Chapter eighteen: Robin's Concern [C]
8/1 Wednesday: Early Morning; Robin's Residence, Robyn's Room
"Welcome home, Big Sis! How was your day? You're home late."
"Busy as always, Morgan. I stayed a little late to get studying done with my friends," Robyn replied to her younger brother as she walked into the kitchen from the stairs. In her hands was a plastic bag with two bento boxes bought at an evening discount from Anna's. "I bought dinner on my way back."
"Really? Why so much studying?"
"It's what we call final exams, Morgan. They have to be done."
Robyn put the two boxes near the microwave in the corner and set about getting them reheated. As they were reheating, she turned around to put her notebooks and textbooks on the kitchen table, and then suddenly Robyn's mind was off on her own world. Between doing mathematical calculations for homework and preparing her lines for a separate team presentation, there was too much to do. And this was on top of finals no less!
Her mind was focused on reading her notes chapter by chapter, class by class. Focusing exclusively on vocabulary helped her gain a foundation on the course which she could build on after. In fact, Robyn was so focused on her studying that she didn't realise that the microwave had finished heating long ago. And her train of thought was finally distracted when Morgan poked her arm.
"Dinnertime, Big Sis," he said.
Robyn looked up, confused. Morgan was grinning at her as if he was impressed that his big sister had forgotten exactly what she was doing. The thing was, in addition to getting dinner set up, Morgan had also set chopsticks and spoons on the table while Robyn had been studying. In his view, it seemed like Robyn was off in her own world.
"Oh, uh… Thanks, Morgan."
"Anytime, Big Sis. Now, once you're done eating, you get back to studying, okay? I'll take care of cleaning up the table."
Robyn's facial reaction showed immense gratitude. She did not expect Morgan to take care of her when it was normally the other way around. It seemed like her younger brother was more mature than she thought for his age. She dove back into her notes as Morgan also seated himself.
"Thanks for the food," he said.
Robyn looked up, realising she was about to miss out on hot food. "Thanks for the food," she replied back, and then she started to eat.
Robyn slowly woke up with dried tears on her face. That was no dream. It was a memory of her former life. Given that the memory was so vivid but was not actually part of this world, did that mean that her memories crossed dimensions? No, that wasn't it. More probable was she had crossed dimensions and brought her memories with her.
She felt homesick, even though she had lived here for the past four months in a room that was familiar to her. But it wasn't quite the same. She still felt like she didn't belong her and just wanted to go back to a world she knew didn't exist anymore.
Still uneasy, she got up to sit on her bed and to look out the window with her hair long and straight. The sky was a deep blue and was signalling the coming of dawn. Robyn sighed. How much longer would she be in this vicious cycle of reminiscing about her past while trying to save her other self's world? Looking at the Fire Emblem, however, gave her a renewed sense of purpose. Stopping the chaos that was to come was her priority.
Incredibly, for an August, it was also relatively cold. Temperatures had hit sixteen degrees C this morning and she had worn winter nightclothes to pass the night. Perhaps she had reason to worry that the campaign was a failure and that the world was heading to certain doom.
But Robyn had at least three reasons to toss that hypothesis aside. One, if she really had failed, then the world should have ended last Friday at the coming of the full moon (but last Friday, she and Robin went to Anna's to buy groceries, and the world clearly hadn't ended). Two, Gules was in her safe possession, so she was one step closer to saving the world, not the other way around. And finally three (as much as she wanted to argue against it), even though there was a correlation between less daylight hours and falling temperatures, that didn't mean that less daylight hours caused falling temperatures. Counting the number of daylight hours couldn't be cheated, but temperature… There were simply too many variables affecting that.
If there was one thing she knew, it was the principle that correlation is not causation. That was a fundamental principle she learned about in school. Anyone who claimed the opposite was true would be deceiving himself (Robyn's thoughts went to Robin and thought if he would agree or disagree).
Alas, that was not to be. As she sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast, Robin shortly appeared later with the same look of confusion and thought on his face. He was dressed in the winter school uniform, the same style Robyn herself was wearing.
"Good morning," Robyn said.
"Good morning," Robin replied. He looked at Robyn closely. "You alright? You're not worried, are you?"
He must be referring to her thoughts about the colder weather. Well, that was the plus side of having a like mind, right? She knew that it was impossible for Robin to know about her memories in her old world. Oh, how she longed for them…
"I'll take that as a no, then?" Robin said.
"Oh! No, no, I'm okay, Robin," Robyn said, realising that she hadn't even properly replied to him. Even then, Robin could tell something was off, just by a little.
Morgan interjected before Robin had a chance to answer back. "Say, Big Bro. You're going to a convention later with Big Sis Robyn, right? I was wondering if you could do me a favour…"
"Oh? Sure. What is it?" Robin went to take a seat at the table, while also helping himself to breakfast (which was raisin bread toasted in the oven with a cup of milk).
"I was wondering if you could grab me an Eevee doll while you're there…" Morgan tapped her fingers. "I mean, if you happen to cross one, can you get one?"
Robyn smiled. "Someone has been playing Pokketo."
Robin smiled an identical smile to Robyn's. Robin himself did enjoy playing the monster-catching roleplaying game and it was popular around these parts. Now, even Morgan was catching onto the fandom already.
"Sure. If we happen to cross one, then," he replied.
8/1 Wednesday: After School; Ylisstol High School, Library
But while the convention was on their minds earlier in the morning, the whole school day was a solemn reminder to Robyn and Robin that it was not to be the first thing on their minds.
It was pre-exam week, the final week of classes before the start of finals season. They were reminded that said final exams would occur within the next one to two weeks. And of all the days the convention had to be on, it was this coming weekend: right before the first day of finals.
So after school, Robyn and Robin spent extra time at the school library planning a study strategy on their courses. There were six days to plan and study before their first final next Monday. Plus, the anime club was having its last session of the term tomorrow. They must have some pointers, right?
They had also agreed to meet up with some of their fellow Shepherds to study too. None of them were here yet as, unsurprisingly, Robyn and Robin were first to arrive. They were seated at one of the library tables designed for group study sessions. Their notebooks were laid out and textbooks neatly stacked to allow for ease of organisation.
So far, what they had planned was to divide up their subjects into manageable sections by chapter. All sections of the book would be covered, with greater emphasis – about 60% or 70% weighted – on content covered after midterms. In the end, Robyn and Robin devised a study strategy that would suit their needs best. For them, it meant covering two to three chapters per subject a day, so it was possible to cover ten to twelve chapters per subject over the week with time to spare! With the bus commute to the anime convention being two hours alone, there was study time to get on the bus too.
Robin couldn't help noticing Robyn was looking tired too. "You okay, Robyn?"
"Hmm? Yeah, I'm okay. Why?"
"If there's anything on your mind, let me know. Just saying," Robin replied.
Robyn nodded back, although in the back of her mind she wondered if Robin was catching onto something. Was he worried for her? Then again, thinking back to her dream this morning, perhaps he could tell something was bothering her. It was like the first day they met, when Robyn borrowed Robin's shoulder to cry on.
Wait, why was she thinking about that moment, of all things? Robyn put on a straight face. "I'm fine. Honest!" she said, her face slightly flush and her palms raised.
"Um… Okay," Robin said.
Overall, it felt strange to have come fresh from taking a step to saving the world. And what was the reward? Preparing for finals. It felt like Robyn would never catch a break at this rate. Neither would the rest of the Shepherds. Hopefully, the anime convention would make up for it.
Soon enough, Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and half the Shepherds arrived at the library with their books and supplies. They all looked just as tired as they were, having spent the past weeks doing final projects, papers, presentations, all while recovering from the past campaign in the Halidom. This was really a test of endurance, in effect. By pre-exam week, all assignments should have been completed, with exams being the only thing that remained.
"Robyn-chan… You okay? Your face is flush…" Chrom muttered.
"Ooh, Robin-san must have flirted with her! It's just the two of them here, after all…" Lissa piped, clasping her hands.
Robin's eyes went slightly wide while Robyn looked the other way. No way, Robyn thought. She didn't feel that way about him, right? She only knew Robin for only four months! (That was despite knowing that she and Robin were similar in almost every way…) The thought had never occurred to her that she might try pursuing a relationship with anyone, considering this wasn't 'her' world. Would there be anyone at all? She brushed the thought aside.
"Uh… anyway!" Robyn clapped her hands, hoping to draw attention away from the topic. "Now that we're all here, let's get to studying…"
Everyone took their seats and began studying. They divided into two groups to focus on different subjects, including English, mathematics, social studies, science, and even exercise management (which really was the biology component of physical education; yes, the Ylisstol school curriculum really included that). That was five finals to prepare for.
So to get things started, Robyn dove into the practice problems in mathematics. If anything, that should be the subject that needed a lot of training and practice for. Robin, Chrom, and Stahl also did the same. The idea was that after working through the practice problems, they would compare solutions and the process it took to arrive at the answers.
And, unsurprisingly, Stahl was the first to ask for a break for food. After several hours of study, everyone agreed. Robyn and Robin had studied four chapters total from two different subjects. To the Shepherds' amusement, Robyn and Robin mostly stuck studying together because the way they talked and studied was as if they understood each other perfectly. In effect, in the time it took the Shepherds to study two chapters, Robyn and Robin together could do four.
So Robyn and Robin stood up. "We're getting something to drink at the shop. Anyone want anything?"
"Melonpan-chan is buying!" Gaius cheered. "I'll have an Hour Maid."
"I'll have a 1-UP soda!" Sumia said.
"Melon Dew, please!" Lissa raised her hand.
"V12 juice, please," Miriel added.
"Allstar, please!" Sully said.
"Teach will take a Blue Bull!" Vaike said.
Robyn raised her hand in response. "Whoa whoa whoa, don't you think it's a little early to have caffeinated drinks right now? We're not even cramming! Especially for you two!" She pointed accusingly at Sully and Vaike. "Allstar and Blue Bull are not on the line here! You should learn from Miriel here! She knows what's up."
"I guess 1-UP, Melon Dew, and Hour Maid it is then…" Lissa said, hoping that everyone would agree. Plus, they were both tasty, anyway. "Thanks, Melonpan-chan!"
Robyn blushed out of slight fury. When did that nickname Gaius made up start circulating around the Shepherds? She had to shake her head as she and Robin went off to the school shop.
Moments later, they were walking from the school shop and back to the library with bottles of the drinks. Eating and drinking was not allowed in the school library, so the Shepherds would have to enjoy their drinks in batches. Therefore, while one group would be outside the library to break, the other would continue studying.
"Robyn… Can I speak with you for a moment?" Robin said quietly.
"Hmm? Sure," Robyn replied, wondering what Robin could possibly talk about. The way he phrased the question certainly sounded like it wasn't academic. Neither could Robyn guess what, even though she and Robin had similar minds.
Robin took a deep breath. "I know I told you to let me know if there's anything on your mind, but isn't there something? You looked pretty off this morning."
Robyn blinked, trying to recall what happened. Now that she thought of her dream last night, it only led her to grimace briefly, but not enough for Robin to notice. She looked into Robin's eyes again. Could he possibly know about her dreams?
"It was just a bad dream…" she said quietly.
"Really? You did look kind of down when you got out of bed this morning…" Robin started, but when he saw Robyn's face turn into a grimace, he desisted. Instead, he added, "Never mind that, Robyn. But again, if you need an ear, I'm happy to lend one."
Robyn's face turned into a relieved smile. "Thanks, Robin. I appreciate that." In her bones, that was really what she needed, since the people she once knew didn't really know her in this world. It still caused some kind of gut-wrenching feeling for her though. She also had something else in mind too, come to that. "Say, Robin, uh… can I ask you something also?"
He nodded, to which Robyn swallowed, thinking how awkward the question sounded now that she thought of it. "Back when everyone was interrogating me when we first met, why did you help me? And then take me in?"
Robin slightly jolted, not sure how to answer that. While the question itself came as to no surprise and that answer should have been straightforward, he found it different when he was essentially explaining it to his other self. Still, he took a moment to carefully compose his answer, which Robyn obviously knew that was what he was doing.
He then said, "It's just that… you looked so defeated when I first saw you. And when the others were about to lock you away, I had to step in."
Robyn shook her head. "So that's it? Pity was your reason why? I appreciate it, but you know I'm a total stranger, right? You and I have never met, and yet you let me stay at your home and welcomed me with open arms!"
"You asked first."
Robyn opened her mouth but no sound came out. Then she stared off trying think of a counter but nothing came to mind. Okay, so Robin got her there.
Smiling, Robin said, "Robyn, I won't look the other way when someone needs help, and especially in your case. You literally told me you didn't have a place to stay and the only place you knew was… my place. I had no issue since it's just me and Morgan there, and you even said felt right at home when you walked in. You even had the same house keys! Isn't that enough? You would have done the same if you were in my shoes, wouldn't you?"
Robyn blinked several times, like she was thinking Robin's answers over and then his counter-question.
She chuckled in response. "Totally. You know me."
Robin smiled. Then he looked at the many bottles and cans that they had placed down on the side table outside the library. "Let's tell the others about these, shall we? They've waited long enough."
Looking at the bottles and cans too, unopened and a little heavy altogether, Robyn had to agree. She nodded back and went into the library to inform the others, while Robin waited outside to guard the drinks. While he was at it, he opened a can of Melon Dew for himself.
Robyn hadn't expected to be grilled by the others when she arrived.
"What took you so long?"
"Where have you been?"
"What were you doing?"
Thankfully only half the Shepherds asked but there was no way Robyn could answer each one. It was a good thing that she could give an average answer which hopefully could answer the bulk of them.
"We got sidetracked…" she said, laughing nervously. "Anyway, the drinks are outside with Robin. Anyone who wants one, better go get one now."
Cordelia smiled. "I guess you took a while because you spent some quality time with Robin-kun?"
"Wh-what? No! It's not like that!" Oh gosh, this was publicly embarrassing for Robyn! First Lissa, and now Cordelia? It really felt like everyone was reading too much into their relationship (even though Robyn wouldn't deny that Robin was quite handsome, which made her question if she should even be thinking that). "We just chatted. That's all!" She looked down, flustered. Was this the time to be flustered right now? "Um, I'll grab a drink!"
Robyn darted out of the library, her face flush. There, she met up with Robin again, who looked confused at Robyn's appearance. Just as he was about to ask, Robyn held up her hand to stop him, and then she grabbed a can of Melon Dew for herself.
"I'm fine, I'm fine…" she said, her breath short, which made it difficult to drink the soda.
"But I didn't say anything…" Robin muttered.