I Met The Love of My Life in Ragnarok Online

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Update: We are no longer together, but I'm keeping this post up for you to read and enjoy. We were together for 5 years and I'm still glad we met. So, yes, you can find someone to love online.

Yes, you read the post title right. I did meet the love of my life through Ragnarok Online - one of the most popular online games here in the Philippines.

Some of you might say how dorky this is - that I met someone special in an online game. Well, all I can tell you is... it's 2009. Wake up. It's possible for 2 people to fall in love online. Even for me who had the same prejudice about couples who met online.

Now, me and the love of my life's love story is anything but ordinary. You don't believe me? Read on.

Year 2005. I worked nights in a call center and playing Ragnarok Online was my only stress-reliever after a tiring day at work. I quit playing a few months ago because of boredom and the monthly costs of playing the game. Our Operations Manager "managed" to convince me to play again by treating me for a week's load. So, I gave in.

I met a lot of new people. I usually play with our OM and a colleague so I did enjoy the game again. But, most of the time, I was levelling up on my own. I had a Double Strafe Hunter (Cruella) and a Full Support Priestess (Elvira), plus a Battlesmith (Lakshmi) who I usually just use to vend for more zeny.

There were still a lot of players back then in Odin server of Philippine Ragnarok Online (pRO). So, my preferred "tambayan" was at Glast Heim (GH) prison, y'know, the usual leveling place where you'll find Rybios, Injustice, Zombie Prisoners and those pesky Hunter Flies. I was still kinda a snob even in-game so I didn't really have any support players with me. So, I just relied on the priests in GH who offer Magnificat parties (MP) for a price (some did it for free but that only happened like 10% of the time).

My experience with different "support" priests in GH was crazy! There were some who are just ol' scammers. After you pay, they'll just buff you (read: use support skills on you) and teleport away. Some, they'll stay for about 5 minutes then leave you alone. ARGH! I didn't have that much zeny in Odin server since my original characters are on Chaos server (I don't know what happened with that account, by the way). So, it was really frustrating for me.

It was the middle of the week and I was so stressed from work. So, I played as soon as I got home. Well, it was another typical frustrating day for my hunter in GH. Or so I thought.

After being tricked by 3 priests, I almost gave up on playing. I decided to just sit in the corner near that big boulder at the lower center of GH prison and rant rather loudly about those freaking support priests who scammed me. Then, I saw this support priest on the other side of the fence. I observed him and decided that he seemed to be a fairly nice priest, compared to the ones I just encountered. So, I asked him if he still has a spot in his MP. Before paying him, I told him my frustrations and hopes that he won't be another scammer. He seemed nice and he did prove he was worth that 10,000 zeny. His name? wHiTeLiGhTeR.

Because I was still pissed, I couldn't concentrate on leveling. I just sat around and only attacked monsters that came near me. wHiTeLiGhTeR, who was sporting a Corsair so he sticks out among the priests in GH, was kind enough to talk to me while supporting the whole MP. He was really kind. And I thought he was kinda flirting with me. I added him as a friend in-game and decided that I'll contact him if ever I'll be playing again.

The next day, I went online again. One of my other in-game friends was online and he invited me to play with him. We went to GH together. I was playing my FS Priest. We passed the same area where me and wHiTeLiGhTeR met and I saw him there, still doing his MP thing. I didn't stop by to talk to him or something. But I decided to just say "hi" and I sent him a private message. Good thing wHiTeLiGhTeR still remembered me from the other day. I told him I'll drop by his area once me and my friend are done playing.

So, there we were. I joined his MP and helped him support everyone. In the party was this dancer who was rather flirtatious with wHiTeLiGhTeR. It kinda irritated me for an unknown reason. Or was it? C'mon. I couldn't have been jealous, right? *grin*

That day, I found out wHiTeLiGhTeR's real name - Jake. I was even able to ask for his cellphone #. He kinda had second thoughts about giving it to me. He didn't really show it but I had that vibe. Well, that's how I am. If I like someone, I'm not afraid to initiate anything. I was teasing him about that dancer and he was also kinda showing me that he didn't like her... in a weird way. Anyway, I had fun with him. I also found out wHiTeLiGhTeR a.k.a. Jake was still a student and he's from Cebu. Whoops. Long distance relationship?! Nahh.

I didn't have work that night so when I woke up, I sent Jake a text message inviting him to play with me. He replied through Chikka messenger. We decided that he'll play as a hunter and I'll be support. We played for hours and we talked about different things. I started to flirt with him and he seemed to respond so I knew I got him hooked. *grin*

Weeks passed and we not only play online but we also chat through Yahoo! messenger. We got closer and closer everyday until we decided to be a couple. Our communication was merely through Ragnarok, text messaging and chat. I tried to convince him to talk to me over the phone but he kept on resisting because he said, he didn't want to miss me much more given the fact that we're miles away. I was still in Manila back then. He still has school (graduating) and I had work so we can't fly to see each other. We knew we'll get there eventually.

It wasn't all romantic and stuff. We play and flirt. I often tease him when he's playing his hunter character. "Don't Touch My Birdie" - referring to the hunter character's falcon. It was a sexually playful teasing, if you get my drift. He just grins - /gg.

Like any other couple, we also get into really petty fights. I admit, he was kinda immature for me but something about the chemistry between us that kept me going for more. We almost broke up, a day before our Blacksmiths' wedding. He was too proud to say sorry. Argh. I don't even wanna go back but it was really hurtful. I can't really remember exactly what happened but I guess we talked things over and we decided to stay together. You'd think that after 2 weddings between our other characters that we'll be better as a couple, right? (I know someone out there's laughing at this story but read on...)

September 2005 came. My nanay's friend told us about an opportunity abroad for me. I decided to pursue it and I filed for resignation in October. I told Jake about this and he started acting up. He suddenly broke up with me even after I was telling him that we can still talk and chat. Anyway, we've only been communicating online so me flying abroad shouldn't matter. I was even ready to make plans with him but he decided to break it up.

He explained that he wants to break up with me now rather than continue the pain of missing me when I'm farther away from him. I understood him but something he said really caught my attention. While I was telling him that I love him dearly, that I really want to continue our relationship, he said that there's no point since I only love his character. I was like... what?!? That made me suspicious.

So, I insisted that he explained that to me. How dare him say that I only love his character when I was already making plans with him?! Damn it. I was devastated but at the same time curious about what he's going to say. All sorts of negative things clouded my mind. I asked him...

"Are you married?". I was afraid of the answer but I was preparing myself for the worst.
He said, "No."

"Are you a kid?". I knew that if he said yes, I'll agree with the breakup because I didn't want to be with a kid. I don't want to be someone's cradle snatcher.
He answered, "No."

I was getting really irritated but at the same time hurting. I can't wait for him to tell me why he said I couldn't possibly love him as the person he is in real life. Damn it.
He hesitated some more and he finally decided to tell me the TRUTH.
















"Babae ako."













Paksyet. Shit talaga.
















'YUN LANG YUN? That's it?!?!

"O ngayon?"

He was shocked. Okay, make that SHE. She was shocked as hell. She started asking me if I was serious. I told her that my best friend at work is a lesbian (Hey, Saji!). My brother's gay (Luvyah, Ken!). I have a lot of gay friends. I love gays! I'm not a homophobe.

And there, I found out everything. wHiTeLiGhTeR is a CHICKSILOG - as in wHiTeLiGhTeR is a girl in real life. That uber-kind priest in GH in Odin (now in Valkyrie) is actually a girl. That explained why she didn't want to talk to me over the phone - 'coz she's afraid I'll know the truth and I won't accept her. Surprisingly, even for me, knowing that wHiTeLiGhTeR or Jake is a girl didn't change my feelings for her. She gave me the whole night to think about it. She kept on texting me if I'm sure about the whole thing. I told her there's nothing that really needs to be thought over because I do love the person behind her characters.

Well, honestly, I did think about it. Not about my feelings for her but what's going to happen after. I was the only chance of my mom of having a grandkid since my brother's sooo gay (kidding, bro!). Plus the fact that it's gonna be the first time that I'll be in a same sex relationship. I've been so into men my whole life so I'll be treading unknown waters.

After one night, I completely decided that I wanna be with her. I can't go on a day without talking to her. I can tell she was overly ecstatic about it. We started talking over the phone and I was shockingly getting butterflies in my stomach whenever I hear her voice. Yeah, I was in love with her.

After my resignation, I flew to Cebu to be with her. We hit it off only after a day and it was heart-breaking to know that I can only spend a few days with her 'til I fly back to Manila. But I knew it wouldn't be my last time in Cebu.

Years passed and we're still together. 4 years this September. She already met my family in Manila. She stayed there for 2 years and our relationship was painstakingly accepted by my nanay. We didn't have any issues with her family as they were very supportive of her choices.

No one has really heard about our love story. I never told anyone the details but only what needed to be told - that I met the love of my life in Ragnarok Online.

Her name is MAI.

Too bad we lost our old photos in Odin server because of hard drive crashes. I should've posted them somewhere. Anyway, we have new characters in Valkyrie, reincarnations of our characters in Odin. We play everyday, Mai on our desktop PC and me on our laptop. We got married recently and I want to share our photos with you.

Wedding of DaRkLiGhTeR and Elvira - with our witnesses
ninang amaytoting & my maid of honor, maimhel

Me and my Maid of Honor - maimhel | Our first family photo with our baby DarkAlchemist

wHiTeLiGhTeR & Cruella's wedding | Honeymoon at Jawaii island

Our honeymoon suites in Jawaii
We had to transfer because the first one housed icky roaches.

At the Jawaii beach | Us with our baby LuckyDude

And us in real life. Awww. *grin*

Moral of the story: Keep your eyes open and let go of your fears and prejudices. You'll never know when and how you're going to meet the Love of your Life.

Dedicated to all the couples who met through Ragnarok Online.