Blog: Love story between MMO’ers and my first March Break weekend.

MMO-related:
I leveled! Woot! One more level till my slightly-revealing Calas!

Who knew that making Maple Yu-gi-oh cards were SO much fun?

Here are all the ones I made, so far:
Time Sphere: link
Thanatos: link
Papulatus: link
Clock Papulatus: link
Blue Snail: link
Iron Pig: link
Mushroom: link

I plan to make a whole deck, but for now, on with the story!

[h]To Remember a Long Walk:[/h]

They had grown up next door to each other, on the fringe of Kerning city, near construction sites and woods and orchards, within sight of a lovely bell tower that was just built in the town of Henesys.

Now they were twenty, had not seen each other for nearly a year. There had always been playful, comfortable warmth between them, but never any talk of love.

His name was Max. Her name was Sneha. In the early afternoon, Max knocked on Sneha’s front door.

Sneha came to the door. She was carrying a fat, glossy Cash Shop catalog she had been reading. The catalog was devoted entirely to marriages. “Max!” she said. She was surprised to see him.

“Could you come for a walk?” he said. He was a shy person, even with Sneha. He covered his shyness by speaking absently, as though he were a secret agent pausing briefly on a mission between beautiful, distant, and sinister points. This manner of speaking had always been Max’s style, even in matters that concerned him desperately.

“A walk?” said Sneha.

“One foot in front of the other,” said Max, “Through mushrooms, over bridges–“

“I had no idea you were in town,” she said.

“Just this minute got in,” he said.

“Still in the Maple Army, I see,” she said, noting the patches of grime and hard work on his suit.

“Seven more months to go,” Max replied. He was a private first class in the Ranger Artillery. His uniform was rumpled. His shoes were dusty. He needed a shave. He held out his hand for the catalog held in Sneha’s left hand. “Let’s see the pretty book,” he said, smiling.

She gave it to him, slightly reluctantly. “I’m getting married, Max,” she said.

“I know,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“I’m awfully busy, Max,” she said.”The wedding with Cheezy is only a week away.”

“If we go for a walk,” he said,”it will make you rosy. It will make you a rosy bride. “He turned the pages of the catalog. “A rosy bride like her–like her–like her,” he said, showing her rosy brides.

Sneha turned rosy, thinking about rosy brides.

“That will be my present to Cheezy,” said Max.”By talking you for a walk, I’ll be giving him a rosy bride.”

“You know . . .” Sneha paused.

“Aliyah, well, Mother, wrote,” he said.”From Orbis.”

“Yes,” she said. “You’d like him.”

“Maybe,” he said.

“Can–can you come to the wedding, Max?” Sneha asked, tentatively.

“That I doubt.”he said.

“Your furlough isn’t for long enough?” she said, depressed.

“Furlough?” said Max. He was studying a two-page ad for a bright neon sign that said ‘I’m with my wife!’. “I’m not on furlough,” he said.

“Oh?” she said.

“I’m what they call A.W.O.L.,” said Max.

“Oh, Max! You’re not!” Sneha was surprised. Max was never that brave. . .

“Sure I am,” he said, still looking at the catalog.

“Why, Max?” she said. “They’ll get the Dragonknight’s after you for sure. . .”

“I had to find out what your dress is,”he said. He read names of bride dresses from the magazine.”Western? Traditional?” he said.”Legendary? Weird Noob?” (Sneha wrinkled her nose at the last one.) He looked up, smiling. “I plan to give you and your husband a ripped dress,” he said, pointing at the Weird Noob’s section in the book.

“Max, Max–tell me really,” she said.

“I want to go for a walk,” he said.

She wrung her hands in sisterly anguish.”Oh, Max–you’re fooling me about being A.W.O.L.,” she said.

Max imitated a police siren softly, raised his eyebrows.

“Where–where from?” she said.

“Fort Gray,” he said.

“Omega Sector?” she said.

“That all right,” he said.”Near Ludibrium–where we went to school.”

“How did you get here, Max?” she said.

He raised his thumb, jerked it in a hitchhike gesture.”Four days,” he said.

“Dose Aliyah know?”she said.

“I didn’t come to see my mother,” he told her.

“Who did you come to see?” she said.

“You,” he said.

“Why me?”she said.

“Because I love you,” he said.”Now can we take a walk?” he said.”One foot in front of the other–through mushrooms, over bridges–“

~~~~~

They were talking the walk now, near the woods where they once played.

Sneha was angry and rattled, close to tears. “Max,”she said, “this is absolutely crazy.”

“Me?”said Max. “Whutcha expect?”

“What a crazy time to tell me you love me,” she said.”You never talked that way before.” She stopped walking.

“Let’s keep walking,” he told her, peering behind him.

“No,” she said.”So far, no farther. I shouldn’t have come out with you at all,” she said. “I have to plan the wedding…

“You did come though,” he said.

“To get you out of the house,” she said. “If somebody walked in and heard you talking to me that way, a week before the wedding–“

“What would they think?”he said.

“They’d think you were crazy,”she said.

“Do you?” he asked, stopping.

Sneha took a deep breath, made a speech.”Let me say that I’m deeply honored by this crazy thing you’ve done,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re really A.W.O.L., but maybe you are. I can’t believe you really love me, but maybe you do. But–“

“I do,”said Max said, shyly.

“Well, I’m deeply honored,” said Sneha, wringing her hands, “And I’m very fond of you as a friend, Max, extremely fond–but it’s just too late. “She took a step away from him. “You’ve never even kissed me,” she said, and she protected herself with her hands. “I don’t mean you should do it now. I just mean this is all so unexpected. I haven’t got the remotest idea of how to respond.” She sighed, tired. “And what about Cheezy? I can’t do that to him.”

“Just walk some more,” he said.”Have a nice time.”

They started walking again.

“How did you expect me to react?” she said angrily.

“How would I know what to expect?” he said. “I’ve never done anything like this before. And you very random.”

“Did you think I would throw myself into you arms?” she said, shaking now.

“Maybe,” he said, stopping.

“I’m sorry to disappointed you,” she said, dragging him on with her.

“I’m not disappointed,” he said. “I wasn’t counting on it. Like I said, your very random and this is very nice, just walking.”

Sneha stopped again.”You know what happens next?” she said.

“Nope,” he admitted, bringing his hands up in mock gesture.

“We shake hands,” she said, holding her hand out. “We shake hands and part friends,” she said. “That’s what happens next.”

Max nodded, moving closer.”All right,” he said. “Remember me from time to time. Remember how much I love you.”

Involuntarily, Sneha burst into tears. She turned her back to Max, looked into the infinite colonnade of his eyes.

“What does that mean?” said Max, holding her face.

“Rage!” said Sneha. She clenched her hands.”You have no right–“

“I had to find out,” he said.

“If I’d loved you,” she said, “I would have let you know before now.”

“You would?” he said, acting surprised.

“Yes,” she said. She faced him, looked up at him, her face quite red. “You would have known,” her voice raising into the squeak.

“How?” he said.

“You would have seen it,” she said.”Woman aren’t very clever at hiding it.”

Max looked closely at Sneha’s face now. To her distress, she realized that what she had said was true, that a woman couldn’t hide love.

Max was seeing love now.

And he did what he had to do. Max went closer, kissed her.

~~~~~

“You’re hell to get along with!” she said when Max let her go.

“I am?” asked Max, moving away.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said.

“You didn’t like it?” he said.

“What did you expect,” she said– “wild, abandoned passion?”

“I keep telling you,” he said, “I never know what’s going to happen next. Your very ran. . .”

“We say good-by,” Sneha said, tears starting their descent down her soft face.

He frowned slightly.”All right,” he said.

She made another speech. “I’m not sorry we kissed,” she said.”That was sweet. We should have kissed, we’ve been so close. I’ll always remember you, Max, and good luck.”

“You too,” he said.

“Thank you, Max,” she said, slightly relieved.

“Thirty days,” he said.

“What?”s he said.

“Thirty days in Kulan Field,” he said “That’s what our one kiss will cost me.”

“I–I’m sorry,” she said, “but I didn’t ask you to go A.W.O.L.”

“I know,” he said.

“You certainly don’t deserve any hero’s reward for doing something as foolish as that,” She wiped her eyes.

“Must be nice to be a hero,” said Max. “Is Master Cheezy a hero?”

“He might be, if he got the chance,” said Sneha. She noted uneasily that they had begun to walk again. The farewell had been forgotten.

“You really love him?” he said.

“Certainly I love him!” she said hotly. “I would not marry him if I didn’t love him!”

“What’s good about him?” said Max, intrigued.

“Honestly!” she cried, stopping again. “Do you have any idea how offensive you’re being? Many, many, many things are good about Cheezy! Yes,” she said, “And many, many, many things are probably bad too. But that isn’t any of your business. I love Cheezy, and I don’t have to argue his merits with you!”

“Honestly,” said Max, walking again.

“Honestly!” said Sneha, following him.

Max kissed her again. He kissed her again because she wanted him to.

~~~~~

They were now near the 3-way split. A group passed them, and then just as quickly they were alone again.

“How did we get so far from home, Max?” said Sneha, looking around.

“One foot in front of the other–through mushrooms, over bridges,” said Max.

“They add up–the steps,” she said.

Bells rang in the tower in Henesys, nearby.

“Henesys,”said Max.

“The tower,”said Sneha. She shook her head in drowsy wonder. “I’ve got to go back now,” she said. “We’re too far.” She looked around again.

“Say good-by,” said Max.

“Every time I do,” said Sneha, “I seem to get kissed.” She giggled, before moving near a tree.

Max sat down on the close-cropped grass under the apple tree.”Sit down,” he said.

“No,” she said.

“I won’t touch you,” he said, sitting on his hands.

“I don’t believe you,” she said, giggling slightly again.

She sat down under another tree, twenty feet away from him. She closed her eyes.

“Dream of Cheezy,” he said. “Dream of Master. . .”

“What?” she said.

“Dream of your wonderful husband-to-be,” he said, his own eyes fluttering.

“All right, I will,” she said. She closed her eyes tighter, caught glimpses of her husband-to-be when she opened her eyes.

Max yawned.

The bees were humming in the trees, and Sneha almost fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again she saw that Max really was asleep.

He began to snore softly. His black hat slowly fell off.

Sneha sat there, contemplating, letting Max sleep for an hour, and while he slept she adored him with all her heart.

The shadows of the apple trees grew to the east. The bells in the tower of Henesys rang again, twice now.

“Meww,” went a small green snail as it ambled by.

Somewhere far away a taxi stalled, nagged and stalling, nagged and worked, driving to who knows where.

Sneha came out from under her tree, knelt down by Max.

“Max?”she shouted.

“H’m?” he said, opening his eyes.

“Late,” she said, tapping her silver watch, pointing to the shadow of the tree.

“Hello, Sneha,” he said.

“Hello, Max,” she said.

“I love you,” he said.

“I know,” she said.

“Too late,” she said.

He stood, stretching, groaning. “A very nice walk.” he said, picking up his hat.

“I thought so,” she said, smiling.

“Part company here?” he said.

“Where will you go?” she said.

“Hitch into Lith, turn myself in, take the taxi.” he said.

“Good luck,” she said.

“You too,” he said.”Marry me, Sneha?”

“No,” she said, grinning again.

He smiled back, stared at her hard for a moment, then walked away quickly, down the ladder..

Sneha watched him grow smaller in the long perspective of shadows and trees, knew that if he stopped and turned now, if he called to her, she would run back to Kerning. She would have no choice.

Max did stop. He did turn. He did call. “Sneha,” he called, emphasis on every syllable.

She ran to him, put her arms around him, could not speak.

The sun fell lower.

~~~~~

Special thanks to:
Veggie! (Max)
Gujju! (Sneha)
MasterCheeze (Cheezy)
AliyahRoyal (Aliyah)

Hope you like the cards and the story.
Next one coming soon, auditions will be here: link

Kthxbai.

~~~~Pirkid~~~~