"Get it together."

“You are destined for great things, Eri Elysia.”

An explosion woke her up.

The woman’s eyes snapped open at the sound, her hand scrambling for the switch. The lights went on and she peered out of the window, pushing away the dark green curtains that shielded her from the view. Voices chanted from outside, and her eyes widened. She didn’t waste any time in getting out of bed and slipping on a robe before running out, charging down the stairs.

“Mutti, Vati,” she yelled, cringing at another sound. “The Storm and Cloud are revolting outside, the clans are causing a mess!” her black hair swished as she moved, finally reaching to a stop as she found herself in the main hall. There was her mother and father, as well as advisors. Her eyes caught two women waving madly, and she raced to Cissa Erstürmen and Lisa Sonne.

“Eri, we tried to keep you asleep,” Cissa tried, but the former’s eyes narrowed with irritation. “We really did!”

“Asleep – why did you keep me asleep when Technika is going into a rage?!” she demanded. “When did you even get here – I don’t remember asking you two to come and stay!”

“Your mother told us to come as soon as the first explosion came,” Lisa explained, biting her lip. “We had to be sure nothing happened to you, that nothing would get to you. We had Cissa deepen your sleep and warriors patrol your bedroom for the time being.” Eri tore her eyes away from her friends and turned to her mother, who was directing orders to the soldiers of the Elysian royalty.

“See to it that whoever is leading those riots get a good message,” she instructed. Soon enough, her eyes met Eri’s, and they softened slightly.

“Yes, Ms. Blitz.”

“Eri, love – you have to understand. The Storm and the Cloud are dangerous, they are leading an uprising against us.” The older woman knelt on one knee and put her hands on Eri’s shoulders. “Please understand this. I had your friends come over to put up a resistance, to keep us safe.”

“But their families,” she tried, but Lisa smiled.

“Safe. I’ve told them to move.”

“Same here.” Cissa glanced at Lisa. “We’ve got things under control, Eri. You have to calm down and let your mother handle this.”

Eri took a deep breath.

“Fine.” She looked at her mother. “Fine. But I have to know who from the Storm and Cloud are leading the revolts.”

“I can promise it’s not anyone from my clan.” Spoke Cissa, a touch of disgust in her voice. “They’ve got the water – we have the air. I bet it’s Celeste’s family.”

“Celeste.”

“And Alpha from the Cloud.” Lisa looked away. “Though I wouldn’t know why it’s them leading and not the designated leader.”

“Alpha’s mother isn't here.” Eri broke away and paced around. “Celeste’s is the main leader. I don’t know anymore. I don’t even know why this is happening.” She looked up. “But the worst that can happen is the joining of the Himmel clan…”

“Himmel?” questioned Blitz.

Eri’s lips tightened.

“Amaya.” Cissa let off an irritated growl.

“Amaya…of course.”

“But aren’t there others in the neutral side of things? Like Collette, Oddette, and, and – and Arturia?”

“I bet they are.” Eri closed her eyes. “They don’t like to fight. They’ve never liked wars. Their clans – lightning, mist, and rain – have never had any history in which they participated in or waged a fight with another clan.”

“We can always recruit,” Lisa suggested. The three noticed they were the only ones left in the Main Hall.

“No. I don’t want anyone else getting into this. Not even you two.”

“Excuse me? Are you out of your mind, Eri? Those two clans are deadly when combined; do you want either of them taking the Elysian rule away from you?”

She didn’t answer. Cissa sighed. “Be reasonable, Eri. As the future matriarch of the Elysia family as well as Technika, you have to get your mind together. You aren’t the successor to the throne for nothing."

.ueidA

These are my memories

An enigma composed of

The truth and what it

Has become

The line between

Fantasy and reality

Blurred momentarily

Waiting for a small push

This small passage in time

That is composed of

All my anxiety

My obsequious praise

For someone with the face

Of glamorous beauty

And hidden treachery

The choice to let go

The path to righteousness

This red-filled slate

I wish to get rid of

This page is white

My thoughts are hued

If I set the pen down

Shall these blank pages

Be filled with my unstable

Erratically moving

Perpetual thoughts?

This is for you

The destruction you caused

My own downfall

That you so carelessly

Cast upon on me

This is for you

My enemy

My wicked fate

This is for you

And to you I say

Adieu.

The Final Push

With a lot of tears shed and great news received a couple of days back, I think I'm officially ready to end this year with a bang. Everything will go by swiftly, and before I know it, the bell would have rung and all my tears would flow down once more. It's not my fault I'm a sensitive person. Though it seems like I'm a tough little thing on the outside, I'm pretty much the epitome and representation of sensitivity and all things mushy. Back to the topic - eventually papers will come and go, pens will run dry. Erasers will be lost (or found, depending on the person's luck) and scratch papers will be the only thing contained by the trash bin.

All things must come to an end. This is what I realize as I type this right now, surrounded by my books and notes, with a few highlighters here and there. My Sophomore year will end and eventually, I'll be shifting from red to yellow - from the third floor to the fourth. My ranking as Sophomore will change to Junior, and I'll be one step away from leaving my second home, my school. If this year was a confused flux about guys and trips and whatnot, next year would be a jumble of feelings as I would step into the venue with a possible prom date. I would fill up application forms and settle on a course. Asian History would turn into World History, and Biology to Chemistry. Statistics would fade and be replaced with Geometry.

Teachers will change and classmates will as well. I could be stuck with tentative enemies or possible friends depending on my future actions. Fights could occur and making up can happen. There are waters I have yet to swim, yet to tread. But that is the future, and this is now. This is the moment to take it all in and let it out. The Seniors will move to their respective universities and my older friends will go away. More responsibilities will be thrust upon me as I take on the position of News Editor of the school publication next year. Despite all of this, I have learned. I have lessons from my Kinder One days to my Sophomore days that I can bring with me next year.

I have tackled the mysteries of biodiversity as I studied the different kingdoms and phylums. I have learned from the most basic of maths to the Quadratic Formula and how to determine if one piece of information is more clustered than the other. I have learned the basic alphabet and applied it to analyzing African literature and Japanese plays. From basic Philippine history, I now know how one single action could affect the entirety of Asia, as well as the world, that civilizations were found, that nationalism was brutally yet peacefully fought for. From basic introductions in Tagalog into connecting events in Florante at Laura and the present time, as well as using this knowledge to construct and give life to a song written in a day. From the creation of the world to fulfillment of God's word in the New Testament. I have inspected a frog's internal organs. I have discovered how important it is to live a healthy life. I have learned how to dance the Korean Fan Dance, how to animate in Adobe Flash, how to bake (and witness that I actually have a chance in learning how to cook as well), and how to present music in a more artistic way.

There are so many things that I have learned, written down, and typed. All of this, though some are now vague in my little mind, contain small memories which mean a lot to me as a student, as a Catholic, as a developing woman of faith and action.

I will miss my set of teachers for this year. My motherly Class Adviser, the firm yet gentle Biology teacher as well as TIC, the enigmatic English teacher, the energetic Filipino teacher. I will miss the Asian History teacher who jokes along with everyone else, the Algebra/Statistics teacher who keeps reminding me to smile despite the odds, and the quirky, youthful Home Economics teacher. I will miss them, yet what they have taught me throughout this year will always stick to mind.

I will miss my section and the others. Section one who grew in unity, section three who never wavered, section four with their diversity. And of course, section two - enthusiastic and undeniably unpredictable. We may have gone through some rough patches as a section, but in the end, we made it. From IP groups to row mates to column mates, II-2, you are an amazing set of classmates. If only it were block section, yeah?

I'll miss a lot more things. From the corner of the level where my friends hung out, to the cafeteria table where we ate and laughed and debated for an entire school year. I'll miss the Seniors, my club mates who might be leaving, and the weight of the Biology book pressed against my back. I'll miss the snarkiness of my teachers and the witty comebacks of my classmates. All the tears, the laughter, the joys and even the pains - I'll miss them all.

Friday is the very last day of my Sophomore year.

With that much time left, I should make the most out of it.

Tiger&Whiskers

1. Are You Gonna Be My Girl?

I know we
Ain't got much to say
before I let you get away, yeah!
I said, 'are you gonna be my girl'?

Well, so 1,2,3, take my hand and come with me
Because you look so fine 
and I really wanna make you mine.

2. True Love

Why do you rub me off the wrong way?
Why do you say the things that you say?
Sometimes I wonder how we ever came to be
But without you I'm incomplete

3. The Walk

Tell me why, why do you turn the blues skies cloudy grey
You know why I can’t let you keep treatin' me this way

4. Misery

You say your faith is shaken
And you may be mistaken
To keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun
I'm desperate and confused
So far away from you
I'm getting there, I don't care where I have to run

Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?
Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah?

5. Cold Coffee

She's like cold coffee in the morning
I'm drunk off last nights whiskey and coke
She'll make me shiver without warning
And make me laugh as if I'm in on the joke

And you can stay with me forever
Or you could stay with me for now

Tell me if I'm wrong 
Tell me if I'm right
Tell me if you need a loving hand
To help you fall asleep tonight

6. Don't You Forget About Me

Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out and
Love's strange so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on

Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby

7. Edge of Desire

Don't say a word
Just come over and lie here with me
'Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see

I want you so bad I'll go back on the things I believe
There I just said it
I'm scared you'll forget about me

8. If It's Love

I digress

I confess you are the best thing in my life

But I'm afraid when I hear stories

About a husband and wife

There's no happy endings

No Henry Lee

But you are the greatest thing about me

9. Locked Out of Heaven

Never had much faith in love or miracles

Never wanna put my heart on the line

But swimming in your water is something spiritual

I'm born again every time you spend the night

10. My Love

See, what's the point of waiting anymore?
Cause girl I've never been more sure (that baby, it's you)
This ring here represents my heart
And everything that you've been waiting for (just say "I do")

11. The Way I Was

I can't make the same mistake
If you lose my love
It was yours to take
Break down your door
Take a little more
When I need you around.

Bloody Mood Swings

She couldn’t explain it.

She was just so moody and irritable. The woman wondered how Matt had been able to keep up with her the past couple of hours. An embarrassed flush rose in her cheeks as she went through the day’s events: she woke up with painful cramp that lasted until that very moment and cooked for herself (surprising Matt – she didn’t even cook).

Arianne remained in loose clothing the whole day, keeping her hair in a tight bun with a scowl set on her lips. All she could do was watch the telly and remain in a fetal position on the couch. She felt the ginger’s eyes on her the whole day – but she didn’t feel like explaining herself. All she wanted as the cramps gone and a steaming bowl of ramen.

Curled up with a blanket wrapped around her, she kept her eyes on the television screen as she watched daytime cartoons that entertained not only the children, but also her. A mirthless laugh left her lips as the mouse blew up the cat, and in the other room, Matt watched her from a distance.

He pursed his lips and turned his attention to the pan, which had frying bacon enough for two (but with her appetite on that day, he would have to cook a little more). Humming a little to himself, Matt soon flipped the food onto a plate and let the next batch of bacon fry.

From the living room, a loud groan came from her.

“Babe?” he called, getting a carton of juice fro the fridge, “Are you alright? You sound in a lot of pain, do you want some meds?”

She shifted on the couch and made a noise of pain into the pillow she held. “I’m fine. I’m just having cramps, it’s no big deal.”

“Alright, then…” the man soon switched off the stove and put the plates of food and glasses onto the tray, lifting it with ease and bringing it to the living room, where his girlfriend was currently staying and mumbling something about the pain in her lower back. He rested the tray on the coffee table and sat next to her, gently wrapping an arm around the young woman’s slim body. “I made something to eat, love. Bacon, juice, and I threw in a plate of salad for you.” He nodded at the tray. “We need to go grocery shopping soon. We’re running low on the basic nutrients…”

She wasn’t listening.

He noticed.

“…and vitamins.” He peered closer at her, looking at her slightly disoriented and annoyed face. Her hair seemed messier than ever and there were a few pimples to the side of her head. Arianne’s hands rested on her lower abdomen, and a low groan left her rough-looking, pale lips. “Don’t you want to eat?”

“Hm?” she blinked and snapped out of her daze. “Oh, right…” uneasily reaching towards the table, she got the tray with salad and started eating, almost wolfing down the leaves at a nearly impossible speed. Before he knew it, she was reaching for the bacon as well. He chuckled amusedly, and all the clues fit. His mind clicked, and he knew what was going on with her. Of course. How could he not notice? He might have seen an opened pack in the bathroom that morning…

“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked this time after swallowing. Matt reached for a piece of bacon and ate slowly, gazing at her with thoughtful blue eyes. She made a face at him, poking his cheek. “Oi, stop looking at me…I’m hideous.”

“Don’t be silly.” He kissed her cheek after swallowing. “You’re gorgeous. And you’re adorable when you’re wrapped up like that,” he grinned. “It’s like a kitty wrapped up in a burrito.” And it was true – the white blanket helped.

“A burrito…don’t make me hungry.”

“Burritos and tacos,” he chimed with a teasing tone.

She scowled.

“Let me ask you something…” he pulled his arms around her and rested her on his lap. The woman squeaked in surprise, blushing madly as he nuzzled her cheeks. “…are you really in a hungry and irritable mood today, or have the lady pains struck?”

Arianne could only deny it repeatedly.

In his increasing amusement, he kissed her and told her that it was fine – as long as there would be a lot of cuddling involved within the next few days. When asked why, he could only give her a look and resumed cuddling her once more.

Hello, Semi-Hell Week.

As noticed, I haven't quite been posting as much...my life just got 10x as hectic, and with the upcoming week ahead, I just felt the need to plan out what would happen in the next seven days of pure torture and possibly madness. So, ladies and gents, here's my schedule!

SCHEDULE, WHAT SCHEDULE?

February 9 (Saturday): Will be studying for Asian History, Filipino, and Biology. 

February 10 (Sunday): Will be studying for English and Algebra, will review Filipino once more. Start writing the Literature contribution for Plaid Issue #2 about dreams.

February 11 (Monday): Filipino test. Will review for Biology and English. 

February 12 (Tuesday): Biology and English test. Will review for Algebra and Asian History.

February 13 (Wednesday): Asian History and Algebra test. 

February 14 (Thursday): Start of our Biology Trip to Batangas. 

February 15 (Friday): End of our Biology Trip to Batangas. Paramore concert in the evening. 

February 16 (Saturday): Biology Trip Article-Making (for Plaid) and Rest.  

February 17 (Sunday): Day of Rest. 

SCHEDULE, WHAT SCHEDULE?

So as seen, this week is going to be pretty much hectic. With our midterm exams along the way as well as our Biology Trip, I won't be as on and won't post as much. I'll be busy the following weekend, since I'll have to be doing the Biology Trip news article for the school website.  Additionally, I'll be going to the Paramore concert! I'll do my best to put up a post about that, at least. 

Wish me luck, you guys! This week is gonna be hard, but it will be worth it. 

A Reason

Breathe in, breathe out.

Hands tightly clasp the gun in his hand, fingers preparing to pull the trigger. A bead of sweat runs down the side of his face and his fingers itch to rub it away. An exhausted sigh leaves his lips, eyes fixated on the area below him as he hid behind the wall. This was it. This was the moment, it was really now or never. He would either kill or be killed; he would win or lose the battle. It was coming to an end; it would soon near its climax. He had a story, and he was the main character.

All he needed was his own happy ending.

Harsh breaths leave him and his grip tenses slightly. It was probably too much to hope for. He knew that. He knew it ever since he had entered the job without second thought. Now, he wondered if it was all worth it. Travelling to different places and learning different dialects, hopping from one place to another without having the chance to say goodbye to whoever he had met. His grip loosened, and he lowered his gun slowly, deciding to sit instead of crouch, look up and gaze at the empty sky instead of think of possible ways to kill. The man wrapped his arms around his jean-clad legs, face falling into a frown and messy red hair shielding his blue eyes.

He wondered if it was worth sleeping in a bed with no one to hold.

Another sigh left him and he shifted a little. He ran a hand through his hair and felt it move back into his eyes, and he gazed at the starless view beyond him. The sky was black and the lights were dim, the city lights seemed so near yet so far. His heart ached to go back to those lights, more especially to a certain light in a home that contained only a singular human being, one lady who was most likely sleeping at this time of the night.

It was survive or die, and he was striving for the first. Yet even the strike of the bullet and the pain in his chest wouldn’t override the pain he would feel upon realizing that it truly was goodbye. His heart ached. His eyes burned with the sudden sting of incoming tears. He grits his teeth and shut his eyes, willing himself to keep calm and focus on the task at hand. Soon enough, he returned to his crouched position, against the wall and his hands on the black gun ready to shoot.

His gaze kept on the area once more, and he hoped that she would continue to have the patience to wait for him to return. He counted his lucky stars and silently prayed that she was out there, thinking of him, hopeful that he would come back soon enough.

But he knew that hope was as fleeting as the sound of a gunshot.