Obviously none of the characters here are mine... I don't own Fire Emblem: Awakening or the cover image, which is also owned by Nintendo. This disclaimer holds throughout the story in its current entirety unless otherwise marked.
Edited 11/24/2014. Going back and editing veeeeeeeeery slowly.
Enjoy!
"You'll love it here… Really. I do. Just give it a little time." Robert gave his sister a comforting smile as he climbed up the steps to Ylissian North High. He had already begun to turn around, but Robin rolled her eyes at his back anyways. They may have had the same silvery hair and fair complexion, but being twins hardly meant they were the same. Robert, with his perpetual good nature and poor posture-too many books-, Robin knew, was the 'happy' twin.
She stole one glance at the sturdy building and sighed. In the name of space conservation, the architect had decided to pile floors on top of floors, creating a giant brick tower peppered with long windows. The mess was an eyesore, and it didn't bode well for any creativity inside. "I don't want to be here."
"School?" Robert teased. He hopped up a few more steps and turned back to his sister. Even after their year of separation, Robert's insufferable, omnipresent sense of humor was still running strong. Joy. Robin rolled her eyes again, making sure Robert actually saw it. "Few people do." And he continues anyways, Robin thought drily. At least he had grown a backbone while she was gone.
"No. I don't want to be here. Here, specifically," Robin replied. Perhaps dry, boring bookworms like her brother could work in that brick monstrosity, but Robin could already weep for... for everything. She missed Plegian. Shifting her backpack on her shoulder, Robin strode ahead of her brother and into Ylissian. Spinning a circle in the main lobby, Robin sighed. The interior was just as stifling as the exterior, brick, brick, and more brick. It was still too early for students, and those that loitered in the hallways yawned at her. "Which way is the piano?"
Robert laughed. Of course something was funny about her desire to confirm that there was at least one good thing in this institution. There was always something funny with Robert. Three days back, and it was driving her up a wall. "We walked here early so you could talk to our homeroom teacher and get your class schedule. I'll show you the music room later." And his goody-two-shoes routine. That wasn't getting on her nerves either. Nope. Robin frowned but followed Robert as he turned down one of the hallways. Lockers lined the halls, and the occasional student dotted the hallway. Opening a classroom door, Robert gestured inside. "This is our homeroom. Now that you're here, I'm going to catch up with some friends of mine. Text me if you need me. Okay?" Robin skirted around Robert and his cheery smile wordlessly.
The room was deserted. Robin slipped her nearly empty bag on to a nearby table and slid onto a stool. Instead of desks the classroom was filled with long, perfectly aligned tables. Someone, Robin supposed, had too much time on their hands, if they felt compelled to straighten the tables so exactly. Cabinets filled with labelled jars and scientific equipment lined the sides of the classroom. A jarred fetal pig peered out at her from the nearest counter, dead pig eyes mirroring Robin's.
"Miss Robin?" Robin spun around in her seat. A reserved woman, tall and severe, looked down at her. Raising a hand to her glasses, the woman frowned. "Miss Robin. This is indeed who you are, yes?"
"Ah, yes ma'm. My brother Robert…" This was the authority, then. For a teacher, the woman was surprisingly young, and despite the best efforts of her highly conservative clothing and expression of general distaste, she looked in her mid twenties. With a sharp slap, the teacher deposited a thick stack of papers on the table.
"I am Ms. Miriel Platt. You may address me by either name. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Opening her mouth to reply, Robin closed it as her instructor continued on. "Read the papers I have given you. All of them. They will be crucial to your integration within our school system," Ms. Miriel said. Robin glanced down at the huge stack of papers and slumped a little lower. Ms. Miriel frowned, and Robin straightened herself again. "I also noted your first class, Biology, is in attendance with me. Therefore…" Ms. Miriel bent into one of the cabinets and pulled a thick textbook from a shelf. She strode over to Robin and delicately placed the book in front of her. The gecko on the book's cover pleaded at the student through a thin film of dust. "I will bestow this upon you now." Ms. Miriel took a seat at the lone desk at the front of the room. "That is all, Miss Robin. Enjoy your sophomore year at Ylissian."
Robin sat for a few minutes in silence, but Ms. Miriel didn't look up. Collecting her things in her bag, she saw Robert had texted her. "If you finish up early, come find me. I'm outside, by the tree. Just take a right and keep going." Robin could imagine the words in her twin's voice, perhaps accompanied by a dopey smile. When would he realize she didn't want to make friends? Pulling her locker combination from her pile of papers, Robin strode out of the classroom. The lockers lined the halls in two stacked rows. With a sigh, Robin bent down to a lower locker. A boy reclined on the locker to her left, and Robin was careful to avoid eye contact. Despite her best efforts, Robin found her locker impossible to open.
"Geez, Robin. Are you taking all your books home with you?" Robert asked. He was like a small puppy, Robin decided, all pleading eyes and piteous whines. All Robert was missing was a wagging tail, and no one would be able to tell him from a Labrador. "You received a locker, right? Do you need help with it?"
"I'm fine," Robin said. She squared her slumping shoulders, shooting Robert a scowl as she almost stumbled under the weight redistribution. Plegian didn't have lockers. Probably because the school was inherently better and didn't need to torture its students with inoperable metal contraptions. "Now, where did you need to go?" She rearranged her bag, now heavy with books, on her shoulders. Robert frowned lightly but started walking down the hall. Robin trailed after him.
"How was your first day of class? If you need anything… Well, I know public and private schools are different, so…" Robert let his sentence dangle awkwardly. The boy rolled his shoulders, rippling the loose fabric in his t-shirt, some Star Wars thing Robin figured he would grow out of in the year she was gone. Instead, Robert was essentially the same person, the sweet, nerdy baby she had left a year ago. The only thing that had grown about him was his height.
Robin chewed on her lip. Robert genuinely wanted to make her feel welcome. Trailing behind him, she watched him tug on a few strands of pale hair, long fingers mussing the back of his already messy bedhead. "You worry too much."
It must not have come out as gruff as Robin wanted, because Robert grinned at her over his shoulder. "Consider it pay back for the thirteen years you worried after me." The childhood card. Robert never understood a year of separation and their parent's divorce had long tainted that for her. Robin blinked to find Robert looking to her expectantly, hand resting on a classroom doorknob.
"What?"
"So, the music room… Well, this is it…" Praise the gods. Perhaps Robert wasn't completely useless. Robin started towards the door, but Robert kept it shut. "Thing is, students aren't allowed to use the school facilities after school hours…" Robin narrowed her eyes. Only in a middle of nowhere, one-light town… "Vandals... The joys of public school, eh?" Robert bubbled out a nervous laugh before clapping a sheepish hand over his mouth.
"That's idiotic. I'm going in there anyways."
"Wait—"
Robert moved to block her, but Robin pushed him out of her path. Swinging open the door, she strode inside. An ebony piano stood in the center of the room. Despite her initial opinions of the school, the instrument was surprisingly beautiful. Someone in this hellhole kept it carefully maintained. Robin drifted towards it, just to run her hands over the keys, but instead of an empty bench, a student sat in front of the piano, reclining on the closed key cover. Robin stopped, Robert colliding with her back. Resting an elbow on the piano, the boy studied her with a confident gaze. "This your sister, Robert?" he asked.
Robin began to twirl to face her brother and froze. A small group of students hovered at the side of the room. One or two smiled at her. Whipping around to Robert, she found him studying the floor, hand lost in his hair. She glared at him. "What's this?" Robert looked up at her, but Robin spun to face the boy by the piano. "And you," she hissed, "why is your bare elbow resting on the piano? Does it look like an arm rest?" The boy straightened up, guilty grimace screwing his self-assured gaze. Robin flicked her eyes up and down the boy. Deep blue hair, sleeveless shirt displaying toned arms, general air of self-confidence. Was this what the delinquents here looked like? Turning to Robert, she swung her arm across the students lounging in the music room. "Explain."
Robert glanced apologetically beyond Robin, to the boy sitting at the piano. "I was trying to, but you charged in." Robin refused to lighten her expression. "Students aren't allowed in classrooms after hours, regularly. However, students in clubs are allowed use of school facilities, even on days where clubs don't meet. I knew you would want to use the piano, so I signed you up for something with me." Robert locked eyes with his sister. He faced her squarely, but the concern in his eyes belied his confident exterior. "It's not what you're used to, none of that fancy music academy stuff." Robin folded her arms over her chest. "But it'll get you piano access."
"The catch?"
"Conduct our pep band," the boy behind her cut in, his deep voice silencing Robert. Pushing himself up from the piano, he sauntered over and stuck out a hand. The light muscles in his arm rippled at the motion. "I'm Chrom, the organizer and a friend of your brother. Nice to meet you."
Robin stared at his hand. "Sleeveless clothing is against dress code. I read the rulebook." It was the first thing that came to mind. "I thought all of my brother's friends feared the sun." Aaaand there was the second. The corners of Chrom's mouth twitched, and wow, did that smile do good things to all of him. The boy was a blue haired Apollo. Shaking her head, Robin looked towards the others in the room. "Your band only has eleven people in it. None of you have instruments out. You were leaning against that poor piano…" Chrom grimaced at that. "That olive haired boy in the back appears to be asleep. Why are you all even here?"
A redhead jerked upward. Eyes narrowed in a scowl, the girl thrust one hand on her hips and the other out at Robin. She was easily just as muscular as Chrom, and her own tank top and athletic shorts combo complemented her build. "Oi! Why dontcha cool your pretentious-"
"Sully." Chrom held a hand out to silence the girl, and Sully quieted. Robin raised her eyebrows at him, and Chrom smiled in return. The redhead glared venomously at a music stand, arms folded across her chest as if holding in her objections.
Frilly dress twirling around her knees, a blonde girl, younger than the rest, bounced up to Robin. Rocking back and forth on heeled boots, she smiled at Robin. "We were waiting for you," she chirped. "I'm Lissa, Chrom's younger sister and another friend of your brother." Lissa's smile was infectious, and Robin found herself fighting the urge to return it. "I know we look kinda hopeless right now, but we've all got instruments we can play. And Robert," Lissa grinned at the boy. Her brother ducked his head with a light blush. "Well, he's been telling us how wonderful you are. With your direction, I'm sure we could whip up a half decent band."
"The time commitment we need is little," Chrom cut in. "The tunes are simple. We practice today, tomorrow and Wednesday, so you can have the other days free. We play at some sports games and maybe some other venues, low key stuff. We don't have many members now, but the school has never had a pep band before this. With time, we should get more members."
Lissa snuck over to bounce beside her brother, and the two of them eyed Robin with equally pleading looks. Robert sidled next to Lissa, fidgeting with his hair yet again. Robin looked at the trio and beyond them to the piano. The piano… She wouldn't last a week without her fingers on those keys. "Fine," she sighed. It wasn't like they asked to sound good, after all. Just half-ass the mess and bury myself in the piano after, Robin figured. "But if I'm conducting this, you do what I say." Lissa squealed, pulling Robin into a hug.
Fiddling with her locker, Robin sighed as the first bell rang. With a dark glare, she kicked the devil thing, but all it earned her was a sore toe. "Need help?" Spinning around, Robin found herself staring into a smiling, vaguely familiar face. It was a boy from yesterday, Robin decided, tall, lanky, easy smile. As he pushed some olive hair out of his eyes, Robin had a horrible suspicion the boy wanted to befriend her. "Stahl, by the way. In case you forgot. Robin, right?" His gentle eyes looked from Robin to the locked door in front of her, and Robin stepped a little further from the locker. Robert must be using this boy to snoop on her. "Seriously, do you need help?"
Stahl was just barely tall enough for Robin to have to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze. "Thank you, but I'm fine," she snapped. As she had told Robert, yet again, last night, she wasn't interested in meeting his friends. Hopefully, this boy could catch a hint. Before Stahl could respond, Robin strode around him towards biology. After a few beats, Stahl caught up with her, trailing behind the girl. Twirling around, Robin came to a halt outside her classroom. Stahl nearly stumbled into her. "Why don't you stop following me, and just go to class. Whatever Robert may have told you, I don't want to be your friend."
Stahl held up his hands, long fingers splayed out. "Hey, that's what I'm trying to do. You're kinda standing in the doorway." Blushing, Robin found a stool in biology, and Stahl sat next to her. Instead of starting conversation, Stahl seemed content to sit in silence. Casting a sidelong glance it him, Robin found him absorbed in a muffin. A tactic to sweat her out, or simply a statement that she was, in fact, less interesting than a blueberry muffin? If the boy was going to insist on sitting next to her, he needed to acknowledge her. Nothing was more awkward than sitting next to an unacknowledged acquaintance.
"Sorry," Robin mumbled. She caved first. Definitely not because she had snapped at him to begin with. Stahl gave her a fleeting glance before pulling off another large muffin crumb. Robin supposed it was a sign to continue. "I'm just a little used to Robert meddling."
Stahl shook his head. "No worries. I think everyone's been on the receiving end of Robert's doting at least once." The boy's crinkly smile was like Robert's, one that turned his eyes and mouth into scrunched crescents. "He devoted an entire semester last year to keeping me awake during our third period. I was so shell-shocked by the end that I had to sleep through fourth entirely to make up for it."
Robin chewed on her lip as Stahl began to flip through his notebook. It seemed he wasn't a bad person. At least one content enough to leave their social situation precisely as it was, and Robin didn't want friends. "May I… get the biology notes from you?"
"Only if you buy me dinner first." Robin blinked, as Stahl met her gaze with an utterly straight face. Then he broken in to a chuckle. "You just said it so seriously. Lighten up. I won't bite." Blushing under his laugh, Robin took the proffered notebook. It appeared her initial assumption was correct. Stahl wanted to be her friend.
After school, Robin strode into the music room to find her musicians milling about aimlessly. As she closed the door, Chrom and Robert approached her. From behind them, Stahl smiled and waved. "Okay. Tell us what to do," Chrom demanded, folding his bare arms over his chest. The other musicians looked to Robin expectantly.
"Well…" Robin trailed off. Well, I'd really just like to play the piano, she finished silently, but since I've been roped into this… "What have you guys been doing?"
"Usually, we get out our instruments and play through our pieces once or twice, but we were looking forward to any ideas you might have," Robert said. Lissa had snuck over again to bounce by Robert and Chrom's shoulders. Great. So not much, Robin surmised. Chrom, Lissa, and Robert seemed to be the leaders, and unless Chrom or Lissa had a musical background, Robin suspected the band was running off of Robert's three years of clarinet lessons. Not bad, but not good either.
Robin sighed as the three continued to watch her with hopeful eyes. "Last year I was in an academy for serious, classically trained young musicians. Not only was everyone experienced, the academy was solely for musicians. We had no sports teams and thus no pep bands. My training may not be appropriate for your goals." She crossed her arms and pursed her lips at the crestfallen faces in front of her. They couldn't be serious. A few more harsh words, and perhaps Robin could just have the music room to herself, no band involved.
Chrom frowned at the ground for a moment. Then he jerked his head up. Instead of acceptance, his firm jaw was set in a determined line. "Let's try your way and see what happens." As he spun around to the rest of the band, Robin groaned. "Alright everyone, let's get our instruments, some stands, and some chairs arranged. Warm up and be ready to play in five minutes."
They complied immediately. Robin made a mental note to ask Robert about this later, about Chrom's relationship to this group. At the moment, however, there was little to do but watch them set up. As unwilling as she was to admit, the group's teamwork was superb. They passed out chairs and stands in a neat assembly line, and soon the band was seated. In the center of their semi-circle was a music stand, Robin supposed intended to be the conductor's.
Robin stepped up to the stand. "First, I understand this is a small group, but it would be easier for me if you were seated in a more logical style." She looked to Stahl, the redhead sitting next to him, and the serious boy next to her. "Baritones, Stahl…" The boy light up almost immediately. She had remembered his name, Robin realized with a small curse. Robert would never let her hear the end of this, her sudden new-found friend. The redhead, with little patience as Robin recalled, raised an eyebrow. "Sully?" The redhead seemed appeased. "And…" On Sully's left, the serious boy sat even more stiffly. "Um…"
"Fredrick," he supplied gravely. Robin eyed his collared shirt and vest apprehensively. The boy himself seemed comfortable, but he was so well-built the vest strained across his chest with every inhale. A button was going to pop and blind someone someday.
Robin nodded. "Right. Stahl," The boy smiled at her again. "Sully, and Fredrick. You all may move to the back." The trio juggled their stands, baritones, and chairs to the newly made back row. "Chrom…" The trumpet player shifted in his seat. "Move to the back." Chrom followed the baritones' path to the back and arranged himself next to Fredrick, who gave him a smile so slight Robin almost missed it. "Drummer, I mean Vaike, you move, too." The blonde adjusted his snare drum in its harness and stomped next to Chrom. "Alright, flutes and clarinets stay where you are," Robin ordered. Lissa continued kicking her legs back and forth, as her fellow flutist, Maribelle, primly crossed hers. Resting his clarinet across his lap, Robert nodded at Robin. The short freshman next to him, Ricken, Robin amended mentally, started flipping through his music with concentration. "Mellophone… Sorry, Sumia, right?" The girl jerked up, knocking over her music stand in the process. "Actually, you can stay there." Sumia blushed sheepishly as Robert and Chrom helped collect her music. Robin turned towards the last musician, a trombonist who at her gaze winked at her. Apparently, her tongue-lashing after the trombonist had kissed her hand yesterday had little lasting effect on the flirt. "You can stay where you are, too, Virion," she ordered with warm cheeks. Robin surveyed the newly ordered group. "Now—"
"Wait! What about me?" Robin nearly jumped as a tuba player, rather tall, popped from behind Maribelle.
"I… I'm sorry, must not have seen you there," Robin said, an impressive oversight seeing as the boy was large in every dimension. And carrying an oversized shiny instrument besides. "You're new, I suppose. I'm Robin. Nice to meet you."
"Actually, I met you yesterday." The boy scuffed at his shoes as Robin tried to place his face. It was incredibly ordinary. So incredibly ordinary it was like saying a word over and over until you weren't quite sure it even was a word. This was a face she knew, but it just kept slipping her grasp. "S'okay. Everyone does it. I'm Kellam. Should I move to the back, too?"
Robin frowned. "Well, I'll remember you. Go on and sit in the back." Wait. I'll remember you? This is a get in, get out operation, Robin reminded herself. Not here to make friends. Making friends meant Robert and Mother were right, that Robin needed more than music. Which she didn't. Robin amended her mental band member list to twelve anyways.
The next day found Robin at her locker, struggling with the lock, as Robert covered a small smile. "You sure you don't need help?"
"Why does everyone ask me that?" Robin huffed. "I can open a locker just fine."
"Your music school didn't have them, though, so how do you know?" Robert pointed out.
"Whatever. I don't need to use it now anyways," Robin stood up abruptly and heaved her bag over her shoulder with a small grunt. "I'm going to the music room."
"Oh, no you're not," Robert grabbed Robin by the wrist and tugged her after him. "Today you're hanging with my friends before class."
Robin scowled. "I have yet to play that piano."
"Well, it's not going anywhere," Robert joked. Pulling Robin out into a small courtyard, Robert led her towards a large oak tree. Chrom leaned against the trunk as the blonde, Vaike, Robin reminded herself, chatted with him animatedly. Lissa, Maribelle, and Fredrick held their own conversation nearby. Noticing the twins, a beaming Lissa jumped up and down, waving at them.
"Heeeeey!" Lissa's chipper voice pierced through the early morning courtyard fog. A few other students turned towards her, but Lissa ignored their stares. She bounded up to Robin and Robert and looped an arm through Robin's own. "I knew Robert would get you here eventually. Come chat with everyone." Before Robin could respond, Lissa dragged the girl towards the group.
"Morning." Chrom nodded at Robin, then at Robert. Robin ignored Chrom's poorly hidden grin as she wrenched her arm from his sister's grasp. He mouthed something that looked like 'Strong grip.' Ignoring that too, along with the sympathetic headshake, Robin scowled at all of them. "Vaike and I were just talking about the freshmen on the cross country team. You run, Robin?"
Chrom was either extremely dense, socially unaware, or very friendly, and Robin was suspicious it was a combination of the three. Perhaps if she was cold enough, the boy would leave her alone. Crossing her arms over her chest, Robin shook her head. "Sports aren't really my thing."
Vaike grabbed Robin's arm and held it up. "I coulda told you that, Chrom. Look at her… and her brother for that matter." As Robert tugged on his hair sheepishly, Vaike shook Robin's arm. What little extra fat she had jiggled in indignation. "Sticks, the both of them." Robin snatched her arm from Vaike with a glare. Just because he resembled a blonde ox didn't mean the world should be formed entirely of blue-haired gods and Norse myths. "Don't frown at me. Eat more meat or something."
Robert drifted off to talk with Lissa, leaving Robin with Vaike and Chrom. The conversation died off. Chrom seemed content to watch the greyish clouds float by. Vaike scowled at the ground, hands thrust in his cargo shorts. Kicking a patch of grass and dirt, Robin nearly flinched as Chrom piped up with, "We aren't the only ones who run cross-country. Sully and Sumia do, too."
Vaike clapped a hand on Chrom's shoulder. "This guy is co-captain of the team with one of the juniors." Chrom studied the ground, a light blush decorating his cheeks. "He doesn't like to brag about it. Not only that, but during track season, Chrom and I are locked in deadly combat for fastest hundred meter dash. Pretty good for sophomores, eh?" Vaike stuck his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out a little. He looked to Robin.
"Uhhh… congrats?"
"That's right. You ever need a helping hand getting into shape, just give ol' Teach a call." Vaike grinned and flexed a little. Robin studied her thin, pale arms, fairly certain she had never been able to flex, ever.
"You look fine," Chrom cut in. "Girls don't need to be buff, anyways." Robin broke away from her reverie to look to Chrom. At her gaze, his face turned a little pink once more. "Not that guys need to be buff. Or girls can't be buff," he stammered. "You would look weird muscular anyways. Or, it could be fine. I'm sure you would look great with muscles. But you don't need muscles." Chrom seemed even more flustered than when he began. Weren't ridiculously handsome people supposed to be suave? Vaike was frowning at him.
"Teach doesn't quite know where you're goin' with this, Chrom," Vaike grunted. The first bell rang.
"I-I'm going to homeroom." Chrom rushed off, face very red. Vaike shrugged and ambled off in another direction, with a wave to Robin. Gods, what had she gotten herself into?
Well, whaddya think? Feel free to comment. While I have some pairings decided, others aren't, so pairing suggestions are welcome!
See ya around!