this honestly came from a little sketch i did- along with other doodles and sketches i was making during that day. the idea was a trans fem HP, except the twist is that she's half-pinay. i ended up delving deeper into the idea-

and now, i want to write a full multi-chapter story or even a series from her first to seventh year (and beyond), but since i really want to flesh out the worldbuilding (and how a philippine wixen community would be like)- but unfortunately i am having a bit of a block, id make this oneshot for now~!

the lyrics (and tbh this entire fic) is inspired by zild's "lumang kanta". its a really beautiful song ;_;


lumang kanta ang napapakinggan

nating dalawa, mapa 'heads o maya man

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.

.

they were riding the LRT again.

aya still did not understand why they called it the LRT, even when it was clearly a mass transit system- a fact pointed out by two of her friends, yna and kaela.

it has been a while since aya managed to find time to go out- a busy life and all- but today was special. hermione came all the way from england to live with her during the summer. aya was esctatic — this would mark the first time that she got to spend virtually an entire year with her girlfriend's company. before this, when after a full year at her boarding school all the way from england, she had to return to the tropics, more often than not leaving her close friends behind. sure, aya did have friends here too, but she preferred to keep them few and close, for she was not really a person who trusted easily. it didn't help that most of them were 'di-engkanto'- the filipino term to describe non-wixen folk.

at least kaela and yna (and her girlfriend pia) were wix, so there's that.

she's glad that she has good friends like them. at least she knows that they got her back, and she got theirs too.


hermione just arrived a few days ago, staying in a rented place so she can get her bearings while aya set up her home. aya did fuss for a while, though, while they were discussing on where to meet, especially considering that hermione also has sensory issues. bathala knows that she does too- even as she grew up in the ever-busy metropolis that made up manila, the noise and activity still gets to her at times.

it was fine, though. they did have each other.

they met at legarda, the nearest station to where hermione was temporarily staying. it so happened that aya's home was in the heart of quiapo, which was just a 10 minute walk away. her place in calle bautista was just beside a known heritage structure within the city- the well-known casa tuason, or as most know it, the boix house. the place she lives in is also a well-known historical house- since the mangubat family has been close friends with the nakpil family (the very same that birthed the musical prodigy julio nakpil, and the national artist for architecture juan nakpil), their ancestral home has been a welcoming place to stay for aya since her childhood.

aya put on her earphones, deciding to pass the time while waiting for hermione to show up. entering the manila lrt was different- unlike a smoother experience in london, everyone entering the metro had to undergo a bag check where they place it in large x-ray machines. it doesn't slow one down, especially when they get used to it, but still it was more often an inconvenience than it isn't.

aya played on music from the eraserheads, and cycled through some of her favourites (bathala knows she should sing some of these for her girlfriend when she finds time). they were a very popular and influential band in the local music scene, but unfortunately disbanded sometime in the late 2000s. there were a few semi-reunions here and there, but the band never really went together since. it so happened that this was the first local band hermione liked- aya, being aya, loved to express feelings through music, and this was some of the first filipino music that she got hermione to listen to.


babaeng bookworm ng puso ko

10:46

babaeng bookworm ng puso ko -
LOVE I am here! I just went down from the tricycle, am walking from Jollibee now!

a -
oMGMGMGMGMGMG shet i am excited
okok so prepare to remove your bag for inspection
yes i know hassle but welp huhu

babaeng bookworm ng puso ko -
ksksksksksks baby ilysm you dont know how much this means to me okay!
I'm at the scanners, will message you when I'm at the concourse level~

babaeng bookworm ng puso ko -
OK I'M IN !

a -
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
YOURE REALLY HERE IM STILL,,,
i love you so much i still feel like dreaming
ok so look for the side that goes to santolan
thats where i am at
we are going to cubao after all
go to the forward part of the platform, we board there
aaaAAAAAAAAA honestly i am shaking with nerves right now.
ilysm cant wait to see you ;_;

babaeng bookworm ng puso ko -
ok, I am going up now
jeez, I am also shaking with nerves here
I'm at the escalators, oh my gods I am so excited
OH MY GODS
AYA BABY I SEE YOU I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S REAL

a -
ANKJWDNAKJNAEFA I SEE U TOO
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA


aya ran as soon as she saw hermione enter the platform. they met halfway, and instantly enveloped each other into a tight hug.

"oh gods, you have no idea how much i missed you, love," hermione muttered. aya was barely able to speak for emotion was coursing through her veins. they stayed there for a while, locked in their embrace, before they pulled away. aya cupped her hand on hermione's cheek, before pulling her into another hug- this time, putting her head on hermione's chest. she pressed her ear onto where hermione's heart is, and listened.

aya felt hermione's heartbeat: a little fast, but steady, and real.

"you're here. you're real. nandito ka na talaga.*"

aya pulled away again, this time so she can look at hermione's face. she stared intently- committing every detail into her memory- and they kissed.

"i'm here, baby. i'm here. my hope, my love, oh, it's real indeed," hermione whispered. they pulled away, and they held each other's hands as they walked towards the forward part of the platform. "i hope that the way up here did not cause you trouble, love," aya said. hermione nodded. "i'm okay. just.. a little winded from the heat and the climb," hermione replied. they then arrived at the forward part, with the both of them standing by the railing to try and gather some fresh air. aya pulled out her abaniko, and began to fan the both of them. it was a comfortable silence, and the couple just rested their heads on top of each others- aya's, being the shorter one, right on hermione's shoulder. the guard then called out- signalling the impending arrival of the train.

"sa mga minamahal naming pasahero, iilang paalala para sa inyong ligtas at maginhawang paglalakbay habang nasa loob ng tren. igalang po natin at paupuiin ang mga nakakatanda, buntis, at may mga kapansanan na pasahero. ugaliing humawak sa mga safety hand rails, at iwasan hawakan at sandalan ang mga pintuaan ng tren. ang courtesy area po ay para lamang sa mga buntis, senior citizens, mga pasaherong may kapansanan, at mga empleyado ng LRTA na nakaduty. maraming salamat po sa pag tangilik sa LRT. hangad po namin ang inyong maayos at maginhawang paglalakbay."*

the couple started positioning themselves to the platform edge in preparation to board. the train then arrived, along with an outflow of passengers- mostly students from the nearby universities and colleges- and they got in. they were lucky to get a seat, as even at non-peak hours, the train can get packed when near a terminus. "remind me to take you along recto and mendiola when we have time," aya said. she knew hermione would love the general area- the area past the mendiola arch had a number of colleges that opened during the days of the spanish colonization, and their main buildings dated back to the 1920s at the latest. recto avenue, formerly called calle azcarraga after the filipino-born spanish prime minister, is also home to a number of premier universities and historic buildings. it was also in the other end of this avenue where the mundane and wixen banded together and began what sparked a revolution that ultimately granted the philippine islands their independence. generally, the entire area was ripe with heritage and history in almost every corner- it would only take someone who knows even just a little about these to be able to see them.

hermione, being hermione (with the help of yna), went into a research spree while preparing for her summer stay. aya, being the local, wanted to take her to visit these places.

"it's a date then," hermione said. it is one thing to read (and see 3D recreations of those buildings- again, courtesy of yna-), but it is another thing to be able to actually visit and see it with one's own eyes.

the train closed its doors, then slowly crawled into speed. "next station: pureza. ang susunod na estasyon ay: pureza," came the announcement. aya and hermione were settling, letting the lull of the train ride, the slight thuds and vibrations of the train as it rode through the rails, and the colder environment bring them into a state of relaxation.


.

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.

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* "you're really here."

* "to our beloved passengers, here are some reminders for a safe and convenient trip while inside the train. please make sure to give courtesy for the elderly, the pregnant, and passengers with disabilities. please make it a habit to hold the safety hand rails, and stay clear from the train doors. the courtesy area is exclusive only for the pregnant, senior citizens, passengers with disabilities, and LRTA employees who are on duty. thank you for riding the LRT, and we wish you a safe and pleasant journey."

* "next station: pureza." (yes, this is the next station after legarda! also, just like my in-universe version said, lrt 2 is a mass transit system- only being called light rail by name.)

yes, as i want to fully flesh this out and make a full story with aya... this will go through the pandemic, which is something that i unfortunately will have a hard time personally writing down due to my own personal experiences. aya, since she is quite based on myself, will be quite vocal during all the events and bullshit that happened in the philippine islands- all while being a major figure in wixen britain.

she's gonna need this summer. aya will become a Major Stressball ;_; luckily hermione will be there for her every step of the way

also, the AO3 version has an actual fb messenger workskin going on. BUT expect aya to have an actual social media presence- from song covers in youtube, to an actual instagram account. ill figure out how to do this (tbh this is a really ambitious idea), but yeah 3

also yes i hope i gave them life, considering i did bring up a lot of my own experiences with my beloved girlfriend to fuel my emotions and aya's-

also, here's an artwork of mine that shows how aya looks like! 3 not sure if links work in this site but cdn discordapp com/ attachments/ 952195589297274961/ 1183829877166714912/