April 2007. Summer time. Nothing very threatening raised the eyebrows of our good fellows at the Nueva Liga Filipina, so the members deserve some relaxation.
But even in a relaxed time like this, Matthew Luke and Hyacinth notice one thing: the stronghold, Balay Kapatiran, is inadequately staffed. With approval from the chief strategist, Ben Tulfo; and the assistant strategist, Ogie Diaz; the childhood friends set off for a recruitment of potential stronghold staff.
***
At the Magallanes MRT station, the childhood friends stumble upon two cloaked women.
Matthew Luke: Psst… hoy! Yung mga naka-cloak!
Hyacinth: Hoy Matt, hindi ito ang tamang pagtrato sa mga nakakubling tao. Watch me.
With her cute, little sister-like personality, she approaches the women.
Hyacinth: Excuse me lang po. Sino po ba kayo? At bakit kayo naka-cloak?
Cloaked woman A: Ah… pero bago ko sagutin yung tanong mo, alalayan mo muna kami sa isang hindi-mataong lugar.
Hyacinth: Hmm… OK.
The childhood friends and the two cloaked women then mosey on to a trendy cafe near Asia Pacific College. After removing their cloaks, the two women introduce themselves.
Matthew Luke: Sorry kung dinisrespeto ko kayong dalawa kanina. Ngayon, magpakilala kayo.
Joelle: Ako ay si Joelle Pelaez, isang ex-beauty queen. Na-link ako dati kay dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, pero nagsawa na rin ako sa kanyang mga kabalbalan. Noong nagsampa ako ng kaso laban sa kanya, may tumawag sa akin. Sabi niya, “Dahil tumiwalag ka kay Erap, matitikman mo ang galit ng masang Pilipino. Ang galit na iyon ang papatay sa iyo!” Kaya ako dumulog sa inyo, mga lider ng Nueva Liga Filipina, para bigyan ako ng proteksyon — at saka para makapagsimula ako ng isang panibagong buhay.
Hyacinth: Ah, sige. Yun pala… tungkol pala sa aming samahan… meron kaming planong magtayo ng isang inn. Kaya lang, hindi pa kami nakakahanap ng mga maintainers, eh.
Joelle: Ah, perfect! Gusto ko ngang magtayo ng sariling inn, eh. Ngayon, dahil sa inyong dalawa, matutupad na rin ang pangarap ko. Ito pala ang aking kasama at ang aking magiging assistant, si Mami Tomoe.
Mami: Magandang araw sa inyong dalawa. Ako ay si Mami Tomoe.
Matthew Luke: (Wow. Ang laki ng… hinaharap niya.)
Hyacinth: (Hmph. Maginoo ka nga… pero medyo bastos!)
Mami: Ewan ko ba kung bakit ako napadpad sa Pilipinas… basta ang naalala ko… may isang mukhang lumulutang na handang… ano… ayokong maalala iyon! Nakaka-trauma ang pangyayaring iyon sa akin!
Mami broke down in tears, and she was consoled by Joelle afterwards.
Joelle: Sige, tahan na, Mami. Ah, yun pala. Nakita ko si Mami sa isang damuhan habang papatakas ako mula sa mga goons ni Erap. Ayun… naging magkaibigan kaming dalawa.
Mami: (striving to stop her tears) O-OK lang ako, Joelle. Itutuloy ko na ngayon ang aking istorya. Dahil sa magkaibigan na kami ngayon ni Joelle, aprub sa akin ang pagiging assistant ng inn na ipapatayo niya. Lalagyan ko ng sariling diskarte ang inn — maghahain ako ng tsaa para sa mga customers!
Hyacinth: Wow naman! Siguradong matutuwa ang mga kustomer dito — pati na ang mga kasamahan namin.
Mami: At saka… ka-miyembro ninyo si Forte Stollen, di ba?
Matthew Luke: Ah, oo. Bakit naman?
Mami: Tuturuan ko kasi siya ng isang secret rifle technique… ang Tiro Finale!
Matthew Luke: OK lang sa amin. Walang problema.
And thus, both Joelle and Mami are recruited as the stronghold’s inn staff.
***
While playing Ar tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica, Matthew Luke and Hyacinth are interrupted by a phone call.
Matthew Luke: Hello, this is Nueva Liga Filipina. May I help you?
Woman on the line: Hello din. Tawagin mo akong “Pinacolada Neko”. Sorry kung ngayon lang ako nakatawag dahil sa sobrang busy na schedule ko… pero nasa pangangalaga ninyo yung Raijin-Oh team, di ba?
Matthew Luke: Ah, oo. Yung lider ng Raijin-Oh team ay si Jin Hyuga, di ba?
Pinacolada Neko: Tumpak. Nagyon, dahil sa wakas ay makakasumpong ko sila ulit… bigyan mo ako ng address ng Balay Kapatiran.
Matthew Luke: OK. Pero I need to have a background check on you first.
Pinacolada Neko: Sige. I’m on my way. Bye.
A few hours later, the girl with the nickname “Pinacolada Neko” arrived at Balay Kapatiran. The childhood friends welcome her.
Hyacinth: Hello sa iyo.
Pinacolada Neko: Hello din. Ngayon… pwede na bang ipakita ninyo ang Raijin-Oh team sa akin?
Hyacinth: Sure.
The Raijin-Oh team was then presented to the girl, and they all welcomed each other with open arms.
Jin: Ate Neko! Salamat at nakita ko kayo! Saan ba kayo nagsususuot, ha?
Pinacolada Neko: OK… ipapaliwanag ko.
The girl explained her past with the team. It turns out that she discovered the team — who are among the characters who were warped to the Philippines after the EDSA War — and safeguarded them when she discovered that the kids had amnesia and were about to be captured by the police for looking like streetchildren. She found the team at Rizal Park.
What’s even more amazing… the kids and the girl know each other very well. Due to that, the kids’ memories were restored, and they suddenly recalled their mission when they heard the news about the invasion of the Pinoy Big Brother house back in April 2006. The Raijin-Oh team left without warning, leaving the girl alone in her household. What’s worse, her tight schedule as an animator prevented her to reunite with the team. Now that she has retired from her old job, she gained the opportunity to reunite with her old friends.
Matthew Luke: Hmmm… ngayon ay pinagkakatiwalaan ka namin ngayon. Di ko na kailangan ng background check.
Pinacolada Neko: At ngayon ay ipapakilala ko na ang sarili ko. Ako ay si Anna Yuma Sta. Ana, but you may call me “Pinacolada Neko” or simply “Neko” instead. I was an animator, but then I retired. Gusto ko na ngayong maging detective, eh.
Hyacinth: Uhhh… bakit naman? Hindi ka naman mukhang detective, eh.
Pinacolada Neko: Appearances can be deceiving, di ba? Pero… I have knowledge on what you and your army have gone through… and what you will be facing in the future.
The girl then demonstrated her skill as a detective. She wrote a note and presented it to Matt. The note said: “Seven men, seven women… and four auxilliary couples.”
Matthew Luke: Wow… perceptive skills, huh? Makakatulong ang talento mo, in my humble opinion. Sige… kabilang ka na ngayon sa aming samahan, ang Nueva Liga Filipina.
The Tenkai Star and the Chiyu Star then shake hands.
And thus, “Pinacolada Neko” is recruited as the stronghold’s detective.
***
A couple of days later…
The Ren’ai Rangers are currently watching several tokusatsu DVD’s given to them by Matthew Luke and Hyacinth in the living room as a means of boosting their morale when suddenly, a doorbell interrupts their watching.
Mizuki: Rrgh! Sino ba yung nagdo-doorbell nang walang patumangga? Walang respeto.
Asa: Wait lang! Tatawagan ko sina Matt at Hyacinth.
The six girls paused their watching and called the childhood friends.
Saber: Matt, Hyacinth, may tao sa labas. Baka isa iyong potential recruit… kung hindi nagkakamali ang hula ni Pinacolada Neko kahapon.
Matthew Luke: Sige. We’ll deal with him ASAP.
The childhood friends then left the rangers in peace, and then opened the front door. They were greeted by an average-looking man wearing a semi-formal business outfit, plus a coat containing several wares.
(Recommended BGM: “Shampoo Day” by Grin Department)
Man: Hello, stranger! What are you buying? Hindi ako sigurado kung ano talaga ang ibinebenta ko, pero ibebenta ko ito sa halagang 1,000 pix!
Hyacinth: (pause, followed by a nonchalant glare) Huh?
Matthew Luke: Mukhang hindi ka bahagi ng sindikato… pero ginagaya mo ang tatlong idol mo: sina Recette Lemongrass ng Recettear, yung Merchant mula sa Resident Evil 4, at si Rinnosuke Morichika ng Touhou.
Man: Ahahaha! Tumpak! Tumpak! Kilala mo pala ang mga iyon! Ikaw nga ang lider ng Nueva Liga Filipina: isang hardcore fan!
Hyacinth: Ehehe… tama ka. Pati ako, nahahawa sa pagiging fan niya. Yun pala, sino ka?
Nigel: Ako? Ehem. (clears throat) Ako ay si Nigel Santillan, isang ordinaryong lalaki na nagangarap maging salesman. Gusto ko ngang sumali sa Nueva Liga Filipina dahil meron akong mga gamit na pwedeng gamitin ng inyong samahan… kapalit siyempre ng pera.
Matthew Luke: Hmm… pero bago ka namin isali sa samahan… titignan namin yung mga ibinebenta mo. Kung hindi sila depektibo… pasok ka na.
Nigel: Sige! Payag ako sa kundisyon mo! May kumpiyansa nga ako sa mga ibinebenta ko, eh.
The childhood friends then inspect and test Nigel’s wares: several healing potions, several mana potions, status-enhancing and -altering items, and, for some reason, bottles of Garutay(TM) Shampoo and tubes of Ngiping Hiwa-hiwalay(TM) Toothpaste (with a free toothbrush for each tube).
Hyacinth: Nge! Ano ba namang klaseng mga brand names na iyan? Baka binobola n’yo lang kami.
Nigel: Hindeeeeh. Sabi kasi ng supplier ko… talagang sinadyang pinangangalan ang mga produktong iyon para makapukaw ng atensyon mg mga mamimili. But as they say… don’t judge a book by its cover.
Matthew Luke: Sige. For all intents and purposes… pasok ka na sa samahan namin. Kungsabagay… mabisa talaga ang mga produkto mo. Or else, mabibitag ka sana ni Sir Tulfo dahil sa panloloko.
Nigel: YESSSSS!!! Salamat, salamat, salamat! Eh… alam ko naman na nandito rin sa samahan ninyo si Sir Bitag, kaya talagang pumili lang ako ng mga talagang de-kalidad na produkto.
And thus, Nigel Santillan is recruited as the stronghold’s item shop owner. And by the way, right after his recruitment, Nigel hangs the portraits of his idols — Recette, the Merchant, and Rinnosuke — in the space provided to him at the stronghold.
—
Stars Introduced So Far
Chihi, Flying Star
(Xiang Chong, the Eight-Armed Na-tuo)
Mami Tomoe (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Chiyu – Obscure Star
(Xue Wong, He Who Is Like a Tiger)
Anna Yuma “Pinacolada Neko” Sta. Ana
Chiin – Shadowy Star
(Gu-tai Sou, The Mother Tiger)
Joelle Pelaez
Chikou – Dog Star
(Duan Jing-zhu, the Golden Dog)
Nigel Santillan
Super Network Wars Omega: Suikoden Pilipinas 