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Midnight, Wangan related short stories
RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
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Yes, crappy title and all... this is a collection of shorts from an old blog that I made way back in 2007. It was around that time that my college sweetheart and I broke up and so I apologize in advance for the emo-levels found in these shorts.
And so, without further ado, here's the first entry from August 22, 2007:
Midnight Race: Codetta
We rode together into the night. A pair of very fast blurs: one is colored red, the other is white. Weaving through traffic, racing together towards an unseen goal.
I glanced at her while keeping my line. I couldn't help but smile. She was my queen. My Undefeated of the Highways. She was my partner. She complemented who I was on the speedways. She was simple yet sophisticated and she knew it.
Then came something unexpected. Another car appeared. Challenging us. No, inviting my partner and challenging me. I did my best to keep up and almost crashed into a truck in the process. To my surprise, she was already racing with the challenger and didn't even bother to look back to see if I was alright.
With the eyes of a wounded wolf, I raced after them, caught up and regained my place. I was able to defeat my rival. Good times followed but it was soon cut short.
Again, with much less surprise - and much to my dismay, my queen raced ahead of me, trying to catch a group that she spotted from afar. She left me eating her dust. It was as if she's saying that I'm no longer needed or even wanted.
So I took my cue and raced as well, showing her that I can stand alone. And just as I was about to pass her, she crashed. Questions rang inside my head: Should I stop for her? Should I even look back? Did she stop or look back at me when I almost met a similar fate? The answer to all these was a resounding NO.
I raced on, pursuing dreams that I knew from that moment on are mine and mine alone. I didn't look back. Entering a corner, I slid my crimson ride. Setting it for a straight exit, I suddenly had the urge to take a look at what I left behind.
There she was, crying. And then a car or two decided to stop by her and help. Seeing this, I knew she would be alright - she's finally found what she was looking for. And with that, I continued racing into the night - alone.
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
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Thank you for the feedback... at least I know I can somehow write a good story... Just so you guys know, this ex-girlfriend of mine and I are currently friends again though of course, both of us had already moved on with our respective lives. All's well that ends well. Anyway, on to the next entry: Entry from Sept. 6, 2007 Midnight Run: CadenzaRunning at speeds that people usually avoid, he smoothly weaves in and out of traffic. The seeming stationary vehicles transform into blurs as he was undoubtly to them, he was sure - a red blur. Racing alone on this long and lonely highway, a slight smile formed on his face. He was alone. And he was enjoying the very essence of it. Of not looking after someone. Of not worrying about someone. Not even sharing his dreams with anyone. The night, the citylights, the highway, are all his tonight. But shortly, his smile disappeared. Something was still missing. From the corner of his eye, he saw, through his side mirror, a pair of headlights approaching him fast. Then it slowed down to match his speed. Glancing to take a better look, he was surprised to see a Black Beauty. The lady racer was, without a doubt, pretty. She has this strong but melancholic air about her. She was lethal, she was lovely, and like the lady that came before her, she also knew it. And her steed also reflected her character with a beautiful and shiny shade of black. She flashed her headlights, inviting and at the same time challenging him to a race. Flooring the accelerator and shifting gears, they accelerated together, side by side, into the night - A Red Knight and a Black Beauty. Stealing another glance at her, he saw a smile manifest in her lonely but otherwise graceful face. Little did he know that smile began to form on his face again. Flying by clueless vehicles, they began a dance that no one can disturb - unless they're inviting a accident upon themselves. Unfortunately, the reality is not what he thinks it is. From afar, he saw another solitary pair lights that were different from the ones that he and his companion passed. And when they got closer, they saw a Blue Streak. The Black Beauty then made her way to the Blue Streak's side and flashed her lights to invite the Red Knight to join them. It was clear to him that he was nothing but a companion to her - a very close companion or friend if it's any consolation. It was also evident that the Blue Streak is the more important person in her life. He replied by flashing his lights as if to say "Thank you but I must decline." He knew that it's not his place to steal the time that's meant for them to be together. And with that he floored the accelerator again and began to run his own course. Taking a last look, he saw Black Beauty and Blue Streak flash their lights saying "Do join us again soon." Running again, alone in the night, holding back rage, trying to ignore the emptiness inside, he focused on the road ahead. And as he streaked past many more vehicles, far ahead a familiar sight caught his attention... # [ Post merged on Jan 21 2013, 06:38 AM ] And here's another one: Entry from Sept. 12, 2007 Midnight Dash: RequiemSpeeding down the highway, rushing past traffic that only sees me as a red blur, I saw a very familiar sight, not too far away. I blinked my eyes in disbelief. It was my former queen. Still regal in white and as lovely and as lethal as ever. The Red Knight is with his former queen once again. Could it be?...I knew that she had seen me. Slowing down to let me catch up with her, she flashed her lights saying: "Come on, let's race again." I smiled and I flashed the lights of my car in return as an acceptance of her invitation. Flooring on the accelerator, we dashed together into the night. Is this for real?I was overjoyed to be racing with her again. I was more than happy that she was racing with me again. Is there still a chance?But I felt something different about her. Something about her has changed in the same way that I had changed. Making our way past clueless vehicles, I saw that her movements, while similar to how she raced with me in the past, had also changed. Would our race still continue with you as my queen?Weaving past more traffic, we saw a fork on the road. To the left was an empty highway. To the right was a pair of cars racing together as if in a dance. And I suddenly had this feeling that this will become the final turning point for both of us. Or will you be just another character, friend or rival the next time we meet?I signaled to my companion that I would be taking the left turn. She did not respond. I signaled to her again, hoping that she would follow. As we closed the distance towards the fork on the road, I took the left turn. Looking back at her, I saw that she took the right turn. Before we entered our respective lanes, she flashed her lights as if to say: " We are two very different persons now. We can no longer race the way we used to. We had a good race, we had a special bond but I cannot continue with you anymore. Goodbye. See you again sometime." My former queen, the woman and friend that I fought for and raced with for so long, had made her choice. And her Red Knight had made his. Deep inside, I knew that we would still be crossing each other's racing lines again - but in a very different light. Good-bye, take care and good night.She took off after the pair of cars that we saw earlier in the lane that she chose. With a heavy and resigned heart, unbelievably mixed with a sigh of relief, knowing what the real score is, I shifted to a higher gear, floored the accelerator, and flew down the path that I took alone into the night - finally free of the past. To be finally free...# This post has been edited by RB33 on Jan 21 2013, 06:40 AM
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
Posts: 8,961
Member No.: 167
Joined: May 9th 2007
Location: Philippines
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@gunma I don't even know what a brony is hahaha @Antares Why I've kept these shorts for so long? Maybe it's because the experiences related to these shorts are no longer painful for me (5+ years is a pretty long time to move on, don't you think?) and that I could share it to others as my personal literary attempt while not looking like a victim or whatsoever. Oh and if you're familiar with the car titles from Maximum Tune, you could easily deduce what my car was before SWIPE, my FD - yes, it was a red Evo8. Anyway, here's my final addition for tonight and happy reading Entry from Sept. 14, 2007 Midnight Crash: AcciaccaturaAs he increased the distance between himself and the fork on the road that he had just passed, he felt his heart slowly disappear. He was all alone. A solitary red comet smoothly finding it's way past numerous vehicles blissfully unaware of the events that had just happened. My way, on my highway...Tunnel vision begins to set in as he shifted once again to a higher gear and floored the accelerator. Gaining more speed, he noticed the vehicles that normally appeared to be blurrs have been transformed into shapeless shades of colors. Vertigo...In spite of the acceleration, he felt slow. His crimson ride is no longer enough. It is essentially part of the past that he has left behind and, whether he liked it or not, is weighing him down. The steering wheel has become stiff. The acceleration is not what it used to be anymore. And it's handling felt heavy. What is wrong with me?!?!?Distracted by his thoughts, he came back to his senses in the last second to see that he is about to enter a very sharp curve. Stepping on the brakes and turning his car into the direction of the curve, he lost control as he and his mount slid sideways, helplessly towards a wall. Darkness consumes him. DANG IT!Waking up, he was surprised to find himself still among the living. Except for a few bruises here and there - and an almost non-existent heart - he was ok. Taking a deep breath to savor the joy of living, he opened the door and stepped out of his car. Examing what was left of it, he found his once proud steed to be nothing more than a collection bent metal and rubber tires. So much for that...Like magic, a gold car stops beside him. It was a friend of his. A dangerous rival but a very good friend nonetheless. His friend offers the master-less knight a ride home and tells him that there are now new choices for him to make... For whatever it's worth...Morning saw him at the graveyard of many a broken mount. He looked around and was disappointed at not being able to find anything of use to him. He walked further into the silent and lonely grounds and something unexpected caught his eyes... What the?...# acciaccatura – crushing; i.e., a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
Posts: 8,961
Member No.: 167
Joined: May 9th 2007
Location: Philippines
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QUOTE (Gunma's 34 @ 4 hours, 55 minutes ago) | I hope not; or the whole *I-found-my-new-faster-and-unbeatable-car-with-its-own-will-in-the-scrap-yard* thing is starting to sound cliche. |
Yep, it is quite cliche. Then again, it's a rather common plot device that's not only found in Wangan Midnight. And since I wrote these shorts from way back, I can't really change it. I mean, I can edit it but I wouldn't be honest now, would I? Anyway, here's another entry dated Sept. 16, 2007 Midnight RageMidnight. Countless citylights. Speeding down the highway with my new steed, the vehicles that I onced weaved through are now making way for me, finally aware of my presence. An smile manifested itself on my face as I was happily getting a feel of things. My new ride is way different - and better - from the last one. It's blistering acceleration puts the devil to shame. It's handling is superb; very responsive and light to the touch. And it has a shiny black color that exhibits sophistication and authority. I have never felt so new in my life. Flooring the accelerator, my mind flashed back to the time I was tuning this newfound treasure with the help of a friend: The mechanic, tinkered on the engine block. Working under the hood of the car, I marveled at his skill as he worked his magic on my new mount while he gave me his two cents worth on what happened to me in the past.
"It's a good thing you found this new ride of yours. Your last ride had superb acceleration but it was lacking in top speed. It was rather sluggish, heavy and friendly. Just like you. You were too kind. You thought of others too much. You let them weigh you down. It's time to think for yourself. Leave everyone in the dust. Reach for your goals and dreams alone. Don't you ever let anyone take them away from you. Don't you share it with anyone ever again. Let other people come to you. Your crybaby days are over. It is now you who makes other people cry. You are no longer the Red Knight. You can no longer return to being the Red Knight."Ending my flashback, I saw a familiar white car up ahead. This wouId be the ideal place to start. I flashed my lights to signal a challenge, even as I closed the gap between us at an alarming rate. I knew the white car's rider was surprised. I did not wait for a response. You only know of the sweet life and nothing else. You don't know pain as much as you claim to. Allow me to demonstrate it to you once and for all.I blew past her, giving her little time to recover. And in my rear-view mirror, I saw that she crashed into the guard rails of the highway. In the midst of the smoking wreckage of her car, I saw her. She was crying once again. I can remember her telling me that she still wants to remain friends with me. But when I asked her about it, she made no effort to reply. I realized that I'm not important to her as she would like me to think. My heart was berating me, raging against me and at what I had done. My conscience tried to kill me. But it no doubt felt good to finally release the evil inside me. To cause pain rather than to just take it and roll with it. And as I roared down the highway alone, rain began to pour from the midnight sky as if to cry. I couldn't care less - even as the heavens, my conscience and my heart are crying. My friend was right. I can no longer be the kind, chivalric and gentle Red Knight. The Red Knight is dead. #
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
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@Antares Hahaha I can't blame you for thinking that way. There are only so many plot devices to be used at any one time. Anyway, to dispel anymore speculations (no sense in keeping the suspense for too long now, is there?), here's another entry:
Entry dated Sept. 18, 2007
Midnight's End: Ride into the Summer Morning
"You overdid it." the mechanic said as he finished fine tuning my car. The evil black color is gone. It was replaced by a silver paint scheme.
"I overdid it?" was the reply.
"Yes." He stopped to look at the young racer, seething with anger, straight in the eye. "I told you to change. Not to destroy. you went beyond that by making her cry. By destroying her. Now you don't have any chance for reconciliation."
"Not that I would care."
"Idiot! What about the years that you've shared with her?! What if you need something from her in the future?!?"
"I couldn't care less. She treated me like a toy. She would dump me in one corner while she went her way and toyed around with other people. She didn't value me the way she should! I was just a thing to her! Her own shadow! Someone she just runs to when she can't find anyone to please her!"
"And what you did makes you any better than her? Anyway, she had it coming to her. You're focus now is yourself. Be a better man. You don't have to be a nice guy all the way. And you're in no way a nice guy. You are a GOOD man. And your existence is living proof that good men still exist. Let go. Let the wounds inflicted heal. If reconciliation comes then it will. Move forward and be a better man. You are not as dark as you think you are."
The flashback ended and the young racer found himself inside his car once again, driving his steed. Driving down the highway, he saw the sun rise in the east. It was morning. On his side mirrors, he saw a group of cars approaching him. Bracing himself for a race against people out to get him for what he has done, he was surprised to find his friends from the past. The people he intentionally ignored just to be with his former queen. They are still there, coming to his aid even after what he had done.
A smile formed on his face, knowing that he still has his friends to rely on - even after all that he had done.
And with that, they ran down the highway and into the summer morning.
#
note: yes, the title was partly inspired by that rather popular BGM from MT3DX.
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
Posts: 8,961
Member No.: 167
Joined: May 9th 2007
Location: Philippines
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QUOTE (Antares @ 3 minutes, 44 seconds ago) | You did kill the suspense...and now it feels like it's all over...
If this were a web novel or anything other than a short story I'd say it felt too fast, but the fact of the matter is, it flowed like how a drabble series should, and the mechanics words, they just strike through.
One thing's for sure though, to all the shorts up to this point and even irl: True pals stick with you forever.
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Hahaha I did try to end the series with that entry Anyway, since these were already written way back, I might as well, keep my few readers happy Here's another entry dated Nov. 27, 2007 Midnight Trance: RevivalIt felt different...Accelerating out of a tight turn, I began weaving my way past traffic. In spite of running at the same insane speeds that I used to, I can still see them, each car, van or truck, clearly. Whereas before they would have already become blurs. And every dash, slide, turn and maneuver was literally effortless... And very natural...I once again carry my personal color. The color which I was identified with from the start. The very same color that I carried during my days as a knight in the service of a queen. But while my ride still bears my color, it is vastly different from the one that crashed - and it had no doubt improved from the time I first saw it. From the time I got my new mount, there was in fact, much to think about. And for a brief moment, I was lost in a flash of light... Just like the black color that came before it, the silver that covered the frame of my mount disappeared, slowly giving way to a very shiny shade of red. The mechanics make their way around my steed, carefully and gracefully applying each coat as if they were Renaissance men, working on a masterpiece; their airbrush was the paintbrush and the metal frame their canvas. Watching the procedure, I slowly recalled each event, every moment that led to this. Remembering. Contemplating. And learning. A distant voice breaks my silence.
"Sir, our work of art is complete."Another flash of light brought me back to my earlier trance. A trance wherein I was gainin more speed than ever before... The road ahead is long, filled with large, gentle and sudden curves - but also filled with obstacles, mobile and otherwise, that leave little or no margin for error. The citylights flash by. I'm once again back to my senses. I see a pair of trucks ahead, side by side, with a little space in between, just enough for me to pass through. Impossible?...While it does take a lot of un-salted nuts to pull off such a trick, the thrill and the challenge beckoned to me. Unknowingly, a faint smile formed on my face as I shifted to a higher gear and floored the accelerator, racing towards my doubts, my fears and my dreams. Difficult. But not impossible... This post has been edited by RB33 on Jan 21 2013, 11:00 PM
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
Posts: 8,961
Member No.: 167
Joined: May 9th 2007
Location: Philippines
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QUOTE (Antares @ 8 minutes, 8 seconds ago) | And so the knight returns with a renewed war horse!
By this point in the story, it just feels so comfortable, as if you just happened to pass by and stop for a little read, and whatever you've read still managed to put a smile on your face.
But for me, it still doesn't elude the idea that the climax of the story's already passed and the tension and suspense is just gradually going downhill, but I like how light mood is shown here. It's like watching the conclusion of an arc, only that I don't know if it would truly end there. |
Well, the climax itself is admittedly the "Requiem" part. Essentially, these shorts are about a person's downfall caused by an end of a relationship that he treasured very much and how he recovered - all set within the perspective of a street racer. To be honest, this series is close to it's ending. Let's face it. Unless we're talking about a sitcom or a comedy series, you need to have conflict or drama in order to drive a story and make it interesting or climactic. The next few entries is basically a wrap up of the topic. Trivia: by this point in time, the Knight is already gone as my Evo8 had already been replaced by the FD by then
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
Posts: 8,961
Member No.: 167
Joined: May 9th 2007
Location: Philippines
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QUOTE (Antares @ 16 minutes, 0 seconds ago) | So we make that the red dragon then?
Well even if it's near conclusion, I'm glad you shared these amazing pieces with us, sir RB. This should definitely have more hits than what it's got, emotional pieces like these are a rarity.
EDIT: To Gunma and Solstice, if you guys plan to post a picture of Rarity after this post just for the reference...DON'T! |
While "Red Flying Dragon" is technically the correct car title for the FD, that wouldn't fit my personality now, wouldn't it? You'll just have to wait how I wrap up this series and I hope that I won't disappoint what few readers I have.
It's normally under these circumstances that some writers have a problem with: how do you end a story without being so anti-climactic and without being so dramatic? For me, it's about being able to make it as human as possible. As you may have noticed, I didn't put much in the way of technical details; just enough to let any reader relate to the subject.
I just happened to be able write down these shorts in the way that you see them now because I was honest with them. Maybe that helped make these shorts pretty much human in it's own right.
This post has been edited by RB33 on Jan 21 2013, 11:57 PM
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RB33 |
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Elder Magic Practitioner
Group: FORUM MODERATOR
Posts: 8,961
Member No.: 167
Joined: May 9th 2007
Location: Philippines
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QUOTE (Whitzwolf @ 2 minutes, 39 seconds ago) | almostcried/10
It's interesting how I can relate and how I've felt similar emotions, even instances, but I've never had a relationship .__.
Am I that sick in the mind? D: |
Lulz, you're not sick in the mind buddy. Heartaches are just some of the things that everyone has to go through at least once in their lives. Be it romantic or otherwise, everyone has to go through it.
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