(Private*) From the Wings of a Mayfly - andredmcampos & AlphaZero

[andredmcampos]

Akio finished his tea and left his tray at the counter, saying goodbye to the lady on the other side, whom he already knew after going every day to that caffe for the last month for breakfast. It was convenient, since it was at the entrance of Ikebukuro station and was really cheap. The boy went to the ticket machine, inserte a 500 yen coin, got his change and ticket and went to the plataform to get on the subway. Crowded, like everyday around that time.

 

Akio got to an empty space close to the end of the car. Since his station was still a little far, he could afford to navigate his way out trough the crowd when he got closer. Plus, the car usually emptied a lot on the station before his. Aki started lightly napping while he waited for his station.

 

"Next stop: Ueno. Ueno. Connection with Ginza Line and Hibyia Line. The Left doors will open."

 

At Ueno Station, lots of people left the car, leaving a lot of empty chairs that would soon be filled. Akio moved closer to the door, since his station was up next. He jumped of at Okachimachi station and took a look at his smartphone. And maybe the time would be the only difference he would ever have in his schooldays. It was not like he disliked college or anything, on the contrary, he liked, but he couldn't help but feel like that routine he was stuck to was some kind of prision. Invisible shackles from wich he could never get free. He walked to the bus station and waited for the Hongo-Sanchome line's bus.

 

"07:55"

 

He was somewhat late on his schedule. But still got enough time to get inside the class. He would just follow his regular 'few seconds early' habit. He was about to step inside the gates when a brown-haired guy rushed over, almost hitting him. Not just any brown-haired guy, but the same guy he saw rushing in yesterday.

 

-Dejavu much? - he said, more to himself than to anyone. He looked at the guy, or at least what he could see from him rushing towards the school. Cream colored skin, slender. He got himself wondering who that guy was.

 

He got into the classroom a few seconds before the professor and the class proceeded as regular.

 

Later, when he left his classroom, he stopped for a few seconds staring at Block D. He wondered who that Aurelius guy was. Well, he would have the chance to figure that out at the KomabaSai. He was still distracted when his friends called him. They would always go part of their ways home together.

[AlphaZero]

Kakami made it to his first class of the day, animal science, with approximately thirty seconds to spare. As tired and aching as he was from his recent debacle--mostly sprinting, partially jogging, and zilch of walking--the young veterinarian was quite delighted that he made it on time, which meant no tardy on his record. This was Tokyo University after all, even one measly tardy couldn't have been good. Panting and gasping, he made his way towards the back of the room, oblivious to the curious stares that burned holes in his body. Being so dense sometimes made it easy for a person to get through life unscathed. Kakami here, was a prime example of that type of human being.

 

As he seated himself next to another male student, his eyes trailed to the professor already beginning his lesson. He began taking his utensils out for note-taking--one would think that a studious student such as him would have his head in the game and nothing else. Kakami however, had his mind elsewhere. It wandered to a certain game, to certain people, and dare he say, to a certain someone. He was supposed to do a quest with them today, hopefully they actually remembered. He didn't want to log in and find out that they completely forgot about the appointment. They were supposed to find something in that quest, something about a set that Aurelius needed because even though he was strong, his equipment was weak and that contributed to the fact that his entire being was weak when faced with tougher enemies.

 

Maybe it would have been a good idea to ask them from their real names.

 

"...animal behavior and management, genetics, microbiology, nutrition, physiology, reproduction, and meat science is essential to persons entering most animal sciences professions."

 

The discussion from down below spoken between professor and students went in one ear and out the other. Right now, his mind was completely on an online game, and what's worse was that he loved education, and most of all, animals. Something was definitely wrong with him, to be so into a game that meant nothing for the future.

 

"...foods of animal origin: meat, dairy foods, and eggs."

 

The thought of Orange however, turned his strayed thoughts back in its correct direction, towards the professor, towards the lesson, and quite consequently, towards his future and an animal's future that needed saving. He didn't stray before, he wouldn't stray now. His pencil began moving and his thoughts were completely gone as he focused on the lesson being taught by his professor. Wings of Aetheria would have to wait until later.

[andredmcampos]

Another bus ride, another subway ride, another fifteen minute walk and he was back home. He left the elevator and walked towards his appartment. He could hear the movement inside. 'Gosh', he thought to himself, 'My life is just getting full of this routine moments, isn't it?'. He opened his door to receive Hairy's jumping. The dog always made a party of him being back home. This time, he allowed himself to play with the chowchow a bit, and decided to take him for a wal before logging in. He still had a couple of hours before the agreed upon time with Aurelius. But, truth be told, as they were walking, he couldn't stop thinking of the guy. Who was him? He wanted to get to know him better, he seemed like a really nice guy. As Akio and Hairy were back home, the boy turned on the computer and checked his mail. Just spam. One of them being from the 'WoA' developer, announcing a new RP server about to open. The only interesting thing in the mail was that they would allow for free character transfer. The option to transfer one character from one server to the next always existed, but it was usually a Cash Shop service. Every now and then, when a new server went online, they would allow people to transfer for free.

 

Logging into the Wings of Aetheria game, Akio became Mihako, and decided to hunt a bit on the time he still had before the time they agreed to meet with Aurelius.

[AlphaZero]

Kakami's last class of the day, Biology, went a lot slower than he had hoped to imagine. Generally, his day at school ended at around 3:00 - 4:00 P.M, and yet today, it had ended an hour later. To be honest, it was all because of one student's constant bantering and questioning and the teacher's undecisive and discourteous manner directed at the young adults who wanted to leave while she was still answering a certain person's supposedly invaluable questions.

 

And in the end, they were delayed an hour from leaving because of one student's annoying mishap and the professor's old school personality. They weren't in high school. They were graduate students, getting ready to obtain their master degrees and yet, he treated them as if they were the lesser adults than they actually were.

 

In any case, Kakami did his usual routine that would everyday, led him back to the place he called home, and back to the loving companion that he loved with all his being. A slow walk in the cold afternoon with the snow crunching under his black boots became a quiet and relaxing bus ride, which in turn, became a somewhat brisk walk because of his eagerness to get home. The eagerness derived from the fact that he still remembered his appointment with Mihako in Wings of Aetheria, the quest Aurelius was about to embark upon, and the soft and wet affectionate licks of Orange. And better yet, Kakami had the whole day off tomorrow, as it was because since he was a university student and a young adult, he had the choice to choose to his own classes and when to take them.

 

He wouldn't have to do any school work today, but being the productive and determined student that he was, he made sure to remind himself to do at least some of his classes.

 

The sunset was too beautiful for his legs to resist, so that brisk walk became slower, just so that his soft, brown hues could submerge themselves deep into the sun sinking below the horizon. He really did hope that Mihako would be okay with handling a few more moments of waiting. It would be sad if the friends he had just met yesterday, left him all because he wanted to watch the sunset.