Saturday, June 20, 2009

Between 2 cities, in one Realm.

Ours is a funny story. We met in the funniest circumstances, well not met actually, more accurate to say gotten to know each other then. It was a Facebook application, a game played to pass the time. I was bored so messing around the applications trying to find something that interest me and I stumbled into a game called Knighthood, I was like, interesting, I always wanted to be a knight, maybe now I can pretend like Alana in Tamora Pierce series of that girl who pretended to be a boy so she could train to be a knight. Interestingly enough, when I applied, because I did not make my gender public in Facebook, I became a Knight instead of a Lady in the game. I was diligently following the tutorial and happily attacking other knights and ladies in the realm. Invited a lot of my friends and some of them applied, but the sweet thing is unlike other Facebook applications I get to used those friends that did not accept yet. So I was happily filling in my kingdom, playing Lord by putting my friends where I want them. Then I happily move on and logged out.

Three days later, I logged in back, remembered about the game I played and was eager to get back to it. Surprise, surprise, what I found was a kingdom in shambles, and an unfamiliar person writing a long message telling me what happened: -

Hello Lady,

Where exactly are you in Malaysia? I've been to KL before.

I am your liege now, Count Johannes. My team mate in war has just conquered you. We do that not only to get you as a vassal, but more so -- in order for you not to be conquered again & again and be sold to a dungeon player so powerful that you can't get out (abandon or rebel against). I am in peace mode, so you have the right & capacity to abandon me anytime you want. Meanwhile, you are safe with me.

Here's some VERY IMPORTANT reminders for you to know:

INFO 1: When you build the GARRISON and recruited MORE THAN FOUR friends as your vassals (your squires/handmaidens, ladies/knights there), the game PUTS YOU INTO WAR -- where opponents can attack you, seize your vassals, raid for your gold, etc. Of course you can do the same to your opponents.

INFO 2: The game is horribly funny such that newbies like you MUST GO TO WAR. Because building garrison is
needed in order for other structures to appear and be built. And of course, you need enough vassals in your
kingdom to work for you as builders. But ironically, newbies are clueless about their first war and don't
know what to do. Worse, their gold are looted, their vassals are oftentimes seized, especially those
vassals who installed the KH app and turned into Knights/Ladies.

INFO 3: The game however, allows you to be in peace mode, too -- where you can recruit friends and grow your kingdom safely. We shall put your kingdom into TRANSITION from WAR MODE (WM) TO PEACE MODE (PM). Please do this as soon as you can.
Here's how:
1) Hover or point your mouse to capital tab.
2) Click garrison.
3) You will see the 'disband your armies' tab, click it.
4) Confirm it by clicking 'yes, disband armies'.
5) You will see then the 24-hour timer. It means disbanding armies takes 24 hour to complete the transition.After 24-hours, you'll see your crown with rank and having a green olive leaf.

MY TEAM AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU GROW YOUR KINGDOM AND INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE GAME.

See yah. And be safe there.
Cn Johannes

So there I was staring at this stranger’s black and white photo, a young looking man, handsome to boot, and trying to digest what he is telling me. So hesitantly I replied his long message that it took him two wall to write, and I said,

Count Johannes,

Thanks for all the info. I stumbled onto this game and had no idea what it was about.

I am in Puchong. Where are you from if you don't mind me asking?

Once again thank you.

So that was the beginning of our strange friendship. We started exchanging messages day by day and sometimes more than once a day and get to know each other and all in the premise of the game. I don’t know whether I was starved for attention or there is something really special about him that made me so comfortable telling him almost everything about my life, the thing is it was not quid pro quo, he barely tells me anything apart from game info and anything I find out I have to ask and to be sure, I hate to ask. So why then I feel like I know him, and that we are kindred soul, I have no idea, but all the messages make me feel like we are alike in so many levels, and slowly he became important to me. My sister teases me saying that I am falling in love, but I told her, It is not love, well not in a romantic sense, I love him, but more like a friend, a close friend, or better yet, a best friend, I have never had this kind of connection with anyone before apart from my family. I have a lot of friends, but no one has understood me like him before. Whatever I do, he seems to know where I am coming from, sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself.

It is not always rosy between us, he has a temper and I do too, we have come to blows a few times, and both of us yelling, CAPS flying in the messages. But he always know to follow all his scolding with a sweet message, of course after I said sorry first, well usually it is my fault, and then all his obnoxiousness in the messages, and my stupid outbursts, is forgiven if not forgotten. It came to a point that I had to confess that I have an obsession, and my obsession is not the game but him. I craved his messages every day, and only his messages make me happy, my sister call it my happy juice, well after being depress for so long it was nice to look forward to something. I know I was disturbing him, I know I should stop, and it came to a point where I was going to give up, leave the game, and go cold turkey, no more messages, no more happy juice, but he stopped me, telling me I am being childish and to stop whatever I was doing and continue to play the game like I should. I heard him, for the first time, I followed what I was told from someone else apart from my dad, to be honest I have never been good at following orders, I only listen to my dad and according to dad, that is about half of the time. So I asked Johannes why he thinks I listen to him, and he said simply because I care what others feel and I listened. Hmm, how sweet is that?

So ours was a friendship based on messages exchanged online, we have never met each other, we live in two different cities, two different countries even, separated by an ocean and so many other things but being in one fantasy realm has brought us a connection that is so weird that I am still wondering what kind of friendship is this? But I have told him a million times, if I had known him in real life I would consider him my bestest best friend!

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