’t lose Lily’s player. We have her memories and her writing, and with that, she lives forever.
Do not forgot her, the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly. She was an amazing woman, writer, roleplayer, and above all, an incredible human being with a beautiful creative spirit. May she rest in peace and in our hearts.
dailybridgerton
titsay
blakekathryn
kaledo-art
jbbartram-illu
