Fantasia (Part 2)

Picture credits: The images below are sample characters from the MMORPG Ragnarok Online of the company Level Up!. I don't actually play it, but the game was what I had in mind as a loose template of this story (template only, so it's not Ragnarok canon), not to mention images of its characters do provide a cute effect, hehe. Pictures nixed from the Ragnarok online website (link). Pictures were edited.

(Part 1 here)

In typical "Knightly" fashion, the wards were a boisterous, critical audience. By this time, hopefully, the guests, especially the performers among them, were used to the loud jeering, hooting and plain kinetics of their hosts. But everyone, including the prefects who keep watch on the wards amidst the subdued chaos, might still be caught unaware of audience participation like that of one prankster who went up the stage with a hanky ready for wiping the perspiration of a guest balladeer.

The most awaited performance was from the Aqueaonians. They started their number with a modest folk dance while wearing modest costumes, but before the crowd went completely bored, they shifted to a popular upbeat dance about being separated from a loved one:

Panaginip ko at hangarin
Ang ika'y muling makapiling ('pagkat)
Saan man tumungo, alin mang ngiti,
Nakikita ko'y yung sa'yong labi...

That, and the revelation of gypsy-like outfits beneath their modest folk costume, brought the Knights' Great Hall down. Helen beamed with pride for her older fellow wards in Aqueaon. Mervin was quick to show appreciation. On the other hand, Daniel's reaction was dulled by his confusion.

Shortly afterwards, the dance floor was open, and everyone flaunted their dancing skills, or lack of it (though that didn't matter anyway). The boys' propensity for fun sure was contagious, thought Helen, who, though not of a dancer, found herself enjoyably moving to the upbeat drums of the musicians with Mervin, Daniel and other new friends and admirers. That was until the musicians decided to slow things down, and Helen's heart skipped a bit, for she hardly knew how to handle this new rhythm.

"Shall we dance?" It was Mervin, ever so quick tonight. Daniel held his breath, dazed at was he was witnessing. Helen also held her breath, what could be a polite reply?

"Sorry, but I don't know how," she finally said, "and I'm really tired, let's rest instead."

Mervin, Helen and Daniel sat by the sidelines and watched at how pairs danced the night away, from some with tentative steps to a few with peaceful intimacy. Several other admirers bid their invitations, but Helen consistently refused, stating the same reasons. Daniel was contented that she would refuse all invitations for a dance, with two reasonable excuses to boot.

Indeed she was tired, but resting was still uncomfortable for the Hall was warm, what with all the heightened emotions, so Daniel borrowed a folding silk fan, an item made in the larger neighboring empire of Qin, to cool Helen and himself (and Mervin who was near Helen anyway). "That," Mervin exclaimed at Daniel's fanning, "could hardly carry a breeze!" He grabbed the fan. "Here, let me show you." His vigorous fanning blew away whatever was left of Daniel's spirit.

Helen had rested well enough, and the fan has cooled things down for her, thus eliminating one of her reasons. Mervin moved in for the kill: "shall we dance now?"

Helen clung to her one remaining excuse, "But I really don't know how."

"Don't worry, it's easy. I'll show you."

Di mo pansin 'sang bagay sinta
Ang sumaiyo'y aking kahilingan...
Ano p'ang kawalan, kundi 'di ibigin?
Umaasang ako'y tatanggapin...

The musicians were playing a rousing chorus. Mervin flashed his warm friendly smile and held Helen's hand. Whatever was left of her hesitations vanished all of a sudden. He guided her to the dance floor and there they stayed for a long, long while.

Daniel was catatonic. When the Farewell Dance ended, he walked mindlessly back to his home. Mervin was not only quick, he was also cunning, Daniel thought as he finally lay in bed. He could not believe that intelligent though he was, his mind was still a simpleton's for it could not even conceive what Mervin had seamlessly, gracefully executed that night. That, and alternate scenarios more favorable to him, were the last thoughts in his mind until he finally welcomed the consolation of sleep.

May mga bagay
Na lingid sa kaalaman ko
Ang iniibig
Ay kailangan ding lumayo...
Kung managinip ako
Tungkol sayo ay dalisay
Magkayakap, magkatabi
Magpakailanman...

(To be continued)

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Fantasia (Part 1)

Picture credits: The images below are sample characters from the MMORPG Ragnarok Online of the company Level Up!. I don't actually play it, but the game was what I had in mind as a loose template of this story (template only, so it's not Ragnarok canon), not to mention images of its characters do provide a cute effect, hehe. Pictures nixed from the Ragnarok India official website (link). Pictures were slightly edited.

It was afternon. The sun-drenched hilltop trees of the Aerie swayed with the gentle winds of March. The swishing of the leaves produces a lively rhythm as petals fell from the trees like a gentle rain, releasing its fragrant aroma for the people of the Aerie to enjoy. What a way to punctuate the joyous mood around the hill, as the season marked the end of a year's worth of scholastic struggle. More so for Daniel and his peers, who were to celebrate not just the end of a year but entire decades of quests for mastery. As a reward for their labors, they would attain the Full Order of the Eagle, an honor coveted in the entire Empire of Fralippolippi.

For that particular moment however, the cheerful display of nature did not have the intended effect on Daniel as he walked up to his lodging by the hilltop. The dark fort-like facade of this usually gloomy edifice now seemed to be a welcome refuge for him as he walked inside its dark lobby. "Perfect," he remarked on the darkness feebly illuminated by a single lamp by the newsscrolls. He went through the motions of reading the scroll for the day, yet his mind was quick to wander. Perhaps it would be better for his mind to do so: at least he would not be totally engulfed by the darkness. Thusly, his mind went back to a place and time he left behind, but was unable to forget. Way, way back it went to the Land of EveAlone, way, way, back to seven years ago...

The Pillars of the Knight, a premier scholarly institute of Ceres City, the city right at the heart of EveAlone, was abuzz with excitement. The scholastic wards were having a break from all the scholarly pursuit of the arts and crafts. Instead, there were visitors coming, visitors from similar institutions in EveAlone that answered the call for interscholastic camaraderie.

"The vessels have arrived!" Necks craned and the buzz grew louder. The youngest wards of the Pillars grew impatient. They would have wanted to meet the visitors then and there along the riverside port as they disembark from their ferry ships, but they knew that they had to be disciplined especially for this occassion. The guests would be escorted to them. For now they had to be contented with the distant view of the sails on the ports near the gates of their venerable academy.

Among these restless younger wards was Daniel of First Group R. He had experienced a similar activity before in a different institution and knew somewhat that the selection of guest wards depended on criteria different from the host wards' preferences. But he would know soon enough whether he was right or wrong; from the noise emanating among the other rooms, it appeared their neighbors had started receiving their guests and their room would also do so in a while.

Applause and pleasantries greeted the guests of First Group R. Among them, Helen was mildly amused (or that she hoped was how she appeared). These wards of the Pillars sure were fun-loving and polite, as told to her by older peers from the Citadel of Aqueaon back in the seaport city of Legacy. Too bad these lads were not all handsome as claimed too by her friends, but there surely were some head-turners. What was somewhat unsettling for her and her fellow guests were the fuss and attention their hosts were overly bestowing on them while at the same time these same hosts were approaching them as if an invisible barrier like that of an aquarium exists in between. Ah, the Pillars was an institution for boys only, they were also cautioned by their peers; thus, expect them to behave curiously sometimes. Fortunately for Helen and the other guests of First Group R, there was an exception in the person of Dominic.

Even to the rest of First Group R, Dominic was, to put it mildly, a different person. He trained to be an acolyte, a rare calling, and thus he lived like an acolyte, an even rarer disposition still. He imposed upon himself stiff moral standards that others in the group find unrealistic. More than that were his weekly self-expunging of sins. But what was most abrasive to the group was that he preached all these to them like he wanted to impose it to everyone. Well for that day, Dominic was in his element to the chagrin of the others, for in seeing no malice, he saw no barrier in communicating with the guests.

Meanwhile, Daniel was finding his eyes constantly gazing at this girl named Helen, or that was the name he found on the sheet of paper she pasted on the board. The paper was the output of their first activity used to indicate, among other things, a neutral facial expression she drew to describe how she felt at that moment, and her address in the City of Legacy. He had realized that this Citadel of Aqueaon (it must be her academy since she was wearing its vestments: the moss-green jumper-skirt) did choose their representatives to be pleasing to the eyes. Unfortunately though, what was pleasing to his eyes was also pleasing to others' eyes--many other pairs of eyes, to be sure.

That was Daniel's predicament. He was intelligent, being trained to be a mage, knowledgeable in the various common letters as well as the Codix, the mysterious language of Magic. But physically, he was a wraith; although possessing a gentle comely face, he was tall and lanky, and like the usual mage, lacking that commanding presence in a crowd, much more a reasonable amount of brute strength. For Helen, we was ranged upon young lads of either better resources, face value or other desirable external attributes, not to mention persons more experienced in the ways of romance.

The one person who would know of this predicament was Mervin, who recently had been Daniel's companion in the long walks home from the Pillars, both of them deriving humor from day-to-day things along the way. Perhaps it was his warmth and his quick smile that made Daniel share his new secret. "Don't worry," he said confidently and reassuringly, "you have my support."

Time passed by quickly, on the second night they were already gathering for the Farewell Dance. Outside the Knights' Great Hall-turned-ballroom, just before it opened for the festivities, the young lads flocked around the girl of their liking. Daniel and Mervin, working as a team for the entire day, had engaged Helen in some chit-chat. A number of hopefuls still flocked around her, engaging her in their own small talk whenever they had a chance.

Oh! What could be her charm? Was it the way her long curly hair rise proudly in a bun? Was it the way her round eyes twinkle with sentiments hidden by her silence? Or perhaps it was her roundish face made rounder by her mannerism of puffing her mouth up.

Consistent with tradition, the Farewall Dance opened with a show. Helen was with the group of Mervin and Daniel. Or was it the two joining Helen's group? So far so good, thought Daniel, at last he would be seated beside Helen. But lo! In a quick move, Mervin took that seat beside her.

(To be continued)

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Quote Explicit

Happy V-day everyone! I'll share with you this love quote I have translated from English to Bicol. I have appreciated how this particular translation got the vernacular impact while having some sort of rhyming to boot. I liked it so much that I have forgotten the exact words of the English original! Perhaps my fellow Bicolano bloggers under the "Ma-orag Ini" links can provide the original quote.

An pagkamoot
Garo mabatang atot:
Kun pogolon abang kulog,
Kun pal'wason abang kusog.

Why this particular quote, you may ask? Well, let's just say I was down last Monday with a nasty case of food poisoning, and I'm still reeling from its effects until now.

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Sugarfree Prom

Now why am I posting this famous recent song about the prom? Why this Filipino song that's worthy of replacing those hackneyed prom staples of David Pomeranz? Why not my own prom instead? As you've guessed it, my prom experience is below par, way below even compared to the usual find-a-partner-go-to-prom-and-dance-then-go-home kind of prom experience. (I thought of writing here what happened in one of those proms, but I realized that in all three I was so pathetic I just might lose whatever respect that I have if I did so. Well, at least I attended three proms, so let's keep it at that. All I can say is that the present students of my high school are so lucky since they now have the normal co-ed environment.)

On with the song... or actually the translation, which is done is such a way that, just like last time, it can be sung in the tune of the original. I try to stick with Sugarfree's objective of removing, well, the sappiness of songs by describing images and scenes instead of describing emotions, but if ever I fail that objective, blame it on the translation process.

These nervous hands they do rattle by
With this beating restless heart of mine.
May I, oh instead, be the one,
Rather than some escort, to sit beside you.

Slowly our eyes--in this night unforgotten--
Meet each other in the glance we've taken...

Like a night for you and me
Like we're all alone: they would let us be,
And together we shall dance
Entwined so tight it's like we won't let go,
Won't let go.

Intoxicating like a gin,
Those drifting looks of yours do make me spin.
And then as the night go by on by
My lips and your lips get as close as they can be...

So off we go to this night unforgotten,
And together we are promenadin'...

Like a night for you and me
Like we're all alone: they would let us be,
And together we shall dance
Entwined so tight it's like we won't let go,
Won't let go.

And when our dancing is through (o-oh)
Please promise me you won't let go (o-oh)

Like a night for you and me
Like a night for you and me
Like a night for you and me
Like we're all alone: they would let us be,
And together we shall dance
Entwined so tight it's like we won't let go,
Won't let go.

Like a night for you and me
Like we're all alone: they would let us be,
And together we shall dance
Entwined so tight it's like we won't let go,
We will never let us go.

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