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devaneiosinfinitos · 4 years ago

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My thoughts on ACOSF

!!!!MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!

I was really looking forward to this book and Nesta and Cassian’s story and I really wanted to love it, but it fell really short. If I were to define ACOSF, I'd say: Wasted potential.

After finishing it and rereading some parts, my conclusion is: there are some pretty cool scenes, but that's not reflected in the rest of the book. I was disappointed and frustrated with several things. I was angry with others and found that many points in the plot were not really developed.

Here are some things that really bothered me (and this will be long):

ENDING RUSHED

I thought the ending was rushed. There were many things happening at the same time and none of them got a proper conclusion. For example, the Blood Rite and the birth. At one point we’re reading about the Blood Rite and how Nesta was fighting the other Illyrians so Emerie and Gwyn could win. Then, Queen Briallyn and Cass arrive, Nesta destroys her and gets the crown and then Azriel and Mor arrive and take them to Feyre. And that’s it. All that build-up for what? For a few paragraphs of Nesta meeting Gwyn and Emerie after the birth and briefly discussing it. And then of Nesta reminiscing of when she told Cass and Az the details of it and they pointed out what needed to be corrected. SERIOUSLY? The birth scene totally took the focus out of Nesta’s at Ramiel and the end of the Blood Rite and the AMAZING victory of Gwyn and Emerie and how well they did on the rite. There were chapters and chapters building up to the conclusion of the Blood Rite and what could come of it and then it was just over. So anticlimactic. Why spend so much time on it and then not even having one character acknowledging how incredible they were? That not only they survived it but Emerie and Gwyn won it and Nesta got so far and pulled an Enalius at the end? So few Illyrians have ever gotten that far and it has always felt like such a great accomplishment that Cass, Az and Rhys completed it, and then here we have women kicking the ass out of the challenge which has been unheard of and we don’t even get Cassian saying how proud he was? There was a lot missing at the end of that narrative. I wanted Cass, Az, and Rhys making a big deal out of their accomplishment. I wanted the Illyrians reactions about their victory and performance and what that could mean moving forward. I wanted more of how Emerie and Gwyn felt winning it and what it meant for them and Nesta to have accomplished that together. What a waste.

Not to mention, how rushed the entire thing with Briallyn and the crown was. One moment Nesta is destroying her and there lies the crown. And then, there’s Nesta using all three artefacts to stop time and help Feyre. They didn’t even discuss the fact that Briallyn was gone and that now they had the 3 artefacts. I mean, some people in that room didn’t even get to see the crown (Did they even know they managed to get it in the Blood rite?), let alone discuss the significance of it. One of the main plots of the book was the search for the trove, and then when they have all 3 artefacts, that’s just completely brushed over. Again, SERIOUSLY? All these plots and none with a development/conclusion to match the build up.

NESTA’S POWERS

I don’t even know where to start with this one. Every time I remember that Nesta gave up her powers I get pissed all over again.

Nesta’s powers have been hyped up for a long time. A LONG TIME. Now, we finally have her book where we delve into her journey and where her powers are supposed to be fully explored and WE NEVER GET THAT. Thank you for nothing, Sarah. Her powers are not even fully explored and then she gives them up. We never really get to fully understand her powers and get to see her really using them. THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I wanted to see her wreak havoc and fully embrace her powers and become one of the most powerful and deadly characters in Prythian. I wanted to see more of her being in control of her abilities and being her badass self taking a hoard of bad guys out. I wanted to understand the extension of her powers. But nope, just as she’s starting to learn about them, she loses them. SO ANTI-CLIMATIC (it doesn’t matter that apparently there’s a bit left, that’s not the point). When she was engulfed in silver fire in her room and Rhys came running? That’s what I wanted to read about. Nesta never really used her silver flames and we never got to really understand what they meant. Ok, they were cold rather than hot. WHAT ELSE? Why is the book even called A Court of Silver Flames? Isn’t that supposed to indicate that said silver flames will be significant? The most significant thing about them other than the bedroom scene are the silver flames that appear in her eyes, and that was not even fully developed either. Is it only when she’s about to lose control? Or angry? Or emotional? When the silver flames appear in her eyes it’s always highlighted that “nothing Fae looks through them” (this was pointed out more than once) and Cass even says at one point that that’s the being the Bone Carver whispered about and exalted and feared. We had the Bone Carver, a creature of thousands of years, calling Nesta a queen and saying she was as "ancient as the sea" and we have Lucien saying that maybe some things should not be awoken and "mother spare you all" when he sees Nesta training and I feel like all that foreshadowing never really came to fruition. LOOK AT ALL THIS BUILD UP.

Nesta’s been hyped up as this powerful Death Queen or as this being with great powers and the culmination of her journey in this book resulted in her giving it all up to save Feyre, Rhys and the baby. Rhys, that up until that point hadn’t really done anything that made him worthy of her calling him brother. Since Sarah came up with this death in childbirth plot (I could’ve gone without this one, seriously), yay for Nesta saving them because it’s not like I wanted them to die (I hope they learnt the lesson with that stupid bargain though). But this entire plot could’ve been addressed differently. AND BETTER. In the end, it undermined Nesta's powers narrative. Why build this plot up so much and include so many things that could be considered foreshadowing if you’re not going to fully develop it in the character’s main book?

IC’S BULLSHIT

Ever since ACOFAS, I was waiting for someone (preferably Nesta) to call the IC on their bullshit and their self-righteous hypocrisy. But it never happened. We had that God awful intervention scene and Mor saying bad things and Amren being gratuitously cruel and Rhys insulting Nesta and Feyre taking her freedom away and none of that is ever addressed again. Ok, I get they were trying to help her with their intervention, but they could have approached that very differently and much better. I felt really bad reading that, and they all got away easily with their behaviour towards her. Sometimes it felt like they were kicking a dog who was already down. Especially Amren. She called Nesta a waste of life and Nesta bloody knelt to apologise to her, holy shit, I can’t get over that. And Amren never apologised. I feel like there was a lot of apologising coming from Nesta, but not enough coming from others. The IC were disrespectful towards her many times (and not only in this book), and that’s it. All swept under the rug.

Later on in the book, Rhys says that Nesta always has a choice at the Night Court. REALLY, RHYS? Are you not tired of contradicting yourself? Because it sure as hell didn’t feel like she did. They even try to use Elain as a way to manipulate Nesta to do what they want. Not to mention that it feels as they are really pressuring Nesta to get better soon and fast (with the exception of Cass, who says she can take however long she wants), but the IC should look at themselves. Mor and Az are still dealing with their traumas after hundreds of years. Cass himself says that it took him years to get over what happened to his mom and what he did (and he still deals with the fact that he often feels inferior for being a bastard). And they want Nesta to be a happy healthy version of herself so soon? Please. I think a scene where their behaviour is addressed would’ve felt earned. I’m pissed that we didn’t get that. And that Nesta didn’t get that. And that because the IC are never called out on their often toxic behaviour (it happens towards Lucien as well), they don’t learn.

Also, Rhys and the rest of the IC hiding from Feyre what it meant that the baby had wings was a really infuriating move. So so wrong. That type of thing should not be hidden from the person carrying the baby. It’s her life and her body. To be honest, I didn’t like how the pregnancy plot was written at all. I was already expecting that Feyre would get pregnant, but I hoped it would be later in the series for a myriad of reasons. The way it was done here didn’t really work for me, and I think many things didn’t make any sense such as how the birth would (or wouldn’t) work. I mean, Cassian had his guts hanging out of his stomach and lived, but a C-section is not possible? Come on.

RELATIONSHIPS

I think that by the end of the book there were some key things missing in some of the relationships. For example, the relationship between the sisters. It all appears well in the last scene, but I missed a scene where all three of them ACTUALLY talked and discussed things - their relationship and their parents and their past. You know, a decent conversation where they could explain things and ask for forgiveness or also say thank you where it was due.

I also would’ve really liked if Cassian had said “I love you” to Nesta. I don’t doubt his love for her and I know he has loved her for a long time and he has shown that love with attitudes on several occasions, but I think with Nesta, who had never really said “I love you” to anyone (she said it to Feyre for the 1st time in the birth scene), it would’ve meant something to her to hear those words, especially after thinking so little of herself for so long and not feeling worthy of affection and thinking everyone hated her. I think it would’ve felt nice to close that part of her journey with him saying it as well. Also, I kind of missed soft/tender moments between Nessian thoroughout the book. Yeah, they have an angsty relationship and Nesta was in a healing journey and the smut was great, but I think there could’ve been more sweet moments in the middle, you know? Because they only truly recognise the bond at the end, so the fluffiness is mostly focused in the last pages, and I wanted a bit more of that here and there. Not a lot that would change the dynamics of the relationship, but just a bit more that would balance the smut and angst a bit and make me sigh. Sometimes I thought there were too much smut and angst and not enough relationship growth through conversation and softness.

HIGH KING

I really dislike the High King idea and I have a feeling that’s exactly what Sarah might do. Not long ago, the IC was shitting on Vallahan for wanting to conquer other territories and then there’s Amren saying Rhys should become High King and rule over the entirety of Prythian. Where did that even come from? That entire conversation and everything Amren said was just mindboggling. Not to mention that according to what she said, Rhys would become High King using the weapons that Nesta created. Same weapons that Amren said nobody should use (but it’s ok if it’s Rhys, right? *Eye roll*) and that no one should tell Nesta she could create. Not to mention that the entire idea of all the courts submitting to one ruler/court (in this case, to Rhys) sounds very imperialistic. They should all be aiming to coexist peacefully and harmonically and find ways to work towards that, not using this High King idea as a solution.

Plus, Rhys cannot even unite all of his own court (There’s rebellion building with the Illyrians, there’s the Court of Nightmares and all the problems there…), and Amren wants him to rule over Prythian? Also, something about the Court of Nightmares that I often wonder about. Is Mor the only decent person to be born there? Because I have a hard time believing that there is not another single decent soul in that place. Maybe someone that dreams of going to Velaris and escaping the Court of Nightmares but that just finds themselves trapped there because it’s not like Rhys and the IC give anybody a chance to get away. Do they even look for people that might be suffering there without deserving to? I mean, Mor came from there. Don’t they think there might be others? Even with the agreement they have with Keir in ACOWAR, it’s not like they are open to the idea. And it’s completely fine to want to protect Velaris from the evil and cruelty that exists in the Court of Nightmares, but again, that shouldn’t mean they shouldn’t even contemplate the chance that there might be people there worth of being in Velaris. That doesn’t earn Rhys any points towards the High King thing.

Moreover, that stupid bargain Rhys and Feyre made also doesn’t get him any points. Since learning the baby had wings, Rhys knew the chances of Feyre dying were very high. If she died, he’d die as well. You’d think a responsible ruler would make plans in case that really happened. You know, like talking to the IC and making plans about their next moves and discussing how they should proceed and just analysing the options after his and Feyre’s powers go to who knows who (If it went to Keir… Shouldn’t they prepare for that?). I mean, imagine the chaos that would ensue should Rhys and Feyre die, and it’s never even addressed that Rhys is considering these things. He didn’t even tell Amren, his second in command. Honestly, what a mess. I’m glad Rhys was categorically against it and that it doesn’t seem like he wants that, but it sounds just like Sarah to come up with a plot that the High King title would just fall on Rhys’s lap or be the only way out of a situation and that by becoming High King he’d be saving Prythian of something worse. I’m rolling my eyes just thinking about it.

So… These are just some of the things that bothered me. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t nice things in the book. Like I said in the beginning, there are some cool scenes and specific things that I really liked (such as Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie’s friendship, for example. They are just wonderful. And Nesta and the House of Wind. And Nesta and Azriel (I wanted more of this relationship). And Cassian’s support. And the Valkyries inspiration), but the book in itself? More potential than any other thing. It was a let down.

#ACOSF #A Court of Silver Flames #ACOSF Spoilers #Spoilers ACOSF #Nesta #Nesta Archeron #Cassian #Nessian

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betweenthetimeandsound · 3 years ago

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Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (240-231)

#240: Joci Pápai - Az én apám (Hungary 2019)

"Hallom őt, az ő szívét a húrokon Látom őt, múló idővel az arcomon Az ő hitét büszkeség vallanom Ezeregy dalból ezt az egyet dúdolom, dúdolom"

"I can hear him, his heart on the strings I can see him, bearing the passing time on my face I’m proud to confess his faith Of a thousand and one songs this is the one that I hum"

If there's anything I love at Eurovision, is when someone sings a song from their soul. And in both of Joci's entries, he does just that.

Az en apam is a bit more sedate than his first entry (which will come soon enough), but it's calming and serene with substance. The lyrics, talking about his relationship with his father, is a touching and poetic tribute, one that people should really speak to their loved ones that care about them.

It's just a shame this song was the one to break Hungary's impressive qualifying streak; I thought they were on a path to win soon (though not with this one...). And they left the contest too; hopefully they will steer the ship back to more open waters and come back.

Personal ranking: 5th/41 Actual ranking: DNQ (did not qualify)--12th in the first semi-final in Tel Aviv

#239: Anna Vissi -- Mono i Agapi (Cyprus 1982)

"Η ζωή μας περνά, κι ότι φεύγει πονά Πίσω δε γυρνά, κι όμως κάτι μας κρατά"

"Our life passes by, and whatever leaves, we’re in pain It doesn’t come back, but something holds us together"

In most cases, the first entry somebody has sent in the contest is their best, with a number of exceptions here and there. Anna is one of them; I never liked her first entry, but her other two are fantastic.

Mono i agapi is quite lyrically simplistic--it talks about how love remains between two people, as the world changes around them. But the melody has a very loungy sound--I've heard it being compared to a James Bond theme. While I don't hear why it would be the case (other than the alluring mystery of this piece), it does give a calming vibe, and stands out in the rather mediocre field in 1982.

Personal ranking: 3rd/18 Actual ranking: 5th/18 in Harrogate

#238: Yardena Arazi -- Ben Adam (Israel 1988)

בן אדם הוא רק בשר ודם,” אבק פורח במדבר, בן אדם, בדרך העולם, כצל עובר, כחרס הנשבר "

“A human being is only flesh and blood, Dust flying in the desert A human being, in the way of the world Like a passing shadow, like broken pottery"

Yardena's time at Eurovision 1988 is best known for the anecdote where she goes to a fortune teller who said that song #9 would win that contest. When the draw occurred, Israel was slotted into that place, but was shafted up to #8 when Cyprus withdrew from having an already-released song. #9 would go to Ne Partez Pas Sans moi, which would end up winning and make history thanks to its singer.

This ends up taking away from the song itself; Ben Adam is reminiscent of older folk songs, but it takes off with its own character and flair. I also love the lyrics, which recognizes humans as flawed, without berating them as such. (We need a little bit more of that in the internet world, haha)

The flurry towards the end of the song was well-executed too, and the instrumentation is just fantastic. It feels like one was in a festival!

Personal ranking: 2nd/21 Actual ranking: 7th/21 in Dublin

#237: Amandine Bourgeois -- L'enfer et moi (France 2013)

“Tu m’as fait pleurer à vif Mon cou porte encore ta griffe J’aimais échanger de peau”

“You made me cry a lot You can still see your mark on my neck I used to like exchanging skin”

I love the dark sensuality of this song—with its blues influences, it tells a story of a relationship gone awry, but does so with sophistication. It starts out with a slick guitar line, which later devolves into a full on outrage against the lover at question.

The harshness of this song probably clashed with its opening spot, which is why it’s so underrated. Or it was because of Amandine’s styling...

Either way, it has grown on me since I watched the 2013 contest, and it gets the right vibes going...except with the lyrical story...

Personal ranking: 5th/39 Actual ranking: 23rd/26 GF in Malmo

#236: Ambasadori -- Ne mogu skriti svoju bol (Yugoslavia 1976)

"Ne molim da se vratiš Al’ molim te da pamtiš Voljela tebe samo sam ja”

“I’m not begging you to come back But please remember I only loved you”

Ambasadori was one of Yugoslavia's biggest groups, and they have a long list of who's who in the Bosnia music scene. I'm not familiar with their other music, but Ne mogu skriti svoju bol definitely highlights their artistry, along with the dark-pop take Yugoslavia had in 1970s Eurovision.

This song was initally my fifth place of 1976, but it has steadily grown until it became my fourth (knocking out Portugal in the process) The instrumentation conveys a dark mood, despite the upbeat strings and the poppy sound. There’s a grooviness in it to contrast the sullen lyrics, mourning for a lost love. It definitely stands out in the crowd; along with Ismeta's lack of makeup.

It got rewarded with a second-to-last place, which is way too low for this. And Yugoslavia withdrew for five years, and came back with a new sound...

Personal ranking: 4th/18 Actual ranking: 17th/18 in Den Haag

#235: Zibbz -- Stones (Switzerland 2018)

"Sins of the father make us fall And I can’t do anything about it"

2018 had a number of staging errors which cost several countries qualification. In Stones' cases, this wasn't the case.

Corrine has incredible stage presence, with a sense of strength and attiude as she struts on the stage. She definitely adds substance to this powerful pop-rock song, fighting against bullying in all corners of society.

To further that, she lights a flare at the bridge, which definitely hits the tone of the song home. Plus, it was an awesome moment to behold.

Basically, Zibbz did everything right--great song, thoughtful message, simple but impactful staging, and it still didn't qualify...While it has outgrown me a bit, it's still a total jam.

Personal ranking: 9th/43 Actual ranking: DNQ -- 13th in the first semi-final in Lisbon

#234: Kalomira -- Secret Combination (Greece 2008)

“An open book An open book, well, I'm sorry, I am not Sometimes I'm acting like a lady Sometimes woman, sometimes baby.”

"You maybe an open book Spongebob, but I'm a bit more complicated than that"

One third of the female-bop grouping in the 2008 contest, Secret Combination takes Greek instrumentation and American production to produce quite the gem. I could imagine Britney Spears singing this, but I also thought of the Cheetah Girls when I was listening to it. With a bit of sweetness and a touch of sexiness, Kalomira plays the different roles well--and has a cute moment when the book actually opens, revealing her in a really nice silvery dress!

Personal ranking: 7th/43 Actual ranking: 3rd/25 GF in Belgrade

#233: Avi Toledano -- Hora (Israel 1982)

"וגם ההורה, ההיא עם הה”א קולה עוד עולה, קולה לא נדם"

"And also the Hora, the one with the Hey Its voice still rises, its voice has not been silenced"

Israel had a particular style with songs from the 1980s--they are usually really energetic, with fun choreography in which everyone joins along. It makes for good results and good energy, especially when it's done well!

Hora seems to embody it in many ways, from the celebratory lyrics to the fun dancing across the really tiny stage in Harrogate. It combines Israeli folk music with a sense of joie-de-vivre, celebrating the nation (which as you will see later, may not work today...)

Avi earns himself a strong second place, but he would write something even better the following year (again, will come later)!

Personal and actual ranking: 2nd/18 at Harrogate

#232: Raphael Gualazzi -- Madness of Love (Italy 2011)

"Ma vedrai un altro me in un sogno fragile Riderai come se non ti avessi amato mai Cercherai un altro me oltre all’ombra di un caffè"

"But you’ll see another me in a fragile dream You’ll laugh as if I had never loved you You’ll look for another me beyond the shadow of a coffee"

Between 1994 and 2010, Italy withdrew from Eurovision, with only one participation in 1997. Nobody knows why, with reasons ranging from the rise of a televote to Italian disinterest in the contest, but they were certainly missed. Thanks to the late Rafaella Carra and a bunch of other circumstances, Italy came back in 2011, and they did so in style.

"Madness of Love" is frequently overlooked amongst Italy's post-comeback entries, as some of us aren't into jazz. I don't listen to the genre often, but I like this song particularly. It's flirty and sweet, under a very sophisticated soundscape which reminds me of a 1920s speakeasy. And while people are put off by Raphael's vocals, the way he lets himself go at the end of the chorus is definitely a highlight.

Basically, it's one of those runners-up that should've won against the winner of its year. But it was nicely made up for ten years later.

Personal ranking: 2nd/43 Actual ranking: 2nd/25 GF in Dusseldorf

#231: Anneli Saaristo -- La dolce vita (Finland 1989)

“Minä sammutin elämän janoa vaan Minä osasin onnea anoa vaan Jälkeen kaiken nyt saatan sen sanoa vaan La dolce vita”

“I was just quenching life’s thirst I knew how to plead for happiness After everything all I can say is: The good life”

La Dolce Vita sounds more stereotypically ”Spanish” than “Finnish”, because of its flamenco influences versus the dark pop or metal we expect from the country. Apparently, a lot of Finns travel south for vacations, which makes a bit more sense here.

Either way, it springs a bit of life and joy into a dark heart. It embraces life in its tropical vibe and Anneli’s deep vocals, and conveys a comfortable mood. Apparently, it was also known for Anneli's slight choreography, but I only noticed her standing during the instrumental.

It would be Finland’s last top ten result for many years, but the 7th place it got in Lausanne was deserved (and they should've done better, actually!). A fitting send-off for their long-time conductor Ossi Runne (RIP).

Personal ranking: 3rd/22 Actual ranking: 7th/22 in Lausanne

#esc 250 #eurovision song contest #esc top 250 #esc hungary #esc cyprus #esc israel #esc france #esc yugoslavia #esc switzerland #esc greece #esc italy #esc finland #three minutes to eternity #vintage eurovision

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theladyofdeath · 7 years ago

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Friday Night Lights {ACOTAR}

Chapter 11

Summary: Inspired by the series Friday Night Lights. In a town that is obsessed with football, a group of teenagers are glorified for what they bring to the field. But what the people of Velaris don’t realize is that there is a lot more to life than football, and it’s not always pretty.

Revolves around Cassian, Nesta, Elain, Lucien, Azriel, Morrigan, Amren, Feyre, and Rhysand.

*Warning: This fic deals with sensitive material.

*Note: A chapter will be posted every Sunday & Wednesday.

Click here for previous chapters.

Author’s Note: SURPRISE CHAPTER!!!! Enjoy. This connects us to the second half of this beauty (and by beauty I mean trash)....!

Cassian watched attentively as Nesta approached him, gesturing to the grand mess surrounding them.

High school students sure didn’t give a shit about making messes. There was trash in every nook and cranny of the gym, and Cassian found himself terrified of going anywhere near the bleachers. The juniors and seniors of Velaris High left the gymnasium without a second thought, his teammates included. And they had left their garbage behind.

Animals.

“Well,” Cassian sighed, as Nesta stopped in front of him. “Where do we start?”

“Janitor’s closet,” she said, then turned on her heels, expecting him to follow.

“Speaking of,” Cassian said, jogging after her. “Not that I’m complaining, but why were we gifted with the task of cleaning this shit up?”

Nesta shrugged. “I don’t know. I just do what I’m told.”

Cassian should have figured he would get an answer like that, even though he swore they were getting somewhere. She had been less hostile to him over the past week. In their detentions, he often found her watching him, and they even began to make small talk that often turned into something a little bit deeper, each day.

Although, no one would ever know that by the way she was walking two feet ahead of him now.

By the time they reached the janitor’s closet at the end of the hall, the school had emptied. Cassian had a good feeling that they were all out preparing for the big game. He would never grow tired of the homecoming games – looking out at the crowd and seeing their signs, their painted faces, representing their school colors.

It made him feel proud, accomplished.

Unlike his current assignment.

Cassian followed Nesta into the closet and let the door shut behind them as he found the light switch. “What do we need?”

“Gloves,” she said, looking around. There was so much junk crammed into the small space, it was hard to locate even the simple things. “Trash bags.”

Cassian didn’t even bother glancing at the shelves for the things she had mentioned. All he could see was her, underneath the dim light in the closet. She wasn’t wearing her typical dress wear, but jeans and a tee-shirt with the school mascot on it: a knight in shining armor.

She turned to look at the opposite shelf, and froze, catching his stare. “What?”

“Can’t I look at you?”

“No. It’s inappropriate,” she said, as if it were obvious.

“You keep saying that,” Cassian said, leaning back against the closed door. “But I don’t understand why. You don’t teach here. You’re an aide. Besides, I’m an adult. And you’re only a year older than me.”

“Mr. Collins would fire me, and I would never be able to teach in this district.”

“Collins is an ass,” was all Cassian said.

Nesta rolled her eyes.

Cassian had decided Headmaster Collins was an ass the same day he decided his son, Tamlin, was also an ass.

“Nesta,” Cassian began, but she shook her head.

“Don’t say my name like that.”

“Like what?” he laughed, humorlessly, irritation beginning to settle.

“Like….” She hesitated, exasperated. “I don’t know! Like it means something more than just my name!”

Cassian shoved his hands in his pockets, and crossed one ankle over the other. He stared at her, at the way she crossed her arms, at the way her forehead wrinkled, at the storm raging in her eyes.

“I’ve tried to come up with a list of reasons not to pursue you,” he said, at last. “You’re difficult. You’re snooty. And to be frank, you’re a pain in the ass.”

“Is this supposed to mean something to me?” she asked, pointedly.

“Yes!” he laughed, shaking his head. “It means that you and I are terrible for each other, and yet, you’re all I can think about. I have tried to get you off my mind, Nesta, and I have tried to forget about you. But you’re like a disease that is spreading throughout my entire body.”

“That’s disgusting,” she said, but there was no longer a bite in her voice.

“Maybe so,” he said, and it was in fact a terrible analogy. “But I don’t care. You can ignore the obvious feelings you have for me, or you can kiss me right now, but either way, I’m never going to sto –“

She fell into him like she was drowning and longing to be saved.

The memory of their lips sweetly brushing against one another’s evaporated as Cassian opened his mouth and her tongue swept inside.

At first his body was rigid from shock, but he quickly relaxed as his hands found her waist and pulled her toward him. She tasted of raspberry and mint, and there was almost a fearful glint in her eye as she pulled back and looked at him. Her eyes were unsure, but her hands clasped to his chest.

She was afraid, and he had a feeling it went far deeper than him being a student, and her an aide.

“We should….um…..we need to clean the gym. Mr. Collins –“ her sentence dropped off. “We need to go.”

“Okay,” Cassian said, but neither of them moved. Then, “Will you come over after the game tonight?”

“Come over?” she asked. “To your house?”

Cassian chuckled. “Yeah. Unless that makes you uncomfortable. Then –“

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay,” he said, too.

They stood like that for another minute before he leaned down, and kissed her softly before they finally found what they needed, and walked back, a little bit closer to one another, toward the gym.

Alana had Cassian’s number painted on her cheek, thanks to Mor.

She was also wearing a tiny Velaris High Knights cheer uniform.

“You look awesome,” Amren told her, as she walked with the squad toward the field.

The five-year-old could barely contain her excitement. “I know!”

Mor chuckled, tossing her arm around Alana’s shoulders.

She caught a glance of Andromache, who was standing by the fence that surrounded the field, wearing her own Velaris High Knights tee. She gave Mor a smile, and a wave, before heading up to the stands.

Amren cleared her throat, and raised her brows. “Andi?”

Mor tried her best to react accordingly, but she could feel herself blushing. “She’s a friend.”

“Friends don’t look at each other like that,” Amren grinned, giving her a wink. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

Mor said nothing.

She was grateful, but she felt guilty. Why did it matter? Why did it matter if people knew she liked a girl? Then, her father’s face popped into her mind, and she remembered.

Not everyone was as accepting as Amren, or Azriel.

“Hey,” Amren said, as quietly as she could in the herd of people. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Mor smiled, shaking it off.

It was going to be a good night. Nothing would ruin her mood.

But then she thought of how Eris was out of jail, and found herself wondering if he would show up to the game for one last showdown.

Azriel’s heart was pounding as he took the field, Cassian by his side. It was the start of the second half, and they were ahead by three.

He had to admit that Cassian was having one of his best games to date, and Azriel had a hunch it had to do with the scouts that were sitting in the stands.

His grandma was there with Declan, at least they had been there at the start of the game. He hadn’t seen them when he looked in the stands after half time, when they had come out of the locker room. She had probably taken him home. It was after his bedtime, after all.

His eyes drifted to where the cheerleaders stood, their hands on their hips. Elain caught his gaze and gave him a small wave, which Mor caught, and grinned wickedly.

Azriel rolled his eyes, although she couldn’t see it through his facemask, then waved back at Elain.

“Stop flirting,” Cassian mocked, a growl in his tone. “We have a game to win!”

He slapped Azriel on the back of his helmet before running down the field to take his position. Azriel wished his head was further into the game, but it wasn’t. At least, not as it once was. Maybe he had been through too much. Maybe life had finally taken its toll, and a game no longer seemed all that important.

A scholarship would help him after high school, but he could only go to Velaris University. He had to stay close to home. He had to stay at his grandma’s, with Declan, until he could properly, and successfully, support them both.

“Are you okay?” Rhysand asked, coming up behind him. “You look out of it.”

“I’m fine,” he said, then froze.

Because on the sidelines, behind the cheerleaders, was the last person he wanted to see.

“Az?”

He couldn’t hear Rhysand behind him, couldn’t hear the words of concern that demanded a reply. There was a ringing in his ear, an extra layer of sweat that wasn’t there before. He was seeing red as she caught his eye, and flipped her long, blonde hair over her shoulder.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” he asked, but it barely came out a whisper.

“Uh, Az,” Rhysand put his gloved hand beneath his friend’s shaky elbow. “Are you ok –“

“I have to go.”

Azriel was taking off his helmet and sprinting off the field before Rhysand could call after him. He ran by Coach B, not caring that he was causing a scene. He had to get to her. He had to get to Declan. He had to make sure she wouldn’t find him.

She couldn’t find him.

He wouldn’t let her.

Because if Ianthe found Declan, all hell would break lose.

“Is he….leaving?”

“Huh? What?”

Vassa sighed. “If you would have been watching the game – ya know, the thing you’re supposed to be photographing, you would have seen Azriel Draeven run off the field.”

Lucien’s eyes snapped to hers, and narrowed. “Azriel?”

“Oh my gods, Lucien,” Vassa said, exasperated. “Are you even listening to me?”

Something like guilt shone in his russet eyes as Lucien lowered his camera. “I’m sorry. I’m just….distracted.”

Vassa looked from Lucien to Elain, the only cheerleader he had been photographing all night. The only girl he had been talking about all week.

She wanted to grab his shoulders and shake some sense into him. She doesn’t like you. She’s avoided you all week. Hell, so has her sister. JUST GIVE UP.

But instead, Vassa took a step closer to her best friend and said, “Hey. How about we go to the dance tomorrow together? As friends?”

By this point, the crowd was losing their minds. One of Velaris High’s best players had run off the field, with no explanation, if Coach B’s pissed off expression had anything to say about it. And here they were, talking about the dance tomorrow.

Lucien snuck a glance at Elain, and Vassa was sure she wasn’t supposed to notice. He looked back at Vassa and forced a smile. “Sure. That’s fine.”

FINE?! She wanted to shout, suddenly embarrassed. Out of all the things he could have said, he said “that’s fine”. After everything they had been through, Vassa thought she deserved better than “that’s fine”.

She would never say it aloud to him, though. She simply smiled, and gave him an awkward thumbs up as their football team attempted to make sense of the chaos.

Ianthe looked in her review mirror, her ruby red lips in full display.

She didn’t know what she loved so much about seeing her exes squirm, but it made it all worth while. She’d already scared Lucien, and his pretty little plaything, last Friday night at Rita’s.

But Azriel.

Oh, his face was priceless. The color quickly drained from his tanned features, and she could see how his eyes widened through his mask from the sidelines.

She had to admit – she was curious. She was curious about what her baby looked like after all those months, if Azriel had even kept the kid. She didn’t want to deal with the adoption agency, didn’t care to know how all that mess worked.

So, she had dropped him off at his father’s house, and left without another word, fleeing south only a month later, after a short fling with Vanserra.

She was only eighteen. She wasn’t ready to be a mother yet. She had a life to live.

And oh, she had lived in the last few months.

But the curiosity….

She wouldn’t mind checking up on little Declan. Azriel’s father’s house was empty, though. She had already stopped by earlier in the week.

And judging by Azriel’s expression when he saw her from the field, he didn’t want her to know where he was now.

She would find out, though.

She always found out.

#tacmc fnl #my writing #acotar #fanfic

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aelin-and-feyre · 8 years ago

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A School of Fire and Shadow (Part 4)

This is one of the last chapters in Year 1, but please remember that at the moment, these characters are eleven or twelve years old and may not react to situations in the same way their much more mature characters in the books might. Thank you!

Tagging: @starzablaze @hannahnosretep @runesandfaes@mayhemories@illyrian-queen @bluephoenix222 @carolineherr15@rugrat-mama@rowanismybae @themajorindianfangirl @a-courtof-fangirls-and-fanfics @rhysand-and-rowan @notjustanyoldfangirl@gcarroll @illyrianinterrasen @helloprinceling @peachyyymeg (let me know if you want to be tagged in future parts!)

TOG x ACOTAR Crossover - Hogwarts au

House Key

Last Part Next Part coming Tuesday August 8

“Just look at him,” Aelin sneered, stabbing her grape with a fork. Juice went flying in all directions, but the witch didn’t even notice. Her gaze remained on the Gryffindor table and the white-haired boy sitting there laughing. “Plotting his prank. Making us wait like the mastermind he is.”

Rhysand didn’t even bother following her gaze. She talked about Rowan Whitethorn enough that he knew who she was talking about already. “I’m pretty sure he’s just eating lunch,” he said.

Aelin turned from her fierce stare to scowl at him. “That’s what he wants us to think. He’s just waiting for us to let our guard down,” she retorted, popping a grape into her mouth and chewing it angrily. It had been months since their last prank on Whitethorn - a jinx on his broom that made him hover just above the Whomping Willow for half an hour while the fourth years watched. Aelin waited restlessly for the retaliation she knew would be coming.

Rhysand, however, figured that perhaps the wizard was over the prank war. After all, now that the boy had been spending so much time in Mistress Maeve’s classroom, he could very well have more pressing matters.

“Leave the poor bloke to his food,” Azriel was the one who spoke this time. Aelin whipped her head around to stare at him. “You shouldn’t be wasting your time with him.” The girl sputtered, and Rhys raised an eyebrow at his friend.

Manon ceased her eating to comment, “Az is right. The way I hear it, you should be paying more attention to the Havilliard boy.”

Aelin crinkled her nose as all four of them turned to the Ravenclaw table, where Dorian Havilliard daintily munched on his sandwich. Rhys snorted at the way he used a knife and fork. “Not my type,” Aelin decreed. She shared a look with Rhysand that he could only describe as annoyance.

Manon scoffed. “Well he seems to think you're his. Besides, you’re eleven and you’ve never had a boyfriend, how do you know what your ‘type’ is?”

Aelin crossed her arms with a pout, both Rhys and Azriel laughing a bit at the action. “Eleven and three quarters,” the witch corrected, “and Dorian can try all he wants but I’ve sworn to myself that I am not dating anyone until at least third year. First and second year relationships are stupid anyway.”

Rhys’ eyes flicked to the Gryffindor table once, just glimpsing the back of a golden-brown head before looking back at his friends. “Yeah, that’s very smart of you, Aelin. Best not to get involved too young.” He nudged Azriel beside him. “Isn’t that right Az?”

The wizard didn’t even bother to avert his gaze from the Ravenclaw table as he replied absently, “Yeah, totally.” Rhysand rolled his eyes. It’s like Azriel didn’t even try to hide his feelings for Mor, Rhys’ cousin.

Turning back to the females, Rhys continues, “Besides, I don’t like Dorian.” Manon raised an eyebrow in question. Rhysand shrugged. “His father works with mine at the Ministry. Like, they work together.” He shared a meaningful look with Aelin. He’d confided in her a few weeks ago of his father’s shifty dealings that he’s been privy to. Although his father doesn’t directly discriminate against muggles and muggle-borns, many of his colleagues do. Including Mr Havilliard.

Aelin reached across the table and set her hand on top of his. “We can’t judge people by who their father is, now can we?” She soothed. Rhys grumbled a few times before nodding.

Suddenly, the second year witch who Rhys had been introduced to as Kaltain leaned over to talk to them. The girl had an uncanny talent for overhearing conversations concerning the Havilliard boy, Rhys had noticed. “So, you aren’t in the market for dating anyone right now?” Kaltain asked nonchalantly.

Aelin raised an eyebrow, “Are you offering?”

The witch scoffed. “Of course not. You know Helion though? Second year, Ravenclaw?”

“Vaguely,” Aelin replied. Rhysand looked over to the Ravenclaw table, easily spotting the wizard who had his nose buried in a book. He had seen Helion go through an entire ancient tome in less than two hours, and still have enough time to charm every person he passed. Rhys had to give the guy credit; he knew how to flirt.

Kaltain leaned in close as she spoke the next words, as if they were this deep, dark secret. “Rumor is that him and Dorian have a bet going to see who can get you on a date first.”

Manon burst out laughing, drawing many eyes as she exclaimed, “Seriously? A date - with Aelin?” The witch paused as another bout of laughter overtook her.

Rhysand felt it was his duty as a best friend to stand up for the girl. “Shut up Manon, you’re just jealous because they didn’t place a bet on you.”

Manon feigned wiping her eyes as she recovered from her fit. “I’m just saying, she’s not exactly a prize.” Abruptly, Aelin stood, gathering the attention of the tables around them. She did not have to act as she wiped her own eyes of the tears threatening to fall. Manon’s expression immediately dropped. “Oh, Aelin. I didn’t mean -” But the witch was already running off.

Rhys and Azriel exchanged a quick glance before both standing and sprinting after her. “I hope you’re happy,” Az shot towards the white-haired witch. Rhys noticed that the whole room was watching them as they skidded out into the hall. He was surprised to see that his cousin and Lysandra had followed them. He knew that Aelin had gotten closer to them over the past couple months, but he was proud to hold the position of her best friend. Rhysand couldn’t help but feel protective of her and their friendship. He didn’t want Mor jeopardizing that.

However, when it was clear that Aelin had run to the bathroom, Rhys was incredibly glad that the girls had tagged along. “Before we go in, we need the story,” Mor stopped them outside the entrance to the girl’s lavatory. Rhysand quickly filled them in on what had happened at the table, Lysandra damned the stupid bet before her and Mor entered.

Azriel and Rhys waited outside the bathroom for a couple minutes, and then Az spoke up. “I noticed that the kitchen is serving chocolate cake for dessert tonight...” He commented.

Rhysand already understood, grabbing his friend’s arm and racing downstairs.

...

Aelin’s eyes were blurry as she stumbled into the lavatory. Thus, she wasn’t sure if she was seeing clearly when she noticed the floating gray mass above one of the sinks. The witch quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, sniffling, and the blob turned toward her.

It ended up being two ghosts, one with thin braids clinking softly with gold and kind eyes, the other with silver hair and an incredibly beautiful face. One, Aelin recognized as Nehemia, the Ghost of Ravenclaw. The other disappeared through the wall before she could figure out who they were.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Aelin apologized through a cracking voice. She hated crying. It always made her throat sore and her eyes sting. She knew she had made a scene back in the Great Hall, but at the moment, she really didn’t care. Aelin just wanted to be alone. It seemed, however, that Nehemia would not allow that.

“Why are you crying?” The ghost asked, halting Aelin in her steps as she once again broke down.

Her legs wobbled a bit so she crouched, turning away from Nehemia as she attempted to regain her composure. Stupid Manon Blackbeak. Stupid Dorian. Stupid bet. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

The ghost scoffed, floating closer to Aelin. “You most certainly are not. What is wrong, girl?”

Just then, the door slammed open. Aelin looked up to see Mor and Lysandra come bursting through. They spotted Aelin on the floor and rushed to her, only giving Nehemia a sparing glance. “They’re idiots, honey,” Lysandra soothed.

“Rhysand will beat them up for you if you want,” Mor suggested as she rubbed Aelin’s back comfortingly.

Nehemia sported a perplexed expression. “Who are we beating up?” she asked, seeming on board with it but just wanting to know all the facts. Aelin couldn’t help the small chuckle at the ghost’s tone.

“Dorian and Helion,” Lysandra explained.

“Ah, the bet.” Nehemia nodded along. “I told them it was an idiotic idea. Told them about how they would hurt you and now look what they’ve done.” She placed a vacant, cool hand on Aelin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I should have worked harder to talk them out of it.”

The cold tiles under her knees were beginning to become uncomfortable. Her tears started to dry out and Aelin dragged her hand under her nose as she stood. “It’s not your fault. Boys are idiots.” The three other females nodded in agreement. “I just need to tell them that neither of them are going to win the bet. And inform them that they should never do something like this again.”

“Or,” Nehemia interjected, “You could make them regret ever messing with you in the first place.” The three eleven year olds looked up at the ghost, a question in their eyes. “You could lead them on, make them work for a goal they will never achieve. You might as well benefit from having two boys desperately trying to win your favor.”

Aelin played with a lock of her hair thoughtfully. Lysandra and Mor met her gaze, both of the girls smiling encouragingly. “Why not?” She finally agreed. “Whitethorn is boring me anyways, best to move on to a new bloke - or two.”

Nehemia smiled widely, retreating from them and glancing towards the door. “Good, good. You seem to have a couple boys waiting in the hallway for you.” The three of them looked towards the door. “Meet me in Ravenclaw Tower to form a plan when you’re ready.” The fleeting voice of the ghost struck Aelin’s ears and when she looked back, the female was gone.

“I hate when she does that,” Mor muttered. “Are you okay?” She asked, grasping Aelin’s hand in her own and meeting her eyes. Lysandra grabbed a towel that Aelin could wipe her eyes with.

The witch nodded solemnly. “I’ll be fine, I was overreacting to Manon.”

“Don’t let her get under your skin,” Lysandra reminded, gesturing towards the door. Aelin glanced back once at where Nehemia and the other ghost had disappeared, shaking off the feeling of someone watching her.

Rhys and Azriel abruptly stood up from their position against the wall. The latter held a plate of chocolate cake in his hands, which Aelin immediately zeroed in on. She noticed the look Mor and Rhys shared, to which Mor nodded once resolutely, and Rhysand seemed to relax. “You guys are the best,” she said around a mouthful of deliciousness.

Azriel shrugged, a small blush on his face as he tucked his hands into his pockets. Rhys, however, took the compliment. He slung his arm around Aelin’s shoulders comfortingly. “We know,” he said with a smug smile.

Just then, students began to flood the hallways, signaling the end of lunch. Aelin quickly hid her chocolate cake from view, scarfing it down like her life depended on it. Mor and Lysandra waved goodbye after informing Aelin that they would come get her for the meeting with Nehemia. She thanked them for being there for her and then they were off to their next class.

Azriel nudged her shoulder to see Aedion and Feyre sprinting towards them. Done with her cake, Aelin used her wand to send it back down to the kitchens and then turned to accept her cousin’s hug.

“Are you alright Aelin?” Aedion asked worriedly, examining her up and down for any injuries.

She placed her hand on Aedion’s shoulder, looking him in the eye so that he would believe her. “I’m fine. I got a little overemotional about some stuff said at lunch, but my friends helped me.”

For the first time, Aedion looked to Azriel and Rhys, nodding to them in thanks. Aelin rolled her eyes and turned to Feyre, who was waiting patiently for her turn to talk.

“You missed the chocolate snaps that appeared after lunch.” Feyre opened her hand to display about a dozen treats resting in her palm. “I thought they might work to cheer you up.”

Aelin couldn’t help but laugh. Perhaps she had been a bit too vocal about her love for chocolate. “I’m that transparent, aren’t I?” Feyre’s perplexed expression made Aelin wave her hand, collecting the candies and popping them into her mouth without thinking. She was about to thank Feyre for thinking of her but when she opened her mouth, instead of words, flames came out.

They did not burn her, but they sure did startle. Quickly, Aelin shut her lips just as riotous laughter came from around the corner. Rowan Whitethorn sauntered over to them, slipping an arm around Feyre’s shoulders who was covering her mouth trying to hide her smile.

Aelin opened her mouth again to ask what was happening and once more, a burst of fire flickered from her tongue. Rhys, Azriel, and Aedion finally noticed what was happening, beginning to quickly try and figure out how to stop it. She stared at the silver-haired wizard in front of her, daggers gleaming in her eyes.

Her guard had been down. He’d taken his chance. And he’d used chocolate to do it.

“You have a real problem there, Aelin,” he chuckled. Rowan tossed a chocolate snap into the air and caught it again. The males around her turned now to stare at him. “Calm down, bat boys and wolfie, she’s fine. It’s a concoction of my own making,” his eyes met hers, “so that her words reflect the fire in her heart. It will wear off in a couple hours.”

“This is a stupid prank, Whitethorn, and you know it,” Rhys growled. Azriel had to grab his arm to keep him from punching the wizard. Aedion didn’t look like he would be apposed to a new bruise of Rowan’s face either.

Rowan cocked an eyebrow. “Was it? Feyre didn’t seem to think so.” Rhys’ gaze shifted to the witch whose responding smirk made his fierce expression waver. Aelin didn’t dare try to talk, but everyone could see the fire that blazed in her eyes - rhetorical flames this time, but burning none the less.

The hallway had emptied considerably, as students rushed to class, and so the sound of a cane against stone drew all of their attention as the Suriel came entered the area. Rowan suddenly paled and Aelin couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of him getting reprimanded by the terrifying divination teacher.

“Whitethorn!” The Suriel snapped, even though it was still at the other end of the hallway. It seemed to already know what had happened. “Apologize to your...” It seemed to think for a moment. “To your Fireheart.”

Rowan was taken aback, his arm slipping from Feyre’s shoulders. “I-I’m sorry, Aelin.” He said, slightly shaking with fear. None of the other students were much better, all scared of the teacher that continued to hobble closer.

“Good, now get to class!” It barked. Rowan didn’t need to be told twice, quickly grabbing Feyre’s wrist and dragging her with him. “Aelin, let’s get you to Alis,” The Suriel’s tone considerably softened as she spoke to the witch. “The rest of you may also leave for your studies.”

Aelin shared a terrified look with Rhysand, silently begging him not to leave her with the creature, even if it was taking to the nurse. He just slightly shook his head in response. “Let’s go, little girl.” The Suriel commanded, and Aelin had no choice but to follow.

...

That night, Rowan walked into Maeve’s office just a half hour before curfew. She looked up from her desk after a few minutes of him waiting by the door. “Did you give her the chocolates?” Was the first thing she said. Rowan nodded, knowing by now that it was not wise to speak unless it was absolutely necessary. Maeve nodded in approval. “Good. Then you have completed my first task.”

Rowan beamed. If feeding some fiery candies to an annoying girl was the only thing he had to do to win Maeve’s favor, he would gladly do it. Even if it meant that scary teachers like the Suriel would then corner him and demand that he be nice to said girl in the future. The divination teacher seemed to think that Rowan must like the girl, or have some claim on her, the way it kept calling Aelin ‘his Fireheart’. The wizard slightly shivered, remembering the way the Suriel had put it’s bony hand on his shoulder and stared at him with those milky white orbs.

He watched silently as Maeve leaned back in her chair, assessing him. “Are you prepared for my next task?” Rowan nodded again. “Make Aelin hate you.”

Masterlist

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a-court-of-illyrian-warriors · 8 years ago

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Starfall

Deticated to one of my lovely new friends @my-boyo-fenrys thanks for encouraging me

all characters belong to Sarah J. Maas summary: The University of Velaris is hosting a formal dance to celebrate the upcoming meteor shower. Rhys has the perfect way to ask Feyre, but he needs Cassian and Azriel’s help Word count: 3162

The Starfall dance was just a month away. Everyone had been talking about this meteor shower for months now, so our college decided to celebrate with a dance for the students. Of course my girlfriend, Feyre, and I were going to go together (who would say no to me?), but I hadn’t asked her yet. It had to be something big. Feyre was the stars in my sky and I took every opportunity to make sure she knew it. Currently, Azriel, Cassian and I were all laying around my dorm room brainstorming.

“I know!” Cassian exclaimed, tossing a handful of popcorn in his mouth, picking up a piece he dropped, and throwing it at Azriel. “Ok, so you get an alligator-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” I interrupted. “We can’t just get an alligator.” Disappointment flashed across Cassian’s face.

“You didn’t even get to hear the best part.“

“Well,” Azriel started. “You always call her your “queen,” why don’t you do something with that? And besides, everyone knows you two are going to win King and Queen of Starfall.“

“Azriel you’re a genius!” I exclaimed, standing up from my seat and throwing arms up above my head.

“So you know what you’re gonna do?” Cassian asked, looking up at me.

“No, but it’s a start,” I said, my hands dropping back to my sides. I flopped back down onto the loveseat, pulling my feet up onto it. “What if…,” I began, a devilish grin on my face, “we sneak in to the girl’s dorms?“

“Rhys,” Azriel warned, always the protective, responsible one. But my mind was already racing at 100 miles per hour, churning up the perfect plan.

"I like where this is going, but what does it have to do with asking Feyre to Starfall?” Cassian asked, smirking, his mind travelling elsewhere.

“Here’s what we’ll do. Somehow we sneak in, go into the living area, and cause a commotion. Since Feyre’s room is close by, she’ll be one of the first ones there, and then I’ll ask her with a huge sign and maybe…,” I ran my hand over my face, thinking.

“Balloons!” Cassian yells, excited at the aspect of danger. And balloons.

“Yeah! We’ll get balloons and a huge sign that says… ‘Will you be my Queen at Starfall?’ What do you guys say?” I could see Azriel cringing, at U-of-V there was a girl’s dorms, a guy’s dorm, and a small nuetral building in between. The girls and guys weren’t allowed in the others’ dorms but anyone could go into the connecting area just to chill or hang out.(we called it “the hang out”) And we all knew Azriel had a perfect record, and that was important to him

“I’m in!” Cassian said. He looked over at Azriel, who was the most hesitant. “Please, Az,” he whined, dragging out the “e” in please.

“Can’t we just do it in the hang out?” Az asked.

“No, it’s not as good then. We can pull it off. Come on, you’re the most sneaky of us all. We need you on this super secret mission. Think of how happy Feyre will be!” I reasoned.

“Fine,” He mumbled, “only if I get to help with the sign."

"Deal. Come on, let’s go get supplies.” I said, getting up and going to grab my keys.

“What? It’s like 2am!” Az yelled, but Cassian was already trailing behind me. But nevertheless, he followed.

—

We arrived at the nearest Hobby Lobby, which was open, much to our surprise. Azriel went off to get the things for our sign, and Cass came with me to get balloons.

“Stickers, Rhys! Let’s go, we need these,” Cassian exclaimed, tugging me suddenly off into a nearby aisle. Cassian, being stronger than I, succeeded and into the sticker aisle we went.

“Cassian, we don’t have time for this!” I whisper-yelled, trying my best to pull him in the right direction.

“Yeah we do, you know how indecisive Az is, he’ll take longer than we will. And look! Azriel would love these!” He said, picking up a pack of stickers, they were woodland animals. Little deer and foxes, squirrels and rabbits. He showed them to me, a proud smile on his face.

“Really? Get them if you must. But let’s just go,” I replied, sighing.

“Yes!” Cassian rejoiced. “Az will love these, thanks Rhys.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the balloon section. I don’t know how he’s so hyper at 2:30 in the morning. I’m only surviving off confidence and caffeine. And angst.

“What colors does Feyre like?” Cassian questioned. “For the balloons.”

“Maybe blue and silver? That seems to suit her, and the Starfall theme.”

“Okay, I’ll get the balloons and you can get the helium.”

“Ok. We need a big cardboard box, too. Do they have those here?"

"Probably,” Cassian replied from down the aisle, throwing packs of balloons at me. “I’ll go ask someone, don’t worry bro.”

“Cass-” I interrupted myself with a sigh, Cassian already long gone. There was an 80% chance I’d never see him again.

Picking up the big box of helium, balancing the balloons on top, I went off to find Azriel. Thankfully, he was also looking for me, and I spotted him down the main aisle.

“Where’s Cass?” He asked, holding a blank sign, markers, glitter, and glitter glue.

I sighed, “He went to go find a box.”

“We’ll never see him again, will we?” Az joked.

I chuckled, “That’s what I was thinking. Let’s go see if we can find him.” We walked about 10 feet before Cassian found us.

“Rhys! Az!” He called, waving at us from the literal other end of the store. “He has a box,” he said when we reached each other, pointing to the smirking, dark skinned male trailing behind him, stickers still clutched in his other hand.

“Meet my new friend, Helion. Helion, this is Rhysand and Azriel. He says they don’t have boxes for sale but they have shipment boxes and we can have those."

"Okay, thanks a lot, Helion,” I said, following the amber eyed male to the back where they kept the boxes.

“My pleasure,” he drawled in response. Now this was a lady’s man. Probably a man’s man, too. But there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s any better than me. After all, I’m the one dating Feyre Archeron.

We reached the back, where only employees were aloud. “I can only take one person with me. I assume it will be Rhysand? Since this is for your girlfriend,” He asked, one eyebrow arching as he pointed a finger at me.

“Yeah,” I replied, setting down the helium and balloons by Azriel’s feet. “How much did you tell him?” I asked Cassian, joking. I followed him into the back, it wasn’t as top secret as I had imagined. There was a water cooler, bathroom, a ton of stock and just random things. The boxes were in the back so that gave Helion and I plenty of time to talk. I discovered that he graduated from the University of Velaris last year with a degree in ancient literature, which was suprising, and his dream was to open a library that functioned as a club at night. I picked out a huge box and returned back to my friends.

“We should probably go pay,” I said, handing the box to Cassian so I could carry the helium.

“Oh, I can check you out if you want,” Helion said, smirking.

Azriel scoffed, jokingly and said, “You’ve already done that.” Helion laughed, a rich, rolling, contagious laugh.

“And here I was, thinking I could be sneaky when I wished,” Helion replied, leading us up to the front where he fired up a register. We chatted as he rang everything up. My total was a lot less than expected. I shot Helion a questioning glance. “What can I say, friends and family get discounts,” he said with a wink.

We all clambered into my car, a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan (it’s all I can afford as a poor college student, okay). Cassian and Azriel chose to sit in the back together. According to Cass, ‘soccer mom Rhys is no fun when he’s driving.’ I’m a careful and focused driver, but I caught part of their conversation.

Cassian gave Azriel the stickers I would have paid $3.99 for, had it not been for Helion. Azriel smiled, thanked Cassian, and then proceeded to give him the cutest sticker. Soccer Mom Rhys was not happy.

After we arrived back at my dorm, Cassian and Azriel went back to their shared dorm for the night. Thankfully, my roommate, Lucien, was gone for the night so I wasn’t disturbing him. We decided we’d meet the next morning to create our master plan.

–

I groaned, rolling over and swatting at whatever was tapping me incessantly.

“Rhyyyys, wake up already! You’re sleeping your life away,” whined someone who had consumed way too much caffeine.

“Screw off, Cassian,” I mumbled, burying my head into my pillow.

He physically pulled me out of bed. “No. You told me to wake you up at 11, no matter what. So that’s what I’m doing.”

“I never said that, Cassian."

"Yes you did! Right before you kicked us out last night. Right, Az?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you did,” Azriel said. Damnit. Whatever, I’m up now.

I stretched and yawned, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and stumbling the small distance into my shared living room. I plopped down next to Azriel. “Since you got me up this early you better be cooking” I told Cassian, I could see him in the tiny, stoveless kitchen, rummaging through my cabinets.

“Is cereal okay?” He replied.

“Yeah, whatever. I think it’s the only thing we have."

"Eww!” Cassian yelled, holding out a box of Raisin Bran, pinching it in the corner and holding it away from his body as if it would bite. “What kind of monster is Lucien?!” That comment launched Azriel into a fit of giggles.

Cassian eventually settled for Cocoa Puffs, Azriel had Apple Jacks, and I had Lucky Charms.

I put Cassian in charge of filling the balloons and then sealing them in the box, a job I deemed simple enough. I should have known better than to give him that job though, because his usual rough voice was turned high and squeaky for the next hour and a half.

Azriel and I laid side by side as we carefully crafted the sign, something Azriel had said Cassian could not do because he has “no appreciation for art,” and in which Cassian responded with a high, “but I appreciate you, don’t I, Az?” That also made Azriel giggle.

After a few hours of work we ended up with a beautiful sign reading, “Will you be my Queen at Starfall, Feyre?” It was decorated in glitter, with ‘queen’ and ‘Starfall’ written in glitter glue. There was a big box, filled with helium balloons. A pull string was attached to the lid so Cassian could pull on it and release the balloons.

Apparently Helion had given Cassian two of the stupid party noise makers that unrolled like snake tongues when you blew into them. And Cass insisted that he and Azriel got to use them for ‘dramatic effect.’

—

Finally the time had come. It was 1am and we were ready to infiltrate the girl’s dorms. (Cassian requested that we use “spy words.”)

Cass would carry the box, I would carry the sign and Az would go first and be the lookout. Really this wasn’t as hard as I was making it out to be. I’ve snuck into the girl’s dorms many times to “visit” Feyre, and I had seen (and unfortunately heard) a few girls in the guy’s dorms. We entered the hang out and crossed over to the girl’s dorms. They keep them locked at night for safety, but I had the electronic, hotel-like key that I had snuck from Feyre earlier in the day.

We walked into the large living area, next to the public kitchen area with full appliances, unlike in the individual dorm rooms. Using our cellphone lights, we quietly got into place. I stood in the middle of the living room, where the hall to Feyre’s room met the living room. Cassian set the box behind me, and was sitting by the wall with the string. Azriel was in the kitchen, he would make the noise and then turn on the lights when Feyre arrived.

“Okay, go,” I whispered. Azriel smashed a plate, Cassian cursed, and I shushed him. That should raise enough suspicion for my brave Feyre to come to investigate.

I could hear someone in the hall. “I’m going to investigate,�� that was Feyre. She was probably talking to my cousin, Mor, also her roommate. Another door opened, and another voice. “Nesta? Did you hear that too?” Feyre asked.

“Yeah, I’m going to check it out.” Feyre’s oldest sister replied.

“What the fuck was that?” Definitely Amren.

“Wait, me too,” that was Mor. They sure aren’t being very quiet. I faintly heard Nesta telling Elain that she could not come, it might be dangerous. Then we heard their footsteps down the hall.

Azriel flipped the lights to reveal Feyre standing in the entrance to the living room, Nesta and Mor to her left and right. Amren slightly behind and Elain, always curious, tucked behind Nesta. Right after, Cassian pulled the cord and started tooting his stupid horn, making all sorts of ruckus. After we all recovered from being slightly blinded Feyre spoke up.

“Rhys? You scared the living hell out of me! You scared poor Elain half to death!” My face paled, maybe this was a bad idea. But then she rushed into my arms, crushing me in a hug. “Thank God, I thought you guys were murderers!” She laughed lightly, pulling back.

“Surprise?” I replied, eyeing the other girls starting to gather by everyone else. “So, Feyre? Will you be my Queen at Starfall?”

“Yes, of course, Rhys. I didn’t think you even had to ask.”

“Yeah, but it’s always fun to break college rules and scare everyone.” I said, smirking.

“Uh- hey guys, how are we gonna get the balloons down from the ceiling?” Azriel interrupted, looking up to the high ceilings, balloons gathered in the highest spots.

I glanced up, “Cassian, what happened to the strings?”

“Oh.” He said, realization crossing his face. “That’s what the whole spool of string was for.” Nesta, Nesta of all people, started laughing.

“Cassian you’re such an idiot,” she said, still laughing, and we all joined in.

The next day, Monday

My morning started off great. But then during my first lecture I was called to see the Dean of Administrations, Mr. Keir. I arrived to his office, not surprised to see Cassian and Azriel already waiting in two of the three chairs positioned in front of his desk. I don’t think that being his nephew was going to help me out much here, he’s always had it out for me.

“Well, Mr. Knight, it’s good to see you’ve finally decided to join us,” he said as I took my seat. Azriel was glaring daggers at me, he had a perfect record until now. “It has come to my attention that you three infiltrated the women’s dorm room last night. It might come as a shock to some but you are not women and you are not allowed to be in there. What explanation can you three offer?”

“It was all my fault,” I blurted. “I wanted to ask my girlfriend to Starfall, and I wanted it to be a surprise. Cassian and Azriel told me it was a bad idea. They didn’t want to go, but I pressured them into it.” It technically was my fault, even though Cassian was all for it. I can’t let them get in trouble for this.

“Rhys-” Cassian started, no doubtedly going to shoulder some of the blame.

“Don’t lie to him, Cassian.” I gritted out. Cassian huffed and sat back, crossing his arms.

“Can both of you verify Mr. Knight’s story?” The Dean asked, looking to Cassian and Azriel. Az knew I was trying to save his record, and he wouldn’t pass up this opportunity to say, “I told you so,” later.

“Yes,” Azriel was the first to speak, and he wasn’t fully lying, he did say it was a bad idea, and we did pressure him into it, just not Cassian.

“Yes,” Cassian lied, sending me a sideways glance, silently thanking me. He knew I was a better liar and would somehow convince my uncle that it was all my fault, no matter how much Cassian protested.

“This will be the last warning. The two of you will not get a punishment. But Mr. Knight will have to face the consequences. It seems fit that he is not allowed to attend Starfall.” Mr. Keir said, causing my heart to drop. Feyre would be so upset that I couldn’t go with her.

“That’s not fair,” Cassian started, his voice raised slightly.

“Cass,” I sighed, not really knowing where I was going with this. But it was Azriel that surprised me the most.

“Mr. Keir, please. Let Cassian and I take some of the blame. Punish us, just let Rhys go to Starfall. He and Feyre have been looking forward to this ever since it was announced. Please,” I looked at Azriel, my mouth parted slightly in shock. I saw Cassian nod in agreement. The Dean looked to be considering.

“This will be your last warning. If any of you mess up again it will mean punishment for all three of you. You each will serve three hours of community service, but Mr. Knight will be allowed to attend Starfall. Is that a deal that all of you agree to?”

“Yes,” we all said in unison. We thanked him and then left, not wanting to be in his office any longer than we had to. I threw an arm around each of my best friends.

“I told you it would work out, didn’t I?” I said, smirking. “But really, thank you Azriel.”

–

“But he’s going to let me go, thanks to Azriel,” I told Feyre, finishing my story of my trip to the Dean’s office.

She sat, deep in thought. “I bet I know who it was!” I arched an eyebrow, a silent gesture for her to continue. “That bitch Ianthe! She’s had it out for me ever since I got here! For no reason at all. I bet she’s the one who told the Dean. I saw her last night when you snuck in.”

“Maybe so, but it doesn’t matter now, Feyre darling,” I responded, tilting her chin up and pushing my lips against hers.

Feyre was my Queen, the stars eternal to my night triumphant, the love of my life. And I could not wait to spend another wonderful night with her.

#feysand #rhysand #feyre #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acomaf #acowar #acotar modern #starfall #azriel #cassian

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bluebookweb · 6 years ago

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MRM Talking With: Angry Crab Shack Founder Ron Lou

Ron Lou, founder of Angry Crab Shack, a full-service Cajun seafood restaurant specializing in boiled shellfish, drives 800 miles visting each location to determine ways to improve the experience for employees and guests alike.

The first-generation immigrant and first Asian American to play in the NFL, founded the brand in 2013 and has grown it to seven locations in Arizona. In five years, the brand aims to have awarded 100 locations nationwide. Targeted franchise expansion states include Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, as well as Utah in 2018.

Lou spoke with Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine about the importance of creating personal connections, entrepreneurship and plans to grow the brand.

What is your background?

I’m a proud first-generation American entrepreneur—my parents came to The United States from Mainland China to create a better life for our family and to ensure I had opportunities to accomplish my dreams and goals. I have accomplished an incredible amount because of the sacrifices my parents made, from being the first Asian American to play in the NFL to opening a series of successful restaurants.

I’ve taken my passion for entrepreneurship and built six restaurant concepts – each and every one has taught me the value of hard work. Most recently, I created Angry Crab Shack in an effort to create a new concept that was tied to my roots – a Cajun Asian seafood boil. It’s amazing to see family and friends coming together and making memories while enjoying a fresh and delicious meal at Angry Crab Shack.

How did the Angry Crab Shack come to be?

I am always looking for a new challenge and I wanted to create and develop something unique where families can come together for a fun dining experience unlike anything else. I’ve always thought that there was something different and exciting about experiencing an authentic meal that encompasses international flavor combinations. Angry Crab Shack is a delicious mix of Cajun and Asian inspired dishes and seasonings.

I started Angry Crab Shack in 2013 in Mesa, AZ. The concept had a vibrant, memorable dining environment and could offer high-quality seafood at a more affordable price. I pulled from my roots, experiences, and the flavors I grew up with to create a natural and authentic concept that would drive guests in for an experience they wouldn’t find anywhere else.

I was really attracted to the simplicity and bold flavors in Asian food and was able to combine Cajun- and Asian-inspired seafood, affordable prices, and strategic real estate practices into the winning franchise combination we operate today. We started franchising in 2016 and the first franchise location opened in 2017. We now have five corporate locations and two franchise locations operating in Arizona.

What is your leadership style and how do you implement it?

I am a very hands-on leader and I try to make a personal connection with everyone in the company – from staff to the corporate team. My goal is to bring out the best in everyone so they know they are a vital part of this organization—they should look forward to coming to work and being a valued member of the Angry Crab Shack family. To build on these relationships, I visit every location as often as I can to get to know everyone and make sure each location is operating as effectively as possible.

My interactions with employees are a huge part of each visit. I make a conscious effort to listen attentively to what each person has to say and show them that their work is recognized and appreciated. Our employees are the face of the brand – they are the ones communicating with the guests and controlling the experience families have at every Angry Crab Shack location. Investing in them is vital to our success.

What is the purpose of your visits? Why is it important to you? To the company?

When I visit each location, I’m looking for operational consistency and to see if there are ways to improve the systems and process we have in place. It is important Angry Crab Shack guests are getting the same experience, service, and high-quality meal regardless of which location they visit. During my visits, I typically don’t tell the staff when I’m coming because I want to experience the true atmosphere of the restaurant, rather than employees feeling pressured to perform better just because I’m there.

Each location has its own unique characteristics, something that works at one location might not be the best fit for a different location, which is why it’s so important to observe and inquire about different day-to-day procedures or practices. I can see how all of the moving parts in each store encompass the overall culture of our brand, and then if something needs to be changed, I can better direct those initiatives.

Going on these trips is an opportunity to see what actually goes on in the restaurant on an average day and allows me to put myself in the guest’s shoes. There’s also a quality control aspect to each visit, making sure that all locations are giving every guest the authentic experience that I worked so hard to create. I’m very dedicated and passionate about the brand and want to know that guests are having an authentic experience every time, no matter what location they visit. My interactions with guests help me determine what needs to be done or improved system-wide and determine new strategies to make operations more efficient.

What is the experience like at Angry Crab Shack?

Each Angry Crab Shack is a dining destination that’s family oriented and caters to everyone for every occasion. Guests can expect an entertaining, affordable, and fresh experience. When they enter the restaurant, guests are greeted by a host or bartender and seated at a table lined with butcher paper – we even write their name on the paper in front of their seat. Guests are given bibs and tools used to open and eat their seafood.

For efficiency purposes, we have added two communal sinks in the middle of the restaurant so guests can wash their hands without having to wait in the line for the bathroom. The restaurants are designed with a laid-back atmosphere and guests are encouraged to get messy, have a good time, and enjoy their company and the superior quality seafood that’s served.

What other system wide practices are in place to drive the brand and support franchise owners?

Each restaurant owner is a part of the brand’s foundation so it was important that a solid support system was in place to help restaurant owners grow and thrive. The support system we created consists of four components: training, marketing, technology, and real estate.

An example of this is demonstrated by the efforts of our marketing team. The marketing team helps franchise owners create a robust digital footprint, including local and social media marketing, and assists them in utilizing innovative digital advertising methods that help them reach their target guest audience in their local markets.

Another way we support this tried and true system is by taking a different approach to finding new restaurants. We’re able to minimize the initial cost of entry and monthly overhead, allowing new restaurants to open faster than normal. Search efforts are focused on second and third generation restaurant locations that usually include functional kitchens and bars, properly sized utility and HVAC systems, fire suppression systems, and proper zoning. This allows for reduced build-out costs by limiting renovation while utilizing the existing equipment and utilities.

Having the right foundation and support has proven to create a successful franchise system and the brand aims to have 100 locations open and operating by the end of 2022.

MRM Talking With: Angry Crab Shack Founder Ron Lou posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

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wosoindepth · 8 years ago

Photo

Jessica Fishlock: ‘Louis van Gaal was awe-inspiring but also a little crazy’ | 04.04.2017

“I’m incredibly proud but it’s not something I think about too often,” Jessica Fishlock says as she looks ahead to becoming the first Wales international to win 100 caps, a milestone the midfielder will achieve when the women’s side face Northern Ireland in a friendly in Ystrad Mynach on Wednesday evening. She is refusing to get carried away but then comes a refreshing moment of honesty. Asked how the Football Association of Wales is planning to mark the occasion, Fishlock replies: “I have no idea what the FAW will do but I hope they do something.”

And so they should. Reaching a century of international appearances is a standout achievement for any player and in Fishlock’s case is testament to her longevity, talent and desire to test herself constantly at home and abroad. She undeniably deserves recognition, having already represented her country more than any other person, male or female. More caps than Neville Southall (92), Gary Speed (85) and Craig Bellamy (78) and 33 more than the current darling of Welsh football, Gareth Bale (66).

“When I play for Wales I concentrate purely on doing the best I can for the team and that’ll be the same on Wednesday. It’ll just be another game,” says the 30-year-old. “But yes, I do recognise reaching 100 caps is an unbelievable achievement, as is being Wales most capped player. To be ahead of some of the greats we’ve had is humbling.”

The friendly on Wednesday, the first of two Wales are playing against Northern Ireland in preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign (the second is on Friday, also at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach), will be a particularly special occasion for Fishlock given she thought her international career had come to an end two years ago when she was dropped by the Wales manager, Jayne Ludlow. Fishlock was the team’s captain and most influential player but suddenly, with 82 caps to her name, found herself in the wilderness.

“That was the low point of my career,” says Fishlock. “At the time I didn’t understand why it had happened and I definitely wasn’t ready to be dropped. It broke me completely.

“At the end of day Jayne has done a phenomenal job for Wales and, when she came in, she felt she needed to make changes to the group. Her way of doing that was dropping me. That was her right and I grew to respect that decision.”

Getting a recall soon after was a “special moment” for Fishlock and she has not looked back since, with a history-making moment now on the horizon. It is one that will also represent the high-point of a 15-year career that began at Cardiff City Ladies and via spells in Bristol, Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and the United States has made Fishlock one of the most travelled and successful players in women’s football history.

Among her achievements are back‑to‑back National Women’s Soccer League shields with her current club, Seattle Reign, in 2014 and 2015, a Champions League medal while on loan at FFC Frankfurt from Seattle in 2015, two Eredivisie titles with her first overseas club, AZ Alkmaar, in 2009 and 2010, and, most recently, back-to-back W-League titles with Melbourne City. The second of those was secured in February and made Fishlock, having again travelled to Australia during the NWSL off-season, the first player-coach to win the W-League in the competition’s nine-year history.

“I’ve travelled a lot and that was initially the case because when I started playing there was nothing for women’s football back home. I joined Cardiff, my local team, at the age of seven and made my debut at 15, during the days before professionalism and the WSL [Women’s Super League]. As a female player you still had to pay to play for a club and overall the standard was not great, something I found even after I moved to Bristol Academy [in 2011]. It got to the stage where I knew that, if I was going to achieve what I wanted to achieve from football, I had to go abroad.”

Fishlock got her chance to do so somewhat by chance. Having impressed for Wales in a match against Holland, she received an email from one of the Dutch assistant coaches, Ed Engelkes, asking if she would like to play in the new, fully professional Eredivisie Women league for Alkmaar, who Engelkes managed.

“I didn’t think twice about it. I immediately gave up my job [working for 02], packed my bags and headed to Holland,” says Fishlock. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Going to Alkmaar undoubtedly improved me as a player. When I arrived there, I was all hustle and bustle, someone who always wanted to get forward from midfield with no real thought process behind what I was doing. But that is not how they played in Holland; it was, and is, far more possession-based. So I had to strip back my game and start again and over time I grew to love the ball and being someone who dictates the tempo of a match.”

Fishlock’s passing accuracy and range significantly improved during her two years in Holland, something aided by a figure who in recent years became well known to her fellow Manchester United supporters. “Louis van Gaal took a couple of our training sessions,” she says. “He was head coach of the men’s team at the time and was very pro the women’s game.

“Both sessions he put on started with a basic passing routine but they lasted for ages because he was obsessed with them being perfect. He’d shout: ‘Stop, back to the beginning,’ if someone did something that was not 100% right. I’ve never seen attention to detail like it. It was awe-inspiring but also a little crazy, which tallies with the stories you hear about how he drilled the players at United.

“I spoke to him a few times and he was really nice. His knowledge of football is insanely good.”

Fishlock’s love of the game developed from being part of a “football-mad family” and playing in the park directly outside their home in Cardiff with her two older brothers, Gareth and James. “They were half-decent and playing with boys made me tougher,” Fishlock remembers before going on to reflect on the changes she has seen in women’s football since making her debut for Cardiff as a teenager and going on to become the club’s record goalscorer.

“The biggest change has probably been investment. It’s not been everywhere but in most countries where women’s football is played there are at least one or two teams who have benefited from major funding. That’s good but the downside is that it creates a big gap between rich and poor. I’d love to see investment spread through every league in every country so they’re all as competitive as they can be.

“Another pleasing development has been the medical side. As recently as a few years ago, if a girl got injured, she would be treated on the NHS. Now most clubs have full-time medical staff who can treat their players quickly and to a high level, which is crucial.”

Another crucial development has been visibility. By Fishlock’s own admission, there were no role models for her to aspire to when she was young. Now, however, and thanks to the steady rise in the profile and prominence of the women’s game, there are such figures, with Fishlock among the leading lights.

“I’ve had girls come up to me and say I’m their inspiration,” she says. “To have a positive impact on the next generation of female footballers is amazing.”

And Fishlock will get to inspire further on Wednesday having returned to Wales from Seattle, where she has lived since 2013 and describes as home. But the girl from Cardiff who grew up with posters of Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes on her wall remains very much Welsh. Dedicated to playing for her country ever since making her debut in 2006 and via ups and downs – the later including not so far being able to help Wales qualify for a major tournament – reaching a landmark which will take some beating.

“My family will be at the game on Wednesday, which is important as they are my support system – without them I wouldn’t have achieved anything. Once the whistle goes, I’ll want to do them and my country proud.”

#wnt #walwnt #jessica fishlock #wales wnt #wnt:news #wnt:interview #by:frauke #170404 #uefa

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orangebatsanctuary · 8 years ago

Photo

The first story of Inaho x Slaine anthology has launched!

天が落ちたとき

Story by CountLestanna

Art by Ayuki

The Kimi no Na wa x AZ by CountLestanna, what a perfect match paro for our beloved 2 world boys, Mars & Earth vs. (secret)

Read on OrangeBat Sanctuary website: http://www.orangebat-sanctuary.com/countlestanna

or click ‘Keep reading’ below.

Enjoy reading!

Love,

Rosiel

*Friendly reminder, the live game will be played in February 2017, so read well and go strong to win the book & grand prize!

Once in a while when I wake up, I find myself crying. The dream I must have had that I can never recall

But…..

But…

The sensation that I’ve lost something lingers for a long time after I wake up.

I’m always searching

For something

For someone

This feeling has possessed me, I think from that day

That day when the stars came falling

It was almost as if it were a scene from a dream

Nothing more, nothing less

Than a beautiful dream

☆彡

“Slaine…” someone that he barely recognized whispered.

“Bat….”

“Don’t you….remember me?” the person asked, surprised as though he was expecting him to know them. They were on a crowded train, the person glanced around, looking hurt almost as if his heart had been shattered. Forcing a smile, the stranger who knew his name turned to move towards the exit. Slaine, not knowing what else to say, suddenly shouted, earning stares from the crowd but all he could see was him….. The strange person that he had just met,

“W-wait! W-what’s your name!”

“Inaho….Kaizuka Inaho”he smiled a genuine smile that stunned Slaine completely.

He reached out as the person called Kaizuka Inaho hands him a bracelet with an orange fruit charm and disappears.

Somewhere in the distance, Slaine heard sounds of something vibrating and woke up with a start, breathing fast, his eyes wide.

It was just….a dream.

I should make breakfast …wait where am I?

Slaine looked around at his surroundings that appeared extremely….unfamiliar. A hamster was running around on its wheel in a tank, Tatami mats and traditional paper sliding doors commonly found in old Japanese homes. There was a calendar nearby and his room was….very neat. Something was off. He looked down, only to see….egg-patterned pajamas. Since when did he wear egg-patterned pajamas?

BAM!

The door slid open loudly all of a sudden. Slaine jolted up in surprise, shivers running down his back.

“Nao-kun~ for ONCE I caught you falling asleep later than usual~ Hurry up and get out of bed! I made breakfast.”

Standing at the door was a tall lady with straight black hair all geared up in what looked like office attire? And smugly looking at him with a proud smile on her face.

“Eh? Nao? Me?” Slaine said pointing at himself. Her eyes narrowed slightly before widening in surprise.

“UWOO Nao kun! ARE YOU BLUSHING? You sure are acting strange this morning! Of course not that I’m complaining~ my little brother must finally be growing up! What a happy day! Maybe he’ll finally get a girlfriend. Well get ready! You’re already late Nao hahaa~” Slamming the door closed this time, she skipped off humming to herself happily while Slaine stared, still utterly confused and shocked.

Who was he?

Where was he?

What was he doing here?

How was this possible?

Was he still dreaming?

So many questions flooded his mind as he slowly stood up, staggered a little and moved towards the mirror. Looking at the mirror, he screamed with terror, or rather a young man with red eyes and chestnut brown hair screamed for the very first time, completely scaring his sister out of her wits and making her dash into his room once again, her eyes showing a great amount of concern. And so, Slaine’s day began in the craziest of ways, in a way he had definitely not expected, being stuck in a body not his own.

☆彡

“Good morning Nao kuuunn,” Yuki yawned and rubbed her eyes as she stumbled into the kitchen of their small traditional house barely awake and seated herself in front of the low table with a breakfast of rice and vegetables.

“Morning Yuki nee, would you prefer scrambled or rolled omelet?”

“Scrambled, I suppose.”

“Well that’s too bad, today it’s rolled omelette” Inaho deadpanned as he transferred them onto the empty plate set before her from the pan, piping hot and looking absolutely delicious. In the background, a reporter on the news channel was explaining about the rare phenomenon of the Tiamat Comet passing by the Earth atmosphere very soon.

“Mmm looks delicious as usual Nao kun!” She exclaimed happily, unlocking her phone only to catch her first glimpse of the time this morning.

“Eeeeehhh nao-kun! Why didn’t you wake me uupp??!! I’m late for work…again. At this rate I will get fired once more and we’ll NEVER move to Tokyo!” Yuki complained, her hands piling her bowl with rice so that she could stuff her mouth, rushing to finish her breakfast.

“Careful Yuki nee, if you don’t chew slowly you might choke. “ He calmly advised as he moved to the sink to wash his dishes.

Looking very much like a hamster with its cheeks full of nuts, Yuki turned to look at Inaho and spoke, or at least tried to, “Ywou sheem nwormal tfoday Nao.” swallowing her rice as she finished her sentence.

“Normal?” Inaho raised his eyebrows slightly

“Yeah! You were nuts yesterday! Seemed like you were possessed by a spirit or something.” She answered as she stuffed down another mouthful of food, quickly finishing her meal.

“That is illogical.” He said as he picked up his bag, and slipped on his shoes, sliding the door closed before opening it once again as a thought occurred to him.

“You’d be able to make it to work on time if you left in about five minutes Yuki-Nee. See you later.” he stated as he shut the door once more and left the house, tapping away at his phone.

Back home, Yuki mumbled about how her brother was back to his jerk self and continued complaining about being late as she ran around the house getting ready. She was definitely going to be late. Maybe she should start looking for new jobs…

☆彡

Inaho walked down the road towards the high school, which was on the other side of the little lake town that he lived in, looking through sales advertisements and coupon offers.

Ah egg sale tomorrow…

He locked his tablet after saving the time of the sale on his schedule.

I’ll have to wake earlier than usual tomorrow then…I will need to get food for pancake soon too..

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of a bicycle followed by a high pitched voice calling him from behind

“Inaho!” Inko called, waving from the back of the bicycle while Calm pedaled forward.

“Oh…Morning Inko, Calm.”

“Good Morning~” Inko chirped, leaning over Calm who didn’t look very pleased about that as he shrugged and looked at her.

“Will you get off already?” he complained while Inko pouted, folding her arms before saying, “Why? Meanie hmph.”

“You’re heavy!!” he bit back, sulking to which Inko said,

“That’s really rude!” annoyed.

Meanwhile, Inaho had tuned out of the conversation and had walked quite a distance ahead of them.

Noticing this, Calm and Inko shouted, “OI INAHO WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING!” both still in quite a bit of a bad mood after their little bicker.

Inaho merely continued walking as Inko got off the bicycle and ran forward to catch up with him.

“Your hair seems alright today Nao” she remarked trying to catch her breath.

“It is combed neatly as usual, why?” Inaho asked.

Calm having caught up with them added in, “Yeah! Did your sister properly exorcise you?”

“My sister is too lazy to do such things.” He replied quietly.

“Haaah? You were totally possessed yesterday you know?!” Calm continued as he cycled slowly beside them as they crossed a bridge above a stream.

“Oh Calm just cut it out already. Nao was probably just stressed right?” She turned to Inaho expecting an answer.

“What-“is all she got from him.

Calm bent over looking at him surprised, “You really don’t remember do you?”

☆彡

The sound of pens scratching paper echoed through the room as the teacher wrote on the chalkboard and circled important characters before turning around. Inaho took out his notebook and flipped open the pages as she turned around to explain the characters written on the board.

“Tasokare means ‘Who is that?’ and is the origin of the word Tasokare Doki. Twilight, the time when it is neither night nor day. When the world blurs and one might encounter something not human. Older expressions include ‘Karetaso Doki’ or ‘Kawatare doki’ “

Half listening, he looked at the page with ‘Who are you?’ written in large lettering that covered the whole page. He looked at it slightly annoyed. This was an anomaly in his very neatly written notes. Tearing the page off, he crumpled it, and started to write on a new page.

“Excuse me? Is it not ‘Kataware Doki’?” one of his classmates asked.

“Kataware Doki? Kataware Doki is local dialect don’t you think? I heard Itomori’s elderly still use the classic language.” She replied pointedly.

“Alright next, Kaizuka-san” She called.

Placing his pen down, he stood up answering,

“Yes.”

“So you remember your name today Kaizuka-san.” She said, slightly amused.

The class broke into laughter to which Inaho tilted his head, slightly confused. He thought this was indeed strange.

☆彡

“You don’t remember? Inko asked baffled as she sat down on the wooden chair, opening her lunchbox. Their little spot in the field overlooked the lake before them, the water calm and glistening under the sunlight.

“Yesterday you forgot where your own locker and table were!” she explained as she took a bite of her sausage.

“Your hair was sticking up in all directions and you had forgotten your phone!” Inko stated seriously.

“That is highly unlikely. Maybe you were imagining things.” Inaho replied still refusing to believe Inko.

My memory is uncharacteristically hazy however. Maybe she has a point …for once.

“It was like you had amnesia you know?” Inko continued as Calm quietly listened as he read a magazine on the table his legs dangling freely.

“Strange..it was just a dream though. My memory is unclear.” He mumbled to himself.

“Aha! I got it! That was…,” Calm paused as he flipped open the pages to his magazine excitedly and practically shoved it in Inaho’s face.

” Your previous life! Or maybe your subconscious was linked to the Everett multiverse!” he said loudly, almost falling off of the table he was sitting on. Inaho merely blinked and took another bite from his milk bread.

“Stay out of this! Nothing you say makes sense anyway Calm.” Inko said, pushing the magazine, away from Inaho.

“Did you write that in my notebook? I can only think of one person who does such….unnecessary things.” Inaho stared at Calm.

Looking confused, he said, “Eh??? What notebook?”

“Hmm nevermind. Must’ve been some other brainless person.” Inaho mumbled to himself.

“Are you calling me BRAINLESS?” Calm exclaimed mortified.

“But Nao-kun you were really weird yesterday. Are you feeling alright?” Inko asked, concerned, ignoring Calm completely.

“I am quite sure that I am alright Inko.” Inaho said pointedly.

“Could be stress you know? Finals are coming up.” She pointed out.

“Ugh don’t remind me.” Calm complained grimacing.

Sighing, in unison they complained, “I can’t stand this town anymore.”

“It’s too small and close-knit. I want to graduate and go to Tokyo already” Inko grumbled.

“I don’t really blame you. There’s really nothing in this town huh...” Calm sighed.

“Trains come only every two hours.” She said, waving her hands, as they passed by the rail tracks of their town.

“The convenience store closes at 9pm!” Calm complained as they passed by the convenience store.

“No bookstore. No dentist.” Inko shook her head disapprovingly.

“But 2 pubs for some reason.” She added exasperatedly.

“No Jobs. No brides. Not to mention short daylight hours.” Calm sighed face palming as he rolled his bicycle, walking beside Inaho and Inko.

Inaho looked at them and said, “If you two are going to complain excessively, I’ll be heading home first. Bye.”

He left them with their mouths gaping wide.

“He really needs to work on his social skills.” Calm said half-jokingly knowing that that would probably never happen.

☆彡

As night time fell, Inaho took out his constellation book and stepped of the house, and into their back garden that was surrounded by unkempt rose bushes that were slowly dying. They had never managed to actually maintain them for a long time. Inaho had tried, but gardening was the one thing he wasn’t good at despite the amount of books that he had read about it. Meanwhile,. Yuki was still out working for the mayor of the town, Miss Magbaredge.

Their father had abandoned their family the moment their mother had died, only a day after having given birth to him. Which meant that theyThey had had to live with only Inko and Calm’s family dropping bycoming to help them until Yuki was old enough to work. There were multiple times he had had to comfort his sister whenever he had found her crying as she looked at an old photo album.. Rarely, he thought of how it would have been if their parents had stayed, but he shook the thought away immediately as it wasn’t going to help him in the present. And so, he moved forward only thinking of the future, even though it could still get tiring for him.

He knew that Yuki nee would go out and about looking for signs of where their father could be, but always came home disappointed every night. Laying their picnic mat on the grass, he threw on his jacket and sat himself down, picking out the constellations one by one and drawing the charts, sometimes referring to his phone for additional information. It had become a ritual for him ever since he found it hard to sleep whenever Yuki nee wasn’t home yet. This was the only reason that made him wish he could move to the city with his sister. They needed a change in their lives, a change that would let her move on from their parents leaving. But for now they’d have to make do in this small town.

Unable to stay awake any longer, he yawned and fell asleep, wrapped in a picnic blanket in the backyard.

☆彡

Inaho awoke to the sun shining its rays mercilessly on his face. Squinting, he sat up yawning as his eyes got used to being awake once more. That’s strange, he remembered falling asleep under the stars, so why was he in….an apartment? Simple things like a fan, desk and cupboard were situated within the small space. Taking in his surroundings, he took note of how messy the room was with clothes strewn all over the place and its complete disarray of furniture.

“Meow~” he heard as a black cat walked to the bed and lay down on his lap. He froze, afraid, his eyes widening, expecting to begin sneezing uncontrollably, except that it never came. Hesitantly, he reached down and began petting the cat.

This is admittedly nice…What a strange dream…..

Gently, he coaxed the cat into moving off of his lap and shifted to the edge of the bed. He continued taking note of his surroundings as the cat walked towards its food bowl and began meowing incessantly.

It seemed that only the desk and ironing table were free of items. There was a uniform hanging on the cupboard handle all nicely ironed and ready to be worn.

Having taken in his surroundings, he looked at his hands, wait…those were not his hands. They were definitely paler and somewhat bigger. Planting his feet down on the floor and getting off of the bed, he walked over to the mirror and looked into the most beautiful teal eyes that he had ever seen; something about them reminded him of shattered glass marbles.

He moved his hand up to touch the unfamiliar blonde hair, when a blue phone vibrated from the tidy desk and alerted him of its presence. Something black caught his eye.

Oh a bat keychain

Meanwhile, the cat began pawing at him, breaking him out of his trance. He went to pick up the phone and saw five messages from a ‘Harklight’. He checked the date, it was exactly the day after he fell asleep under the stars. This was definitely not any regular dream. His dreams usually consisted of eggs, not beautiful foreign men and cats that he miraculously weren’t allergic to..

Reading through the messages, he realized this person must be late for their class, whoever they were. A quick inspection of the uniform revealed an emblem that read ‘Vers International High School’ in tiny lettering below the acronym ‘V.I.H.S’. Above the right pocket, a badge with the name ‘Slaine Troyard’ on it had been engraved with a student council title situated below it.

“Quite a miracle for someone so messy to be student council.” he muttered to himself, noticing that Troyard’s voice was much more melodic and softer compared to his own.

Picking up a towel from one of the messy piles, he went to the bathroom to get ready for Troyard’s day. The cat followed behind only to be shut out. It hissed in annoyance and went back to its comfy bed.

Having stripped down, Inaho couldn’t help but notice a few things.

Troyard sure is….well-endowed.

Feeling his back he felt a few deep running scars.

It seems that he wasn’t treated well.

Stepping out of the shower all fresh and clean, he wrapped himself in the towel and dried himself before dressing in the very elaborate uniform. It even had a beret for some reason.

How troublesome….

Inaho thought. After 10 minutes of fiddling with the beret he put it away in Troyard’s bag and decided to forgo it. It was an extremely hot day anyway. He didn’t want to boil like an egg.

Ah…I need breakfast…

Inaho peeked into the fridge only to be majorly disappointed with the complete lack of eggs. It seemed that Troyard didn’t even have a frying pan, but for some reason, had frozen meat in the fridge that probably was past its expiry date. He found a bag of cat food hidden at the top of the cabinet and refilled the cat’s bowl before he continued to forage the kitchenette for food. Finally, he came across a cabinet stashed with can after can of red bull and millions of cup noodles. Inaho felt himself die inside and decided that he wouldl have to eat out somewhere, and at the same time, throw out all this trash.

“Right, I haven’t figured out where this is….”

With a last ditch attempt to tame Troyard’s hair, Inaho stepped out of the apartment and was met with the sight of a huge city with tall buildings, the Tokyo tower not far from sight. His eyes widened; this was the place that he had wanted to move to for a long time along with his sister, if only for Yuki-nee to have a fresh start. Inaho took the lift down to the first floor and began looking for a route to the high school that Troyard went to via the phone. Having memorized it, he put the phone away and began his journey, the beret sticking out of the bag.

He reached the school thirty minutes later than he had expected and took out his phone once more, walking past classrooms as he looked through the camera roll trying to find a picture of a timetable and came up with none. Many of the other students were strolling out of class. Looking at the time, he realized that it must be the lunch break now. Perhaps he should text that ‘Harklight’ person. Just as the thought crossed his mind, someone swung their hand over his shoulder.

“Why didn’t you answer any of my messages Slaine?” A raven haired guy asked concerned, the beret on his head a little lopsided. Inaho blankly stared back and asked, “Harklight?”

“Are you sure you’re alright Slaine? Catching a fever perhaps? Where is your beret?” Harklight continued bombarding Troyard with questions as another friend of his came wheeling over by the looks of it, while he conveniently blanked out, looking far into space. Troyard’s friend in a wheelchair looked at him with a raised eyebrow,kicked him lightly on the leg and caught his attention.

“Oh! Slaine, you’re very late you know. The teacher was quite upset to not see you there. Are you feeling alright?”

The blue-eyed girl looked at him expectantly.

Troyard must talk a lot….

Looking at the both of them blankly, he replied curtly, “I overslept.”

Sighing, Harklight glanced at Slaine disapprovingly and said,

“Did those all-nighters finally get to you? Didn’t we tell you that we would help you if you needed it?”

“I suppose that I have forgotten.”

The blue-eyed girl with pink hair began poking at him.

“You seem a little off today still. How about we go to the café later? That always cheers you up!” She said happily.

“No thanks. There is a grocery sale later today. You are welcome to join me.”

Harklight and the girl looked at him, confused, their faces showing utter bafflement.

“Groceries? Slaine? But you never buy groceries….all you do is stock up on cup noodles and cat food.” She asked, her eyes squinting slightly in suspicion.

“We’ll follow you anyway, Slaine! Right Lemrina?” Harklight looked over at her with a smile.

Sighing she waved her hands and said,s, “Alright, alright , I’ll follow you two as long as one of you drops me off at home later.”

Folding her arms she waited, probably expecting Harklight to push her.

“You know that you can move around yourself for now right? You don’t look tired Lemrina~” Harklight teased.

Pouting, she followed them back to class on her own.

☆彡

Tokyo was as busy in the evening as it was in the day, Inaho realized as he walked through the bustling streets with Lemrina and Harklight. This time, Harklight was pushing Lemrina’s wheelchair as she dozed off every few minutes and awoke again.

It sure was easier to get past crowds and see further as Slaine, he noticed. Slaine was indeed much taller than he was, and Inaho found the view from above quite refreshing. However, it would be harder for him to get to the front with the egg sales going on.

“You’re very silent today Slaine. Did something happen?” Harklight asked, looking at him as he wheeled Lemrina along.

“Nothing of interest…Ah we are here.” Inaho replied, Slaine’s voice coming out instead. He had to admit it was still quite strange to hear someone else’s voice come out instead of his own.

Picking up a basket, he strolled into the already crowded supermarket and went straight to the meat and poultry section where he picked up a few eggs and some fresh meat. After grabbing a few more items, he went to the cashier to pay and waited on the other side for Harklight, who had gotten some things for himself,to finish as well. Lemrina was boredly examining her nails.

“Are we finally done? This has got to be the most normal thing you have done Slaine, I have to admit.” Lemrina remarked with an air of disinterest.

“I will be leaving first. There is much to do.” Inaho said, somewhat quietly.

“Slaine did someone bully you into acting like a robot? You’ve been sounding like one all day.” Harklight asked, very concerned.

“Maybe it’s a fever,” he mumbled, hoping that they got the message that he wanted to be left alone. Harklight sighed and stepped back.

“I have to drop Lemrina and go to work now Slaine, but if you have anything you need, please call us okay?” Harklight said as he placed a hand on Slaine’s shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. He left pushing a somewhat cranky Lemrina out of the supermarket. Inaho decided to go home immediately; he had a cat to feed after all.

Having trudged through the dark, lamp-lit streets to Slaine’s apartment, Inaho shook off his shoes and went straight to the kitchenette, placing the newly bought kitchen utensils and cooking items in their respective drawers and refrigerator compartments. He threw away whatever was unhealthy, like the red bull and the cup noodles, leaving behind only a few of the cup noodles stashed away for emergencies. The cat came and walked past him curiously before going back to sleep in its bed.

I still need to figure out its name….

Clearing his thoughts, he set to preparing bentos for the week ahead. He didn’t care who this person was, or if they were a stranger, as long as he was within this body he was not going to settle with junk food or a breakfast without eggs.

After preparing the food for the week, he wrote down the expenses used on a notepad on the desk and a few other points with an orange ink pen.

Hello Bat,

I’ve thrown away most of the cup noodles and all of the red bull,

There are Bentos in the fridge that should last a whole week.

Please eat a nutritious breakfast every day.

Signed, Kaizuka Inaho

Tired from all the cooking, Inaho fell asleep on the desk, which was going to give Slaine a very bad neck in the morning.

☆彡

Bzzzttt Bzzztt

Slaine slowly opened his eyes to the sound of vibrating coming from somewhere. He stretched and looked out the window. It was still somewhat dark outside, yet, he felt well rested for the first time in his one year of living in Japan. His cat, Tharsis, jumped up onto his lap and purred nudging him with her nose lovingly. He looked down at her and smiled, petting her gently. “Morning Tharsis, you won’t believe the dream I had while I was asleep.” He murmured to her softly.

Tharsis meowed back, happy to finally receive proper attention.

What a strange dream that was… Slaine thought as he picked up his vibrating phone and switched off the alarm. He checked the time: ‘6:30a.m’. Looking carefully, he could have sworn that it was only the 15th of April when he had went to sleep the previous day.

Then why is it showing the date to be 17th April? Did I really sleep for 2 days? That’s not possible. Perhaps I should close my eyes for a little.

Tharsis meowed at him again, nudging him to continue petting her. Absentmindedly he did so as he closed his eyes and placed the phone down, trying to recall a day that seemed to have already passed, yet one that he couldn’t quite remember.

Frowning, he opened his eyes once more and looked at the table, moving his head closer to it to stare at a piece of paper with handwriting that was more serious looking than his own. Picking it up, he skimmed through the sentences of the little note, his face scrunching up in disbelief as he let out a shout, startling his cat off of his lap.

“What?!”

He took off out of his chair and ran to the cabinets of his kitchenette and almost shrieked as he saw all his cup noodles and red bull bottles gone.

“No no no no this can’t be happening.” He muttered to himself crazily as he realized what was going on. The realization hit him like a bomb.

That Orange and I are exchanging bodies without a doubt! But how? And why?

Lying down on bed, he began wailing over his loss of convenient cheap food and also realized that he had missed his work shift the previous day and rolled over. Looking through his phone once again, he noticed a missed call from Asseylum senpai and his boss Cruhteo. He shivered at the thought of meeting his boss today.

Oh my boss is going to kill me…. At least I have food I guess.

He got out of bed and sadly cooked himself eggs for the first time in ages and ended up burning them. He ate them anyway and stuffed down some bread and milk.

Refilling Tharsis’ bowl, he went to shower, noticing another difference. There was an orange scented shower gel sitting right beside his strawberry scented shower gel.

How much money did that Orange spend seriously…? I was saving up for a gift for Asseylum senpai!

Annoyed he took the orange soap and placed it elsewhere, away from his sight and began cleaning himself, feeling much better after a comfortable and warm strawberry scented shower.

Humming to himself, he put on his uniform and beret, and stepped out of the house with his bag slung over his shoulder. For once he felt better that he left his apartment early enough to journey to school slowly. He tried not to think of what would happen later at work. Hopefully, Kaizuka that idiot hadn’t been too strange with Harklight and Lemrina.

He reached the school earlier than expected and ended up wandering around before setting foot in his classroom. That was when he realized, that he had no time to finish his homework considering that he was busy living Kaizuka’s life in the beautiful, small town the other day.

He couldn’t possibly tell the class teacher, ‘Sorry my assignments aren’t done because I was busy living someone else’s life!’ Even the ‘my dog ate my homework’ excuse seemed more reasonable compared to that. He frantically searched his bag and pulled out his assignment file to see if he could finish rushing his work in what little time he had before class. Opening his physics assignment, he looked at it in disbelief, his mouth gaping wide open. There were little post-it notes with tips written here and there that were extremely useful. Slaine had always struggled with physics but that guy had managed to make it understandable for him. To sum it up, he was impressed by Kaizuka’s knowledge in the subject. He managed to finish the assignment for his first class in less than thirty minutes thanks to the help that the post-it notes provided. He sighed with relief as Harklight and Lemrina entered the classroom and waved at him.

“Slaine! Good morning~ I hope that you are feeling better today? And my oh my are you early today.” Lemrina asked, poking him again and eliciting quite the reaction from him. He squirmed sideways on his seat as she poked him once more.

“Harklight! Look he’s back to normal!”

“Seriously asking though, why were you acting like a robot yesterday? It was amazing how you could go without blushing for a whole day.” Lemrina asked excitedly, as she practically jumped up and down her wheelchair, clasping her hands together.

“U-uhm I don’t know? Ah! Stop poking me Lemrinaaaaa.”

Slaine protested as he wiggled away from her while blushing and backed away straight into Harklight’s arms.

“Did you have breakfast Slaine?” Harklight asked, smiling cheerfully.

“Yeah I did. I had some eggs…even though I burnt them.” He mumbled out the last few words but Harklight caught them anyway and shook his head at Slaine.

“Slaine you shouldn’t eat burnt food . You know it is not good for you.” Harklight said as he pulled out a sandwich for Slaine.

“Here, Lemrina prepared that for you because she knew that despite having gone grocery shopping to get healthier food, you were probably too lazy to actually have a proper breakfast.” He chided as Lemrina snickered beside him.

Slaine merely scratched the back of his head and smiled, taking the offered sandwich from Harklight.

“Haha sorry Harklight, I’ll try to eat properly tomorrow. Thank you for the breakfast Lemrina!” he said as he opened the Ziploc bag and began eating it.

“Don’t expect sandwiches from me every day Slaine. Today is special.” Lemrina replied as she folded her arms and looked at him smugly, her blue eyes shining.

“You better eat fast Slaine, we have ten more minutes before our first class.” Harklight reminded him.

Slaine looked at Harklight and laughed, “Are you my mom, Harklight~?” he asked playfully while tilting his head to the side.

“N-no, but I care for you very much!” He half-shouted,his cheeks flushing.

Lemrina pulled at Harklight’s sleeve to make him lower his head. She whispered in his ear, ‘you like him, don’t you~’ and smirked, watching him turn absolutely beet red.

“W-what? What did you tell him Lemrina?” Slaine asked, very confused.

“Nothing,” she replied innocently and hummed, wheeling away to her seat in the classroom.

Harklight who was a stuttering mess by that point stumbled over to his own seat as well, taking out his things as well.

Slaine doodled mindlessly on his notebook until class began. They somehow turned out looking like that town from his dream. He wondered what that person must be doing now.

Probably getting more eggs….

He snickered to himself at the thought. However, he realized that they couldn’t go on as themselves forever like this whenever they switched. Their friends would become suspicious and their lives would be in danger of being changed in ways they did not wish for it to change. He chewed at his pencil thoughtfully and wrote down a few rules and boundaries that he should probably set for that Kaizuka fellow if ever they switched again.

Maybe I could ask him to help me with physics….

As class began, Slaine found himself lost in his thoughts.

☆彡

Slaine waved goodbye to Harklight and Lemrina as he slung his bag over his shoulder, he ran to the bus stop to catch the bus to his workplace. The fancy Italian restaurant which he worked for was quite a while away.

This time he was right on time for his daily shift. Wearing his uniform, he stepped into the kitchen announcing his arrival and quickly got to work taking dishes away, serving them and taking orders. He was silently praying not to come across his boss, but with his luck, his prayers would not be answered. And so, he threw himself into working extra hard that day to make up for not having helped out like he should have had twenty four hours ago. Worst comes to worse, his salary would be docked.

Finally, when the restaurant closed at ten, he began to clean up the place with the other waiters. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he set to cleaning the tables, when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned around, coming face to face with Asseylum Senpai. His face turned a bright shade of red as his crush began talking to him.

“Are you quite alright, Slaine? We helped cover for you by telling Mr.Cruhteo that you were sick, but we wanted to make sure with you.”

She explained, her beautiful eyes looking at him with worry. Slaine merely nodded, his tongue which was suddenly unco-operative and gulped.

Patting Slaine on the shoulder, she gave a whispered get well soon and left the restaurant staff area. The rest of the waiters glared at him making him want to shrink away into a corner, never to be seen again. Instead, he calmly went to the staff changing room and changed into his home clothes, consisting of a Batman shirt and comfortable shorts before leaving. He left the building and finally went home. The moment that he stepped into the house, Tharsis walked up to him and walked past his legs rubbing them. He knelt down and picked her up smiling.

“Tharsis at least let me take off my shoes! You sweet little cat.” He laughed. He placed Tharsis on the floor and collapsed on the sofa, taking out his phone. Tharsis decided to settle on his lap once more as he scrolled through his schedule, setting reminders and important things that he would have to do tomorrow, so that in case Kaizuka took over, he would be able to handle it and keep his life going as normal as it could possibly go.

Hopefully…..

He still wanted his cup noodles back. Exhausted, he fell asleep on the couch with Tharsis still on his lap asleep as well.

☆彡

Three days ago

“Nao-kun are you alright? Did something happen? Are you injured?” She began fussing over him, her arms flailing around.

“A-ah y-yes I’m fine. I apologize for startling you.” He replied coming down from his panic.

Sighing with relief, Yuki hugged him and pat him gently before pulling away and staring intently at him,

“Nao-kun, I need to leave for work now. Will you be alright today?”

She asked, looking him straight in the eye.

“I-I think so?” Slaine replied quite hesitantly, still very much confused and somewhat scared, his face giving it away. Whoever this lady was, she was probably a relative of the person whose body he was in at that very moment.

Sister, perhaps?

“If you’re feeling unwell at all tell me, alright Nao-kun? You’re normally not like this.”

“A-alright. I’ll be fine….sister?”

“Hmmmm?? That doesn’t sound quite right.” She moved in closer to look at him, but gave up knowing that she would almost run late for work.

“Call me and I’ll come home early alright? I have to go now, take care! Oh, and breakfast is on the table.” She stood, looking at him one last time and walked out the door, waving her hand.

Still quite stunned from what happened, Slaine stared into blank space.

What was he doing here again?

Once again, the phone with the extremely hideous orange cover beeped, snapping him out of his daze. He picked it up, unlocking it to see an alert that said,

Egg sale ~ be there at 6:30AM

What a strange person, he actually takes note of sales….

Slaine mused as he continued looking through the phone as a text appeared, from a person named Calm which read,

Inaho, aren’t we meeting before heading to school as usual? Where are you? We’ll be late at this rate. 7:30AM

Coupled with a few choice emoji.

He looked at the time, 7:40AM and began panicking once more as he frantically began searching for clothes that looked like a uniform, somewhere within the room. After having thrown clothes around the room everywhere, he found a perfectly ironed uniform that was ready to be worn.

Quickly throwing it on, he grabbed some of the toast and eggs that were on the table and practically ran out of the house with the bag, his hair in disarray.

Wait, where was the school? If I asked around, I’ll seem like an idiot. I am running out of time.

He heard a bicycle bell ring behind him followed by a voice calling him.

“Oh! Found you Inaho! You just left the house didn’t you? Your sister just passed by saying that you overslept. And so,” He placed one foot down on the floor dramatically and grinned, pointing to himself before continuing, and spoke again. “I, Calm Craftman, your lovely hero for today shall get us both to school right on time! Hop on Inaho!” He exclaimed as Slaine thought,

Oh well, what could possibly go wrong….

And hopped onto the back of the cycle, bringing his arms around Calm.

This Inaho person is quite small.

“Alright off we gooooo,” Calm said excitedly and literally sped through the streets on the bicycle, making Slaine cling to Calm tightly.

“Uhm CALM!, watch out!” Slaine shrieked out as a car came in front of them. With no other direction to go, Calm hastily turned to the left, straight down the hill towards the cold lake, both of them screaming, as they plunged into the water. When Slaine resurfaced gasping for breath, taking in his surroundings frantically looking for Calm. Thankfully, he heard a splash close to him. Calm had resurfaced as well. By the look on Calm’s face, he guessed that the bicycle was history.

“Would it have hurt you to at least see where you were going while speed cycling?” Slaine asked Calm, looking quite iIndignant. It was certainly a new expression that Calm had never seen from Inaho before. Shaking his head, Calm forgot what Inaho had said and began swimming to the lake’s shore. Slaine followed, his anger showing on Inaho’s face very clearly as he stepped onto the lakeshore sopping wet, his clothes clinging to him uncomfortably and water in his ears.

Calm shrugged and said gloomily, “ I guess we’re running?”

“Well, after you, oh great Bicycle rider”

Slaine stated, his words dripping with sarcasm, to which, Calm looked at him flabbergasted until he realised they were running out of time and began sprinting in the direction of the school,wi

I am never getting on a bicycle with this guy again.

Slaine thought as he began running after Calm.

“Hmm we’re just on time with five minutes to spare. Let’s go. I think it would be better if we went to the nurse’s office first”

Calm said hesitantly, scratching his head.

☆彡

The second accident he faced that day was in art class; he wasn’t tall enough to reach the supplies situated above and was very frustrated. Everytime he reached out forto the box, it would move further back into the cabinet, which made him huff with annoyance once more.

Calm and Inko observed from the sidelines, never having seen Inaho this bothered before, especially to even draw anything different from constellations or blue prints. Slaine tip-toed once more on the stool and lost his balance, toppling onto the floor, bringing his classmate Rayet who was beside him down as wellwith him. He was now face to face with his very irritated classmate who looked like she was about to punch him.

Blushing intensely, he rolled off of her as fast as he could and stood up, bowing and apologizing repeatedly. She merely raised an eyebrow and looked over at Calm and Inko as she folded her arms.

This day is going horribly, someone save me.

As though reading his mind, his friends dragged him away from the place and off to lunch the moment the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

Later that day, Slaine offered to treat Rayet to coffee the next day, as an apology., Sshe raised her eyebrows and looked at him with judging eyes once more and, curtly replyingied with an, “I’ll consider it.” And left, leaving Slaine to give out a long sigh of relief and collapsed on the floor, very tired from the ordeal.

Inko found him like this and ended up taking pictures and giggled to herself as Calm, also tired and weirded out over Inaho’s very abnormal behavior that day, carried him back to his own home.

He was hoping this was all just a very strange dream. For the very first time he had witnessed Inaho properly apologizing. It had truly been an eventful day in Calm’s opinion. It seemed Inko had enjoyed seeing Inaho like this as well. He couldn’t help but think how strange today was however…maybe he should sleep as well.

When Slaine awoke next, he heard the sounds of something turning continuously coming from the tank which held the hamster. It was running on the wheel. He peered into the tank where the food was held and saw that there was enough for the hamster to eat.

I wonder what its name is….and wow this guy is a genius, that is an in built hamster feeder by the looks of it. It seems to release the appropriate amount of food into the tank at the appropriate times.

Slaine began examining the contraption curious as to how it worked but came up with nothing. A journal sat beside the tank, labelled, pancake’s growth.

Pancake’s growth? That sounds odd.

He picked it up and began flipping through it. It had so many photos of the orange speckled white hamster with different captions below them. He smiled at some of them.

Day 1: Hamster is situated

Day 2: Have named the hamster Pancake

Day 25: Pancake is Overweight. Adjusting food portions

Day 35: Pancake is running all over the room, back up needed.

Day 50: Pancake is on my head. I do not know how to bring him down.

Slaine burst out laughing at the last pic, Kaizuka looked like a deer with headlights. He guessed that perhaps his sister had taken that picture. Slaine decided to snap a picture of his own and printed it, pasting it in the journal.

He wrote down,

‘Troyard’s adventure with Pancake’

Satisfied, he closed the book and lay down in bed, flipping through the phone’s gallery. He came across more pictures of the hamster and a whole album of ‘Yuki’s favourite recipes’

That’s sweet of him. He seems to be the serious type but is an actual sweetheart. How cute.

He pondered as he flipped through, finding random pictures of stars and constellation maps as well as diagrams from library books.

The next day, he awoke in his own body, and the day that had gone by simply became a hazy memory

Looking back, Slaine thought it would be best for him to keep a proper schedule to make sure this person he had not quite met, wouldn’t mess up his life more than it already was a mess. And so, Slaine wrote down his first rule in his phone’s diary.

1. Please stop wasting my money on groceries Kaizuka

Placing the phone away on his desk, he fell into a deep sleep as the city continued buzzing with life down below.

And so their crazy days continued, their lives turning upside down as the world around them continued changing, the day of the comet coming ever closer.

Two days later, Slaine found more groceries and bentos in his kitchenette with another note that said, ‘Please do eat more healthily. Eggs are nutritious and are rich in protein.’

The very next day a complaint came up on Inaho’s phone from Slaine.

‘Why do I have to always wake up so early to cook for your sister! She always just teases by saying that your damn eggs aren’t as TASTY as usual!’

He simply replied with a, ‘Just follow the recipe.’ To which Slaine huffed and muttered angrily to himself sarcastically,

“Very helpful Orange, Very helpful indeed.”

Once again, on the next day, Inaho received yet another complaint from Slaine, this time a voice recording that probably would have made him deaf if he had been wearing his ear piece. “KAIZUKA YOUR ADVANCED PHYSICS CLASS CONFUSES ME” followed by sounds of a paper being crushed were heard.

To this, Inaho countered by stating, “I do not understand the point of this….literature elective you have taken either.”

Listening to this, Slaine muttered to himself about how this emotionless orange will never understand the true beauty of words.

This time, Slaine received a note from Inaho about how he had a coffee date with ‘Seylum-san’. Having read this, Slaine nearly combusted on the spot and tapped furiously onto his phone about how he shouldn’t address his senpai so casually, complete with a million angry emoji.

Once again, he was met with a calm reply,

‘What, she asked me to or at least asked you to.’

He typed back a confused, ‘WHAT’ prompting Inaho to explain further about how he helped sew Asseylum’s ripped skirt like he sewed many of Yuki’s clothes before and at the bottom, added a

‘By the way, you have another coffee date with her.’

Now he was sure Slaine had a crush on her, but this was going too far,

“STOP MESSING WITH MY LOVE LIFE AND STOP WASTING MY MONEY ON GROCERIES. I’m single because I want to be!”

He shouted as he wrote on Inaho’s cheeks the word, “Idiot” with a permanent marker.

That’ll teach him!

Inaho wasn’t fazed at all, he replied within the notes,

‘It is good to have a healthy lifestyle I left a few more bentos for you in the fridge. I shall leave a few recipes next time. Cup noodles are not good for you.’

“Kaizuka don’t touch my cup noodles again, I’ve hidden it somewhere else hah!”

“Nope I found it. It is in the trash now. Your health comes first.”

“You’re ONE TO TALK EGG MAN”

“Why are you throwing around names? Bat boy”

“Sh-shut up don’t bring my batman t-shirts into this”

“How do you say I love you in Scandinavian? Your friends asked the other day. Why are they shocked with my Japanese?”

“DON’T SPEAK IN DIALECT YOU IDIOT. Oh god they asked that again please tell me you didn’t use google translate.”

“I in fact did use Google translate”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Slaine typed out,

“Don’t you KNOW that google translate is UNRELIABLE Orange?!!!”

“I am aware but it was the only way out of my…..situation.”

“What did they ask?”

“Harklight asked”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Orange, why is Harklight returning a cookbook to me?”

“He likes cooking did u not know? Oh and I heard, you’ll be able to see the comet tonight”

“ORANGE WHY IS HARKLIGHT CONFESSING TO ME? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO.? Eh? What comet..?”

Slaine had expected to spend time as Kaizuka again the next day, but after that day, they never switched again. Dialing the by now familiar number, he called Kaizuka but it never did reach him.

Odd, that he never did see the comet, that Kaizuka spoke of.

He stared at the bracelet he wore, as though it had all the answers to his questions.

I want to get to the bottom of this.

☆彡

And so, Slaine began writing down plans for travelling to this town he only knew from having seen it through Inaho’s eyes. He took a few days off of work and planned endlessly, finally taking all of his research and throwing them within a file. He had decided to leave Tharsis at Lemrina’s house for now. She had been more than happy to take care of her.

He took a deep breath in and let it out. Determined to find Kaizuka Inaho somehow, somewhere, he left the apartment, ready to go--

--Only to bump into someone tall, a certain friend of his, said person’s name being Harklight.

“Where do you think you are going, Slaine?” Harklight questioned with a stern look.

“A-ah uhm? Going to meet a friend?” he replied, stuttering.

“Without someone too, what if that internet friend was some creep.”

Picking up some of Slaine’s belongings, he walked in front of him and stopped as though remembering something,

“Uhm? Which way is it?”

To that, Slaine visibly face palmed and sighed.

“Fine just follow me alright? Don’t get lost Harklight. I know you’re as hopeless as I can be when it comes to directions.”

“Alright alright, Slaine sama~” he chimed as he walked beside Slaine, who was now intently looking at the train map. They bought lunch and got into the train that travelled to an area near the Itomori town that Slaine was very familiar with at this point.

“So..Slaine where is this friend of yours living at?”

“I don’t know. I just know from the scenery of the town.” Slaine responded as he opened up his travel notebook looking through the directions he had written down.

“But that isn’t very useful is it?” Harklight declared thoughtfully, placing his hands on his chin.

“I’ve selected a few locations to search while doing my research on the area. Hopefully, we’ll find the town.”

Harklight peered over Slaine’s shoulder, looking at the directions he had written down.

“Oh it’s by the mountains? Interesting. “He hummed as he opened his lunchbox to eat his Katsudon.

“Mmm this smells good.” He commented before digging in eagerly.

Slaine opened his own lunch box somewhat absentmindedly, thinking about how a phone number possibly couldn’t exist or be unreachable, especially after having used it multiple times himself. It made no sense.

They searched and searched and searched for two days straight, and despite Slaine’s extensive research they hadn’t been able to find it. Slaine was about ready to give up by then, his shoulders slumping as he gloomily walked into a ramen restaurant for lunch. Having ordered, he began discussing with Harklight about plans on returning to the city. That was when he turned his head to the right. His eyes came across a few sketches and drawings of scenery that looked to him as if it were a second home. It was the beautiful town of Itomori. He had finally found a first lead! Excited, he called the shop owner and began asking as to who had drawn those pictures. He pointed to his friend who had been keeping low all this time at the front of the restaurant.

“Oh you mean Marito’s art? He’s from that town in his drawings.” The owner remarked casually.

“Really? Could you tell me where it is? I was trying to find my way there to meet a friend of mine.” Slaine asked excitedly while Harklight observed the drawings and,

“Wait you mean Itomori Town? But it can’t be!” Harklight looked at Slaine as though he had popped out two heads.

The man named Marito turned around and began speaking with a grim look on his face, “Kids these days never read the news, Itomori town was destroyed by meteorite shower three years ago boy. I was one of the few who weren’t in town that night and I lost my whole family. Been living here ever since.”

“N-no way..It can’t be..but!” Slaine breathed out, disbelief etching his face. He thought he was going crazy. Maybe he had finally lost it.

Harklight snapped his fingers before Slaine’s face and caught his attention, looking quite concerned. Slaine snapped out of his anxious thoughts and focussed his mind back to the situation at hand. This time Harklight took over, helping him ask what he could not ask. “Would you mind if you could show us the way there Marito-san?” he requested while Slaine stood by the side quietly, the gears in his mind turning.

It was a silent drive to the town, the moment they reached, Slaine unlocked the door and ran out almost stumbling over a rock and falling. An area that was covered by tape that was now flying in the breeze stood before him. He jumped over the tape and stopped. What was once Itomori town, was now a gigantic lake. Only the school remained somewhat intact. However, it still showed signs of ruin. Broken lamppost pieces lay here and there, with cars smashed. It looked like the apocalypse had occurred.

“But…we spoke with each other. It’s all right here in my phone!” Slaine said giving himself hope that just maybe Kaizuka Inaho was alive. Just as he said that, the entries and exchanges they had had with each other began disappearing one by one until they were all gone, leaving nothing but an empty space. He brought down his phone, looking defeated.

It makes no sense at all.

Harklight placed a hand on Slaine’s shoulder and squeezed it, trying to reassure him, but Slaine was no longer with them. He was far gone within his own thoughts.

Marito strode over and gestured for Harklight to get back into the car with Slaine. Slaine was in a daze for most of the ride, still trying to figure out how he had missed this and how they had been communicating this whole time.

They checked in at an Inn near the restaurant and tried to rest. Harklight who was tired from the day was out like a light in five seconds flat. However, Slaine couldn’t sleep at all. Cautiously stepping around Harklight, he padded his way out of their room and went up to the library up above. He scanned the shelves looking for Historical records on Itomori and found the disaster’s death toll. Taking the book off of its shelf, he placed it on the table and flipped through the pages, looking for the kaizukas. And there it was, as clear as day, everyone he had known in that small town, were listed as dead, including Inaho. His shoulders trembled as he choked down a crying sound, tears falling from his eyes and onto the names. The fact that they were dead, finally sinking in.

Harklight peered through the library door and closed it, giving Slaine privacy and some time. He had awoken when he found that it was suspiciously cold on the side he had snuggled up to. He was extremely worried for his best friend. He hadn’t seen him like this ever since that day he witnessed Slaine’s own father give him scars on his back. He wondered about who could have possibly been as important to Slaine to make him cry those tears of pain.

☆彡

Morning came, and Slaine was still a mess, he was starting to forget important things that happened during his switch with Inaho. Little things, however, he did remember one small important point of time. It was time to visit that place at least once before forgetting all about Inaho.

He prepared to leave after telling Harklight to go back to Tokyo early. After having sent his best friend off, he set for his journey up into the mountains near Itomori with some onigiris and other items. He ran into shelter as it began raining heavily. Wishing, he had brought his raincoat, he sat at the small cave to eat while he waited for the downpour to stop. Looking around, he hoped there were no other bugs in there. He quickly left the cave, his backpack slung over his shoulder, the rain having slowed to a drizzle. At this time, the forests looked breath-taking, with water dripping off of leaves slowly catching the evening light and flowers smelling sweeter than ever. The earthy smell of rain hung in the air as the sun began to go down.

It was too bad Slaine couldn’t stop for too long, he had to constantly keep reminding himself of Inaho’s name which was starting to get really hard to remember. He picked up his pace, and finally, reached the ancient wisteria tree that sat at the very top of the mountain.

It was in bloom at this time of the year. It looked as pretty as it did the last time he came as Inaho with its purple flowers swaying gently in the wind, some of them floating down onto the ground. He went to touch a few of the flowers between his hands gently. Below that tree, was a grave covered in many flowers. He had remembered that Inaho and Yuki’s mother was buried here after her unfortunate passing. After paying his respects to her, he sat down below the tree, hoping that somehow he would be able to turn back time, that somehow he could meet that boy he had bickered with so much over the months. He fell asleep below that tree, tired from all the hiking.

He dreamt of Inaho’s past, beginning with his birth. Inaho was a strange baby, he hadn’t cried at all. He saw Inaho’s father leave when he was barely two years old, leaving him with a crying Yuki. He saw how their friends had helped them survive alone together. He witnessed Inaho’s and Yuki’s first picnic under the blooming Wisteria tree. The times Yuki left the house and didn’t come back home early, worrying Inaho out and finally to the time, they began switching, their lives fading together. The very last memory he saw was, Inaho looking straight to the sky as blazing meteorites fell from the sky. The heavens were falling and Inaho hadn’t moved, he had stared somewhat mesmerized as the town blew up before him.

Slaine shouted to no one in particular, to make Inaho run, do something anything.

☆彡

He awoke with a start, except he wasn’t in his own body anymore. He looked at his hands and they were the familiar smaller ones that belonged to Inaho. He almost cried from happiness as he looked at the calendar. He still had time before that comet would fall. He still had time to change everything. It was truly a miracle. Running out of the room, he found Yuki and hugged her, tears streaming down his face. Yuki was to say the least stunned. She looked at him closely and asked,

“Who are you? You’re not Inaho are you?”

This time it was Slaine who was blabbering, as he explained to Yuki what would happen if they didn’t evacuate the town. She hummed to herself and said,

“I’ll try my best to help you. Inaho mentioned that the comet was acting strangely when he was stargazing but you have to come back some day to see us okay? I want to meet his new friend in person! He was in Tokyo yesterday you know.”

Taking in the words carefully, he jogged his memory and found that Inaho had come to see him except they hadn’t known each other yet. It was the most unfortunate meeting they had had. The only thing that had come out from it was the bracelet he wore to this day. He borrowed Calm’s new bicycle from him and cycled off to the mountains, Calm’s bike meeting another unlucky accident as it fell into a ravine. Slaine ran back to the Wisteria tree, hoping and praying Inaho was there and he was.

☆彡

Inaho awoke to the sound of the swaying branches of the wisteria tree. He looked around, blonde hair falling into his eyes. That was odd, only one person he knew had blonde hair like this. He brought his fingers through it and stood up taking in his surroundings. He was familiar with this place, but why was Slaine here?

He stood up and walked to the side of the mountain, his breath hitching as he took in what was a disaster zone. Itomori was gone, completely destroyed.

So the comet’s nucleus had split after all

The sun was setting slowly as the birds of the forest began returning to their homes, the sky was getting darker until he felt someone’s presence behind him.

In a second, they were back in their own bodies and for the first time, they looked into each other’s eyes. Inaho whispered out, ‘Kataware Doki’ to himself .It was indeed twilight, the time where you might meet someone or something not human. Looking at Slaine for the first time had stunned him, he looked absolutely ethereal like a being out of a fantasy.

Slaine smiled at him and said, “You were three years too early you idiot, orange.”

Inaho replied with a smile as well, “Well, it’s not like I knew this would happen Bat.”

They shuffled closer to each other and hugged as Slaine cried tears of happiness.

“I thought I had lost you forever you know.” Slaine sniffled out as Inaho pat him soothingly.

He pulled away and took out a permanent marker telling Inaho that they should write their names on each other’s hands before they forgot. Except when Slaine brought his marker to Inaho’s hand, he disappeared. Twilight had ended. Neither of them were able to write their names down.

Slaine’s life flashed before his eyes as he saw the marker fall. Were they never meant to meet? Who was that guy? Why was he here? He shouted to the sky, “What is your name?” as tears fell from his eyes. He kneeled down onto the ground.

He was found by someone who had been hiking that day, looking lost, he never did remember why he was there but sometimes he knew he was looking for someone. It always felt like he was looking for them. His bracelet was still with him, a constant reminder as to the fact that he had lost someone important to him but didn’t know who it was.

☆彡

Years later, he began looking for jobs and was turned down interview after interview. His friends remarked that maybe it was his suit and tie. They told him he should remove that kiddy bracelet he wore. He didn’t. There were instances where he felt like he had passed by someone he knew but was too afraid to call out to the stranger. And so, their lives went on until one day, he heard familiar voices at a café while having coffee with Asseylum.

“Calm, why are you so gloomy today, here have some cake.” A lady with short black hair spoke as the man named Calm opened his mouth grumpily as she fed him.

Slaine watched as they acted like a couple and shook the feeling of knowing them off and continued talking with Asseylum reassuring her that it was nothing.

Three years had gone by and it was spring once more, when Slaine spotted a brunette on another train who had looked at him with wide eyes. It was a fleeting moment but he knew that that person had to be the one. The one he had been searching for all these years. He dashed out of the train, running out of the station and walked around the neighbourhood.

Inaho had seen that ethereal face before, but he couldn’t quite figure out why he knew that person, he got off at the next stop and ran towards the neighbourhood beside it and there was the person, standing by the stairs, who looked at him and passed by shaking his head before yelling at him, “Hey! Have we met before?”

Inaho smiled, “I thought so too” he said gently.

Both of them asked each other in unison,

“What is your name?”

☆彡

Author’s Note:

I admit this fic was actually really hard to finish writing since I am not used to writing more than a thousand words for every chapter update I normally do. However, thanks to the support of the other authors and the Aldnoah family I was able to make it on time.

I would like to specially thank, Hakumei_Hogosha , Ayuki , Plum and Chloe for helping me edit and beta this and supporting me throughout the writing process.

The addition of Pancake is a special dedication to Ayuki’s pet hamster. I believe this project has truly brought the az family closer.

I would like to thank Ayu for supporting everyone including myself when we were stressing over this fanbook project. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this fic and will join us for the games soon!

Anna

#az anthology #inaho kaizuka #slaine troyard #inaho x slaine #inasureanthology #CountLestanna #Ayuki #天が落ちたとき #orangebat

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