e g o i s t

It was like waking up from a long dream.  Tormod wouldn’t have believed this was possible, but what he was experiencing was definitely real. The sound of the wind, the warmth of the sun on his face, and the feeling of the grass and dirk pressing against his exposed skin were proof that what he was experiencing was, in fact, reality. His dreams were never this vivid.

Moving was difficult; his limbs felt like lead, but he managed to push himself up into a sitting position. There was a dull pain in his middle—it was fleeting, more like the memory of an injury than actual pain.

Tormod opened his eyes slowly, afraid of what he’d see. His last memory wasn’t pleasant: enemy soldiers managed to surround him, somehow breaking through the front lines that consisted of the cavalry. There was little anyone could do to save him once help had arrived. The healing magic only eased the pain; it wasn’t enough to save him. The sight that greeted him was a clear sky, white marble fountain, and a beautiful garden that could have only been crafted by a master.

He blinked. The scene before him was too serene—nothing like the war-torn battlefield burned into his mind as his last memory. Was this what the afterlife was like? A person a few meters ahead of him caught his attention. Perhaps they would have some answers for him.

She passed a patch of flowers and slowed her pace as she circled back around. She stopped completely in front of a particularly familiar looking flower: it had six pointed petals that opened up to reveal the delicate heart of the plant. A few moments passed in her utter stillness as she tried to recall where she had seen the flower before, but her memory gave way to no such recollection. Her mind was cleared, as if someone had gone into her head and removed her entire past. Oddly enough, even that feeling of blankness was familiar, as if it had been done before. She knew reaching out might result in severe consequences, but she couldn't help but want to know.

Inori lowered herself onto a kneeling position until she was within reach of the flower and extended her slender fingers to touch it...when a voice sounded through the garden.

She retracted her hand in surprise and quickly looked up to see who had called out. A young man stood not too far from where she knelt. How had she completely missed his presence? She watched in silence as he took a step then proceeded to use his voice again. It looked like he was having some trouble with his legs. Was he injured? Should she rush to attend to him? But he was a stranger!

She paused in thought before standing up.

"Yes?"

56. Letters that Burned in the Fire

☆☆☆; To everyone’s utter surprise, Nonon and Inori actually made an incredible duo. It only made sense since they were the top 2 in one of the higher ranked squads, however, their fighting styles definitely clashed; Nonon’s attacks were bold and wild while Inori’s were careful and calculated. Whenever Nonon was on the battlefield, everyone knew. As powerful as they were flashy, her attacks destroyed everyone in her path in one blow, leaving no survivors. When Inori was on the battlefield, on the other hand, people would only know after they were hit. She seemed to be an invisible force; silent, watchful, skilled: taking out her opponents and watching them fall to the ground one by one like leaves from a tree. However, not everyone died by her hand right away, which went unnoticed to all but one pair of vigilant eyes.

      This irritated Nonon. Why even join the ranks when you don’t even use your talents to finish the job? It boggled her mind. She knew Inori was more than capable of killing them, so why leave them to suffer slowly? 'Maybe she's a sadist,' she would think sometimes, but she didn’t get that vibe from a girl like Inori. It wasn’t until after a battle where Nonon counted 15 potential survivors that she confronted the other girl. After slamming the door to Inori’s room open and skillfully shoving Inori against the door (which probably would’ve led to an actual fight unless Inori allowed her to), Nonon glared down the girl with fiery rose eyes.

      “Would you mind explaining to me,” she started, “what the hell kind of performance you put up out there? Fifteen potential survivors. Fifteen. You could be kicked outta here for that kinda shit, you know.” Of course Nonon wouldn’t actually report the girl, and Inori knew this as well, however, they both knew it was a serious offense that wouldn’t go unpunished if caught. Nonon watched as Inori’s delicate facial features hardened slightly, then allowed to taller girl to shove her away.

She tried her best to guide his fingers, gently placing them over and under each other until the string was a tangled mess. But she knew it would result in a structure formation once he performed one more step.

But, Hajime was a small and cute girl, and she could out eat anyone he knew. It was a little scary… But maybe this certain individual was equally just as gifted as his friends? So, after a few seconds of lost resolve, and a concerned expression, he gave the other a gentler expression. She looked shocked as it was, and he didn’t want to scare her more than he may have already done…

"Ah, didn’t mean to scare you! Wanna help me with this challenge?" This time, the approach was definitely… ‘Nicer’. In some hope of solidifying a pact, that they would conquer this foodie-based challenge! His own bright blue eyes flitted away from her darker red ones red, stinkin’ red eyes… , as he glanced at the sign he had practically been glaring holes through mere moments ago. “This, right here! Ah, sounds like it’ll be tough, but the reward is worth it!” Oh, the fire in his spirit was beginning to burn bright again, with pure determination! But what if she didn’t like sweets? Or Ice Cream, or was going to run away and cry thinking he was some sort of creep… Such stoic expressions didn’t help his worry much at all.

At the mention of a "challenge", Inori focused her thoughts away from his face and to what exactly he dictated. Challenge? She turned her head to look at where his eyes wandered to and read the sign that he had been so engrossed in earlier. The stranger seemed quite ecstatic about this endeavor, and that made it difficult for the singer to decline, or rather, easier for her to accept. The more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to come up with reasons why she shouldn't take the opportunity. She wanted to go inside the cafe anyway. It seemed so lively and was bound to have something of interest in store for her. The stranger was also extremely accommodating and genuinely displayed care in his offer. It would be a shame if she simply refused.

Besides, she hadn't eaten anything at all that morning! Her empty stomach and increasing appetite were sure to contribute something to the cause. His bursting spirit was no joke either and she felt as if she could take on this challenge with confidence, with this enthusiastic person by her side.

She turned to face the stranger and gave a warm smile, nodding her head in acceptance.

"I'll do my best."

She encouraged him, leaving her hands in the air, the red thread still resting in the valleys of her digits. Somehow, she felt as if she'd done this before, had spoken these exact words.

And there it was. Staring Nice down where he stood… The opportunity of a life time. Taking an, ever so casual stroll, through the city, didn’t always end up this rewarding. And had he not taken a moment to look up and observe his surroundings, rather than listlessly staring at the ground ahead, and listening to the low rumble of the city, he wouldn’t have this adrenaline, and will to fight, coursing through his veins. 

Plastered in the window of a cutesy cafe, called ‘Sweetpea’, was a sign, flowery and pink, littered with smiling bunnies faces and winking cats. The calligraphy was neat and swirled, and dotted with hearts. But it wasn’t any of these little facts that were important, it was specifically, what was written on this girl-overloaded sign.

>’Stop by Sweetpea Cafe, this week only, and try our Super-Duper-Deluxe Six Pound Sundae Challenge for two! 

>The first couple to finish this rare challenge, in under one hour, will be entitled to one one ‘Sweetpea Daily special’ menu item, free, for an entire year!  >Don’t hesitate! Get eatin’!

With that in mind, Inori headed out of the old house to realize her newfound determination. Strawberry locks flowed over her shoulder as she whisked out of her neighborhood into the excitement of the shopping district. Stores flanked her on either side as she contently strolled down the sidewalk, her eyes wandering about in whimsical curiosity. Completely unknown to her, however, was that the shopping district had an end somewhere and a certain shadier area inched closer towards her.

It looked quite docile during the day though and the naive Inori thought nothing of the change in architecture and atmosphere, especially when she spotted the bright and welcoming Sweetpea Cafe. She was immediately drawn to the array of pinks and white that were displayed behind the window and could not help but walk towards it, her interest growing with every step she took.

Little did she realize that there was someone else, equally or actually even more entranced by the shop. standing before the cafe and before she knew it, a hand reached out and took her shoulder, forcing the young girl to meet the stranger's eyes, eyes filled with purpose and determination, not quite unlike her own earlier that day.

Of course, she was taken by surprise and her visage contorted in stunned shock, her pink orbs widened and her lips slightly parted. Words shot out of the man's mouth and straight through the artist's ears, her brain catching very little, if any, of what he said.

"W-What?"

Her heart lurched nervously as she spotted a person up ahead, their eyes meeting. She put on her best smile, bowing her head slightly. “G-good afternoon.” She greeted. 

Looking up ahead, she saw a figure walking towards her. Their eyes met and Inori wondered if their eye contact warranted a conversation. A connection had been made between them in that moment but the youth was unsure of how to proceed. Luckily for her, she did not have to stay stuck in her thoughts any longer for the stranger approached her with a greeting.

Now, Inori was in no position to make assumptions about the girl. Besides, she did not even know what constituted a "normal" greeting. The stranger before her had presented a friendly gesture and she ought to reply appropriately. This should be easy enough a task for even someone like her.

After a moment of blankness, she returned a warm smile and repeated, "Good afternoon."