The third and final volume of Project LOKI. Join Lorelei, Loki, Jamie, and Alistair as they bring down Moriarty's organization.
Looking for VOLUME1? Read it here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/55259614-project-loki-volume-1
Looking for VOLUME 2? Rea...
A/N: Because today's Christmas, here's my special treat! Unfortunately, again, this isn't one of my regular updates. But I hope you would enjoy reading it!
As an extra treat, here's Christmas artwork by chiire_dumo!
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
LORELEI
"Whenever I see boys and girls selling lanterns on the streets~"
THE CHRISTMAS in the Philippines isn't complete without the carols by Jose Mari Chan and Mariah Carey. Kapag pumunta ka sa mall o sa kahit anong establishment, 'yon panigurado ang maririnig mo. The music would then stick in your mind and play over and over again until you forget it.
Kaya naman nonstop ang pagpapatugtog namin sa mga gano'ng kanta rito sa apartment. Tita Martha insisted that we play those songs para damang-dama namin ang Christmas spirit. Loki, being himself, was totally against it. To be fair, he's always against any celebration that he blatantly calls as "unnecessary extravagance."
"Minsan lang natin sine-celebrate ang Pasko kada taon kaya pagbigyan mo na kaming mag-ingay!" sermon ni Tita Martha sa kanya. "Hindi ba gumagaan at sumasaya ang pakiramdam mo kapag naririnig mo ang Christmas carols?"
"Fine," Loki replied lazily. "I would just lock myself in my room. Don't disturb me."
At pumasok na siya sa kanyang kuwarto. Him not looking forward to this celebration was very apparent with his outfit today. Just plain white shirt and red pajamas. Okay sana sa regular day na ganoon ang suot niya. But later this evening, the QED Club would hold its little Christmas party here in our unit. When tita learned about it, bumili siya ng costume para sa amin. Girls would wear Santa costume while the boys would wear reindeer costume.
Imagine Loki's face when he saw the dress. Hindi siya matigil sa pagra-rant.
While he's busy minding his own business, tumulong ako kay Tita Martha na maghanda ng pagsasaluhan namin mamaya. We cooked carbonara (I prefer it over spaghetti), chicken lollipop, lumpia (a party is not a party without this) and mango graham. Samahan pa ng malamig na iced tea.
"May dumating ka pa lang package kanina, Lori," sabi ni Tita Martha habang inaayos ang mga plato sa mesa. "Nilagay ko sa ilalim ng Christmas tree kasama ang pang-exchange gifts n'yo mamaya."
Siyempre hindi mawawala ang palitan ng regalo sa isang party. Loki was, as usual, against the idea of "exchanging gifts." Sinet kasi namin sa ₱200 ang amount limit ng regalo. At ang reklamo niya? Bakit daw kailangan naming gumastos ng ₱200 para bilhan ng regalo ang nabunot namin, kung tatanggap din naman kami ng regalo na may parehong halaga mula sa ibang tao? Parang nagkapalitan lang daw kami ng ₱200.
What's the phrase he used? "Naglolokohan lang tayo."
He has a point though. You give someone ₱200, then someone gives you ₱200. But I don't expect him to understand the essence of exchanging gifts. It's not about the monetary worth of the item or receiving an item with the same worth. What you give reflects what you believe is the worth of the other person. Kung ang ka-exchange gift mo ay mahalaga sa 'yo, mag-e-effort ka na maghanap ng regalong deserve niya. Kung hindi siya gano'n kaimportante, you wouldn't exert too much effort. Kung ano ang unang makita mo sa mall, 'yon na ang ireregalo mo.
