#makati date

[msmarveles]

[ghostofhyuck]

NCT Dream as your manliligaw

AN: This is written in filipino, check the english ver here! i just wrote a filo version because i'm feeding into my delulu with Dreamies as filipino manliligaw. Kung sino man yung nag-request na ito, salamat sa iyo beh HAHAHAHAHA sana maka-secure ka ng tds3 tickets <3

Mark Lee

Mark Lee as your manliligaw means botong-boto ang magulang mo sa kanya. Mabait, sweet, tapos palaging nagmamano kapag bumibisita sa inyong bahay. Tapos palagi pang sumasama sa inyo tuwing Linggo kapag sisimba. PUTANGINA. Close pa siya sa mga bata mong kapatid o pinsan, palaging hinahanap sa iyo, nasaan daw si "Kuya Mark." Mark Lee na marunong mag-gitara kaya hinaharana ka, kung anong kanta kayang-kaya niya. Siguradong may isang opm song na dinedicate niya sa iyo (Cup of Joe panigurado o Adie). Napakilala mo na siguro siya sa buong angkan mo tapos botong-boto sila sa kanya. Kailan mo ba iyan sasagutin, huwag mo na raw pakawalan.

Huang Renjun

Huang Renjun as your manliligaw means palagi kayong nasa coffee shop tumatambay. Sinasamahan ka niya mag-aral habang siya gumagawa ng plates niya. Palagi ka niyang nililibre ng drinks at siguradong saulo na niya yung order mo, paminsan nga may kasama pang pastry. Renjun na isang fine arts major, kaya in the random moments, magugulat ka na lang mukha mo na pala ang kanyang ginuguhit. Sobrang romanticized life mo kapag kasama mo siya. Kahit pa nagcocommute lang kayo sa jeep kapag kasama mo siya, parang ang saya ng buhay mo. At some point gumala siya sa Dangwa tas binilhan ka ng flower bouquet kasi trip niya lang tapos dadalhin ka sa Intramuros habang palubog na araw. OH DIBA ANG SWEET. 

Lee Jeno

Lee Jeno as your manliligaw means ang swerte mo. GIRL!? Ilang buwan pa lang siya nanliligaw pero sobrang komportable mo na around him. Ang sweet, tapos palagi ka niyang sinusundo sa school mo OR if pareho kayo ng university, inaabangan niya na matapos klase mo tapos foodtrip kayo sa labas. Madalas tumatambay lang kayo sa condo niya kasi napaka-nonchalant naman na 'to. Pero okay lang, kasi kapag inaaya ka niya mag-date, gandahan mo ang damit mo kasi it's either sa Makati or around BGC kayo kakain. Si Jeno rin yung kapag naglalakad kayo, nasa may kalsada siya banda tapos inaasod ka talaga doon sa lakaran para safe ka, hawak niya kamay mo, tapos tinatabi ka niya kapag may mabubunggo ka na tao HUY.

Lee Donghyuck

Lee Haechan as your manliligaw means may clingy ka na manliligaw! Palaging may update para sa iyo, palagi kang may 'good morning, ingat ka palagi' tapos tinatawag ka in the most random nickname. Hindi nakakasakal, sobrang comforting pa sa iyo. Palaging nandiyan para sa iyo, para pakinggan lahat ng rants mo sa buhay tapos yayakapin ka na lang kasi grabe, ang comforting siguro ng hugs niya. Si Haechan na kahit clingy, hinahayaan kang gumala o kaya sinamahan ka sa mga inuman (kapag inaya mo siya) para in case na malasing ka, nandiyan siya para ihatid ka niya pauwi kasi may tiwala magulang mo sa kanya eh, "Pass pre, ihahatid ko pa ito." GANYAN SIYA ANO BA!

Na Jaemin

Na Jaemin na manliligaw mo means botong-boto magulang mo pt. 2. Sweet, caring, tapos palaging may dalang pagkain tuwing bibisita sa inyo. Eto yung manliligaw mo na may kotse kaya hatid-sundo ka palagi. Sinisigurado na nakapasok ka na sa loob ng bahay niyo bago siya umalis, tapos may "nakauwi na po ako <3" update kapag nakauwi na siya kasi ayaw niyang nag-aalala ka. Sa sobrang boto ng magulang mo sa kanya, hinahayaan na nila ikaw magpagabi kasama si Jaemin. Palagi kayong may roadtrip. Tatambay sa NLEX/SLEX stopover, bibili ng pagkain, tapos nakaupo lang sa kotse habang nagkekwentuhan, nag-aasaran, momol EME. 

Zhong Chenle

Zhong Chenle as your manliligaw means sobrang spoiled ka. Palaging may regalo para sa iyo, kung ano man ang gusto mo. Plushie sa Miniso, Sonny Angels or Smiski, bibilhan ka niya iyon. Madalas kasi kapag nakakakita siya ng mga cute na bagay, naaalala ka niya. Pipicturan niya tapos ipapadala sa iyo. Magugulat ka na lang binili na pala niya iyon para sa iyo. Si Chenle na parte ng varsity team ng inyong university kaya naman todo bigay kapag nandiyan ka para manood ng laban nila. Kikindatan ka kapag naka-score o kaya ituturo ka ALAM MO IYON, tapos binigay niya yung spare jersey niya sa iyo kapag tapos na ang uaap season YIEEEEEE. 

Park Jisung

Park Jisung as your manliligaw na napaka-mahiyain sa una. Noong una kayong nagkita ang awkward! Sa may ihawan kayo sa labas ng uni niyo napadpad tapos ang tahimik pero naglakas-loob naman siya na kausapin ka. Siya nagbayad sa first date niyo kahit na you insist na hati na lang kayo, tapos hinatid ka niya sa dorm mo o sa sakayan! Simula non, naging routine niyo na na hinahatid ka niya bago siya umuwi, tapos siya palaging may dala ng bag mo para hindi ka mabigatan SHET. Tapos si Jisung na mahilig na katawagan ka tuwing gabi, messenger vidcall man iyan o discord call, basta marinig niya lang boses, tapos mag-uusap kayo tungkol sa walang-kwentang mga bagay. HAYSTT!!

[nice2meetyouu]

1) Ilang linggo ko nang naiisip 'to pero bakit para nang instagram 'yung tumblr dashboard ko? Hindi naman sa ayaw ko ng pictures, pero halos walang mabasang text post... kaya sinusuyod ko minsan isa-isa 'yung mga finafollow ko. Nagpopost pa rin naman sila ng mga paragraph.

2) Gusto ko nang maging okay. Ayoko nang mag-ruminate at ma-anxious about the future na wala pa naman. Sinasabi ko sa sarili ko, ano bang definition ko ng success? Chill naman 'yung trabaho ko, nagagawa ko gusto ko, may pera ako. Pero hindi ako mapakali. Hindi ko na alam anong growth pa ang gusto ko. (Hindi ko sinasabing perfect ako, lost lang sa kung saan na ako papunta, anong direksyon ang tatahakin; parang nagstay lang ako sa same point—may masama ba dun?)

3) Last year tinanong ako ng manager namin kung wala raw ba akong ka-date. Kitang nagtatrabaho habang February 14 eh. Pero ang pinagkaiba, last year, hindi naman ako bitter. Enjoy lang sa life. This year... sigh. Akala ko nakahanap na ako ng "home". Nag-sign na ako ng verbal contract, nag-downpayment na, pero wala. Evicted.

4) May nakita akong post sa isang fb group. Bumili sya ng condo sa Makati pero hindi sya masaya kasi pakiramdam nya, obligasyon lang, at hindi fulfilling. Practical na decision kaysa magrent daw. Gusto nya raw maging digital nomad. Naaliw ako sa chaos ng feelings at decision-making niya about that property. Wala akong judgment. Nafeel ko lang na hindi ako ganu'n ka-weird; may worries din talaga ang ibang tao. At kahit nga practical ang desisyon mo, minsan hindi ka pa rin nagiging masaya o fulfilled.

[etes-secrecy-post]

Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

My Wangan Maxi Tune Career Returns 2024 Edition [Timezone Arcade Araneta City Gateway Mall II & Gateway Cinema] - Part 7 [First Half] (Recorded: Jun 19th, 2024)

Hey, hey! It’s me! 😁 And welcome back for another installment of "My Wangan Maxi Tune Career"! I returned in 2022, and now I'm continue it, this 2024. Yes, it's been a while. I haven't shared my WMMT's play progress in this current year, with the last record I posted was on May 31st, 2023 (Pls, go check it out in the "previous" section) before it went into troubles. And by that, I'm talking about my PC desktop problem. *sigh* 😫😔 Nevertheless, I have now SO MANY photos and screenshots that need to be uploaded on my current social media sites right away before I move on to my current update.

Once again, If you haven't seen my "first & second half" of "Part 6", then please check out my "previous" down below (w/ highlight).

IMPORTANT NOTE(S):

#1: Once again, no #OnThisDay throwback post for this date.

(And) #2: Whoever say's "FFA" was making me unhappy... 😥 Because I can't find the acronym on the Google search... This is why, this game is not ready to meet. Even though, they've already launched the old vanilla installment.*sigh* 😔

So, without further ado, let's get started:

1st to 6th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• [1st to 3rd Images] June 19th, 2024, I'm here at the specific TZ Arcade branch in Araneta City Gateway Mall II, with my two beloved paper dolls (🐻👨‍🍳 Chowder & Panini 🐰👩‍🍳). Upon entering the said mall and TZ branch, the atmosphere was pretty nice and clean, much like I visited every TZ branch. Anyway, I've redeemed the ₱200 free Power Load coupon through my gold membership TZ Power Card 💳🕹️😁, with an additional ₱150 load for a good measure 💵. However, there's one problem though... There's no Wangan Maxi Tune cabinet at this particular TZ branch. 😥 Damn, it'll be better if I play it inside this awesome atmosphere, alas it ain't happened. 😓 So, should go back to Trinoma where I previously played? 🤔 Nah, because as far as I know, there's another TZ branch located somewhere at the huge "Araneta City" mall. So, I venture myself to search for another TZ branch with my trusty Google Maps app 🗺️📲, in about a 1 hour ⌚.

• [4th to 6th Images] And said an hour later, I finally found another TZ branch located at the OG Gateway Cinema. 🎞️🕹️😃 Huh, you know what, the layer reminds me of going to the Ayala Glorietta mall in Makati City, where there's a TZ branch beside the Cinema. And that was my "Real Life Story". 😁📖 I was in my High School days 🧑‍🎓🏫 (3rd year High School to be specific; 2010 to 2011) when my former BF ("Best Friend") 👤 invited me to a meet-up for playing a music rhythm arcade game (named "DJ MAX Technika" 👇🎶🎧) at the aforementioned Glorietta TZ branch, which I suck at it. But, I was also playing my debuted "Wangan Maxi Tune 3DX Plus" 🚘🌃🛣️ arcade, which is my preferred over that music rhythm. 😊 Yeah, who doesn't love playing arcades after watching an awesome movie (say the new upcoming Disney movies, etc..). I've been there, but I never actually attempted that in my life. 😥 As for the actual arcade branch, it matches my memories back in 2012 😊, and no doubt this is one of the most unique branches unlike the Glorietta branch because besides the TZ branch was this Taco Bell / Pizza Hut stand, which is an awesome nice touch if I want it to grab something delicious Taco/Pizza from the "Yum" brands! My paper dolls loves eating Taco/Pizza! Yum! 🌮🍕😋 Sadly, I don't have funds for ordering food. Bummer... 😥😓

7th & 8th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• Okay, let's move on to the Maxi Tune experience, with "The Speedster Twins" w/ their Impreza cars! 🐶🇯🇵🚘🟥🔵🌸🐰🇯🇵🚘 So, without further ado, let's bring out the twins! Take it away! 😊

Spot 🐶🏎️ & Riya 🐰🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket & Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined respectively]: Thank you, creator! 😄

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: Actually, you go first Spot because you've received something cool! 😃

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Why thank you, Ri! 😃 Yeah, I've got my first-ever marker in my Maxi Tune experience! I'm sure it's nothing knew, but here it is! That so-called "New Driver" 🔰 always embraces me throughout my childhood, including you Ri!

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: Yes, sir! I think it looks good on you, you know! A Japanese symbol for any kind of beginners! Whether you're a beginner in trading card games, a skillful chef, or whatever you desire! 🔰😀

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: You bet! For us, it is a symbol of our beginners as a Maxi Tune player! Even though I've been there since 2011 and then you followed in 2013. 😊

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: You're correct, twin bro! 😊 Hey, let's move on to our "Story Mode" journey, shall we? 📖🚘🙂

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Yeah, sure! 🙂

9th to 22nd Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• Spot & Riya's Maxi Tune "Story Mode" Journey 📖🚘:

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Let's proceed to our Maxi Tune "Story Mode" journey, with the continuation of "Garage ACE" second half. 📖🚘

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: Yes, sir! However, we have a problem with the steering wheel. 🙁The maneuver is completely jaggy over solid & sturdy wheel. 👎

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Yeah! These previous aggressive jerks doesn't know how to respect the machine , or fixing it from the mechanic employee! 😑

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: Yeah, does this came from the "PVP" matches? 🤨

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: *Sigh* What do you think, Ri? 🤨 But, all that aside, we've continue it anyway, and I've lost my ("5") winning streak because of the aforementioned jaggy steering wheel! 😫 I'm so frustrated! 😠 Ri? What about you!?

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: Well, I carried on and I continued my winning streak! 🤷‍♀️

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: YOU WHAT!? 😳 HOW THE HECK DID YOU DO THAT?! 😲

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: *Sigh* I was so lucky, that I haven't got the same fate as yours. And while it was challenging with the jaggy wheel, I put in on my best and I've got 45 wins (now 46) on my winning streak. 😮‍💨 *Phew* What a sign of relief for me, Spot... 😩

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Lucky you, Riya. Looks like, I'm about to re-climb my winning mountain once again. *Sigh* 😩

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: But hey, on the bright side, our Impreza cars are now at "Level 9, Step 33"! 🔧⚙️🚘 With the last stop to "Fully Tuned" 🔥🚘 is completing "The Legendary F1 Turbine" stories! Eh, Spot? Do you think, you can handled "10 wins" on your winning streak? 😁😉

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Heck, yeah! You're right, Ri! I can handle it! 💪😁 One last level and our cars were "Fully Tuned"! LET'S GO! 😃

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: *pat on his back* Awesome, there ya go! Uh yeah, should you changed your title, with this awesome "Tune Maximism"!? 🙂 I've already update my title, though! 😁

Spot 🐶🏎️ [wearing Teenage Dogday's attire w/ Teenage Dogpressed's jacket]: Sounds cool, but I'm gonna save that title via Wangan Navi App. 🚘📲😊

Riya 🐰🏎️[wearing Teenage Hoppy and Teenage Catnap's clothes combined]: Sounds fair, and that includes our Maxi Tune "Story Mode" journey, with us! 📖🚘😊

○ Unfortunately, this is far as I go for now owing to the limitation of Tumblr’s photo upload. But don't fret because I've posted my "second half", right here → [CLICK ME!]. 😉 ○

In the meantime, that’s all for now. More Wangan Maxi experience, coming up soon.

If you haven’t seen my 2019 Wangan Maxi Tune 6 & Wangan Navigator app (on the alternate blog), then I’ll provide some links down below. ↓😉

My Wangan Maxi Tune 6 Experience:

My WMMT6 Progress (2019): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7, Part 7½, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14 [Final] (The Last WMMT6 Update)

My Wangan Navigator app (2019): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14 [Final]

My WMMT6RR Progress (2022 - present): Part 1 [Nov 19th, 2022], Part 2 [Nov 19th, 2022], Part 3 [Nov 19th, 2022], Part 4 [Final] [Dec 28th, 2022], Part 5 [first half], Part 5 [second half], Part 5 [third/final half], Part 6 [first half], Part 6 [second half]

Also check out my previous Maxi Tune installments:

• WMMT5DX - [CLICK ME! #1], [CLICK ME! #2], [CLICK ME! #3], [CLICK ME! #4 (The Last 5DX Update)]

• WMMT5DXPlus (All in chronological date) - [CLICK ME! #1], [CLICK ME! #2], [CLICK ME! #3], [CLICK ME! #4], [CLICK ME! #5], [CLICK ME! #6], [CLICK ME! #7], [CLICK ME! #8], [CLICK ME #9], [CLICK ME! #10], [CLICK ME! #11], [CLICK ME! #12], [CLICK ME! #13], [CLICK ME! #14], [CLICK ME! #15], [CLICK ME! #16], [CLICK ME! #17], [CLICK ME! #18], [CLICK ME! #19], [CLICK ME! #20], [CLICK ME! #21], [CLICK ME! #22], [CLICK ME! #23], [CLICK ME! #24], [CLICK ME! #25], [CLICK ME! #26], [CLICK ME! #27], [CLICK ME! #28], [CLICK ME! #29], [CLICK ME! #30], [CLICK ME! #31], [CLICK ME! #32], [CLICK ME #33], [CLICK ME #34], [CLICK ME #35], [CLICK ME #36], [CLICK ME #37], [CLICK ME #38], [CLICK ME #39], [CLICK ME #40], [CLICK ME #41], [CLICK ME! #42], [CLICK ME! #43], [CLICK ME! #44], [CLICK ME! #45], [CLICK ME! #46], [CLICK ME! #47], [CLICK ME! #48], [CLICK ME! #49], [CLICK ME! #50], [CLICK ME! #51 (The Last 5DX+ Update)]

[sujiwonhao]

Someone New (Part I)

read the prologue here

Upon the quick exchange of names, I took it upon myself to finish the conversation. I can already feel the heat creeping its way to my cheeks.

"I found a book I'm interested in, I'll get going. See you around, Santi."

"Sav, wait!" I heard him call for me as I was about to leave the aisle that I'm in.

"Hm?"

"I know this is very straightforward of me but would you like to grab coffee? It's on me." He smiled sheepishly.

I can't help but giggle at his gesture. I'm not an impulsive person but something about Santi oozes calm & safety.

A quick coffee date won't hurt.

"I was about to go to the cafe after this anyway, I don't mind. You're not a serial killer, right?" I joked.

"Oh no, not at all! I just think that you look really lovely and don't want to pass on the chance of getting to know you." He answered, his eyes looking at the tiled floor, he was almost out of breath with how fast he talked.

He's so cute. Fuck.

"Hey, I was just kidding! You look way too good to be a killer. So, which cafe?"

"Wildflour. You good with that, Sav?"

I love how my name rolls off his tongue…

"Sounds good to me."

As we were lined up at the cashier waiting for our turn to pay for the books we found interesting, Santi grabbed the ones I was holding and paid for it with his card.

I offered to have what he spent transferred to his bank account but he declined.

"Just consider this a 'thank you' gift since you agreed to have coffee with me."

"But you're going to pay for our coffee date already." I whined, feeling kind of embarrassed that he's spoiling me this early.

"Okay, okay." He put his arms up, as if it's like he's surrendering."How about you pay for our next coffee date, hm?" He tilted his head to the side making him look like a cute fox.

"Fine. Next date is on me." I replied, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.

Santi was so smooth with it, he was able to secure a second date and we haven't even started the first one.

As we were about to enter the cafe, he opened the door for me and held my waist to guide me inside.

I was electrified at the touch. But I tried to keep my cool, holding his toned arm as we walked to our table.

Talking to Santi felt like a breath of fresh air, he was invested and also shares a part of him into the conversation. I've only known the guy for more than a hour but I already feel safe with him.

We got to know each other better — he's 27 and works at a law firm in Makati. He has a cat named Pepper and has been with him after he graduated from law school. His family lives overseas so he lives alone (but technically with his cat), since he decided that it's a better idea to just continue his blooming career in his homeland than to start from scratch.

In return, I told him that I teach literature at a nearby university and had only been doing so for more than a year. I also told him that I live alone but without any pets since my landlord won't let me. When he asked me about my family, I simply told him that they're in Cavite and that I don't have a close relationship with them given that I'm an illegitimate child.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." He looked at me with apologetic eyes.

"It's fine, I don't mind sharing this fact with other people. It is what it is." I shrugged.

I can already tell that he's a man of depth and character. Santi, despite being soft-spoken, emits confidence just with the way he talks —he's straightforward, knows what to say, and gets his own way. He's a lawyer after all. I wonder what he thinks about me...

As we finished our food and downed our coffee, we decided to go for a walk to burn some calories. He was carrying the paper bag filled with books with his left hand while I was holding onto his right arm. I didn't even notice how comfortable I've gotten with him since I'm not really a touchy person but something in me just wanted to be closer to him.

It was now 7 PM when we decided to call it a day, he offered me a ride to my apartment which I accepted. Santi opened the door of the passenger seat and guarded my head with his hand as I entered his car. He then went to the other side of the car to start the engine.

Being in an enclosed space with Santi is making me feel nauseous. I did say that I'm comfortable with his presence but this is different. Especially when he tried to buckle my seatbelt for me, his face inches away from mine.

And that's when I decided to take the risk instead of losing the chance.

-

[bbarican]

october 21, 2023; 8:59 pm - weekend

hi tumblr, happy weekend! kamusta naman kayo? how are your weekends so far?

as usual, just dropping by to post some updates here (usually and mostly for myself but if you do end up reading these, thank you ♡)

personal:

today was super lovely, we ended up going to makati for lunch and a bit of shopping

my mom bought us new sunnies and im super happy kasi i have new pair to wear to our trips soon

we tried sunnies coffee's spanish latte and tbh sobrang sarap niya as in super high quality ng lasa niya not like pick up coffee or but first coffee (imo!) which i kind of expected na ganun yung lasa niya kasi theyre primarily not a brand that sells drinks talaga to begin with but it was a 10/10 for me; im excited to try their matcha tho

i decluttered my closet and i feel so light and happy about it kasi super konti nalang talaga yung natira and im 300% sure na yung mga tinira ko is sinusuot ko naman talaga

the clothes i took out, i plan on donating sa h&m since they do offer vouchers in return so im excited to do that too

food today was good too, we had shake shack for lunch, then i made my favorite cheesy bread with hot honey for dinner

im excited for tomorrow kasi my dad is finally back from japan!

im so excited for 1989 taylor's version too! i keep forgetting na i really like the songs on this album pala talaga

its my mom's birthday next week and im just excited to spend it with her; im sad na i dont have extra money to get her anything this year pero babawi nalang ako sakanya for sure

work:

i have quite a bit to do tomorrow to prep for my end of the month mtg on monday

again, for some reason kinakabahan ako pero i know naman na everything's gonna work out

we also have a sponty general assembly kasi we need all the help we can get from the designers na hindi masyadong loaded to help those who are busy to turnover their projects this and next month

im just always excited to see my office besties; i love how makulit we all are tapos nag tutugma talaga ugali naming lahat

oh my god you guys may kinaiinisan ako na officemate kol; tamad na ko to make another post about him pero long story short super tanga niya and i hate him

im so excited as in super super super excited for our company outing

friends:

this is a shocker even until now pero i really feel like 100% break na yung best friend ko and his boyfriend of 7 years

its really sad and heartbreaking kasi the guy even planned on proposing to my bestfriend na pero i know my bestfriend deserves better talaga especially with how theyve been these past few months

i miss them! noel and chesy are officially on their own and chevy is still doing her thing and i will forever be grateful na they are safe and happy

id love to meet new people though; i feel like meeting new people would be so exciting

love:

i still have bumble on my phone and the biggest update i can give yall is the fact na i just adjusted the ange range to 27-40 i think HAHA

cause i really dont want to date younger men UNLESS theyre super mature and not super bata pa talaga ng pagiisip

but yeah other than that wala as in wala akong kausap and sometimes it takes a toll on me but most of the time im fine

again, thank you for reading and caring about my updates, i love you ♡

[leanrivera]

I miss our long walks in the streets of Manila. I miss our favorite coffee shop where we try almost all their drinks. I miss the moment when you always want my drink, and I have no choice but to switch it to yours because you have the cutest smile. I miss sharing cocktails and beers with you in Makati. I miss sneaking into your house at night, hugging you endlessly, and waking up next to you. I miss our breakfast dates – simple but sweet, knowing I’m starting the day right with you. I miss our late-night Facetime calls – ensuring we understand how our day went and what we felt. I miss how you share your AirPods with me as we listen to your favorite Taylor Swifts songs. I missed the moments when you introduced me to your friends, which whom I made friendships too. I miss your support in my career, even if it’s different in your field. I miss your initiative to see me despite your busy schedule. I miss how you understand that I always sleep earlier than you. I miss you for accepting me for who I am and being blunt about what I can improve.

I miss many things about you; I miss doing with you and doing for you. These are the things that I’m thankful for that I could have said to you in person but never had the chance the last time we talked. If I can only have the opportunity to experience this all over again, I will. But this is the risk that we took – our good friendship was at stake. This is the chance that I will never regret taking again. I hope you feel the same way too.

(I wrote a lot about you. And this plain-sailing and incoherent entry is one of the few I will put here. You may never come across this, but if you happen to read this in the future, I want you to know that I'm proud of you, even at times when you feel like I don't. And at this point, I can't help but still miss you.)

[seannesruins]

I'm so used to being on my own that compromises feel suffocating. I'm not sure if OA lang ako or what but I while I miss my girlfriend, I also miss being alone.

I miss eating out without having to order white rice. I miss splurging on fancy restaurants, eating overpriced pasta paired with an overpriced cup of coffee in Makati CBD, the extra greasy Pizza in Poblacion that my friends and I eat on the streets after downing 3k on cocktails and a mix of booze. I miss getting wasted that I tripped on my 3 inch heels and sprained my ankle for a week.

I'm so tired of spending 1k on Filipino food. (No hate but my dad cooks Filipino food everyday. I want to spend money on something I don't get to try everyday.)

I miss watching movies in the cinemas. Granted, I have 5 active streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, HBO Go, and JuanFlix) but there's still something special with the old SM Cinema's busted seats, and Ayala Cinema's busted speakers. I miss the crowd's gasps in between scenes. I miss seeing couples on a date, holding each other tight in the dark, those two senior citizens who finally had their schedules match after decades and decided to watch Poor Things. I miss catching glimpses of celebrities when the lights turn on after the credits roll, like how I fangirl over Erik Matti after catching the screening of Buybust. I miss the big screen, seeing Cillian Murphy's piercing eyes on IMAX.

There's something special about the cinema experience that home streaming just can't suffice. I love cuddling with my girl but I'm so tired of it being over a Filipino mainstream film. I want our popcorn filled hands to hold over shitty seats that won't recline over a European black comedy.

I miss having my nails longer, painted in gray or tan or even red at times.

I miss wearing lipstick.

I miss having my hair side shaved.

I miss listening to weird underground music, or heartbreaking songs without it being translated as me being unhappy but simply because I just liked the song.

I miss talking to other people, without being doubted.

I miss going to events, even though I'll be there alone and I'll mostly lurk in the background. I just love being immersed somewhere, anywhere.

I miss not having to defend myself over the smallest things, as if I'm always on trial.

I miss the time when I didn't feel like I have to lose a part of myself just to be loved. I miss not having to compromise the things that I want to fit someone's definition of love.

I miss the time when this is just a post of my own personal thoughts. Because now, when she sees this, she would translate this as me being unhappy with our relationship.

I just miss breathing, and it feels like I haven't been doing that for a while now.

I just miss being treated like the princess for once. I miss being told to dress up. I miss the fancy meals, the flowers, the movies.

Am I asking for too much?

But I am in love so I could never ask for any of this.

So I'll wait for her to be home. We'll order another rice meal, watch Netflix and chill.

And hope that eventually I stop asking myself for the life I used to have.

[jopetkasi]

i don’t think i am fit for love anymore. simply because i don’t have love to give. I can’t even love myself to begin with. 

you just can’t give what you do not have. 

i can entertain prospects, go on dates or even have steamy sex but if there is no love to give, all else is superficial. 

this guy who my cousin introduced, have been in constant communication with me, which is totally fine except that i have this feeling that this dude is being nice to me kasi my cousin asked him - alam nyo na, parang pakisama or something. 

by the sum of all failures in my life, i should know by now if this acquaintance is legit and would gain traction in my life. And right now, I feel that this is sort of getting to know you is a phase...

unless i am wrong. 

perhaps, i am still worthy of enjoying a nice love life...

tonight we had a virtual chat that went on for hours until we both got hungry and decided to meet for late dinner. 

and of all places, he asked that we eat at Shakeys Pasong Tamo. And this branch I tell you is famous for clandestine dates. alam mo eto yung kung me kabit ka or ayaw mong makita ka ng tao na me kasamang iba, you bring them to this branch because it is so remote and not accessible no one gets to see who you bring to this place....

but then who am i to complain? 

guy : ang liit mo pala no? i am 5′10 and you are?

me: 5′3 yeah i know....

guy: and your pwet is big. nice buns....

me:  yeah yung taba ko dyan napupunta....

after eating...

guy: ang lakas mo pala kumain

me: turn off ka? lol

guy: no that is a compliment. i like comfortable dates...

me: but you got me to this branch where either putas or kabits are brought....

guy: hinde nga? 

me: look around...

and so what was supposed to be a short meal turned to hours of conversation about a lot of things...hindi sya yung chat na just for the sake of talking. 

until i checked my phone and realized i was past my bedtime. it was 3am and he has to go back to Makati Med for rounds....

[msmarveles]

[jinnie03]

Technology in Daily Life

Technology helps me to do many things in life specially as a dental student. This is because we have access to almost majority of the knowledges and there are no limits to how many times u can view them making u have all the possibilities in doing your works.

In this image, you can see that I use this video from youtube to obtain additional knowledge from another person's point of view in oerder to help myself from understanding concepts and techniques I need in the field I am not confident with. This is the reason why I have prior knowledge with the tasks we will be doing in the class allowing me to be more confident in the procedures I have to take.

However, this does not mean the professors I meet for this subject does not give us clear instructions. But it just means that I want to know more of other people's perspectives on how they accomplish their tasks in order to be more efficient in choosing the the procedures I feel more comfortable to.

Another instance that technology helps me in doing my daily tasks is the presence of online platform to submit the works I have made. This is very comfortable since we do not have to submit an actual paper making us reduce the worry of leaving the homework at home since I live in Laguna and my school is in Makati. It also helps me keep in track of the things to do since it is indicated in that platform that I have to accomplish tasks and their specific due dates.

These online platforms also helps us to listen to lectures from the professors at home instead of having to go to the school everytime there is a disscussion. This fact have been comfortable for me since again as I have mentioned earlier I live in Laguna which is really far from the school I go to making learning more accessible for me compared to the days I had to actually go to school in order to listen to the lectures of the teachers/professors.

Lastly, technology has enabled communication really accessible for the people in the world. This fact applies to the students since we can contact our friends in the situation I am in and also my friends can also do so vice versa allowing us to help each other in times of needs.

For the situation on this picture, my friend have contacted me since he was experiencing heavy traffic which is why I have set up his materials in order for him to start on the activity the moment he arrives to school.

That is it for today, thank you for reading my blog!!!!!!!

[dirtychilledheartbreak]

story time. last Sat shift, after work, may bumble match ako na sinundo ako sa office. we had dinner at North Park. then we drove around Taguig, Makati, and Manila until antukin ako kaya nagpahatid na ko pabalik makati. Kung saan saan kami napadpad since hindi siya mahilig magkape or tumambay. Ganon lang kasimple tignan yung nangyare.

However, yung mga naging conversation namin ang complicated. Paano ba naman kasi while we were eating dinner. He asked me bakit ako atheist. Natanong nya kasi religion ko while we're looking for place to eat.

So me being the proud atheist that i am went on to share how i was catholic by papers, then explored born again christian, naging agnostic for a couple of years, and eventually atheist. I was explaining things in deets, typical me. But it never occurred to me that he might be a devout catholic or Christian. let's say proud lang ako sa atheism and how much freedom nakuha ko don, and nothing was compromised, not even my identity. kaya grabe sharing ko.

another reason i shared why i am an atheist is it's kinda like my passive revenge against 'religious' people. mejo emotive pa pageexplain ko how cultsy and stupid religious people are. na parang wala silang personal take sa bagay bagay, blind followers lang, and they don't question things or they're not critical thinkers. or pagod lang sila magisip for themselves kaya nagrely na lang sila sa leadership ng religion nila.

i took time sharing who i am, and how spiritual i perceived myself despite the lack of religion. and again, i also took time sharing my perception towards religious people, i know mejo offensive take ko, but that's just honestly how they are for me. altho i believe not all, but mostly(?)

ito na nga, nagRuveal na siya ng side nya. and he dropped the bomb. he's a religious catholic. he used the word 'religious'. like he even never miss going to Baclaran church every week. and he's also serving talaga the church, may tawag pa sa kanya wc i forgot. so imagine how i was like all guards up ready to explain my side, why i said what u said, but I've nothing left. binala ko na lahat ng bala ko kanina. all i did was bear with his religiosity. what saved me from total embarrassment was cool lang sya.

pero very red flag yung sagot nya sa question ko. I asked kasi how do you compromise your homosexuality and religiosity/ catholicism. he was like, it never bothered him. that's not big of a deal daw since catholic church supports all sexuality. i was like 'hello, sodom and gomora.' That made our differences come to the surface.

so even before pa kami magdrive around metro, clear na sakin where that date was going.

THANK YOU, NEXT!

[jillianwarts]

lf: ka-date sa museums sa makati 😠

[etes-secrecy-post]

Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

Take a Taste: with Meals from the Next Door Noodles by North Park [Recorded: May 19th, 2024]

Hello! It’s time for another “Take a Taste”! The series is about delicious food with my two paper dolls.

And today's episode is we're at the outside of condo, to a 24-hour restaurant known as the "Next Door Noodles by North Park"! Yum-yum! 🥢🍜🍛🍚🍗🥩😋 So, the question was, is it worth our appetite? 🤔 Let's find out! 😁

BTW: So sorry for the long delay. Looks like, I have to finish this topic before we proceed to next month, we're I have some "unfinished business" with my 2023 photos.

If you haven’t seen my previous episode, then please → [CLICK ME!].

As well as these links about our "staycation" 🏨🌴🏊‍♀️ down below: ↓ • Part 1 [May 18th, 2024] • Part 2 [May 18th, 2024] • Part 3 [May 18th, 2024] • Part 4 [May 18th, 2024]

IMPORTANT NOTE: No #OnThisDay throwback post for this date.

So, without further ado, let’s get started:

1st to 4th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• We're at the "Next Door Noodles by North Park" in Makati City 🍴🏮🏪 outside of our rent condo room, since the restaurants from the Jazz Residence we're closed until the next morning. Anyways, this restaurant have a selection of Asian-based cuisine of dishes, and its not just Filipino dishes and their well-known delicious noodles that they offered. Let my parents, and our siblings do the selection of meals. You just wait, okay you two? Good. 😊

• And now for some share info: The "Next Door Noodles by North Park" is a Filipino-based Chinese restaurant 🇵🇭🥢🍜🏢 established in 1974 by Raphael Soon, with their Peking Duck brought from China 🇨🇳🦆🍗, and sell it to the Philippine consumers (like us). Years later, in 1988, they opened their first establishment in Binondo, Manila 🏮⛩️🏙️ as a "Seafood Restaurant" 🦐🥢🏢, and soon it grows from one restaurant to another venue, and more. They evolved from a "Seafood" to a "Chinese style Noodle Restaurant" and their quality of ingredients to satisfy our taste buds.

5th to 8th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• Anyways, our orders we're served to our table! Man, take a look at our meals from fried Calamaries, to Yang Chow Fried Rice, to Sweet & Sour Chicken, and my picked the "Boneless Chicken Curry" (with steamy rice, included)! Mmmmm! Yum-yum! 🦑🍚🍗🍛😋 But, what about the beverages? 🤔 We stick with nice pure mineral water over sugary beverages. 💧🥤😉

9th to 12th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• Nonetheless, let's try my ordered "Boneless Chicken Curry"! And take a look at my construction, it looks delicious! 🍛🤤 But, let's see who is it tastes like. *munching* Wow! Damn, it's spicy, with no bones of course, and the rich creamy curry was astonishingly worth my taste buds, including my paper dolls who tasted my curry! 😃 But wait, was it spicy to your taste? 🌶️🥵 To me, this is fine! 😁

13th to 16th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• So, how about trying the "Yang Chow Fried Rice", eh you two? 🍚😊 *munching* Wow, this one is amazing fried rice! It has a few chunks of meat spreading over the fried rice, it'll be worth combining with my "Boneless Chicken Curry", which we'll get to that in my next photo. 😋

17th to 19th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• In addition to our current meals, my mom ordered a little healthy veggies of "Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce"! 🥦😃 And we all know, that "veggies" are the us when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, whether you ate it or not, like it or not, it doesn't matter! (And some of you, you've recognized from watching the "The Powerpuff Girls" episode 🥦🛸. Just saying, and I've been there.) Anyways, my paper dolls want some of that veggies as well, so I had to cut off the broccoli in half before we consumed it, and the taste was pretty damn good with or without oyster sauce/fried rice.😋 Sadly, this is the only one veggie we ate because my entire family ate it all without us to grab more. 😥 Still, it is good broccoli, nonetheless.🤤

20th to 23rd Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• [20th to 22nd Images] Now, time to combine fried rice and curry to create a worthy meal for our appetite, *munching* and it did not disappoint us! It's so hot, that I can't stop eating it until I drink a glass of water. 🍛🌶️💧🤤

• [23rd Image] Other meals we haven't tried are Sweet & Sour Chicken (left) and fried calamari (that we're split into two chunks) (right) from before. 🍗🦑 Unfortunately, we've run out of fried rice (or steamed rice), so we have no choice but to consume these, anyway. *munching* Mmmm... I'd say they're both good. If I picked one, then I'd say the fried calamari one because of its right tender to ease my chewing! 😋

24th & 25th Image(s), and Overall: ↑

• Man, our stomach was stuffed from our great midnight dinner! 🤤 And overall, I would DEFINITELY... Or rather, WE would gonna go back to any "North Park" restaurants, anytime soon. Not only the decor and the atmosphere we're pretty good, but also the meals from the menu are worth it! We haven't tried their well-known "Noodle Soup", so maybe we'll be planning on that, someday. Price, on the other hand, is a little bit pricey compared to super budget restaurants, but the quality of their food did not disappoint our wallet. Sadly, they don't offer "Peking Duck" based dishes from their menu, anymore. 😥 We wish we wanted it, but I guess we'll just stick with roast chicken dishes, so this is fine by us. 😊

Well, that's all for now. 😊

If you haven’t seen my previous episodes, then I’ll provide some links down below.↓😉

Take a Taste:

○ 2021 Food Reviews: ○

• Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich [Dec 6, 2021]

• Jollibee Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries [Dec 21, 2021]: Part 1 [CLICK ME! #1], Part 2 [CLICK ME! #2]

○ 2022 Food Reviews: ○

• Mini Stop Chicken Fillet XL Sandwich [Feb 7, 2022]

• Minute Burger Cheese Burger(s) [Mar 1, 2022]

• Pepper Lunch Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice w/ Egg (& Honey Brown Sauce) [Mar 5, 2022]

• Bacsilog’s Sulit Combo Bacon-Tocino & Samgyup Day’s Pork Herbs [Mar 12, 2022]

• Burger King Whopper w/ Sides & Drink [May 6, 2022]

• Marshmello’s Limited Edition Coca-Cola Zero [Aug 26, 2022]

• Cheesy Burger McDo with Lettuce & Tomatoes Meal [Recorded: Sept 16, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s PH McSpicy & Apple Pie (featuring their World Famous Fries) [Nov 14, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s McCrispy Hamonado Sandwich [Dec 31st, 2022]

○ 2023 Food Reviews: ○

• Foods from Delicious Restaurant & 1919 Grand Cafe [Jan 8th, 2023]

• Homemade Churros by my lil’ bro [Feb 12th, 2023]

• Lugaw Sisig from Mang Boy Alfredo Lugawan Restaurant [Recorded: Feb 18th, 2023]

• La Prato Stakehouse [Recorded: Apr 10th, 2023]

• Salt ‘n Light Snack Shack’s Cheesy Bacon Burger & Fries [Recorded: Apr 14th, 2023] (Published on May 5th, 2023)

• Delicious burger meal at Tokyo Tokyo Restaurant [Recorded: May 6th, 2023]

• Delicious meals at the Valenzuela Food Fiesta Christmas Bazaar 2023 [Recorded: Dec. 10th, 2023]

○ 2024 Food Reviews: (Chronological) ○

• Mang Inasal Pork Sisig [Recorded: Jan 10th, 2024]

• Mr. Shaw Shawarma Rice [Recorded: Mar 24th, 2024]

• Mang Inasal's Chicken Inasal - Pecho (Chicken Breast) [Recorded: Mar 26th, 2024]

• Uncle John's Chili Con Empanada and Sprite Lemon Plus [Recorded: Mar 30th, 2024]

• Chowking Spicy Chao Fan [Recorded: Mar 30th, 2024]

• Samgyupsal dinner night at the Samgyup Mukbang restaurant [Recorded: May 12th, 2024]

[gabriel-gabdiel]

Fantasy of Evolution Chapter 5: Press Ctrl-Z to Undo

If only it were as easy as pressing Ctrl + Z in order to undo the mistakes you’ve done in your life.

At any rate, Florante is about to deal with his personal Judas Iscariot. His former best friend, Isaiah. 

You can also find more chapters of my original fiction here. Please enjoy.

First | Previous | Next

Back in Fatima High, after Florante Galang dreamed another one of his strange dreams…

In his latest dream, Florante "stalked" his classmate's apartment then they fought as a pair against a shadow monster at Makati's Guadalupe Church.

In the end, although he wasn't hero material even in his daydreams (or night dreams), he still managed to find a way to do something that he could be proud of.

He stopped Mammon's Minion and undid that reality where multiple innocents died, thus saving their lives all at once.

Or maybe he didn't and it was all in his imagination.

Florante Galang shut his eyes and exhaled. Whoopty-doo. He did something heroic in his dreams. The thought made him cringe.

Still, even if it was a dream, the feelings he felt for the dream version of Jenny still made his knees weak. It all felt so real.

If only reality could evolve and match his fantasy. Alas, reality killed such whimsical notions faster than it helped him defeat the immortal crawling chaos.

But it wasn't real. It was all just a dream. It didn't really happen.

Had he really been traumatized by his bullies to the point where he used his fantasies and daydreams to cope with his daily reality of social suicide? Yeah, probably.

If only his dreams were real, then he would've asked Jenny out for a date by now. No, no. He meant he would've asked her more about Mammon.

What was that American(?) white man foreigner's deal anyway? Why'd he sic his Minion at them?

Oh, right. Jenny.

He pressed his fingers on his forehead, remembering that imagined kiss from the bespectacled beauty that was Jennifer Tolentino. The girl next door.

He let out another deep sigh. He really did have it bad for her now, didn't he?

However, he had to remind himself of the obvious. The dream version of Jenny was nothing like the real-life version of her. They hadn't interacted that way at all.

No more stalking of her. Get rid of that photocopy of her number in the yellow pages and that girl that had the same name as her from that yearbook from the 1960s or whatever.

The Mammon from his dream was right about one thing, though. Florante did act like a creep by tracking down Jenny's phone number and address from the phonebook instead of asking her about it like a normal person.

What was he thinking?

Still, once he could write and draw these ideas into an actual novel or comic book though, then that could make his strange dreams worth his while. They were compiled inside his dream journal already. So maybe.

Regardless, he woke up from the… third(?) strange dream/nightmare he'd had as of late. 'I think.'

Once again, the reset button had been pushed. Or the shortcut to "Undo" your last change on the document, "Ctrl + Z" (pushing the "Control" key and the "Z" key on the keyboard at the same time).

So everything went back to normal. No harm, no foul, right?

Still, he should really grow up by now. Abandon his idle, childish thoughts and turn his life around for real.

Soon, it'd be his fifteenth birthday.

He had no girlfriend on sight, no social life to speak of, barely any friends, but life went on, right? Right.

***

Fantasy of Evolution

An Urban Fantasy Story by Abdiel

When you press Ctrl + Z on your Windows machine, you could undo the last action you've done.

Disclaimer: This work may reference copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is believed that this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. All copyrighted material referred to in this work belongs to their respective owners. All rights reserved.

***

Chapter 5: Press Ctrl-Z to Undo

***

It was around dismissal time again, and Florante had time to kill before his school jeepney service came around to pick him up.

He spotted his acquaintances, the Dead Kids, from a distance walking the opposite way as him.

Florante couldn't tell because they usually wore the same uniforms, but whenever it was Casual Fridays at Fatima (when the students were allowed to wear casualwear instead of their daily uniforms), the Dead Kids wore clothes that subtly hinted of designer origins.

By the way, the Fatima High uniform for boys was brown khaki pants, a button-down white collared dress shirt with short sleeves, ankle-high socks, and black leather shoes.

For girls, it was a white blouse with a collar, sash, tie, and pleated knee-high skirt bearing the same checkerboard black-and-white pattern as well as ankle-high socks and black dress shoes.

Not that the "fashion senseless" Florante was any authority on the subject or anything. Sometimes, even on Fridays, he kept wearing his school uniform composed of the button-down polo shirt and long khaki pants with black leather shoes over black socks.

He also had a backpack full of his school books, notebooks, pencils, and ballpoint pens. Like the nerd that he was. However, even he with his bad taste in clothes could tell the Dead Kids were dressed to the nines that matched their remarkably good looks.

Then again, their mesmerizing faces looked so dashing they could've worn dishrags and pulled it off. Nevertheless, it seemed rather appropriate they'd have both money and looks.

The fact that they were unable to mix with the rest of the student body like Florante did somewhat boggled his mind, though. Many of their "haters" called them pompous pretenders at best or braggadocious snobs at worst.

They were mostly called weirdoes, to be honest.

On one hand, their richness didn't afford them any acceptance in Fatima High. Like celebrities being bullied in college by their jealous classmates because they exuded an aura of superiority that rubbed them all the wrong way.

On the other hand, Florante didn't fully believe that the lack of acceptance was circumstantial. The way their group acted indicated that they desired isolation. He just couldn't imagine how any door could remain closed by their halo of beauty.

Meanwhile, although the group of Alonzo Estanislao, Kalantiaw and Dalisay Hidalgo, Jacob Benjamin, and Francisco Celestino did wave back at himwhen they spotted him (though it was mostly Lonzo and Dalisay who did the waving), he himself opted to go alone to the nearby walking-distance mall.

Nirvana Plaza wasn't far from Fatima High. Just walk from one of the rear exits of the school towards the rear entrance near the local Nationwide Bookstore branch and you're good to go.

He felt relaxed going there even though he barely had any money himself to buy anything there, whether it was comic books or food.

He had no allowance to speak of and he had packed lunches more often than not inside recycled ice cream containers turned into makeshift lunchboxes.

He wasn't poor or anything, it was just that he wasn't rich either and private school tuition was expensive.

It was fine. He loved window shopping on an empty stomach. Well, not really, but the mall did serve as his safe haven from his droll and friendless school existence.

He remembered when he first ventured alone into the mall instead of going straight home from his school service. Trips to the mall for his family used to be special events. They had to go to all the way from Pasig to Cubao to eat out, get groceries, or watch a movie.

Now, he could hang out in places like arcades or peek at a few pages of comic books at bookstores to his heart's content instead of staring blankly at a wall, waiting for the school service to pick him up and take him home. Daydreaming of adventures with the Ninja Turtles or the X-Men.

If he could get extra money from his parents, like spare change from buying art supplies or home economics requirements, he could give himself the occasional mall treat.

An ice cream cone here. A doughnut there. Maybe even some supermarket turon (caramelized fried banana rapped in spring roll wrapper).

Or maybe a few rounds of the latest iteration of Street Fighter, with him usually succumbing to the third character during a one-player game. He sucked at versus mode since he couldn't practice at the arcades for too long.

This was what a friendless dork like him had to look forward to, honestly.

Maybe one day, once he had a job and his own money, he'd have a fun-filled day buying comic books, playing games at the arcade, or going to the movies in his lonesome. However, as a student with barely any allowance, this setup wasn't bad at all.

It sounded depressing, but only if he had to share his experiences with anyone else. He actually loved going to Nirvana Shopping Plaza in his lonesome.

However, today, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone kept an eye over him, which made him feel paranoid.

Did his bullies spot him again, like the last time? That one asshole with his girlfriend clinging unto him once smugly asked him if he was on a date after spotting him walking alone near the food court. What a bastard.

He couldn't spot any of his usual tormentors right now though, who had opted nowadays to go with the more passive-aggressive approach to bullying him.

After a few more minutes of being a listless mallrat, he went back to the parking lot and spotted his ride back home, which was his designated school service jeepney.

***

On the eastern border of Metro Manila, the highly urbanized city of Pasig City existed under the cover of smog clouds and the infamously polluted Pasig River, which it shared its name with.

To its south, it was bordered by the cosmopolitan center of Makati. To its north was Marikina. To its west was Mandaluyong and Quezon City (where Fatima High was). To its east were the municipalities of Taytay and Cainta in the Rizal Province.

Pasig was also known for its raging floods during typhoon season, by which it could've gotten its name from. The city had floods that were "Mapagsik" or "Mabagsik" (in English, it meant "Raging", "Fierce", or "Aggressive") which eventually evolved into "Pagsik" or "Pasig".

Usually, the private jeepney service fetched Florante and a couple of others from their private school so they could go home safe and sound on behalf of all their parents, who paid them a monthly fee for the convenience.

However, the jeepney's open-air windows also gave them to get a good whiff of Metro Manila pollution for good measure.

Florante covered his mouth with a handkerchief. No point in getting sick and triggering his asthma again.

The sky remained hazy, its blueness sporting an ashen tinge to it as though muted by the city smog. The wind in his face thankfully disappeared as they went to a standstill.

The classic late afternoon traffic jam in the metro. Only the Bangkok Jam could rival its ubiquitousness in Metro Manila.

His new school was about 4 miles or about an hour away from his home in Pasig City. His former school, which only offered classes up until Grade 6, was instead 13 minutes away or about a mile away.

Thusly, it felt like it took the jeep forever to get him home.

As they sluggish traffic wore on, Florante's mind started wandering.

His mother was the typical strict Filipina mother. Domineering, almost. He could never talk to her about anything. Their relationship was complicated. She wasn't the hugging or healing type of mother. She kind of scared him most of the time, actually.

Sure, she perhaps had her own things to worry about, like how he kept on hearing about her own domineering mother-in-law—his grandmother from his father's side—but he dreaded her wrath as much as she detested his grandma.

His mother also for the most part looked like her sisters or his aunts... of course... while Florante himself looked like one of his cousins or uncles when they were younger. They all shared the same almond skin, black hair, and sharp, dark brown eyes.

She was in stark contrast of his father, her husband, who looked somewhat like he was of Chinese or Japanese (East Asian) descent but was actually a Filipino himself. As strict and boisterous as she was, his father was the exact opposite.

A relaxed and chill engineer who tinkered a lot around the house, doing quick fixes from their pipes to their ceiling to save them thousands of pesos from having plumbers and electricians do their work for them.

By the time the jeepney school service arrived at his home, there was a drizzle of rain. It soon became a downpour when he got inside the house. Just in time.

It was already June, after all. Rainy season. Also, the month of Florante's birthday.

He'd have another birthday spent with his family. He had no friends to invite over the house for dinner. No parties with his compatriots drinking beer either. He never even tried beer.

He had heard that taking in too much alcohol could compromise his breathing as an asthmatic. Not that he'd ever tried.

Besides, he was a minor. Even though he had heard of several of his classmates drinking a bit of the bubbly themselves.

He was used to having a simple feast of spaghetti and a liter of Coca-Cola as his only birthday splurge. Tuition for his private school was expensive and in the Philippines, the school year started in June.

So his birthday had to be as simple as possible during tuition month, which was also his birthday month.

***

After Florante got home to the Galang Residence in Pasig, he went straight to the television set to catch the tail-end of whichever anime was airing in the afternoon.

He hated how as a kid, when "Thundercats" was a big deal, he always ended up seeing the end credits whenever he tried catching it on TV.

Ditto with "Rainbow Brite".

When he finished with that attempt at entertaining himself, he took his bag and went to his room.

Before doing his homework, he changed into a shirt and baggy shorts as popularized by the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) of 1990s basketball, Michael Jordan. He also read a bit of "Paradise Lost" by 17th Century English poet John Milton for good measure.

And when that gave him a headache, what with his short attention span and the hard-to-read long-form poetry, he had the Cliffnotes version help him summarize and analyze each passage.

At the back of his mind, he chided himself to do as much effort on his math homework as he did with his "extracurricular reading" of this book for the sake of creating his own comic book story.

Nevertheless, while he was wandering around the mall earlier, alone in his thoughts, he thought about Mammon's intentions in his dreams.

As a demon, he obviously tried to tempt him to go all out and transform into an Ophanim, perhaps to the point of becoming a fallen angel and turning into a Minion.

However, for what purpose? To add him to their demon horde? Their "Pandemonium"? What were they trying to achieve, awakening Ophanims and corrupting them to become Minions?

The thought kind of excited him a little bit. He'd been struggling to come up with a plot for his comic book or original story, only for his strange dreams full of his male power fantasies and coping mechanisms to hand him such a plot on a silver platter.

He should really make more detailed accounts of his dreams in his dream journal from now on.

While also making sure never to allow his classmates, especially his mostly male bullies, to know he was keeping a dream journal like a 6-year-old girl still having tea parties with her dollies.

The rest of the afternoon and evening became a blur.

His Dad got home after fetching his two elder sisters from college at the University of Sto. Tomas. Then it was dinnertime. They ate his Mom's specialty of pork adobo (meat simmered in a mixture of garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar).

He couldn't bring up the fact that he was getting bullied at school to his parents, which apparently was typical of bullied kids.

No one wanted to be a victim of bullying or admit to being one.

What would they do to help fix it anyway? Knowing his Mom, she might even blame him for the bullying, bringing up that he was a disrespectful child.

His Mom, bless her heart, was such as stereotypical strict Asian parent. He was also petrified of her more often than not—more than his bullies—particularly when he came home with bad grades.

He didn't get beat up for them or anything, but he did get an earful of lectures from her. The beatings came when he answered back or "disrespected" her somehow, as she put it.

She had quite the fiery temper. Her arsenal of weapons included tsinelas (flip-flops), the nearest wooden spoon, a walis tingting (broom made from the thin midribs of palm leaves), or a walis tambo (broom made from the flower stalks of Tiger grass).

Had he mentioned that he had a complicated relationship with his mother? Because he did. Confessing to her that he was being bullied was the last thing on his mind.

She might somehow make it about him disrespecting her or something. No way did he want to trigger that ass-whupping if he could help it.

In contrast, Dad was more of a congenial fellow. The good cop to his Mom's bad cop. He never hit him and Florante couldn't remember the last time his father became angry or lashed out at him.

He could have heart-to-heart talks with him. It was much easier with him than with his contentious Mom that reminded him more of Cinderella's Stepmother whenever she got into one of her "moods".

However, he also couldn't outright confess to him about the bullying. It was too embarrassing. Shameful. Like he was too old to still not have friends or to still get teased by the boys in his class.

He did mention to him about having to deal with the jerks in class though. So he subtly told him about the bullying without telling him he was being bullied. If that made sense.

***

After dinner at the Galang Residence…

Once everyone in the family settled down and went their separate ways, with his parents going to their room, one sister going to the TV, and another sister going to the phone, Florante planned his approach to his father carefully.

After chancing upon Dad going to the kitchen to fetch a container of cold water to drink, Florante asked his question.

No, not about bullying. It was about the Dead Kids.

"Dad, do you know anyone named Celestino in Pasig? Or Hidalgo…?"

His father blinked at that. "Can't say that I have. I don't even have coworkers named like that. Hidalgo is the national artist, right?"

By the way, Florante's father was a mechanical engineer who worked at a factory for a multinational company. And he meant "Felix Hidalgo" by national Filipino artist and painter.

"How about Benjamin? Estanislao?" Florante pressed. "Back in Makati, did we know of any Tolentinos?"

"Whoa, whoa. Settle down there, kid."

Dad scratched his the freshly shaved stubble that would've formed into a beard.

"I might've had a classmate named Benjamin, but that's his first name. I've heard of Father Estanislao who marched with Jose Rizal during his final walk before his execution. There are too many Tolentinos around to say that I know the same Tolentinos you know."

Florante sighed then smiled. "Thanks, Dad." His father always obliged or humored even the silliest of his questions. He answered them the best he could. 'He really is the best.'

"Why are you asking me this? Are they the names of your friends or something?"

The son awkwardly laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

Dad ruffled Florante's head. "That's good. Make more friends in school, son."

The heartwarming exchange made Florante divulge something he normally wouldn't. "They… the kids… they're a little different. They don't seem to fit in at school." Unsaid, he added, 'Like I do.'

His Dad pulled a seat and sat with him, setting aside the cold water bottle he fetched from the refrigerator for now.

"Did I ever tell you about how your cousin punched a kid who was messing with him at Fatima? He got suspended and the school faculty even called your uncle to the principal's office. But the kid never messed with him ever again."

'If only I had the guts to do that,' Florante thought. He said, "I don't think they'll ever fight back or anything, but it's messed up that they don't fit in. They did nothing wrong. Who cares if they're a little weird?"

Dad nodded. "When it comes to bullies, it's best that you show them who's boss from the start. The more you let them get to you the more they'll mess with you."

Florante then realized his father was subtly giving advice for his own bullying after bringing up his friends.

However, he was so pathetic he could only dream of blasting his bullies to kingdom come, which was even more messed up. Now that he had considered the consequences of such actions, he'd rather just embarrass them a little bit. Like his cousin did to his bully.

Punch them once to have them leave you alone for good. Or even pull a prank. No need to kill them or anything!

Good thing it was all just a dream. Once it ended, he faced no consequences for his actions. Or so he kept telling himself.

Like he'd just hit the reset button on his game console to go back to the main menu or the first level. Or hit the Ctrl + Z shortcut on the family's personal computer, undoing his mistakes on the MS Word document or MS Paint bitmap.

If only he could hit "Undo" all the way to the first day of his freshman year at Fatima, then that would be peachy. Alas, reality didn't work that way.

Backpedaling a bit while also denying he was being bullied, Florante said, "Those guys seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves more often than not. Some of them are my classmates in the Art Club, even."

"So they act just like you, huh?" said Florante's father. "You also keep to yourself a lot. Which is perfectly fine, son. It's a good thing you've found friends who match your personality, Florante."

"Yeah, I guess, Dad. Birds of a feather, am I right?" he said, now wishing to change the subject.

They lapsed into silence before Dad got up, grabbed his water bottle, and said to him, "Good night, son."

He in turn said, "Good night, Dad."

After a little while, Florante himself got up from his seat and went to the TV to watch whatever it was his sister was watching.

He was already sleepy by the time he started on his math homework, which he considered finishing while traveling to school on his school service jeepney.

***

The rest of the week proved uneventful. No new fucked-up dreams about him murdering classmates or battling eldritch abominations with his newest crush, Jenny Tolentino.

No Mammon. No Minions. No Ophanims. Just… vibes. These alien concepts all started fading in his subconscious like dreams and nightmares were supposed to.

He got used to the routine of his classes and being at least civil around classmates that tolerated him at best while whispering devilish rumors about him behind his back.

Oh well. He did promise the Jenny from his dreams to forget all about the angel and demon nonsense to live out his normal life.

However, try as he might, he couldn't forget those fever dreams where he moved as swiftly as the wind and destroyed everything in his path like a U.S. missile strike.

In reality, during P.E. (Physical Education) class, the classmates he got paired up with learned not to pass him the basketball and to step quickly in front of him if the other team attempted to exploit his unathletic asthmatic self as their weakest link.

Florante did his best to get out of their way or serve as an extra body to clog passing lanes when he wasn't being benched for other, more skilful basketball players.

However, he noticed something was amiss.

Jennifer Tolentino hadn't come back to school since the last time he got into contact with her.

It had been a week since he last talked to Jenny. On the phone in real life and at Guadalupe Church in his dreams. Or did both things happen in his dreams?

Every day, he watched anxiously for any sign of her. The hawk-sized butterflies at the pit of his stomach made him wonder if she wasn't able to revive from her untimely demise in his last dream.

Only for him to mentally slap himself and chide that his daydreams or nighttime dreams had no effect on reality. Jenny was probably absent for some other reason.

He'd been hanging out with the Dead Kids again lately, acting as their gopher. Nevertheless, he couldn't get Jenny out of his mind. How could he? She was gone!

It'd be much easier for him to follow her advice and forget about this Ophanim business had she continued going to Fatima High and acting normal herself.

Then he could at least pretend that his psychotic massacre of his classmates and failed attempts at heroism against fallen angels or demons hadn't really happened.

In English class—as headed by the no-nonsense Mr. Benigno "Noy" Borabo—Florante took his accustomed seat at the back of the class, near the windows overlooking the streets outside.

They got a pop quiz on English grammar involving Subject, Predicate, Object of the Preposition, and so forth, which only made him wish they'd do more required reading.

He'd at least watched the film/TV/animated versions of "Tom Sawyer", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", "The Odyssey", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Great Gatsby", "Lord of the Flies", "Animal Farm", or "Of Mice and Men".

Or read the CliffsNotes versions of such and many other classics. Reviewing grammar rules was as boring as reading the phone book.

Regardless, he felt more comfortable with school lately than ever before.

He had reached some sort of closure or homeostasis (thanks, Ms. Del Mundo's Biology Class) with his nightmares involving classmate murder and choosing between becoming an angel or a demon.

Ha. Closure. He sounded like the family of a missing person that finally found out the grisly fate of their beloved.

In regards to his real-life bullying situation, he had instead reached ennui (thanks, Webster's Dictionary). A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Maybe it was this lack of catharsis and boredom—from the impasse he and his bullies had reached since he decided to bite the bullet and snitch on them—that led him to dream such horrid dreams.

By Friday, he wondered about whether or not he should give Jenny a call. He had her number for real, after all.

For all he knew, she had already dropped out of school.

He tried not thinking about the nerdy girl, but he couldn't completely suppress his anxiousness that he'd been somehow responsible for her absence, as absurd of a thought as that was.

Florante Galang slept a dreamless sleep over the weekend due to the soft June rain and even softer thoughts of the bespectacled Jenny.

He might've finished his weekend homework by then but he neglected to read up on Social Studies, leading him to cram at the last minute for the upcoming quiz while riding his jeepney service to school that fateful Monday.

It felt a bit nippy outside so early in the morning at 7:30 AM or so, before the school assembly started.

He got cursory acknowledgements of his existence from several classmates by Monday morning, after getting off his school service ride and making a beeline towards his classroom.

He also dealt with small talk on whether or not he was able to finish the homework before they proceeded to talk to their own actual friends and ignore him in his lonesome.

The morning was cold but at least it wasn't raining. The school assembly proved uneventful. Still no sign of Jennifer though. Was she absent again?

The different classes then headed to back to their respective classrooms in order to proceed with the first subject of the day.

***

Another day, another boring class.

Florante had Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) for today, as covered by Mr. Neil Nepumoceno. Neil was the jokey type of teacher with a strange goofy charisma to him whose signature outburst was "Aye Caramba!"

Yeah, like Bart Simpson's catchphrase from The Simpsons. Quite the character. Mr. Nepumoceno encouraged debate and rapport with his students during every topic he covered, from the Philippine Revolution against Spain to World War II.

Florante's blood ran cold as he remembered something.

Neil was the teacher that got in his way during his dream massacre of his classmates from First Year St. Francis.

Oh yeah. Galang had turned Mr. Nepumoceno into a splatter on the wall. Like something out of a horror B-movie. Or a Mortal Kombat "Fatality".

He pushed such dark thoughts deep into his subconscious mind. He promised the dream version of Jenny that he'd forget about that dream. Or all his dreams since then. So he would.

With that said, a certain someone—a classmate of his—still didn't give him the time of day. Not that any of them did, but this particular one hurt him the most when it happened.

Galang still felt awkward being around Laura Reyes, but that was to be expected.

His first high school crush remained upset about that "nude drawing" incident when he didn't actually draw her nude! He was using a rough sketch and shapes to construct her body before adding details and clothes, dammit!

He had hoped he wasn't as subconsciously psychotic as he suspected he was, what with him dreaming about killing Laura (albeit in a moment of duress) just because she didn't return his affection and all.

For weeks since the incident, they avoided each other like the plague even though they were classmates. It even got to the point where Florante could've sworn Laura got bothered by him avoiding her before she could avoid him.

Yes, it was ridiculous, not to mention egotistical, to think that he could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible, even. And yet he couldn't stop worrying that it was true. At the time, anyway.

That little twinge of annoyance from her gave him a small spark of hope that he still occupied Laura's mind somehow, even in the form of a pest.

Better that than be ignored altogether.

However, now Laura was but an afterthought compared to the glasses-wearing girl in Florante's literal dreams.

Florante held his breath at the door, peering here and there of any sign of Jennifer Tolentino, but it seemed she wasn't around. He exhaled and went to his seat.

Jenny then followed him from behind, talking about yearbooks and phone calls or something.

Wait a minute.

"Jenny?" he blurted out.

"Flor!" she said in return. "Oops, you told me to not call you that! Sorry!"

"No, it's all right. I don't mind," he reassured. "What was that about phone books?"

"Oh, I was just askin' why you called me from my house last time," she said with the sweetest smile as she brushed a single lock of hair from her face.

He gulped and explained himself, saying he found it interesting that he found another Jennifer Tolentino in an older Fatima High yearbook, stuttering all the while.

At the back of his mind, he told himself to calm down. This wasn't unusual. Jennifer had talked to him before. She didn't cut all communication from him like Laura did. She'd always been friendly to everyone.

She wasn't friendly beyond logic like the dream version of her that invited him into her apartment after finding out he essentially stalked her though.

Still, he couldn't remember one person where she had beef or drama with in their class.

She lingered by his desk till the bell rang, which left his heart aflutter. She then went to sit by her actual seat while Mr. Nepumoceno finally arrived to start the class.

He considered hanging out with Jenny some more but thought the better of it.

This wasn't the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Jenny. Even a nice girl like the real Jenny might lack tact to let him down gently if ever he became one of those overly friendly boys that hung around the girls a bit too much.

However, as class began, Florante realized he had another problem in his hands.

He couldn't stop staring at Jenny. He tried to be slick about it too, but he knew she knew he was watching her. This made him overcompensate and avoid gazing at her ever for fear for him creeping her out.

What was wrong with him? Dammit. He pulled the same thing the first time Laura rejected him over that misunderstanding with the drawing. With him not staring at her and all. Or ignoring her beyond reason.

Susmaryosep. He wouldn't be surprised if Jenny started avoiding him too.

Anyway, he should pay more attention to class. They were covering the Martial Law years or something. He hoped he crammed about the right topic for the quiz later.

The good news was that Jenny, the real Jenny, had begun talking to him more, like she used to before his unfortunate falling out with her group due to Laura thinking he was a creep.

The bad news, if it could be considered bad news, was that he kind of missed having memorable dreams and fighting against nightmarish monsters beyond human comprehension.

He could deal with those dreams better than his awkward reality of teenage infatuation.

***

Much later, during lunchtime…

As Florante walked out of class along with the rest of his classmates as the lunch bell rang, the air glistened with a light rain. The cold wind bit at his nose. His cheeks.

A light sprinkle fell from hesitantly overcast skies that still shone of daylight. Silvery slivers of water reflected bits of rainbow sunshine as a result.

Dammit. He should've brought an umbrella with him but he forgot again.

Meanwhile, his head got lost in those clouds, wondering how to best approach Jennifer while a part of him screamed at himself to stop making a fool of himself over his newest crush.

Sometimes, discretion was the better part of valor. Sometimes, the only way to win the game was not to play.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Florante heard someone from behind him say, which he soon realized was Alonzo Estanislao. Huh.

Florante smiled and began to nod, but he then hesitated and said, "We'll see. I might skip lunch."

Lonzo kept walking as he spoke. "Sure. No prob. Still waiting for your girlfriend to get back?" he teased.

"Shut up. She's not my girlfriend. Stop being weird," Florante hissed at Lonzo, looking around him for any sign of his classmates. They might overhear and spread rumors again about his crush, just like with Laura.

"Okay, okay. I'm just kidding," reassured Alonzo. "So did anything good happen? You're smiling more."

Gah. Was he that obvious?

"She's back already," Galang murmured it so softly it sounded like an afterthought, hoping Lonzo would miss what he'd say, only for him to cringe when he heard, "Congrats, man."

The drizzle became a squall, and Florante's mood became as soggy as a wet sock The more it rained the soggier it got and the worse his unease grew.

He considered locking himself in the library again on an empty stomach instead of eating with the so-called Dead Kids like the social outcast that they were.

He checked his wallet. He had enough spare change for a soda, at least. And maybe a bag of chips.

He entered the cafeteria, which was on a basement level of a building separate from their high school building. The grade school and high school buildings shared the same cafeteria.

The sun flooded daylight inside the cafeteria basement through a series of chain-link fences that served as the wall that separated the area from the nearby park and the grassy soccer field.

The soft squall made the grass glisten in the sun. During downpours, whole islands were formed on the field amidst the flood of puddles, mud, and sludge. Like a miniature archipelago.

Florante scanned for the Dead Kids' table in the corner of the cafeteria out of habit. Then he froze where he stood.

There were six people at the table now. Excluding Florante, because he hadn't reached there yet.

Huh. Six people.

The usual five were there: Alonzo "Lonzo" Estanislao, Kalantiaw "Kal" Hidalgo and his sister Dalisay, Jacob "Benjo" Benjamin, and Francisco "Kiko" Celestino.

The sixth one was a familiar face, though. It was Jennifer "Jenny" Tolentino.

Florante took out his asthma inhaler and took a puff as soon as he started making those familiar wheezing sounds.

***

Alonzo Estanislao called after Florante Galang after spotting him.

"Yo, Flor!" Lonzo said, which made "Flor" wince. "What are you standing around for? Come over here!"

As Florante did just that, he wondered what was Jenny doing over there.

She'd finally got to school after a week of being absent, but what was she doing with the Dead Kids' table?

Galang looked down and away from the table as soon as Jenny stared at his direction. His ears felt hot. He told himself he had no reason to feel self-conscious. It wasn't as if he did anything wrong, after all.

"What's with Florante?" Florante heard Dalisay ask, which made him finally pick up his pace towards the table before he embarrassed himself any further in front of the one group in the school that hung out with him.

The dainty Dalisay asked once he got there, "You okay, Florante? Do you need to go to the clinic or something?"

Benjo sniggered and needled, "Maybe he's constipated. He needs to take a massive dump!" which prompted Lonzo to smack him upside the head while in the background, Kal harrumphed and called them both idiots.

"You're so gross, Benjo," admonished Dalisay.

He felt his body jolt when he heard Jenny ask, "It's not your asthma acting up, is it?"

Galang reassured her that it wasn't the case, revealing his handy inhaler in his pocket. "Not asthma." He shook his head vigorously. "I'm fine," he reassured, scratching the back of his head. His wheezy breathing belying his reassurances.  

Once his eyes met with Jennifer, he muttered, "H-Hey. Fancy meeting you here."

Jenny smiled and brushed her hair back from her face. "Likewise, Flor. I'm back, I guess?"

Florante smiled in spite of himself. Laughing nervously, he changed the suhject. "I think I'll get a soda today. Any of you need anything?"

"Just soda?" asked Jenny. "It's lunch, not recess. Eat something."

"Aren't you hungry, Florante?" chimed in Dalisay.

"Actually, maybe I do feel a little sick," Florante said, looking at the floor and his dirty shoes. "Um. I mean, I don't have an appetite right now."

Lonzo, who now looked scuffed up from his roughhousing with Benjo, grabbed Florante by the shoulders and sat him down the bench of the lunch table. "Then sit this one out. I'll fetch everyone their lunch and buy your soda."

Florante gulped and nodded his thanks while handing the money to Lonzo, who elected to be the group's gopher for today.

Jacob and Kalantiaw also volunteered to come with him to help out holding the lunch trays.

***

Florante waited for the trio to get their food along with the usually studious Kiko, the wallflower Goth Queen Dalisay, and, well, his classmate Jenny, whom he ended up sitting beside with thanks to Lonzo's prompting.

Damn that Lonzo.

He had nowhere to look and he somehow didn't feel like talking at length to Jenny right now.

Also, when he looked up across the table, he ended up staring at a stern-looking Celestino who looked more like a teacher or a college student than someone from high school.

The studious Kiko barely talked at all, even though he was viewed by the rest of the school campus as the leader of the Dead Kids.

His batch's likeliest Valedictorian or even Salutatorian was this socially awkward nerd. Who knew?

Francisco hadn't even gone to college yet and Florante could already swear he'd become the Summa Cum Laude, if not at least the Magna Cum Laude of his year of college graduates with ease. He just exuded that kind of academically superior aura.

"What is it?" asked Kiko, his eyes meeting with Florante's as he looked up from what he was reading (Advanced Calculus).

"HUH? Oh, nothing!" said Florante. The last thing he wanted was small talk with Mr. Battle of the Brains himself. "Sorry for staring."

For a student supposedly only 3 years older than him, Celestino gave Galang the vibes of a someone much older. Like a college professor. Or a CEO. Or a high-priced attorney. Any full-grown adult with loads of money, power, worldly experience, or influence.

With a raised eyebrow, Celestino returned to his book and commented, "Take the hint, kid."

'Take the hint…?' Florante thought, only for him to realize that Alonzo probably already talked to Francisco to about him and Jenny.

Dammit, you guys. It wasn't that serious! He didn't even remember telling any of them about his feelings for Jenny either! How'd they figure things out?

Minutes later, he got his soda, which he sipped slowly. Or maybe he should sip it faster so that he could excuse himself and leave.

He could even play his asthma up and escape to the clinic for the next hour.

However, he told himself to get a hold of, well, himself. Why should he run away?

To make way for their lunch trays and lunches, Florante took the opportunity to move away and give room to the rest of the Dead Kids, with him sitting on a separate table with his soda.

Eventually, he decided to permit himself to glance beside him. If Jenny glared at him for staring, he'd have the resolve to go to the nurse's office and skip class for the rest of the afternoon.

Or complain about the upset stomach he was literally feeling right now. Like the coward he was.He wouldn't be lying either. He had butterflies in his stomach the size of eagles, it felt like.

He looked up in time to see Dalisay and Jenny laughing at Benjo's antics with Lonzo.

This reminded him of how the Dead Kids charmed him into their group in the first place, actually. They were social outcasts like him, but they chose to be so. They showed him it was okay to be different.

They liked keeping to themselves and didn't care how they looked to others, which Florante respected a lot.

The most abuse Florante got from them was them using him as their gopher or getting his name wrong. Even Benjo, their one member that reminded Galang of his classmate bulies, never went the extra mile when teasing him.

He never felt like any of them dehumanized or degraded him. Or treated him like the "other".

They didn't treat him particularly well or superbly, but even their mere tolerance of him was leagues better than the treatment he got from his own classmates as the resident weirdo of the class.

Florante heaved a relieved sigh at Jenny getting along with the rest of his so-called friends. Or even acquaintances.

His heart twinged with jealousy at the sight too. Made him wish he was closer with both the Dead Kids and Jennifer.

What was he even worried about again?

That he'd ruin another friendship because he caught feelings with Jenny like he did with Laura, so he'd start acting all awkward and creepy around her?

Nah. He had no need to fear. He simply just had to deny his silly crush with Jennifer so they wouldn't end up cold and distant like him and Laura Reyes did.

Even if this was good as it got, he'd be fine with it.

This was his path of least regrets.

If there was an event he wouldn't "Undo" with a magical "Ctrl + Z" command, then it would be him meeting his friendships/acquaintances, the Dead Kids.

***

Aside from the playfulness and banter, something seemed different between the Dead Kids and Jenny Tolentino from the rest of Florante's classmates that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Their infectious positivity seemed like something out of a commercial for menthol cigarettes or saltine crackers, thought the bemused Florante.

No wait. Mentos. They acted like they were in a Mentos commercial!

Something about them seemed almost surreal. Or unreal. Like a performance.

He examined Jenny the most. Not because he was enamored by her, of course. Well, maybe because of that too.

Jenny's glasses glinted in the daylight of the open cafeteria. Her skin was pale, but it looked practically tanned when near the porcelain or marble statue skin of Dalisay, who truly lived up to her name. In Tagalog, "Dalisay" meant "Pure".

Hell, compared to her, Florante's skin was practically wood-colored.

Florante averted his eyes from Kal's sister by reflex, knowing full-well of how extreme Dalisay's overprotective brother behaved around people who stared at her or even tried to talk to her (like Lonzo, who was supposed to be their friend).

Meanwhile, Jenny's pink lips pursed into a cute pout as she and Dalisay teased each other over… something. Her hazel eyes sparkled with her flushed, blushing face.

What was about her that seemed strange to him? Was it his imagination? He pondered, staring at Jenny, trying to isolate any changes in her expression.

At the back of his mind, he idly wondered if this Jenny had the same memories as the Jenny in his dreams. The one that saved his life twice. The literal girl of his dreams. Did reality match his fantasy?

"What are you staring at, Flor?" asked Lonzo with a snicker, and Florante knew that the cheeky bastard already knew the answer to his own damn question.

At that moment, Jenny's eyes flashed to meet Florante's.

Instead of merely looking curious, she gave him a harsh stare. Like a warning of some sort. Her sharp eyes belying the smile on her face.

Florante dropped his head, letting his curtain of hair bangs cover his face. During the instant that their eyes met, he could've sworn.

"Flor…?" Lonzo beckoned again.

Florante could've sworn that she recognized him. No, wait. That didn't make any sense. Of course she'd recognize him. He was her classmate, Florante.

No, no. What he meant was that her eyes glowed the same way it did in his dreams.

Her look of recognition wasn't because she recognized him as Florante. It was because she recognized him as Archangel Gabriel.

He had promised in his last dream that he'd forget about everything, but here he was breaking that promise once more. Even though honestly, he couldn't help it.

How Florante surmised all that from a simple glare, he couldn't tell you.

Or maybe he was just in denial. His constant staring must've finally got on Jenny's nerves, leading to her glaring at him.

Lonzo whispered, "Is your girlfriend staring back at you too?"

Florante palmed his face. His cheeks felt hot to the touch. "She doesn't look angry or anything, does she?"

"I don't know," came Estanislao's unhelpful answer. "Maybe stop being a weirdo and talk to her like a normal person?"

"Stop calling her my girlfriend then," Florante begged. "She's probably the only friend I got in class. You'll just weird her out."

"Sure thing, buddy. I'm just teasing," relented Alonzo.

"…So she's not angry?"

"Ask her yourself, dumbass!" Lonzo put Florante in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over the top of his noggin. "Jeez, no wonder you're bullied so much! Grow a spine!"

***

Mustering up the courage to talk to Jenny, Florante sat beside her and talked. Like the good ol' days when he, her, and Laura first met.

He asked Jenny without looking at her, "Where have you been?"

She thought for a minute. "Oh, around."

The coy answer made him second-guess himself. If he referenced his dreams about her in any way, would she confirm them as real?

No, that was stupid. "Were you sick?" he asked.

"Maybe a little. Like you. I'm fine now, thank you for asking," she answered.

"Oh. That's good to hear. I'm glad," he said.

"It's been cold lately, hasn't it?" she said. "No wonder everyone is getting sick nowadays."

"Yeah. But sunny other times. Like the weather's bipolar or something," he said.

"I know, right? Like it couldn't make up its mind," she said.

"Did you get contacts?" he then blurted out unthinkingly.

Puzzled by his unexpected question, she answered, "No. I'm wearing glasses."

"Oh yeah," he mumbled, wishing the earth would part and swallow him whole. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

She shrugged with a confused smile. "It's the same eyes I've always had."

Man, what was this conversation even about? Talk about awkward.

After a slight pause, Jenny asked, "…Sooo were the rumors true? Did you or didn't you draw Laura Reyes nude?" while adjusting her large, bug-like spectacles in a way that honestly only she could pull off.

"What? NO! I didn't…" Florante raised his voice, but he then trailed off lamely. His voice sounded sad, even to him.

He soldiered on though, pleading his innocence. "I-I was doing a rough sketch! Can you tell her that it wasn't a nude sketch but a rough sketch? The guys who told her it was nude were just messing with me!"

"Really? Show me," she said before taking out a pencil and notebook from out of her purse.

"What? You mean right now?" he asked.

"Why not?" she countered.

Why not indeed. So Florante recalled the anatomy lessons of Art Class and did rough sketches of what initially looked like a naked woman. He then added details like a blouse, skirt, glasses, and shoes to the full-body sketch.

"See? It was all a big misunderstanding!" he said, only for his jaw to go slack as a blushing Jennifer beside him told him, "I didn't realize you were going to use me as an example!"

He looked down and sure enough, he ended up drawing Jenny. "I-I can explain…!"

"I'm just glad you didn't turn it into a nude portrait! My boobs aren't that big!"

"OF COURSE NOT! To do that is sexual harassment!" he yelped, which made Jenny laugh.

He felt his heart twinge at the sight for sore eyes. Her giggles sounded soft and enchanting. Like wind chimes on a gentle summer breeze.

"I was joking, Flor!" She looked at his sketch of her. "Wow. Not bad."

"Eh, it looks a bit cartoony," he said, criticizing his own sketch. "Like an anime sketch. I could've done better."

"Just accept the compliment, you dork!" she chided.

Florante chuckled at that. "You know what? You're an okay gal, Jenny."

This made the both of them go silent. That line was what he said to Jenny before he proceeded to massacre the rest of his classmates.

"You're an okay gal, Jenny. Don't go to school today. For your own good."

A flood of memories—well, false memories that didn't happen anywhere else but his dream—almost overwhelmed Florante.

Him becoming a roaring typhoon of vengeance against his bullies before facing off against an angelic Laura. His tandem fight with Jenny against a spaghetti monster, where he discovered she was also an angel.

His visit to her apartment. Their confrontation with Mammon. Him managing to defeat the crawling chaos. None of that happened yet Florante remembered them all as if they did.

***

The group went their separate ways. Florante was about to head off to the library himself, killing time like always until the late afternoon bell rung for their next class.

However, what Jenny told him before he went off gave him pause.

She looked him in the eye and said, "You promised."

…What?

Before he could speak, she invaded his personal space and said, "Don't break your promise."

She then turned around and left, as though she didn't just say something cryptic and disturbing to him.

"Jenny…!"

"Hmmm? What is it, Flor?"

He hesitated answering. Did he just imagine her say, "Don't break your promise"? Was she gaslighting him? He then said, "I'm okay with it."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm okay with you calling me Flor."

Jenny tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Okay."

His mind spun from confusion. Had he made up the whole exchange before just now? She acted perfectly polite. Like the conversation they had about promises and breaking them never happened.

Or maybe she meant some other promise he couldn't remember breaking?

He had half the mind to believe that the entire exchange was from his own imagination. It was his subconscious mind taking the form of Jenny, warning him not to pursue the madness that was his questionable dreams.

Because the minute he started believing that everything he'd dreamed up until that point was real, that was when Jennifer would give him the same disgusted stare Laura gave him when she had rejected him.

Maybe he really was going out of his mind, dreaming up scenarios where Jenny was his Damsel in Distress and he served as her super-powered Knight in Shining Armor, rescuing her from eldritch abominations and whatnot.

Just like Mammon said. Maybe Mammon was no demon. Instead, Mammon was his common sense. What was left of his sanity.

On one hand, he should be glad all this murder, mayhem, and destruction using fantastical or cosmic powers happened merely in his dreams instead of irreversible reality.

They served as his own Ctrl + Z or Magic Slate that undid what could've been permanent mistakes.

On the other hand, he also wished he'd have dreamed up being a social pariah and the butt of everyone's jokes in Fatima High. He wanted to redo that part of his life as well.

Then maybe once he woke up every morning, he'd instead be greeted with friends and cheers as well as belong in a social circle not rejected by the rest of the school campus.

Undoing the destruction of a shadow monster or sentient Italian dish wasn't a problem Florante could relate to. His inability to form healthy relationships with his peers was.

Hell, if only he could Ctrl + Z his entire childhood. Now that was an even cooler superpower than the Light Array.

"…Galang? Florante Galang?" someone called out to him in the middle of his introspection, thus interrupting his inner monologue.

Who was it? Who dared interrupt the great and powerful avatar of Archangel Gabriel?

Oh. It was him. One of his bullies. Not one of his worst bullies, mind you, but one of his bullies nonetheless.

His bully that used to be his friend before he went with the flow of the rest of the class.

His personal Judas Iscariot. The Brutus to his Julius Caesar: Isaiah Pascual.

The guy whose head Florante blew apart in the murderous fever dream, to be exact.

***

The two former friends kept talking and walking as they went to their late afternoon class.

"Florante," said a sweaty Isaiah, who rubbed his hands together.

"Pascual," said Florante, who wrinkled his nose.

"Hey, buddy. Been a while since we've talked, right?" said Pascual with a hesitant, crooked smile.

"Yeah, I guess." Galang shrugged, eyeing the door to the classroom. "What do you want?"

On the asthmatic's part, he probably smiled the same disingenuous smile as well to keep up appearances of politeness. What did this snake in the grass want anyway?

Florante vaguely remembered Isaiah as one of his few classmates that stood by him when he was being teased by his bullies.

Up until it Isaiah started getting teased himself, so he threw Florante under the bus to save himself.

Galang's first impression of Pascual when they were still cool with each other was that he had the vibes of a Golden Retriever. Or maybe even a sea otter, with that big nose of his.

Once inside the classroom, Florante went straight to his table, with half the mind to ignore Isaiah altogether. He merely half-listened to him at any rate.

"…Look, maybe we can continue this later. Okay, bro?"

"Sure. Whatever."

Grimacing, Galang remembered the swift kick to the testicles that Pascual gave him in his dream, thus "forcing" him to blow his head apart with his dream powers.

Should Florante condemn the guy for something he did in a dream though? No, he condemned Isaiah more for his betrayal of him in real life.

Regardless, the students settled down for Biology class for their section's Science subject that afternoon.

His Science teacher was a chirpy twenty-something named Ms. Isabelle "Belle" Del Mundo. The tall, slim teacher had a signature faint, singsong voice that was hard to miss. She sounded like a character straight from "Sesame  Street". Or "Batibot".

Ms. Del Mundo walked around the room, took attendance, and then had them move single file to the laboratory room at the second floor.

From there, Pascual kept following Florante.

"Gerry and the others finally let up on you, huh?" was the topic he chose to break the ice with. Goodness gracious.

Florante grunted. "More or less."

"Glad to hear it, bro."

'Uh-huh. I bet,' Florante thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Galang ended up with the reputation of being a snitch in exchange for his bullies to leave him alone, but at least now their bullying wasn't as bad as it could've been. He didn't appreciate the passive-aggressive digs though.

He also didn't want to have this talk with Isaiah. He instead wished he could've paired up with Jenny as lab partners. To talk to her more.

To ensure to her that he wasn't going to break his promise. No wait, the real Jenny didn't care about that. It was the Jenny in his insane mind that told him to lay off the daydreams and fever dreams once and for all.

When they got to the lab, Ms. Del Mundo had them separate themselves in pairs.

This was usually Florante's worst nightmare since nobody in class wanted to pair up with him, the social pariah. However, he hoped after his interactions with the real Jenny that they'd pair up this time.

However, instead, he got stuck with Isaiah, who insisted on being his lab partner for the day. What was up with him today?

Their Biology teacher then proceeded to distribute a microscope and a box of slides on each table. The room buzzed with conversation as they prepared the materials.

As Florante and Isaiah worked as lab partners like the good ol' days, when they were still buddies, the latter continued his small talk.

For his part, Galang kept his eyes away from the lab doors, doodling all sorts of sketches on the back of his Science notebook. Like a short comic of Freeza and Goku battling it out at Planet Namek.

"Wow. You just sketched all that out without thinking, huh?" said Isaiah.

"Yep. Just like before," said Florante without looking up from his notebook.

"You never change," said Pascual, which almost offended Galang.

Florante groaned. Instead of hearing the musical voice of Jenny, he instead got stuck with his former best friend's nasally whine. Stuck with the backstabber who saved himself from a social suicide pact and got himself new friends.

Well, maybe his new friends could help him out with whatever problem he was having!

In the corner of his eye, he saw that Jenny and Laura had actually paired up as lab partners instead, with them seated to the desk right in front of the teacher's table.

Laura looked stunning as usual—a showstopper for sure—but Jenny stole the show as far as being the apple of Florante's eye was concerned.

Her side profile remained friendly and open even when looked at from behind, her mouth open with a slight smile on her flawless lips.

Her glasses framed her dazzling features beautifully, like there'd be something missing without them.

She had a pretty nice figure from Florante's vantage point too. Both she and Laura had shapely hips, thin waists, and uh, wide hips that couldn't be hidden even by the folds of their checkered skirts.

He palmed his red face at having such lewd thoughts about his classmates.

"Ah, so you've moved on from Laura Reyes to Jenny Tolentino, huh?" asked Pascual, which got on Galang's nerves.

"Shut up," he murmured, which made Isaiah laugh.

"Bingo! I was right, wasn't I?"

Florante sighed. "…Is it that obvious?"

"Bro, you couldn't stop staring at her empty desk when she was absent last week and now you couldn't stop staring at her when she finally got back."

Jeez. Florante should be more careful and not wear his heart on his sleeve.

If his other bullies caught wind of this, he'd never hear the end of it. Or maybe they already knew and were biding their time to use this info against him. Dammit.

Thankfully, the soft-spoken Ms. Del Mundo began class at that very moment.

Florante tried to focus on her words as she explained to the class what they'd be doing today in the lab.

The slides inside the box were out of order. The lab partners had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the different mitosis phases they represented then label them one by one.

They couldn't use their Biology books. In 20 minutes, she'll be coming around to check who got everything right.

Galang already studied (crammed on) this topic and Pascual, if memory served him correctly, had the lower grades and lazier study ethic (work ethic for studying) between the two of them.

So by his calculations, he'd be doing most of the work while his partner did most of the talking.

"Prophase," said Florante after studying one of the slides he magnified to 40X via the microscope briefly.

"Say, Florante…"

"What? Just down 'Prophase' for the first slide, Pascual," he ordered as he slid another slide under the microscope.

Isaiah did what he was told, letting Galang do most of the work. He didn't even bother double-checking.

"How much do you remember about that stormy night?"

"Anaphase," Florante murmured. "What stormy night? I don't remember any storms."

"How to you spell that?" Pascual asked, and Florante obliged him.

"A-N-A-P-H-A-S-E. Anaphase."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem."

After a brief pause, Pascual's voice went even quieter than before when he continued speaking. "The storm you caused. The one where you ran amok. You don't remember any of it?"

Florante blinked at that. Did he hear him right? No, he must not have. "Third slide please."

Pascual handed Florante the third slide and sighed. "So you don't remember, huh? I should've figured as much."

"What are you talking about?" asked Florante, feigning ignorance while his heart beat began rising in his chest. He then said, "Interphase," after glancing for a few seconds at the microscope.

"Enterphase?" asked Isaiah.

"No, 'Interphase' with a Letter 'I'. Still spelled with a 'phase'. P-H-A-S-E," clarified Florante, before probing, "…Well?"

Pascual wrote down the label and said, "It doesn't really matter if you don't remember." He chuckled. "Would you believe you blasted my face off with light bullets a few days ago? Like something out of a Sci-Fi or martial arts movie, man!"

Florante took his eye off of the microscope and snapped his head in attention towards Isaiah. He felt lightheaded after doing so.

The two were about done with the activity. At the corner of Florante's eye, he could see both Laura and Jenny were already finished with their own slides minutes ago.

The color from Pascual's own face drained the same way it did when facing off against an angrier Florante in his fever dream.

"Oh shit. You do remember, don't you?"

'No. No way. There's no way my dreams are real. There's no way I literally killed my bullies in my dreams, only to press 'Ctrl + Z' and 'Undo' what I did!'

"Susmaryosep," Florante Galang murmured under his breath, wishing he could "Ctrl + Z" this exchange just now.

***

To Be Continued…

Everyone wants to be able to just press Ctrl + Z on their proverbial keyboards in order to undo any careless mistake they've made, whether it's an errant brush stroke on MS Paint or a typographical error on MS Word.

However, reality doesn't work like that. You can't take back what a careless thing you've said a few seconds ago that may or may not end friendships or break bonds. You can unbreak a dropped mug. You can't unspill spilled milk, no matter how hard you cry.

Farewell, Abdiel

[anaviane]

16 September 2023, Saturday

My day was so full I forgot to write in here last night. I had started my day early around 6 or 7 a.m. (I could not remember). I had corned beef, toast, and scrambled eggs for breakfast. After the mundane task of cleaning myself from the night before, I donned myself in my black camisole top and black wide leg pants. I put on lip gloss and the faintest hint of my alexander perfume and packed my day bag. Plum corduroy jacket; 750 mL stainless water bottle; a copy of The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath; this journal; my passport notepad; another top-bound memo pad; wet tissues; headphones; powerbank; keys; & wallet. Originally, I had planned to go to Makati, to drink coffee and read at Spotted Pig in Legazpi Village. But the pathwalk to the bus stop was still under construction and I was dead set on wearing my white mary janes from Andanté again. So I opted for somewhere more in my comforts -- SM North. The car ride there was impossible -- it almost took me an hour! I hated it but Olivia Rodrigo's new album 'Guts' helped keep me at ease. Comfort-seeking has been a theme this week. Anyway, once I got down, it was my usual routine: the stationery section of the department store -> National Bookstore -> semi-empty café. I bought a new blank journal for light sketching because I could never find the strength to sketch in lined journals; a drawing pen; a 2B pencil; and this pen.

In the café, I ordered an iced matcha latte and found a quiet spot on the loft upstairs. Sketched for a while and learned that the drawing pen was not compatible with the paper. It feathered, ghosted, and bled through the other side. I disliked that. Buyer's regret set in for a while. So I went on to read Sylvia Plath again. My god, do I relate to her so much. The way she speaks about her womanness, her despise of men, her dating life. It was all too real and relatable. I feel like I had lived her life in some postmodern-21st century-generation Z-third world country way. I admired her for how she wrote about the banality of life in such a tender, soft spoken, almost dreamy lens. I want to be able to write my journals like that. The more I read about her, the more I aspire to grow in my writing. At the end of my reading session, the woman beside me inquired of the book I was reading.

"May I ask what book are you reading?" she said, chuckling. I closed the book and showed her the book cover. She asked to take a picture and I said, "Sure." with such friendly conviction. I regretted not asking for her name or socials at least. I think I would have made a new friend, a bookish friend. But such is life. Maybe that was the only role we had in each other's lives. A short sixty-second conversation about a book. And that sat alright with me. I was only a messenger, and she, a lovely, curious woman. I packed up my things and left the café. I didn't look back. I didn't have to. My day ended in happiness and fulfillment and the knowledge that putting myself in places where people shared the same interests, would lead me to meeting new people to share conversations with, and maybe even memories with. Everyone starts as a stranger.