Gamer at Heart

Class Week Seven: Terror and Horror lands upon Arkham!

2008-11-08T02:57:00.000-08:00

[This will also be posted at http://terranova18.multiply.com]

It's been a most fateful week for all of us as I finally received my copies of Arkham Horror's core boardgame and its many expansions - as of the moment my collection spans the core boardgame itself, the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh mini-expansion, and the major-expansions Dunwich Horror and Kingsport Horror. All of them prove to have challenging content and I find even myself challenged by these games.

So far I've held three games since the time I received it - since preparation took a VERY long time and I had to take the utmost measures to ensure that each and every single piece and card is well-protected from outside nasty elements. I've held two games at two of my students' homes, having won one and lost the other, and one 4-player simulation I held with myself resulted with a win.

Round 1: Ithaqua's Wrath

We held the game at Celine's house along with her co-students, all of whom just new to the genre of boardgaming and to the genre of the Mythos itself. It started mostly with movements and tactics that were so grossly out of place that defeat was already imminent from the moment the game started - but that is ok, since we were all beginners anyway!

The time consumed in learning / playing the game proved insufficient to constitute a properly-played game so we agreed to wake Ithaqua (the big boss) pre-emptively. It proved to be an even worse mistake, as it resulted to a catastrophic loss with four investigators devoured whole. So much for Arkham on this round!

Round 2: Nyarlarthotep's Defeat 1

A self-simulation I held on my own followed right after the catastrophic battle against Ithaqua and this one proved fruitful as I controlled four investigators into victory, sending the Ancient One to bed by performing one of the essential conditions for winning.

It was also during this time that I managed to form the basic and essential tactics needed to properly play Arkham Horror!

Round 3: Nyarlarthotep's Failed Vengeance

Held at another of my student's house, Rosalyn, we played the game with several students who had played earlier and some new ones as well. Again, defeat seemed imminent since most are quite inexperienced with the genre of boardgaming, and an overrun of monsters in Arkham resulted to Nyarlarthotep waking up without further ado.

Almost lost with hope, we never gave up though and managed to send him packing with a team of four Investigators, each one surviving up to the very bitter end.

Round 4: ?????

There is a plan for this coming Wednesday to hold the fourth Arkham Horror round (3rd for the students' version) and there are already openings for up to 8 players! (me included as 1 already).

Who knows what may happen in these horrifying times? Who will threaten Arkham this time, and who will stand up to confront it?

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Four, Term Two: Arkham Horror - An Insider's Peek

2008-10-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations once again, I promised to continue my previous post with my own experience in this game, and commit to that promise I shall! Allow me to present in this blog post my own introductions, explanations, and insights regarding the new game I intend to start with my students, friends, and gaming buddies: Arkham Horror!

The following games below all fall under the Arkham Horror boardgame series, with one core boardgame (the town of Arkham itself), and as to date, five expansions (the fifth still unknown when to release), each expansion either contributing a new horrific storyline to the series, or an entirely new location also plagued in similar to Arkham's horrifying events:

Arkham Horror: The Core Boardgame

Arkham Horror: The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh Expansion

Arkham Horror: The Dunwich Horror Expansion

Arkham Horror: The King in Yellow Expansion

Arkham Horror: The Kingsport Horror Expansion

Introduction and Pre-Play

First of all, Arkham Horror is a fairly easy game to play for players who already have backgrounds regarding table-top gaming, as most of the terminologies used in the game are recycled and restated in some form or another in many common table-top game series. Terms such as skill checks, dice rolls, successes, difficulties, and the like are quite easy to understand for veteran players but almost self-explanatory for novice players. Worry not, for I do not intend to run games such as these without completely clarifying first what these thingamajig terms mean to complete novices or first-timers to the craft.

The story follows thus (from my own perspective of restatement):

The main setting of the core boardgame is in the town of Arkham, Massachusetts, a fictional town in the Cthulhu (pronounced K-thul-hu) mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Here, dimensional instabilities surge across the town and every so often spawns forth a gate leading to one of many parallel dimensions. Left unattended, monsters often cross these instabilities and wreak havoc and terror on the town.

The only force that stood up to these abominations were a select number of "investigators", people with remarkable skill and courage with the definite motivation of bringing down these beasts, sealing off Arkham from these dimensions, and keeping the Ancient One from ever awakening. This Ancient One, if sufficiently satisfied to awaken, might just be their end - or the end of Arkham itself.

The story is pretty straightforward and gives everyone an idea of what they should do to win this game - they are to either prevent these dimensional gates from being opened too long by closing them off and/or sealing them permanently, or if the inevitable happens, engage the Ancient One (which is like the big boss of every RPG) in combat and defeat it. One such Ancient One, though, already spells doom once he awakens, for once he does, the game is over.

Game setup and introduction can take at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the players' capacity to learn and follow the instructions. Setup itself takes time, so it is best that the players helped in doing the setup as well. They are to freely select an investigator identity from a pool of at least ten or more investigators (more if the expansions are factored in the mix) and set its initial assets (money, skills, items, spells, etc). It is recommended for new players to select according to what they think is best for their personality, while more expert players are strongly recommended to choose characters that they think would serve some use. Characters were made balanced, thus there is no superbly strong character and there is no useless one. Each works according to how the player makes use of it, which often produces different (and even surprising) results.

Once the assets and players are set up, the Ancient One is randomly selected, or if the players so choose, they can even select the Ancient One they wish to have for that "episode". Each Ancient One has its own horrifying consequences of awakening, and a corresponding doom track meter, which when filled, would awaken it and thus force the investigators to engage it in combat to win.

After setup, order of players is decided by the leader of the group going first, then by the player to his left, and so on until all players had taken their turns.

The Game Mechanics: Phases

There are several phases in Arkham Horror: Initial Phase, Movement Phase, Combat (if applicable) Phase, Arkham / Other World Encounter Phase, then culminating with a Mythos Card Phase. For beginning groups, each phase is resolved by all players first before going to the next (unless a Combat Phase is necessary to allow Movement, which will be explained when you sit down to play the game itself).

Initial Phase

Each character, to start with, has a set range of status points and "focus". There are six status types, coming in pairs: Speed / Sneak, Fight / Will, and Lore / Luck. Speed determines how many locations your character can move at one movement turn (that is, if you have speed 3, you can move for up to three or less locations on the Arkham Map). Sneak determines how well you can slip past monsters if there is a need to go past them during a Movement phase. Fight determines how well your character deals damage when fighting a particular monster. Will determines how resistant your character is from being terrified by the presence of a monster in front of him / her (thus this refers to one's nerves of steel). Lore is a special status used in resolving turns that require analysis of certain texts or stories. Lastly, Luck is an almost self-explanatory status used to resolve turns that require certain feats of luck to accomplish.

These status points are resolved using dice rolls, which is the heart of any role-playing game. With the absence of actual action, one can never really tell if a person's attack killed a monster or not, right? That is why dice rolls were substituted for these moments. Probabilities of getting successful actions depend on a player's dice roll on one of the status types. Therefore in fighting a monster, a player would need to roll dice equivalent to his Fight (along with modifiers) and determine if he is successful or not. In this game, they use 6-sided dice, and a value of 5 or 6 typically means a successful move. Sometimes more than one successful move is required, and thus the player's difficulty of that action increases.

A character's focus is a fixed value on his character sheet that determines how much he can modify his status points every turn. Therefore a focus of 2 means that a character can perform two one-point modifications to his status, which often results to one status being enhanced, and its pair being diminished (such as focusing on Fight / Will, which can give +1 Fight but -1 Will). Players need to take into account these changes, as these can make the difference in the game depending on the need to do so.

The initial phase normally consists of just the focus phase, along with the un-exhaustion (resetting) of used cards, and it is necessary before any movement can be done.

The Movement Phase

Once done with focusing and un-exhausting, players will then need to move their character for up to at most their current Speed. Thus a character with 3 speed can move for up to 3 locations across the Arkham Map. He, however, can choose to move only 2 locations, 1 location, or even not at all, which means he stays in place. But he can never move more than his speed.

In the event that monsters are along a character's movement path, the player has the first option of performing a sneak check. This means he will roll his Sneak (factoring in the monster's sneak modifiers, which can either add or subtract dice). A successful sneak check means that the monster "fails to notice" the player passing by and thus the player can move further. However, failed checks mean that the monster "notices" the poor player and thus the player is left with no choice but to fight (more on combat later).

Sometimes a combat phase can follow a movement phase of a player before another player may move, for strategic purposes (i.e, Player 1 attacks a monster that is blocking Player 2's movement path).

Once all players have moved and movement-related combat has been resolved, the encounters will follow.

Encounters Phase (Arkham / Other Worlds)

Depending on which non-street tile the player landed in, he can either follow the special instructions on the location itself (if ever any is written on the board) or he can choose to have an "Encounter" in that particular location. This means that he has to draw a card from the encounters to that location group (since each location is separated into Neighborhoods, which in turn is a location group) and resolve whatever the card instructs. Sometimes this can be in the form of benefits that will give the character items or bonuses, or even unfortunate events that can result to a lot of bad possibilities (combat not excluded).

It can also happen that players in Arkham can get sucked into the Other Worlds, which are dimensions that are on the other side of an open gate. When that happens, their encounter will be dependent on which Other World they are in, and it is resolved as normal. Downside is that they have to stay there for a short while and perform several more encounters before they can return to the real world.

Once every player has performed an encounter, combat may possibly ensue!

Combat Phase (May either occur during Movement or Encounter Phase)

The combat phase may occur either during a player's movement (when a monster blocks his / her path) or during the encounter phase (when a card explicitly states that a monster pops out at a player's location). In which case the following process is performed:

Horror Check: A monster appears, and therefore you will be terrified! Only nerves of steel can resist such horrific sight and such nerves require lots of Will. Therefore, a player makes a will check modified by the monster's status. Success means that you are unmoved by the horrible sight, while a failure damages the player's sanity, removing a certain amount of sanity depending on how powerfully the monster can traumatize the player (indicated on the monster itself.) It is to be noted that players completely losing Sanity will end up in the Asylum (or Lost in Time and Space for Other World encounters) with half their assets (Items, Skills, Spells, etc) GONE. But they will completely recover afterwards.
Combat Check: Should the player maintain sanity or resist being terrified by the monster, the player proceeds to fight it, making use of his Fight, modified if he has weapons / spells / items / allies with him. Note that each combat check exhausts any used items, meaning that they cannot be used again should the player enter another combat in the same turn. Success is measured by the monster's toughness, and the player must make at least that number of successes to "kill" that monster. Failure to do so will mean the monster will counter-attack and damage the player, while Success means the monster is killed, and its carcass is awarded to the player as a trophy. It is to be noted that players completely losing their life will end up in the Hospital (or Lost in Time and Space for Other World encounters) with half their assets GONE. But they will completely recover afterwards.
WARNING: Bear in mind that IF both Sanity and Stamina (your life) drop to 0 at the same time, your character is considered DEAD BEYOND REVIVAL. You will be forced to create a new character.

Once combat has been resolved, the final phase commences!

The Mythos Phase

This phase will determine the next outbreak of horror in the game. It will dictate at which location a dimensional gate will open (thus enabling another channel for monsters to roam Arkham). Gates are special passages to Other Worlds that, if left unattended in great numbers for so long, can either lead to an outbreak of monsters that will ultimately awaken the Ancient One, or tear Arkham apart so forcefully that the Ancient One is shaken awake by such disturbances. Either way, it spells DOOM to have so many gates open!

The only way to prevent such a catastrophic defeat is to close or seal the gates before they become a major problem. Gates can be closed by first traveling inside the Other World within that gate, perform encounters there, make it back to Arkham safely, and then perform closing rituals on the gate, which involve several tokens or a special item, and maybe a point of Stamina and Sanity as well (the gate-exploration experience takes its toll on both mind and body). Closing off gates hinders the Ancient One's awakening, thus making everyone safe, but gates that are not permanently sealed will still have a chance of re-opening, given sufficient conditions. So do not relax one's guard!

The Mythos phase also dictates how monsters in the map will move, and indicates if more monsters would appear. Afterwards, that current turn ends and a new turn begins, starting with a new Initial Phase, and so on.

The Doom and Terror Tracks

Specially-numbered tiles on the board and on the Ancient One's card depict the Terror and Doom tracks respectively. These counters represent the deadline by which players need to accomplish their mission. The Terror Track indicates Arkham Town's general impression - how terrified its citizens are and how horrifying Arkham is as a place to stay in. Generally, the more monsters there are roaming the field, the worse this terror track gets, which can ultimately lead to the closure of several essential shops, and if it gets really out of hand, the resulting insane terror can tempt the Ancient One to awaken prematurely!

The DOOM track is an even worse entity, as it dictates how the Ancient One reacts. Each gate opened results to one additional counter to this doom track, and more counters add as more gates burst open. Gates closed using special means decrease this counter, while temporal seals do not diminish this value. Get it to the maximum, and prepare to meet the Ancient One itself in combat!

The Ancient One

If players ever get to the point of not closing off gates or fending off monsters in time, their last chance of survival or winning is to destroy the Ancient One itself - with the exception of one, Azathoth, whose very appearance will trigger the end of the world, thus destroying everything and guaranteeing instant defeat to everyone. Other Ancient Ones, however, are at least, killable.

The Ancient One is a formidable monster whose life is far more than any monster in existence. Players will engage the Ancient One in regular combat, discarding certain cards as its conditions to perform an attack. Failure to do so means that the player is out of options to assault the Ancient One, and thus the giant monstrosity proceeds to devour the living hell out of the player (creepy!), leaving the group with one less player to destroy the giant thing with. All players devoured = game over.

The life meter goes down with each success scored by investigators during their fight checks, and once the damage accumulated takes out the Ancient One's whole life, then it dies and it spells victory to the players! Hooray!

Whew, that tired me out in typing a gist of the game from my perspective of playing through almost 1/4 or 1/3 of it and from reading reviews and gists of the rule books. Hopefully I can provide a clearer perspective of it once I get my hands on the rule book and once my players sit down in person, in front of the board game, in front of the Horror.

Hahaha!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Three, Term Two: Set Free!

2008-10-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

I make this post as one of two posts that I will be doing for tonight. There's so much in my mind right now and most of them aren't borne from the current depressions of life or the stress of work. No, I want to discuss happiness and euphoria today and no force can stop me!

What I'd first like to do for this blog post is to marvel at how much my life has changed ever since I made one big decision in my life: enter the world of Online Gaming. As the flag banner of this blog (and it's title) states, it's a Gamer at Heart. Ever since I became a full-blast online gamer at college, I had delved deeply into its communities and secrets and gained such a thorough re-understanding of myself - never again was I the completely introvert (just partially now LOL) geekish brat who buries himself in books and literature and makes a complete genius out of himself in class. No, well it did teach me things I never was supposed to but still, it made my teenage life burst open and join in my habitual intellectual lifestyle. Suffice to say it added spice to my life.

Then came another door bursting open in my life when I decided to take my gaming experiences to another level and take up the interest of indulging in Table-Top RPGs. As opposed to online games, which are MMORPGs, TTRPGs delve deep into the lore of stories wound by people with rich imaginations and put you as the person into the shoes of the character itself, your decisions and actions powered by your own imagination and intellect, while you enter the stories of your gamemaster and altogether create a harmonious and colorful atmosphere of gameplay amongst your peers.

It requires a lot of imagination, yes, and I believe that these games are good havens for training one's imagination and thinking. People might think that these games are somewhat psychologically disturbing, as most of their content can be quite inappropriate if taken seriously, but everything is just in the mind or stays within the story. Sure, people might go overboard once in a while but in general, these things strive to better enhance one's mind rather than debilitate it.

Right now, with the support and encouragement of my ever-loving students, which I am slowly growing a deeper outside relations with, I'm taking my gaming experiences and knowledge to an even deeper level of "enlightenment": I'm henceforth forming Sir Dave's gaming circle! It will be composed of my students who are interested in learning about these games and want to have fun out of it, and as it turns out, they already have had fun with my wargames before, they hsva started to like the intriguing Inkognito game, and they're now curious as to what Arkham Horror is going to turn out to be!

Worry not, for it follows in this next exciting post! Keep yourselves reading!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Two, Term Two: A Point of Stillness

2008-10-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

It's been quite some time since I made a blog post, and a lot of things has happened since then, both in my academic / teaching and work life. And I must say, QUITE a lot has really happened. We're currently entering the third week of the second trimester of my teaching and already I'm filled with work and things to do that I barely manage to make blog posts lately. Or maybe it's just my procrastination coupled with a natural desire for playing games more than working seriously that keeps me from making blog posts nowadays. Oh well, got to change that soon LOL.

As I said, we are almost at the third week of the trimester and it's a lifting, if not almost common, experience to be teaching the same class twice in a row in the same day at consecutive periods. Yes, I once again man the decks on AC81 both BEFORE and AFTER lunch, with two monumental subjects that I consider quite the challenge to teach and also learn. While I try my best to incorporate what we have been doing in the past term to them on this new trimester, I am faced with several challenges as to how to properly execute them, resource-wise. It's sad to note that there are several limitations to technology that even I cannot mend in an instant.

Which reminds me, I had engaged myself with my usual hobby of watching the movies and after watching Eagle Eye, I had several thoughts regarding the full power of information and technology if there is to say, an entity existing that holds the absolute union of both worlds. To those who might not have watched this exciting techno-driven movie, better hold back on the reading as I lament on this cool stuff.

The movie has this certain computer system named ARIA, a secret project by the US government to spy on imminent threats to the government, from terrorism to crime to everyday activities of almost every single entity that can carry electronic and wireless signals. This device can practically tap into any device that its power can reach (the only ones not being those without batteries, power, or any form of outside interaction) and use it as a means to gather information (i.e, tapping into the security cameras of a convenience store to gain vision of that area or perhaps controlling the traffic lights to orchestrate a harmonious flow of traffic).

Then again, when the system gets opposed by human interventions, as the usual case SHOULD be, the absoluteness of this system takes it to the point that it has to eliminate its human master and instate a new one, as supposedly dictated by it's "programming" (it being given the programming of how the US government chain of command should work and how it should act when the chain of command has been maimed). Its intelligence reaches a tremendous point that it actually manages to hatch a scheme that could eliminate the heads of the US government and reinstate a new one, all while blackmailing under cover of patriotism, two innocent civilians who somehow were "activated" by this computer while tapping into their phones and using their private information or loved ones as hostages to its evil plot.

While the movie holds more juice than what I have described above (which I will recommend for watching), it makes you wonder about how IT and computers are progressing nowadays and the usual "what-if" question of how the future would look like if software and hardware became more and more complex, or even "human-like". Would it also end up like ARIA, fulfilling its programming directives to the very letter even if it meant ignoring its master or user, or would it eventually take control over humanity with its absoluteness and drive us into that futuristic hell that is often portrayed in other movies? Whatever happens today is dictated by what people do in the present, and I hope we don't go that far.

With that I take my leave, goodnight everyone :D

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week One, Term Two: Surprises, surprises, surprises!

2008-09-19T03:14:00.000-07:00

It's Friday yet again and classes have resumed at full swing! It's quite interesting that time passes so quickly around these parts that the vacation season's really over and it's time we donned our professional images again and enter the classrooms in a haze of new subjects, new and old students alike, and also new things to teach / learn! It's quite lovely as well, to meet up with my old students once again in the classroom and to encounter new students alike, hoping for a very healthy relationship with them as we move along this new trimester of joy and excitement. Not to mention the upcoming Christmas celebration by the end of this all!

Surprises, surprises, surprises... yes, this week has been riddled with surprises since I had succinctly enjoyed surprising my old students into giving them a false sense of security that I am not their instructor. MWAHAHAHA! It was fun while it lasted and I must admit that even I tingled with excitement as I approached their classroom at their appointed time for me.

I was also surprised just now as I had a sudden plethora of problems to deal with with regards to my teaching load, as apparently some emergencies came up and I had to fill up some of the vacant positions at the expense of some of my subjects. It's quite regrettable to let go of some classes but I hope they get happier at the hands of better, more accomplished (and more enjoyable, hopefully) instructors. That means I have yet another surprise in store for me next week! Another new class, LOL.

I never truly realized how easy it is to teach Mathematics until I found myself in the middle of the classroom teaching it. It was quite fun to teach, especially with my methods as an instructor, and I really hope my students come to appreciate and enjoy Mathematics with as much excitement and enjoyment as I used to have with it as a student :D

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Post-Class Lamentations 5: Saddled up for Tomorrow!

2008-09-16T03:51:00.000-07:00

Whew! It has been quite an interesting two weeks of vacation season for everyone, I suppose (not for us faculty, as we have been plagued endlessly with continuing work and post-education stuff). Days pass quite fast, since we're already entering the second trimester and entering my second term of teaching here in APC!

It all feels so surreal that I've survived the first trimester with flying colors and even enjoyed the experience out of it all. I'm really looking forward to my new students for this term, new subjects to teach, new headaches to have (ahahaha!), and hopefully new challenges to face not only with school, but with work as well.

I will make this a rather short and sweet post, closing off my post-class lamentations and opening up a new term of blog entries lamenting on my experiences and stories as I pursue another three-and-a-half months of entertainment (hopefully) and excitement. I'm currently under a new department for this trimester, having been unable to obtain certain subjects I had wished to obtain, but I hope that I enjoy being under this department as well. Maybe in the future I can engage myself in two departments! LOL

I still wonder, though, after these five lamentations, if my secret message can finally be perceived. This very same blog post actually closes off the secret that I've long concealed from my students *winks*

With that, I bid everyone a warm evening, I hope everyone's quite prepared for tomorrow! Enjoy the new term guys!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Post-Class Lamentations 4: Gamer's Tribute

2008-09-11T00:04:00.000-07:00

The vacation slowly creeps up on the bored and tired mind and after running around the school for nearly the past two days while having nothing at all to do except arrange things here and there, I find myself in the middle of this insidious thing called boredom once again - our manager's gone off overseas and has left us all here with not much reminders, so we are free to do as we please (oh, joy!), but next week might kick-off once again with new action as the next trimester starts to rear its ugly head.

With the looming boredom over, under, and all around me, I just decided to play around with a concept that my beloved students had contemplated amongst themselves as a class slogan and a sort of class banner. Along with the miraculous artistic powers of Adobe Photoshop, I have come up with a wargame-ish rendition of my students' interpretation of their section - AC81 :D

It looks a little messy, doesn't it? I had to play around with so little space x_x

I hope you like it guys, and I hope it serves as a reminder never to lose your linkages and wacky experiences with one another as the trimesters progress and you guys enter the deeper stages of your academic education - no one else could provide you better support, consolation, and comfort than the company of your classmates and instructors :D

Now I really wonder if someone's been getting the meaning of all these lamentations~ *whistles at himself*

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Post-Class Lamentations 3: New Classes?

2008-09-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

The start of the vacation week welcomes me this Sunday afternoon as I prepare this blog post that paves the way for the events of the coming week. With the end of the first trimester and my very first term of teaching, our efforts are now concentrated once again on our projects for our company JQITC and with more projects coming in we're all forced to let go of some teaching load to accommodate our responsibilities. Hopefully it doesn't affect our overall load though and I still hope to teach the subjects that I want and (hopefully) the sections I like.

With that in mind, with my continuing nagging or persistence with the Math Department coordinator (who had been one of my most favorite Instructors in Math subjects, Trigonometry for one), I think my wish for a Mathematics load will be granted for the following term! I'm sure it's gonna be another exciting experience to have since it's really been quite some time since I sat down on a math class xD.

Well I guess that's that for this week. I'm making my lamentations-after-classes rather short since these weren't meant to state my thoughts in the first place anyway. Oh, wait, did I just say that? Pretend you didn't notice anything. Hahaha.

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Post-Class Lamentations 2: Anxiety Subsides

2008-09-04T04:52:00.000-07:00

Several days follow my previous post and already tension has mounted in myself and in our workplace. I do not want to share it out here, but instead I'll just lament on how I feel now that most of our fears have been slightly abated.

I ask first, for forgiveness to my students whom I might have inadvertently lashed out at in the previous days through Yahoo! Messenger as I was deftly caught in my own stream of anxiety and bothersome mood. At least it was best for everyone to know that even Sir Dave gets his share of problems sometimes. I thank those, though, who did offer to help out in whatever problem I may have despite them knowing it. I really appreciate that guys! :D

I am just glad that we're all sticking through together (we classmates / co-workers) despite these critical times and I hope we all pull through with this somehow. We've had worse problems in the past and I'm sure we're gonna make it and solve this problem in the near future. We're not that quite easy in losing hope, and thank goodness we have supportive seniors looking after us.

With regards to the next trimester, still shrouded in due mystery, I find it still tough to secure the subjects that are convenient for me to teach given the constraints that we new part-time teachers have been imposed upon. I pray that with my discussions tomorrow with our Assistant Program Director clears some matters up and hopefully, in my favor. Then I can run off to the Math Department and clear up some matters there as well. If all goes well I should be quite excited to teach in the coming term *smirks*

And my crush? No one will still know. Bleah!

~Sir Dave~

Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Post-Class Lamentations 1: Begging for Mercy

2008-09-02T23:44:00.000-07:00

Finally! The term has almost ended (for the nth time I might be announcing these past few days) and my grade computations have almost been completed. I must say that everything looks somewhat good for my students and I congratulate them for quite a wonderful performance in class. It was their doing anyway that brought them to such grades and in my honest opinion, they are quite deserving of those marks, whether high or low.

As the term now draws to a close and a momentary period of calm moves in for the Instructors and the students (paving the way for yet a new trimester), it is also time for us Instructors to settle our own ends of the trimester (grades, evaluations, stuff like those), and right now I've been running like a headless chicken across three floors in the school in just settling my status for next term.

As the blog post title for today implies, I'm literally almost on my knees begging for mercy. Well, not quite exaggeratedly, but there's something that drives me to desperation throughout the waning days of the old trimester and the coming new one. I just hope whatever it is that happens by the end of this week brings favor to me and gives me convenience for the coming three and a half months.

With that I will end this rather relatively short lamentation. Cheers and have a great term break, my students!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Fourteen: Intrigues

2008-08-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Quite an interesting turn of events prompted me to write this rather short and taunting blog entry to my AC81 students. It's already past 1 in the morning and after humoring my students in the Yahoo! Messenger conference rooms (courtesy of a good friend of mine who played his role quite exceptionally well), the thought has sunk deeper into my brains compared to the shallowness I've given it.

It all started with a simple note on paper. I never even expected why I would be writing that on their assignments. I just figured that aside from the assignment comments that I regularly give out, I would be giving a little of myself as well to the class and thus turn a somewhat simple and useless sheet of paper into a collector's item (LOL). Then again I wrote some good trivias and not-so-known facts about myself, until my pen slipped and let loose one provocative tidbit: *insert what I wrote on that paper here*.

Now the thought incited quite a lot of remarks and comments when the papers reached their hands, especially that piece of tidbit I just tactlessly let loose without much thought. Now I am faced with nearly the entire class's eagerness, all waiting for the answer to that lovely little question - So who is it?

I won't tell. HAHAHA!

Point taken, I've already had my fair share of bitterness before when it comes to falling in love. Sure, I may tend to get emotional every now and then, but eventually there comes a time in my life that I lose it (pardon the bluntness). I do not know why I lose it, but the moment it comes back, it's already too late. It has somehow traumatized me in the arts of falling into a relationship.

Yes, it's been almost a year since my last fated day when cupid struck me with his enchanted arrows. But the darkness took me in months later until my life ended up in a maelstrom of misery and sorrow, twisting and turning along with the stress that is schoolwork, then emerging into the calm before the storm. By that time, I've already made a mess of my life, and it's already irreparable. It's something I'll live to regret for the rest of my life.

Maybe that's why I don't want to say it. I don't want to make a mess of my life and of someone else's again, especially in this situation where a known barrier separates me and that particular someone. This one's not gonna be easy, I know, but I really do not think I'm ready to be expressive of my feelings yet. Or maybe just a little.

But then again, it's quite satisfying to see my students persisting to know the answer to the mysterious question, despite my adamant resolve. I wonder if come tomorrow someone could dare try to break open a little hole in my shell and peek inside to get a glimpse of what runs in my mind? *winks*

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Thirteen: Field Trips and Farewells

2008-08-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

It is with great heaviness that I now prepare this blog post I have - probably the last I'll ever have with my current students for this trimester. I still do not know what the future holds for all of us, for we have been advised in our faculty meets that the new instructors might not get any teaching load next term despite our requested schedules and subjects. I am still being optimistic on the matter that at least one or two subjects of my request would be granted to me and my fallback plans of getting a teaching load this term become a reality.

But enough of the gloomy moment (I pray it won't be as gloomy as it seems in the coming days) , let me share what has transpired in my little brother's field trip down Laguna and Tagaytay - sure it was an exhilirating experience, one that even costed me a trip to what is supposed to be my regular Table-Top RPG session (hurray for my very first absence ~_~). We trekked through two production factories - one of Gardenia's factory-spanning bakery and Lucky Me's Noodle Factory. Both are quite exciting places and they showed the process of how most of their flag products were done.

Gardenia's bakery - or giant bakery, rather - housed a very exquisite production line that is completely automated - computers are powering the whole process and the bread-making is completely managed by automated machines with little to no human intervention. Their motto is that the bread is untouched by human hands, as demonstrated by the mixing machines, the conveyor belts, automated placement to fermentation and baking, and the only human interactions I seem to see where when the bakers are poking / turning the baked loaves of bread (which are surprisingly equal in size, all of them) with spatulas. That's as close to human touch as those bread will get! LOL

Lucky Me's noodle factory was another exciting experience in production, as I am amazed at the pace by which my favorite pancit canton delight is being produced from the mixture of egg and flour all the way down to the stringing of the noodles themselves and packaging in their familiar-looking packets with the seasonings. The tour wasn't as comprehensive as the one in Gardenia but at least the experience was interesting - although I cannot seem to get over the fact that the produced noodles there seemed smaller than what I am accustomed to seeing whenever I cook them. Either it's just the fact that we're observing from a far point or that they really have cut down on noodle size. LOL

After the two megafactory tours we went to a trek in Taal Vista in Tagaytay - an open space that offers a breathtaking view of the Taal Lake and its Volcanic craters. It's quite amazing to see Tagaytay once again since it was already almost twelve years since I last came here, and the memories were starting to get hazy, even unrecognizable. I was fortunate to see it again and I intend to loot my mother's pictures that she had taken of the exquisite view of the lake and the volcano. It might be a little foggy in view but at least the view was extremely classic!

The latter part of the trip was spent in buying souvenirs in Tagaytay (I opted to get a dagger keychain with an intricately shaped hilt that I failed to recognize was starting to fall off - need to do some mighty bonding with that) and then spent the rest of the day in the Mall of Asia and on a rolling cruise tour around the CCP Complex and Luneta Park. Overall the trip was fantastic!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Twelve: A Return to the Past?

2008-08-17T04:10:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a tremendous week for me, what with work and all, but in addition there were several thoughts that raced across my mind as the eleventh week of class closed down upon me, opening a new vista of experiences with the coming of the twelfth week. Good Evening to all of my patrons in the great great blogosphere (and the plurk-verse too!), I hope you find my lamentations tonight of interest or even of meager relevance to my interactions with you guys.

During the fifth or sixth week or so of class, as I entered the classroom I was struck by a rather large and thick, hardbound black book that depicted a pair of pale hands holding out a vivid red apple. The apple's redness was quite vivid since it stood out quite a lot in the pale white of the hands and the rich blackness of the background. Then the title struck next, giving me several relationships as to my current life now. Yes, those familiar with my descriptions might have already gotten what I'm driving into now: It's Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.

Enthralled by the fact that not only my fangirl-like ladies of the ABMA class are hooked into the seemingly romantic plotline of the book, but also my AC students were into the story as well! Both classes have claimed that it's something to read for romantics, and out of curiosity (and boredom from lack of anything to do), I then opted to drop by at the local bookstore today after watching a movie and decided to buy a paperback copy of it. Hardbounds would be nice if it weren't for the steep price. Maybe I'd just request from my aunt in Canada to send me a hardbound copy. Hahaha!

It appeared to be a story about love, but crosses an almost parallel line with a story I have long abandoned... from what I had heard, it is about a vampire's love. Yes, among my viewers now one or two might get what I am driving into... but enough of that. To delve too deeply in those aspects is to unearth a past that I wished better to be forgotten.

Sometimes I wonder if the path I've forged from the past was a decision well-made... or a decision well-thought of. While I do not want it revived anymore out of fear of what may happen - fear of making the same mistake and causing even graver damage, I just can't help but contemplate sometimes that somewhere along the way there are things that I could've done better to avert it. Well I guess it was all in the past now...

I'm now looking into the option of continuing the story as a fully-fledged novel by itself (for those who do not follow my train of thought, I'm referring to the Vampiric Chronicles of John), but then again I need to set my priorities since I'm also looking into the really serious option of releasing my Fantasy novel Terra Nova in the local publishing world. First I'll need a really good-quality publisher to carry out such a task. Even if it will cost dearly, it's a risk I'll need to take.

But before all that, I need inspiration. I need to revive the dead writer inside me that I've long unused and abandoned. Perhaps with my new experiences I can reforge a sword long rusted by age and abandon and show it to the rest of the world as a pristine weapon that will take the literary world by storm!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Eleven: THUNDAGA!

2008-08-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

Sure, sure, many might wonder at the queer blog post title, but it just so happens that it strikes a very interesting point of discussion by which we will be drifting off to for tonight. But before that, I greet my patrons in the blogosphere a very warm and rainy evening! It's quite comfortable to sleep tonight with the cool winds and the refreshing aura surrounding the city now.

But rainy days are not complete without a light show or two gracing the skies and creating magnificent arches of light in queer zigzag patterns that seem to split the dark sky in two - of course, I speak of no less than the stars of the show - thunder and lightning!

The post title actually refers to a Final Fantasy trademark spell, Thundaga, which is a third-degree thunder magic considered as one of the most powerful in the tiers of Black Magic (its predecessors being Thunder and Thundara). The strength of this spell is already comparable to what I and some of my ABMA students experienced as we were headed to a local mall.

There was lightning and thunder (yes, these things come in pairs, and lightning always comes first since light is faster than sound) along with a heavy downpour of rain and we were quite soaked to the clothes. Not even the umbrellas were able to protect us and sad to say, in my efforts to protect my own belongings from being destroyed by the rain I ended up being soaked myself. As it is, we were fortunate to have reached the mall still partly dry.

As we travelled, the light shows grew more and more intense we thought it was going to hit close anytime soon. Not that it would really happen in the first place, but the intensity of some ranged to rumbling noises like a roof being rippled up to the point of breaking noise that just seems to make your ears ring and make your hair stand up on end (static electricity effects? LOL)

But now that we're home and refreshed, it is time to get ready for tomorrow's back to back campaigns with my two classes! I have decided to return the wargames to my ABMA class (after depriving them of it for quite some time) and my AC class will resume our usual clash of armies as they both integrate quizzes within the entertainment! Now that's what I call edutainment.

With that I bid everyone goodnight, and I pray none of you get scared badly by the lightning and thunder tonight... if ever it will rain hard *giggles*

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Eleven: Plurk and Legos

2008-08-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings to the Blogosphere! My apologies for my sudden loss of contact with the blog world, as I suddenly got myself tangled into a very interesting social networking site... the online timeline of life called PLURK!

What is plurk, you say? Well I may have been one of the most backward / delayed people to tell this now (as the rest of my friends and blog mates have already blogged about it more or less), but it is an online timeline of your activities (and quotes) and through a vast social network you can also see what your friends and mates are up to (thinking, doing, wanting, whatever!), and all in real-time at that! That means you can actually relate to most of what they are doing or thinking and enjoy a healthy conversation.

It actually does a lot of miracles and transcends social networking and discussions as people know it. It's a unique design and I will honestly admit I have been hooked into it!

For a sample of how the system of Plurk works, you may visit the Gamer at Heart plurk at http://www.plurk.com/user/terranova18

Moving on to my next interest for this week, I recently procured a small Lego Train that I bought as a Lego Creator brand - one of those designs made by someone then submitted it to the Lego world as a formal design. Well I started out with the train since I found it interesting to revive my old likes for the Lego System, and guess what? After several more purchases my little collection has started to expand with three additional racer cars from the Lego Racers brand!

I really can't figure why I suddenly got engrossed to Legos again after all these years - maybe it's a second childhood bursting inside me, I suppose. Or maybe it's the wanting to build a personal collection - you know that typical thing people do that involved collecting something as a part of a "collection" per se - coins, stamps, etc. Maybe this is what I am eventually destined to devoutly collect and showcase like a display or an exhibit. LOL

That ends this rather hurried post I suppose. The Plurk-verse is demanding its attention as I am getting unread replies from other plurkers. Later!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Ten: All Dolled Up!

2008-08-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a night! It has been quite an eventful evening for us instructors as we joined quite a thick number of students last night in the school auditorium to watch one of the grandest fashion events that has traditionally graced our school for years - the search for Mr and Ms APJMA 2008!

As I mentioned, the auditorium was packed tight with students, guests, instructors, and even alumni graduates as we all watched a spectacular display of fashion and beauty in its finest with the program theme "Barbie and Ken: All Dolled Up!". It's quite a catchy theme to have as well, given the fact that those two names had been the most popular among the throngs of children and girls all over the world who are into dolls (although it was mentioned there that they had broken up after a 48-year long relationship. LOL)

With such a theme in mind, the contestants - two of whom were my students in class - paraded with a showcase of dolly outfits that made the audience howl and cheer with delight and support. I must say that they were all quite lovely last night and as the host says, it was fortunate that no one among them nor the audience was made to judge such an event, and I'll have to agree - with the way the program went, it would be quite hard for just anyone to judge who the winner would be!

Moving the discussion to my two student entrants, I was glad and proud to say that both of them made it into the final three in the Ms APJMA competition - 2nd runner up and 1st runner up! You don't get that much students in your life so I was quite fortunate to have them in my classes :D - there's the Barbie Princess and the Million-Dollar Barbie. Quite interesting names, no?

The Barbie Princess dressed up rather fashionably (after half-dragging me and my friend down Gloriettas 1 and 4 just to look for a suitable dress and asking us for opinions at that) and also won the award for Ms Congeniality, meaning to say that she is one person that can easily be approached or befriended. Well I can say the same - she even strikes a friendly relations with us instructors! - well that part may be because we had been friends with her since our last year at the same school as students LOL. It's too bad she didn't get the best in theme wear though. I guess our fashion opinions really sucked! XD

Now the Million-Dollar Barbie, as I now fondly call her and will continue doing so until Monday's class next week, got the award for Best in Formal Wear, as proven by the pearly-white sheen of her formal gown that seemed to radiate across the half-darkened auditorium like a beacon of light. No, really the white gown took me with awe since it was quite well-made for a person of her posture (and she carried it quite well too!). Match a similar white choker on her neck, and it completely accentuates the title I gave her - had she been a true barbie, she'd be worth a million dollars! XD

I guess that's what culminates this week's post! If there's one thing I'm sure of by the end of this week, it's this: I am going to enjoy having my classes next week. >:D

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Ten: The Haunting of Tomorrow

2008-08-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

Weeks pass on and quite a long time has already elapsed since the first day of term. Everything seems like a long and distant memory as I now recall everything I had done on those early days - meeting my students for the first time, conducting my first lessons, handing out my first activities, and giving my first exams. And now we're on the tenth week, with barely four last weeks remaining until the first trimester rears its ugly head and the college shifts tides to the next term.

As my students progress to doing their pre-registration of courses for the next term, we Instructors have also taken to noting what subjects we want to take for the next term - from schedules to subjects as per our availability and capacity to teach. It's actually a convenient thing to let us choose since it enables us to select subjects that are suitable for our working schedule (especially for part time ones) and at the same time perform some... erm... hidden agendas.

Next term, I've noted what subjects I desire to take up, and most of them are IT-related subjects as expected. Although I've tried my best to avoid subjects that are situated at the 8:00 range (seeing that I very nearly end up LATE whenever I attend those subjects, even as a student LOL), sometimes it cannot be helped when the subjects you want to teach are at those times. I am also waiting myself if my request to another department would be approved so I can also handle subjects that are from that area of education. Oh, how I will love teaching next term!

I call this post a haunting, since the future holds quite a lot of interesting surprises for me. Not that it's THAT surprising anymore, since I already have a vague notion of it happening. Hahaha!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Nine: The Campaign's Onslaught

2008-07-29T03:45:00.000-07:00

It has been such a while since I made my last post, as apparently I somehow contracted a queer sickness over the past week and since then I had been unable to conduct my classes properly, often ending up in fits of coughing much to my own displeasure and annoyance. Then it swelled up into a fully-fledged fever over the weekend and I was forced to stay at home, chained to my laptop and DS because of my body's yearly dues: health-wise dues, that is.

Thankfully it's all behind me now, and as I face the ninth week of my students' education (I cannot believe we already are in the ninth week! It all just seemed so yesterday that I first entered a classroom as an Instructor!), heavier tasks and challenges are at hand for them to discover.

As of the moment, my mind is still indecisive as to whether I should or should not present the new setup of the wargames to my ABMA class. It is not that I am judging classes, but I feel that these guys of art are more to putting their attention to other matters that are - shall we say - a little less trifling. Therefore it will still remain on hold until I find a suitable moment for them to reintroduce such an activity.

My AC class, however, remains as rowdy as always. With the introduction of the new setup of the wargames, they are now quite keen on banding together and destroying the one new enemy that has stood between them and a Finals Exam exemption - me. Oh yes, the wargames has made a completely different turn and everything now focuses on the class beating their Instructor in a battle of wits, strategies, and teamwork. Oh how I love this activity!

The new motif of the wargames shall follow a campaign-wise structure, with the entire campaign split into several maps, each requiring a certain degree of teamwork and strategy aside from the expectedly required fact that everyone has to be prepared for the questions to occupy territories in the map. With new twists and turns, I'm sure tomorrow's campaign will be yet another interesting challenge, with probably a resounding cheer.

I wish I could say the same for my SSE class, but I'm afraid programming comes with a really hefty price, and the challenge of building programs by themselves has already set upon their eyes now. I've laid their Finals Case Studies before them today and as much as I do not wish to group them, I feel it best that they learned from one another more than they learn from their Instructor. It is the fate, I guess, of every CSIT student to be more self-reliant than dependent on what their Instructors can teach them. It's not enough learning from one's teachers; sometimes your classmates, friends, and even parents and seniors can assist in cooperative and constructive learning exercises.

Whew, that's quite a mouthful! Well, I will be seeing everyone tomorrow in class. Enjoy the IT Week!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Eight: The Point Halfway Through

2008-07-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Hello once again to the small number of devout individuals who maintain a steady relationship with me and my little blog here! It has been a grueling and most trying week for me, and up until now I am already up to my neck in things that I need to get done.

To start things off, my duration of employment in Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) has formally ended as of last Thursday, July 17, 2008. With that I bid farewell to the company that has contributed quite a numerous amount of experience to my career in web design and development and I hope that future endeavors might cross my path with it again. It might not work out as things are now but I hope the future holds better opportunities. Of course, I pray I don't get tangled up in a mess if that is to happen again, though. Hahaha!

Regarding my classes, I have just finished administering and computing most of my classes' midterm grades, and they should be getting the results by the coming week. I must say that most of the class generally made it through with flying colors, albeit there are some who were just within the acceptable ranges and quite a few who - shall we say - made it at any rate! XD

The Midterms finally closes its curtain with that event, and as I move on to the Finals I hope that my students would continue their good work and maintain the grades that they will acquire for the latter part of the term. The Finals is always the most difficult half of any trimester and it is also the time when the Instructors go all out - all out in giving grades and also all out in taking them away >:)

Well, it will just be a short post for today as I haven't any interesting thoughts to add yet. Keep yourselves posted everyone! :D

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Seven: The Midterm Week

2008-07-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's quite interesting to note in the post title for today that we are actually halfway through the entire trimester. How fast time flies, and how fast indeed when the classes are having fun with their studies! :D

As it is, let me share my lamentations over the end of last week and of the entire weekend. I actually failed to watch a movie today (supposedly Journey to the Center of the Earth) thanks to the overwhelming fatigue that settled me in - I was on a table-top role-playing session last Saturday and thus I ended up oversleeping for six extra hours today. I barely get any time to rest with my work and all *sighs*.

But that is beside the point. Instead of checking my students' papers tonight (which I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUSYING MYSELF WITH INSTEAD OF THIS), I figured to devise better means to reach out to their comfort zones and make the class more interesting for the later part of the term. The Finals is supposed to be the difficult hurdle since it will determine if you can push through to the next term subjects or not.

Allow me then to smooth out here my plans for my classes - to my avid students who might be reading in from time to time, here is a sneak peek:

ABMA83 - Due to popular demand, the wargames will be retained. However, there is a n additional activity that you guys can busy yourselves with (and hopefully enjoy doing it too), and it will involve a little of your exquisite... er... talents.

AC81 - Ah, the hyperactive class. Never have I seen a more rowdy bunch of students to deal with since my student days itself! But I do not take favorites guys, note :P. As it is, being devout supporters of the war, I am retaining the wargames as a continuing class activity, but this time around there shall be a twist. More details will follow once the Midterm exam lapses.

SSE81 - Of course no one misses out an equally rowdy and amusing class! For the Finals, I had mentioned that I will be setting group activities for everyone to work on, and that path will remain so for my programming students. I pray to promote cooperation and teamwork among you guys as it is necessary to survive in the School of Computer Science and Information Technology.

Mmm.. interesting. Let me share a small anecdote: Our Instructor in Software Development actually favored collaboration of ideas and concepts - the concept of Knowledge Sharing. Eventually we (the ever-hopelessly-enthusiastic SSE41) opted to put a new definition to Knowledge Sharing... whenever we copy one another's assignments. LOL!

And, yes, back to the discussion, I am going to issue a Midterm exam. It may take place either Wednesday next week or Friday next week, whichever is most convenient for everyone. Not to worry, I pray it will not be as hard as hell, hahaha.

With that, I bid my students goodnight as I head off to bed to sleep - or play with my DS a little before I do so. XD

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Six: Moments with Laughter; Moments with Strife

2008-07-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

Hmm... another post within a day of my previous one. I must be either getting really bored at this pestilential blessing of a torture that I have at work or it's just the blogger spirit returning to me. I honestly do not know; maybe it's the latter or its a mix of both. XD

As it turns out, I had somewhat 'fun' with my wargames activity in class today, although I had to iron out a lot of wrinkles that sprung out from nowhere when one of my classes really dug down to take the war to serious depths. I must admit I was surprised at the intent and determination they're showing to win it out and it kind of amuses me to see the competition heat up.

Although to an extent, I never envisioned that the competition were to heat up too much.

Just a reminder I'd like to drop to both my classes (I do this here rather than in Moodle since that site just seems to hate access outside the school network and thus is inherently slow anywhere outside APC), the wargames activity was meant for fun, and if you find it not amusing anymore, or if I find it promoting the competitiveness to the point of destroying the class's harmonious relationship, then I will not hesitate to pull it back and think of another type of activity. I like holding entertaining types of activities that encourage team development and cooperation but I am not holding them to spread discord and enmity in the class. I pray the succeeding games will proceed with still the same aura of fun and enjoyment that we have had in the early ones.

Still, though, most of the negative vibes I feel stem from the fact that there seems to be no clear enforcement of rules when it comes to a really tight competition - teams answering at almost equal times, the proper use of some rights, and whatnot. Hey, the rules are complicated, but to get a full grasp of it is always ideal and thus becomes a source of a little dispute. Perhaps I should try to devise a better way to uphold the 'First Come, First Served rule'. I have several means of doing it but I hope they are effective. If the classes can assist me in this little dilemma, I'd be ever grateful.

Overall, the Cold War proceeded with flying colors as always, and as it turns out, it appears that most of the underdogs had moved up considerably in ranks, meeting the dominating ones (or crushing them altogether) and balancing the scales... at least a little.

I also hope they are learning from all of this - I didn't spend nights and resources devising this activity to just bear no fruit at all!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Six: The Dawn of War

2008-07-08T01:52:00.000-07:00

I sit on my office cubicle, contemplating about various random matters - from the new design that I had opted to place for my blog - thereby incorporating an intricate overlapping image that gave it the feel of a wallpaper I had discovered in Square-Enix's North American Site for Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - to the crushing moments I had experienced not too long ago, until the voyage through memory lane led me to the recent ones I've experienced with my classes.

Not that I am comparing, but to be honest, there are some classes where I tend to be more open than usual. I know it is not for me to tell or to publicly voice out, given my status quo as an Instructor and stuff and all, but sometimes there are tendencies in my classes that I seem to see the very same visage of our own freshman class four years ago vividly engraved in their actions. Surprising, yes, but sometimes I feel like as if I am just a more senior 'classmate' conducting a tutorial class. But then again I need to keep the professional image! LOL

I've just completed the preparations for the upcoming Cold War (as my Accounting students had named it), and I'm sure this will be even more challenging and action-packed than the previous ones. I may have overextended myself in complicating the rules and whatnot, but that is what I believe is absolutely necessary in order to get the most out of the enjoyment in this activity - the fun of competition yet with promising rewards for everyone.

50 Standard Questions, 25 Special Questions - with only so few territories left for both classes to secure, I now wonder how the battles will progress in the future: Will the dominant superpowers maintain their hold in their vast region, or will the underdogs regroup their forces and take back what is rightfully theirs?

Such challenges and surprises I cannot await to see tomorrow XD

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Six: Age of Sorrows

2008-07-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Am I overestimating myself? Or am I just really that harsh?

I ask these questions after administering my second set of quizzes to both my IT Concepts classes. after sifting through the results, I find that they weren't exactly the results that I had expected. Perhaps it's just what Sir Chris Haravata had warned me of during my early days as an Instructor - never set your expectations too high.

I know some of my students are keeping themselves up to date with my entries in the Web, and I will apologize for setting such as torturous exam upon your feet. Perhaps it's time I adjusted my standards to something a little lower and give a little more leeway for the freshmen that you are. However, keeping reality in mind, College is a very different environment than what many might have come to accustom themselves in High School. Things here are more rigid, more complex, more difficult. It might appear as easy now in your early days but rest assured the challenges will mount and continue to increase in difficulty the longer you delve yourselves in your respective arts and sciences.

We, for one, went through heaven, hell, and maybe even limbo, before we managed to get to our positions now. As much as we try not to replicate such a grim scenario on you guys, it's still best for you to experience those things to teach you what to expect here as a College student.

Given that, I might be administering a new exam to some of my classes who did not make it through the old exam, and I pray and hope for everyone's sake that they review their lessons well this time. I don't mind making quizzes in the slightest (although this one will be considerably and hopefully easier than the previous one) but I also hope that the class is doing their best to understand their lessons. These quizzes may just be a measure of one's objective aptitude on a subject, but may not potentially measure the amount of knowledge they have gained. As much as I want the knowledge to continue flowing, every once in a while your understanding of the subject matter must also be tested.

With that I bid my classes good night for today, and I will be seeing you all in class this week. Oh, and don't think that this will not go unnoticed in the next leg of our 'World Wars' :P

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Weeks Four and Five: Era of Triumph

2008-07-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

Two weeks pass in uneventful silence as I struggle through maintaining my classes in perfect order and harmony while at the same time gradually detaching myself from the hellish pit I've unknowingly sunk into at work. It's actually an enlightening feeling to have lesser things to worry about now (aside from the fact that I have not started correcting my students' assignments, seatworks, and quizzes yet). As it is, allow me to happily recall the events that had transpired in the past two weeks of my classes.

Weeks four and five of class were definitely a blast - I had managed to devise a crafty group / team activity that mixes a blend of Perfect World's Territorial Warfare, the cheesy graphics and standards of Advance Wars, and at the same time the dogmatic boring Quiz Bee model. The result? The IT Concepts Wargames!

It covers a broad warfare that will span the entire trimester and will pit four groups of students in a battle of wits as they struggle to maintain a healthy amount of territories which carry with it bonus points for their quizzes - nothing can still be more motivating than acquiring bonus points for increasing quiz results. But of course it doesn't come any easier, for you have three other groups to contend with.

The activity was a blast on both classes and very much looking forward to the next sessions, which already pits a world war, as some of my students call it. Reading their remarks and comments on that activity through their blog projects actually makes me interestingly happy and motivated to continue with that activity.

As part of my blog post for today, allow me to post the current standings of the war:

ABMA83 - The Metallic Fruits

Red Team: The Uranium Cherries (3 Bonus Points)
Blue Team: The Iron Strawberries (10 Bonus Points)
Green Team: The Silver Papayas (2 Bonus Points)
Yellow Team: The Titanium Nectarines (12 Bonus Points)
Black Team: The Instructor's Territories (The Iron Mangoes)

AC81 - The Colorful Heavens

Red Team: The Silver Stars (20.5 Bonus Points)
Blue Team: The Blue Moon (9 Bonus Points)
Green Team: The Red Sun (6.5 Bonus Points)
Yellow Team: The Instructor's Territories (The Golden Meteors)
Black Team: The Black Hole (4.5 Bonus Points)

Posting it as an update and as a motivation for my classes to persevere harder! Sad to say, I am still finding ways for my Programming Concepts class to involve similar fun activities yet at the same time invoking their lessons and exercises along the way.

That's all for today, keep it up guys, great work!

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Three: A Moment of Danger

2008-06-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Two days follow my previous post as of today, and it has been quite a very heavy-minded start of week in terms of what I had to accomplish and heavy things I had to decide on.

This blog shall bear firsthand witness to my final decision: I am resigning from my work.

With work I mean my professional work, not the other part-time shifts that I had undertaken in my free time and effort. It has been quite a tough decision and having to weather through the discussions behind this decision that I have forcibly cemented over and under to prevent myself from revoking it makes this entire start of week tremendously depressing already. I know I am saving myself from certain health and mental / social dangers, but I am hoping I am not making the most erroneous decision of my life. At any rate, it'll be a decision that I'll be carrying with me for all eternity.

This, however, closes but a door of my knotted-up professional life. I tell you, having to brave through three responsibilities at the same time takes a lot of time and attention and I am already facing serious delays and drawbacks in keeping up with all three responsibilities. I understand that professional responsibilities take high precedence but if it will completely take over my life then for my own sake I will need to cut this off while I am still not completely tangled in it. This is not the only way up after all: there are other means to get there.

With that, I now hope to look forward to being with my true passions once again, not just in teaching my students and stuff, but also in my prospect of going fulltime for a career that I would enjoy doing with the company of my classmates and instructors, and at the same time doing things I enjoy most. It's not as dreamily compensated as the previous one, but I can live with that.

Now I'm thinking positive as I recall Master Oogway's (Kung Fu Panda) interesting quote: "Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, and Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

~Sir DaveTNova~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week Two: A Season of Peril

2008-06-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again to all of my few subscribers in this little haven I call my online "home". It's been several days since I made a post here and to be frank I am still fortunate to have time on my hands to be able to post stuff here, what with what has been happening recently that has taken up most of my time and attention.

Today officially marks the start of the third week of class (even though it is just Sunday), and to be frank I have already incurred several menial and serious mistakes that I fear might be a little difficult to patch up with regards to my teaching. I do not place much blame on my students for this, for I fear that more of my "fears" have surfaced with regards to overestimating the class. Perhaps it is as my mentor had warned me about, which I need to tone down.

I had administered two batches of quizzes - one of which indirectly - into two of my classes, the third one yet to receive it this week. While the results of my IT Concepts quiz seem satisfactory, I may have tortured my students a little too worse in my Programming Concepts class. I am a person used to challenges and I fear that I may have imparted that similar intimacy to my students as well by setting a little-hard-than-usual challenge that doesn't match their level of understanding yet. I know it is unjust to put them in such a situation and to make up for it I intend to re-adjust the quiz so as not to put them into failing standards. (Rejoice, SSE81!)

I, however, have not faltered in my IT Concepts classes. As it is a purely conceptual class with so little to no practical activity, I have made it a point to ensure that the class does not delve into the information too much and put more focus into the knowledge that they gain from such information. I leave this as a concept for my students: Data is raw and unprocessed, things without meaning; Information is processed data, one that has meaning, form, and structure; Knowledge (as a third definition) is the understanding and the comprehension that comes from the information acquired. And that is what I intend to achieve with my classes.

I pray that the third week of class progresses without turns for the worse, and I hope my class would understand that I am still in the process of adjusting to this side of the classroom. Not to worry, the second batch of quizzes by the fourth week won't be so heavy as the previous one ^_^

~Sir DaveTNova~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Class Week One: A Time of Tumult

2008-06-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Whew, finally that ends my first week in class, and it has been quite an enjoyable experience for me in terms of getting my students' attention and interest. Although I must admit that I am still getting used to the instructor title, I am trying my best to adjust to the new position (and keeping myself from releasing my insane student attitude).

I must admit that entering class as an instructor and seeing the students all seated on their respective chairs gives me a different impression of things - you get that nervous feeling that their academic fate lies in your hands and it would be down to you to teach them and make them understand the concepts in class. It's actually a tough responsibility, but I'll live up to it with the help of these young guys (or guys and gals that are just about within my age range. LOL)

My potential drawbacks might come from my approach in teaching which potentially may end up in a fast discussion. I am actually afraid of discussing the topic too fast as I may end up not imparting anything to the students at all. Even more afraid I am of the fact that we seem to end our discussions quite fast! I'm not exactly sure if it really is meant to last that fast but apparently the topic progresses quite fast. I guess that means more time for activities and quizzes! :D

I actually appreciate the attitude that my students reciprocate during class discussion and I'm glad that they're doing their best to learn from such a young instructor as me. Now I know what our instructors had felt during our early student days here in APC, and I'll do my best to impart as much as I know - inside or outside our subject matter - and enlighten my students.

Now I think I have my class philosophy for my classes - to teach without the high bounds that hinder students from opening up to their teachers :D

~Sir Dave~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

Moving forward

2008-06-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a VERY long time since I had made a post on this blog - and I don't exactly do it for the sake of my students to say that I have not been updating my blog or keeping my online selves up to date with what's happening around, but I guess I was just too occupied with certain matters before that I have failed to regularly check on my little hideaway - now wait, did I just say students?

I must admit that since the last entry I have made, a ton of stuff had happened in my life - some happy, some memorable, although there were some that didn't exactly proceed well, and still there are some that might have left permanent scars in my life - not just my heart, but perhaps my soul as well. But I shan't go deep into the details. It's best I leave things that way, for sake of a lot of things.

I had recently taken on the challenging role of three jobs all at the same time - recently-regularized Web Designer for Affiliated Computer Services; returning and maintaining developer of the Permitting, Monitoring, and Enforcement System [Inspection] for the Laguna Lake Development Authority; and paying back to my Alma Mater as an Asia Pacific College IT Instructor. Now there goes another - did I just say Alma Mater this time?

The horror of not updating a blog, goodness knows. I graduated this past month twice - once at my Alma Mater, Asia Pacific College, and another at my benefactor, SM Foundation. Both had been quite memorable experiences in my life as a student who has gone through the last steps of education, ready to face what's ahead in the real world. And I've long learned the insight that it's not on the measure of your intelligence or degree earned but more of how you will apply your skills to take on what's ahead. Modesty aside, I may be Magna Cum Laude but I don't wield it around as it's just a title bestowed for my academic performance.

Right now I'm happily teaching my students most of the stuff I had gained from my IT education as an SSE, despite the fact that two of my classes aren't exactly IT in nature and only one other class is oriented towards IT (and to think I am handling their first programming course!). I had sworn to myself before that if ever I am to become an instructor and wield a position of power and influence to my students, I'd do my best to make them enjoy the class instead of feel bored to it - not like many instructors I had known during my student days that did not exactly live up to our desirability standards.

I hope to make their classes enjoyable, though; the past few days seems like a state of limbo and purgatory for I can't seem to get through their 'stiffness'. Although I did succeed in breaking apart one of my classes's defenses and get them to our level before, I guess it will take some more time and getting used to before I can see the true colors of my students. Hey, can it get any worse than ours? We were a rowdy bunch during our time, ya know!

Anyway, that marks my first post in months. I hope to follow it with more as I light up yet another trail in my life and follow my students in their first steps towards their College lives.

~Sir DaveTNova~
Once a gamer, always will be a gamer

The Return of the School Age

2008-02-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

It's been more than six months - or maybe nearly eight - since I last sat down on a classroom to listen to an instructor impart his knowledge - or maybe knowledge from a reference material - from his understanding to us students, and frankly speaking, the experience of the past internship coupled with the rusty brain that I seem to have developed now starts taking its toll upon me as it scrambles to restore my mind to its original alignment.

It's not that I've gone dull or forgot my basics during the eight months of legal absence, but it's more on the fact that I've gotten used to the lax activities at the workplace which does not involve much thinking and worrying. Now that I'm back in school, with all these projects, paperworks, and assignments that need to be dealt with, I'm once again reprogramming myself to handle them the way I used to.

Study-wise, my techniques haven't lost its touch, though, as I still maintain my usual performance during examinations and class participation (thank goodness for that!). My only worry now is restoring myself to the usual stress of schoolwork - the overwhelming burden of the assignments and projects. Sure, it's a tough task, but I muddle my way through somehow as Grit of Advance Wars say.

Still, despite my efforts, I still manage to make it a point to play my handheld games once in a while at school (and at school at that!) . I've recently gotten my hands on a PSP so I've expanded my collection of gaming interests somewhat, with the number of RPG and interesting games that the PSP has. On the evenings, though, that's when I start working.

Sadly, one part of me seems to have returned from its eight-month slumber, twice as influential in my brain as before, and that is the brainier side of me. You see, whenever I end up doing something, my brain works full-time in cooking up an answer or a solution to that particular question or problem. While it does not take much time and effort cobbling up a response, it does take up most of my attention as I try to weigh down on the possibilities and the concepts that I have in stock. I try to make the explanation as complete as possible, then set it down on paper as I go along with the question. I write by ear, so to speak, similar to how musicians play by ear. Whatever sensible piece comes to my mind that jives with what I currently have in writing or speaking, I write or say.

The sad part there is that I get easily worked out when I think to the point that I'm almost unreachable. Think of it as Sherlock Holmes, who, when immersed in a particularly complex and baffling case, tends to ask Watson's leave from the house or to be particularly quiet for a while as Holmes weighs down the case in his head along with tobacco or some coffee. I seem to have channeled that same brainwave as well since I really end up like a thinking machine when I start thinking up, and interruptions cost me dearly, sometimes ending up with a half-finished statement that I'll end up erasing. That's how writer's block often knocks on me when I write my novels (which has happened countless times, even up until now).

Hm, I am not so sure myself if this has ever happened to many students like me before, but the impending amount of schoolwork that keeps passing through us lately has somewhat taken its residence in my head and now keeps me spinning and spinning in thoughts on resolving them. While it may appear to some that I'm being in a carefree mood, as I most of the time am, my insides are actually at work, turning theories and concepts apart as I work on the hidden burdens of my academic and emotional mind in secret.

Still, I try to find time for a lot of things - for myself, for games, and for her, of course. Although I hope it doesn't turn out to something awful - I wouldn't want an old argument to resurface again. Guess I need to work on managing my time more intensively. Ah, well, I'll muddle my way somehow through this torturous schoolwork *laughs*

The Truth

2008-01-24T07:02:00.002-08:00

I sit on my usual stool writing this post now with a heart that may possibly well be heavier than yours - if my words and my actions pained you, then you can least expect it has pained me twice as heavy, and keeping them all from you has been the biggest chunk of it all. I pause for a short moments as I consider my thoughts and my jury of minds stage a madhouse in my brain. It's enough to bring me to tears.

I've intended to yet conceal this again within a flurry of words only the writer in me could possibly bring to reality. But you're right, things are best kept in the open rather than left in the dark. Maybe it's something I've been missing and losing for the past few days. I've tried hiding the darkness - the nightmare - in a curtain of smiles and amusement, maybe because I know it's the web and it won't hurt to hide it until it passes away. Then you'd worry about nothing next time we meet or talk again. But I couldn't possibly live a lie for a long while, not when my problems seem to have no end at all.

Yes, I might have told you that the problems might have abated, but I figured as less. Like a tide washing in the shoreline, they just receded then came back with an even greater splurge. I do not wish to pain you or burden you any further with what's troubling my mind, because I don't want you to hate someone in my behalf. We both saw the consequence of that happening, and I don't want it to happen again. But of course you have to know eventually - and well, in a nutshell, it's mostly school, home, and me.

School. You are aware of the effort I put up with always at school and just the fact that I am constantly tormented by what I had experienced last December doesn't lighten matters. It's one place where I don't think I can reconcile easily, and I am sure you are aware of that.

Home. I've told you the problems at home have receded in a compromise, but after that conversation everything went upside down as I was left to ponder on a thought that now pits both interests in the balance. The fact that I really can never win an argument at home infuriates me and leaves me dwelling on it more than on other happier and more interesting things.

Me. Yes, me. I do not wish to tell of this, as I am sure this is the worst I could possibly bring. All this time, with the two issues above combining and prying my brains open, containing the third isn't proving to be an easy task anymore, and sometimes it leads to unexpected spillouts that I attempt to quell with the sanity that I still have. I do not wish to be troubled as a mad person, but perhaps it is the flaw of those who are, in what other people view, "smart". They have too much to think of and sometimes get lost in it, be it their miseries or their joys.

In my case, the volume of the two problems that had sunk in my mind seemed to have blocked out the traces of the happiness inside me and contained them in a prison that only gets several moments of being set free. And weird enough, they sink in at their worst at night, the only time I've got for being online. For being with my other circle of friends. For being with you.

It pains me that I end up in a non-talkative mood at night as the problems race around in my head, even before sleep. And the fact that you are missing the moments of days back when we were animatedly chatting makes things all the more burdensome for me since I can't even bring my fingers to write a sentence or a paragraph. Well not this time, I suppose. My own tactlessness has brought things to this erroneous point. I know I'm wrong. Very wrong.

One thing remains clear to me all this time, and it's what keeps me writing and responding even if my insides are strangling my brains into submission and silence. I know I still love you, and that's the only shred of hope that I've clung into, keeping me from falling into the abyss of my miseries and woes. Time and time again the devil has visited me and tried convincing me that the love has dissipated but I've done my best to repel the thoughts because I know I still love you, and nothing will make me change that.

My words earlier might have sounded a bit harsh, and I'll admit I was tactless to say it. It's just that I am asking for you to bear with me until the misery dissipates and the sun shines on my life again - maybe if things work out well enough for me by the turn of the month. Sure, it's a long shot of days, but I'll try my best to bring myself to speed whenever you're there waiting for me. I might not be on a communicative mood, but I'm listening all the same. I haven't shut myself up completely, and I definitely won't on you.

I'm sorry for hurting you like this, I know you don't deserve it. I do, I suppose, but you don't, and the fact that you might have cried several times before and after this makes things even more unsettling for me, since I don't want you of all people to cry, especially on something I've done in err.

I'm heading off to bed, praying that this all somehow reaches a resolution by tomorrow. And well, I'm not enjoying this kind of silence. Deep inside, it might have been what my misery-filled mind wanted, but the remaining part of me consumed by my own dark thoughts says otherwise. I guess I'll have to win this war out in me... *sigh*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part 23: The Nightmare

2008-01-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

This may appear as a shock when reading, it might appear a little serious, but please hear me out, especially the end part... *sigh*

Weeks passed by uneventfully and as each day passed by over the Manor, a shadow descended upon John, eating away on his mind and consuming him in a daze he had never experienced before. At first it appeared like an ordinary illness, a headache that would be gone by the morning, but as the days grew into weeks and spawned months along the way, it felt as if the shadow had sunk into his mind.

Afraid of letting the shadow get the best of him, John fought in the earlier days of its manifestation, fighting back his emotions and thoughts to make sure he will not be in danger of causing harm to his companions at home. While some of his friends suspected his actions, none of them had any hint as to his real condition. No, not even the witch, Sandra, knew of it. John knew that the impact of her knowing would be too great. No, he attempted to resolve it himself. In the past few days he had grown quite unstable that he had to shun himself in his bedroom chamber, refusing food and drink from the servants and sleeping earlier than expected.

Such a worsening condition definitely passed with suspicion inside the house, and one evening Tom decided to pay the vampire a visit in his chambers. While Sandra, Mark, and Paul were talking about that as well over dinner, the young warlock opted to find things out from the vampire himself.

"Sir John?" Tom asked, lightly tapping the door with his fingers.

"Leave me be." came John's voice from inside.

"Sir John, is anything the matter? You have refused food and drink for the past few days. I do not believe you are to be left alone."

There was silence for several minutes until John suddenly said, "Come in..."

Without hesitation, the warlock entered John's chamber and almost gasped in shock - the whole room was in disarray!

"Tread carefully around the broken shards of wood and glass." John said. He had a stiff voice as he sat on his now half-wrecked four-poster bed, his back turned on the warlock. Tom looked at the floor, and here and there lay battered and shattered remnants of wooden chairs and the wall mirror.

"Wh-what has happened with you, Sir John?!" Tom cried. "Are you feeling well? You have not turned to a werewolf, have you?"

"Be sensible for once, boy." John snapped at him. "I am already a vampire. How could I possibly turn into a werewolf as well?"

"Oh, um, y-yes. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. Sit down and tell me what you want."

John's voice was cold and commanding, but Tom sensed that he was fighting a snappy retort. Curious, interested, and afraid at the same time, the young warlock pulled up a chair in front of John and sat down. The vampire had his head rested on his hands, clutching his hair tightly like as if he had a bad headache.

"Sir, what has been troubling you these past few days?" Tom asked. "Sir Mark is worried, and Lady Sandra is even more, I..."

"Sandra..." John said. "N-no... she must not know of this..."

"S-Sir John?"

And John suddenly burst into tears.

"T-Tom..." John said, turning two teary eyes at the young warlock. "I've loved Sandra with all my life, you know that. It is she who made my miserable existence complete in many details and has shed me some hope in my grim world. But... but now, I... I cannot explain what is happening to me!"

"Tell me, Sir John. Maybe I can help you."

"Y-yes, maybe you can... but please hear me out. I do not know what has befallen me, but I can't take this anymore, not on them, on you, nor on anyone else... I... I feel so muted, and lifeless..."

"Lifeless...?"

"Like as if I've lost myself completely. You know how I was before this... this nightmare settled in on me. Right now I can't even bring myself to words when I talk to her, and her piercing words and eyes make me all the more guilty that I cannot even bring myself to talk to her!"

"B-but why can't you?"

"I don't know! Don't ask me... even I don't have the answer... all this time I've tried concealing myself by trying to act normal, but my mind can't take it anymore... I've been snapping up lately and I know I can't take this anymore..."

"H-how did this happen...?"

"I do not know as well... one thing is for sure: this will continue manifesting within me, and I know in due time I won't be able to stop this, not unless I am left be for a while."

"B-but that is..."

"Y-yes, I know." John choked, now burying his face in his hands. "I cannot even bring myself anymore to the horror of thinking of all of your reactions if I am to do that, but please tell them for me, Tom. I don't know for how long this may take, for I need to exterminate this nightmare by myself."

"I... I will, but S-sir John, you cannot continue like this forever...!"

"I understand that... I just need time... the overwhelming burden of this nightmare is consuming my mind completely and I do not want to suddenly break down in front of them. No, I will sort this out by myself."

"How do we know if you have done away with it?"

"Healing may perhaps not be immediate. I even doubt a witch's brew or a warlock's spell could possibly reverse this effect, but I will try to clear my mind and when those times come I'll probably be more communicative and lively, but not permanently until I can completely rid myself of this illness."

"I, I understand, Sir John. No matter what happens, we will remain by your side. Rest assured I will tell them what ails you."

"Please, do not make them worry. I do not want them to be troubled about me. I just need to find some time and space to myself... I pray they understand."

"I'm sure they will, sir."

"Th-thank you, Tom..."

Tom patted John on the back, then quietly went out of the chamber, leaving the vampire to his musings.

I... I'm sorry... I know there will be an end to this, but perhaps not too soon... the problems, the trouble, the stress, and everything else are currently colliding and I can't stem them fully, eating away on my nicer side. I hope everyone understands :(

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

2007-12-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hi there again! Right now my blog's starting to highlight points that underline the blog title itself: Gamer at Heart!

Right now, aside from practicing to be an illusionist with the DS (and failing considerably, given the fact that the tricks require extreme practice to perform flawlessly), I've also taken up the role of a defense attorney and engage in a courtroom battle of wits - all courtesy of Phoenix Wright!

Phoenix Wright is a three-series game adapted from its Gameboy Advance version and now ported successfully to the Nintendo DS. You take on the role of the Defense attorney, Phoenix Wright, as he engages in a series of somewhat-related cases that unfold a major storyline of the game. The three series are Ace Attorney, Justice for All, and Trials and Tribulations. Some later cases with the latter two games will not directly involve Phoenix defending in court, but rather his companions and even rival would do it!

It's entirely a battle of wits, you having to perform an investigation at the crime scene and related places and also to converse with a number of witnesses, some actually testifying in court and some assisting on your investigation. In examining the locations, you obtain useful evidences and items that might aid you in proving your theories and/or charges in Court.

After an investigation, the trial itself begins, and you are introduced as the defense, your intellectual enemy being the prosecution. In most of the cases, Phoenix's rival is Miles Edgeworth, a High Prosecutor and well-known to win a lot of cases with a guilty verdict.

There's also the judge, of course, a man of wise judgment but can easily be swayed by points of both prosecution and defense. More often that not he agrees with prosecution unless the defense has something credible to present.

Courtroom battles here progress with lesser bureaucracy than what traditional courtrooms might have, given the absence of references to laws, rights, or any other judicial stuff that might pertain to the written law. All cases convened are murder and thus the duties are simply made clear for everyone to understand properly: the Prosecution is to exercise all means to prove the defendant guilty, be it by use of falsified evidences or testimonies; and the Defense is to protect his client by revealing flaws and exposing lies in the testimonies, or anything else that might appear as - as the game states - contradictory.

The Prosecution gets its way with witnesses, thus they are the ones presenting witnesses and sometimes, other evidence that you might have missed. Each witness gives one or more testimonies of what he/she saw at the crime scene and with each point of the testimony you are given the option to test its truthfulness by pressing her with the issue. The witness will reveal extra information but sometimes it won't be helpful, or it will be covered up by an objection of the prosecution.

Once a lie has been found, the defense can begin cross-examining. During a cross-examination, evidence is normally required to prove a lie in the witness's statement. As Miles Edgeworth himself says, "The only thing that belongs in a trial is evidence!". Therefore evidence is necessary! Present the right one and you nail the witness and the prosecutor. Present a wrong one, and the judge nails you!

From there on it's a series of testimonies, arguments, and cross-examinations. Phoenix's mentor, Mia Fey, has said that "Once you break through a witness's testimony, everything else falls apart." Therefore, once a lie has been exposed, it will be difficult to re-arrange one's testimony again. More often that not it leads him to expose more than what was necessary. Prosecution may object, but it will be too late.

In the end, everything culminates to a 'NOT GUILTY' verdict, but that is, if you have the brains to prove it!

Master of Illusions - Magic Performances on the DS!

2007-12-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

*tips top hat*

Good day today! I momentarily break the Chronicles again since there is one thing that definitely caught my interest when I was playing through some games on my DS - and that is Master of Illusions!

What is this game, you might ask? Well it's like a game that functions as a magic prop and a magic performance stage at the same time. It empowers you (along with the DS and its helpful tricks and tips) to make a dazzling performance in front of anyone - friends, family, even strangers! It's a really interesting find for me. XD

It's not dubbed as a game per se, but rather a pastime program that you'd like to visit daily (since you can only practice for so much daily and practicing unlocks more and better magic tricks to play around with). The game provides you with magic tricks to use and also teaches you the fundamentals of performing the tricks without catching the audience's suspicions - of course to do that perfectly you need to practice, practice, practice!

Aside from the fact that you can render performances with magic tricks, there is also a built-in Magician inside the game that can perform tricks for you! Of course his tricks are way better than yours and some employ the functionalities of the DS to complete.

As a taster of what I might perform for you should we meet with my DS, here's one - the Twin Candles trick:

Instructions:

1. Blow on the DS mic. Both candles should go out. Blow on it several times after the Magician lights it for you.
2. Pick a candle among the two (it's either the red candle or the blue candle). Then point your index finger at it.
3. Blow on the DS mic again.

Here's a pic: [courtesy of Gamespot!]

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Twenty-Two: A Moment Withheld

2007-12-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Been a long time since I posted! I'll have to brush up around here. XD

One week passed after the sinister events that befell the Witch Diane, and even as Mark, Paul, John, Sandra, and Tom discuss it over dinner they still cannot believe the harsh brutality that the town mayor exhibited over the poor witch. Although Diane did survive the conflagration of her house with the execution of several clever witchwork and the help of underground passages within her shack, she has now, according to Sandra, fled to the countrysides to the homes of the outlying witches that reside there.

"Of course she will be safe there as I am here, but there's no telling what that mad mayor might do should he encounter more witches." Sandra said. "Have you heard what happened to his daughter?"

"Yes." Mark said curtly, slicing half-cooked steak in his plate and spearing it with his fork. "From what I hear, his daughter died several days ago of intense fever and what they believe to be witchcraft at its worst."

"No better words can describe that." Sandra said. "We witches are helpful and kind to a fault, but if we are disrupted by these non-believers then we can set loose nature upon them!"

John didn't reply, nor was he even listening to their conversation. Several things had come to his attention recently and often he sneaks some time out of the Manor, preferably at night and during the moments when Sandra educates young Tom. Not that he's evading her, but he's got several things in mind.

"Uhm, excuse me for a moment," John said, rising up from the chair all of a sudden. "I'll... I'll need to take a short walk."

"I'll come with you." Sandra said, half-rising from her chair, but John held her back.

"N-no, this is something I must do myself." John said, taking extra caution to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Well, if that's what you like." Sandra said. "You be careful now."

"That's something to be said for those who cross me."

Sandra smirked. John strode to the door, put on a coat, and went out of the Manor.

"Y-you two are not fighting, are you?" Mark asked curiously.

"Not at all!" Sandra said suddenly. "Why do you ask that?"

"Nothing."

*****

John walked along the almost-empty town streets, watching the town folk light the street lamps and close up shops. He stopped in front of the bookstore where he and his friends normally stayed, then entered without anyone noticing.

"Oh, hi John." Jason said, looking up from his reading. "Took you a short while to get here."

"Sorry, we're having dinner." John said. "Had to excuse myself. Is it ready?"

"Not yet, but it's almost done. I'll just need Anthony's assistance to finish it."

"Thanks. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you guys."

"Not a problem, man. You take care with her now."

"I will."

John went out of the bookstore, thinking deeply. Thoughts danced around his mind as he walked along the street, all revolving around the single woman in his life. Sandra had been the best thing that had come in his darkened and miserable vampiric life, yet there's something missing that he seems to fail to give.

"Just a little more time..." John said to himself, frowning. "I'm sorry, I'll have to hold it a bit longer..."

He looked up at the night sky, as a light snow started to fall. He had completely forgotten - it's almost Christmas.

"Maybe during then." John said.

Now I wonder what that is *giggles*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Twenty-One: The Sinister Witch Hunt

2007-11-12T01:11:00.000-08:00

Spilling some of my memoirs once again - my, my, it has been a long time!

Panic ensued outside the bounds of the Manor and into the small town where John grew up as the local doctor was roused in the middle of the night by several commoners and taken to the house of the town mayor, where his young eight-year old daughter was tormented of a burning fever and constantly hallucinated, screaming with pure fear and hatred. Try as the wonders of early science might, he was unable to bring an end to the child's misery and several peasants had reached the conclusion that the child may be being tormented by a witch's curse.

It was fortunate for John, who happened to be walking around with his companions that evening, which took place days after they had returned to the Manor, to witness the event and to personally see to it when his friends wove their way through the crowd of eyewitnesses and had the luck to end up seeing the writhing, twisting child being held back by her parents while the doctor examined her. He immediately told Sandra about it when he returned to the Manor.

"Hah, the man's finally gotten what he's worth." Sandra replied stiffly, leaving the young Tom to his lessons while the two entered the kitchen to grab something to eat. "I presume it's Diane who did it."

"Diane?" John asked.

"Diane is a witch residing in the glades a bit north from the town area. From what I have last heard that infernal brat of the town mayor had apparently trodden on her precious garden along with her troublesome friends. Most of her herbs and plants were viciously picked and plucked and now she hasn't got anything much to continue her formulation of medicine for the sick."

"She helps the sick? I thought you witches were mistrusted because of your - well - things like what happened to the girl?"

"Well, we are, but Diane feels otherwise. She welcomes those sickly people who cannot be accommodated by the meager knowledge of that expert you call a doctor. However, she got into some trouble with the town mayor about her illicit actions and apparently the daughter solidified her hate with the old man, so now it's come to this."

"But won't that put her in the mayor's bad side deeper?"

"I'm not sure of Diane's intents this time, but I believe she wants the old man taught a lesson in respecting the assistance that witches offer. We're not just born here to curse people to death - we also help extend life as much as we can."

However, the succeeding events of the following days slowly took its turn for the worse of the witches, for the town mayor soon learned of the witch tormenting his child and had organized a small band of commoners and town guards to storm Diane's glade. Naturally Sandra rushed with John and Tom to see the matters firsthand.

"Come out of there you vile witch!" the angry town mayor cried, brandishing a burning torch towards the witch's shut cabin. "Or else we'll torch your house to the very ground with you in it!"

A woman peered out from one of the windows and lashed out at the town mayor.

"It's your own fault that has happened to your daughter, you wretched old croon! They ruined the ingredients I use to cure those who cannot be attended by your pathetic doctor and thus she will have to suffer the consequences!"

"Silence!" the mayor cried. "I will hear no more of your useless rambling! Your cures are nothing but useless!"

"Your pride overtakes you, old man. We shall see who gets to crack up first!"

The witch boarded her windows.

"Blast her!" the mayor cried angrily. "BURN HER HOUSE DOWN!"

This was practically spawned by a conflict between beliefs that I'm torn on where to place my side on - but my belief stands in what's right :P

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Twenty: Mark's Past

2007-11-05T00:52:00.000-08:00

A little deviation from the current darkness as Mark is left in the Manor all by himself... *giggles*

A tempest had ensued from the storm that assailed the region and as dawn started to draw closer a messenger raven barely made it through the only open outlets of the Manor - the chimney - and landed on Mark's study table before collapsing in the heaviness of the rains. The raven bore a dampened note in its claws, which Mark read. The letter was a water-impervious-enchanted paper note written in Sandra's hand, stating that their stay in the abode of the Witch Kriselle would be extended due to the unforgiving nature of the tempest. Mark shrugged the letter off, now walking towards his bedroom.

Rain... how strongly the rains reminded Mark of his ordination to the Legion of Blood. He can remember it all to clearly as he viewed the storm-stricken windows, the panels almost giving way as the high winds punished it.

*****

It had been several generations already, Mark thought, and quite a long time it had been for him to be walking the darkness of the night, slaying or converting countless victims to his charge. He had made quite a handful of vampires himself, although none as close and as interesting as his friend and apprentice vampire John. Perhaps the event of John's ordination to the Legion was a strong reminder of the similar fate he suffered in the hands of his own maker.

He lived the life of a nobleman himself, the very Manor where he lives a living testament of his family's wealth and fortune, amassed from riches that his family had plundered from countless conquests during the Middle Ages. Truly their fortune was unsurpassed that his family held high influence in the small society of the town.

During one particular ball organized by a friend, Mark had the opportunity to meet up with a gentleman of equal upbringing as he is, that in itself being mysterious already, since there are a few nobilities in their town. The name of the man was Matthew.

Mystified as Mark was by his new friend's identity, nevertheless the two forged a friendship that was perhaps stronger than what he and John had forged by themselves. Although Matthew only favored meeting up for balls or celebrations in the evenings, Mark never had suspicions - until the night of his conversion.

It was a tempestuous evening, much like what he had experienced during his serious chat with Count Arcanum and Countess Cassandra, and he and his friend Matthew were walking towards his Manor, having offered his friend a place to stay, when his friend suddenly pulled him towards a tree and pinned him in place, a queer gaze locking their eyes in place.

Wild thoughts raced across Mark's mind at his friend's actions, and his eyes widened with horror as his friend revealed its true identity - it was a vampire, and one of the First Generation Vampires at that, those descending from the tainted bloodlines that even surpass Count Arcanum's (since the current Great Count of the Legion descends at a bloodline several generations after Matthew's, the older Great Counts having died off). Without another word, Matthew plunged into Mark's neck and gave his friend a loving bite that settled in five seconds of pain for Mark, followed by five seconds of bliss, then a darker five seconds of settling bloodlust - also known as the Vampire's First Fifteen.

Overwhelmed by insane bloodlust, as his maker was a First Generation Vampire (in concept these vampires bring forth serious starts to their new apprentices), he and his friend stormed their Manor and killed off his own parents and sisters, lost in his hunger for blood.

*****

Now, as Mark recalls everything, all this began with what his friend had brought him, and as he contemplates on it, hate once again boils deep inside him, hence he retained a vow he made when he made John a part of the Legion: never to go by his older friend's brutality.

And now that the Prophecy settles itself on their house as well, everything seems so surreal to him... thus he retired to bed, his head spinning with his thoughts.

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Nineteen: The Underworld's Prophecy

2007-10-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Continuing from where we left off... XD

"You are aware, perhaps, of the interesting relationship that has taken root within the very halls of this Manor, are you not?" Arcanum asked Mark, the conversation now taking a more serious turn.

"Of my little vampire and his witch friend?" Mark said curiously. "I am aware of their relationship and I've thought better not to intervene."

"Good, at least you are aware and they are not hiding it from the rest of the world. Now, you do realize that what they are doing is in fact, well against both sides from whence they originate, yes?"

"Is love of another denizen in the underworld forbidden for the witches as well?"

"Why of course, darling." Cassandra said, stroking her cat calmly, her piercing eyes on Mark. "But of course, there had been exceptions - quite unnatural and shall we say - much-needed exceptions."

"Exceptions?"

"You are perhaps unaware of the Underworld's Prophecy." Arcanum said. "For the sake of your knowledge, as you have undoubtedly fallen into this circle already, as with your companions, let me state the contents of this prophecy."

Arcanum drew out a thick book from his traveling suitcase and opened it on a bookmark. The pages appeared to have been written in blood.

"The Underworld's Prophecy is an ancient foresight conceived by the best Seers of the First Age of Sorcery and Witchcraft, the time when our kind roamed the lands without fear of anything, not even the doctrines and weapons of the Church. Now that age has long past and we have succumbed to retreating in the darkness. As it is, here are the contents of the prophecy."

Arcanum cleared his throat, and began to read:

"As the sunsets wane once every ten years, at the critical point of the rise of the Witch's Moon, there will be love - love blossoming like a dark rose at the wastelands of the underworld - and those who share in it become the Chosen... those who become captivated by it shall serve a purpose greater than what their Existence had decreed for them..."

"Chosen?" Mark asked.

"Be quiet, it is not yet complete!" Cassandra hissed at Mark. Arcanum continued:

"During this critical point, it is they who shall bring the Great Darkness once again - a darkness and unholiness so vast, no servant of the heavens in the land would manage to resist - and in this time the underworld shall rise and initiate the Sinister Purge."

Mark dropped his wine glass.

"So this is the very event that spawns the Great Darkness and the Sinister Purge, decades and decades back!" Mark said with awe. "I have heard of the Darkness and the Purge approaching at this time of the decade, but I have never expected it to start at my very Manor!"

"Now you appreciate the situation." Arcanum said. "We shall not become burdens to your hospitality, for we have a small residence set up in the town area. Be mindful of everything else, Mark, and await our further commands. For now, keep a close watch on those two."

"I will."

With that, Count Arcanum and Countess Cassandra bid farewell, mounting the sinister carriage and trudging out of the Manor.

"You believe this couple would be like the countless ones before them?" Cassandra asked curiously. "Like us?"

Arcanum held her hand.

"My love, our moment of darkness has already manifested nearly centuries back and since then, tradition has never faltered. It would be regrettable for this new couple if they are to break it..."

The story turns ever so darker... :D

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Eighteen: Illustrious Guests

2007-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

I just saw an interesting anime on the TV before I went to work today and it struck me with an interesting batch of ideas now embroidered within this Chronicle~

It was a stormy midnight in the Manor when a sinister carriage pulled by four skeletally thin black horses stopped in front of the doors and sounded a sinister bell ring from within it. At once Mark was shaken from his nervous seat in his armchair and immediately hastened to open the door, a black cloak in hand. He was the only one at the Manor, for John and Paul accompanied Sandra and Tom to visit the witch Krystelle.

As Mark opened the doors and awaited in front of the carriage doors, his heart beat with extreme nervousness and fear - only twice had his illustrious guest visited his Manor. The carriage still bore the similar emblem he saw decades back - a human heart impaled by a shining silver dagger and shrouded by burning fire - the Dark Legion of Blood.

The vampire coachman brushed in front of Mark and opened the carriage doors, and two persons stepped out of it - Count Arcanum, head of the Dark Legion of Blood, the Unholy Order of Vampires. With him was an aristocratic-looking witch wearing long black silk robes and a fine ebony witch's hat. She caressed a devious-looking black cat in her hands as she shielded it from the tempest.

"Good Evening, Count Arcanum." Mark said, bowing before the regal-looking vampire. The title 'Count' is a position held with high esteem among the ranks of the vampires, as it signifies veterancy and age within the Legion.

"Good Eve, Sir Mark." Count Arcanum said, acknowledging the vampire with a curt nod and a flick of his hat. "Before you take us in your hospitality for a few hours of serious talk, I would like to introduce to you, Countess Cassandra, Grand Witch of the Occult Order of Witches."

"It is my pleasure to meet you, madame." Mark said, taking the witch's free hand and kissing it gently.

"Charming vampire." the witch said, her aristocratic figure breached by a sudden tinge of a girlish giggle. "Shall we get inside? My cat is starting to feel drafty."

"But of course."

Mark led the two towards the guest chambers of the Manor, where they seated themselves comfortably by a burning fireplace, the servant bringing them refreshments.

"It is quite an honor to have you in my humble Manor, your Grace, but pray might I ask why at so short a notice? I barely had time to prepare the accommodations."

"Oh, please, it is no bother, my lad." Count Arcanum said, leaning on a silver cane with a heart-shaped grip. "We have serious business to discuss... you are alone?"

"As of the moment. My friend vampire and my little vampire have accompanied their friend witch and warlock on a woodland not far from here. I daresay they might be back tomorrow given the weather."

"Ah... the cast of this thickening plot." the witch said prophetically, her eyes on her cat, which she lovingly stroked, the cat purring contentedly. "Perfect, Arcanum. Simply perfect."

"In which case..." Arcanum said. "Let me begin."

And we will cut the story there to avoid a lengthy statement! XD

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Seventeen: Support and Encouragement

2007-10-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

I've just come from a really late Yahoo! Messenger Conference with my close friends and companions in the Online Gaming Realm and I can't help but smile at what they had given me in exchange for my listening at their tales and them listening to mine. I transcribe it into this Chronicle~

It was one particularly fine morning when John, endowed once again with the mystical medicine that granted him the ability to walk under the sun's glare without fear, went out of the Manor to have a nice long walk and contemplate on his life. He had left Sandra in the Manor as she started to teach young Tom in the more intricate arts of Dark Magic, one which required more intensive concentration and attention. Thus the young vampire went into town, dressed in the rather usual fashion he adopted during his nobility days.

He chanced across the Town Square, where the old bookstore stood. It had been his habit with his friends to pay a visit to the bookstore before and have a good read of books that are worth purchasing. Retracting his fangs, John took a deep breath and pushed open the aging bookstore door, the doorway bell clinking gently as he did.

"John?!"

John was partly blinded by the sunlight's glare that he failed to recognize the thunderstruck figures that were inside the bookstore. As his vision adjusted, though, he noticed that it was his old friends and companions, still idling by at the bookstore.

"Hey, it's been a long time! Where have you been?" Matt, his old next-door neighbor, said, pulling John towards him with his arm and ruffling his hair. "We've been calling in your mansion for weeks but your parents said you've gone on a trip!"

"You didn't even tell us, man." Anthony, another noble neighbor of his, said, slapping John's shoulder playfully with a thick book. "It was like you just disappeared!"

"Hey, sorry everyone, I got held up - er - overseas." John said apologetically, smiling weakly. "Anyway, I'm back, so what's up?"

"You gotta tell us everything about it, then!" Jason, the oldest of them all and one they all look upon to, said. "Come on, let's have some lunch at my house."

They went over to Jason's estate and had a scrumptious lunch outside. As they dined in, John told them of "travels" that he has had, but kept to himself the fact that he had been turned into a vampire. The horror and discrimination that his friends might show were not exactly what he had been aiming to discover at such a fine day.

"So," Anthony said, breaking the silence. "You met some interesting ladies overseas?"

John took a wild stab.

"Well, there was one whom I had loved during my short travel, and she confesses that she loves me too." John said, clearly alluding to him and Lady Sandra. "We're still feeling our way to one another, though."

"Cool, man." Jason said, slapping John's back and almost making him choke. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Yeah, well it surprised me too."

"I'll have one advice to give you regarding that."

"What is it?"

"Return there regularly and take her out."

"Well, we have been going out for a bit with some friends during my visit, and - "

"No, not like that. I mean take her out, just the two of you, and have a chat, or some dinner or something!"

"Well, I..."

"Trust us, especially Jason, man." Matt said, waving a fork playfully at John. "It'll take your relationship to a deeper level."

And as John contemplated about it when they all separated to return to their homes, John trudging his way beyond their eyesight and back to the Manor, he slowly contemplates on the short but meaningful bit of advice - "Take her out".

But he had several intents to accomplish before that, for he already has the plan in mind, but due to certain delays he has faced with some people, he is forced to, in turn, delay it a bit further. But just a few days, he suppose.

Just a few more days...

*sigh* Thanks to them, now I've opened up further in my relationship. I love you, sweet *hugs*

Lamentation

2007-10-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

I take a break from writing the Chronicles to stretch my fingers a bit... and to release some feelings that have mounted over the past few days. It's been months that I've seated in my usual office desk and I can't believe that it's almost over for me here in GXS. Not to mention that we're being pressured to make our decisions of moving on with our lives or continuing our stay here until our classes resume in January.

And all the while it's been her, her, her... all aside from the boring work, the returning interest in gameplay, and a bloodthirst to blast every single trading and military convoy in the Caribbean. LOL, Lately my interest in Perfect World has returned and I've also renewed my interest in Port Royale 2, a Caribbean scenario of trading and military warfare.

All this time I thought it would be a boring season of internship... then again I proved myself wrong! XD

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Sixteen: Touch and Feel

2007-10-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

More inspiration strikes me... *sigh*

In between Tom's sessions with Lady Sandra, the witch permits him to meet his love for several hours, following a brief scheme that she had devised with the ever-ecstatic Paul and her love John. Even the impassive Mark had opted to pitch in the plot as well, and under Tom's nose the vampires and the witch schemed to make his stay more enjoyable and memorable.

One particular evening, however, John had chanced to see Lady Sandra leaning thoughtfully on the balustrades of her chamber's balcony. John had checked in on her since she did not go down for dinner.

"You can stop tip-toeing, John, I know you're there." Sandra replied, her back turned on John as she stared thoughtfully at the night sky. It was a pretty starry evening and there's a slight draft blowing.

"I know. I just thought I could surprise you." John said, putting his hands on Sandra's shoulders, the woman feeling it with her own. "Why didn't you come down for dinner?"

"I didn't feel hungry at the moment. Perhaps I'll just ask the servant to bring some food later tonight."

"Are you thinking of something?"

"Nothing much... I just want to..."

"Want to what?"

"Hold me, John."

John obliged by holding Sandra closer to him, the witch burying her head in his chest once again.

"Oh, John, I wish this would never end..." Sandra said.

"I'm sure Mark wouldn't mind if you stayed." John said, stroking Sandra's hair. "He had always liked company, especially when he found and made me."

"John..."

"Sandra..."

To each of them, the moment seemed to last like an eternity.

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Fifteen: Lovestruck

2007-10-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Moving on with this unique twist that neither concerned John nor Sandra... *giggles*~

As expected, Tom's stay in the Manor proved interesting for the small group, as Mark's Manor now housed three vampires, a witch, and a warlock. Although the vampire minded in the slightest that his house has started to become a haven for various denizens of the underworld, he still preferred the company of the others.

During Tom's first few days in the Manor, Lady Sandra had been an earnest mentor in teaching the young Warlock the tricks of the Craft, using the skills and knowledge she had learned from her masters and mistresses. Even John, who still kept on abstaining for blood, and Paul, who seemed to have secret abilities that kept him without blood, had taken to listening in at the discussions or even participating as Sandra's test subjects. Day after day Tom's interest in practicing the Craft mounted.

One morning, after one particularly critical experiment that sent both vampire subjects asleep - thanks to the practice of the sleeping spell that Tom overdid, Lady Sandra decided to get to know her student better.

"You seem intelligent and appreciative of the Craft enough." Sandra said curiously. "Why do you still seek to stay at another person's place and study with a witch?"

To her surprise, the young warlock smiled.

"This has all been arranged days back before I came here." Tom said casually. "I practice the Craft away from the eyes of my parents and it is there that I found out that a witch has taken refuge here at my father's friend's Manor. I then pretended to act out of the ordinary so I could be here."

"And pray may I ask what your reason is to do such?"

Tom flushed.

"There is a witch whom I have my heart set on."

"That would not be me, wouldn't it?"

"N-no, not at all!" Tom said. "No, it is a witch that resides in Brightwood Forests."

Sandra racked her brains. "Ah, of course" she said. "You speak of the eccentric witch, Krystelle."

Tom went redder.

"Oh, but it is not something to be ashamed of. She is a fine young witch, although I have not seen much of her these past few months. She practices the Craft devoutly and always keeps in touch with the other witches."

"I... I think I am in love with her, Mistress Sandra..."

Sandra giggled.

"Well now I know what brought you here to the Manor." Sandra said. "And I'm sure you won't mind if we made it worth the while to come here, will you?"

"Definitely not!" Tom said, smiling. "Thank you!"

The scenes that I narrated actually happened with a friend of mine, during a small gathering we had. *giggles*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Fourteen: A Letter from the Warlocks

2007-10-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

A new twist in the plot unfolds! Read on ^_^

A week after Sandra settled herself in the Manor, Mark received a message from the leader of the Dark league of the Warlocks. He settled himself in his armchair and opened the wax-sealed black envelope.

"That bears the seal of the Warlocks." Sandra remarked, as she saw the markings on the front of the envelope. "What could they possibly want?"

"Nothing threatening, I assume." Mark replied, as John's heart skipped several beats. "The leader of the Dark league is a close friend of mine."

Mark took out a black sheet of paper from the envelope. As he smoothed it out on his lap to read, the letters magically shone from the black paper, shimmering silver for all of them to see. It ran thus:

"To my friend Mark,

It has been years since we have last met and still you have not returned the favor you asked of me on our latest meeting. Not to worry, I do not come to collect payments, my friend. I just have one favor to ask of in return.

My son, Tomolaus, is acting weird of late and doesn't seem to practice the Dark Craft as often as we do in the family. Do not be surprised, but I am aware that a witch currently resides in your home. I wish to send my son over for a couple of weeks to stay in your Manor so at least he experiences life with other denizens of the Underworld and at the same time learn from the witch that resides in your Manor.

I hope it is not too much to ask, for you and for the witch.

Sinisterly Yours,

Grand Warlock Marcus"

"Well, will it not trouble you?" Mark asked Sandra.

"I'm sure it won't." Sandra said. "I still fear that my safety outside these walls is threatened, thus I can say that my stay would have to be extended."

"Then it is settled. We shall await the arrival of his son then."

*****

A week passed and a carriage pulled up at the Manor's courtyard. It was a chilly evening and John had placed his coat on Sandra as they waited outside so the witch would not feel cold.

Their hunchback servant opened the carriage doors and a handsome young man wearing black robes went out of the carriage. He carried himself with decency and composure that he could have passed for a nobleman, had it not been for the intricate black tattoo of dark runes printed at the right side of his head, near the forehead and cheek.

"Ah, Tomolaus, such a pleasure to have you as a guest in my home." Mark said, holding up a hand and shaking the young warlock's hand.

"I... uh... thank you." the warlock sputtered, shaking Mark's hand clumsily. "I'd... I'd appreciate being called Tom instead..."

"Right, then, Tom. These are my fellow vampires, John and Paul, and this lovely lady here is Lady Sandra of Rotwood Moor. She has gladly obliged to aid you in your shortcomings as a warlock."

"I... thank you..." Tom said, scratching the back of his head. John shook his.

"Come now, let us have dinner." Mark said.

They all went in the Manor to have something to eat.

Oooh, now you wonder who Tom is? You'll find out soon ^_^

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Thirteen: Unholy times

2007-10-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

Mind-wracking events of the previous night, followed by the tempest of today inspire me to make this post - and quite a coincidence, it is the thirteenth part, a supposed unlucky sign...

John had barely done much since Sandra's latest visit when all of a sudden the Manor doors were shaken by a series of violent knocks.

"Now who could possibly be knocking so violently at this time of the night?" Paul asked concernedly, walking over to the door. "Surely Sandra couldn't have left something, could she?"

"No, I don't believe so." John said, rising from his armchair. "If it's an innocent victim looking for shelter, I'm not going to feast on it. You do the honors."

"Hah, you will suffer from bloodlust soon if you don't get some blood on your fangs."

Paul opened the Manor doors and in burst Lady Sandra once again, this time carrying her cauldron, which seemed to contain several books inside. Her robe pockets seemed to contain several bottles and vials, judging from the sounds it made.

"Sandra!" Paul cried, as John burst from the living room and headed towards them. "Whatever has happened, my dear?"

"I... I need a place to temporarily hide, I... oh, John!"

Sandra dropped her cauldron and books, the heavy copper cauldron meeting Paul's right foot and the books in his other, as she rushed off and locked with John in a tight embrace. John immediately felt something wrong.

"What's wrong, Sandra?" John whispered, brushing Sandra's hair.

"My... my sanctuary at the woods has been desecrated." Sandra said worriedly. "My spell of secrecy has been broken and I fear someone is trying to gain access to my powers. I fear for myself and you."

"Now, now, let's calm down and discuss this over some tea." Paul whimpered, his feet in heated pain. "Come, let us go to the living room and have a talk."

The three seated themselves on the living room. The servant brought them tea whilst Sandra narrated the events that overcame her as she went home.

"So you fear for an unknown force threatening your safety and possibly ours?" Paul asked. "Well, I presume Mark won't mind having you in the Manor for the time being. Rest assured that no enchantment could possibly breach these demon-constructed walls."

"Thank... thank you..." Sandra said. "It will only be temporary, until I can find a place where I can safely set my magic into."

"I'm sure Mark would be delighted to have you as a guest."

John smiled at Sandra, now nestled in his arms. Paul beamed at the two.

My darling Muse on a Moodswing, alquanna, now moves to a new place, called Witch's Whispers! Check it out ;)

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Twelve: Return to the Woods

2007-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

Well finally my eyes are white, and at least I can see without feeling prickly or warmed, irritated. Here's Chronicle 12 for grabs! XD

It took the Vampire Paul's best efforts, tricks, and techniques to keep the lovesick Vampire in his chambers to obtain rest, for during the past three days after Lady Sandra's visit John had been trying every single Vampiric ability he learned from Mark to worm his way out of the house. John had tried turning to a bat and flying out the window - by which he got caught by Paul, who was perched on the rooftiles above John's bedroom window; he had tried ailing for bloodlust, which Paul was too keen not to believe, for he knew John wasn't showing signs of every vampire's most feared condition; he had even tried threatening to open the bedroom windows in the morning but Paul shielded the entire window from the sun's glare every morning by having imps build an extending roof to block off the sun's rays.

In addition to that, Mark had called for a friend doctor, Doctor Felix, from a neighboring town to regularly check up on him. The doctor, being a common practitioner of medicine by day and a full-fledged werewolf by night, had been hounding on his condition by coming in his werewolf form (since the moon was still at its fullest) dressed in a starched white doctor's coat. Apparently Paul had divulged to Doctor Felix, and now the good doctor keeps on teasing him whilst he prepared John's usual eye drops.

Thus when John's illness cleared up completely the vampire dashed out of the Manor that evening, running off as fast as his feet can carry him without even bothering to change into a bat. For the past few days he was desperate - desperate to have her in his arms, to see her again, to hear her voice, even just to feel her aura mingling with his. Paul had been an earnest attendant to his illness, but his methods of keeping him in his room were most maddening.

When he reached the archway of dead trees leading deep into Rotwood Moor, John was filled with an intoxicating blaze of euphoria and desperation, rushing off towards the dark, spooky woods and reaching the familiar outer yard of Lady Sandra's shack in almost a split second. Still in a state of desperation, he pounded on the doors like a dog seeking for its old master.

Sandra answered the door almost immediately, and the two instinctively converged into a tight hug under the doorway, as if sure of who was on the other side.

"Sandra, I... I missed you... the past week had been tormenting to me... you don't know how hard it was, I..." John started to explain, but a touch of his lips by Sandra's index finger silenced him as the witch smiled.

"I know how, John. I felt the same way as you have..." Sandra said, burying herself in John's chest, the vampire stroking her elegant dark hair.

"I'm sorry, but my sickness, I... I could've wanted to, but I..."

"There's no need to explain..." Sandra said softly, silencing John again. "I know you would've done everything to see me even in those times, but of course your friends were quite concerned about your health, and I am too."

"Sandra... thank you!"

John held Sandra tighter, his heart almost swelling to double its original size in the happiness flooding him.

I wish she's free for the Weekend meets~

Memories

2007-10-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

I sit on my usual pink plastic stool that my brother uses all the time whenever he uses and abuses the power that I extend over my laptop to him, poring over webpages of old entries and relishing on the memories of past days and perhaps weeks, maybe even months. God, it had been frustrating to be stuck at home, relying only on the speed and span of telecommunications to bridge the agonizing gap between us. How I missed her~

Now that I think of it, my blogging status before had been close to dismal, displaying my woes in life at the early posts, even ranting about how unfair my parents had been treating me with regards to my study-gaming relationship. Then in a sudden revival and flash it shifts to the gaming gear as I join in GM T's contest. Now, it's become a haven for my lovesick heart to shout itself out... *sigh* - my blog really has become something else... from rants to views, now to emotions~

Each time I glimpse back to see whether she has new works or just plain staring once again at the loving words she has embedded within the delicate strands of fiction that we now shared at crafting, I cannot help but smile at myself and heave a sigh for all the things that has happened in our lives. It all started off with the first meeting at a Movie UBE, then followed by a series of EB skirmishes that ordinarily concluded with the two of us walking down a desolate mall hallway, a commercial district avenue, or even the online gaming headquarters itself.

Memories that keep me happy despite the longing that slowly fills me up at each second I spend without seeing her familiar pink font.

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Eleven: Distance

2007-10-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm stuck at home for nearly a week, all thanks to this sore eyes that chose a very convenient time to strike X_X. Anyway, on with the chronicles, I commend to your attention, the 11th installment ^_^...

The Vampire Paul was exhilirated when John returned home late that evening in extremely high spirits, having witnessed the romantic event himself whilst taking on the form of the vampire's usual favorite - the bat. He flew home immediately after witnessing it and now sat on the guest's armchair, welcoming the euphoric vampire.

"Well, how did it go?" Paul asked, feigning ignorance as John collapsed on his usual armchair, a smile on his face.

"It was the happiest moment of my accursed life." John said. "Thank you for helping me realize it."

"Mark is too immature to realize the importance of relationships even here in the underworld, my boy. I am just glad to be of help to push you to shall we say... brigter worlds."

"It felt like... like I never became a vampire. It was intoxicating."

"Oh, yes, yes. Just like the scent of fresh blood, the aura of love captivates even the worst of werewolves. But you must need some rest now, it is almost sunrise and we shouldn't be troubled with the deadly glare of the sun."

"But it makes no difference; I can walk the sunny outdoors without fear of destruction!"

"Ah, so you now possess knowledge of that. But it won't be healthy if done frequently, as it can destroy you eventually. You must get some rest. I insist!"

John pranced up the stairs feeling absolutely light and settled himself in his chambers.

"Perhaps there is still hope for someone like him." Paul said. "Such a waste of a fine man... resigned to being a denizen of the underworld..."

*****

The following evening, Mark was troubled as to why John still wasn't up when the moon was already at its peak. He sent Paul to check in on John.

"Dear boy, what is wrong with you?" Paul asked, knocking on John's door gently. "It's nighttime already, don't tell me the lovesickness has addled your brains?!"

"Don't come near me...!" came John's voice from inside.

"Well, whatever that is, it shouldn't be bad. Come now!"

Without waiting for a response, Paul entered the door and marched in. John had his back turned on the vampire, his head resting on a windowsill.

"Dear vampire, what is wrong?" Paul asked.

John turned to Paul, and the latter was mildly shocked. John's eyes were bloodshot red!

"Oh, you have contracted sore eyes." Paul said, bending over John and checking his eyes. "Hmm, these look pretty bad. I doubt you would be able to go out for a few days."

"A few days?!" John cried, his red eyes starting to swim with tears. "B-but I can't! S-Sandra, I... she..."

"Well, we can't help that now, can we, boy?" Paul asked. "That is a contagious disease you carry. People won't appreciate it."

"I don't give a damn! People don't appreciate me as a vampire anyway!"

"Well, uh, of course that is already given, boy, but think of what you can do to your beloved. Would you like it if she were to possess that affliction too?"

"I, I..."

"Get some rest, and it'll be gone soon. I insist!"

"All right, I understand..."

"I'll inform Mark about it. Go on, now. Get some rest."

Paul assisted John on his bed and left the chambers.

*****

Two days passed and a gentle knock was heard on Mark's Manor on that evening. Paul answered the door.

"Yes, who might you be?" Paul asked gently, feigning ignorance as to the identity of their guest.

"I am Lady Sandra, a witch living in the Rotwood Moor." the witch said, her face hiding a shadow of concern that the vampire was too keen to observe at once. "Is John in there?"

"I am afraid he is down at bed with a contagious illness that he wishes not to spread, my dear." Paul said, frowning and looking towards John's chambers. "I daresay he shall get better soon."

"Oh, my, is it serious?"

"Nothing to be worried about. He will be fine in a few days."

"I hope so... please, send him my love."

"I will."

Sandra gave Paul a swift curtsey, the latter nodding his head. As Sandra walked away from the Manor, she gave an instinctive look towards John's open window, and saw a figure leaning sadly on its windowsill.

At the other end, a tear fell down John's still swollen eyes as he watched the witch heave a soft sigh and walk out back to the shadows of the woods.

"Sandra..." John said, holding out a hand towards the departing witch.

Succintly summarizes what I currently feel with this damn sickness... I hope it gets better by Wednesday... T_T

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Ten: Under the Witch's Moon

2007-10-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Something extremely romantic that I seem to have failed to append to the Chronicles in the wave of euphoria that constantly kept streaming in my body now makes its way here. Up until now I can't help but be crumpled to a heap when it strikes me.

Several days after John's daring moves, a friend of Mark had dropped by from a large metropolis not too far from their small town. It was Paul, another fellow vampire that hounded the outskirts of the larger, more civilized area. The visitor arrived at exactly moonrise the following day and Mark had requested John to be with him to welcome their guest.

"Ah, it is fine to be back in your Manor and in the midst of your hospitality, my friend." Paul said, as he and Mark exchanged a brief, friendly hug. "And this must be the new friend you speak of lately."

"This is John." Mark said, motioning a hand to the young vampire, whom Paul shook hands with rather cordially. "He is a very obedient little vampire, although he has abstained from blood of late."

"Truly? Well it does not show in his complexion, does it?" Paul said, staring at John with a piercing look. "Are you sure you really are a vampire?"

"Y-yes, I am." John said, opening his mouth a bit to expose the two fangs that he had learned to control when to and not to appear.

"Mmm, quite an interesting specimen you are. I expect I will enjoy my stay here with more company to be with. My abode at the city makes me rather lonesome."

They had dinner after the introductions and right after that Mark prepared for his evening raid, his guest preferring to stay for the night and have a rest. Thus John was left at the Manor as always, entertaining their guest instead.

"I see you are not an ordinary vampire, my boy." Paul said, accepting a cup of blood-tinted tea from the hunchback servant. "You have the Enchantment around you."

"The Enchantment?" John asked.

"I am no idiot to ancient spells of dark times, my boy. I know them all." Paul said. "You have fallen for a witch, have you not?"

John's insides tightened. How could he - ?

"It comes as no surprise, my boy." Paul said, laughing the thought aside and setting the teacup down. "It is evident that a witch has given you her utmost protection - in the darkness of our underworld it is a sign of love."

"I... I don't know what to say, I..."

"No, you don't. But I am sure, you know what you must tell her. You have not yet, have you?"

"Well, I..."

Paul laughed again.

"Since Mark holds you in such high favor, then I shall too." Paul said, plunging a hand deep in his coat. "Tonight is the night of the Witch's Moon. Now would be the best time to do it."

His hand emerged from his coat, holding out a magnificent golden rose.

"Take this rose, and give it to her." Paul said, smiling.

"I... thank you!" John cried, smiling, his eyes almost shining with tears.

"Ha ha ha, don't hold back, my boy. You are an admirable vampire!"

Half-stunned, John leapt from his chair and rushed out of the house, flying past woodlands and countrysides and heading to the dark woods he was now familiar with. At the night sky, a pale reddish moon hung low, casting a solemn glare throughout the land.

He caught up with the witch right outside her small shack, where Lady Sandra was preparing a small ritual circle for the festivity of the Witch's Moon. As the witch held a cauldron filled with water in her hands, John approached her, still half-gasping for breath.

"My, my, what brings you here, John?" Sandra asked concernedly. "Something's not wrong, is it?"

"No, Sandra." John gasped, now smiling at her. "I... I just came here to..."

"Yes?"

"Sandra I..."

John drew out the golden rose from his coat pocket, unharmed and undamaged by his running effort. He took Sandra's hand and placed it tenderly on it, holding it up to his lips and planting a small kiss on the now closed hand 'round the rose.

"Sandra, I love you!"

The witch dropped her cauldron with shock as John swept her into his arms once again and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips - a kiss that only the Witch's Moon bore witness to, and perhaps a bat that was flying around the woods that night.

Now didn't I really miss that part? The admission came first before it even got into the story, haha!

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Nine: Tears of Joy

2007-10-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

I lay on my bed and got so emotional that now I transcribe it to this chronicle... *sigh*

Mark was struck with sheer surprise as John entered the Manor in extremely high spirits, dancing in the drawing room with unnatural glee. Apparently the vampire had been preparing for yet another evening of blood when his friend entered.

"You seem to have enjoyed your new ability quite a lot." Mark said, raising his eyebrow and smiling as John collapsed on his armchair, still smiling. "What has the morning world taught my little vampire this time?"

"It has helped me realize things I have missed when I became a vampire." John said calmly, smiling at himself.

"Fascinating. Well, I see you are in no mood to join me yet again tonight so I leave you in charge of the Manor." Mark said, wearing his traveling cloak and heading out.

Once Mark had completely vanished from view in the window, John went up to his chambers and dressed in a nightgown. From his coat pocket he drew out a neatly folded piece of parchment, and opened it, then sighing and holding the paper closer to him.

The feeling was bliss - unrelenting, unyielding, unending. It felt like he was going to explode at the immensity of his emotions and he smiled at himself as he thought of the moments that they had enjoyed, walking around the town area, impassive to the people watching with surprise and amazement.

And then a tear fell of his eye, followed by another, until he realized minutes later that he had been crying - crying with joy for the things that have happened in his life. He had thought it was all over for him when he became a vampire and resigned to feasting in blood, but no, he was wrong.

Even in the darkness of the underworld that he is in - that they are in - still there is a place for joy, for happiness, for love...

Still smiling at himself, he grabbed a pillow and held it tight, then fell asleep. As his grip on the paper that he still held loosened, it fell on the floor, revealing a sketch of two lovers holding one another closely.

*sigh*

Dave is captivated

2007-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

I make my post in the dead of the night, when I can't help but giggle at myself and hug a pillow so tightly in the intense feelings that have re-flooded my senses and once again set my brain in disarray. Never have I felt happiness this intense in all my life, and it's exhilirating!

I've just gone from a small player meet in our online game and well, that was one brief moment that I was with her - after the several days old admission I had mustered with all my strength and heart... I must admit it was a really intoxicating experience to be with her and well, be close with her even for a short while.

Ah, love.

She gave me something to remember the event by, and at first nervousness struck me, for it was given with immense discreetness that I thought it was something bad (well those things had happened to me before lol) and besides, none of my companions seemed aware of our connection - yet. Well, she told me to open it when I was already by myself and I did it on the very first chance I had... the following events well filled me with even more happiness that I could have sworn I was literally blushing as I walked in the sidewalk.

Ah, love.

As I played the game tonight and did some pending mandatory quests, I cannot help but shoot glances at that memorable artifact, a fragment of sweet memory that I'll perhaps cherish for a very long time... and I really cannot help but flush everytime my mind turns its attention to my brief memories with her... it was a shame I wasn't able to extend it, but perhaps it will be possible, soon... I hope. We might have a movie EB with some close online friends and well, for all I cared I hope they picked up the scent as well. It's not like we're being as discreet as Romeo and Juliet, weren't we?

Ah, love. Sweet love. You have captivated me so severely this time that I am reduced to a hopeless romantic whenever you strike me with your lashes. You've given me happiness that I thought I'll never realize ever.

I love you so much... *sighs*

I'm blushing again... >,< *hugs pillow tightly*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Eight: An Ordeal for a Change

2007-10-03T21:14:00.001-07:00

A day follows my admission, and now John is faced with a colossal challenge. Read on! XD

Another evening passes, and it was the third night that John had abstained from blood. For the past few days he had been able to subdue his vampiric instincts and hold back his hunger for someone else's blood, especially his maker's. Even the thought of blood doesn't drive his brain as powerful as it did before, when he was at the height of his vampirism.

However, he is still stumped with his limitations as a vampire - the inability to walk in broad daylight. Apparently he has tried during the morning when he laid a finger out to the glare of the sun streaming through an open window and he ended up almost burning it up had he not had the impulse to take it out immediately similar to one taking his fingers off a burning hot pan.

Now, nursing a moderately burnt finger, John made his way to the Manor's library, where he pored over the numerous volumes and tomes there, finding ways to empower him to walk in broad daylight despite the consequential power of the sun against them. He had not bothered to ask his friend about it, for he was sure that somehow the temptation would arise once again and he might not be granted the knowledge to this secret. Thus he preferred to do it alone, at a time when Mark was not at home.

From one book to another John pored through the contents, reading up on various vampire hunts and massacres of long past, to the history of their manor and the villages surrounding it, until he found a curious book entitled:

"Vampires ~ Defying the Order of Nature"

Seeming pretty curious that such a title coincidentally meant what he want to be like, John carried the dusty book towards the drawing room and started to read on his armchair. The book did reveal numerous answers on defying the natural order of a vampire, from restraining one's fangs with will power to complete abstinence from blood. However, consequences of the cure and the procedures were all potentially dangerous that when John read about the Total Cure, the consequence can be death.

Feeling less entertained by the terrifying consequences of a cure, John instead settled for finding means to walk without fear of the sun, and there he found his answer:

"Sunlight serves as every vampire's sign to head back to their hide aways and bide the time until the evening returns and the unholy hour strikes, but despite this dangerous times there are vampires who cannot wholly endure half a day of deprived blood, especially when there is much source of blood available at this time.

Thus various vampires have connived with the dark powers of warlocks and witches of old, and altogether they devised one quintessential method to shield themselves from the deadly glare of the sun - a potion, prepared with the following ingredients..."

As John scanned the ingredients he felt relieved, for Mark always had practiced the formulation of potions and vials and always had a store of ingredients. However, the last ingredient struck him like thunder hitting a lightningrod:

"a small vial of your maker's blood, mixed with yours"

*****

The following morning, Lady Sandra was mystified when she heard three soft knocks on her door. As she went to open it, she was thunderstruck and almost dropped the potion bottle she was holding when the vampire John greeted her with a smile, holding one beautiful black rose in his right hand, which had a bandage wrapped tightly round its wrist.

A smile, a hug, and a kiss. That was enough for the two to understand.

All in the name of love~

An Admission [One of the Chronicles' Secrets]

2007-10-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

There might have been several people who have started to monitor the storyline of the Vampiric Chronicles, be it on the Chronicles themselves or the Interludes that have followed the storyline after the third Chronicle. And you might have noticed - the latter parts of the Chronicles started to delve into the genre of love.

They say that whatever a writer feels, it always manifests in its writings, no matter how much he tries to conceal it. As for myself, the emotions that mixed in my brains and my heart, totally sending my entire council of knowledges and personalities haywire, have completely manifested themselves in the early and later parts of the Chronicles, and well, this time I'll really say that cupid's fired the arrow of love at me. It's not admiration, nor is it infatuation anymore. Those who monitor my Yahoo! Messenger status might notice that too :P

Yes, I am in love.

With whom, you ask? Well that leads me to the Chronicles itself, and an allusion to my most beloved work, Lance Redfield's Terra Nova. In the Chronicles, you've noticed that John has entered a problematic state when his maker accidentally found out about his biggest secret and thus he resigned to asking the witch Lady Sandra for assistance.

Anyway, he turns to the witch and she offers him advice... and something more than advice... it was during these moments that I started to ponder on my feelings for her, to confirm within myself whether it's just another arrow of infatuation that cupid sent my way or whatnot... but hey, I guess it's for real this time XD.

In Terra Nova, I allude myself and herself to the loving couple Dave and Jane, lovers torn by a cruel fate in the past and unknowingly reunite and rekindle a flaming passion long extinguished by time. In the story, Dave meets Jane - very much like any ordinary woman, strong-willed, adventurous, smart, everything he could ever wish for, and little by little he starts to fall for her, but held back by the bitter past that he has experienced, until eventually he discovers that the love that he cherished years back was actually the same woman who was with him all the time.

Some of you might have already picked up the scent, and I commend your wits on reaching that far in cracking my story. Don't worry, it'll still continue after this post, it's just that you'll know some of the mystery this time. In saying this for my readers to see I'm not ashamed to admit it, and whatever she thinks of our relationship I'll accept it with my whole heart. It's not like I'm gonna rush, lol.

Love you, alquanna. :)

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Seven: Cupid descends to the Underworld

2007-10-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Continuing John's romantic turn of events, I now commend to your attention, the seventh chronicle... haay even I tingle while writing this... *giggles*

John closed the doors of the manor and leaned against it, closing his eyes and breathing a soft sigh. He crumpled to a sitting position on the floor, his knees drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, his head resting on them. Apparently the intensity of the emotion and the mad impulse he had released had intoxicated him in a torrent of euphoria that no vampire could possibly experience, not even with a feast of blood on an entire town.

His mind was racing, his heart leaping, his entire body flying with inexplicable emotions. Never has he felt something like this before. As memories of the past continued to flash back at his mind, he has never had the bravery of what he has done in the past few days - to any woman.

He breathed another sigh, closed his eyes, and smiled, relishing the brief moment of euphoria minutes ago. The feeling was enough to make him human once again, and mysteriously enough, as he felt his fangs, they were not there. Even his usual heightened senses with blood seemed to have abated.

Just then the door opened, causing him to snap out of his daze. It was Mark.

"Now what are you doing there, John?" Mark said, shocked as the door forced John back on his feet. "Are you sure you're not sick or something?"

"Oh, no, not at all." John said, brushing dust off his clothes and forcing his face to return to normal. It was then that he realized that he had been blushing for the whole moment. "I... I was just thinking."

"Lady Sandra had been here, hadn't she?"

"W-well, yes she has. She paid me a visit."

"A visit, eh? Well I suppose you are not really that badly sick, are you?" Mark asked, looking at John concernedly. "You've missed several raids and you're taking in lesser blood than what you are supposed to. Do you seriously want to be driven mad?"

Oh yes I do, John replied to himself. In fact, I am already driven mad... but not of what you think...

"John?"

"Huh? Oh, n-no, not at all." John said, his attention refocusing on Mark. "I... I just figured the witch might know why I'm not hungering for blood lately."

"I see. Or maybe perhaps my blood can re-awaken your senses?"

The tease had returned again on Mark's manners, smiling deviously at his friend. John, however, smiled back.

"I've said it too many times, my friend - I've got a lot of respect for you, being my friend and companion and kin. Perhaps in due time I'll be fine."

Still in a daze, John went up to his chambers and collapsed on the bed. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it like a child, the memories returning and flooding his mind. Finally, cupid had won over him and even in the dark denizens of the underworld, he still has room to fire his arrows at.

I wonder what'll happen next? *smiles*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Six: Euphoria

2007-10-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been engrossed with continuing the series of the Vampiric Chronicles and the Muse on a Moodswing, alquanna, has posted several tidbits to the tale in her point of view. Here is its proper order, so as not to confuse readers :D

The Vampire Within (mine)
Revelations Strike (mine)
Dilemmas and Perils (mine)
Wicca (alquanna)
An Enticer Enticed; A Witch Bewitched (mine)
Petals (alquanna)
Light in the Darkness (mine)
Meeting (alquanna)

And now it is followed by this latest chronicle that I commend to your attention XD~

John suddenly jerked awake after falling asleep on the armchair. Apparently his pondering had finally attracted the sleep that never wanted to arrive a while back. Brushing his half-tired eyes for a moment, he turned to the cold cup of tea that the servant had served him earlier, but was thunderstruck at what he saw next.

Sandra.

John's insides leapt. The witch was seated calmly on the guest's armchair, quietly reading a book that she got from Mark's bookshelves. There was an aura of difference around the witch from the last time he had seen her, and he could not help but smile at the thought.

"Finally you have awakened, vampire." Sandra said, without looking up from her reading. "It's quite fascinating for you to sleep through the sunset and wake late at night. You have had a troublesome morning?"

"You can say that I've had a lot on my mind." John said, his voice shaking slightly as he turned to have a drink of the tea. Even his grip on the teacup shook. "Oh, has the servant -?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Sandra said, closing the book and setting it on the side table. "I came here to see how you were doing."

"So it was you." John said, casting a sudden glance at the stairs, on the lookout for Mark. "You've done this to me... haven't you?"

"You do not like it?"

"It's not like that." John said, shaking his head. "I'm grateful for it, actually. You've helped me realize several things I've forgotten during my vampiric state."

"I'm happy to hear that."

Then the hunchback servant approached them.

"Master John, Master Mark has departed for his evening raids earlier than expected. Since he has found you asleep he has asked me to prepare you dinner instead. Would you and your guest like to have something to eat?"

"Oh, yes, thank you." John said. He turned to Sandra. "Will you not mind dining with me? I mean... our food might differ from what you are accustomed with."

"Try me, vampire." Sandra said, smiling.

They had a scrumptious dinner where the servant apparently outdid himself with ordinary dishes that surprised the two. Afterwards the witch prepared to depart.

"Well, I see from your manners that you have considerably improved and taken my advice with care. I admire your honor, vampire, standing up to your resolve without doubts." Sandra said, as she drew her cloak over her head. "But I must be going. I cannot trespass on your hospitality any longer."

As Sandra turned to walk away, a mad impulse suddenly drove John.

"Sandra, wait!"

Sandra turned again, and John suddenly grabbed her by the hands and met her lips with his. The moment lasted for several seconds, but for John it seemed like an eternity. He even took great care not to harm the witch with his fangs, but for that fleeting moment, it seemed, that his fangs had disappeared. In fact, he even felt human once again~

*Sighs deeply* Keep yourselves posted! :D

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Five: Light in the Darkness

2007-10-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

Continuing the chronicles after remodeling my blog and publishing Lance's recent work, I now bring you the events after John's curious actions~

While the sun made its regular trek 'round their side of the world, the vampire John lay awake in his dim, candle-lit chamber, the windows bolted and boarded shut to ward off the dangerous rays of the sun. He had mustered quite a tremendous amount of bravery and courage to write a delicate letter to the witch and even plucked the prettiest black rose he could find growing in Mark's manor garden. Much more especially in returning to the witch's shack, although as he was about to knock on the door his mustered courage gave way and he was resigned to leaving the note and the flower instead at the doorstep.

Now he lay on his bed - twisting, turning, unable to sleep, let alone think straight. It wasn't part of the mystical cure and aura that the witch had endowed him as he was walking home two twilights ago... he was definitely sure of it, and whatever compelled him to write a letter and send the flower definitely wasn't part of the mysterious strings pulling him from afar to the correct directions.

More oddly was the fact that his hunger for blood had considerably abated, even his hunger for his maker's blood had considerably ceased and he was even surprised that previous evening that he was able to bide through the unholy night without staring differently at his friend. He even felt satisfied with just on animals than on his regular raids at villages. Overall, his visit to the witch had been a tremendous change indeed. Could the witch have possibly charmed him with a spell? No, he thought. Vampires have heightened senses against their fellow denizens of the underworld. If he felt the weird mood that overcame him the night before then certainly he would've felt if the witch had charmed him.

Resigned to giving up sleep, John dressed up in an evening robe and went down the dark staircase straight to the windowless drawing room, where he found their hunchback servant already up, dusting the bookshelves and arranging the ornaments on the tables. After requesting for some warm tea, he settled himself on his usual armchair and continued to ponder on his thoughts.

And then he remembered.

His vampiric instincts had clouded most of his memories as an ordinary human but now that those instincts had been momentarily held at bay, the thought suddenly returned to his mind - the memorable ball that his parents had held nearly a year ago. It was during this ball that he had first seen Lady Sandra - already eccentric in her manners, but he wasn't still aware then that she was a witch.

There was before... a lonely young man, frequenting the banquet table and hiding behind the curtains when the soft music starts to play, but on that ball he had dared to ask the Lady for a short dance, and the Lady obliged with equal interest. Now he understood - a connection had already been established long before they even met once again as denizens of the underworld.

Then the question arose - could it be love?

He knew the answer.

*Sigh*

Lance Redfield's comeback

2007-09-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

I momentarily take off John's vampiric mask and hang it beside the various online personalities that I adapt according to my feelings and thoughts. Now the artistically writer side of me has returned for a fleeting moment and now welcomes itself back with something to relay what my silly brain has been arguing about with the middle, more impulsive region of my body.

Don't worry, the Vampiric Chronicles doesn't end there. XD

Sad to say I was in the middle of cursing the bad weather and Internet connectivity during the afternoon. I could've posted earlier, but ah well. I'll try to bring this up today lol. I really have to make a mental note to purchase prepaid Internet cards every week.

Ah well, here's Lance's returning poetry~

I'm here.
by Lance B T Redfield

You stand at a crossroad
Alone and forlorn
Unsure which to take
Your feelings remain unknown

Both paths seem alike
In ambiance and in form
The only thing that differs
Is the destination drawn

On one path lies a pen
The other holds a brush
A choice of either path
Will not differ much

Though should you choose to take
The path that yields the brush
The pen will still be there
Hopeful, Waiting, Untouched

But in all unlikeliness
That the brush had been gone
You can always turn back
There's no harm to that

The pen will still wait
At the path not taken
For that pen is with me
And for you I'll always be here...

PS. For those still unaware, Lance Brian Tracy Redfield is the personality I often use when I am in the process of writing my Terra Nova series, which incidentally has faced quite a huge dead end. I am still in the process of figuring out a way to bypass it. LOL.

*Sigh* At least Lance did express some happiness that neither Dave, Allan, not even John, could possibly express... Oh, happy days~

*Dances around the room*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Four: An Enticer Enticed; A Witch Bewitched

2007-09-27T19:41:00.001-07:00

Two interesting rhymes for a title, and the story gets even more complicated. Now this really becomes a fanfiction LOL.

As John walked back to the Manor, his mind raced with various thoughts whilst he contemplated on the witch's response to his queries.

"Perhaps if you tried being a little open at your thoughts and understand your maker's behavior, you will be enlightened to accept his offer..."

The words etched on his mind like carvings chiseled on wood, and the more he thought of the idea the more it scared even himself. Being open on that matter wasn't exactly a resolution he expected the witch to tell him. He kind of expected her to formulate a medicine of sorts to cure him of his queer hunger, but now he's left to ponder over the witch's words.

However, as he emerged from the woodlands that bid entrance to the witch's abode, he felt difference settling in his system - like as if his mind had been turned to a new inclination. The feeling was unnatural for him, but a smile crossed his lips as he continued.

It was a short while before sunrise when John finally reached the confines of the Manor, finding his friend and maker seated calmly on the drawing room, reading a book over the lamplight.

"Ah, you have returned." Mark said, speaking like as if nothing happened during dinnertime. "I suppose you have found some other victim by which to satisfy your natural hunger upon my blood? That won't be healthy for you..."

He smirked as he returned to his reading. John sat on the armchair opposite him.

"No, as I've said, I've got too much respect on you, that's why I can't bear to do it." John said, smiling at his friend. "But I seem to notice - you're quite interested to tempt me to take a bite at you, aren't you?"

Mark looked up from his reading.

"Let's just say it would bring me no end to pleasure to see my own victim having a taste of my tainted blood. It would strengthen your vampiric identity if our kin were to find out."

"Bring you no end to pleasure? Then I suppose you want to bite me again when I finish having a taste of you?"

The words escaped John's mouth in a sudden manner that even he himself was stunned. It was as if something nudged his mind to have such thoughts. Mark, however, remained impassive, although there was a hint of surprise.

"You assume too much, don't you?" Mark said, recovering from the reaction and smiling. "I have already bitten you once, and that would suffice for me."

John smirked - another action he never expected even himself to do. It was like as if strings had been attached on all parts of his body, a puppeteer controlling him from afar. Nevertheless he liked it.

"Really... but whenever you stare at me I see the same hungry stare I give you most of the time." John said, winking at his friend then heading off to his chambers to retire.

The following evening, the witch Sandra was thunderstruck when she found a lovely black rose placed gently at her doorstep. A small piece of paper was folded under it and when she read its contents she just smirked at herself. The note ran:

"I send my love to the witch who might be responsible for the change that suddenly overcame me. Perhaps you gave me more than just an answer.

Love,

The Vampire"

Sandra held the note for a moment in her hands, then picked up the black rose and went in her shack.

Love story? LOL

The Muse on a Moodswing, alquanna, has posted her side of the story after John left. You may opt to check it out too here XD

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Three: Dilemmas and Perils

2007-09-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

O-kaaay, this is starting to turn into fanfiction! XD - I'm having quite a lot of pent-up writing energy stored to keep this continued!

Cold, Troubled, and Confused, John stormed out of the Manor and straight into the woodlands surrounding their abode. It was a chilly evening and the cold winds blew sharply against John, who had not bothered to take a coat on his way out. His mind was flying in a daze of confusion and a mixture of several other emotions that constricted him from thinking properly. Even his usual thirst for blood for that evening was temporarily wiped off his mind.

Desperate for resolution, John traversed a grimy path in the woods that was said to lead to the house of Lady Sandra, an eccentric woman who apparently practices witchcraft and has knowledge on several denizens of the underworld, including vampires like him. The woman's house was just a simple shack in the middle of the woods, but with a touch of odd formality and nobility in its surroundings. John's suspicions on her witchcraft practices were proven though, when he chanced to see a cauldron in boil atop a small fire just beside the front door. Apparently the witch had been concocting.

As he approached to knock, the door opened and out came Lady Sandra, whose appearance was not John had entirely expected of a woman who practices witchcraft. She wore a flowing black dress that clashed perfectly with her shimmering long black hair, and had her nails tinted black, even her lips.

"Yes, vampire?" Sandra asked stiffly, with an air of a noble woman. "What brings you in my residence at this time of the night? If you plan to take a bite out of me I assure you it won't be pleasant."

"No, I mean you no harm." John said. "I come here to ask you a question."

Sandra proceeded to her boiling concoction and gave it a stir, then added several powdery ingredients. Then she motioned him to a stump that she uses as a chair, and they both sat down.

"Pray tell, vampire." Sandra said. "Pay heed, however, I do not take kindly to certain queries."

"I... I do not know if this is a problem of mine or if it is even normal for a vampire... but strangely I have had several strong urges of wanting to take a bite at my maker and drink his blood... does one find that normal for a vampire?"

The witch gave one stir of her cauldron before returning her gaze to John.

"When a vampire inflicts a pure-blood with the tainted blood that it has possessed and passed down from generation to generation, it is nothing but natural for you to hunger for blood... even if it were your maker's blood or any other living being's blood."

"Then... this hunger I have... it is normal?"

"He permits it, does he not? I presume he has offered you to bite him."

"Y-yes... but I just can't seem to do it..."

"Respect." Sandra said stiffly. "When you are a denizen of the underworld or a being tainted with darkness, respect is exceptionally uncommon to find. Perhaps if you tried being a little open at your thoughts and understand your maker's behavior, you will be enlightened to accept his offer."

"I... I understand... thank you."

With that John departed.

Getting darker and darker LOL. This is the first time I wrote about this theme XD

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Two: Revelations Strike

2007-09-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Somehow I felt that the story I posted earlier wasn't at par much with the things that this new personality of mine has achieved... hence I opted to continue the story. Hey, I might even make a fanfiction about it!

To those who are following its mysterious trail of events, continue reading on:

Day after day John watched with a delicate stare at his maker, his mentor, Mark, during their nightly raids at the countryside or even when they are in the manor, where John now stayed, having been forsaken for his tainted identity. True, he satisfied his hunger for blood with the innocent that he takes in as victims, and at some point even animals suffer no mercy. But deep inside there really was that desire to even have a taste of his maker's blood.

But it was not until several weeks after he discovered his true wants that everything seemed to crash down upon him. It happened during dinner:

"I want to talk to you about something." John remarked, as the two vampires sat down for a meal of raw-cooked meat and a glass of blood.

"Oh, what is it?" Mark asked, a sly smile on his face.

"I... I think I may have a problem."

"A problem?"

"Night after night we stalk the countrysides and feast on the blood of the unwary and the innocent. But I fear it doesn't satisfy my hunger..."

Mark laughed.

"You wish to have a taste of my blood, then?" Mark suddenly blurted out, making John's insides freeze with sheer coolness. "Don't you?"

"I... n-no! I couldn't possibly do that!" John cried. "I have too much respect for you, you're my friend!"

"Oh, you speak truthfully, my friend." Mark said. "But your instincts betray you. I can tell by your stares that you hunger for me."

It was then that John understood: He had been staring at Mark longer than usual in the past few days that he seemed not to notice his maker staring back at him.

"Oh, but if that is what you want, then by all means." Mark said, inclining his neck a little for John to see, the latter's mind wracking with mad thoughts of pouncing on him and planting his fangs on his maker. "Take your best bite."

But John shook his head with an air of a confused person.

"N-No! I m-mustn't... I cannot do it!"

With that he stormed out of the manor, leaving a sinisterly smiling Mark.

It gets even more mysterious, ne? It's starting to sound like a real fanfiction! LOL

The Vampiric Chronicles Part One: The Vampire Within

2007-09-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I make this post today whilst whittling down the time for waiting at the Group Writing Project. Six Weeks of relentless writing can be quite a burdensome task especially in thinking of good ways and means to present my thoughts and feelings towards online gaming. Anyway, it was an enjoyable experience! XD

As it is, one might wonder about the title. Why a vampire? Some of you know that I currently maintain several online personalities - a student, a writer, and now a Fa Shih (The dealer having unfortunately faded with the closing curtains of pROSE). Now I introduce the fourth personality that sprung from the depths of my mind - the vampire John.

Here is his tale:

John descended from a pure bloodline of nobility and scholars in the community. His family was one of the most respected and has everything at his beck and call, from expensive food to priceless treasures.

Despite the riches and the smarts that he possessed, there was a part of him that seemed unrelenting, an emptiness that seemed to be prevalent. Even though everything was at the tips of his fingers, there was something that absolutely cannot be attained.

One evening, as he walked down the woodlands where he was accustomed to taking a walk, he chanced to have a companion on his way home - a gentleman of good upbringing, wearing a black traveling cloak over what seemed to be nobility's clothes. The man was an amusing conversationalist and soon enough John and the man, whom he later on knew was named Mark, became the best of friends.

But the friendship took a different twist when John was invited at Mark's abode - an ancient feudal-looking manor at the outskirts of the town. There he discovered his friend's secret identity - it was a Vampire.

Unable to escape, John confronted his friend, but ended up being given a loving bite on the neck by the vampire. At once his insides tightened as the scent of blood, once unfamiliar and irrelevant, now entered his senses like an enticing meal, and the thirst for blood started to sink in the fangs that had grown in his teeth.

Thus marks the sinister legend of the two vampires that scoured the countrysides for prey, indulging in the blood of the unwary innocent, satisfying the hunger of eternity.

But to John the human memories that have remained in his mind slowly found an answer to its unrelenting question - as he looks at Mark, his vampiric instincts contorting with hunger as his maker's neck swims into his view. How he would love to drink its blood...

It's a pretty deep story, but not in a negative sense, I haven't turned into a vampire LOL. There's just a few who might be able to crack the mystery of this post. XD

Anyway, it's lunchtime for me!

Gridlock: Every MMO Player's Nightmare

2007-09-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

While I consider myself as a dedicated and devout player to the Online Game that I bind myself into (I find addict as an inadequate term to describe my condition XD), my online lifestyle is not always a life of easy-going, progressing character in terms of level, skills, equipments, and build. I'm sure that the challenge I am often met with every MMORPG is also prevalent among my peers in the industry as well - I call it Gridlock.

Mr. Google defines Gridlock as the inability to move through a transport network, in other words, traffic jam! In the realm of online gaming, whenever I find myself (and my character) struck with Gridlock, I am always unable to level-up, often getting killed by the simplest of mobs and sometimes not managing to attain the levels I had expected I would attain.

What normally causes Gridlock? For me, here are some nasty symptoms that it's about to come my way:

When I find another game that merits my attention (Or if an old interest to an old PC game suddenly awakens deep in my subconscious. Lately my attention in Perfect World has been slightly marred by the revival of my Civilization III: Conquests mania LOL)
When monsters kill me often. This normally happens when I am on a point in my leveling when the monsters that I must kill are my absolute nightmares (physical hitters are a magic-user's worst enemy). Normally I find myself swearing to myself when a monster kills me for the nth time. Experience lost is time lost as well.
When the clan or party I am in are starting to get... well, irritating. I don't normally engage into arguments online since it counters my personality so much, but when I find my companions being - forgive the profanity - assholes ingame, I tend to lie back a bit and let myself cool down.
Worst of all, when I am overtaken in levels. Competition seemed to be an aspect that has embedded itself in my bloodstream and I cannot detach it no matter what therapies and brainwashings I do to myself. When I find myself lagging behind in levels, I tend to get depressed and level slower (instead of typically working doubly hard to get even)

Normally Gridlock brings me to my knees for about a month at the worst (especially when i get addicted to other games too - attention is severely divided), but thankfully I have several cures to this queer disease of mine:

Whenever I find games starting to distract me from the online game I play, I normally log in to the Online Game for at least once a week. Eventually the thrill of getting new achievements ingame, new levels and quests, those stuff normally get me back on track and before I know it, the other games have already been forgotten XD
Whenever monsters kill me often, I normally ask help from my clanmates or friends. Most often they are more than willing to help, especially my close friends in the Holy Order. They're always there for someone in need *winks*
Normally arguments within the clan do not last long so thankfully the symptom of having a rowdy clan never shakes me much. We try to listen to problems as openly as possible and try to arrive at a just settlement of the issues.
When I am overtaken, I just continuously convince myself that eventually I will reach max level... I can do it this time... thankfully that mantra works for me lol.

Thus defines my greatest challenge in every MMORPG I play: Gridlock, and how I bested it with my own and my friends' aid. Remember, no man is an island, seek out friends and companions ingame so you don't get too bored of it easily.

This wraps it up as my sixth and final entry for GM Tristan's Group Writing Contest. Judgment day is here! LOL.

To Live in a Real Perfect World...

2007-09-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Let's face it: I'm a guy dwelling deep in the fantasy realms than in the reality that I move into. I don't know why I am born with this affliction, but I feel much at home when I sit back and imagine stuff that I wished I was able to do - cast magic, explore dungeons, destroy monsters, fantasy stuff like those. That's one factor that pulled me into the realm of video gaming since the ability to role-play a character (from the epics of Final Fantasy to simple adventures like Mario and the other fantasy games) brings me even at least inches closer to a world that I wished I would have existed instead (although I do not regret being me, don't get me wrong, hahaha).

Currently the game that has me tied, bound, and trussed up, is, as we all know, Perfect World! I won't highlight anymore why I got engrossed in this new MMORPG, you know the idea; I'm hooked into it!

Sometimes I went in my subconscious ramblings as to imagine myself in the shoes of my avatar, DaveTNova. He's a Fashi, you see, and a magic user at heart, bringing me even closer to the aspect of living a real fantasy world where magic and steel run free and clash among each other. Sometimes I even wonder - what if it really happened, what if, through a hitherto seemingly-impossible series of events, the world of Pangu suddenly replaced our Earth, and everyone ingame would have themselves turned into living, breathing Path-seekers?

If that were to happen to me, I'd definitely know what to do: live through the experience as best as I can. I'd go out on dungeon explorations personally (with my guildmates or partymates) and relish the thrill of being in the dungeon myself (since it must of course not be the same feeling as controlling your character from behind a screen while it does the fighting for you!). I'd live the life of an explorer, a life I've never enjoyed with my current lifestyle, and go to the far reaches of Pangu's Perfect World with my flying sword. Oh, the limitless bounds we can all go!

But of course, even with these things happening, I won't set aside the fact that I am still human at heart and I'd of course retain the compassion I have for other people, friends or not. Being in the game itself would be a different scenario now and it won't just be about grinding or powerleveling anymore (I wonder how one can track levels when he himself is on the game! XD), but on building up on the world's story, how your character can make that difference.

I know it's too much to ask for Existence to happen, but hey, there's always the power of imagination to help us reach those impassable terrain. And there's still the computer to aid us in building up our imagination!

Posted as the second-to-the-last entry for GM Tristan's Group Writing Contest, we're almost closing in on the moment of truth! Hope everyone enjoyed reading!

Shall We Play?

2007-09-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

My typical day is never complete without me being online even for at least an hour, and during my earlier days of gaming I can be online from the last few hours of the evening until the first few hours of the morning - not that I don't do it anymore, though, of course I still do ^_^

During those times as well my life was always on the warpath as far as the field of online gaming is concerned. My parents, particularly my dad, was my number one enemy when it comes to this industry, since he has everyone else's mindset that gaming is not a healthy habit for young teenagers and even adults to indulge into, and they should rather be putting their energies to more productive things such as work or education. Not that I neglect my studies due to gaming, since even my classmates are amazed that even a hardcore gamer such as myself can gain top marks in class! (/heh. LOL)

In fact, one can consider online gaming as my driving factor in my studies. I've often noticed that an absence in the online world renders me unable to focus on what I'm supposed to do at school. Call me weird, but that's what happened during my earlier days of study. Before I entered the world of online gaming, my life was like that of Mr. Clark (Richard Gere, from the movie Shall We Dance) whose life was entirely monotonous with work and family until he discovered the world of dancing.

Back to the online gaming then. During my earlier days of gaming I was a proud participant of the Honor Roll Program for Ragnarok Online and got a lot of incentives from submitting my grades and marks in the program. Heck, I even got an interview in Massive! for that program!

What a lot of people do not realize about online gaming is that it's not just a game. I've endlessly highlighted in my previous posts that online gaming has a lot of hidden benefits and treasures that are worth keeping for the rest of your life - from friends and relationships to values and ethics. I can say for myself that these factors have greatly changed my life and has made me into a more mature and responsible person. I learned the value of putting work priorities and managing my schedule to accommodate my gaming with the ever-increasing burden of studies.

Right now my parents had taken quite a docile manner with regards to my gaming. Perhaps the alternate side of online gaming has finally touched and opened their minds that it's really not just a game that is played and finished and discarded in time. So if you think your life is headed to boredom when your day-to-day tasks are revolving around the same things, why not try online gaming, and make some difference?

For GM Tristan's Group Writing Project, I commend my thoughts for everyone to read. Thank you for your time, I hope I've made my impression :)

The Two Daves

2007-08-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

I've been in the Online Gaming realm for nearly four years now and I've been through a lot of things - both thick and thin. Through sickness and in health, through the joys and the woes of each online game I've seriously delved into, I've nearly seen and been through them all. But never - never did this coming tale happen to me before that got me so seriously - as the great Montoya of pROSE and HOL says - SABAW.

As everyone well knew, I'm currently engaged to the realm of Perfect World, where I am living a life anew as my Fa Shih, DaveTNova, after suffering a most saddening demise of my characters in pROSE. As it is, I was determined to rebuild from the dregs and remains of my shattered online life and resolved to finally - get this to the max level (something I have never accomplished yet).

So there. My character's name is DaveTNova, patterned after my character in the novel "Terra Nova", a fantasy story I wrote myself. My clanmates in HOL frequently call me Dave, which has incidentally stuck to me as my online nickname, and even sometimes IRL.

As it turns out, there was this character (a Yao Shou) from the clan Zodiac that has the name dave, and it is between the two of us that a most hilarious series of events has passed. This started as early as my lowbie days in Dragon City. Whenever I go to a certain portion of the city, most often I come across this guy. Call it weird, call it coincidental, but hey my eyes can't deceive me. I definitely see him!

What's even more weird than this is that wherever I teleport (most commonly at Dragon City and Beast City), I come across him at the teleporter's location as well! I started to wonder if we're somehow bound in thought or something!

The amusingly hilarious part came during my later points in the game, when I'm already in faraway Dream Village. By a sheer stroke of luck (or maybe lady luck's really just fond of playing tricks at us), I came across him again at the monster fields there, although we were a bit separate. Out of the blue a character that I knew as a friend suddenly shouts in common chat the following:

[Player:] dave

Naturally the first instinct was to respond, but due to my occupation with the enemy I had to postpone replying lest I die, and lucky I did! Seconds after that, the other dave answered her and it turned out that it was actually him that the player was talking to!

This unnaturally queer event did not pass once, for it happened again after a few days, and this time (unknowing as I was that dave was in the area), I slipped out a response to a call to my name, and it turned out that I wasn't the one called!

I'll tell you all this: If character's online can blush in embarrassment, then I'd definitely be as red as my You Xia Outfit!

Lessons learned here: Make sure that you are the one being addressed to before you answer!

That wraps it up for GM Tristan's Group Writing Activity for the third week. I hope you all enjoyed reading!

Five Online Gaming Blends

2007-08-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Many people play online games for various reasons. Some wish to make new friends online and explore new, boundless worlds that cannot be ordinarily traversed in our day-to-day lifestyle. Others play for fame, fortune, and glory. Domination of everything else, attainment of the ultimate goals of the game. There are even people who play just to escape the reality that they are in and with high hopes that in playing online, they would find solace and contentment to compensate for the harsh storms plaguing their real lives.

But what pulls them to playing games such as these? What drives these people - whose age ranges can be as low as toddlers of five to seven years old to married, working, career people that have already surpassed 40 or even 50 years? What is the driving factor - or factors, for that matter - that brings them all together on this world of online gaming?

Nay, even I cannot answer that completely, but for me, these are the five "blends" of online gaming that simply pulls me into it:

1. A Community - Living, Breathing, Lashing - I've detailed in my previous post the fine links binding the online fantasies to the reality that we are in, and that's one essential blend that makes an online game tasty enough for the senses of the typical gamer. No other thing could be more enjoyable than spending online time not just in engaging into fights with monsters or bosses, but also in interacting with other players, bonding with guildmates - doing screenshots of group gatherings online or even spending hours just in chit-chatting with one another.

2. A Storyline - Rich, Creative, Compelling - Games revolve around a story, save for those known casual games both online and offline. Whatever you play, no matter how boring, how difficult or whatnot, there's always a story element behind it and for me, that formulates the second blend. A storyline keeps players in line with the game's canon and theme. It keeps them motivated to learn what is behind the stuff that they are doing online - what the place actually serves to the game, what a particular boss does to the current world, how a certain quest can affect your overall achievement of the game. I've seen many online games with good stories within them and many gamers have even taken to the point of extending those stories beyond what the publishers had originally planned.

3. The Theme - Colorful, Cultural, Unique - coinciding with the storyline blend comes the theme, for which one cannot exist without the other, making them complimentary blends to a "delicious" online game. Themes can vary in any game - there can be those alluding to the cultural scenarios of civilizations past such as the Norse myths of Ragnarok Online and the Chinese myths of Perfect World Online. There are some attuned to High School gangwar themes such as Ran Online. Others have even taken to the futuristic themes such as RF Online. And the Renaissance-like theme of Granado Espada, who could possibly not admire those luscious themes of that era?

4. The Game Experience - Enjoyable, Exciting, Thrilling - game experience is a blend that many try to achieve with the most perfect ingredients as much as possible - a well-built character with perfect stats and max level, godlike equipments, well-built skill trees, stuff like those. It is nearly every hardcore gamer's goal to be the best when it comes to the blend of Game Experience - to have the most enjoyment out of the game that they are playing. Honestly, don't we all strive to be like that? Even casual gamers, slow as they are in their progress in leveling, still strive for those levels. Although there are some content with being with other people and enjoying the game interface and graphics as the fulfillment of their game experience.

5. Life's Lessons - Education, Experience, Useful - many believed that online games are not to be valued for they are just a waste of time. They're just consuming your time that could have been used for more fruitful things. I say otherwise, but not for extreme cases of being online and almost forgetting stuff such as studies or work.
Online Games teach people a lot of lessons in life that - although they fail to see it - actually come from their unfortunate ingame experiences. Charging against a boss head-on without analyzing its capabilities teaches players to be careful with what they are pushing into - perhaps it might lead to danger or failure. Refining equipments to dangerous levels teaches them to be risk-takers - to accept challenges and take the consequences as a man. Being scammed by others gives us the insight of never trusting strangers too much.
In my gameplay experience at Perfect World I have learned quite a lot of lessons as well, particularly that of organization. Being an organized character means that you are mapping out your quest itinerary (that is, the easiest travel path to accomplish all quests at the shortest possible time) and even organizing the guild's time to execute dungeon raids. These are little lessons of life that may seem worthless to the ordinary gamer or non-gamer, but for some they realize the insight that it brings.

Now I've laid the five essential blends that pulled me to the world of online gaming. Maybe next time you could share yours as well!

This is my second entry for GM-Tristan's Group Writing Project. Hope you enjoyed it! :D

Reality Online

2007-08-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Day after day my life has been the same - doing my daily stuff with school and my OJT and finding something new in store for myself. As I look around, the community has always been the same, people walking around busy streets, all with some business in their mind, cars rushing past the crowded roads, everyone's up and about.

But when I sit down at home and log on to the gaming server - which in this case, is Perfect World Online - I cannot help but get that feeling that in doing so, I have not sundered my time to several hours of plain gaming and enjoyment. In selecting my character to play in the game, it's like I've geared myself up for "yet another day".

Most people would think that a lot of fanatics frequent the online gaming world just for the sole purpose of playing through the game, achieving quests, slaying bosses, and obtaining rare items and stuff. Many would believe that it's just a simple adventure that one has to undertake from the beginning and finish up to the very end, which would be the time for them to quit and move to another game. True, that psychology from video games has etched itself into the minds of many and whenever they see an Online Game being played by someone in the computer, they get the prejudice that it is just the same essence.

But they fail to see beyond that barrier. Unlike the video gaming world whose largest coverage might just be a multiplayer game of eight players on a console machine, the online gaming world encompasses an even larger scale, from a coverage as low as twenty to thirty players for a simple networking game up to a number that can span thousands just for players logging in on a single gaming server! And along with this number comes a delicate touch of magic that a lot of non-gamers have failed to see - the formation of a community.

Now how could that be, some might ask. Some would say that "You're just playing there all day, how could you have friends?" or "Why are you just sitting there, doing nothing at all?". The community is the life of every online game. It forms and changes according to those who belong in it, the people who share experience with others and make new friends and companions online. Some of these online relationships even develop to real life friendships, and even marriages for that matter.

The link between the reality of life and the online gaming life grows stronger the longer the game stays in effect and the more players participate in the community. Sometimes one would find the trends of reality binding itself into the online game lifestyle such as catchphrases, music trends, even famous personalities! Take Perfect World for example - a lot of players have taken to the challenge of immortalizing famous personalities of the world into the visage of their characters!

There are several points that intertwine the real world with the online gaming world, and I'll list them out so they can be detailed well:

Market Rules - The conventional laws of supply and demand have applied itself well with the online world, for there had been long cases on many online games that an influx of one type of item has caused its price to drastically decrease and a shortage has yielded an unbelievable increase. True enough, Philippine economics applies itself very well here since whenever we find a shortage of products in the country, expect no less that the prices would skyrocket.
One negative issue about the market of online games, which mirror a strong link between the reality and the online is the case of carrying on trades from the online world to the real world and vice versa. Unethical an issue as it may seem for some practical minds, a lot of people had really taken into the marketing of the game to even use it as a tool for conducting real-life businesses.
Friendships, Love Lives, Groups - From simple parties of players banding together to annihilate a boss to large scale clans, factions, or guilds all rallying for the purpose of obtaining the ultimate glory, a lot of players have found solace and friendship among these gatherings, both online and in real life. As a lot of people say, it all begins with a simple "Hi" or "Hello" and that could spark a friendship that may last for eternity.
These online friendships and groups carry themselves on to the real life through guild meets known as EB's where the friendship online is being strengthened further by meeting together and hanging out with each other.
Politics - There could never be a more bothersome issue than the politics that we have in our country. There had been news of corruption, squabbles among the officials, and an abuse of power to some extent, and sadly, the attitude has carried on to the online world. Guilds and factions clash together just because of petty arguments of who gets the better spot and nearly every clan bands together for the sole purpose of dominating over everything else - of ruling over the entire server, lording over all the other players. Some light gamers might not appreciate these factors in effect but only those who look through the game's community boards can learn of these activities online. Game issues have even escalated to the point of conducting an online rally, much like what they do in Mendiola or in EDSA XD.

Those were some of the points that really underline the connection between reality and online gaming - points that prove that what the online game you are playing, whatever genre, developer, or promoter it might belong to, all have the same essence. There is always the aura of the community and the spirit of the real world blending in with it as the players inside participate, and magically enough, it grows with the real world. The next time you would see an online game, take several seconds of contemplation and ask yourself, "Can I extend my lifestyle to this world too?"

I am posting this as part of an entry to GM Tristan's Group Writing Project for the first week and I'm really looking forward to where this endeavor will eventually lead to :D. Hope you enjoyed reading, all!

~DaveTNova

Perfect World Online Philippines

2007-03-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

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I'm not exactly a connoisseur of Ancient History, but there is something within their colorful backgrounds that simply give me that pull to discover what they really are all about - from the ancient civilizations of the Fertile Crescent, down to the glorious Ascent of the Greco-Roman Empires, and even the turn of the centuries in the Medieval and Dark Ages, all of these historical remnants of human society have taken me with quite a huge interest.

Ordinarily one can learn history through books and reference materials from the Internet or from actual records of ancient artifacts, but the modern technology of today has now provided an even better means by which anyone could learn and appreciate ancient history - that is, through games.

Perfect World Online is no exception to this coverage. Set in the colorful setting of Ancient China, one of the most intricate and most moving cultural nations of the Ancient World, the historical essence imbued within the graphics and design of this game simply pull me towards it the moment that I laid eyes on it. It may have that "fantasy" effect with the presence of magic and superhuman creatures but altogether it is the storyline within that I am interested, much as I was also hooked by the rich storyline of its brother MMORPG, ROSE Online.

Another thing that took me completely by sheer amazement is its powerful graphics rendition of the world where the characters move into - it's like almost a near-realistic view of the outside world and really gives players that "naturalistic" feel of the environment - and not just an ordinary environment, but one conducive not only to fighting and leveling, but to socializing as well.

Connected to the rich environment and the extensive storyline above, what interests me with this game is its innumerable quests that await your character when it begins its life there. For me nothing could be more fulfilling in any game than being a completist and attaining the goals by which your character is built for, one of which would be the quests. Adventuring is not just all about slaying countless monsters of varying difficulties, but rather it is about the renown you achieve as a player, as an adventurer, and one measure of which is how far you have delved into the storyline of the game itself, in turn broken up by the many quests.

Moving away from the ingame aspect, one important factor that made me hook up with its brother, ROSE Online, is because of its rich community aspect. Even with a simple message boards, ROSE did manage to survive on its many trials and tribulations. Here in Perfect World I see a similar community attempting to bloom, powered more by its features that encourage more of the community side of any MMORPG rather than the gameplay side of it, since it also has an interface that even allows chatting from outside the game!

Society-wise as well, the powerful engine capability of the game to create homes and entire villages at the customization of the players themselves is really one moving factor for me to gear up and start trying out this game - for one thing this absolutely unique feature - one I have been looking for from almost every game - literally transforms the essence of "online communities" into reality - giving characters and players a chance to replay, remake, or restart their lives anew, live a life like no other ordinary man would within the infinite ranges of the Chinese storyline of Perfect World.

Worries

2006-11-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Well today things aren't looking up for me because of several nasty things... I can narrate them all to you one by one if you'd pay attention and not press the Back Button or any other tab thingie in your browser...

I've just been through my classmate's house today, having gone and done some work with out Systems Development Class. We're actuall working on an Information System with the Department of Education and sad to say, things aren't looking our way this time - I guess we'll have to scrape everything we've got in order to get through this ordealing midterms.

The bad mood sunk in at that aspect of my IRL persona when the burden of having the entire program done fell on our side because the other side didn't quite manage to get through the necessities of the other side of the system. The alternative was, therefore, to place it on the original side of the system - the web-based one. While it may seem easy enough to do, we're quite lagging behind on the schedule already and it pains my ass to even find out that such a change would have to be applied NOW. Really, it pains me to find out about that because theres been a lot of time for changes, and now as we near the last minute everything shifts back to the old terms. It irritates me, although I do my best not to let it get over myself.

That one's for my IRL persona. Things aren't looking up for me in ROSE either, since powerleveling has taken its drastic toll and now we're inching in levels slower than what a turtle is capable of, no, seriously. It appears that the new terms I had in gaming, which is to play every weekends and holidays, isn't fast enough for me to obtain competitive levels in the community. But what the heck, we've got worse things to worry about, and one thing I'm looking forward to with ROSE one day is to join the ranks of the ROSE Gamemasters and sell my gaming soul to the MMORPG that has captivated it :D

Done away with Dave, my OL Persona, and it appears that Lance also has his own share of problems. Right now he's experiencing a serious case of Writer's Block. There's this plot that I would like to string together with the existing plot but the worrisome aspect of it is the link between them, which I cannot seem to finish well. It appears that my weaknesses lie on narrating or better yet, vividly describing battle scenes in such a way that the reader will be able to visualize clearly what the writer intends to relay in the action-packed scenes (supposedly).

Well, tonight's blog for me is a little tad too fragmented, since there's a lot of emotions mixing in my head right now - anger, worry, frustration, problems, the negative stuff. I hope this all clears up pretty soon...

Like what my classmate had said - wish it was January already *sigh*

The Sky is Falling!

2006-09-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

Heh, you may have heard of that line from Disney's "Chicken Little" but in my experience just yesterday it was defined for me in an all new light :D.

This is how things happened...

I had just returned with my mother last night from her school, having stayed there for most of the afternoon. Well, naturally my first initiative was to change my clothes. I went upstairs and found our hanging line (the place where we hang our clothes, which stretched above my bed and was tied to a nail on the wall where my bed leaned and the other end on a metal railing high above the door leading to our balcony) laden with clothes hanging to be dried.

So I sifted through the drying clothes and attempted to take out some shorts. Then...

CREAK..

I instantly looked up at the other end of the hanging line, high above the door leading to the balcony, and to my horror the metal railing has somehow broken loose, now delicately hanging on to a single nail and threatening to fall off. Whatever force of nature made me stare at it for a pretty long time when...

CRASH!

I screamed in pain as the overhung hanging line totally gave way and carried the metal railing with it! The impact was so strong that the metal railings smashed on my head and apparently it carried the glass panel behind it through the wooden frame behind the railings. So CRASH it went and I ended up with a knocked up head, a bitten tongue, and a cut on my arm... not exactly amusing to welcome me, but it ended up with a new destruction to the nearly 30-year old house. Naturally the entire family heard the commotion and thankfully everything was fixed off.

If Chicken Little called it as the Sky Falling, maybe I ought to give it a different Falling term. Haha!

Triple Mayhem

2006-09-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

In the real world I am known as Allan, the guy that my classmates call as the "Master". Why choose such a term I guess I'll never know, but apparently the connotation points out to my seemingly inhuman capability of earning good results in class without opening a single book or consulting notes too heavily. To tell you the truth, I never do know myself how I manage to do such a feat, but I guess even I couldn't understand the difference between my brain and theirs... I don't know, I dont intend to be boastful or arrogant about it, in fact, curiosity strikes me more than them!

That is my intellectual personality, one of three personalities that I possess in my everyday lifestlye. The second one, named Lance Brian Tracy Redfield (LBTR for short LOL), is in fact my literary side, a pseudonym I had adopted for myself as the (future - libre nmang mag ambisyon e amfufu) author of the Terra Nova series. Mark my words Lance is almost done with the 1st series final draft and he will make sure it makes it's way into publication!

So there, Lance. Lance actually makes up the bulk of my imaginative brain and my english capabilities. In fact, he even overrides the intellectual part of me sometimes in class and my mind drifts off to places of imagination... I once saw in a TV commercial in Cartoon Network to let your brain drift along and earn knowledge even while on the comfort of your very home. Let's just say I follow it too much :P

Then comes my alter ego, I mean it. He goes by the name of Dave, and he is my Online Life persona, whenever I serve as the Wikimaster of Philippine ROSE Online and play in the game itself. Dave is actually a name I derived from my first series in Lance's novel and I figured it would fit my character finely there. From there on I had even adopted the nickname Dave for my real life (kinda too far from Allan, isn't it?).

Yes, three personalities, all with three different dilemmas as of the moment... three heavy dilemmas that threaten their destruction... In fact, all problems are interconnected!

Ke Dave na muna... Dave is having serious problems in power-leveling in ROSE because of the arrival of EVO. I had thought once that EVO was every ROSE Player's dream, when they would finally reach a higher class and style of online gaming in ROSE and achieve a better status for their characters... well with the buggy realm that welcomed the entire community I guess everything went crashing down. I do hope it gets fixed pretty soon... thankfully though, another string of problems linked with this one keeps me from playing him. Otherwise I would just be disappointed of slow leveling.

Ok, Lance next. With Lance, I'm having stress problems in chaining the distorted storyline that he created with the previous draft of Series 1. Apparently reading it from another reader's point of view may seem interesting but reading it from his point of view makes the story look corny enough to be thrown into the trash can... his dilemma then focuses on bringing more interest into the story, which has recently involved a lot of fighting scenes. Romance may be a little too easy for him and he has even added Mystery to the genre, but I am confident he will make it through somehow.

Then comes me, Allan. Well, my problems center on my academic life, as you might have read in my previous entry, I may have experienced a lot of stressful emotional and mental stress lately, but by now most of it has been fixed and patched up and I'm feeling a bit more normal now :P, only with the exception of several academic requirements that I haven't fulfilled yet due to the swamped projects that nearly washed us over (I mean the entire class).

Well, an entry will follow this one in a matter of minutes. Toodles!

Lagging behind...

2006-08-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

*Sigh*, my second post and I'm not exactly sounding happy... hooray dear reader, you're about to hear my very first rant :P

I've got three major stresses in my head right now as I type this, and in fact I had just logged out from one of them. The heaviest-weighing load on my mind right now is the upcoming Finals presentation we have for our Software Development track classes. Basically it's D-day for the entire class and the groups just pray that they don't incur our instructor's wrath, which normally doesn't wind up very well. Trust me, we've already felt a fraction of his wrath and have no intention of incurring it again.

Second, if you may even consider it so, is the ever-so-getting-behind Terra Nova (my very own handcrafted novel). I've been redrafting the first Series for the past four years and still I haven't made much progress in what I consider (and definitely will consider) to be its final draft. In fact, I've reached the sixth Series with an unfinished first, how idiotic can that get XD.

The third stress burdening my head right now and has a good bearing of effects on the upper two is my online life - ROSE Online. Sure, I may be well-known there as the Wikimaster or one of the nice (really?!) Artisans there, but behind that innocent face with the neck-length red hair lies a student in a terrible dilemma. For some reason my gameplay habits in the evening doesn't sit well with my dad, who, for some reason, has taken to being an enemy of online games in general (yeah, right, what do you expect from people who live in the past, damnit!). In fact, he always uses my online gaming "hype" (i call it hype or dedication, but he calls it addiction - ADULTS, so narrow-minded to new innovations, for heavens sake!) as a good weapon to throw at me whenever I do something that doesn't fit his "ancient standards", which include a various range of misdeeds - from simply waking up in the morning to staying awake playing late at night.

Honestly, I do know that I've been making a lot of mistakes myself, having been unable to get a decent sleep, all thanks to sleeping from 12-2am or so, depending on the mood, or maybe there's just something wrong with the way he wakes me up. When my mother wakes me in the dead of the morning every tuesdays and thursdays for my class (thats about 5:30-6am), I normally wake up even in her calmest call (and normally first - i dunno why, but maybe it's my attachment to my mother that does it) whereas my dad (whom i never had any inclination to be attached to) has already yelled at me at 7am for my MWF classes and still I fail to wake up. he even has resorted a few days ago to nearly hit me just to wake me up (yeah, he can be violent sometimes but what the heck, I've endured no better things whenever he gets angry) and he has even warned me that I ought to quit ROSE if this keeps up.

Quit ROSE? I'd rather DIE!

Which is why I'm in a bit of a depressed daze lately... haven't been able to think straight, think correctly, even act normally. It affects my studies, like it or not, and I am not ashamed to say that ROSE and my IT studies had formed a link that must never be broken - lest I go mad in the schoolwork tension. In fact, it is ROSE that fuels up my determination to get things done over with quickly. This is one thing my dad had always failed to see, no matter how many times I shove it up his nose. He fails to see the values and the "community life" in this MMORPG. He has shut himself in a world wherein his beliefs are the right ones and nobody else's belief could sway him, especially mine. He has always believed that ROSE is just like any other game, you get hooked into it and you just play for the sake of fun. He fails to notice something deeper than just the game, and as long as he doesn't understand that part of my lifestyle we will never have a quiet time with the issue.

Mark my words I will. I have endured his attacks on my online life long enough, and as long as I can play ROSE I will endure it longer. To show him that online gaming is not just gaming, but being with a community.

*sigh*, and I have given my first rant... yeah, boring read, maybe a guidance counselor ought to be the best reader for this one :P, but as it is, see you all next time, and I hope it won't be a rant then.

My very first entry!

2006-06-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

Finally, my blogspot is born!