#acastle

[pañuelo melody] by acastle

There are aspects about this story that really hit home for me. (Forgive me, I'm dumping a lot of feelings without proofreading–I'm probably rambling).

There is a running theme of hidden connections and destiny that acastle wrote in their fic. It may just be headcanon, but afaik Casey has mentioned that Alex and Henry are destined to be together in any universe, this fic really drives that idea home.

Mild spoilers below, but acastle referenced Utada Hikaru in their story multiple times, and I grew up listening to them (HUGE Kingdom Hearts fan here). The feeling I had when acastle referenced one of their songs–through the opening lyrics that I recognized (First Love by Utada Hikaru) , I literally went "nooooooo wayyyyyyyy.......???!!!!"

And then acastle referenced Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto (amazing piano instrumental written for the movie of the same name). Utada also wrote a song and sampled Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (also same title). I wish I could truly describe when all the pieces connected together, it was like greeting an old friend. It was also like getting hit by a truck. It was all very overwhelming (I may or may not have started tearing up writing this portion.)

This story takes place in winter in Japan, and it's chilly, and icy, and the angst is dialled up to eleven, but like with all of acastle's stories, there is so much love.

The main inspiration for this cover is Japanese artist Ikenaga Yasunari (examples below). I wanted to replicate the vibe, but I opted for more colour. I was also inspired by traditional Japanese paintings, especially with how soft and delicate snow is often painted.

I chose the promotional image of Alex and Henry in the V&A as the pose. I had initially planned to have Alex and Henry walking in the Higashiyama Ward at night (location described in the fic) , illuminated by streetlights and joined by the red string of fate, but it didn't materialize.

The Japanese in the front translates literally to "Handkerchief melody – hankachi and 旋律 (Kanji for melody/tune). Handkerchief from pañuelo (the Spanish meaning, not Filipino ) references the one that Alex uses to wipe his mouth as a child before giving his relatives a kiss on the cheek. It is also the title of the song Alex writes and releases before running away to Japan.

The characters in the corner is 禁色 is from the novel that Henry read that inspired his work trip to Japan. Context is in the story. It's very poignant and melancholic.

Thank you so much to Louie (@hrhprinceacd on Twitter) for helping me with the Japanese title, and for @ash-morrison for blind-choosing this cover to release from my vault.

Just adding that the gingko branch background is from an adobe stock photo that I didn't really want to pay for so I designed my own version from scratch (original reference below).

The full poster that can be added to the .epub file for your kindle/e-book reader is at the end of the post! If you need any assistance, please don't be afraid to ask!

Last week, I was super lucky to get to hang out with a bunch of pocket friends, one of whom loves this fic more than any other. So I decided, kind of at the last minute, to bind it for her. I knew she wanted a bind of it, but I also knew she might be working on it herself, so it was kind of a risk, but I went for it. It was so fun to give a book to someone in person!

Because I made it a few days before I flew to Canada, I didn't have a ton of time to devote to the typeset, so it's pretty simple. But there's nothing wrong with simple! I actually love the cover though, even though it too is not elaborate. The layered HTV for the flames is fun and shiny. I probably spent more time than I needed to finding a good endpaper (I almost went with gold glitter, but this is not the kind of fic that gold glitter endpapers would go with - it's quite angsty) but it turns out I already had one that worked well.

Close to You by dinosaursmate | M | 4547 Louis took a deep breath and spun the bottle. Harry could barely look, pondering in the back of his mind the consequences if he were to leap to his feet and run off home. The bottle stopped, and Harry looked down. “That’s typical!” Louis laughed. “That’s how destined I am to be single, forever.” The bottle was pointing back at Louis. “Kiss yourself!” Christine laughed. “That’s not pointing at you!” Said Oli, who had come back in and was nursing a beer from the doorway. “It’s on Harry.” “It’s not.” Harry said quickly. “I mean, at any rate, Harry was the last person it pointed at before you.” Stan said to Louis. “Kiss Harry.” “Isn’t the rule to spin again?” Harry said, swallowing. “Come on, get on with it!” Stan rolled his eyes. Louis turned to Harry, giving him a reassuring smile, and moving his mouth close to Harry’s ear. “Don’t worry, lad. It’s me. It’s just a kiss, yeah?” “Yeah.” Harry mumbled. - Harry has been in love with Louis since, like, always, and nothing can stress him out like a game of Spin the Bottle and getting locked in a cupboard.

like they know the score by acastle | E | 8716 Maybe it wasn't something sudden, then. Had probably felt like this for a long while, he thinks. Just didn't realize it until that moment he stood stock still staring at Niall laughing at his own lack of coordination as Harry missed half of his Little White Lies solo. (Specifically, where the boys play a stupid game of Spin the Bottle after their last show, and Harry wants to kiss Niall. Just not in front of the rest of them.)

never wanted you to steal my heart by shoulderbladesarewings | G | 9577 The grass was so green and the sky was so blue, when did the colours go away, when did the snow stop, when did Harry’s eyes become stars? Pink and white marshmallows roasted brown on candles; green and blue bruises appearing magically on their legs and arms, tender to the touch; sunburnt skin and bleached-blond hair and everything was so goddamn bright and beautiful. Harry and Louis have always been a pair- joined at the hip since the Styles family moved into town when Louis was at the tender age of 5. Somewhere along the line, Harry's feelings develop into a more-than-platonic kind of love, especially when Louis gets his first long term girlfriend.

A Love That Feels This Right by DontLetHimGo | E | 13692 As always, the classic high-school rumour mill is never completely reliable. Sure, there are those stories that fly around that turn out to be true—like the one about Niall getting with a model at a party a few months ago (which Louis still struggles to believe)—but this ‘rumour’ has so many versions, and none of them are actually right. The Sixth Form AU where Louis is the footie team captain, Harry is head boy, and no one at school has any idea that the two of them are in love.

18 by aclosetlarryshippe | nr | 15418 Harry hates Golden Boy Louis and he's pretty sure the feeling's mutual. It's too bad they're forced into parenthood together during the home ec baby project. Featuring accidental fathers, an improv performance gone wrong, and an altruistic game of spin the bottle.

Harry eyes him from behind the teddy bear, and Niall doesn’t look threatening, but. “Why’d you want to lend me your bag? Are you trying to rope me into something?”

“I don’t think I have it in me to blackmail or sabotage anyone, let alone the endearing, fit bloke who’s brave enough to cry over a stuffed toy in the middle of an airport,” Niall tells him, smile smaller, but somehow more meaningful. “I just want to help you get home. Seems like you need to.”

(Where Harry can’t seem to make his luggage light enough to get checked in, and Niall offers him his extra baggage allowance. Then fate intervenes, the way it does.)

“Which means, I’ve got a Charms post to fill. And do you know who he suggested for the job?”

Harry doesn’t trust the wide beam on his face, and Louis goes on, “Well, he’d told me about this bloke. Class of 2011, student rank number three but top at Charms of his class, Hufflepuff, prefect, atrocious Quidditch player, but he makes a great treacle tart-”

“He suggested me?” Harry says blankly.

The words “My fiance” are written in Niall’s neat, bold handwriting, a small heart scrawled next to them, and his heart stops. His chest tightens, and he feels himself tear up immediately.

“I’d say you got it right,” Niall says simply, eyes and voice gentle, and it doesn’t do much to stop the tears from falling.

Niall hands him a handkerchief, and he’s the smug one now, asking him, “You okay?”

“Shut up, Ni,” he says, no heat to it as he takes the offered handkerchief with slightly trembling hands and he wipes away the tears on his face.

(Heartbreak Hero and his Magpie get married. Or try to.)