Mirror on Highway 280 - Eileen David , 2026.

American , b. 1952 -

What would especially suck is he would probably feel embarrassed if he had any flashbacks or anything, because it wasn’t even real.

But the thing is, even if what was happening wasn’t real, that doesn’t mean his trauma isn’t.

Also, Mittens has plenty of trauma of her own. But something else with her is she is declawed— and to my understanding, declawing is now understood to be a terribly inhumane procedure because it can leave cats in pain for the rest of their lives.

He watches a highlight reel of Ilya celebrating with his line and realizes he's just going to have to accept it.

Somehow Tetsuji gets his hands on Shane. His parents are alive but circumstances have made it so. Exy isn't hockey but with the right motivation Shane latches onto it.

Ilya and Shane are too young to play with Riko, Kevin and Jean but everyone in the nest knows they were being molded to be Perfect Court.

Riko knows Shane is a relative. Tetsuji doesn't hide it in fact he makes it a point because Shane is better. There's a part of Riko that was glad that even with fake paperwork, the Master couldn't put Shane playing collegiate Exy. Along with that Russian kid.

Also, with a stroke of sanity, Tetsuji doesn't pit Shane and Ilya against each other, or he stops anyway. One scrimmage on the same side and Tetsuji couldn't deny they were a deadly pair. This was what Kevin and Riko could have been.

From then, Ilya and Shane were partners.

It makes everything both easier and harder.

Easier because they're together, closer. They make each other better, want to be better. They know each other more than anyone else in the Nest.