I've had a productive day even if it's not going THAT well, a few minutes to midnight.
For starters, I'll fill in the GOOD things.
(1) Classes were done
The actual classes were not that good - considering I want to switch professors right then and there. God, it's an English WRITING class and what she did was discussed the course syllabus (which would have been okay had we not been in the third week of classes). I had to endure agreeing with my whispering classmates behind me if not for the risk of eavesdropping to their conversation.
(2) Constructions
I'd been trying to squeeze my brains out for poem constructions for this year's folio. I've done some and had frsh ideas for any additional ones, though I think my writing prowess has been altered with the change of motiff. We've had social issues previously and it was great because I had a lot of inputs and inspirations. I've been struggling because I can't center on objects.
I think I've done well enough but because I'm naturally (and overly insecure), I feel like rejection is looming over each piece.
(3)... and Starbucks cravings
I've splurged on Green Tea Latte and New York Cheesecake which costed me my whole allowance (and more) for the week. Oh well.
I liked Starbucks because of the ambience and the merchandise (and just the branding), in addition to my nicotine admissions in the past which was where it was often catered - plus, the kick of sugar (and cheese) in my system was fuel to the writer in me.
(4) Column
I had several ideas which brings out chaos in my mind because I can't make up my mind. I'd probably cram the whole thing minutes before the deadline.
Still, I've advanced in a couple of words on an entirely different topic from where I've started. Which was a good thing. Right?
(5) Weekend chore - half done
Groceries. The drawback would include diminishing the supplies earlier in the week. But hey, at least I don't have to get out tomorrow to do the stuff (though I have to face the laundry tomorrow. Ugh)
(6) Research and registration
I'm starting to become a Starbucks nut. Again. Probably due to that free drink from activating the online stuff.
The Bad:
My Boyfriend's workaholism kicking in.
Don't get me wrong, I totally love his dedication at work (and a whole bunch of things that would take too long to numerate). But there are times I feel a bit neglected. Yes, I'm clingy. Yes, I'm so used to being spoiled. And no, I won't hold it against him. I understand things but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Beyond the Border: Her Views. Weird Views.
By the end of the second week that they had been going
through Phoenix’s unusual lifestyle. Lucille found what seemed to be her
problem in general: she was too un-mainstream to keep up.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t follow through what was being
discussed, or that she couldn’t understand anything. It was just that she
accepts it rather differently compared to how a normal student would. It wasn’t
that she contest things being discussed, or that she passes on a different
message when asked. It was just that she refuses to apply some philosophies,
and proactively inserts her own viewpoint subjected to certain disclaimers. It
wasn’t that she’s being forced on being a mage based on her potential, it was
that fact that she was forcing herself to be recognized.
It was during these times that Phoenix’s hostility towards
Lucille had been reduced, and she was already beginning to open up in regards
to her viewpoints, thoughts, and questions. Though, Lucille, being as stoic as
he had always been, never really engage that much and often the conversations
cut short if not Phoenix just blabbing her heart away.
“I have never had someone to listen to me
before.”
“Why is that?”
She looked at Lucille like he was insane. It was one of those
rare moments that Lucille was actually responding to her issues.
“Well,” she said, weighing her words
carefully, “people just steer clear of me most of the time because of…”
There was that long silence that Lucille looked up from what
he had been writing. He found Phoenix staring at him incredulously as if she
never found any one like him all her life.
“What?”
“You
have never heard of anything? Aren’t you curious?”
“I’ve
heard a lot of things.” He went back to finishing up what he was writing. “And
rumors doesn’t actually tell you that much… Here, I’ve simplified those
discussions for you.”
Her incredulous stare didn’t flinch as she took the notes
from him. She was staring so much that he knew he had to answer at least some
of her unasked questions or even show interest on what she does.
He sighed, “There is one question that I wanted to ask.”
She nodded him to continue, red eyes still gazing with that
expression. He watched as that face contorted into something else. Disbelief.
Surprise. Back to Hostility.
“What did you do to that demon from the
exercise?”
It took a moment before she answered. It was as if she had
been denying that fact that he had been there to witness whatever happened that
day. Truth be told, she had already forgotten that that actually happened just
because he wasn’t altogether bringing it up.
It was a good reminder.
“I… let it go.”
He raised an eyebrow to her response but did not press on
further.
“Look,” she continued on as he said
nothing, “I did exactly as I told her, I let her go.”
“Her?”
“Yeah, it’s a she.”
“How did you know?”
She looked away. Lucille knew that she wasn’t going to answer
that one. It seemed as if she already took a lot of risk answering just that
question. Had Lucille been impatient on her answers, he showed nothing. He
still projected that uninterested façade that Phoenix’s doubts and hostility
was becoming a bit inconsistent.
. . . . .
Her next monthly assessment was coming in by next week. By
that time, she would be by her 6th month in the academy. It would
depend on that assessment on what would be the course of her schedules.
Lucille’s assessment actually falls on the same week, and at this point, most
of the masters were already aware of the unusual team-up between the unlikely
pair: one who can’t be bothered, and one who always bothers.
The master assigned to Phoenix summoned them the day before
Phoenix’s assessment.
“We’re looking towards a great
improvement. Aren’t you happy, Phoenix?”
“Does he
have to listen to the progress track discussion?”
“He’s… helping out, Phoenix, he has to
hear what I have to say. Are you a bit uncomfortable with him being here?”
The master was raising an eyebrow in confusion, he was under
the impression that the transcendence and Phoenix were in better terms already
given the time that they spent together. The master glanced at Lucille who was
keeping a passive face and was looking at him.
Lucille kept on his mask remembering their conversation
moments before they were summoned. Phoenix was in one of her hostile moods that
she was asking a bunch of questions which Lucille was sarcastically answering
with a nod or shrug. She lost her patience and actually walked out of the room
just when the master’s servant was about to call upon them for the ‘summon’.
“I could get out if it makes you both comfortable.”
“Please stay and listen in, Lucille, I am
going to say this once.” He sighed before continuing on, “Whatever assessment
would be given to Phoenix would also affect your own. Were you aware that it
would also happen?”
“Yes. Though, it didn’t really matter. My
assessment doesn’t seem to have any difference for the past few months.”
The master looked thoughtful for a moment, then made a
signal. As if on cue, his servant enters the room.
“Please
escort Phoenix to Master Reis.”
“Excuse me?”
“Master Reis would like to speak with
you.”
“Now?”
“Yes. We
would be waiting here, please be mindful of the time.”
Phoenix looked from the master to Lucille, then nodded. She
followed the servant of the room.
“And she
has to be called appropriately at the right moment,” the master snorted.
“Sir?”
The master looked at him, Lucille then realized that the last
bit was a mutter barely inaudible. Lucille cleared his throat.
The master continued on, “Yes, as I was saying earlier. Your
results would be affected if the masters found that she had improved from the
month before,” he prodded on a bunch of papers in his desk, “these were the
comments that the other masters had for various classes and it seemed that your
intervention had altered her behavior in classes.”
“Did she
now?”
“It was
quite surprising. She was normally… well, unusual,
in her own ways if not totally invisible. Even her practical exams were
uneventful, and her detention count seemed to have decreased dramatically.”
“She
probably just needed to have an outlet to some conflicts. I haven’t really done
anything different.”
The master looked thoughtful for the second time, “Probably.”
“Is
something wrong, sir?”
“Yes… no,” he made some gestures again,
and the servant entered the room once more. “You are being summoned by Master
Reis himself,”
Who?
The masters sure had unusual ways communicating with each
other. He politely bowed, and stood to follow the waiting servant.
“Lucille.”
He turned to look at the master who looked like he swallowed
something nasty, he was looking at something from his fingertips as he was
giving a sort of a last reminder “Master
Reis is of the specialized classes, try not to say anything foolish.”
That explains a lot of things.
---------------------------------------------------------
Fourth.
Beyond the Border: In the Flesh
If he knew that asking
about her was the easiest thing to do just so he could meet her, he could have
done it the first chance that he could take.
It turned out that the
master that confirmed on her being in detention most of the times, was a bit concerned
about her… welfare. They talked for a bit after that encounter, and he found
that he was the mage responsible for her education. Her and hers alone contrary
to the usual procedure.
“What
can I say, she’s a special case. Very curious that child is.”
He sent for Lucille the
day after. He agreed on overseeing that novice, as it may also aid in his
transcendence studies. When he entered the room, there was an inaudible gasp
not enough to catch the attention of the master who had his back turned from her,
but had been enough to confirm that she recognized him from the joint exercise.
“Please
have a seat, Lucille.”
He took a seat opposite
hers. She was almost squirming in her seat, where he could tell that she was
just sitting on an inch or two of space. Her hands were clasped on her lap,
feet tucked almost under the chair itself. He felt himself ease within the
awkward confines of the room, and he drew a quick breath before settling to
look at her face.
There were subtle changes
from her expression from the continuing minutes that he was on the room, not
saying anything related to what happened from that time. From the fearful
expression that she had before he left, the alarmed and panicked face that
welcomed him from this room, to the confused expression that seemed to ask him
several questions at once.
He nodded to acknowledge
her but kept his expression as bland as possible as not to invite anything from
his response. He settled on the fine unusual features on his face before she
could incite further queries – something that he should be doing in the first
place.
“I’d
like you to meet, one of the most talented transcendence in the academy,” the
master was addressing the novice. She tore away from her scrutiny to the
master, “He had obliged in overseeing your studies, and… provide aid in any way
possible.”
Her confused face
contorted simultaneously as she let his words sink in. She turned to face the
master.
She spoke in response,
voice unnaturally too steady, “You want him to… supervise my…” she kept her tone as passive as she could but her
last word, took off incredulously, “studies?”
“Lucille
had done us a favor that would keep others from minding your business,” The
master refused to acknowledge her apparent distaste while scratching his chin thoughtfully,
“I really wondered why they spent a lot of times over your affairs. It’s
disarming.”
“Is… is this matter known to Master Reis, yet?”
“I have his permission to do my affairs as my job
entails. Now do you have any other details that you may wish to discuss?”
She winced slightly from
his response and decided not to push it any further. He shrugged and turned to
the transcendence who had been listening towards the exchange.
The master smiled, a bit
darkly to Lucille’s taste, “Good, Lucille, this is Phoenix from the Novice
class. We are looking towards working with you until then.”
“A
pleasure,” he extended a hand to the novice named Phoenix.
. . . . .
“This
is going to be our arrangement starting tomorrow. The master had given me your
schedules and assessment results, so I’ve had an idea on what we’ll be looking
at.”
He handed her another
sheet of paper.
“This
is my class schedule, just so you would know where to look for me in case.”
They were walking away
from the master’s study. Phoenix was on her way to her next class, and he was
going the other way to the libraries and training grounds for his free time. He
handed her another stack of papers. She took him in askance, he knew that it
wasn’t just to ask what those papers were – it was for a lot of things that he
chose to ignore. For now.
“Those
were study guides for your classes. Read through them, review then we’ll talk
about them for later.”
“Why
are you doing this?”
He smiled. “I could say
the same to you.”
She opened her mouth to
say something when he turned away, he heard a hiss coming from her. He was
pretty sure she said, “Jerk” pertaining to either is attitude or him in
general.
She sure knows how to
spice up anyone’s day.
. . . . .
Their schedule for the
catch-up was every day at lunch, the evenings after dinner, the whole weekend,
and anytime a class was cancelled or provided as a free study period. As the
transcendence schedule was that flexible and that Lucille had an excuse this
time – he could easily be pardoned from the changes in Phoenix’s schedule.
Their first catch-up was
a revelation.
Where Lucille was all too
willing to ‘oversee’ things that involve Phoenix’s study. She was entirely too
hostile to his questions and advances.
She was all too sensitive
for her sake.
“Why
are you doing this?”
“I
don’t think it matters. Do you?”
She hesitated.
“What
do you know about me?” she finally said.
He knew that she was
going to head towards that direction sooner or later. But he chose to delay it
yet again. He answered rather bored, and uninterested that Phoenix became
unsure what his real intentions were. He answered all those rumors that she
already knew about in addition to what the master had introduced her to be.
She didn’t venture to
that question again. Instead she reverted on what seems as her usual way of
doing things: a bit sloppy, all too uninterested, and a bit stupid – if anyone
asked Lucille of any analysis. It seemed to him that he saw a threatened spy at
the beginning reduced to rebellious kid just masking her own intent with what
she projects.
By the end of the first
session, she had dissipated his initial regard on her capabilities, and if he
hadn’t witnessed and proved that encounter at the joint exercise, he would have
concluded that she was an entirely different persona.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Now I'm getting embarrassed. Third.
Beyond the Border: She... As the Rumors Said
Mont Dia is the only
academy catering towards the production of mages, aiming to conquer malicious
demons – that was the definition as per the students within the academy. It was
the only Mage Academy in existence within the entire Andromeda plain, and
students came from the highlands, and the lowlands. Majority of the prospects
were scouted, some grew up with the mindset that this is the only path that
they need to take, and the rest were something like passing by and just went
out of the interest within the possibility that they could be a prospect.
Lucille was of the third
type. He didn’t exactly planned on growing up to be a mage. He wasn’t even
scouted. He was just there, took the prospects exam, and became one of the top
students in the academy. He had already been in the academy for 15 months. He
had already been promoted towards the next level from being a Novice – a
transcendence. One of the few first ones from his novice batch. But the way
that he was stuck on being a transcendence for about a year (and counting), he
wasn’t all too satisfied even though the masters had been telling him that the
transcendence had always been the most difficult level within the academy. And
he believed it. However half-hearted, he believed it. That is, until that
encounter.
Never in his stay had he
encountered a Novice such as red-eyes from yesterday.
He replayed the scene
over and over from his mind, analyzing any detail that might explain what the
Novice did with the demon. He recalled the bright light, the spot where the
demon disappeared from, and what the novice was doing. Nothing. It was all too
general.
He knew that he couldn’t
just ask anyone about this incident. This goes beyond Mont Dia. Beyond what
they are being taught. Exterminate and Overrule – were the core values that
they were being taught. Prospects were being trained to be mages, one who would
kill a demon on sight. And what she did, for what she claimed that she would
do, was out of the line. It was a crime of high treason.
. . . . .
The good thing about
being the kind of guy Lucille is, was that no one cares about him.
He wasn’t really one of those
types that just escapes your attention. He looks fine. Handsome even. From his
novice batch, he had always been the first guy that girls notice, guys
approach, even the masters. Lucille had been gifted with the endless
possibilities and superior potential. He could have been that popular type with
huge crowd and that package that could make him famous in the social hierarchy.
But he had an unusual wave of thinking that always goes to show that he wasn’t
that. That he was beyond that. He was the type that intimidates people into
leaving him alone.
It suits him just fine on
whatever cases. This had been one of those cases. He was able to hear things
where people would never care if he hears. He wasn’t any worth to be thought
off enough to withhold anything from his range of hearing. It led him to identify
who that red-eyed novice was.
“Who
was that red-eyed chick that Master ____ was talking to?”
“Eh?
I saw her talk to Master _____, is she a celebrity or anything?”
“I
know her, she was on my Gen-Ed class! She’s not that good though”
“I
think I saw her, she used to be in my demons class… huh? She was transferred from yours?”
He walked by hallways
between classes. Occasionally picking out groups of novices to listen into. The
novices didn’t mind, they already knew from their first encounter with him that
he wasn’t worth any attention. Unless, they would want to relive any… unwanted
encounters. The only instance of interaction from this batch of Novices was
just one student who mistakenly approached him, thinking he was that
accommodating senior. It wasn’t that much of an incident, though that novice
wasn’t able to attend the first week of his classes claiming that he was sick –
but the rumors were already there about how he stared and the unspoken
nightmares that he brought upon the unsuspecting novice.
“I’ve
heard she had some connections with the higher masters from the specialized
classes.”
“Eeeh?!
Was that why she’s not being expelled?”
“She’s
never been in a class for longer than a week?”
Even the students and
masters of the transcendence class knew of her existence. Though it wasn’t a
position that any Novice would actually dream of being into. The transcendence
knew far more details based on experience and knowledge of the academy more
than the amateur ears. Though, the rumors branched out more far-fetched, no
concrete proof, and were just based on the Novice’s rumors. Most masters from
the transcendence class were also involved within occasional discussions –
which happens when they caught her from the transcendence levels.
“She’s
here for detention. She’s quite known for that.” Was a response when he asked
one of the masters from his class, the master looked at him rather
suspiciously, “Why do you ask?”
That it was a dangerous
risk that he was willing to participate into. He smiled relieving the
suspicions from the unsuspecting master, “Everyone seems to be talking about
her, I was just curious.”
Her reputation is a mess.
There were those rumors from here and there about various things leading from
hypothesis to the most outrageous outcomes. From what he could tell was this:
She’s known to the Masters as a troublemaker, worthless, and stupid; she’s
admitted to the school based on connections rather than willingness or
potential; and the student body called her Detention Phoenix.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Chapter.
Beyond the Border: First Encounter
He was fleeing.
Not that he couldn’t
fight or that he was any weaker. He just didn’t want to make it more
complicated as it was. After all, mages couldn’t be too perfect right?
He was getting a bit
bored of the run around and was already taking most of his efforts to stop
himself from being turning around to deal with the monstrosity chasing him. It
was an exercise, they were told, to test how they would react in lieu of their
natural environment. ‘Them’ were the
demons, the ultimate foe of mankind and ones who were squandering innocent
villages and killing bystanders.
He was running around in
an effort to pass his time, his assigned demon already lost sight of him from a
few moments back. When he felt an overwhelming energy sprouting almost
suddenly. He stopped.
What an incredible control.
He knew from experience
that controlling the energy from wielding could be tedious and that not a lot
of mages (in training) could pass it off like THAT. Even demons that they’ve
already studied and encountered were not able to exhibit such capability. He
paused and concentrated, standing still assessing the surroundings. He was
already at the far edge of the forest, no one within a 50 km estimated radius based
on his initial scan. His mapping skills were incomparable, as what the masters
of the academy told him, and within that radius he could easily map the heat
signatures. He closed his eyes, trying to get a visual. He turned to run
towards that hazy blot with such excitement – it was a first that he got an
inconclusive response to his mapping.
He got to a small
clearing, exactly as what he had mapped in his mind. It was more chaotic than
he could imagine. His map showed him a hazy blot in a space, the actual space
gives out an opaline gleam which he couldn’t make any sense apart from a
powerful energy. In addition, he could sense that the energy was somehow
limited to a certain range, like his mapping does. This particular range covers
a rather small part in meters radius.
He opened his eyes,
dispelling his map after memorizing the inconclusive image. The first thing
that he saw was a demon.
A plantae type. Herbivore
and attacks only by defense. It was a teenager, in terms of growth, about 6
feet in height. It’s built was man-like, bulky, lank, and nude in patches of the
color of a variety of leaves. It stands erect on two limbs, two other pairs of
limbs sticking on its flanks. One pair drawn to protect its chest, one pair in
defense poised to attack once provoked.
He lifted his eyes to its
face. It was apparently stronger than the demon chasing him. It was hostile,
distracted even, that it didn’t even notice anything apart from what it was
looking at. It was staring through solid black eyes, face contorted in fear (it
was hard to tell as their faces lack too much of the human features) with its thin
antennas quivering. He gave a start, it was quivering. He hadn’t seen demons
quiver before.
“You
can understand me, can you?”
The voice startled him.
This was probably what the demon had been looking at. He didn’t notice anything
but the demon, and when he found the object to where the energy was emanating, his
eyes widened at the sight of its owner. A mage novice. A tiny one. She looks
about one of the youngest prospects who entered the academy, only 14-15 years
of age. She had her back turned from him, but she is clearly wearing a novice
uniform. It had a ring and 5 beads – an indication that she was on her first
year, 5 months from when she entered the academy. It was not surprising that
there should be a novice within these woods, it is a joint session between them
and the transcendence. What was surprising was how he could feel her presence
more than the demon itself.
“Then
hear me out, little one. See, I don’t mean any harm.” She was answering to a
gesture the demon made that he missed upon his observing her.
What is she doing?
He casted all prejudices
aside to contemplate later, he felt the need to observe this unusual exchange.
Gradually, he felt the changes. The energy declined. Dramatically. He felt more
of the demon now contrast to the massive energy she had been emitting earlier. The
energy dropped almost next to nothingness and he saw how the demon visibly
relaxed. The novice raised he hand a bit slightly in a non-threatening manner as
if to show the demon on how she is surrendering to what she had been demanding,
and walked towards it slowly, cautious even, but confident. Her long black hair
swaying with the wind.
“What are you doing, fearless one?”
“I…”
She stopped. “…am letting you go.”
It was a split second, he
saw her hand lift outstretched, level to her shoulders before there was an
instant moment of bright light. He couldn’t tell where the light came from, it
was as if he closed his eyes and found the bright light instead of darkness.
When he was brought by to his senses, and the light seemed that it never
existed, the demon was already gone. He was stunned, she couldn’t have killed
it. She was just a novice. It was altogether too clean for annihilation even
for the most powerful.
What did she do?
A sounding alarm went
off. It was a signal that the exercise is just about done. The novice still had
her back turned from him and was just about to go when he found his voice. He
coughed just on the slightest, almost inaudible but was satisfyingly enough. At
least for the novice. She turned towards the noise, her wide eyes, bright red
like fresh blood, staring fearfully at his. He’s already pressed for time.
“I’ll
see you around.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've had a lot of Neurotic Tendencies, er, daydreaming fantasy and stuff.
For K
Loving you is an Ethereal Bliss
that sets the f i r
e w o r k s
in
an uncanny motion
- the dizzying lights:
a sunburst of faded
colors,
bright as cosmic rays.
Your Love feels like a f
a
L
L
f r e e d o m from
jumping
when you're
acrophobic
like stars,
like comets plummeting in
speeds of light
like rains of
silvers amidst
a dark
blanket
in haste to kiss the
ground
collapsing in an agreeing echo.
Your Love brings tears to my eyes
when I thought my soul has dried
H U M A N I T Y
in
me.
Your Love, the opposite of wicked -
the
selfless desire that lights candles
with
a breath of a i r
Your Love is no Hearts
but flowers without roots
wishes that heeded nothing,
songs with no music
music with no captions
captions with no words
Your Love is a MAGNUM OPUS -
timeless t h e m e that held No Limits.
Your Love is my
anchor,
one that sets
a thread - thin as it may - back
to the
ground
The place I was made
The
place where we met. //030716
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