#kaya (chasing tomorrow)

[afooldyedinfolly]

Bite, Stalk, Pirate, Mermaid

14. PIRATE - Which of your OCs is most evil?

So this is a great question.

My joke response is probably Foggy. My serious response is one of five candidates: Vasyl, Nicolai, Glyris, Arin, Kaya.

The first three are very much evil in very real ways. They're all deeply abusive and manipulative people that you can definitely find in the real world, in your normal day to day life.

Arin is also someone you can find in real life, but someone you are unlikely to actually encounter. Your life will still be influenced by his presence due to his position of power, but it's very unlikely that you will actually ever meet him face to face.

Kaya is evil in the way that fantasy embodiments of evil are.

STALK - God I cannot pick just one. Uhh a few off the top of my head include Johnathan Stroud, Harlan Ellison, Diana Wynne Jones, Richard Adams, Michael Ende, Lemony Snicket, Cornelia Funke, I don't know if Shakespeare counts but I'm counting him fuck you, and a whooole bunch of others.

BITE - Now I KNOW Geo sent this one and I will not accept you saying you didn't >:p

Uh, in canon, it's probably either Nikita or Katarina. Succubus and Vila and all that giving a +5 in charisma and whatnot. As far as people going .///. in response to them? Probably Dandelion, people love the buff goth girl, and honestly, probably one of the signs that good taste isn't dead. My personal opinion though? Uhhhh, I'm going to saaay, probably also Dandelion.

Mermaid - What about both?? Why pit two bad bitches against each other?

Serious answer, it depends. I like sci fi more when the sci fi is thematic rather than cosmetic. If it is a story less about the appeal of lazer guns and space and moreso poses questions about the repercussions of advancement of technology and such, I'm more likely to be invested in it than a fantasy. Sorry I think dragons are cooler than spaceships. If you are just or are primarily aesthetics I want the fantasy instead. Also if you are a sci fi that is more concerned with Hard Scientific Explanations about things than actually telling a story I hate you.

But also. Yeah. Both.

[snippychicke]

Cats & Ships Chapter Five

Title: Cats & Ships

Overall Rating: Teen for now, will go into mature at a future date

Trigger warnings: Nothing beyond what's in the live-action series. I mean, Kuro's still manipulative and paranoid. It gets better tho? Slowly?

Pairings: Captain Kuro (Klahadore)/Reader; hints of Kaya/Usopp

Summary: It started out as a means to get information as Khaladore. Who would be better to provide information regarding the high seas than Syrup Village’s Harbormaster? Except, for the first time in a very long time, Kuro found himself trusting, and even liking, the young woman he shared tea with every week. 

And then the Straw Hat Pirates arrived and ruined his plans. Except fate decided his story wasn’t done there. 

Nor was yours.

Masterlist here! | Read on Ao3!

While most of his crew decided to sleep at the tavern (whether they actively decided that or not was another issue he would address tomorrow) Kuro retreated back to his ship, unable to sleep in a strange place. 

Though, the thought of following you home as you called it a night as well was tempting. You had even offered, albeit jokingly. “I have a piece of floor and some bedding if you don’t want to make the trek back to port.” Kuro doubted he would have been able to sleep… but the idea of having you in his arms again. That was far more appealing than it should be. 

He had enjoyed it far more than he should have back in the tavern. You weren’t a waif like Kaya (he had held the girl a few times as she cried herself to sleep, unaware his blood was boiling with every little sniffle. Her life? Hard? The child knew nothing of pain and suffering) and there had been something comforting about having that extra weight on him. Or maybe it was the fact it was you, leaning on him like you trusted him despite everything. 

And the way you had looked at him. So honest and open with no hint of fear, just like back Syrup Village.  He found himself wanting to trust you again. He wanted more, to taste the drink still staining your lips. To see if you would be willing to return to the ship with him, if just for the night. To chase that blush as far as it went. To tangle your hair into the mess it once had been. To hear you gasp and whine his name--either name-- as your nails scratched down his back. 

He shook those thoughts out of his mind. There was no way he could trust you, as weak as you were. He found it highly unlikely that you wouldn’t take the chance to stab him in the back or slit his throat given the opportunity, despite the fact you insisted you weren’t interested in revenge.

Jango was waiting on the deck of the Bezan Black, wearing his typical heart-shaped glasses despite the late hour. “Cap’n,” he greeted as Kuro approached. “We’re restocked and ready to leave at first light… though I have to wonder, where’s the rest of the crew?” 

“Passed out at the Mazer tavern,” he growled. “...have five hundred berry taken to the tavern for the tab they incurred. Subtracted from the crew’s wages, of course.”

Jango smiled faintly, “Feeling generous, hmm? They must have had some pretty good food and drinks. I'll have to remember that the next time we're in port." 

 "We won't." Was Kuro's sharp reply as he passed his first mate, heading towards his quarters. 

No. He would avoid Maple Town as if it was a marine base and not the quiet town it was. He would avoid you until he was able to overcome whatever weaknesses three years in disguise had done to him. 

***

Except things did not go according to plan. Of course. 

While all of his other plans had been successful over the next month, and the hull of the Bezan Black became heavy with treasure, the plan of avoiding you until he forgot about you was not as successful. 

It was like his own mind was actively working against him, and every little thing brought you to the forefront of his mind. A glass of red wine. A cup of tea. Any black and white cats hanging about the various ports. 

And it was only worse if he saw someone that even remotely resembled you. It was like someone clenching his heart in his chest, making it hard to breathe. Emotions like longing, loss, would strike him like his own blades. 

And it was driving him insane. 

He shouldn't feel like he needed anyone. Since he was a small child on the streets he had tempered those feelings away to the point he thought they had been erased before he became Kuro of a thousand plans. 

And yet here he was; thinking of you daily. Missing you. 

There had to be a way he could get rid of this. It was one thing to be fond of you, but to feel like he needed you was unacceptable. 

His thoughts were interrupted as he overheard a conversation in the small port they were restocking in. 

"... yeah, those Jones Pirates are trying a set up like Arlong Park. Those poor people in Maple town, those pirates will bleed them dry of their money, and then their blood." 

Jango gave Kuro an odd look when the pirate captain froze while raising his glass, unaware of the dark-haired man attempting to bite back the sudden onslaught of rage. Fear. 

“Captain?” Jango finally asked cautiously, seeing Kuro’s hand clenched tight enough that the stem of the wineglass cracked. 

“Everyone return to the ship at once,” Kuro stated as he suddenly stood, catching the attention of the rest of the crew that was scattered across the pub, celebrating another victorious set of raids. “Set sail for Maple Town.” 

No one dared to argue. Granted, no one would on a good day, but especially when Kuro's eyes were as dark as the pitch on Bezan Black itself. 

[riocles]

UNIVERSITY SERIES: My Reaction as  a Reader....

1/2

I am an avid reader of Wattpad stories since 2013, lalo na noong panahon ng mga gangster tapos nakaEbook yung mga nababasa ko noon. Lagi ako umiiyak kapag tragic yung stories then iniiwasan ko nga basahin ang mga ganun na tragedy or hindi endgame yung mga bida.

Since my fourth-year of high school, I’m really fond of teen fiction, romance, and school themes.

But them, my preferences changed, gusto ko na yung hindi puro cliches, yung may thrill, tragic, o kaya mapapaisip ano mangyayari sa susunod na kabanata. Now, I preferred Young Adult, Mystery Thrillers, Romance, and something related about Law (pero hindi ko pinangarap maging lawyer ha.) Dahil tumatanda na din ako, naiiba na din preferences lalo na kapag series binabasa ko. It started 2020, panahon ng pandemya when I discovered University Series through Twitter. Trending eh yung SSA noon eh. I was curious, akala ko Korean Drama but it was a Wattpad Story about a flight attendant and pilot. Hindi pa tapos yung story noon eh. Then I was attached to the main characters and the plot. The story line, dialogues, and unexpected events were superb. Napapacritical review naman na ako dito, pasensya na. Nasanay lang since ang career ko ay somehow related to grammar and literature (I’m an English teacher pala, skl  and Taglish ang gagamitin ko here). Back to the story, langya napaiyak ako akala ko nasama sa plane crash si Hiro, naku wala nang pag-asa at hindi na sila endgame ni Yanna. Yun pala may patwists si author. I really love the storyline because it is realistic. Iyo ang hinahanap ko sa mga kwentong nababasa ko, English man or Filipino. Dream ko kasi maging Wattpad writer but I lack motivation and time na since alam niyo naman hectic din work ng teacher. Back to what I’m saying, reading SSA brought me to know more about Gwy’s other stories like The Rain in Espaňa and grabe din attachment ko din dito, inuulit ulit ko pa basahin lalo na it is related again sa law and especially architecture, my dream course. Nakakaiyak yung part na nagbreak sila and the reconciliation after 10 years and It’s still you. :) After TRIE, yung Chasing n the Wild naman, it is one of my happy pill stories since nandiyan si Sevi who never failed to make jokes in every chapter pero umiyak din ako sa story nila ah ni Elyse. Then, next one was the Avenue of Diamonds which I think isa sa mga masasakit na kwentong nabasa especially when Naomi was gone and grabe din iyak ko din sa story na to lalo na yung ilang taon na hindi nagkita sina Cy at Sam. Next one was the Golden Scenery of Tomorrow but to be honest, hindi ko pa tapos basahin due to its theme about best friends turned into lovers. I think I’m not yet ready to finish reading it pero within year, I will read it. I just read the first part and nakakarelate talaga ako between the friendship between Via and Arkin :).

To be continued.....

[javaphilesblog]

WHAT ABOUT UNIVERITY SERIES?  (My Reaction as a Reader)

1/2

I am an avid reader of Wattpad stories since 2013, lalo na noong panahon ng mga gangster tapos nakaEbook yung mga nababasa ko noon. Lagi ako umiiyak kapag tragic yung stories then iniiwasan ko nga basahin ang mga ganun na tragedy or hindi endgame yung mga bida. 

 Since my fourth-year of high school, I’m really fond of teen fiction, romance, and school themes. 

But them, my preferences changed, gusto ko na yung hindi puro cliches, yung may thrill, tragic, o kaya mapapaisip ano mangyayari sa susunod na kabanata. Now, I preferred Young Adult, Mystery Thrillers, Romance, and something related about Law (pero hindi ko pinangarap maging lawyer ha.) Dahil tumatanda na din ako, naiiba na din preferences lalo na kapag series binabasa ko. It started 2020, panahon ng pandemya when I discovered University Series through Twitter. Trending eh yung SSA noon eh. I was curious, akala ko Korean Drama but it was a Wattpad Story about a flight attendant and pilot. Hindi pa tapos yung story noon eh. Then I was attached to the main characters and the plot. The story line, dialogues, and unexpected events were superb. Napapacritical review naman na ako dito, pasensya na. Nasanay lang since ang career ko ay somehow related to grammar and literature (I’m an English teacher pala, skl  and Taglish ang gagamitin ko here). Back to the story, langya napaiyak ako akala ko nasama sa plane crash si Hiro, naku wala nang pag-asa at hindi na sila endgame ni Yanna. Yun pala may patwists si author. I really love the storyline because it is realistic. Iyo ang hinahanap ko sa mga kwentong nababasa ko, English man or Filipino. Dream ko kasi maging Wattpad writer but I lack motivation and time na since alam niyo naman hectic din work ng teacher. Back to what I’m saying, reading SSA brought me to know more about Gwy’s other stories like The Rain in Espaňa and grabe din attachment ko din dito, inuulit ulit ko pa basahin lalo na it is related again sa law and especially architecture, my dream course. Nakakaiyak yung part na nagbreak sila and the reconciliation after 10 years and It’s still you. :) After TRIE, yung Chasing n the Wild naman, it is one of my happy pill stories since nandiyan si Sevi who never failed to make jokes in every chapter pero umiyak din ako sa story nila ah ni Elyse. Then, next one was the Avenue of Diamonds which I think isa sa mga masasakit na kwentong nabasa especially when Naomi was gone and grabe din iyak ko din sa story na to. Next one was the Golden Scenery of Tomorrow but to be honest, hindi ko pa tapos basahin due to its theme about best friends turned into lovers. I think I’m not yet ready to finish reading it pero within year, I will read it. I just the first part and nakakarelate talaga ako :).

To be continued.....

[bbarican]

march 14, 2022; 12:20 am

i dont like the fact na gising pa ako at this time of the night pero i also dont want to sleep without typing down my thoughts and feelings kasi this whole day has been so overwhelming and i just really want to get this all out there before going to sleep and starting a new day tomorrow

family:

im starting with this one kasi ito yung nagtake ng pinaka malaking toll on me today

to cut to the chase, my lolo is really really really sick to the point na hindi na siya makagalaw and hes stuck in bed and seeing him and where he was staying kanina (he;s been stuck in bed for 3 days) just made me feel all sorts of emotions

some might say na dapat hindi ko naman problem to, which is true at some point, pero ofcourse i really care about my lolo too and at the same time, majority of my emotions are based on how my mom is feeling now din kasi

siya kasi pinaka stressed eh sakanilang tatlong magkakapatid; imagine, kung sino pa yung only girl, siya pa yung more than willing to go from paranaque all the way to batangas late at night just to try and convince my lolo to go to the hospital to finally get checked

tapos since nga ginabi na kami pauwi, itong dad ko, he spent majority of the ride home feeling so exhausted and sleepy which is super understandable naman pero ang nakakainis kasi is whenever we ask him to stop and either take a nap muna or maghilamos man lang muna, ayaw niya; gusto niya yung tinitiis niya yung antok kesa magpahinga muna siya ano ba naman yan

our car is really shitty in so many ways - panget ng suspension, masyadong madilim yung tint, tapos napaka dilim pa ng ilaw; sinong hindi mahihirapan mag drive pag ganun ka daming problema meron yung car?

work/board exam review:

di keri ipagsabay ang work and review you guys, as hard as i try, hindi talaga kaya

kasi schedule ng review classes ko is 10 am to 1 pm, tapos in a perfect world, 1 pm to 2 pm lunch time ko, 2 pm to 6 pm work, and then the rest of the night should be dedicated to reviewing again

pero hindi talaga kaya eh, kasi i always end up being too tired to do anything at night kasi nga all i can think about after review classes is work

to the point na last week, hindi ko pa nababalikan yung mga nadiscuss na namin

tapos at some point, kailangan ko pa ulit pumunta ng qc and ng pampanga for some approvals on site and to just check on everything pero jusko naman i do not want to miss any more classes

kahit na sabihin kong may recording naman yung classes, iba parin if im actually part of the class and i can be proactive when it comes to listening to the little details that our profs would be giving

long story short, i just want to focus on my review classes nalang talaga kasi if i dont, im going to end up jeopardizing one out of the two things that im trying to juggle

im going to have to ask my bosses if i can have my full time leave come april

only problem by then (if they do allow me; im sure they will naman) would be the fact na i wont be paid

personal:

i need to start selling some stuff; extra clothes, things i dont use anymore, etc just so i can have extra money

i need to get back on track again with my diet and my work out routine; nasira siya kasi last week my cravings had me in a chokehold and i couldnt resist

my period should arrive soon or else im throwing a fit

i want and need to wake up early to make sure na i have a meaningful and productive day

im also constantly reminding myself to just focus on things one day at a time, hindi yung im looking into what my entire week would look like when in fact i have no idea what the next few minutes would look like at all so taking life day by day is the way to go for sure para hindi ako mapagod palagi kakaisip on whats about to happen next

i really want and need to start driving already; its not just cause of my personal wants like wanting to drive to the places i actually want to go to by myself or seeing my friends but also lending a hand to my parents when they need a driver especially since our family driver plans on retiring already

im gonna watch drag race before going to bed kasi do not want to wait for myself to have extra time only to end up being spoiled on who won the snatch game; i just simply will not allow it

if youve made it to the end of my post, thank you for reading everything; i hope we all get to have a really lovely day tomorrow that is filled with clarity and abundance and peace

good night tumblr

[thekitsune]

Phew! I only managed to get one done today! I’m going to keep working on the other two so hopefully they’ll be done tomorrow!

Now then, her bio:

Name: Mina Blouse

Age: 4

Parents: Sasha and Mikasa Blouse

Mina is the third born child and youngest daughter. She is a happy and carefree girl who loves playing with her older brother and sister. She has an almost endless appetite that seemingly fuels her boundless energy.

Named after her parents’ old friend who passed away during their first fight against the Titans, she is spoiled rotten by her Uncle Connie and Uncle Niccolo while she learns how to draw from her Uncle Armin.

Her mothers both watch after her and play with her as much as possible. When they can’t, her siblings or pet horse play with her.

She has heard countless stories from her Big Sis Kaya about her mom, Sasha, as well as the many feats of her other mom, Mikasa. So she dreams of one day being an amazing hero who can help people in need.

She likes picking flowers, chasing small animals, drawing (especially on her brother’s face when he’s asleep) and playing with her family.

[slythereeen]

12 Tanda Waktunya Berhenti Ngejar Doi!

"kata orang hubungan itu harus satu frekuensi. kalau udah gak satu frekuensi tandanya apa? ngerasa gak kamu kaya gitu sekarang. seperti sekarang, kamu tak merasa di istimewakan", - Brisia Jodie di lagu cover Dan

Siang ini sambil dengerin lagu Dan cover by Brisia Jodie, saya mau bahas ini ah. tanda-tanda kalau kamu tuh waktunya berhenti buat merjuangin doi. ngapain juga merjuangin kalau doinya jelas banget ngasih tanda kalau ia emang gak mau diperjuangin. masa gitu aja nyerah? jadi gini, ada satu titik dimana orang bakal lelah juga merjuangin. mending nyari yang pasti-pasti aja. buat kamu yang lagi merjuangin crush mu, diem-diem ada yang ngebuat kamu jadi crush-nya loh. Dan buat yang keasikan merjuangin, mungkin ini bakal ngasih tau jawaban dari pertanyaan kenapa dia berhenti berjuang. dah lah have nice reading

disclaimer: materi ini saya dapet dari thought catalog dengan judul 12 Sign You should Stop Chasing After Him yang saya coba ubah bahasanya ke seharian kita. kalau saya mau pahami artikel itu bisa juga buat stop chasing after her sih, gak harus selalu him.

1. You are getting tired of doing all of the work

tanda pertama itu kalau kamu yang nge chat duluan, kamu yang ngajak hang out, suka nge like-in fotonya (tapi gak pernah di like balik). positive aja mungkin doi takut kena challenge until tomorrow, iya hubungannya kandas until tomorrow hiya hiya hiya. kalau kamu gak nge chat doi nih, gak akan ada yang namanya chattingan. kamu nge chat kaya ke chat bot. kalau di chat bales kalau engga ya engga. untung doi gak kaya akun whatsapp business. silahkan ketik A untuk mendapat informasi kamu dimana. B untuk dengan siapa. dan C untuk semalam berbuat apa. itu chatting serasa dinyanyiin babang tamvan

2. You have been feeling shitty about yourself lately

tanda ini kaya kamu gak jadi sendiri, apa-apa dilakuin buat nyenengin doi. kamu wondering mending nurunin berat badan, atau di rebonding gitu rambutnya, atau berjemur biar eksotis. ini semua aku lakuin tuh buat doi loh. aku sampe beli skin care dari Korea Utara biar glowing gitu :(  intinya semuanya buat doi. ternyata doi sukanya cewek yang suka pake sabun bayi hayooo kamu bisa apa HHH. intinya tanda kalau 'pengen diperhatiin sama doi' tuh udah mulai tanda-tanda. Kamu tau apa bahasa inggris bulan? terus bahasa inggris nya pintu? yak! itu yang harus kamu lakuin

3. You have a feeling he doesn’t want to be caught

ini kaya kamu kadang dianggap, kadang engga gitu. kadang jadi love of his life, kadang jadi invisible (kasian yah kamu dianggep gak ada. gak dimintain lagi saran kalau ada apa apa tuh). ini kaya ngebuat kamu bingung, abu-abu kaya celana anak SMA. kamu mikir, dia beneran tertarik ga ya atau sebenernya cuman 'tools' kalau dia lagi bosen. beberapa orang ngehubungin kamu di waktu kosong mereka, beberapa lain ngosongin waktu buat ngehubungin kamu. beda loh yah

4. Nothing is working

kamu udah sering muji penampilannya. eh kamu udah kaya artis drakor yang suka ada di trans tv itu loh (doi nya dalam hati bilang iya kelakuan kamu kek pelakornya). kamu udah sering beliin dia barang gitu, beliin iPhone SE yang baru keluar. Doi suka maen Mobile Legends, kamu udah beliin dia skin hero yang mahal. tapi tetep gak working. dia gak ngajak kamu buat motoran bareng, jeduk jedukan helm. nonton bareng di bioskop sambil mojok gitu. halu dah sore gini. kalau nothing is working. ini udah mulai tanda tanda ya

5. You feel like you are being taken for granted

ini tanda nya ketara gak ketara sih. kamu tuh udah mulai gak dihargain. dia so soan polos kalau kamu tuh udah berjuang banyak buat dia. udah belii buku dari luar negeri. motoin selama wisuda dari negara asalnya (hey pengalaman siapa ini) tapi doi nyari nya yang kayak selebgram (buka akun doi. buka following, check selebgram kaya gimana yang dia ikutin kalau alesannya gegara ini)

6. You feel more like a backup plan than a priority

ini tuh kamu dimanfaatin doang. nge chat kamu kalau dia bosen, kalau dia lagi kesepian aja. sisanya? bahkan kamu itu gak dianggep kalau kamu hadir di dunia ini. kasian yah kita (engga kamu doang ko slow aje)

7. You are getting the short end of the stick

kamu terus aja ngebuat doi bahagia, tapi kamu sendiri gak ngerasa bahagia sama sekali. yah gapapa aku emang biasa tersakiti (hilih). kamu yang gak sadar tanda ini tuh bisa jadi kamu yang pas SD gak bener belajar bahasa Indonesia-nya. maksudnya? kamu gak pernah denger ada pribahasa air susu dibalas air tuba. sadar hey kamu!

8. A long time has passed

ini tandanya kamu udah ngerasa kenal lama. kamu udah ngejar ngejar dia selama ini. kamu ngerasa kalau pun harus jadian ya harus sekarang aja. engga bisa entar entaran. harus sekarang banget tolong.

9. You are not getting anywhere

kamu kodein dia buat nonton film avenger end game, udah beliin tiket. tapi ternyata itu gak terjadi. kamu sering muji dia, tapi dia gak pernah muji balik. dah lah

10. Your friends are telling you to forget about him

nah ini bagusnya kita punya temen, kita udah cerita ke dia. sering disakitin dia, di hina-hina deh. temen kamu pasti dong nyuruh ya udah sih gak perlu ngejar ngejar dia lagi. please sadar sadar sadar. sampe temen kamu bilang kalau kamu mau ruqiyah kamu coba. kalau temen-temen kamu udah bilang lupain aja. ini tandanya kamu lebih baik mundur

11. You have been crying yourself to sleep at night

ini yang paling sering terjadi, hayo ngaku loh. kamu nangisin doi terus tiap malem wkwkw. kamu nyesek kalau dia posting foto cewek lain. kalau doi bales chat lama itu kamu malah makin over thinking kalau ternyata emang dia tuh gak mau sama kamu. padahal bener hiya hiya hiya. engga ko, positive thinking aja. mungkin doi lagi ngebalesin chat crush nya (bukan kamu)

12. You know, deep down, that you deserve more than a one-sided love

kamu ngerasa kalau kamu tuh deserve someone better. seseorang yang chat duluan. yang kalau kangen langsung nelpon. yang ngebuat malah kamu gak jadi nangis nangis tiap malem, ngerasa gak insecure sama penampilan sendiri, ngebuat kamu tuh jadi beautiful mind. kalau kamu ngerasa ada tanda tanda ini. ini artinya kamu harus stop sih buat ngejar ngejar doi. masih ada ko yang lain. it's okay. kamu harus belajar minimalism deh, the art of letting go

[weaselbrownie]

gakuat nangis bgt def suing ur teacher if they did

“flo singkongnya kamu olah jd apa?”

“jd stik singkong bu”

“KO KAYA TAI FLO”

😔😭😭🤟🤟

AH JANGAN GITU 😭

cinta omg im sleep-deprived, im being chased by an imaginary demon and im surviving on crack fics, vinnie's voice and coffee rn.

pls this is due at 7am tomorrow and im crying bc I cant get imovie to work 💔

[sparklingmallow]

Hindi natin matatakasan ang nakaraan. Ano, saan, at sino man tayo noon -- naging bahagi na yan ng ating sarili; nakabaon nga lang nang malalim.

Hinuhubog tayo ng panahon, at hindi natin mababago ang mga nangyari kahapon. Kaya kapag hinabol tayo ng mga tao't bagay na nagawaan natin ng mali, iisa lamang ang kaya nating gawin. Harapin ito nang may tapang, upang magkaroon ng mas maliwanag na kinabukasan.

- just something i thought of while washing the dishes and imagining kenshin and dazai. how they are people being continuously defined by their pasts, yet they strive to prove otherwise and become a better version of themselves.

We can't escape the past. What, where, and who we've been -- it became a part of us, acknowledged and hidden deep down.

Time shapes us, and we can't change the things that happened yesterday. So when the people and things we've done wrong come back to chase us, there's only one thing we can do. Face them head-on, bravely, to have a brighter tomorrow.

i tried roughly translating it into english but it sounds so awkward eEP

[a-writers-block]

Chinese Literature: The Reader’s Point of View

!---(image here)---!

[1] What Comes Next?

Huff. Huff. Huff.

He found himself seated on his desk. His arm drapes by the edge of the table. He felt a head rush as he abruptly sat upright. 

I’m still in my room… the same scene from day one.

He looked at the time. 2AM.

What day is it? Is it the third day of the week? How many months have it been since I came back?

Hindi na alam ni Gio kung ilang araw na siyang sleep deprived. He always wakes up in the middle of the night. Same voices. Same nightmares that kept him awake.

He sat up and something rolled down the carpet. It’s the pen that his dad gave him. Inabot niya ito and gave it a long stare. The same feeling of longing washes over him but instead of need to write, parang hindi na niya kaya pang gawin ‘yon.

His fingers started trembling. His thoughts ramble inside his head, they become wired and knotted and it’s like the span of months that he used to compose the thoughts and just vanished right there.

He’s still Gio, pero ang laki ng pinagbago niya.

When he came back from the book, he found himself in front of his parents. They didn’t know what happened to him or about the book. It was just the difference between the time in the real world and in the book that made him feel relieved. At least he knew they wouldn’t overreact as long as he keeps it all to himself.

He cried and just hugged them. Walang salita, just a heart that learned the hard way.

The bond between Gio and his parents was restored after that night of realizations.

Or so he thought.

Akala niya kaya na niyang sabihin lahat sa parents niya. But he filtered all the stories he made to convince his confused parents on whatever was happening to him. Everyday, he wakes up with a smile on his face as he talks to his parents, to his classmates, to other people but as the sunsets, all he could hear is the powerful winds and all he could see is the same scene over and over again.

The death of his character.

Hindi na rin siya bumibisita sa bookstore ni hindi na rin siya ganun ka-immersed sa pagbabasa ng fiction books and just focused on his paperworks and deadlines. Iniiwasan niya lahat ng nakapagpapalala sa kanya tungkol sa libro. Each passing day, it becomes a cycle.

Nagulo lamang ang cycle na ‘yon nang minsang hinanap siya ng matandang nagmamay-ari sa bookstore. He had this wide grin on his face and his hands were at the back of his hand. Gio didn’t catch what the old man’s up to. But instead of pouring all his thoughts out, he gave the old guy a small tight smile.

“Hey…” Gio greeted him, nonchalantly.

The man’s reaction just opposed the sadness in Gio’s voice and replied, “Hey! Just the person I wanted to see.”

Gio’s forehead creased, confused to what the man’s agenda was, “Why? What’s up?”

“Well, I was just wondering why were you not showing up in my bookstore these past few days and…”

Hindi siya sinagot ni Gio. Tahimik lang siya habang naghihintay sa sasabihin ng matanda. Gio nods, encouraging him to continue what he’s talking about.

“... I found the rest of the book series you got a few days ago.” The old man winked and showed two books from behind. A red book and a pink book.

Tila isang balde ng malamig na tubig ang bumuhos kay Gio. He immediately turned around and walked back home. “Hey!” the old man chased him down the street.

“I thought you might want to read the next o--”

“No.”

“What?”

“I’ve decided to just let the other books go, okay?” Gio stopped from his tracks and looked at the man with fear overflowing from Gio’s eyes.

“I thought you’re into it? Why don’t you take these then?”

“Y-You wouldn’t understand. Just take them back. I’ll bring the other one tomorrow.” Nagmamadaling umuwi si Gio that he didn’t notice that something was off with the old man.

⥺ Chapter List                               Chapter 2 ⭄

[bleachanimefan1]

King And Queen Of The Pirates

Chapter Ten, War At The Shore! Clash With The Black Cat Pirates!

In the middle of the night, Usopp, Luffy, Aya, Nami and Zoro were at the rocky slope as the long nosed man told them of his plan.

"Okay, at daybreak, the pirates will be landing at this shore to begin their attack. But, the only way to get to the village is to go up this slope. The rest of the shoreline is sheer cliffs, so they'll have to come through here. If we can fight them while they're funneling through that narrow path, then their numbers won't mean anything and the village will be protected." explained Usopp.

"Alright, sounds pretty easy." said Luffy.

"Talking about it is, but it really depends on our strength. What is it you guys can do?" asked Usopp.

"I cut." said Zoro.

"I stretch." said Luffy

"I steal." said Nami.

"I plan." said Aya.

"I hide." said Usopp.

"YOU'RE JOINING IN ON THIS FIGHT!" yelled all four of them.

"I was just joking. Calm down!" said Usopp.

In Kaya's mansion, the sound of the grandfather clock echoed in the hallways. In a room, Merry was dusting and cleaning until he heard the doors open and saw Klahadore walk in. "Ah, Klahadore welcome back." He greeted the butler as he was standing on the ladder, polishing the chandelier. He had told the butler everything that Usopp had said and what he had done to Kaya and the villagers.

"How is she?" asked Klahadore, worried.

"She's resting right now. She was quite exhausted." said Merry as Klahadore walked to the window, untying his tie. Klahadore sighed.

"Now, I have to pick up the pieces. That Usopp certainly know how to cause trouble, doesn't he?" He said.

"Yes, and on top of everything else he's done today. He claims that you were a pirate." Merry chuckled. "I can't think of more an outrageous lie!" Klahadore snickered as he stared at his reflection in the window.

"Indeed..." He sneered then he noticed that there was a box sitting on the table that was wrapped. "What's this here?" asked Klahadore as he picked it up.

"Why that's a present, of course, from Miss Kaya to you, Klahadore. It's been three years since you've came to this mansion. And this gift is to say thank you for your hard work. It's a commemoration of some sort!" said Merry.

"How nice..." Klahadore murmured.

"The glasses that you're wearing are always slipping and you have to push them back up. So the lady of the house custom ordered a new pair for you. It's she just the most thoughtful young woman that you've ever met!" said Merry. Klahadore opened the present seeing the new glasses that were made for him. He smirked and chuckled darkly, pushing up his glasses.

"How appropriate, tomorrow will be a day worth, commemorating." He said as he looked up at the moon.

"Huh?" asked Merry, confused.

"It's a crescent moon tonight. It's on nights like these that I feel alive. My heart races and my blood boils in my veins." said Klahadore. Smash! Merry gasped in horror as he saw Klahadore threw the box on the floor and stepped on the glasses, breaking it.

"Klahadore, what are you doing?! Why would you do such a thing to Miss Kaya's present?!" exclaimed Merry.

"Oh, I'll be receiving a gift alright, but it won't be glasses." said Klahadore. The butler turned to Merry with a scary look on his face. "It'll be her entire estate!"

"What are you saying?!" gasped Merry in shock.

"I suppose there's no reason to carry on the act any longer. In a few hours the village will be more than an unforeseen travesty. You won't live long to see it." said Klahadore as he began to advance slowly towards Merry. The butler pulled out a fur glove with five long blades.

"MY LADY! YOU HAVE TO-!" Merry tried to scream but Klahadore slashed him on his chest with his five blade claws. Merry fell to the floor as blood began to seep from his wound and onto the floor. Klahadore stared down at him with a look of glee etched upon his face.

On the rocky slope, Usopp, Luffy, Aya, Nami and Zoro had covered it completely with oil. As the last jug was emptied, Usopp smirked, proudly of his work.

"Yep, I'm a genius. There's no way that they'll be able to make it up this slope now. All this oil should keep them occupied, while we get to work on 'em. They're going to be so busy slipping and sliding in their feets, while we show up and beat the crap out of them!" He said.

"Wow, so that's your plan, huh?" asked Aya.

"That's right, I'm going to defend the village no matter what it takes!" said Usopp.

"I just hope that none of us slip on that oil or we'll end up down there with them." said Nami. "Because that will be like riding into a meat grinder." Usopp cringed

"Usopp, I got to hand it to you. You're pretty good at fighting dirty." said Luffy, smiling.

"Of course I am! There isn't anyone alive who can best me with a slingshot

"It's almost daybreak. They're coming." Muttered Zoro.

The group waited until the sun began to rise. However, no one had spotted anyone or any ships arriving.

"Where are they? I've been looking to fight!" Whined Luffy. "The sun's up, what's the deal?"

"Maybe, they overslept?" asked Zoro.

"No. They're going to show up alright, lots of them." said Usopp as he nodded. Suddenly, Nami heard something and she covered her ears, listening.

"Wait a minute, maybe I'm hearing things, but sounds like battle cries from somewhere." She said. "Yeah, I definitely hear them." Everyone stayed quiet and soon enough they also heard loud cries and shouts further off.

"Uh, Usopp, there isn't another way to get to a village, is there?" asked Aya, nervously. Usopp's eyes widen in shock in realization as he began to panic.

"No, it can't be..." He murmured.

"What is it?" asked Zoro.

"There's a shore just like this to the north!" explained Usopp.

"We're at the wrong shore?! That's not good!" shouted Luffy.

"This is where they had their secret meeting, so I just assumed, okay!" shouted Usopp as he began to panic more.

"Then we need to go, now!" shouted Aya.

"Yeah, before they make it to the village. Where is it?!" asked Luffy.

"You have to run directly north from here. If you hurry, you can make it in three minutes! The terrain there is almost exactly the same. So all we need to do is stop them at the slopes!" explained Usopp.

"Don't you worry, we're going to stop them!" said Aya. Suddenly, Nami screamed. Everyone jumped, completely startled, and looked at her.

"OH NO!" She screamed. "IF THOSE FILTHY PIRATES ARE AT THE NORTH SHORE, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO SEE OUR BOAT! THEN THEY'LL TAKE THE TREASURE!" Aya frowned and shrugged.

"So, who cares? You can get more." She said.

"I CARE!" screamed Nami, angrily.

"Alright, I'll be there in 20 seconds!" said Luffy as he runs off. Aya chased after him.

"Oh man, my brilliant plan was all for nothing!" shouted Usopp, disappointed and he chased after the twins leaving Nami and Zoro.

"My precious treasure..." whined Nami in horror.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let's get out of here." said Zoro breaking Nami out of her thoughts.

"Yeah-!" As soon she took a step, Nami slipped on the oil. She fell down and grabbed onto Zoro's foot taking him with her. "Help, I'm going to fall!" Zoro was now slipping on the oil as well.

"Let go, you moron!" He growled. Zoro tried to climb up but only to slope further down. Then Nami smirked as an idea began to form. She grabbed onto Zoro's sword sheaths and climbed on top of him then leaped off, landing safely in the ground, leaving Zoro on the oil covered slope as he slid further down.

"See you there!" She winked sticking her tongue out at the swordsman.

"Nami, you witch!" growled Zoro, angrily.

"Sorry, but you'll understand. The treasure's in danger!" Shouted Nami as she ran off.

"That girl's going to pay!" growled Zoro as he grinded his teeth together, seething in rage.

Usopp ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He felt his lungs begin to ache as tried to breathe. But, he couldn't stop now, not when the villagers and Kaya and everyone that he knew and loved was in danger. "I swear on my life that they'll never set foot in this village." Usopp looked up ahead of him but he could see Luffy or Aya anywhere as he had lost track of them. "Man, those two sure are good runners. I can't even see them anymore!"

"Run straight north! Run straight north!" shouted Luffy to himself as he ran. He looked behind him but saw that Aya was not with him. "Great, I'm completely lost. And now I lost Aya as well! Damn it! Which way is north!?" shouted the straw hat captain as he continues to run.

"Those pirates are in big trouble if they take even one look at my treasure!" shouted Nami as she ran as well.

The Black Cat Pirates had made it to the shore as they all let out loud roar and battle cry as they all charges up the slope. Suddenly, several pellets shot out came out of nowhere and hit the pirates. One by one, they were knocked back as they fell to the ground groaning in pain.

"It's an ambush! Somebody's up there!" One of them yelled. Jango growled, annoyed, as to who would dare to face against the Black Cat Pirates. He and rest of the crew looked up at the top of the slope, seeing a long nosed man, it was Usopp.

"We meet again." said Jango, irritated. Usopp breathed heavily as he panted trying to catch his breath while still aiming his slingshot at the pirates. He gulped the screamed at the top of his lungs.

"I am the mighty Captain Usopp!" He shouted. "I've been waiting for you! All my men and I are ready to fight to the death. Then back now, if you value your lives!" His entire body was shaking like a leaf as he stared down nervously at the angry horde of pirates below him as they glared at him.

"Damn. I wasn't supposed to be the first one here! They were running way ahead of me. I can't face these guys alone!"

Zoro was still struggling as he tried to climb out of the oil but slide back down.

"Damn! Blast this stuff!" He growled, irritated, as he tried to run but he got nowhere as he was running in the same spot.

"The village? That can't be right. He said that if I run North then I should be at the shore." murmured Luffy, confused, as he stared at the village in front of him.

Jango frowned as he looked at Usopp. Usopp gulped nervously as his body was shaking, terrified, looking at the bloodthirsty pirates below him.

"It's you, I remember. You're one of those troublesome brats who overheard our plan. What do you think you're doing?" asked Jango in a mocking tone.

"I'm warning you! Leave here while you still can! If you don't, then my one hundred billion crew men will massacre all of you!" shouted Usopp . The pirates gave him an skeptical look in disbelief.

"One hundred million?" Questioned one.

"Are we really supposed to believe that." growled another, angrily.

"No way ! One hundred million?! Incredible!" exclaimed Jango.

"Captain, he's obviously lying." said a pirate.

"They saw through it!" Usopp cursed under his breath.

"What's that? You've been lying to us this whole time?!" shouted Jango, angrily.

"Captain Jango, take a look at this!" shouted one of the pirates as they called out.

"Is it bad?" asked Jango. The pirates pointed towards the two small ships.

"No sir, it's good. We searched the those ships and found a huge ton of treasure! It's hard to say how much, but I bet it's around five million berries!" He said as a crew mate was holding a sack filled with treasure. Everyone gasped in shock.

"F-Five million berries?! How in the world did those guys get a hold of such much treasure?" asked Usopp, surprised. Then an idea was forming in his head. He smirked. "I see you've found my loot! Well, you can have it!"

"You're just going to let us take it?"

"That's right! Just turn around and forget all about this place and the treasure is yours!" He yelled as all the pirates turned to him.

"I didn't think people this stupid actually existed." said one.

"He's just embarrassing himself." said another. Jango tilted his hat, getting more annoyed.

"Okay, so you know what a pirate is? We're going to take this treasure and there's nothing that you can do about it. And there is no way that we're turning back until we get what we've came for." He said.

"W-Well, yeah, that makes sense." stammered Us opp nervously. Then Jango pulled out his ring and began to swing it side to side.

"Alright then, on the count of one, two, Jango, you're going to let us by." He said. Usopp gasped as he saw it. "It's that strange weapon from before!" Suddenly, Usopp couldn't help but watch as he stared at the ring as it swung left and right. He felt his feet completely glued to the spot.

"One, two,-" Jango counted.

"Get down!" a voice shouted. Usopp felt a sharp smack on the back of his head as someone pushed him down.

"My head!" He whined as he held his head in pain.

"Oi! Who are these two?!" shouted one of the pirates. Usopp groaned as he looked up to see Nami and Aya.

"This isn't the time to be hypnotizing yourself. We've got a mission to carry out remember!?" shouted Aya.

Nami glared at the pirates. "That treasure is mine! And I'm not going to let you have a single beri, you hear me?! If fact you better clear out now or things are going to get bad!" She screamed, angrily, threatening them.

"Damn it, Nami. That's really hurt!" yelled Usopp. Nami looked at Usopp.

"Who said that you can give them my treasure?! You got what you deserved!" She shouted at him.

"I didn't give them the treasure, I just said that I would give it to them!" shouted Usopp. Nami rested her staff on her shoulder.

"That's the same thing and I just saved your life." She said, calmly. "I forgot to mention it earlier, but don't ever watch his ring that he's using. That weirdo is a hypnotist."

"Damn." Jango cursed under his breath.

"H-Hypnotist?" asked Usopp.

"So where's Luffy? He took off so fast, I figured that he'd be ahead of you!" asked Nami.

"I don't know. He either got lost or chickened out at the last minute." said Usopp as he got up.

"The only thing that can keep him from a fight is getting lost." Nami sighed. Usopp made his way up the slope to the two girls.

"I'm going to let you take command here. It's about time that you kick their butts." He said as He placed his hand on Nami's shoulder. She looked at him a look in disbelief.

"Yeah, lead the way, Nami." Aya smirked, crossing her arms. Nami frowned then looked back at Usopp.

"What?! What about you?" She shouted. "I can't take on a bunch of vicious pirates by myself, that's just suicide!"

"I'm a coward." He said as he pointed to his legs that were shaking.

"You think you're scared? What about me?!" exclaimed Nami.

"Don't yell at him!" Aya scolded. Usopp looked over Nami's shoulder at Aya. He felt his heart flutter, happy that she was helping him.

"He's already terrified as it is. You're not helping." Aya finished.

"Excuse me?!" said Usopp, feeling a little insulted. Nami ignored him and she turned to Aya.

"And what about you?! I don't see you jumping in. I saw the way you fight, you can take out these pirates no problem. How about you fight them?!" Aya laughed as she threw her hands in the air in defense.

"Hey, I'm strong, but not that strong. I can't fight all those pirates by myself." said Aya, shrugging her hands.

"You liar! You can so! Now get down there and kick their butts!" shouted Nami, grabbing Aya by the shoulders as she struggled to push her down the slope.

"How about you fight them?" asked Aya. She didn't move an inch while Nami tried to get her to budge. Nami sighed in frustration until an idea popped in her mind. She smirked.

"If I can't get through to her. Then I'll just mess with her ego! Hit her where it hurts!" thought Nami to herself.

"Oh I see, you're too scared to fight them." said Nami as she shrugged her hands. Aya frowned as she narrowed her eyes at her.

"Excuse me? I don't think I heard you right." said Aya.

"I don't blame you one bit. I would be scared going against blood thirsty pirates as well. " said Nami.

"Then how about you fight them then, you chicken." said Aya. "Prove to me that you have what it takes to be a pirate! To be a member of my brother's crew!" Nami twitched as she growled, angrily. "I already told you. I'll never be a pirate!"

Aya clucked as she flapped her arms like wings, mockingly.

"I beg to differ, chicken!" She said in a taunting tone of voice. Nami and Aya glared at each other as they got into each other's face.

"Uh, guys? The pirates?" stammered Usopp. He tried to get the two girls to stop arguing, who were literally butting heads with each other. The two of them quickly turned their heads looking at him with a scary look on their faces.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" shouted the two of them. Usopp cringed. The Black Cat Pirates watched the whole feud with interest, some of them whistled while others cat called.

"Cat fight!" Cheered one of them while some of them whistled and cat called until Jango interrupted.

"We don't have time for this nonsense." He said, annoyed. "Alright, let's get to work!" He commanded . The pirates roared and began to charge up the slope towards the three.

"Here, they come!" shouted Nami as she tensed up seeing the pirates getting closer. Then Usopp had an idea.

"Wait, I know!" He shouted. Then Usopp reached into his knapsack and pulled out some metal spikes and handed them to Aya and Nami.

Back at the other slope, Zoro was still trying to get out of the oil and was completely covered in it. He panted as he tried to catch his breath. "Nami, if you're still alive when I get out of here, I'm going to kill you!" He shouted in frustration. Then an idea came to his mind. Zoro used two of his swords and stabbed them into the ground as he began to climb. Finally, as he reached the top of the slope, he made it out of the slippery mess. Without wasting any time, Zoro immediately took off running.

"Now, where do I get to the north shore from here?" He grumbled to himself as he ran.

"Run straight north! Run straight north!" screamed Luffy as he ran blindly into the deep forest, He looked around wildly at his surroundings. He was completely lost.

"Which way is north?!" He shouted.

Back at the north shore, Usopp, Nami and Aya watched as the Black Cat Pirates howled in pain as they stepped on the metal spikes that were thrown all over the slope.

"Yes! We've got 'em!" Nami cheered.

"Check this out." said Usopp. He pulled out his slingshot and aimed it at the pirates and fired. With accurate precision, one of the pellets hit one of the pirates in the head.

"You bastard!" shouted one. Nami patted Usopp on the back.

"Way to go! You're quite the warrior after all!" She said. "It looks like you've got this handled, so I'll just take a break."

"Where do you think you're going?!" shouted Aya .

"But, you haven't done anything, yet?!" shouted Usopp. Nami screamed.

"What is it?" asked Usopp as he and Aya turned to see why the orange haired girl screamed.

"There are caltraps behind us." said Nami, sheepishly. Usopp jaw dropped. Aya had a look in disbelief. The two of them saw that the traps were laid behind them as well.

"IDIOT! You dropped those things behind us?!" shouted Usopp. Then Nami saw a pirates came up behind Usopp and Aya with a sledge hammer.

"Get out of the way!" She screamed as she tried to warn them. Aya's eyes widen and she quickly moved out of the way only to see the hammer swing down and hit Usopp as it made contact with his head. Usopp felt his ears ring and his vision became blurry as blood flowed from his head and mouth as he crashed to the ground with a thud.

"Usopp!" cried Aya.

The pirate smirked darkly and Nami and Aya gasped in horror.

"Don't tell me that you really thought that you're going to stop us down there?" said the pirate. "Let's go, fellas. Captain Kuro's waiting!" Then the pirate felt something grab onto his foot. He looked down and saw that it was Usopp.

"You again? Let go of me, you jackass!" said the pirate. "You want some more?!" He tried to shake Usopp off of him but he still latched on refusing to let go.

"I won't ever...let you step foot in that village!" Usopp panted as he tried to stand up. Blood ran down his face as he glared at the pirate. "All I did was lie, like I always do. Today, won't be like any other day in that sleepy little town, cause you and your crew will never set foot in it!"

"Shut up! I won't tell you again!" shouted another pirate as they charged at Usopp with a sword. As he was about to bring it down on Usopp a foot connected with the pirate's face, kicking him back. Usopp looked up and saw that it was Aya as she landed on the ground on her feet. He saw that she had a scary look on her face which sends shivers down his spine.

"COME AT ME, YOU COWARDS! I'LL KICK ALL YOUR ASSES RIGHT INTO DAVY JONES' LOCKER!" She roared out. A pirate charged at Aya from behind but she throw her fist back and punched him in the face.

Another pirate came at Nami with a sword and she tried to block it with her staff but she was pushed back. Nami fell to the ground. She grunted in pain as she felt the hard ground connected with her back.

"Nami!" Shouted Aya as she tried to dodge a swing from the pirate that was wielding the hammer.

"I would be more worried about myself, right now!" shouted a pirate as he and another pirate who came out of no where, catching Aya off guard. They charged at her from behind.

Aya's eyes widen as she felt herself being pushed back and she collided with side of the slope. She groaned in pain then looked up and glared up at the pirates who was smirking darkly at her. Then she began coughing violently, covering her mouth with her hand as she did. As she pulled her hand away, Aya saw a small amount of blood.

"Damn it..." She cursed under her breath, still coughing.

"Aya!" Usopp called out to her, worried.

Suddenly, the pirate with the hammer slammed his weapon down on Usopp again knocking him to the ground. His face connected with the ground as he did. The pirates laughed until Jango silenced them as he spoke.

"We've wasted enough time, playing pirates! Quit bothering with them and move to the village!" He shouted. "Or have you've forgotten that this is Captain Kuro's operation? He doesn't look favorably on anyone's who's late, especially a bunch of idiots! Do you understand?!"

The crew shuddered at the thought. They quickly charged up the slope heading towards the village.

"Don't go any further..." said Usopp as he tried to stop a pirate as he grabbed onto them. "I said stop! Don't take another step!"

"Get off me!" shouted the pirate. He kicked Usopp off of him, knocking the man back onto the ground.

"Don't kill them! Just leave this village alone! They're good people, they don't deserve this! I love them!" thought Usopp to himself. Tears began to fall from his eyes running down his cheeks.

Suddenly, the pirates were knocked back as they flew, falling down the slope. Usopp gawked at the sight of it. Jango and Nami had a look of surprise as well wondering who could have done such a thing. Aya looked then smirked at who she saw, Luffy and Zoro.

"What took you guys so long?" She asked.

"W-What is this, Captain Jango?!" shouted a pirate.

"Nobody told us that killers like those are going to be here!" shouted another. Jango had a look of fury and irritation on his face.

"It's about time!" mumbled Nami.

"Is that the best that those pirates can dish out?" asked Zoro as he looked down at the Black Cat Pirates who were laid out at the bottom of the slope with a disappointed look on his face.

"Yeah, I was hoping for a challenge." said Luffy disappointed as well, as he stretched his arm.

"And you! After leaving me down there, you're lucky that I go after you too!" growled Zoro as he glared at Nami. Then Zoro drifted his gaze over to Aya. He frowned as he saw her coughing violently. "Damn, she's having an attack." thought Zoro to himself.

"You just going to sit there or what?" said Zoro in a mocking tone of voice. "I thought that you were better than this." Aya blushed feeling embarrassed. Luffy tilted his head seeing Aya.

"What are you doing sitting on the ground? Why are you getting your ass kicked around by these guys?" He asked. He noticed her coughing and his eyes widen in worry. "ARE YOU SICK?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" He shouted.

"Shut up! I'm fine." She shouted as she coughed. "It's just dust. You know what it does to me."

"Oh, okay! Well, hurry up and get over here already!" shouted Luffy as he smiled. Zoro raised an eye brow at Luffy giving him a look in disbelief. "So he really doesn't know..." He thought to himself.

Then Aya reached into her pocket and pulls out her medicine, taking it. She stood up and brushed herself off.

"Usopp, you big bonehead! You never told me which direction is north!" shouted Luffy, angrily, as he glared at Usopp. Jango stared at the two with a skeptical look.

"Who are these guys?" He asked.

Outside of Kaya's mansion Klahadore was sitting on the stairs waiting. He growled in frustration wondering what was taking so long then stood up and grabbed his bag and walked off heading towards the North shore.

However, Onion was watching nearby as he his behind a tree seeing the butler.

"It looks like the butler from Kaya's mansion. But, it's so early in the morning, why is he walking to the shore?" He asked himself. He frowned in suspicion as he saw the butler walking off.

[thewritinglemon]

Summers in Mangan

Gem Bonifacio Remaneses was just a girl in my THEA 107 class back in 2016. She was the girl with straight, shoulder-length hair that juxtaposed the milky complexion of her skin. She was the girl with the rosy, round cheeks that are irresistible to pinch and with eyes that seemed to disappear when she smiles. In that class, there were only eleven of us—eleven who had to mount a production within two to three months, and eleven who grew closer to each other even after the production finished. Gem was a person I’ve never expected to be friends with partly because she always seemed to be a woman of a few words and I was the complete opposite. Yet, over the years, she has been one of the few people I can have a crazy laugh with about the smallest of things, sing karaoke shamelessly in KTV rooms, or down a few shots with at the local pubs. There are days when I don’t feel like I know her as much as I should, though. For one, I never knew she had two older brothers at least eight years older than her or that she was of Chinese descent.

Today, I had the opportunity to get to know her better. I sat down with her over dinner at Vat Cave, one of Los Baños famous eateries, and asked about her fondest memory when she was a child. What I got was beyond my expectations because she took me on a journey to an island a hundred miles away, to a place where another version of Gem was unknown to me, and to the house where her happiest memories during her childhood resided.

Gem’s family lived in Muntinlupa, but her father, Margarito T. Remaneses, Jr. was a native of Aklan. Every summer, he took his family back to his hometown where his parents and the rest of his siblings—eight, to be exact—lived. Their trips to Aklan filled Gem with excitement since she wanted to travel—to have a summer adventure where she could see and experience new places. And, of course, coming to Aklan meant playing in a big home with all twenty of her cousins.

The destination wasn’t all that matters. For Gem, the moment she stepped out of their Muntinlupa home, her adventure and misadventures began. The trip to Aklan was long, almost twelve to eighteen hours by land and sea. From Muntinlupa, Gem and her family took the bus to the pier in Batangas. In our conversation, she recalled a time when she was six years old, she and her father were the only ones going to Aklan in their family. Gem was already on the jam-packed bus when her father suddenly needed to use the loo. The bus was departing soon so he told her to tell the driver to wait for him, that he had to go to the loo.

“Lutang at medyo slow ako since birth so, di ko na-gets kaya ayon, nakatunganga lang ako. Tapos, biglang umandar ‘yung bus, wala pa tatay ko. Buti na lang, ‘yung isang matandang pasahero sinigaw sa driver na naiwan tatay ko kaya ayon, huminto,” she told me. “Mag-isa ako noon kung sakali na makakarating sa Batangas.”

In Batangas, they had to board a ship to Caticlan. Gem loved the blending notes of the salty scent of the sea and the metallic odor of the ship, more so, the glittering sea itself. After the ship docked at Aklan, they would take a tricycle to their aunt’s house nearby. Gem recalled another misadventure. During one particular trip, they docked in the middle of the night much earlier than their expected arrival tomorrow morning. They were stuck at the port since her aunt wasn’t answering. Eventually, Gem and her family decided to go there on foot, walking along the beach to the sound of waves gently lapping on the shore. It was a fond memory for her. Although she and her family were exhausted, Gem still had the energy to play a game of catch with the waves—running after the retreating waves and running away as they return to the shore.

“I don’t know when but eventually, we reached my aunt’s house,” Gem said. “I walked with soggy shoes that night.”

After stopping by her aunt’s house, Gem, her family, and her aunt would travel by bus to their grandmother’s home in Banga. The bus ride from Caticlan to Banga showcased the natural beauty of the province—the enigmatic mountains on one side and the glittering cerulean sea on the other. The closer they were to Banga, the cerulean and green were slowly replaced by lush green trees and then by the bustle of the barrio. In Banga, Gem and her family would disembark from the bus to meet her uncles who would then drive them to the house. It would take twenty to twenty-five minutes from the bayan to her grandmother’s house. When the asphalt ran out, the car would rock slightly as they traversed the dirt road leading to the house.

From the road, the huge house wasn’t visible as trees partly covered it. The first part of the estate one could see is the two large fishponds where Gem’s grandfather bred tilapia and hito. Bright pink water lilies juxtaposed the moss green waters of the ponds that flanked the road to the house. On one side, there was a mango tree where the tree house was built, and in one of the branches, hung a make-shift swing. The house was mansion-like in its size. The split-level home was painted in a pastel shade of yellow with dandelion-colored trims and moldings. Inside, there were two salas, six large bedrooms, a kitchen extension, and even an attic.  A blue tricycle sat beside a motorcycle under the house’s second level balcony. Around the back was Gem’s grandfather’s plantation where he grew different kinds of fruits.  

It was different from what Gem was used to. In Muntinlupa, their home was situated near the train tracks. She described a narrow alley, filled with a lot of neighbors, that she had to pass to get to their house. There was no playground, but Gem still found it more fun to improvise their play space and use her imagination. Every few hours, trains would rattle the neighborhood as it whistled by. She was usually alone in Muntinlupa, too, because her brothers were studying and her parents were working. Gem mused that the company she usually kept was that of her nanny who usually busied herself with her textmate.

In Mangan, she and her cousins would ride bikes and chase each other around. She had a vast plot of land as her playground instead of the narrow alleys. Sometimes, they would play hide and seek since there were a ton of places to hide in. There were no noisy trains that would scare her because the entire estate was peaceful—an epitome of provincial living. Gem wasn’t alone either because her titos and titas, lolos and lolas, and all twenty cousins were all there to care and play with her.

Sometimes, she and her father would visit one of the natural beauties of Manga—the mangrove reserves near New Washington. They would follow the long, winding trail that lead to the shallows. It would take them thirty minutes to reach the end but the serenity that the mangrove offered seem to heal their weary souls and soles. When they reach the end, they would just watch the tranquil waves glitter under the sun and enjoy the breeze.

In usual Gem humor, she joked. “sobrang fresh ng hangin dyan parang na-cleanse baga ko after.”

           While Aklan was a natural goldmine of flora, fauna, and people, it was also one of the oldest provinces in the Philippines and had been linked to many folklores about ghosts, monsters, and witches. Sometimes, the helpers around the house would tell Gem and her cousins scary stories like that of Teniente Gimo (even though Gimo was actually from Iloilo).

“Since malapit lang yung Aklan sa Capiz, kumalat din samin yung mga kwento nila tungkol sa mga aswang,” she explained. “May mga nagsasabi pa nga na yung iba raw lumipat sa Aklan.”

           Other stories involved the tiktik, a bird-like monster whose wings flapped louder when afar and softer when it was nearby; stories about recognizing aswangs by using an oil or langis that would boil if an aswang was nearby; and, the folk belief of looking between the legs to see if a person was an aswang were also a brief topic of our conversation. She also mentioned walking about Mangan and getting spooked by the Santo Niños she saw in houses and along the paths.

           I asked Gem about the best memories she had of the house, and I found out that it was the lazy afternoons she loved the most. It was those kinds of afternoons when she was left alone without anyone to play with because her older brothers and cousins had gone somewhere she couldn’t go. She would explore the estate, climb trees, look at snails at the fishponds, skip rocks, and eat siniguelas. Sometimes, she’d just laze around the treehouse and enjoy the summer breeze.

           All great memories are accompanied by bad ones. For Gem, it was coming back to the estate for her grandmother’s wake. Strangers littered the yard in front of the house and more filled the inside. She went inside the house to view her grandmother, thinking how her passing was surreal. Her grandmother’s passing changed a lot of things. The house began to lose some of the vibrancy that it had when she was alive. But perhaps, it was also growing up that made the estate feel smaller for Gem—hallways were now too narrow, the ceiling no longer as high as before, and the vast land behind the house wasn’t as spacious anymore because of her aunt’s newly erected house.

           Mangan has always been a place Gem can come home to, so she didn’t feel sad whenever they had to return to Muntinlupa. In recent years, however, she hasn’t been able to come back to the estate. “My last visit was in 2012,” she said. “As absurd as it may sound, we were all busy. We couldn’t visit as a family. Jobs had to be prioritized, too. It was just my father who goes on vacations sometimes.”

           Gem plans to visit the house in Mangan with her brothers after she graduates. What she told me was a poignant summary of what it’s like to grow up and to grow apart from what we are used to. She lamented, “I am aware that even if I come back, the Mangan that is in my memories is no longer there.”

           She told me once that she didn’t have a province to go home to because she lived in the city, but I believe she had Mangan. A place of peace. A place of endless summer days. It was the epitome of provincial in her mind. While it is true that it is no longer the place she knew back in her childhood, it is still a home that will always welcome her with open arms. _______________________________________________________________ An interview piece I wrote about my classmate and friend, Gem Remaneses, for our Expository Writing class.

[seattlish]

Today: Rally to sweep the Field of Dreams

(Image: Stop the Sweeps)

An unsanctioned homeless encampment called the Field of Dreams is slated to be swept by the City of Seattle tomorrow—and local activists are working to stop or delay it. 

The encampment, which is at the corner of Royal Brougham Way and Airport Way, has gotten substantially larger in the last few months, in large part because of the Mayor’s push to clear the Jungle, which ousted hundreds of residents without sufficient long-term shelter available. 

Around 75 people live in the self-governed encampment. 

The Neighborhood Action Coalition, a grassroots organization, has scheduled a rally for today at  1:30pm, and is encouraging people to contact the City and sign this petition. 

“The members of the Neighborhood Action Coalition have pledged to show up for their neighbors during politically hostile times; that is why we are organizing to show up in solidarity with our houseless neighbors who are being chased around this city having their belongings stolen from them,” says activist Kaya Axelsson. “We know that adequate services are not in place to help transition and support these folks during these sweeps, so to me, all they are is theft of property and demonstrations of state intolerance towards the houseless community. We are working with a coalition of community groups to offer the city council a community based and houseless person-centered alternative set of solutions to the sweep on Tuesday.”

The Mayor’s fancy dog homelessness guy, Scott Lindsay, sent a letter to most of the City Council in February (but not, according to the Stop the Sweeps group, CM Kshama Sawant) noting that the sweep would occur, stating that the Union Gospel Mission (a religious organization that offers shelters but not long-term supportive housing) had been visiting the site to offer outreach for some time. 

However, Lindsay’s letter doesn’t get at the crucial problem relating to sweeps and encampments, which is that there simply is not enough transitional housing or other services for folks who are living outside. Many residents take a pass on the services which are offerend not because they would rather be homeless, but because the services are insufficient or do not meet their needs. 

Still, the sweep is set for tomorrow. 

Despite attempts from the Council to meaningfully change the protocol for sweeping encampments to ensure that residents would be permitted to remain if no other shelter was available, the City continues to clear areas that are otherwise unused by public or private entities and force people living outside to go elsewhere.

Mayor Ed Murray has consistently touted his own efforts to bring people indoors, however, his single biggest proposed solution, the Navigation Center, remains in the planning stage three months after it was promised. 

The Nav Center has encountered a new hiccup, as well; the Friends of Little Saigon, who Murray’s office has previously sided with when fighting the Council on the proposed sweep legislation (Seattlish was told by two different sources that the FLS were actively courted by the Mayor’s people to come opposed the legislation; unfortunately, a PDR request filed by Seattle was left unfulfilled by the City so we can’t confirm that), seem to have had enough of being used as a pawn. 

In a letter to the Mayor, the Friends of Little Saigon wrote that they “are gravely concerned when this executive power is used to further marginalize and endanger refugees and immigrants by bypassing permitting, public process, and zoning requirements.”

The Chinatown/ID neighborhood was one of the most heavily impacted by Murray’s Jungle sweep, which fueled the Friends of Little Saigon’s opposition to the proposed legislation. This morning, they were out in front of City Hall protesting. 

A recent study from the City found that more than 40% of folks living outside have some kind of job (20% report that they can’t work due to disability or injury), the vast majority are from the City of Seattle, and many ended up outside due to a lack of affordable housing options. 

And last week, the Seattle Times reported that close to 2,100 people signed up for a lottery for a new low-income building in South Seattle—which has just over 100 units. 

The City’s pilot program of sanctioned encampments and tiny house villages has been well-received; the locations have been relatively crime-free and have yet to cause the complete crumbling of the neighborhoods that housed people warned about. However, with just a few hundred spaces total (and several thousand living unsheltered on a given night), it’s should surprise no one that communities form where they can.

Mayor Ed Murray promised that sweeping the Jungle would cut down on crime and improve the City—he touted the sex trafficking in the encampment (which is a known issue throughout the city and is certainly not specific to communities of people living outside) and the gun violence—but so far, it’s mostly just pushed more people into plain sight and filled the deeply unpleasant nightly shelters some evenings. 

Without a real plan to change the way we help unsheltered people who deign to set up a dry-ish place outside where we can see them, we’re just chasing people around and stealing their things.

Take a late lunch and head to this rally if you can. 

[esdeathera]

08/30/19

Mari broke my heart into pieces but it's my fault. I violated his privacy and that's unforgivable. He can no longer trust me. I can no longer trust him either. We're over. Hindi naman na masesave 'tong relasyon na 'to. I'm just going to go there so we can talk. After no'n, focus na ako sa buhay ako, walang siya at ako. Walang kami. Walang kahit na anong may kinalaman sa kaniya. I'm going to move on from my life. Think about my family, think about myself. Kahit ano. I've been proving myself to him. I've gave every bit of me for him to love me back. That's toxic. Forcing someone to love you back? That's bullshit.

"Lalo kitang aayawan."

"Nakakaturn off"

"Nakakagago"

"Botchog"

"Tangina neto"

Those are just one of the things that he uttered to me. Those hurtful words that could never be repay with anything. I loved him dearly, but do I deserve this kind of treatment? This would be the shittiest relationship that I've had. Sobrang nawala ko sarili ko rito. Mas nawala pa kaysa sa noong nakilala ko si Joel. 'Yong kay Joel nakayanan ko kaagad. Itong kay Mako, hindi. Walang mangyayari. Hindi ko talaga kaya na.

Is it necessary to tell those things just because he's jealous? I've been jealous for the whole fucking time but I still act calmly. I didn't say anything. Ako pa nga sumuyo noong nagalit siya and it's actually happening again right now. But this time, it will be over for the two of us.

It's over for us.

He removed his relationship status on Facebook. He's now single in the eyes of everyone. He's now free again! While me, I'm still in love with the fact that I love him, that I will never ever get over from him. Ganoon naman yata? Binigay ko kasi halos lahat sa kaniya. Wala nang natira sa akin. Ubos na ubos na ako. Siya na lang talaga, sa kaniya na lang ako kumukuha ng lakas.

If I'm going to vanish right now and let him cool off, will he miss me? Will he chat me again and say, "hey! bati na tayo, mahal na mahal pala kita. hindi ko kayang wala ka sa'kin."

I can actually beg him all day if I have enough time. Pero mahalaga rin trabaho ko bukas, sobrang mahalaga 'yon kaya hindi pwede. Kung pupuntahan ko siya ngayon, walang mangyayari. Malelate pa ako sa work niyan baka mawala pa ako bigla.

I'll go there Friday night. Wait for him to see me. Kahit ano, basta maghihintay ako roon. Kahit anong mangyari, maghihintay ako. Wala man siya ro'n o madaling araw na uuwi, maghihintay ako. Mapahamak man ako (which is much better for me), maghihintay ako.

I can't say that this would be the last time that I'm going to do it for him. Kasi ngayon, hindi ko na rin naman na talaga alam. Nababaliw na nga ako, e. Gustong-gusto ko kasi talaga siya. Mahal na mahal ko 'yong tao pero I know better. I don't fucking deserve this. I don't fucking deserve to be treated this way. I deserve more than this fucked up treatment.

Ano na, Chezka? Is this the best thing that you can do? Fight until you bleed? Fight until you can no longer bleed? Is this what you want to happen? To die while fighting for the love that you want? Hindi na baleng ikaw 'yong masaktan basta maayos kayo? Kahit ikaw na 'yong nahihirapan, ayos lang kasi mahal mo? Gano'n ba 'yon? Lahat willing kang tanggapin kasi mahal mo? Kahit anong insulto mula sa mga kaibigan niya, ayos lang sa'yo kasi mahal mo?

Is it really wrong to have trust issues? I never experienced being loved fully. To be loved by someone without any boundaries, to be loved without asking for them to do it for me. Maling-mali ba ako kasi inisip ko sarili ko bago 'yong iba? Mali ba kasi mahal ko talaga 'yong tao kahit na hindi naman ako 'yong gusto? Kahit na hindi ako 'yong pinipili kasi hindi ako kapili-pili?

My last straw would be our picture together that he made as his profile picture as well as my picture that he posted on Instagram. Kapag nawala na 'yong mga 'yon, wala na talaga. He gave up on me.

If ever that he's already fed up, I'm willing to let him go. Let him chase his dreams, support him on everything. Kasi that's what he deserves. I want nothing but pure happiness for him. Kung saan siya masaya, sasaya na rin ako para sa kaniya.

3:16am

Still awake. I'm going to risk everything for him tomorrow. Hindi ko alam kung paano pero susugal ako mamayang gabi. Pupunta ako roon kahit walang kasiguraduhan kung lalabas siya o ano. Kung kakausapin niya ba ako o hindi. Ewan ko. Sana kausapin niya ako. Magdadala na rin akong extra na damit bukas just in case makituloy ako kung kanino. This love might kill me but it should be worth it. Let it be worth it. Please, give this chance to me. Kahit ito lang. Hindi ko na rin kasi talaga alam gagawin ko, e. Mababaliw na ako.

8:48am

I fell asleep at exactly 5am and I woke up earlier than my alarm. It's quite funny because this is the first time. Napanaginipan ko pa si Mako na sinasabing tama na raw at ayos na kami. Hindi naman pala totoo kasi nagising ako, e. That's another disappoinment to start my day. Walang-wala na akong will. Dati ginaganahan pa akong gumising sa umaga. Sobrang saya pa kapag gigising ako para makausap siya kahit na sandaling chat lang. Ngayon, wala talaga kahit isa.

I checked his IG account and he posted something, like a video of him playing guitar. Nagpost din siya ng myday niya saying, "Gonna get old, being hardheaded. I need to attend on yogas n shit."

Quite true. He's turning into someone na sobrang daling uminit ng ulo. Nakakatawang isipin na he can actually talk ill about me behind my back without thinking about what would I feel. Nakakatawang isipin na after all this time, after all the shits na nagawa niya, I still love him.

Kung magiging maayos kaya kaming dalawa, magiging mas maayos kaya kami o hindi na? Tatag ba kami o hindi na? Para sa akin, parang hindi na. May lamat na kasi. Wala na talaga. Hahahaha. Kung magkakaayos kami, parang babalikan na lang niya ako dahil sa awa. Habang ako? Mahal na mahal pa rin siya.

At least, I'm not trying to convince him to love me because I have suicidal tendencies. I've been suicidal for almost who knows how long. Tagal ko nang pinagdadaanan 'to sa sarili ko. Ang tagal ko nang sinusubukang isipin kung ano bang mali sa akin at bakit ganito ako.

Naalala ko sabi niya pa, bakit daw sobrang hilig kong magshare sa Facebook ng mga indirect shits para sa kaniya. Hindi naman 'yon para sa kaniya. Natawa lang ako kaya ko shinare. I find it really funny the reason why I shared it. May mali ba ro'n? Yes, nag-tweet ako noon tungkol sa kaniya pero 'yon 'yong time na hindi na kami nag-uusap. Ang tagal na no'n. Bakit daw sobrang hilig ko magshare, magscreenshot, mag-ewan. Hahahaha.

Okay, I'm gonna keep everything to me until I got used to it. Ibibigay ko pa rin 'yong pagmamahal na gusto niya, I'm gonna love him still. Pero kung ayaw niya na, mamahalin ko pa rin hanggang sa maubos paunti-unti. Hanggang sa maging okay na ako.

Sana kaya ko. Sana dumating 'yong araw na tatawanan ko na lang lahat nang 'to kasi ayon nga, ang tanga-tanga ko. Dahil lang sa lalaki nagkakaganito ka?

Sobrang bobo mo naman, Chezka.

I can't really trust his friends. They're like evil whispering to his ears, invading his mind, for him to do something bad. Sinong matinong tropa 'yong yayayain mo siya kung saan na alam mong may mga babae? Irereto mo sa iba? Alam mong dapat kami lang pero magsasama ka ng iba? Sinong matinong tropa 'yong kinukunsinte pa kamalian ng tropa nila?

It's his friends. Solid, 'no? Sobrang solid simula Junior high. Sobrang solid na mapapamura na lang ako kasi ang solid talaga nila. Putanginang solid nga talaga.

But yeah, he's not just a random guy to me. He's my everything right now. I can't lose him easily. Hindi ko siya pwedeng maiwala ngayon. I've worked hard fo earn him tapos ako rin dahilan bakit siya mawawala sa'kin? Tinanong ko siya kung mahal niya ako, hindi niya masagot. Ewan daw.

Ah, baka hindi na? Baka wala na talaga. Baka hindi na nga niya talaga ako mahal. Hindi naman niya siguro talaga ako mahal. Parang wala lang sa kaniya kahit magkaganito ako.

Baka nga hindi niya ako mahal talaga. Baka nasanay lang siya sa presensya ko, naging komportable lang siyang nandiyan ako, kaya akala niya mahal niya na ako.

That's possible and makes a lot of sense. Puta, ang sakit nga lang kung sakaling totoo. Kasi ako, mahal ko siya talaga, e. Tapos siya, mahal lang ako kasi komportable sa'kin. Hahahahahaha. Galing, no'n. Nakakabaliw lalo. Tangina, Mako! Nakakabaliw ka kamong mahalin.