It’s always hard when a loved one passes away. It’s also hard when a close friendship has formed with an online character you have met in game and you log in to find out that they have passed away. This character is ‘Mayou Koneko’ otherwise known as ‘Leila Doan’ in real life. She sadly joined the life stream last night.
There’s no real words to describe loss it can only be felt. And it was felt today by myself all the members of Endless Ways FC <Oath>, a ‘Free Company that operates in the popular game Final Fantasy XIV on the Faerie server’. The Free Company (Guild) and community lost a friend, mate and a sister. One could say she was the adopted mother of the Endless Ways Free Company and as a fitting mark of honour and respect the Free Company changed its tag to <Leila>.
You think of these people as your net-friends and it only comes to the realisation that they are more than just your net friends when these people make you feel like you are actually worth something and are always there for you when you need them. Mayou was one of these people. “You don’t need a reason to help people” was a phrase that Mayou coined in game and this simple but powerful statement reflects the kind of gamer and person she was.
Mayou was not someone that I had met in real life though I had met her in FFXIV and we had communicated via skype and had expressed our love of green teas. The people that had met her including myself all shared her joys, anger, dungeon clears, moments of happiness and frustration with the game, and lastly those special moments when your team finally clears that damned raid that’s just about impossible to get through.
We have been so lucky to have known you and there will be a void in our hearts knowing that you are not here. Mayou Koneko you will be remembered.
For those that haven’t experienced loss of a loved one, in game, it can leave the same mark as a person in real life. The relationships that are formed in our minds are real whether online world or in the real world. Here are some steps to help with the process of losing of a loved one in game or in real life.
I thought it was fitting to finish this article with some words from Endless Ways Free Company members on the Faerie Server before holding a silent vigil held near the Free Company house.
She had so many things to look forward to, I felt like things were really going to improve and she would have lots of new experiences in life… and I wished her true genuine happiness… and I wanted to do everything i possibly could from here to give her that… at the very least now she is at ease, and I hope she can see or feel the love that everyone had for her.. Cause she’s worthy of every single bit of it. – Wojo Raumarik
“Probably one of the few people that would try to understand me also. We’ll all miss her and the positivity she brought to our lives. We’ll never forget the many lessons we learnt from her, the amusing moments we shared, nor the ventures that we had together. Leila played the character Mayou, but it was always her wish to make it to what she wanted to be, or what she was. As a lalafell, she would accept her shortness. As a healer, she would specialise in her abilities to support us. Leila just generally cared for each of us, and even those she didnt know. It’s a quality most people don’t have. She was definitely a person who deserves to be loved by us all.” – Ariette Orisolses
“Thinking about Leila, she was the sweetest. From the way she chatted with us in FC chat, to the way her voice in skype seemed so soothing. She was sweet, and that’s a virtue not many have.” – C’elanea Nitsah
She was tiny in stature, but her heart gave her the ability to move mountains and make everyone feel cherished – Larella Akamori
“I’ve Known Leila in real life for ~5 years, and 3 incarnations of Mayou (RO, RO2, FFXIV), herself and Elton were one of the big reasons I enjoyed MMOs for so long, playing with her just made it fun. She was always the first to stick up for someone, and would always endeavor for us all to be included. The fact that we were just playing FF with her last night is quite an overwhelming feeling. “It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, and a day to love them, but it takes an entire lifetime to forget them.” – Metherlence Sun
“Funny though, how we use this game to escape the hard ship of our lives and reality. In a way this is kinda like a second life, I have to say; Leila is the most kind person I have ever met, and it wasn’t even in person and that’s saying something.” – Arkaelia Entenies
“Mayou-chan, we miss you already. You really were a friend to us all, always there to heal and always there to help. Your passing has come as a shock, and we wish we could rez you back to us.” – Your lala-sister Lianya
