Arise, O Youth
Or, 50 glimpses (100 words or less per prompt) into the lives of those who make the world of Cold Steel what it is. Man, the NPCs in this series are so rife with potential it's not even funny…
Also? SPOILERS for both CSI for the whole game and CSII up until the Finale. If you haven't gotten that far, stop now. Seriously.
#01 – Ring
"Anywhere, anytime. Doesn't matter if it's the Fencing Club, the field outside… hell, I'm game if you wanna go in front of the academy gates. Bring it," her brash year mate challenged, and Friedel, despite her best efforts, couldn't quite stop the predatory smile that crept across her face.
#02 – Hero
Laura wasn't sure how Monica's praise and attitude differed from that of the girls in Legram; she just knew that the latter made her sigh and nod in tired appreciation, while the former made her want to be the best she could be, made her want to set an example to catch then surpass – yet another reminder of the blood that proudly ran through her veins, she supposed.
#03 – Memory
Normally the twins didn't agree on much, but when Rean asked them one day if they could ever recall being apart even for a second as kids, the answer was a simultaneous 'no'; Vivi's first memory was Linde, Linde's first memory was Vivi, and neither would have had it any other way.
#04 – Box
"For you, my dear Vincent," Margarita offered in what she probably thought was a seductive manner, and the purple haired Noble decided that discretion was the better part of valor; it may have been the unsettling smile on her face, it may have been the questionable fumes coming from the (beautifully decorated, to be fair) package, or it may have been the green haired boy from Class VII mouthing 'NONONONO' out of the corner of his eye.
#05 – Run
"You know," Emily sighed as she jogged alongside Theresia, easily keeping pace with her friend as they both warily looked at the bickering pair in the middle of the field, "If Alisa and Ferris put as much effort into warming up as they did arguing then I have a feeling that practices would go so much smoother."
#06 – Hurricane
"Good inspiration, Gaius?" Clara asked tersely, her hands continuing to sculpt and create even as the unexpected windstorm blew furiously outside, battering the windows of the Art Club; beside her, Gaius could only nod with a serene expression on his face, the brushstrokes on the canvas perfectly in tune with the raging gale.
#07 – Wings
"So, what do you think Mueller? Worth the wait and expense?" Olivert asked his friend rhetorically, and even the normally brusque man could muster up no sarcastic retort upon seeing the sheer magnificence of the Courageous for the first time.
#08 – Cold
"I – I mean, it's chilly and he offered! It would have been rude not to take it, right?" Emma told Alisa, cheeks turning red as she wrapped a familiar blue military jacket tighter around her shoulders; beside her, the Reinford heiress just sipped her coffee and snickered in response, adjusting the crimson one that blanketed her own form all the while.
#09 – Red
Rean held his breath while Angelica surveyed the orbal bike critically, finally exhaling in relief when she nodded, gave him a thumbs up, and told him "Not a bad choice on the paint-job! Candy apple would have been my first choice too if George hadn't whipped up that shade of purple that he did; that said, I don't suppose you've seen those *incredibly* appealing patterns that our dear Becky is selling, have you? I like the Alisa one myself, and I'm pretty sure you will too…"
#10 – Drink
Sara had always briefly wondered what she would do if any of her students ever called her bluff when it came to barhopping with her, and after a moment's consideration she figured it really didn't matter; after all, everyone had to get smashed sometime, right?
#11 – Midnight
"I do hope that they'll be able to get to the bottom of this in time," Principal Vandyck sighed worriedly, glancing at the clock; "Don't you worry. This is Class VII we're talking about, after all," Towa assured him, her jaw set and eyes bright.
#12 – Temptation
It would have been so easy to tell Rean and the others the truth, Crow mused, tearing away from the battlefield; they *had* been friends, it hadn't *all* been a lie, and the Crow they knew and fought beside would miss them like hell – but he had surged past the moment of weakness and done what he had to do, just like he'd been doing ever since he'd first stepped onto the path of revenge all those years ago.
#13 – View
"What's it like flying around up there, anyway?" Fie asked Millium casually once, her green eyes alight with interest, and she couldn't help but smirk when the blue haired girl bellowed for Lammy and without missing a beat, turned and asked "Wanna find out?"
#14 – Music
Hibelle had never forgotten how the last President of the Wind Orchestra had welcomed everyone to the fold without hesitation no matter what, and he swore that he'd run the club the exact same way; a promise that he made good on when a timid redhead, a blue haired spark-plug, and a dignified blonde all showed up with instruments in tow and ready to play their hearts out.
#15 – Silk
"Yes! Exactly like that! Slow, even strokes, so that their manes will gloriously shine like blazing stars in the darkest night!" Lambert roared enthusiastically beside Whitcomb, watching a (bemused) Paula and an (amused) Jusis groom their steeds with the utmost care.
#16 – Cover
It had taken Dorothee a *lot* of convincing to print the first run of books with nondescript artwork on the front, but Emma knew that it was better to be discreet when A: she was in a class with two of the book's co-stars, and B: she was in a class with two of the book's co-stars.
(Technically the same reason, the brunette would acknowledge later, but such a big one that it was worth mentioning twice).
#17 – Promise
When she thought about it later, Bridget would realize that she actually wasn't able to recall most of Alan's speech, but surprisingly enough that didn't bother her – she remembered that he swore to protect her no matter what, and she remembered what it was like to be held in his arms for the first time; in the end, that was more than enough.
#18 – Dream
A lot of people assumed that Nicholas wanted to be a world class chef in a renowned restaurant, or at least an executive chef with high class clientele – had they asked him, however, they would have all gotten the same surprising answer… "All I want is my food to make people happy."
#19 – Candle
"We can't hold a candle to the Grand Market, but we tried our best," Hugo admitted, a proud smile on his face as he watched Colette bounce around the room in excitement, and a counter away Becky simply raised an eyebrow as if to ask "What bloody well can, ye daft bastard?"
#20 – Talent
No matter what the circumstances, Ferris Florald would *not* yield to Alisa Reinford – though she was intensely proud of her refined bloodline, she knew innate skill when she saw it, and unlike other Nobles she was not too proud to apply effort where her own talent didn't suffice if it meant coming out the victor.
#21 – Silence
For all that he wanted Elliot in a military school and away from music, General Craig would be the first one to admit that he missed the soothing notes from his son's violin.
#22 – Journey
"Trista to Eisengard," Rean thought numbly, his breaths coming shallowly as his mind processed the information. "I went from Trista to Eisengard. Now a month's passed and I wasn't awake for a damn thing that's happened since."
#23 – Fire
No matter how long they lived, Machias, Elliot, and Fie knew that they would never forget how empty they felt when the Courageous touched down in front of Celdic only to be greeted by the broken, burned out ghost of what once was.
#24 – Strength
She wasn't a fighter or a spellcaster, but Rosine had poured her heart and soul into the medicine that she was now handing over to Rean and the rest of Class VII; judging from the grateful smiles they gave her, the results certainly showed.
#25 – Mask
Vita had to admit, being an opera star wasn't exactly a terrible burden; it put her in a key position close to the Heimdallr elite, it let her do something that she *knew* she was good at besides magic, and if she was being perfectly honest… she really didn't mind the fan encounters all that much, especially when they were as endearing as the sons of Craig the Red and Governor Karl Regnitz.
#26 – Ice
Claire was never quite sure how to feel about her nickname; while there was no doubt that it was a sign of great distinction and respect, it was also irritating to see just how many heard the term 'Icy Maiden' and immediately equated that to 'heartless bitch'.
#27 – Fall
"Sure you don't wanna give it a try? It's a good season for fishing, Edel!" Kenneth would greet daily from the pond as the leaves turned from green to brown, and like clockwork Edel would always giggle and chirp back "It's a good season for planting, too!"
#28 – Forgotten
The fact she had a fiancé hadn't slipped her mind per se, but Annabelle was more than willing to set that aside for now; there were ponds to see, fish to catch, and a new friend that the pink haired girl would be loath to disappoint.
#29 – Dance
"Your feet are going to regret this immensely," Machias told Emma resignedly but let himself be pulled along regardless; the brunette simply flashed him a playful smile as they began to move in sync, saying that as Class VII President and Vice President they had a joint duty to set a good example for the festivities. Besides, surely one dance wouldn't hurt, right?
#30 – Body
As much as Rean wanted to tell himself that this wasn't happening, or that this was all some horrible dream, all it took was a single glance at the broken and utterly still form of the Azure Awakener to shatter any pretensions that may have lingered in the wake of his passing.
#31 – Sacred
"Abend Time is pre-empted for this week? No Misty? How? Why!? IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE!?" a clearly devastated Munk ranted and raved, and as Rex grinned and prepared to take a photo of the breakdown he was stopped by the firm hand of Fiedelio coming down on his shoulder, the 'bad time, Rex' unspoken but still absolutely clear.
#32 – Farewells
"He'll be just fine," Teo assured Lucia and Elise as the family watched the cable car go down the mountain and out of sight; "Of course he will, dear," Lucia agreed fondly, reaching out to ruffle her sniffling daughter's hair with a gentle touch.
#33 – World
Thanks to Sunday school, his parents, and General Vander, Gaius had always known that there was life outside the vast expanse of the Nord Highlands, but it was only after he joined Class VII and truly saw his second home with his own eyes that he fully understood just what that meant.
#34 – Formal
"… Well," Fie muttered, thoughtfully staring at the bright red uniform jacket in the mirror across from her. "I'd still rather wear my jaeger gear, but at least this get-up's comfy."
#35 – Fever
Siblings teased, siblings fought, siblings bickered, but siblings also knew when to have each other's back; thus, when Cedric woke up one day feeling weak and warm, it was Alfin who came to drop off a bowl of soup and a kiss on the forehead, telling him to get better soon because quite frankly he was even less fun than he normally was.
#36 – Laugh
"That's not funny," Sara and Neithardt growled in stereo at a howling Instructor Thomas, only to turn their glares on each other immediately after; Thomas, for his part, merely kept on chortling, somehow managing to choke out "My word! They even *berate* in sync! What a delightful combination you two make."
#37 – Lies
Sharon would never lie about anything truly important; she loved Lady Alisa far too much to risk that relationship. That said, she wasn't above stretching the truth here and there, mainly because she found the sight of her floundering, stuttering charge absolutely adorable.
#38 – Forever
It didn't matter what came before or what was to come after – they were Class VII now, and they would all treasure and revere that title until the end of time itself.
#39 – Overwhelmed
An exhausted Loggins struggled to force air into his lungs as he lay on his back, and through the haze above him he saw Friedel's (remarkably pretty) face come into view; "Scary expression aside, this was far a better fight than I expected. This was good. I can work with this," the blonde declared with a sunny smile before sheathing her sword, and Loggins wasn't sure if he should be afraid for his life or excited for what was to come.
#40 – Whisper
Stefan held his breath, every second feeling like an eternity, and after a few moments of forever the Noble across from him slowly raised his trembling finger to the white king and tipped it over, the soft 'I resign' barely heard over the loud yell of triumph from the teal-haired boy.
#41 – Wait
While Instructor Mary knew that patience was a virtue, that didn't mean exercising it was any less frustrating – especially when it came to someone like Instructor Makarov.
#42 – Talk
Unbeknownst to the rest of Class VII, shortly after Bareahard both Jusis and Machias had tried one genuine attempt at a frictionless, civil conversation; after a stilted and painfully awkward couple of minutes, both had left with the tacit understanding that the honesty and candor in brutally pointing out each other's perceived shortcomings was far, far preferable to the alternative so long as it didn't go back into combat links breaking mid-fight.
#43 – Search
"We don't have any idea what Beryl's looking for, do we?" Alisa whispered to the group at large as they made their way into the Spirit Shrine, and unsurprisingly it was Celine who said what they were all thinking – "No, and to tell you the truth I'm not sure I want to know."
#44 – Hope
Patrick knew that the odds against him seemed to be insurmountable, but as the scion of the Hyarms family he would not allow himself to be deterred! After all, Elise Schwarzer was a young woman capable of making her own decisions, and maybe, just *maybe*, one day her brother would recognize that and start leaving the unsaid 'touch her and I'll kill you' out of their interactions when she was present.
#45 – Eclipse
It didn't matter to Alan that he couldn't compare with Bridget in any way, shape or form; that stopped being a problem long ago. It also didn't matter to Alan that the future looked a lot more ominous than it did before - he wanted to stay by her side no matter what, and that was that.
#46 – Gravity
Casper's first memory of Klein is the friendly second year asking him what his favorite part of swimming was, and the subsequent understanding smile when Casper told him it was that split second in mid-air after the dive; after all, it wasn't very often that a swimmer got to feel like the laws of physics held no sway.
#47 – Highway
Any misgivings Alisa had about the orbal bike vanished in a loud roar and a cloud of dust, and Rean couldn't help but let out a laugh as he felt the grip around his abdomen tighten and a smile form against his back.
#48 – Unknown
"I don't know who wrote the puns on these Aidios-damned chests or how they know so much about us, but they have a poor excuse for a sense of humor and far too much time on their hands," Jusis groused, staring with distaste at the box that had his name alongside the currently missing Machias while the rest of the group struggled to hold back fits of laughter.
#49 – Lock
"All that for a key, huh?" Rean chuckled weakly, with what remained of the archaisms scattered on the Karel Villa's terrace and the rest of the infiltration team looking absolutely exhausted; seriously, didn't these trapped chests usually hold drool-worthy quartz specimens?
#50 – Breathe
Even with the magic coursing through him trying to make the end as comfortable as possible, it was still a battle for Crow to hang on, but hang on he would, at least for a few more seconds; getting the chance to say goodbye properly to Class VII (I'm sorry Towa, 'Gelica, George, not my call) was worth every moment of struggle. Worth every second of pain.
Worth every dying breath.
AN: Couple of notes; #08 was based off a cute fanart I came across, in case anyone was curious. #25 – c'mon, seeing Machias and Elliot fanboy in CSI was beautiful. If anyone's wondering about #48, go find any Trial Chest where you don't have the required members and it'll make sense. Finally, #49 was pretty much my exact reaction when I beat that monster chest in Karel… I was very disappointed that it was a plot-based item instead of something awesome like it normally was. C'est la vie.