Mischief - Part 7

The next day, over breakfast, the King was in a glorious mood as he was going hunting that day.

"Perhaps I shall catch a fine wild boar today," he exclaimed with joy like a child on Christmas morning.

Mal turns to him from her seat and smiles sweetly, "I'm sure your Majesty is quite talented when it comes to the hunt. Might I be so bold as to request the privilege of accompanying you on your trip, Sire?"

He looks at her with astonishment written across his jolly old face,"Oh, Lady Malora, are you trained in the ways of hunting?"

If she's gonna be playing a part, she might as well make it an interesting one.

"Quite a few of the ladies from Ermosta are skilled at hunting. My father wanted a son and he got me instead. He never mentioned wanting a son again after training me."

"Well, you're a spirited young thing aren't you?" King Ashtar replies, "Of course, you may come with us my dear. I look forward to seeing how well you hunt."

Mal laughs and notices Riverqo's questioning look in her direction.

He didn't expect her to just sit in the castle all the time did he?

                                                                      -----

The arrow whizzes past the trees and hits the boar right in his sides. This causes it to land on the floor with a thud. Birds start flying off in whatever direction they could think of.

King Ashtar claps his hands, "My, my, you are indeed a fine hunter, Lady Malora."

She smiles in a pleasant manner as she gets off her horse, "Still not as good as you though I imagine, your Highness."

She takes out the arrow from the boar and puts it back into her case, still covered in blood and all.

"Shall we take a break at the lake nearby father?" Prince Riverqo pipes up.

"An excellent idea, my son."

Shortly, they found themselves all set up near the lake. Malora excuses herself to clean off her arrows. As she is looking at her reflection in the water, she can't help but think of what was going on and what she was actually doing. How long could this charade keep going on for? What would happen when they all find out the truth?

She hears footsteps approaching and immediately loads her bow in preparation.

"Who's there? If you mean to hurt me, I will shoot you," she told the approaching person.

"Calm down Mal, it's just me," Prince Riverqo exclaims as he emerges from the bushes.

"What do you want?" She asks him as she stands up properly from the ground.

He walks up closer to her, "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I can take care of myself, Rivie. You know that."

"I do, of course," he replies and moves even closer to her. So close that she can easily examine the intense grey irises staring back at her.

He brushes a strand of hair away from her face, "I'm just concerned about you."

Mischief - Part 6

OH SHIT!

Mal was starting to get nervous now. This is not an ideal situation. Of course she could easily just knock him out but then this doofus would probably ask for her head. Oh, also her cover would be blown, of course.

She looks at Prince Arizel, "But I must, why a lady cannot break a promise after all."

He pins her to the wall and she just takes it, knowing that any sign of defiance would be enough to arouse suspicion. The young royal then lowers his face to hers, "My dear cousin would understand if you were a bit..."

He brushes his fingers against her cheek seductively and finishes his sentence with a smug look on his face, "Occupied."

As Mal tried to figure out her next move, she hears her name being called out, "Mal! Are you here Mal?" She had never been so relieved to hear her name.

"I'm here, Prince Riverqo!" she shouts out quickly before Arizel could keep her quiet.

Riverqo stumbles upon the two of them and still sees Mal being pinned to the wall by Arizel. He raises an eyebrow and looks at his cousin, "Not trying to play around with my beloved are you now cousin?"

Arizel backs away from Mal and chuckles, "Is she yours now Riverqo? I wasn't aware of that. My apologies." Riverqo looks at Mal and walks up right to him, "I think the one you should apologise properly to is Mal."

Clearly not satisfied with the way things have turned out, the arrogant prince bows before Mal, "My apologies, Mi Lady. I was not aware that you were spoken for."

Mal slips back into her regular mode and smiles at the bastard, "An honest mistake, your lordship."

And with that Prince Arizel walks away. Leaving Mal and Riverqo on their own.

Mal lets out a sigh of relief as she looks at Riverqo,"You saved me just then. Thanks."

Without warning, he grabs her hands, which causes her to jump in surprise. "WHAT THE --"

He holds her hands in his and looks at her seriously but with a gentle tenderness, "Your hands are still trembling. I'm sorry. I should have warned you about Arizel. He is quite notorious for taking maidens as he wishes."

She looks down at her own hands and realises that he is indeed right. She was still trembling, which she didn't think she did.

"I couldn't blow my cover. I didn't know what to do." She tells him with an honesty that surprised even herself. And she looks at him straight in the eyes as she says this.

He smiles at her in a charming way, "I won't leave you alone from now on Mal. Don't worry. I'll make sure you're okay."

Mischief - Part 5

Prince Riverqo walks out into the flower garden and he finds Mal there. Sitting on a marbled bench, gazing out into the distance, as if she were contemplating something... or daydreaming. 

He walks over and sits next to her. They remain in silence for a few moments before he says, "So when exactly am I suppose to announce our engagement again, dearest?"

She laughs, "Not for another week or so. I mean, we have to make this believable don't we?"

"Well, your act is quite convincing. Are you sure that you're not an actual duchess?"

She raises an eyebrow, "Positive."

They remain in silence once more.

"Don't you get bored of this life, Rivie?"

"Everyday. Which is why I go beyond the palace walls."

"How dull it must be... To be a high class lady... No adventure, no freedom, wearing these, urghhh, god awful dresses."

He turns to her and flashes another one of his charming smiles, "I think you look quite lovely in this one."

And she blushes slightly. The young girl didn't even know that she could do such a thing! She turns her face away, not wanting to show him how vulnerable she could be. She did not want to be known as weak... Never again...

She stands up, looks at him right in the eye and says, "You don't have to charm me Rivie... We're already getting engaged anyway."

And then she quickly walks away, leaving him to just stare at the back of her gown.

                                                             -----

Mal taps against the walls and listens intently for an internal sort of echoing. She had picked up this skill from an old friend long ago. It still proves to be a handy bit of knowledge when she's looking to make a quick escape. Her small stature made it quite easy too.

She still couldn't quite figure out what it was she looking for exactly....

Her hand was already getting numb from the repetitive movement when suddenly she heard the familiar sound that she was searching for. She wipes away the layer of dust from a particular brick to see a symbol staring back at her. A sort of upside down heart with an X in the middle. 

She leans her head against the symbol as she tries to remember where she's seen this before. Was it from her childhood? Had this been coded to her in some way before?

As a million thoughts and memories race through her head, she could hear footsteps approaching. Quickly she notes down the location of the symbol, wipes away the dust from her forehead and walks away from the location, putting on the best 'I'm lost' face that she could muster.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A lost little lamb?", a voice erupts a few feet away from her.

Mal looks up to see an unfamiliar figure. Blue eyes, jet black hair and a face that girls in the kingdom would swoon over. She did not like the looks of him. He gave the impression of being a slippery eel.

Still, she curtsies and addresses him appropriately, "My apologies good sir, I have no idea as to who you are but I am indeed just a tad lost in this massive castle."

He moves closer to her and traces his fingers down her bare arm, which on the inside causes her to shiver and hurl at the same time. 

"My name is Prince Arizel. I'm Prince Riverqo's cousin," he responds as he smiles at her suggestively.

The seriousness of the situation finally dawns on Mal.

"Lovely to meet you, Prince Arizel. I really should go. Prince Riverqo is expecting me," she replies with a hopefully, convincing lie and is about to walk away when he grabs her by the arm forcefully.

"Ah, you're not going anywhere..."

Mischief - Chapter 4

"Welcome back, my lord! We're so glad that you're safe," exclaims a short, round and boy-ish old man, who seemed to be wearing a uniform of some kind.

Riverqo smiles cheerfully, "No need for worries, Wordsworth. I just had a bit of trouble but it's all well now."

Wordsworth thows his hands up in the air in a dramatic manner that only thespians would use, "When Brutus came back without you, why, I almost had a heart attack!"

Mal tries his best to contain her laughter at the comical and stout man, as she stands by Riverqo's side.

He finally notices the now decently dressed Mal and raises an eyebrow at her, "And who is this with you, your highness?"

Mal curtsies like a proper lady, "I was rescued by Prince Riverqo. It's a miracle that I'm still alive. Those bandits never stood a chance against his skills..."

She says all this while looking at him with the most affectionate look that a woman could ever give a man... And yet, you could tell that she was teasing him. Just as a squirrel would tease you from up in a tree.

                                                           -----

Of course, soon after that, word got around about Prince Riverqo's daring feat of rescue and Malora was welcomed into the castle with open arms.

Inside this castle, she was no longer Malora, the hunted. Here, she would be regarded as Malora, the young duchess from the far of country of Ermosta. 

No one doubted her status as she was approved by the King himself. She was playing the part perfectly. The epitome of a charming socialite.

This made Prince Riverqo even more curious. How did a supposed thief and murderer come to play the part so well? How did she know the ways of high society?

                                                          -----

That night as Mal laid in bed combing her hair, the moon was out in its full glory. The white light softly made its home on her red bedding...

She didn't notice any of this. She has to think of her next move. It wouldn't be long till people started getting suspicious. The charade couldn't last forever. 

She looks at the small silver key that is attached to her bracelet and sighs. 

"I hope you have the answers I need..."

Mischief - Part 3

Mal can tell that Prince Riverqo is confused. No one has called him that in ages.

"Wait, Rivie? Do I know you?" he asks. In case you weren't paying attention, she still has the dagger to his throat.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Who can say for sure?"

She lets him go and stashes the dagger away. He turns around and looks at her. Properly this time. Studying her face and her being. Trying to figure out, if he did actually know she was...

"Best not keep looking to hard, Rivie. You may just fall in love with me...", she says teasingly as she slowly keeps her net away. She knows that he will not run.

"So... I guess I owe you a favour. What is it, urm...." He pauses, unsure of himself.

Mal walks up to him and and smirks, "Tis Malora, Mal for short."

"Malora... That's an interesting name."

"Ah but the interesting thing here will be the favour you grant me."

She then smiles and circles around him. He studies her and you can tell that he is intrigued. Like this is all just one mystery, waiting to be solved.

"Well, pray tell, what is it that you want then, Malora? Gowns? Money? A castle?" he asks her.

She merely shakes her head and chuckles, "A gown is useless to me, Rivie. No, what I want is something else..."

She finally stops in front of him, grabs him by his very expensive silk collar and you can see that her eyes are glistening. He is awestruck by them for a second before her next words almost give Prince Riverqo a heart attack.

"Make me your bride..."

Mischief - part 2

Mal merely looks at the captive and shrugs, "Well, well, for a prince, you don't seem to have very good manners. Not even a please?"

He tilts his head and looks at her, clearly confused.

"If you know, who I am, why won't you let me down?"

She shifts her eyes up and looks at him straight in the eye, "As mentioned before, your manners leave a lot to be desired, dear prince. Perhaps you wanna try that request again?"

"Oh beautiful lady, would you please let me down?" he responds earnestly.

She laughs, amused by his words. "Flattery doesn't work with me." But she proceeds to cut the rope holding the net up, causing him to fall to the ground abruptly with a 'oomph'.

She crouches down to his level and their faces are close now. So close that they could hear the other breathing.

"C'mon, how about you earn your freedom?"

He stands up straight and raises a questioning eyebrow, "You aren't going to let me go?"

"I didn't say I would, now did I? Also if you do try and run, there's another trap here just a bit away that would probably kill you. So your best bet is to stay here and earn your freedom in a fight with me."

The prince smirks at her last words, "You really think you can beat me don't you?"

With a flick of her bangs, she looks straight into his eyes with determination, "Perhaps. You won't know unless you fight me. Also, I'm talking just plain street fighting. No weapons. That is... If you're not too scared..."

"You're on. When I win, I earn my freedom..."

"Ah! If you win... If I win, you'll do me a favour, no questions asked, and you remain with me till I say you can go."

He flashes her a smile and tosses his sword to the side, "I give you my word."

Mal raises her fists up in a fighting stance and he does the same. This is it. This is her chance to finally set things right... She wasn't going to let this slip away so easily.

She attacks first. Her right hand aims for his jaw but he avoids it in time and aims for her gut. Her reflexes are quick and she dodges it and instead kicks him to the ground swiftly. He doesn't see it coming and falls on his back. He tries to bounce back but Mal is quicker.

Before he can even do anything, she has her right foot right on his throat and is applying just enough pressure to keep him pinned.

"Looks like I win."

She takes her foot off slowly and he begins gasping for air. He stands up once again and quickly aims for her left side, which actually hits her. It usually takes a while for people to recover but he must have had sufficient training.

She feels the impact against her side but ignores it and instead calculates her next move. Mal feigns falling to the ground and it works. He is thrown off by this and doesn't expect her to zip in behind him and hold her dagger to his throat. Which she does.

"You really have left your manners back at the castle haven't you, Rivie?", she whispers into his ear, as she clutches the dagger.

Mischief - Part 1

A huge, hairy knuckle comes swinging right towards the face of our lead character. It belongs to a man of no importance. What I can tell you though is that he is big and brutish in nature with a considerable amount of scars on his face.

Our lead ducks swiftly out of the way, takes out a silver dagger of appropriate size and cuts the man at his throat. All within one single minute. And yes, he is now dead.

A stray hair is blown away from the face and the dagger is casually placed back to its home,"That's what you get for touching something that isn't yours."

                                                              -----

People often mistook Malora, Mal for short, to be younger than her actual age. This suited her fine. The less people knew about her the better. 

She had a delicate and small face but her eyes, which were a dark concrete brown, somehow always glowed with a fierceness that could rival that of fabled dragons. Her hair was a cross between mossy green and sapphire blue, which came from her father. She hated this as a child as she was always teased as being a tree, you see.

In stature, she was petite and feminine but underneath that, she had the strength and agility of a great warrior. As well as the skill to go with it, of course. 

Besides these few details, very little had ever been discovered about her. And she intended to keep it that way. 

                                                               -----

It was a Thursday when Mal had been wandering in the Alexion forest, inspecting her usual traps. She knew that it was Thursday because the local bakery had their special berry pies for sale, which only happened on yes, Thursday.

So, there she was, our heroine, looking over the traps that she had laid out through the forest. She could hunt, without a doubt, but she liked to save her energy for fighting when she needed it. For some reason, she needed it quite frequently lately. 

The royal guards seemed to be slacking in their work and there were a lot more bad people around. Not that she wasn't used to it. Still, she wondered why...

It was during this pondering that she spied something caught in her big net. She raises an eyebrow at the victim, who is trying to cut at the net and free himself with his massive sword.

Amused by his lack of attention, she asks, "You need a hand there?"

He looks at her this time and she immediately recognizes him merely by his tousled chestnut hair and his grey eyes. 

He flashes her a charming smile and says, "Any chance you could get me down from here?"

5 Lessons Archie Comics Taught Me On What Not To Do In Dating

I can't remember  when I read my first Archie Comic but I think what attracted me most was the colour and composition of the layout as well as the stories. I don't know about you guys but it was one of the first ways that I came to learn about the complex relationships between males and females. 

I mean Archie has the sweet Betty Cooper and upper class Veronica Lodge chasing after him all the time. And then they have a rag tag bunch of friends with their own relationship troubles. They might not have all the answers but here's the 5 things I've learned on what NOT to do in dating from Archie Comics.

1) Don't keep chasing after someone who can't decide if he loves you or not

Archie can never decide between Betty and Veronica. And even if he did in some small section of a story, then in the next one, he's right back to not being sure as to which one to take to prom. 

Whether you're a guy or a girl, you shouldn't have to be in a situation where you constantly need to chase after someone, so that he won't be going around dating 'the other person'. You should have a bit more self respect and worth than that, right?

2) Don't date within your circle of friends

There was always so much drama with Archie and the gang. Archie dates Betty one night, then Veronica the next. Reggie takes Betty out and then Midge later on. This was basically pre-tv Gossip Girl!

Unless you've got your eye on a particular person within your circle that you've been crushing on forever (or maybe just realised that you have?), I would suggest not rotating dates within your own circle. Broken hearts will be 10 times messier and friendships will turn into picking who's side you're on.

3) Don't let yourself get caught up in the pursuit of the perfect significant other

Ethel is an interesting character as she's always featured mainly for one thing. Her love for the boy by the name of Jughead Jones. The running gag being that Jughead always has to keep on running (like literally) from her. She's not the prettiest of the bunch but she's got many other great qualities.

Don't be an Ethel who chases after a certain other or a certain type of other that you normally go for. Give yourself the chance to discover the different types of personalities out there in the dating realm. Who knows? Maybe the right one is someone that is totally different to what you were chasing.

4) Don't go beyond your means when it comes to going on dates

In a majority of the strips, Archie often gets in trouble for not being able to cover the cost of the meal for him and his date. Either his date will have to pay for him (tsk, tsk, tsk) or he ends up washing dishes (YOU DON'T GO INTO A RESTAURANT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY!) to pay them back.

Guys and gals, if you wanna go somewhere for a date or plan something nice, make sure you have the finances to. If not, just spend some quality time together doing stuff that doesn't require a lot of money. Walks in the park anyone?

5) Don't let a relationship ruin your friendship

This seems pretty obvious but in the comic, you can best see this in the Betty-Archie-Veronica triangle. Betty & Veronica are supposedly the best of friends, right? Even though they are pretty different in personality, they still care for each other and have each other's backs. Unless it involves Archie. Scheming and lots of tricks happen after that.

I've always been confused as to how they've managed to stay friends when they are both  in 'love' with the same guy. It's not really possible is it? Feelings are complicated and when you throw in friends into the mix it becomes even more so. 

I still pick up the comic sometimes. It makes for a fun read, so why not? Still, after all this time, I wonder about one question in particular... What on earth do girls see in Archie? Well, with the decision to kill Archie off, I for one will be glad that the girls of Riverdale (particularly Betty & Ron) will finally be able to move on.

 

Love,

Geek with a pencil.

P.s. So what are you own thoughts on the depictions of romance in the comics? C'mon, share in the comments!

Eternal Saturday

You are my Eternal Saturday
Filled with the lightness of 
Infinite balloons
A warm and comfortable feeling  
Peaking through jungle leaves

You are my Eternal Saturday
The one flirting with my lips
An exquisite piece of paradise
Wrapping me in scents
Of buttered popcorn
And delightfully fresh laundry

You are my Eternal Saturday
A jazzy melody
Perfection for a casual drive
Each note blown away
Each vibration lingering closer

Can I keep you here with me?
Will you no longer stray?
Love and hope is what you're made of
Forever mine
Eternal Saturday...

What people need to remember...

There has been a lot of news about MH370 and at the same time, hardly anything at all. There's still a lot of speculation and we only get the small pieces of this gigantic puzzle.

I am not here to speculate on the why's and how's of this but there are a few things that people need to remember...

It Has Nothing To Do With Religion, Race, Politics, Etc. 

There are some people out there who are bringing religion, race and other factors into the picture. Using it as a tool to justify what has happened or simply to prove a point regarding their own actions. I have heard stories and seen pictures on social media depicting such outrageous behaviour.

Anger, Disbelief and Shame are just some of the feelings that have emerged lately.

The people on board MH370 are just that. People.  They are human beings. And they should be recognised as so. Nothing less and nothing more.

We need to show respect to those affected and their loved ones but we should also remember that we need to respect each other. Tensions are high at this point. The least we can do is be civil.

Don't Trust Everything You Hear Or Read

There are plenty of people who are going around spreading lies and putting their name out there for their own selfish gain. With the internet, it's done in a snap.

If you choose to go through social media for your news regarding this matter, only go for legitimate sources such as CNN for example.

Even if something seems legitimate, you should make sure to throughly check your sources before sharing anything.

It's hard enough getting proper information but when the wrong sort of information gets out, it only makes things worse. So let's try to keep the rumours to a minimum, maybe?

Negativity Does No Good

Social media has been ripe with rumours and false leads, as people have been trying to pin point the cause of this tragedy. Theories abound and suddenly everyone is an aviation expert.

Of course, it's easy to sit behind a computer and push the blame on someone else, some other entity. But playing the blame game is not going to do any good until more concrete evidence is found. It only leads to negativity.

With all that's going on, we should try our best to be positive. Of course, it's easier said than done, but pointing fingers is hardly productive either.

Final Thoughts

Basically, I just hope that more people will use better judgement in approaching this sensitive issue. The way a person responds and reacts in times of trouble reveals a lot about them. What do you think this reveals about you?

Love,
Geek with a pencil.

P.s. My prayers and thoughts are with the loved ones of the people on MH370. Let us keep on hoping for the best.

First impressions of a life without TV...

I feel like this post should perhaps start in a fashion similar to some great war journal simply because my challenge of a life without TV is like going to war.

It has been 24 hours or so since I started the challenge. The enemy is everywhere. Hope is here but I grow weary and tired. They close in every day...

Even as this typing ensues, I am sitting across from a big screen that is somehow managing to taunt me in its silence.

I kind of knew that a lot of my spare time went to the box but I didn't realise just how much. Meal times are generally with the presence of a television screen and it has become second nature to sit in front of these things.

Even retreating back to my dad's hometown, the noises seemed to invade my senses and my eyes easily become attracted to the bright screen unconsciously as if put under a spell.

I have also come to an epiphany of sorts regarding another piece of technology... My mobile phone.

With my sleepy face on in the morning, I first reach for my phone and instantly check my whatsapp and other things. In addition to no TV, I am trying my best to use my phone less.

There are upsides to a life without TV thus far.

I finally had the chance to read and finish a Mitch Albom book. A book in a day. Makes me think of all the books that I could have read...

There's also now a more conscious effort to focus on other things such as my writing and my family. A focused mind and attitude free of the frivolous distractions does wonders I guess.

The challenge is still on and there is still a long way to go. Let's hope I don't falter huh?

Love,
Geek with a pencil.

P.S. Anyone else setting a challenge for yourself this year? Comment and we can spur each other on perhaps.

Challenge Accepted?

As many of you have probably noticed, it is kind of hard for me to keep to something like blogging because of things like life and what not. Also cos writing really takes consistency which I am pretty crap at. So, how do I keep myself blogging and at the same time do something beneficial for me?

By combining it into a challenge of sorts perhaps?

After a bit of thought, I have decided to give up TV and with that TV shows, for now.

My first instinct these days when I wake up is to turn on the television and become a couch potato. I could do so much more with that time. I do other things too, of course, but it's funny how that becomes my first instinct. Granted, my primary school days were filled with endless Disney Channel Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network programs which probably didn't really help at all.

Therefore, for 3 months, I shall give up TV and TV shows (this means that I shall not be watching it online and in other ways as well). I don't know if I'll be able to do this but at least it shall be a social experiment of sorts and a test of my will power. Who knows if I can do it for the 3 months maybe I'll extend it to 6 months later on.

During this time, I shall actively post on this blog at least twice a week with a record of what's been going on as a way to keep myself focused... and you know, in case anyone is interested in knowing how it's been going.

Let the 'NoTVForTash' Campaign begin!

Love,
Geek with a pencil.

5 reasons why the Internet is your perfect Valentine...

1) It will always be there for you... (Dependent on your connection).

2) It will always entertain you. What TV?

3) It can romance you like no other. Oh yeah...

4)  Google. Just Google.

5) The Internet is where all your friends are anyway, right? Win!

Whatever your plans for today, have a Happy Valentine's Day folks <3!

Love, 

Geek with a pencil.

Believing in yourself and making your decisions

There comes a point in time when everyone feels defeated.

It's hard to believe in yourself when everyone else keeps putting you down and questioning your choices.

And then the reflection commences...

Were the choices your own or were they led to you by varying factors?

Just placed in front of you conveniently, which makes it easier. Or perhaps they were placed on your shoulders like shoulder pads that can't be removed. Most of the time it's a combination of both. 

Then the epiphany hits you.

Time to start making your own damned decisions!

It's going to be a battle, definitely. More epic than any fantasy sequence you've ever encountered before.

There will people who will still put you down, who won't understand why you're doing the things that you are doing. Block those people out. Don't linger on negativity.

There will be people who support you, who will lend you whatever resources and strengths that they can. Thank them and channel their positive spirit to help you get to where you want to go.

All this leads to one thing...

Learning from the past and knowing when to believe and trust yourself to make the right decision... Not for anyone else but for you.