Again, was supposed to post this last night but brother was using the phone.

Apparently, there really is a Starbucks in Megamall (just goes to show how much I don't get out). =)

Anyway, I was waiting in Starbucks for something like fifteen minutes and I receive a text message from Athene at 9:15 saying that she's on her way. Of course that scares me since when people usually say that, it means they've just started to leave wherever they came from. Fortunately for me, Athene's workplace is right across Megamall...

And so I was by the door at Starbucks, admiring the scenery while waiting for Athene. The guard pats the back of a male customer, opening the door for him and even getting a chair from inside and brought it outside for him to sit in. Must be a regular customer since even the waiter was making chitchat with him and got him an ash tray.

A beautiful girl in a red/pink dress soon enters. Since it's been three years since I first and last saw Athene (not to mention she got eye surgery and wasn't wearing sunglasses anymore), I wasn't sure if that was her. But it was her.

Athene: Charles, I didn't recognize you. It's been a few years since we last saw each other.

Charles: Athene, people who've last seen me months ago don't recognize me. How much more you? On the other hand, I wasn't sure it was you. You're more beautiful now.

Athene: That's because I had short hair when we met.

Charles: And you're not wearing sunglasses anymore.

Athene: By the way, you seem to have become thinner.

Charles: People have been saying that for the past few years. Suffice to say, I haven't been gaining (and losing) weight since grade seven.

Basically, we were able to chat for twenty minutes or so and I left Starbucks at 9:45. Then it was a sprint to the gate in our village since it closes at 10 pm. Fortunately, I made it. However, Athene gave me a parting text message:

Athene: Bagay kang uke (Uke suits you).

Me: Ummm, what's an uke? (Suffice to say, I find out a few minutes later.)

Got Arislan #13 but still no #1. By the way, Tchan, Arislan Senki is spelled with Katakana characters and only the Senki is in Kanji. And of course, that's probably the last time I'll be tracking out of print manga sets as birthday presents. Then again, I did manage to get Karen out of print artbooks like Backgammon...

Here's the final tally of what I got for Steph: Arislan manga set, Arislan novel #8, Hakkai and Kougaiji plushies, Glay 2001 calendar, and a few books. Fortunately, my costs didn't reach five digits... =)