Chapter 2: The Battlefield

How can one enjoy their spot or seat in the table if you knew that sooner or later, someone will come to take it from you? It's a non-stop challenge and this is not an ordinary gambling game. It's worse than losing all your coin or betting your money, you're fighting for your spot.

In the rooms there are different games to choose from, there are card games, roulette wheel selection games, slots machine, even bingo, horse and car races and cockfights are all there. Lahat ng klaseng sugal ay pwede mong malaro sa site na ito. Kaya naman napakaraming tao ang nahuhumaling at dumadayo para dito ay maglaro.

We usually have a friendly game with all the members in the room. We also received lots of invitations from another group or room. I was able to extend the network of my connections and friends by simply playing with another player from another room. It gets more exciting every time a newbie comes along and challenges us to take our spot. Risky but exciting.

Since I'm the newest member of the group, Daredevil did not want me to fight with the challengers. He wants me to observe the strategy of other players while battling with the challengers. He also wants me to familiarize myself with how things run in the room and enjoy my seat for a little longer. So, I did enjoy my seat in the round table, oblong table rather.

Start of Group Chat Conversation:

DareDevil: Just observe and watch. I'm sure you will learn something from them.

LOLLIPOP: I'm not here to watch. I'm here to play! Why do I have to follow your rules? You don't own the room, you're just a player, just like everyone else!

DareDevil: Why do you always oppose me? It's not like you have a say on this? And where is the fun of all that if we don't have this set of rules? Nobody will listen to you anyway, so stop whining and just watch!

End of Group Chat Conversation:

I just don't like being dictated. Inaamin ko may pagka-rebelde at pasaway ako. Minsan may katigasan din ang ulo ko. And because I did not listen to Daredevil, I do as I pleased and played along with the challenger and a newbie. The challenger is one of the regular players in the room, he has the username of Joker.

Joker got so distracted in me, he loses all his focus in the game and the newbie ends up losing in my hands. In short, I won the game out of luck. Joker was so mad at me. He is not pleased about what happened. He felt that I intentionally stole his thunder. Sa higit na magkapagpasikat siya sa mga babae na nandoon ay napahiya siya dahil natalo siya sa newbie na katulad ko.

Start of Group Chat Conversation:

Joker: Kick her out! She doesn't know how to follow the rules and she is very reckless. She doesn't know how to respect the players and I don't like her!

DareDevil: If you did not lose your focus you won't get defeated... huwag mo isisi sa kaniya ang kakulangan mo sa diskarte.

Hanep! Marunong pala magtagalog si DareDevil. Ang buong akala ko ibang lahi siya.

Joker: Why do you even bother defending her? She's just a newbie! Let's get rid of her!

DareDevil: If you really want to get rid of her, then challenge her.

LOLLIPOP: Ah guys, can we hold that thought and save it for another day? I need to go. I need to go to work. Sorry talaga sa ginawa ko kanina, gusto ko lang naman talaga maglaro.

DareDevil: You work at night?

LOLLIPOP: Yes, kaya pwede sa ibang araw na lang natin pag usapan ito? Bye for now!

End of Group Chat Conversation:

After saying my goodbyes, I immediately left the room and log out from the site. It was scary. To be honest, I feel like I'm in deep trouble, makes me wonder, why is he trying to defend me and taking my side? What are his motives for doing so? To think that I'm always questioning his authority and always opposing his decisions. Maybe the Daredevil is not a real devil after all. It was really thoughtful and kind of him to take my side, despite my harsh attitude towards him.

I go to work and do my usual routine. Kahit abala ako sa aking trabaho ay hindi mawala sa isip ko ang mga nangyari sa site kanina. Hindi ako mapalagay, gusto ko malaman kung natuluyan bang mag away si Daredevil at Joker at ano na ang mangyayari sa akin pagbalik ko? Legit na chismosa lang. Kinakabahan ako na baka mapag-desisyunan nila na tanggalin ako sa grupo dahil sa ginawa kong pangingialam sa laro at hindi pag sunod sa patakaran. Kung kailan pa naman nag-eenjoy ako sa room na iyon at dumadami ang mga kaibigan ko saka pa ako mapapalayas. Huwag naman sana.

At dahil likas na chismosa ako ay napag pasyahan kong sumilip sa site during my breaks. I really want to return to the room and see what is happening. I'm scared of what is going to happen between Joker and me. At the same time, I really want to play some more and hoping to see Daredevil again.

OMG! Could it be that I'm starting to like him? Or just being touched by his kindness? I really find him sweet. Should I be more gentle and kind to him since he takes care of me in the room? At that moment, I felt confused and having mixed emotions. The simple kindness melts away my stone-cold heart. I kept thinking about him not realizing that I was daydreaming the whole time at work. I just can't wait to go home and return to the site.

Pagkatapos nang aking shift sa trabaho ay nagmadali na akong umuwi sa aking bahay. Kadalasan, dumidiretso muna ako sa kusina para kumain. Not today, I immediately went to my room. Normally, I sleep as soon as I lay my back on the bed. But this time, even if I'm still on my work clothes, I'm already opening my PC (personal computer) and Log on to my account and went directly to the site and joined the Monkey Room.

To my surprise, I saw Daredevil and Joker playing poker. One of the players told me that the Joker challenged Daredevil for the highest rank it means the number one spot. It appears that Joker is no longer happy in how daredevil runs the place and his decisions. Especially when he tries to defend me from interrupting the game earlier.

Daredevil never hesitated and accepted the challenge to the condition that whoever loses the game will be eliminated in the room and if in case daredevil will lose, I will be forced to leave the room and lose my seat or spot. I felt guilty all of a sudden, I am the reason why they are fighting. At least, that is what I was thinking...

I should have listened to Daredevil when he asks me not to fight. I should have just watched and observed the players, treat him with respect instead of being rude to him. If I've been more considerate and more cautious of my action things will not get out of hand. I should have been more sensitive to other's feelings.

Realizing it all just by now is a little too late. But how can I make things right? How can I stop this fight? I tried to convince them to stop fighting. That's the only solution I can think of.

Start of Group Chat Conversation:

LOLLIPOP: Guys, please you don't have to fight. Sorry na sa lahat ng mga ginawa ko kanina, inaamin ko kasalanan ko ang lahat.

Joker: You know LOLLIPOP if ever I win this fight you will be kicked out of this room? So there's no way I'm backing out of this game. I really hate you and your guts.

LOLLIPOP: I will leave this room if you want, you don't have to fight.

DareDevil: Are you insane or simply just stupid? Do you really think this is all about you? This is a game and it's a fight between two gamblers. We don't come there to be goodies with each other. We are here to play and fight and there is no place for the coward and weak here. Especially to emotional players. So shut the fuck up!

End of Group Chat Conversation:

I was shocked when he said that. He is a Devil after all. I thought he was kind and sweet, but he's no different from the rest of the compulsive gamblers. The only reason why he doesn't want to fight me before is that I was not ready and strong enough to face him. He finds me not challenging enough to defeat him. He wants me to train some more, so the next time I challenged him I can give him a good fight.

Sobra akong nasaktan sa mga sinabi niya, o baka masyado lang ako assumera? Feeling ko talaga nabihag ko na siya sa aking angking ganda at karisma. Hindi sya ang taong nakasama ko ng ilang linggo sa Monkey room. Parang may magkaibang personalidad ang Daredevil na nakakausap ko at sa naglalaro ngayon. May kakaibang awra siya kapag kausap mo lang siya sa group chat at sa tuwing siya ay naglalaro. Bipolar lang? Uso naman iyan ngayon baka nakiki-uso lang siya.

This is not what I expected from this room, I thought with him as a leader, it will be a safe haven for all of us members of the room. I thought that he would protect us from all the challengers and from other rooms. But I was wrong, we are on our own. We protect ourselves from the people who attempt to take our seat... this is not just a room this is a BATTLEFIELD...