#moment natin to

[heysarsii]

in our next lifetime :)

To all the broken promises and almosts that made us happy somehow...

Ben & Ben's performance of "Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay" at Momentum 2023 in Alabang.

[holyfacehead]

I just noticed how jackie taylor coded this song is

[shadowglens]

and also while i’m here! i’m also having many natine thoughts as well because not only did khadgar show up within the first five minutes of dragonflight, but so did lor’themar

[ghostofhyuck]

NCT Dream as OPM Songs

AN: This is written in filipino because the request is about Dreamies as Original Pinoy Music or OPM songs. So it's best to write it in filipino so that it's more meaningful and there's a lot of filo references too lol. (If you want an eng ver, just tell me! <3)

Mark Lee ; Tingin by Cup of Joe, Janine

'Di man alam ang darating Sa dulo at sa gitna ng dilim Sa liwanag mo nakatingin Sa 'yo nakatingin, sa 'yo lang ang tingin

Oo starting strong with Tingin by Cup of Joe kasi naman, this reminds me of Thomasian! Mark tapos nag-guest COJ last paskuhan. Kaya saktong-sakto talaga yung kanta! Imagine mo iyon, paskuhan kasama si Mark na long-time best friend mo, kumakanta ang Cup of Joe ng Tingin, tapos kahit crowded yung field, kahit na ang ingay, hindi mawala yung tingin ni Mark sa iyo. SA IYO LANG SIYA NAKATINGIN!!! Tapos wala kang kaalam-alam na nakatingin siya sa iyo kasi sobrang invested ka sa Cup of Joe. Huwag ka na lang magulat after ng paskuhan mag-coconfess si Mark sa iyo.

Huang Renjun ; Paraluman by Adie

'Di magsasawa, 'di ka pababayaan Isasayaw kita hanggang sa walang-hanggan

It's either IKAW ang paraluman o si Renjun, it can be both. Halos lahat ng kanta ni Adie bagay kay Renjun, pero sobrang bagay sa kanya ang paraluman. Imagine mo na ito yung kinakanta sa iyo ni Renjun SKFJSDFKJSDK like!! sobrang soft tapos yung lyrics, para siyang promise sa iyo ni Renjun. Feeling ko ito yung mga kanta na haharanahin ni Renjun sa iyo tapos isasayaw ka pa niya sa loob ng sala ninyo. Kayong dalawa lang doon tapos sobrang wholesome lang nung moment! Ayoko na, masyado na ito delusyonal. 

Lee Jeno ; Mananatili by Cup of Joe

Mananatili sa iyong tabi magdamag Ating paligid, hindi na natin napapansin

Ang hirap bigyan si Jeno, gusto ko kasi special sa kanya EME. Pero iyon, bagay na bagay sa kanya ang Mananatili kasi the lyrics sounds like something he would do! Manatili sa iyo kahit ano man ang mangyari! Wala siyang pake kung uncertain yung nangyayari sa inyong dalawa, basta parang nabighani (NABIGHANI!?) siya sa iyo that night kaya he just wants to be by your side siguro hindi lang buong gabi, pwede bang panghabang-buhay na ito? HUYYYY Pero just imagine, just you and him, enjoying the moment with each other, not even caring about the people around. 

Lee Donghyuck ; Fallen by Lola Amour

I'm okay with being by your side for as long as I can hide What if I told you that I've fallen

Bagay na bagay kay Haechan ang Fallen by Lola Amour!! Sobrang upbeat tapos ang cute pa ng lyrics, vibe niya talaga!! Yung tipong bigla na lang sasabihin sa iyo na gusto ka niya! Shock factor talaga but at the same time, wala lang sa kanya yung sagot mo, all he cares is that he's fallen for you!! Willing siyang gawin ang lahat para sa iyo kasi inlababo na talaga siya sa iyo, pati rin siya hindi rin alam gagawin sa feelings niya sa iyo :< ang cute lang sensya na pero iyon, never mind what you feel. He doesn't need to know, basta gusto ka niya. period!

Na Jaemin ; Pasilyo by Sunkissed Lola

Naglakad ka nang dahan-dahan Sa pasilyo tungo sa altar ng simbahan Hahagkan na't 'di ka bibitawan Wala na 'kong mahihiling pa

Oo alam kong pang-kasal etong kanta na ito pero bakit ba??? Sobrang Na Jaemin-coded eto!! Imagine your wedding day with Jaemin, tapos sobrang gandang-ganda siya sa iyo habang naglakakad ka sa pasilyo. Iiisipin niya na ang swerte niya na ikaw ang mapapangasawa niya at makakasama niya habang-buhay. Pati yung lyrics it screams Jaemin so much!! Parang the way the lyrics talks from the groom's pov about his future, parang si Jaemin talaga!! >:( Sobrang perfect niya maging groom at sobrang husband material pa HAYSTTT. 

Zhong Chenle ; Ikaw Lang by Nobita

Tumingin ka sa 'king mga mata At hindi mo na kailangan pang Magtanong nang paulit-ulit Ikaw lang ang iniibig

The vibe of the whole song just screams Chenle so much! Yung lyrics, yung assurance? sobrang Chenle-coded. Imagine friends to lovers with Chenle, tapos sobrang tagal niyo nang gusto ang isa't isa kaya naman once na naging kayo, may mga worries and anxieties, a lot of hurt and comfort pero dahil si Chenle ang boyfriend mo grabe yung assurance! He'll be always there for you and ikaw lang talaga ang kanyang mamahalin! Yung chorus talaga, :< imagine iyan sinasabi ni Chenle sa iyo just to assure you. :<<

Park Jisung ; Pagtingin by Ben & Ben

'Pag nilahad ang damdamin Sana 'di magbago ang pagtingin Aminin ang mga lihim Sana 'di magbago ang pagtingin

I belib in torpe! Jisung supremacy!! Pagtingin? oo that's soo Jisung-coded. Best friend na in love sa iyo? Oo si Jisung iyan! Imagine Jisung na matagal nang may gusto sa iyo pero torpe kasi siya !!! ayaw niya kasing masira friendship niyo kaya hindi siya umaamin!! >:(( Ikaw naman sobrang manhid sa feelings niya kaya iyon hindi mo alam na sobrang emotionally-constipated na pala si Jisung. SHOCKS what if years later saka lang nag-confess sa iyo si Jisung, thinking na wala na iyon sa kanya pero tangina, may crush ka rin pala sa kanya. (Hindi pa naman huli ang lahat, now's the chance!)

[if-lost-please-return-to-maliksi]

Hi pooo, NSFW/SMUT Maliksi x Reader inspired by the song I See Red TwT

((Anon, same ba tayo ng pinapakinggan na I See Red? xDD di ba parang murder song yun? char. Direct to the point ang request natin haaa, I like it! xD))

Disclaimer: I do not own Maliksi. Full Credit goes to HC - @ask-emilz-de-philz. Please check out their blog for amazing art and the wonderful world of Planet Puto. All involved characters are adults.

Genre: Smut

TW: NSFW, Explicit, mentions of a gun, sprinkle of violence, blood, dirty talk, masturbation, oral, konting ka toxican, p*rn without plot, sobrang konti if meron man, bad writing sorry 2017 pa last time na gumawa ako ng smut. Umm.. Read at your own risk, I guess? I don't want to traumatize peeps hehe~ Minors, please don't interact. 18+++ ONLY

NON- #PhilMytCrea related AU. Reader (Y/n) has a marriage of convenience with Maliksi. OOC coz he's not a tamawo in this fic guys, just a normal guy with no sad backstory. Don't come for me, this is how 'I See Red' plays along my mind.

NSFW UNDER THE CUT

You tossed your bag into the floor the moment you saw a pair of red stilettos which are not yours, laying on the frontdoor.

You knew Maliksi was seeing other people behind your back and it's fine, totally. You two were not wed out of love. Hell, you two only met each other a week before that damned wedding. It was a wedding made for the official partnership of your parents' companies, that's all.

What irks you the most is that Maliksi had the nerve to bring another woman under the roof of your house, knowing that you'll be home today after a week of insufferable business trips- you were exhausted and your 'husband' was banging some other chick on your bed.

You have always been labeled as 'intimidating' and 'bossy' by people around your- too many names and terms however it just leads to one point: you don't tolerate any disrespect and any bullshit from anyone.

"Get out or get shot." You coldly said as you entered your shared bedroom with Maliksi. The man is currently laying on his back on just his boxers while the girl he's with is on top of him, fully naked and giving him a good show. You went straight to your dresser and started rummaging for the hand gun your father gifted you before.

Upon realizing that you are not bluffing, the girl quickly got off on top of Maliksi, grabbing her clothes and making a run for it.

"Goddamn it! You are no fun!" Maliksi muttered underneath his breath but before he knows it, you were the one straddling him, landing a hard slap on his pretty face using the back of your hand that's now holding your glock.

You watched as single trail of blood slowly trickle down his nose.

"Fuckin' bastard! I only made you promise one thing after that hell of a wedding. You are not making a mess on my house, and especially not on my bed! Is that too much to ask for, you man-whore?!"

Maliksi's eyes widen at your sudden outburst. Who would've known that his wife is hiding some feisty personality underneath that stern and work addicted facade Your dad wasn't lying when he told him that you are a handful and that attitude will be a pain in the ass.

He lets out a deep chuckle as he wipes the blood off of his nose. "Look at you. All this time I thought I was married to a cold, emotionless robot. You should talk to me like this more often. God, it makes me hard." His voice resonated throughout the room as he took the gun out of your hands and placed it at the bedside table.

Sure enough, you can feel his growing bulge under those boxers. You two never had that kind of relationship despite being legally married. It's always just you sharing a bed at night like a pair of college roommates- maybe even less than that coz college roommates can sometimes cuddle. But you two- sleep like a pair of logs, away from each other in that king size bed as if you'll burn if your toes even touch accidentally.

You were about to get off of him but Maliksi wraps his arms around your hips, holding you in place. "You're not going anywhere." He smirks, licking the blood that got on his lips.

In a single breath, Maliksi was able to flip you over- switching your positions so that you're the one under him. "In case you can't read the room, I'm currently feeling hot n' bothered because of you. Kinda glad you arrived since the other girl can't get me hard."

"Then go jerk off somewhere, you idiot!" You tried pushing him off but he caught your hands and pinned it at the top of your head.

"Damn. Y'look so hot swearin' at me like that." He softly chuckled before undoing the necktie you are currently wearing and using it to restrain both of your hands. "Maliksi! W- what are you doing?!"

"We've been married for like two months now, Y/n. Can't a man see his own wife?" He said as he started undoing the buttons of your top, whistling at the sight of the red fabric of your lingerie peeking through.

"Didn't know you wear such things coming home to me, wifey." His voice sounded so seductively sweet that you have to do a double take if this is really the annoying guy you were unfortunately married to. Your face was red hot in embarrassment that you just wanted the ground to swallow you.

He smirks as he pulls out his hard cock, tip glistening with precum. He can't help but grin as he watch your eyes widen at the sight of him, not able to say a word.

"Didn't know my wife is this adorable. I like seeing you angry and shy. Tell me, will you let me see other expressions tonight, pretty?" He said not louder than a whisper as he slowly wraps his fingers around the base of his cock, giving it a light squeeze to feel just how hard he is from watching his wife stare from under him.

"Like what you're seeing, Y/N?" He teasingly asked as he started to stroking himself while you watch.

You felt your own breath get stuck on your throat as he asks you because you are indeed enjoying the little show he's putting up. For the first time, Maliksi is not a random guy you are married to. As much as you won't admit it, he's always been attractive, and hot. The air feels electric as room filled with the sounds of his panting and ragged breaths. You wouldn't tell him, but hearing him call you 'wifey' does things to you.

He reached up his free hand, tracing his thumb along your lower lips. "Open up for me, pretty girl." And for the first time in your life, you were obedient, opening up those pretty lips of yours and letting him use your mouth. You looked up at him, locking those pretty eyes into his as you take him deeply, feeling his tip brush into the back of your throat.

"I've got such a good wife here all this time. Y' should've let me know sooner." He said, grabbing handfuls of your hair to push himself deeper, making your eyes water.

"..fuck. you're such a dirty slut sucking me so good like that." he cursed, throwing his head back. You let out a moan, sending tremors and vibrations around his cock which made him buck his hips.

It didn't took long before he's got you completely naked on top of the sheets, his head buried between your thighs while his tongue works wonders on your sensitive clit. You were a moaning and trembling mess under his mercy which made him softly giggle on how his supposedly 'stuck up' wife turned out to be like this from his touch.

"Maliksi...please~ 'm so close."

He quickly pulled away, making you whimper in frustration from being denied of that sweet release.

"The only thing you're cumming on tonight is my cock, wifey."

He lined his twitching length along your dripping cunt, pushing in slowly, letting you adjust and get used to him before bottoming up and just stuffing you full of him.

He's been dreaming of this day when you two got married. Who would even be opposed of marrying you with that pretty face and killer body. He doesn't care if you two didn't marry for love. That body kept him awake at night, and he's definitely going all out now that he's got the chance to fuck you.

His pace is erratic, pulling out completely before slamming himself back completely, making your toes curl and your vision fill with stars as he fucks you senseless that all you can manage are moans and incoherent babbles.

He groans when he felt your cunt tightening around his cock, making him fuck you a tad bit harder. "You're so close now huh? My wifey seems to be enjoying my cock way too much." He chuckles before reaching into your clit, slowly circling his finger making you tremble in pleasure. "Maliksi....pleasee.."

"I know, pretty. I know."

You can feel your eyes rolling back and your body arching as you reach that sweet sweet release, with just a few more thrusts Maliksi follows, shooting ropes of thick hot cum inside you, telling you how pretty you are like that.

You two may not have started on good terms, but you both know this night is definitely a start of something.

[angsty-teendrone]

* SD-F.0.X, or Fayla/Fay, was taking a walk around the forest, her 9 nanite acid tails swaying behind her like a peacock's lowered tail. It hummed, it's orange eyes closed and hands behind it's head. It was quiet and nice, but it was beginning to make her feel terribly bored *

Uzi, managed to be in a tree at time time, perked at the noise of someone nearby, her purple optics scanned around until landing on SD-F.O.X, at this current moment, she didn't know the name of this...interesting drone. She remained from her high point in the tree, perched on a branch and her wings and tail out, observing her details, 9 natine acid tails? a deadly but cool feature!

[rokuhoku]

"beloved."

Pairing: Namor x Filipino!Reader

Rating: General Audiences, Comedy

Summary: You ask your... "sorta" friend what the meaning of his other name is. His answers break your heart, so you take matters into your own hands.

Word Count: 2,516

Content Warning: Mentions of colonialization

Disclaimer: Again, as mentioned before, Namor is slightly cold towards the reader! He isnt hateful or anything, just has his guard up bc of surface world resentment. Though, that guard can be taken back down sometimes ;)

__________

Reminder: This fic is part of a Namor x Filipino!Reader miniseries, but can be read on its own! Miniseries fic(s):

a piece of your history. / "beloved."

__________

The soft tune of a Filipino song played in the air, its melody dancing along with the sounds of the waves hitting the sand. Namor could only make out a few words within the song as he remembered the few phrases you had taught him. The melody was nice and eased his nerves, though he would never admit that to your face.

“What did they call you again?”

Namor blinked, processing your sudden question for a few seconds. Before you had suddenly asked him a question, you were both simply by the shore of the beach you frequented, with him in the water and you in the dry sand as usual, reading to him aloud a book that had come across your interests.

He looked at you questioningly, causing you to sputter over your words. “Oh! I meant what the Spaniards had called you when they…” You trailed off, fearing that you may have crossed a line with him this time. You knew how sore the topic was already, despite not knowing the full details as Namor refused to show any hint of vulnerability with you (or so you thought).

“What I mean is…” You cleared your throat, already bracing yourself for his reaction. 

“.... Why do certain people have to call you ‘Namor’?” You finished, closing the book, shifting to fully turning to him, indicating that you were paying special attention. The cogs clicked in place in Namor’s head as he finally understood your question. He noticed that you had said ‘certain people’ instead of enemies, likely the reason being you two weren’t exactly enemies nor friends in both of your books. 

“Uhm, you don’t have to answer if it’s too… y’know….” You quickly added, waving your hands in a dismissive manner. Namor’s eyebrows raised at you, causing your face to heat up. “I mean… alam naman natin na gago sila…” You quickly mumbled the last part. 

Namor seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, before he shook his head and chuckled. “No, I can answer if you would like me to.” 

Namor ran his fingers through the water, clearly contemplating on how he should approach your question. He smiled bitterly at you as he remembered the hateful memory. Your hands immediately went to your phone, turning the volume down on the classic OPM playlist you were playing.

“When my mother died, she asked to be buried in her homeland,” He started, playing with the wet sand underneath the water. Namor smiled, a loving look overtook his bitter expression.

“She wanted to show me the surface world and its beauty.” Her soft and caring smile flashed in his mind, it was as if he could still remember the days where she hugged him with such care. His mother was always so gentle, so sweet with him. 

The prolonged gentle expression on Namor’s face was an unfamiliar one, as it was often hardened or practically deadpanned at you. You were only used to the occasional soft glimpses in his eyes.

A small part of you wished you could see this type of his face more, but that was crossing the line in your book.

“But, when I arrived…” Namor’s expression soon darkened. “They were here.” You winced, knowing exactly who he was talking about. He grit his teeth.

“They called me… ‘El Niño sin Amor’.” 

He looked back at the sea, feeling that if he stared at you, you would see nothing more than hate and anger burn in his eyes, a look that would most likely scare you away. You don’t know if it helped, but you nodded understandingly, almost as if implying that he can feel if he wants to.

Namor could remember the look of fear and hatred in the man’s eyes, as if the Spaniards didn’t force him and his people to retreat in the ocean due to the illness inflicted upon them by the colonizers, before enslaving those who remained on land. 

“The child without love, as they boasted.” Namor spoke in a rather biting sarcastic tone. Though he was smiling, the grin on his face was one of anger, holding no genuine joy or happiness in it.

“I took Namor from that, because I have no-” His eyes locked with you for a brief second before he averted his gaze. “-love for the surface.”

Your fingers played with the cover of the book you were holding, as you frowned even more and stared at him in disbelief. 

“Luh? So bale, you were called a loveless child,” You began, a startled impression on your face, “just because you killed the colonizers after they basically enslaved and killed your people?” You asked for clarification, scrunching your eyebrows in confusion. Namor nodded, a rather grim smile on his face.

“Aba, ang kakapal ng mukha nila ah…” You grumbled, before muttering something about how hypocritical and barbaric they were. Namor smiled gratefully at you, knowing you shared the same sentiment. 

He sighed, as if tired of having to relive the same memory over and over again. Namor looked back at the sea, a subtle slouch in his posture now. 

For a moment, you both sat there in silence, contemplating the lives of those who lived before (at least in your case) you. So many of Namor’s people were enslaved and forced by the Spaniards, yet they dare to call him the loveless child?

You pursed your lips, your eyes looking over Namor.

He wasn’t a child without love. His mother had loved him so, it was obvious by the way his voice would hush into a gentle baritone each time she was brought up.

His people loved him so, or at least, that’s what you can make up from his stories. You’ve only ever been able to gaze at them from afar in the sea, whenever they occasionally came to check up on him. Though with the way they addressed him you could easily see the fondness.

An idea popped into your head, though you were a bit hesitant to actually do it. 

“Hey,” You called out, scooting closer to him, the waves licking at your feet. Namor rose an eyebrow at you, though your invasion of his personal space did not deter him.

Finally, you sat in the water next to him, perhaps this was one of the very few times you were both less than three feet apart. Namor’s mouth opened, about to tell you off that your clothes were getting wet and rather quite see-through.

You snickered, a mischievous look overtaking your eyes, a look that Namor was quite familiar with. Too familiar with it, he adds to himself. 

You pointed at his face, before your pointer finger came into contact with the scrunch between his eyebrows.

Namor’s brain went blank, processing exactly what you had done to him. Before he can even make a reaction, you cut him off.

“Iniirog.” 

You started slowly, gauging for his reaction. Namor’s eyes narrowed at you, confused but not offended. Your smile soon went into a toothy grin. 

“Sinisinta.” 

Namor grabbed your wrist and pulled away from your finger, clearly puzzled. The soft, cool touch of his damp fingers sent goosebumps up your back, but you continued nevertheless.

“Kinagigiliwan.” 

You were practically giggling at this point, leaning your body towards him, as if to tease him about the words you were uttering, completely dismissing that he had not understood what you were saying.

Hesitantly, your hand went to reach for his, causing him to flinch. You took Namor’s hand between both of yours, softly tracing the palm lines on it. 

“Minamahal.”

His senses were being overloaded, the low volume of the OPM Playlist still playing in the background, though it felt as if it was echoing rather loudly in his ears.

Namor’s eyes met yours, he remembers what the word “mahal” means. But that couldn’t possibly be what you’re saying, right? Were you instead perhaps meaning another thing? (He was sure that mahal meant expensive as well, were you just messing with him and calling him expensive?)

One of your hands stopped playing with his and reached towards his face, caressing his cheek softly. You contemplated running a hand on his pointy ears. However, you decided you wanted to keep your hand intact with your body.

Namor could do nothing but stare at you, his free hand coming up to hold yours that was on his cheek, though he made no move to remove your hand. If you were to look closer, it was as if he was leaning into your touch. 

Your thumb softly grazed his upper cheek.

“Nagmamahal.”

With the way Namor talked fondly about his people, you couldn’t help but notice the love and adoration in his eyes. He truly loved his people and protected them with his whole heart. 

Even if Namor couldn’t fully understand what you were saying to him, he could still somewhat comprehend what you were trying to say.

Namor was not a child without love, he has loved and has been loved. He will continue to love and he will continue to be loved, you were sure of that.

To your and his surprise, his eyes fluttered close as he leaned into the warm touch of your hand against his damp cheek. The feeling was scorching against his cool skin, yet it brought comfort to him even so. 

A part of him wanted this moment to never end, the soft tunes of your mother tongue playing in the background, as you practically showered him with affection that you two had an unspoken agreement about.

Soon, however, you couldn’t help yourself.

The hand on his face traced his cheek softly, before it came and pinched it rather aggressively. 

Namor’s eyes snapped open as he suddenly experienced a rather painful pinch to the cheek. Your ninangs would be proud of you if they saw the red mark on his skin right now. You snickered, making kissy-faces at him.

“Bebeluvs~” He deadpanned at you, fully knowing the sound of your rather trickster voice.

“My sexy, sexy love!” You finished, laughing so much your stomach hurt. You knew that Namor probably wouldn’t get the reference, but you couldn’t help yourself from quoting none other than the queen herself, Kathryn Bernardo. 

You were still laughing, peeving Namor a bit. This caused him to pull away from your touch and some distance between the two of you. The laughter soon died in your throat, as you instantly sort of regretted the fact that you ruined the moment. Shet, maybe you should’ve maintained the wholesome moment just a bit longer.

You fully expected him to stand up and leave you there in the water again, already used to him doing it with the many, many times you’ve tried to trick him into saying rather comically funny words in your language. Namor could always figure you out, though it may be because of the way you haven’t been able to stop yourself from laughing each time.

To your surprise, he simply stayed there, a contemplative look on his face as he looked down at the water he was in. 

You cleared your throat, scooting closer to him once again. You opened and closed your mouth, unsure of what to say next now that you have feared you may have offended him. Namor’s voice soon filled the one-sided awkward silence left in the air.

“Your words… What did they mean?”

You beamed at him, jumping at the chance to answer. “They can all actually mean different things! ‘Iniirog’ for example can mea-” A single stare from Namor shut you up from overcomplicating the answer, though it did not stop you from grumbling about the complex meanings of the words.

“Uhm, well, generally, they all kinda mean…” You whispered the last part, suddenly feeling shy and embarrassed that you had even started all of this. 

Namor sighed heavily, staring at you in dismay by your sudden bashfulness that always seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Ka a'alé, speak up.” His body turned towards you more as he leaned his head down in order to listen more carefully.

You shakily let out a breath, fully preparing to face his rageful wrath yet again. 

(You were exaggerating, the most he’s ever done is splash water directly into your face. Though it did go straight to your eyes once, you never forgave him for that.)

“Uhm, what I meant to say was…” You were stalling again, nervously fiddling with your fingers on your lap, flexing them under the water. 

Namor sighed. “If you can’t say them to my face, why say them at a-”

“THEY ALL MEAN ‘BELOVED’!” 

You practically shouted at him, shocking him to his core. You swore you could feel the water suddenly shift. Oh no, what if the Talokanil have been watching you all this time and you just shouted at their king?! 

“Or… Haha… Other things as well.” 

At this point, you were just trying to fill in the rather thick silence in the air. “But uhm, they could all also mean beloved.”

Meanwhile, Namor stayed silent at your confession. Have you been whispering to him such intimate words of affection all this time?

“All those words… were you calling me ‘beloved’?” At this, you shook your head slowly, confusing him even more.

“.... Actually, the last part means something else.” You felt like you were hyperventilating at this point. Perhaps you’ve ruined your favorite OPM playlist forever, as you will always associate it with this moment.

“The… The last part means ‘loving’...” You weakly replied, not daring to meet his eyes. You feel like you’ve royally screwed up, banished from the ocean even. Goodbye, night swimming, you will be dearly missed.

You slowly looked, bracing yourself for his reaction. The scene made your jaw drop, and Namor’s face would have been priceless to you if the situation hadn’t called for it. 

The flusteredness on his face would’ve caught anyone off-guard. The way his eyebrows raised as the corner of his eyes pinched at the corners. His lips were slightly open, as if to say that he was too shocked to even close his mouth. 

Soon, however, Namor finally came to his senses. He finally realized what you had been trying to say to him all this time.

They had called him “the child without love” in their spitting, hateful language.

And you had called him such loving words in your native language, as if to imply that they were wrong.

When you scooted closer to him once more, he didn't flinch or pull away this time. You blinked at his movements, noting the way he slightly leaned onto you again.

“... Niib'oolal." was the only thing Namor said after a few minutes.

You’ve talked to him enough to know what that means.

You gleefully smiled at him, before clearing your throat and relaxing your posture.

“Psh, ako pa? Wala lang yun, K’uk’ulkan.”

The soft tunes of the OPM playlist from your phone continued playing in the air, and the cold feeling of the water soon came to feel like a warm embrace instead.

[overcaffeinatedsoul]

Caffeinated Souls

She was the kind of girl who never liked expressing her feelings and emotions. Even when she’s awfully missing her best friend, she wouldn’t tell him — she’d say it in another way.

“Tara, kape tayo.” She told him over the phone.

“Ayoko. Busy ako.” He responded, sarcastically.

There was nothing else in this world that he’d ever wanted to do more than spend time with her. And no matter how busy he was, he’d always make time for her.

“Libre ko.” She insisted.

“Edi let’s go na.”

At the coffee shop, they enjoyed their favorite java chip frappuccino and they talked about literally everything but their feelings for each other.

“Alam mo ba?” She said, “hating coffee is more natural for humans, kasi we evolved and developed an instinct to be disgusted by anything bitter to avoid poisonous foods.”

“If it’s more natural for humans to hate coffee,” he said. “Bakit ang hilig hilig natin sa kape? Is it the caffeine?”

“Maybe.” She said.

“Yeah, maybe.” He said.

They were aware that it wasn't solely the caffeine fueling their cravings — it was the enchanting moments they shared over coffee that truly captivated them.

[andrbllts]

Palagi By TJ Monterde And KZ Tandingan

Nakikinig ka na naman ba ng Palagi nina TJ Monterde at KZ Tandingan? Good vibes, right? Parang sarap sarap umibig talaga, yung alam mong genuine love hindi yung tawag lang ng pangangailangan. Hahaha. Pero teka lang, may napansin lang ako na konting oops moment sa lyrics na mukhang marami rin sa atin ang nagkamali—admit it! So, tama nga bang marinig natin na, "ikaw ang paborito ko'ng desisyonan"? Kasi technically, sabi nga ng mga lyrics gods, it's supposed to be "ikaw ang paborito ko'ng desisyon at." Pero seryoso, gaano kalabo para sa mga tao ang pagkakaiba?

Kasi naman, ‘pag narinig mo ‘yung "desisyonan," parang may drama. Parang, "Oh my gosh man, ikaw yung desisyonan ng lahat ng desisyon ko sa buhay!" Pero in reality, it’s just "desisyon at," as in, ikaw yung solid choice. Boom, simple. Parang okay na ako sa’yo, no need for overthinking, tapos na ang butasan sa utak. No complications, just straight-up feelings. Pero since mas maraming nakakarinig na "desisyonan," medyo kinareer na nila. Which, let’s be honest, adds a little more spice sa life.

Now let’s move on to another part that throws people off: “pipilitin kong maging sayo.” here we go again! Mga tols, it’s "pipiliin ko'ng maging sayo" kasi nga, kung gusto mo talagang maging kayo, pipiliin mo, ‘di ba? Choice ‘yan! Hindi mo pipilitin kung ayaw niya or ayaw mo—wala sa vocabulary ang pilitan! Hahaha. Daming alam. Pero aminin natin, minsan mas gusto natin 'yung intense approach ng "pipilitin ko'ng maging tayo." Para bang, kahit na may mga balakid or kahit medyo hindi pa align ang stars, ipipilit natin hanggang sa makuha natin 'yung happy ending. Kasi ‘yung "pipilitin" na version, ‘yun na ‘yung kapit lang moment. ‘Di ba?

Parang sa buhay, may mga desisyon tayong pinag-iisipan ng husto, tipong pinipili talaga. Pero may mga moments din na, hala sige, go lang nang go! Pipilitin ko 'to kasi feeling ko worth it! And hey, let’s face it, may charm rin ‘yung ipilit mo na, kahit kalaban mo na ang lahat. ‘Di ba mas exciting ‘yun? Risky, but all the more thrilling!

Minsan nga, mas relatable pa nga ‘yung "desisyonan" at "pipilitin ko'ng maging tayo" kasi sa totoong buhay, hindi laging smooth sailing. May telenovela moments tayo na kailangan nating pumili ng desisyon na may effort, may pilit. Lalo na kung nararamdaman mong worth it naman ‘yung taong pipilitin mo. Parang kanta lang, it may not be the most grammatically correct, but if it works for you and if it feels right—go for it! ‘Yun lang naman ang gusto nating lahat, ‘di ba? A little drama, a lot of love, and the right person in the end.

Kaya whether ikaw ba ang team "desisyon at" or "desisyonan," or kung pipiliin ka ba or pipilitin lang, ang mahalaga, laban lang. Who knows, baka ‘yun pala ‘yung secret recipe para sa forever na hinihintay mo. So, keep vibing with the song and find the lyrics that hit the right spot for you. At the end of the day, it’s your story—and you get to choose how it goes. Go, go, go! 😂❤️

[solreix]

the moment she had known miya atsumu, she knew she'd never read him.

"saan ka?"

napatingala na lamang siya nang magsimula nang bumuhos ang ulan. kagagaling niya lamang sa mall, at nandito siya sa sakayan para makauwi. umaasa na lang siya sa maliit na waiting shed kasama ang ibang pasahero.

"pauwi na." bumuntong hininga siya at tumingin sa paligid. "matagal lang yung jeep."

"sabi sa'yo samahan na kita eh." dinig ang pag-aalala sa boses ni atsumu lalo nang halos matakpan ng ingay ng buhos ng ulan ang boses niya.

"it's okay. malapit na rin naman siguro 'yon."

hindi naman nagtagal ang usapan nila dahil agad din itong ibinaba ng binata. muli, bumuntong hininga siya dahil kahit alam niyang darating din ang jeep, hindi niya mapigilang mainip dahil halos isang oras na siyang naghihintay.

saglit na grocery lang naman ang pakay niya, pero mas matagal pa ang naging paghihintay niya ng masasakyan pauwi.

tulala siyang nakatitig sa panggalingan ng jeep nang may bumusina sa harap niya. nanlaki ang mata niya nang makilala kung kanino ang itim na kotseng huminto.

"sakay na."

para hindi na makagawa ng eksena, agad siyang pumasok nang buksan nito ang pinto para sa kaniya. nang makapasok sa sasakyan nito, saka lamang siya nakahinga nang maluwang kahit paano.

after breathing, she faced him. "salamat, pero sabi sa'yo okay lang eh." ngumuso siya.

atsumu raised his left brow at her before started driving. "kung hindi ako sumunod, baka ginabi ka na. ang layo mo pa sa unahan tapos walang jeep."

hindi na lang siya sumagot dahil tama naman ang binata. instead, she rested her head on the window and watched atsumu drive. the man was flashing poker face, nakatuon ang atensyon sa pagmamaneho.

"pogi ba?" biglang tanong nito at ngumisi, bahagyang lumingon sa direksyon niya.

umirap siya. "si osamu crush ko," biro mo.

doon sumimangot si atsumu, mata ay nanatili sa daan. "aray ko."

nangingiti siyang nailing pero hindi na sumagot. maging si atsumu ay nakangiti na lang at hindi na nagsalita kaya naman namutawi na lang ang chase atlantic sa paligid.

hindi niya talaga mabasa si miya atsumu.

she knew he's... a social butterfly you could say. close sa lahat. funny sa lahat. she could never deny his closeness to other people kaya naman kapag may ganitong ginagawa si atsumu, hindi niya mapigilan tanungin ang sarili kung anong pinagkaiba niya sa kanila.

she could remember one time atsumu giving her breakfast because he knew hindi pa siya kumakain. she felt vulnerable because of that, only to overhear his classmate getting the same treatment from him. sometimes, he would do some dumb things to make her laugh whenever she's upset over something, but she'd eventually find out he's also making others laugh for the same reason she has.

hindi siya special.

"nagmamadali ka ba umuwi?"

"hindi naman," sagot niya nang magsalita ito.

atsumu grinned. "nood muna tayo movie, may gusto akong panoorin."

bumilis ang tibok ng puso niya roon. "ba't hindi sila mina ayain mo," biro niya.

natatawang tumingin sa kaniya si atsumu. "selos ka ba?" umiling ito. "ikaw lang naman niyayaya ko manood."

or maybe she is?

ang gulo-gulo ni miya atsumu.

hindi niya pinansin ang sinabi nito at sumang-ayon na lang dahil wala na rin naman talaga siyang gagawin. nang makarating sila sa condo nito, agad siyang naupo sa sofa at hinayaan itong ayusin ang panonoorin nila.

"hayaan na natin si 'samu, nasa kwarto niya lang 'yon."

habang nanonood, pasimple niyang muling tiningnan si atsumu. her thoughts began wild again, because why can't she watch movie with him without thinking maybe there's something more with his actions? asang-asa siya palagi, at palagi lang din naman siyang disappointed.

"hana, would you do it?"

at ayan na nga. sa tuwing manonood silang dalawa, palaging may hana na nababanggit ang binata. he had only mentioned it thrice, but it's weird he mentioned it at all. ang masama pa, mukhang natural na lamang ang nagiging pagrolyo ng pangalang iyona dila nito.

hindi siya si hana. walang hana sa pangalan niya.

kaya lang, natatakot siyang malaman kung ano iyon. natatakot siyang may magbago kapag sinubukan niyang linawin. hindi niya alam kung bakit, pero kuntento siya sa sitwasyong ganito kay atsumu.

sumagot siya, "maybe if i'm too hurt to even function, i will." sumeryoso ang mukha niya, nakatitig kay atsumu. "i'd rather forget the thing that hurt me that badly and move forward, rather than trying to live with it."

dito na lumingon si atsumu sa kaniya. "ako siguro hindi," sagot naman nito. "gusto kong maalala lahat, kasi alam ko namang hindi lang puro sakit 'yung nangyari."

ano bang pinararating nito? may ibig sabihin ba 'yon? anong dapat niyang isipin?

kumuyom ang kamao niya nang magsimula na namang magtanong ang isip niya. masayang kasama si atsumu. maalaga ito, at safe ang pakiramdam niya rito. pero madalas... tinatanong niya ang sarili kung ano ba talaga sila.

"sabi ko sa'yo maganda rito eh!"

kulang na lamang ay tumalon sa tuwa si atsumu nang makarating kayo sa tuktok kung saan halos kita niyo ang buong antipolo. matagal ka na rin niyang inaaya rito ngunit ngayon ka lang nagkaroon ng libreng oras dahil tapos na ang finals. medyo hesitant pa siyang sumama pero wala pa rin siyang nagawa dahil sarili rin niya ang kalaban niya.

ikaw lang inaya niya rito, baka naman... baka naman may chance.

"'wag kang tumalon, matatapon ice cream mo," suway niya.

nakangiti siyang nilingon ni atsumu, dahilan para mapaatras siyang bahagya. lumapit ito sa kaniya, at ngumuso. "ikaw nga may ice cream pa sa baba."

kung kanino ay mabilis pa ang tibok ng puso niya, ngayon ay halos hindi na siya makahinga nang ilapit nito ang mukha sa kaniya, at punasan ang ice cream na tinutukoy nito. all throughout, nakatitig lang siya sa mata habang ito ay diretso ang tingin sa baba niya.

nang matapos ito sa ginagawa, agad siyang umiwas ng tingin at tumalikod. bago pa man siya tuluyang makalayo, narinig na naman ang pangalang nagdudulot ng kalituhan sa kaniya.

"hay nako, hana."

"sino—"

kinagat niya ang labi upang pigilan ang sarili. tumalikod siya at dire-diretsong nagtungo sa banyo para kalmahin ang sarili. she could feel herself breathing heavily.

ang bigat-bigat.

as she rummaged in her bag, she touched atsumu's cellphone which she never did. oo nga, 'no. kahit kailan ay hindi niya pa nahawakan o natingnan man lang ang cellphone ng binata, idagdag pang hindi niya rin naman kasi ugaling mangielam ng hindi niya gamit.

but this time, hindi niya napagilan, not that she's confident she would see anything dahil inaasahan niyang may password naman ito. however, she was still shaking as she clicked the power button, hindi niya nga maintindihan kung bakit siya nanginginig pero nang makita ang lockscreen ng binata, hindi niya mapigilang hawakan ang dibdib.

a woman, siguro ay kaedad nila, ang nasa lockscreen nito. she was smiling as if something's funny dahil bakas pa ang tawa sa mukha niya.

however, that's not the reason her heart was aching this badly.

kung hindi niya siguro kilala ang sarili, mapagkakamalan niyang siya ang lockscreen ni atsumu.

mas bumigat ang paghinga niya, napatulala na lamang siya sa salamin nang ilang segundo bago sinubukang kalmahin ang sarili. when she successfully did so, she immediately rushed towards atsumu who had his back on her.

at lintik, muntik na siyang umatras.

but no, she has to at least ask.

"atsumu, sino 'to?"

"hey—hana..." nawala ang ngiti sa mukha ni atsumu ang makitang hawak niya ang cellphone nito. umangat ang tingin nito sa kaniya, bago muling ibinalik sa cellphone kung saan nandoon ang mukha ng babae.

"tama na atsumu, hindi ako si hana—ito ba?" pilit niyang pinakalma ang boses. "ito ba si hana?"

hindi nakasagot si atsumu. tanging pagyuko lang nito ang naging kumpirmasyon ng tanong niya.

"tell me, atsumu. what are we?"

"we're friends."

nanlaki ang mata niya, at hindi siya makapaniwala sa tawang nailabas niya. mangiyak-ngiyak siyang natatawa dahil sa sagot nito. nanginginig ang kamay niya habang naalala ang mga bagay na ginawa nilang dalawa, na kahit na may iba ito sa isip, naging masaya siya.

"ang bilis ng sagot mo ah," natatawa niyang sabi. "ayon lang pala tayo, napakumplikado ko pa."

"i'm sorry..." kita ang guilt sa mata ni atsumu, as if he too, was confuse with what's happening. dahil dito, tila naintindihan niya ang nangyari sa binata, pero hindi sapat ang pagg-intinding iyon para hindi siya masaktan.

"bakit..." nanindig ang balahibo niya nang marinig ang panginginig ng sariling boses. "bakit ka ba talaga pumasok sa buhay ko?"

maging si atsumu ay nagulat sa panginginig ng boses niya. she never cries in front of him. kahit sa panonood ng movie ay hindi siya umiyak, mas iyakin pa ito kumpara sa kaniya, kaya ang makita siyang ganito ay unexpectedly masakit pala.

"i just... something drew me to you, and it just happened."

"atsumu naman, there's no such thing as it just happened!"

"but it did-"

"you deliberately entered my life, and i let you in, tapos ganito... you know what." she pushed his phone to his chest. "nevermind. ayusin mo sarili mo."

and when she turned her back, her tears started flowing. she kept wiping her cheeks dahil nakakahiya sa mga nakakasalubong niya, pero hindi humihinto ang pagtulo. she wanted to paused from her tracks pero she was desperate to get away from atsumu as soon as possible.

"sabi ko sa'yo nandito lang kami eh."

before she could see the woman who spoke, she felt a man's arm over her shoulders. she looked beside her only to see yukie giving her a wink.

"that man has the decency to call us, baka raw mapa'no ka."

hindi siya sumagot at tiningnan ang lalaking umakbay sa kaniya. madilim ang tingin nito sa nilalakaran nila.

"keiji..." her voice broke.

and that's when akaashi put his cap over her head. hinila pa nitong bahagya ang ulo niya patungo sa dibdib nito. "iyak ka lang," bulong nito sa ulo niya.

[heysarsii]

a moment to remember :)

Went to Momentum 2023 last Sunday in Alabang to watch the OPM bands I like perform. It was quite a line up but we only went around 6pm to avoid the extreme heat that day. Noting that that is also when the bands I like will play.

Performances by Unique Salonga, Rocksteddy, The Juans, December Avenue, Kamikazee, and Ben&Ben were my most awaited out of the line up. Obviously, I made sure I'll be able to watch because of Kamikazee. And they did not disappoint as always.

Hello from me and my tan lines. Embracing my cinnamon/golden girl days :)

Went with Cha for his first music festival but we bumped into Lour and Neal at the venue. Glad I brought a mat with me for us to sit on during performance breaks because it saved our legs and feet somehow from having to stand from 6pm to almost 1am.

It was truly a moment to remember since this was the first music fest I've been on after the pandemic eased out and Kamikazee was there to play after being on a break for quite some time. I'm just happy to be able to jump along and sing my heart out with them live.x

[ano-po]

I think after reading the Mabini St. (With Love) this old artwork of mine on the previous National Heroes Day back in August 26 made me have a spin off ideas as they tried to cosplay their past old self just as stated in the History. (Like damn it feels like an old days moments asjgdasd)

I named this work. "Say cheese, mahal." and it looks like Miong is holding out a phone to take a picture of him and Pule with the silly heck filters asdgakjsdgasd

Miong: "Grabi, hindi ko na ata ito masusuot sa araw na ito. Medyo malamig pa dati." Naiinitan sa regalia uniform niya. Pule: "As usual, bagay parin sakin to." Tinukoy yung damit niya at humigop ng kape. Miong: "Kailan bang hindi? O' siya. Tingin ka muna dito at makunan natin yan, and say cheese. Mahal." Pule: umirap at ngumiti pero deep inside kinikilig na.

Aahhh you're right!

There should be a moment in where Pole forced Miong to wear his general regalia for "old times sake" but we know mans just thirsty for his own husband in uniform. It has always been his fantasy to have the man, but it was war and he was married so he could only die longing.

Now! All of him! Is his! He would never ever pass the opportunity to recreate his hidden fantasies. After making Miong wear the uniform, they removed them on Pole's desk (which also happens to be an approximation of Miong's Presidential desk)

[starseungs]

the issue about the thesis was the greatest fuck in my college life tbh because first all everything was going great BEFORE the data gathering because i got 90++ grade from our prof which is really good since we did everything together and the proposal was to the highest level of success but everything went apart the moment napabayaan kami, imagine mo me and my friends did our research alone, we didn't know what to do so naghanap kami ng paraan tapos lagpas na sa expiration date defense namin so i almost failed tapos the dean didn't like it and 50-50 yung graduation ko 😭 pero thank God nagawan naman ng paraan and i still graduated with a high grade. and yes maroon school is top tier when it comes to acads, mas malaman yung majors mo compared sa minors. sadyang magkaka-problema ka lang talaga it's either with you or sa prof mo (i heard my prof is not teaching na sa maroon school and stayed sa blue school so ayon, forgot to thank him sa lahat) but yah

your majors won't be the ones who'll fuck you, the minor ones will 🤧 you will do great in college and of course magiging part ka ng dean's list!! YOUR BRAIN HELLO??? TOP TIER TOO here’s a piece of advice, your grades doesn’t matter that much i mean don’t stay sa grade na kontento ka, kunin mo yung grade na kaya mong kunin also, also make sure to have good credentials and backgrounds, the more u engage sa orgs. the better but manage your time. it’s like high school but busier, tiring, mental breaking and emotionally painful so expect a lot of paghihirap but no pressure ok? there are A LOT of times you can enjoy, 4 years of college ON CAMPUS, it will be a great experience too. kaso after grad. thats when life fucks you hard welcome to reality shit and other stuff but hey, you will be alright 🩷 been there, done that just enjoy okay?

HALA HUHU TAMA TALAGA SA MAGDDOWNHILL LAHAT PAG NAPABAYAAN KASI NAGANUN DIN AMIN KAYA MAGKAIBA YUNG DIRECTION NAMIN AT YUNG DIRECTION NA TINGIN NG RESEARCH ADVISER NAMIN NA PAPUNTA KAMI :((( pero im so happy it all worked out for us, and naitawid namin yung defense kahit na-gisa kami 🥲

and i'll take your advice to heart. actually may dalawa na din akong tinitingnan na orgs dito sa blue school d-city (yung isa is an arts and mass media focused org and from what ive seen, they make mvs, documentaries, broadcasts, etc // then the other one is the studenr government AHAHAHAHA wala lang, part din kasi ako ng studgov org sa shs) titingnan ko nalang what calls me 🤷‍♀️

hays lagi akong napapagod sa pag-aaral pero honestly parang di ko pa maimagine sarili ko magtrabaho 😭 hopefully may mahahanap ako na pays good enough kasi alam naman natin kinukulang sa job opportunities tong pinas :')))

[shinasloved]

. # ˓ SUDDENLY ˎˊ˗

summary : The story is about You and Alex(Quackity), former lovers who meet unexpectedly at their school. You both engage in tense but playful banter, confront your unresolved feelings, and realize it's time to move on and grow up.

notes : sudden transitions, taglish, ...

The school bell chimed, its echoes signaling the end of another day's classes. The classroom, once abuzz with the energy of students, fell into a hushed silence as your advisor's soothing voice broke through, "Good day, class." In perfect unison, your classmates responded with a polite, "Good day, sir." With practiced efficiency, everyone gathered their books, stuffed them into their bags, and made their way out of the classroom, leaving the cleaners to their routine.

You slung your bag over your shoulder and quickly caught up with your best friend, who was practically vibrating with excitement. She didn't wait for you to reach her but eventually noticed you lagging behind and slowed down to walk beside you. Suddenly, her eyes widened, as if a lightbulb had switched on in her mind.

"Te! Kilala mo ba 'yung lalaking naka-beanie?" Do you know the guy with a beanie? she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Sino?" Who? you replied, furrowing your brow as you tried to conjure an image of the person she was describing.

"Mahaba ang buhok, nakatago sa beanie, brown ang suot, cute!" Long hair hidden under a beanie, brown outfit, cute! You both came to a halt and found an empty bench outside a building, deciding to sit down for a moment. "I still don't know who you're talking about, pero, mukhang campus crush mo, ah! Uyy, si Thea may crush na!" I still don't know who you're talking about, but is he your new campus crush? Uy! You already have a crush! You playfully teased her, a mischievous grin forming on your lips.

"Gaga, 'di ah, loyal lang ako kay... alam mo na. Para tayong elementary, what is this behavior!?!" No, I'm loyal to... you know who. We're acting like elementary students, what is this behavior?!? She playfully nudged your shoulder.

"Well, sino ba 'yung beanie guy na sinasabi mo?" Well, who are you even talking about? "

"Moreno siya... OH! Alam ko na! May na-describe kang guy na parang siya, sabi mo dati na high school sweetheart mo dati, anyare ba?" He's Moreno... OH! I know! You described someone like him before, you said that he was your high school sweetheart back then, what happened? She finally recalled, her face lighting up with recognition.

"Sino kasi... A- Alan, Alias, Aldrin... Axel, OH! Alex! Siya nga yung nakita namin!" What's his name again... A- Alan, Alias, Aldrin, Axel ... OH! Alex! Him! She glanced around, trying to jog her memory, until her gaze landed on an Axe body spray advertisement, prompting her to excitedly exclaim the name.

"ALEX?!?!? IMPOSIBLE! Matagal na silang lumipat sa America!" That's impossible! They moved to America so long ago! Your eyes widened with sudden realization.

"Girl, Airplanes exist, Cars exist, Transportation exists," she countered, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I know, but, why is he here, anong ginagawa niya dito?! and saan mo siya nakita?" I know, but why is he here? What is he doing here?! Where did you even see him?

"Habang naglalakad kami kanina ni Lia sa halls papuntang room, nakita namin siya kinakausap yung guard natin, parang may hinahanap or hinihintay." While Lia and I were heading to class, we saw him talking to the guard but he was finding or waiting for something.

"What if hinahanap ka niya... Uyyy!" What if he's looking for you... Uyyy! Your best friend added with a knowing look, raising her eyebrows playfully.

"Ewan ko sayo. Baka magalit na roommate ko dahil late ako makakauwi!" I don't know what you're talking about. My roommate might be upset that I'm coming home late! With that, you grabbed your bag and hastily made your way towards the exit.

"Huy! Y/N HINTAYIN MOKO! TRAFFIC PA MO!!" Huy! Y/N WAIT FOR ME! IT'S STILL TRAFFIC! You heard Thea yell, her voice trailing behind you.

In your hurry, you failed to notice what was directly in your path, and you accidentally collided with someone. "AY!" you screeched as you stumbled and tumbled over the person.

You heard the person beneath you groan in response, and as you slowly opened your eyes, you felt as if fate had thrown you an unexpected curveball.

"Alex." "Y/N." You both said each other's names simultaneously, the shock evident in your voices.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?!" you asked in disbelief, your mind racing with a whirlwind of questions.

"Ikaw! What are you doing here?!" He inquired, his expression mirroring your surprise.

"Dito ako nag-aaral, ano ka ba!" I go here! Your voice quivered with astonishment.

"Helloo! I came here to pick up my girlfriend!" He replied dragging out the o, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Oh! May girlfriend ka na pala! Ang sakit naman! Ouch! Parang tinamaan ako ng bulkang Mayon!" Oh! You have a girlfriend now! How hurtful! Ouch! I feel like the Mayon volcano dropped on me! You couldn't help but be sarcastic, even in this unexpected situation.

"Can you please get off me?" He tried to be polite, but your stubbornness got the better of you, and you didn't budge.

"Oh! Ow! I should get a chiropractor and a therapist after FALLING FOR YOU! Gosh! How embarrassing!" Your banter continued, seemingly unstoppable.

As the two of you playfully argued, you both failed to notice that your best friend and his girlfriend were trying to intervene, and a stern-looking guard was approaching. It wasn't until the guard shouted at both of you that you finally ceased your banter.

"HOY! KAYONG DALAWA DIYAN! TAYO! PARA KAYONG MGA BATA! NAGAAWAY SA LAPAG! MAS MATURED PA MGA 2 YEARS OLD KESA SA INYO!" THE TWO OF YOU! GET UP! YOU ARE LIKE CHILDREN! ARGUING ON CONCRETE! TWO-YEAR OLDS ARE MORE MATURED THAN BOTH OF YOU! The guard scolded both of you, his stern voice echoing in the corridor. You and Alex finally came to your senses, stood up, and dusted yourselves off, all the while feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Sundan niyo 'ko, maguusap kayong dalawa!" Follow me! Both of your are going to talk and make up! The guard's no-nonsense tone left no room for argument.

The four of you obediently followed the guard, but your best friend and Alex's girlfriend were soon asked to stay back. It seemed this conversation was meant to be private.

As you and Alex settled into chairs on opposite sides of a table, the room felt more like a police interrogation room than a place for a casual chat.

"Mag-uusap kayo! Nasa labas akong manonood, kung 'di kayo mag-uusap, tignan nalang natin kung makukuha mo pa degree niyo," I'm only outside, if you are not going to make up, let's see if both of you will get your degree. the guard declared before leaving the room.

Alex, still looking bewildered, turned his attention to you, his eyes searching for answers.

"You understand Tagalog, right?" you asked, breaking the silence between you.

"Yeah, pero, I'm not used to speaking Tagalog anymore, I forget most words now." he responded, his tone slightly uncertain.

It seemed like the two of you were finally finding common ground and making an effort to bridge the gap that had formed between you.

"Wow! Ang galing mo naman! You just moved countries then suddenly you can't talk Tagalog and talk to me through chats!" Wow! You're so cool! You just moved countries and then suddenly you can't talk tagalog and talk to me through chats! You playfully teased him again, trying to challenge him one more time.

Oh well! I said that too soon.

"Oh come on! Y/N, haven't we gotten over this?!" He massaged his temples, as if trying to ward off an impending headache.

"Y/N. This is why we never really worked out. We constantly fought and couldn't stand each other, and then we broke up! Why are you still challenging me into a fight?" His words carried a note of exasperation and perhaps a hint of frustration.

A heavy silence fell between you, and you found yourself avoiding eye contact with him, feeling a bead of sweat forming on your forehead.

"Y/N? Don't tell me you haven't moved on from me... Y/N, it's been years. I moved on, and you should too. It's not healthy to love someone who already loves someone else." His voice softened as he offered his candid advice.

You felt speechless as you started realizing how immature and stubborn you had been. "I- i- ..."

"It's okay," he reassured you, his expression sympathetic.

"I was very happy having you in my life, but as I grew up with you, I felt suffocated. I couldn't breathe around you, I couldn't speak to you properly without us fighting over small things." He confessed, his words carrying the weight of years of pent-up emotions.

Alex felt a sense of relief, finally unburdening himself by sharing the words he had longed to say.

Perhaps the words 'we never worked out' hit you harder than anything you had said earlier. In that moment, a profound realization washed over you. You had been in denial, unwilling to admit the lingering feelings you held for Alex and the unique dynamic you shared. Your interactions, filled with playful banter and heated arguments, were something you had unconsciously missed. You had inadvertently found yourself in another clash with him, but this time, you were asking for the fight. It became clear that beneath the surface, you longed for the passionate and intense connection you once had, even if you hadn't been fully aware of it until now. This moment marked a crucial turning point in your journey of self-discovery and the challenging path of letting go.

But, as Alex wisely pointed out, it was time to move on and grow up.

"I still love you, even if you no longer do. I know I have to move on, even if it's been difficult for me. I was starting to forget you when suddenly, you were mentioned, and the memories I had kept of you and me in a bottle, buried deep, resurfaced just like a hidden treasure."

"Did you know that my mom used to tell stories about us when we were younger, and how she wished we'd grow old together in the future, maybe in another universe..."

As you both nodded in agreement and locked eyes, the weight of past grievances began to lift, and you felt the catharsis of finally letting go.

"Thank you." "For everything."

[bookloure]

I hesitate to call whatever this it is I’m writing here as book reviews, so I guess tawagin ko na lang silang #ReadingJourney. So ayun, here’s my reading journey with RM Topacio-Aplaon’s “Topograpiya ng Lumbay.”

Based on this book alone, I find a lot of similarities between RM Topacio-Aplaon’s writing and themes to Haruki Murakami. In my head, I see him as a “grounded Murakami.”

Topograpiya ng Lumbay follows three lonely people whose lives intersect because of a horrific event that coincided with Yolanda. In the span of a week or so, we follow their journey to unearth the past and, more importantly, find themselves. It’s one of those nothing-really-happens book. The reader just follows these lonely characters to places and listens to their pseudo-deep conversations. As I said, very Murakami-esque.

Another (unfortunate) similarity between RM and Haruki is how they write women. The fetishization of thin, lithe women is all over the novel. In more than one scene, Melody, who has a ‘maliit na suso’ at ‘mapupulang tuhod,’ masturbates for nothing but to cater to the male gaze. (I’m just tired of it. Having read a lot of women authors, I am highly sensitive to these things now. And I’m glad I am. I wouldn’t have noticed all of these bullshit when I was sixteen, and that’s sinister.)

That said, there were enough interesting elements in the novel to keep me going. It touched on topics that I thought were interesting. I can rally behind the body horror-ish vibes of the book. There are many scenes where the gross bodily fluids and functions were underscored. Clearly, may pinaglalaban din si RM pagdating sa depiction ng kadiring mga bagay na ginagawa ng mga katawan natin sa mga nobela. Merong mga pangugulangot, pagkamot ng bayag, pag-amoy ng hininga etc. At masasabi ko namang na-enjoy ko yung grossness.

There were moments when characters were used as mouthpieces. And I thought hindi ganon ka-elegant yung pagka-insert ng mga opinyon nya sa narrative. For one, RM has some strong opinions about Filipino readers who seem to prefer English novels, which I do not agree with. I tend to give Filipinos more grace just because our colonial past, our government, and the systems here are shit.

It’s the novel’s political dimension that I enjoyed the most. It felt to me like I was let in on a secret. I should say tho, that all the horrific scenes happen around this political dimension; there’s torture, mutilation, and bestiality (which thankfully was not depicted in a graphic way.) And I know that politics in rural areas of the country are violent—who can ever forget the Maguindanao Massacre?—but it’s important to be reminded.

Overall, this is not a favorite book, but I’m not giving up on RM Topacio Aplaon yet. (hello, cognitive dissonance!) I still have two of his books that I want to read before I can say for sure that he’s not the author for me.

May pakiramdam akong maiinis si RM Topacio Aplaon na Ingles ‘tong review ko ng libro nya, but whatever.

[maya-chirps]

Huling Sayaw (ft. Kyla) Translation

by Kamikazee (En. Last Dance)

Third translation here and this one is extremely nostalgic! Huling Sayaw is part of Kamikazee's Romantico series and is part of a longer song series which includes their other songs Halik and Tagpuan. This was extremely popular during my junior high school and would often get most of the crowd singing and drumming along. I remember an indie band had come to perform in our school for an event and they did a cover of this song and some 600 students from our batch sang along. This is honestly the song for your doomed ships.

Last Dance

This is our final moment We won't make anymore mistakes Because there's no tomorrow, let's savor this[1], this is the end We might need to go home

Hold my hand before we separate We'll give our all, our all

Goodbye to our last dance Turns out heaven has an end That's why we'll let go at the same time In our last dance

Didn't notice that the night's gotten late (the night's gotten late) But I don't want to rush (don't you rush) How sweet, how good[2], but this is the last We might need to go home

Hold my hand before we separate We'll give our all, our all

Goodbye to our last dance Turns out heaven has an end That's why we'll let go at the same time In our last dance

Goodbye to our last dance (goodbye to our) Turns out heaven has an end (last dance) That's why we'll let go at the same time In our last dance

Goodbye to our last dance Turns out heaven has an end That's why we'll let go at the same time In our last dance

Alternate Translations and Additional Context

Let's make the most of this - This is the more literal translation of "sulitin natin" but it was too long for the lyric.

How delicious - this is the more literal translation of this lyric but it doesn't sound right. The meaning of the lyric is closer to what I used.

Original Lyrics

Ito na ang ating huling sandali 'Di na tayo magkakamali Kasi wala nang bukas, sulitin natin, ito na ang wakas Kailangan na yata nating umuwi

Hawakan mo aking kamay bago tayo maghiwalay Lahat-lahat ibibigay, lahat-lahat

Paalam sa 'ting huling sayaw May dulo pala ang langit Kaya't sabay tayong bibitaw Sa ating huling sayaw

'Di namalayan na malalim na ang gabi (malalim na ang gabi) Pero ayoko sanang magmadali (huwag kang magmadali) Kay tamis, kay sarap, ngunit ito na ang huli

Kailangan na yata nating umuwi

Hawakan mo aking kamay bago tayo maghiwalay Lahat-lahat ibibigay, lahat-lahat

Paalam sa 'ting huling sayaw May dulo pala ang langit Kaya't sabay tayong bibitaw Sa ating huling sayaw Paalam sa 'ting huling sayaw (paalam na sa 'ting) May dulo pala ang langit (huling sayaw) Kaya't sabay tayong bibitaw Sa ating huling sayaw Paalam sa 'ting huling sayaw May dulo pala ang langit Kaya't sabay tayong bibitaw Sa ating huling sayaw