Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Fates. Or Lord Of The Rings.
The cheery chirping of birds carries on the early autumn breeze, bringing with it the sharp scent of a dying summer. On the second story of an ordinary house a window stood open, inviting in the August wind. The hazy glow of dawn danced across a neatly made bed, and illuminated the pristine teaset resting on the desk just inside the window.
A groan was heard from the room's occupant - Dwyer Bartram. He squinted at the window, crossing to it groggily. "You should be closed…" Cranking the window shut, he sighed. School started today, and as much as he didn't want to be late, he didn't want to be awake, either.
Shuffling out of his bedroom, he went into the bathroom, frowning at his hair. Bedhead. Shutting the door, he brushed his teeth and combed his hair, tugging on the long bangs. "This might be getting a little long…" He looked in the mirror at his black hair, hanging shaggily around his ears and tickling the top of his spine. Shrugging, he shuffled back out of the bathroom and across the hall to his bedroom, where he got dressed.
First day of school. Most girls fretted about this day, buying an outfit that none of their friends had seen before, and that they likely wouldn't wear again. Dwyer rolled his eyes at the thought. What a waste. Pulling out a soft grey tee and a dark pair of jeans, Dwyer changed without much thought. Double-checking the backpack he'd filled the night before, he nodded in satisfaction. Grabbing one of the straps, he dragged it behind him as he thumped down the stairs, eyes still hooded with weariness.
"My my, Dwyer dear, that's no way to greet the new school year, is it?" The fifteen year old boy looked up at the childish voice of his mother. She smiled at him from across the kitchen counter, sliding a plate of waffles toward him. She still looked so young… his mother could have been twenty if you went by looks. It was a little weird sometimes… but she was a great mother, so he couldn't complain.
"I guess not…" He leaned his backpack against the wall near the door, shuffling to the counter and picking up his plate. "You're up pretty early, making waffles…"
His mother, Nyx, smiled with a small shrug as she looked up at her son. "I just thought you might like a real breakfast, since you're starting school again."
Dwyer smiled gently at his petite mother, setting his plate on the kitchen table and turning. "Well, why don't I return the favor and make you some coffee before you have to go to work?"
"Oh, Dwyer, that would be divine!" Nyx sighed happily, taking her own breakfast to the table. "You know how I love your coffee, you always brew it just perfectly…"
Dwyer blushed lightly at his mother's praise as he began making a pot of coffee. The sound of a cleared throat in the doorway startled him from his hand-brewed masterpiece, and he turned, startled. "Oh. Good morning, father."
Jakob nodded at his son, throwing a glance at his wife. "Good morning son, who is second to me in all things."
Dwyer chuckled and returned to his work with a shake of his head. His father was always like this, unwilling to admit that his son had surpassed him in the art of brewing a perfect hot drink. Owning a chain of coffee and tea shops doesn't make you the best…
Nyx giggled lightly, standing to fetch her husband some waffles. "Oh come on, dear, you know I love your coffee, too."
The silver-haired man grunted, hiding a smile. This was practically family routine these days, and he enjoyed pouting about it for a while. He sat at the table, following his wife's every movement with an adoring gaze, and Dwyer glanced at him before quickly returning to his work, trying not to gag. Sure, it's a good thing when your parents love each other, yeah, it's great. But his parents, like, really loved each other… ah well. Teenage boys just aren't fond of that kind of thing, he supposed. Good excuse, good excuse, he mentally patted himself on the back. Still, he was glad he'd inherited his mother's dark hair. That silver hair his father'd had all his life… Dwyer would look like an old man with it, he was convinced.
The low murmur of conversation between his parents was relaxing, especially since he couldn't hear what they were talking about. He finished up the coffee and poured it into three mugs, carefully taking them all to the table. "Here you go…" He set on in the front of his mother with a smile, and then, smothering a smug smirk that threatened to erupt on his face, he gave one to his father, who eyed him with mock suspicion. Sitting before his own breakfast, Dwyer enjoyed the soft chatter between his parents and dreaded going to school.
I can't wait until high school's over… Dwyer thought to himself as he sat, elbow resting on his desk and chin cradled in his hand, trying to stay awake.
"Don't fall asleep, Mitama, class hasn't even started!" Dwyer heard the voice of one of his classmates nearby, addressing the girl in the desk behind him. In all honesty, he was surprised Mitama was even there that early.
"Slumber is needed… To survive the horror… That is a school day." The self-proclaimed haiku-master muttered, not lifting her head from her desk.
Dwyer turned around, gaze falling on the girl as she lay draped over her desk, peach-colored hair spilling over its surface, missing its signature pigtails. She must've been really tired… he briefly wondered if her parents had forced her out of the house early. "Wow, Mitama, I don't think you were even trying there."
She lifted her head, narrowing her head at him in annoyance. "I shall forgive you that insult because you are my friend, Dwyer, but don't push it."
He chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. The girl sitting to the left of Mitama pitched in again, "Mitama, if you're tired, I can mix you up an energy drink in fifth period."
Dwyer's gaze shifted to the girl that spoke, noticing that her pigtails, although different from Mitama's, were tied neatly into her sky-blue hair. "Uh, I dunno if she wants to drink that stuff, Midori…"
"Why not?" Her voice quivered slightly, as if she could tell he was about to insult her. Gosh, she was so innocent… and she looked like a thirteen year old. Dwyer couldn't help but wish he hadn't said anything. Let Mitama fight her own battles, she wasn't exactly known for her compassion, anyway.
"Uh, you know… it could get…" Dwyer trailed off, tugging at his black bangs. Oh, I forgot to mention a haircut to Mom…
"Get what?" Why did she have to sound so victimized?!
"Uh, you know…"
"No, I don't." Her purple-grey eyes blinked in confusion, and Dwyer could just see them welling with tears. He'd carelessly made her cry plenty last year.
"Uh… dangerous…"
"Dangerous? No no, it's been properly tested and everything!" Midori crossed her arms, grinning proudly. "I perfected the recipe over the summer!"
"R-really now?" Dwyer asked cautiously.
"Yep! Just ask Ignatius!" The girl slung an arm over the back of her chair, beaming at the boy sitting behind her. "Right, Ignatius?"
The giant of a teenage boy looked startled that she'd included him in the conversation and blushed instantly, shyly nodding. "Y-yeah, we tested it. ...A lot…"
"Yep!" Midori turned back to Dwyer, a satisfied grin etched upon her childish features. "Ignatius became my test subject after Shigure upchucked a batch of immune strengthener and refused to take any more of my medicine." She pouted, shooting an annoyed look at her twin brother in the front row. "Right, Ignatius?"
"Mm." The boy nodded, staring at his desk.
"And that's why we're gonna be partners in chemistry. Right, Ignatius?"
"Mm." He nodded again, his long dark blue hair falling and shadowing his face. Dwyer could never place the color. Denim? Oxford blue? Whatever color it was, he definitely got it from his mother. Dwyer met her once when his mother visited her boutique. Apparently they knew each other in high school or something.
"We're gonna be the best chemistry students! We're gonna, like, discover the cure for all sorts of things! Right, Ignatius?"
"Mm." Man, either that kid didn't talk much, or he wasn't a morning person. Or maybe a mixture of both… Dwyer knew him to be talkative when he wanted to be. Maybe he was scared of taste-testing more medicine?
"Hey, Dwyer, what's up!" Dwyer swung around abruptly at the sound of his name, a girl's grinning face mere inches from his own.
"U-uh, hey, Soleil. Personal space, remember?" He frowned when some of her baby blue hair fell into his face, tickling his nose.
"Whoops, sorry, you're right!" She stood up, putting a hand on her hip as she surveyed him. "Nice hair, Dwyer, I see you grew it out over the summer. Man, you're gonna have girls falling all over you, they just dig that just barely overgrown hair look! And you always look so brooding and mysterious… mmm, I'm so jealous of you, Dwyer!" She chattered as she plopped into her desk on his right, slinging her backpack onto the back of her chair with ease. "Maybe I should get a haircut… then the girls will love me even more! What do you think, Dwyer?" She finally paused and addressed her friend, who shrugged, at a loss. He didn't really know what girls liked, nor did he care.
"Uh… I think your hair looks nice… they probably like it the way it is, right?" He hoped he'd said the right thing, and that Soleil wouldn't go hacking at her waist-length hair in a closet somewhere to make a greater impression on the first day of school. I mean, if she tried to change clothes in the middle of the gym during PE, he was sure the homemade haircut would definitely cross her mind.
"Aww, well thanks, pal!" She grinned at him, adjusting the white and gold headband in her hair. "I'll just leave it be, then!"
Dwyer sighed with relief. No Soleil drama toda- actually, there was no guaranteeing that. There was always some kind of Soleil drama going on…
A pair of girls entered the classroom next, a blonde wearing fox ears that was chattering excitedly at her companion, and a girl in a red hoodie with a streak of lavender in the front of her otherwise white bangs. Dwyer narrowed his eyes at the pair as they sat a couple rows in front of him. (Being close to the back but not in the back was Dwyer's preference, so he sat one row from the last.)
He knew the blonde, she had a white streak in the front of her short blonde hair, and was always wearing a fox tail and matching ears. Selkie, daughter of a famous movie actor going by Kaden. He thought using only one name made him sound cool or something. Edgy. Dwyer didn't remember, he'd only skimmed the interview he'd been reading about him. His daughter wore accessories similar to the ones her father wore in his famous movie trilogy, "Lost Paradise." Some town gets destroyed by invisible enemies, it was a pretty interesting series, although Dwyer wasn't always into the current stuff. It was the most popular trilogy since Lord of The Rings, which was saying something.
But the second girl, he didn't know her. He stared at her, trying to figure out if he'd seen her before. He had the feeling he'd seen the red hoodie around last year, but its wearer was often staring at the ground as she walked, oblivious to the world around her. It was strange, Dwyer knew everybody in his class last year, and it was mostly the same this year. There must have been a few different people. Weird. Well, I'm sure I'll meet her sooner or later, Dwyer mused, shrugging to himself.
A loud gasp resounded through the kids in the room, and Dwyer looked up at the doorway, wondering what could possibly be so interesting. Was the darned teacher finally there?
No. No he wasn't. It was a kid. A girl in a frilly pink dress reaching to her dainty ankles, which were covered with white stockings and paired with black mary-janes. A pink beret sat stylishly askew on her dark pink ringlets, and she smiled sweetly, waving to the class with daintily gloved hands.
Ooooh no. That was no girl. It took him a second, but Dwyer recognized the student, and the rather showy outfit that had surfaced a few times last year. That student was Forrest, the son of a famous history professor at Notre Sagesse University. The boy loved cute, frilly girls' clothes, and the school let him wear them on occasion, because causing trouble with his family would mean potentially ruining the school's relationship with the university, and then, well, they'd be screwed. He was a really nice guy, but people often mistook him for a girl. He sounded like a guy, though… ah well. Dwyer waved to the boy, who returned the gesture with a gentle smile before sliding gracefully into his seat in front of Soleil.
Students poured in for the next minute or so, fearing being late to class. Nina came bursting in, her light blue braids bouncing as she scrambled for a seat. Sophie wasn't far behind, bumping into Shigure's desk and apologizing profusely. Then in came someone that surprised Dwyer. He figured Hisame must've been moved classes, because that kid would never be late to anything. But he was walking with Ophelia, which might explain it, because she was late pretty often. And then she'd hold up any activity with her extensive vocabulary and "chosen one" nonsense.
And then, finally, like the end of an atrocious play, the teacher walked in, and Dwyer crossed his fingers, hoping that the school day would go well.
Hello! If you are reading this, you're beautiful, thank you. :)
If you're someone that reads my other stories and is looking at this like, "Waaah, a new story, and she hasn't even updated her others in forever, or responded to my PM!", I apologize. Things happen, life can be tough, and I have to pick and choose with my typing. (Technically my mother wanted me to speak my stuff into the computer, but that was weird... XD) I'm not going to constantly apologize, although I really feel as though I should. But, this is in an attempt to get my creative juices flowing for my other stories (including a valentine oneshot I needed to have done in February...), so updates will come as soon as I can manage them. :)
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If it was a little boring, I apologize. It's more of an introductory chapter, the plot will pick up, I promise. :)
If you liked it, review, follow, just let me know what you think! :) Constructive criticism is ALWAYS appreciated, just no flames, that's rude. ;P
See you when I update! (There is no set schedule, I apologize.)
~Swaggy-chan