Hey there guys! How's everyone doing today? Sorry for the delay but we have now arrived at the long awaited segment of the game where the plot both zooms forth at mach speed with the Old Schoolhouse and slows down exponentially for the festival character bonding. Not gonna lie, the next few chapters are going to be focused on building the relationship between Jusis and Rean with the only plot relevant section being the exploration of the final floor of the Old Schoolhouse and even then, not much happens in terms of AU plot though there will be a little something, something to get those theories a'rolling in your heads.
Also, I went back and adjusted some of the chapters with the Sky characters as I decided to make it so that Jusis and his mother are a bit more removed from what happened pre-Sky games and that there's more of a gap between when Jusis and Estelle met as kids to when they meet again just as the Sky games start. I originally wanted them to be like family from the start but then when I really thought about it, I realized that would potentially change the timeline of my AU a lot and I also didn't like the fact that that would tie the Brights more into everything that goes on in the games which they kind of already are but it would be more so if I didn't change something. So it's Estelle and Jusis are childhood friends, then never see each other again after Jusis' mother's funeral until the events of the Sky trilogy where they become best friends and then build up to being found/pseudo family.
Alright, long tangent done, now I'll let you guys enjoy the chapter. Hope you all like it!
Like always, I enjoy comments, in fact I thrive off of positive comments and love constructive critique ones cause it shows an author that their readers are actually paying attention and enjoying their work. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by Falcom, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the games/drama CDs.
Warning: No beta, we die like Rean's ability to comprehend a girl's feelings.
Chapter 14: Put to the Test
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10.6 S.1204
Quite a lot has occurred in the past few weeks since our field study last month.
After our return to Trista, both groups reported their respective experiences in Roer and Ordis. On one hand, we have the incident in Ordis which spurred hatred and discontent towards the RMP and the Reformist Faction for preventing the Provincial Army from doing its job. On the other hand, the incident in Roer suggested that the Noble Alliance might indeed have a tie to the ILF but all evidence, if there was any, had been erased and the incident in Ordis acts as a counterargument to Noble Alliance critics.
We came to the conclusion that the ILF was trying to create further dissent in Erebonia. Their actions have greased the wheels towards a Civil War that I can only theorize is a distraction for something else, some larger plot that we still don't know anything about.
Millium expressed some concern regarding her role as an Iron Blood, confessing that the encounter with Scarlett had shaken her faith in Osborne 'just a smidge.' In addition, she reports that Captain Reiveldt's resolve in Osborne has also begun to waver. She felt immense guilt over the RMP's actions in Ordis and has been questioning whether the Chancellor's actions are truly bringing about the reform he claims it is.
Regardless, with the death of their ringleaders, the Imperial Liberation Front's reign of terror was over. In recognition of our actions in Roer, Ordis, and Garrelia Fortress, Class VII was invited to Valflame Palace. We were granted the honor of an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, Eugent III, along with Empress Priscilla, Prince Olivert, Crown Prince Cedric, and Princess Alfin.
However, soon after we were thanked by the rulers of the Erebonian Empire, we were greeted by the leaders of the factions that divided the nation. The heads of the Four Great Houses and the Blood and Iron Chancellor and Governor Regnitz.
While it was not a great experience to see my father and Duke Cayenne again so soon, the encounter was made all the more unpleasant by the strange dark aura that still surrounds the Chancellor in a suffocating cloak. The only silver lining is that my father was too busy glaring at Cayenne and the Chancellor to share any of his 'opinions' regarding my actions these past few months.
Both political sides were quick to offer us words of praise, but as expected, they were also just as quick to criticize each others' roles in the crises. Eventually, the Emperor was forced to step in and scold them all, clearly disgusted by their childish behavior.
As it stands, the ILF's defeat made it difficult for their supposed supporters in the Noble Faction to act openly. Meanwhile, the push for independence in Crossbell is enough to keep the Reformist Faction busy. With both sides tied up with their respective conflicts, the Empire finally has a long overdue respite from the factions' perpetual conflict.
However, that is where the positive news ends. Marquis Rogner was furious with Angelica for her actions in Roer and as a result, forced her to withdraw from the academy. Given everything she'd told us before she departed, her withdrawal was to be permanent and she would not be graduating with Towa, George, and Crow. The only solace I could find was that Rufus would be there to help her navigate the murky waters of Noble society. Combined with her no-nonsense attitude and resilience, I'm sure those two will take the Noble Alliance by storm.
With everything that has occurred, Prince Olivert offered a proposal allowing Class VII a brief vacation north in Rean's hometown of Ymir. We all decided to accept his offer as a break from all the chaos was much needed and appreciated. While there, Elliot and Crow finally revealed the details for Class VII's concert. However, their idea of entertainment was highly unassuming.
Elliot announced that we would be performing two songs, a solo by Emma and a duet with...Regnitz. We were quick to raise our objections but, unfortunately, the rest of the class was on board. There was nothing left for the three of us to do but 'suck it up and deal with it' as Fie so eloquently put it. Regardless, the trip to Ymir proved to be quite eventful and served to drive home just how much we'd come to mean to one another. I would write about it but then that would make this journal entry excessively long. However, I will be sure to document it in another entry soon.
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10.14 S.1204
Today's entry will be much shorter than usual due to how physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted I am. We'd just completed the first week of preparations for our concert and oh Aidios, I never knew how much Elliot could take after his father until now. He is a merciless drill sergeant when it comes to music. Crow wasn't any better, doing everything he could to enable Elliot's tyrannic behavior.
In between preparations for our concert, I have also been fulfilling my duties as a member of the Riding Club and offering what little free time I had left in service to the Student Council. All in all, it has been a rather frantic week with more running around and physical exertion than should be allowed..
I only had enough energy for a quick conversation with Renne before calling it a night. I also have no idea how she managed to get her hands on that one photo of me being forced by Crow to act as a mannequin for the girls' concert costumes. The moment I see her again, I will destroy the evidence of my eternal embarrassment and leave no prisoners.
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10.21 S.1204
~ Festival Preparation Day 1 ~
Elliot beamed from where he stood at the front of the classroom. Crow grinned with mischievous self-satisfaction to his right and Rean was slumped in exasperated exhaustion to his left. The other members of Class VII sat in their seats completely drained of energy.
"Alright guys, I want to thank you for all the effort you've put in these past two weeks," Elliot cheerfully said.
Crow chuckled. "At least things are finally coming together now."
Rean sighed. "It's been an exhausting two weeks, though."
Alisa nodded in agreement. "You said it. I don't think I realized how much work this would involve until after we started for real."
"And Elliot's a merciless taskmaster when it comes to music," Fie deadpanned.
Millium nodded vigorously. "It's like he unleashes the beast within which is the exact opposite of something Lechter told me about. Like music's supposed to soothe the beast or something like that?"
"S-Sorry," Elliot sheepishly apologized, "I just wanted this performance to be the best it can be..."
Rean patted him comfortingly on the back. "Don't worry about it."
Laura hummed in agreement. "Indeed. Given the short amount of time we had to prepare, I shudder to think what our concert would be like without your guidance."
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll sound great," Gaius agreed with a reassuring smile.
Emma sighed, slumping forward onto her desk with a depressive air of resignation.
"W-Well at least the songs are coming together quite nicely," Machias hesitantly remarked.
Jusis dropped his head into his hands with a groan. "Please stop reminding me of what we're being forced to do against our wills..."
"Oh c'mon! Just give up already and resign yourselves to your fate," Crow smirked. "You know you three are the best ones for the job."
Alisa giggled. "Yeah. Emma's song sounds really great and the harmony between Machias and Jusis is surprisingly good."
"Yeah," Rean agreed with a grin, "Who would've thought they'd work so perfectly together?"
"And to think I once doubted that they had it in them to cooperate," Gaius jokingly remarked.
"Now they're crooning together in perfect harmony," Elliot teased.
"B-But that's the worst part!" Machias exclaimed.
"Speak for yourself, I've never felt so humiliated in my life," Jusis sighed.
"Not even when Crow had you modeling for our costumes last week?" Fie asked with a smirk.
"We are never to speak of that incident ever again and the moment I figure out which one of you miscreants took that photo of me, I will send them straight to Gehenna," Jusis angrily threatened, though his threat fell short due to the blush on his face.
"Awww. I still can't believe I missed out on that," Millium whined with a pout.
"Why are you so obsessed with seeing me in a dress?" He asked, utterly exasperated.
"So I can tease Rean about it, duh," she responded, matter of fact.
Both Rean and Jusis turned red at the implications of what Millium said and refused to look at each other much to the amusement of their classmates.
Laura smiled and nodded appreciatively to Elliot. "Regardless, all three of them sound wonderful. You chose really well, Elliot. And I'm sure they'll all be quite the sight in our outfits, especially Emma."
"All the boys will be under your spell," Fie chimed in with a shit eating grin.
"You guys!" Emma somehow managed to whine with dignity and poise, "That's not the kind of pressure I need right now..." Then she subtly glanced at Machias and muttered under her breath, "Besides, there's only one boy I'd like under my spell..."
Machias met her gaze and tilted his head in question. She quickly looked away with a blush and cleared her throat. The girls smirked knowingly at her, the guys smiled in exasperation, and Machias looked very confused.
The door opened and Sara chuckled at them as she walked in. "You all sound like you're having a gosh-darn good time that I almost feel bad about interrupting. Anyways, just wanted to let you know that the principal's given you permission to use the Old Schoolhouse for rehearsal and whatever else you need all the way through the end of tomorrow."
"R-Really?" Elliot eagerly asked.
Rean sighed in relief. "Well that's a load off our shoulders."
"I concur. There's only so much of our performance we can practice in the music room's limited space," Laura remarked.
Alisa nodded. "Yeah, and Class I's hogging the auditorium all to themselves."
"Considering they're performing an operetta, I'm not sure where else they could practice," Emma said.
"In any case, the first floor of the Old School House should be a good makeshift auditorium," Crow nodded thoughtfully to himself. "It's even got that stage area. What more could we ask for?"
"Sounds like a great solution to me," Gaius agreed.
Machias sighed. "It does but every time I step through those doors, I'm always reminded of our first day of school..."
Jusis huffed. "The first of many deceptions by a certain instructor."
The nine original members of Class VII stared flatly at their grinning instructor.
"I'm afraid the statute of limitations has expired on that one," Sara said, chuckling nervously.
"Y'know, a little birdie told me two people who might be in this room right now had a rather...intimate experience that day," Crow jokingly teased, though there was a hint of jealousy in his tone.
"Ooh! Ooh! Tell me! Tell me!" Millium eagerly shouted. She looked expectantly at Rean.
"What are you looking at me for?" Rean asked, offended by her implication.
"Cause you're the only one with luck bad enough to end up in those kinds of situations, duh," she easily said as if she were saying the sky was blue and grass was green.
He slumped with a sigh. "Well you're not wrong there."
"And it's not like there's anything worth mentioning anyways!" Alisa flusteredly interjected.
"Are you sure about that? Your cute little reaction says otherwise," Crow playfully teased.
Alisa turned red enough to rival a tomato. Thankfully her saving grace came in the form of Emma suggesting that they separate for the day to help with festival preparations. Everyone agreed as they would only be able to do their dress rehearsal at night after their costumes were delivered. After a little more playful teasing and ribbing, Class VII all went their separate ways for the day.
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Jusis sighed as he finished grooming one of the horses the Riding Club would be using for their attraction. The race course was finally coming together but they were still missing a shipment of cones that was supposed to have arrived already. He let out an irritated huff when his hair fell into his eyes. He brushed his lengthening bangs out of the way and tucked them behind his ears.
"If you're going to let your hair get longer, you'll need to start investing in some clips and ties soon," Alisa said as she put down another box of supplies by the stables.
"Thank you for your advice but I do have some in my room. This isn't the first time I've grown my hair out," he responded wryly.
"Pictures or it didn't happen," she jokingly retorted, "Though I can believe it given how beautiful you looked back in Heimdallr."
"Why does everyone keep bringing that up? I would really like to forget that ever happened, thank you very much," he sighed while putting some brushes away, "I've never felt so embarrassed in my life."
"Not even when Crow was dressing you up in a skirt?" She teasingly asked, though there was a faint edge to her tone.
"Is that jealousy, I detect?" Jusis asked with a smirk. "Were you hoping that you would be the one chosen to model? Maybe even get the chance to show off to Crow for a bit?"
Alisa waved her hands about in a flustered panic. "I don't know what you're talking about! Why would I care about what Crow thought of me in a costume he designed himself? It's not like I wanted him to see me in something he made with his own hands or anything!"
"Is this the satisfaction you feel whenever you tease me about Rean? Because if so, I completely understand the appeal now," he remarked with a highly amused expression.
She bristled indignantly, puffing her cheeks out in anger. "Oh! You are a horrible person, Jusis Albarea!"
"And yet, you're friends with me anyways," he retorted with a grin.
"Well I need at least one friend who isn't completely oblivious to the feelings of others around them," she huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "My condolences by the way because Aidios knows that Rean isn't going to get a clue any time soon despite our best efforts."
"Did someone say my name?"
Alisa and Jusis whipped their heads around to see Rean walking over with a sizable package in his hands.
"Rean!" Alisa exclaimed in surprise before she could catch herself, "Ummm...what are you doing here?"
"I believe I have a package for you guys," he said as he placed the box down.
"A package you say?" Lambert asked, making his way over to the trio. He kneeled down to open the lid, revealing the Riding Club's missing cones. "Oh yes! These are the cones we were planning to use for Super Stallion! They took so long to arrive that I started to worry if I'd listed the wrong address." He stood up with a satisfied nod. "My thanks to you, Rean. Our preparations can continue as scheduled! However, we have another issue to resolve."
"Oh?" Rean voiced in question.
Lambert nodded to a sizable box nearby. "While we were waiting on our cones, another parcel was mistakenly delivered. It's that well sized crate over there containing freshly printed books, a sizable number of them in fact."
Rean hummed thoughtfully. "Do you mind if I take care of those? I might know who they were meant for, so I can take them to their rightful owners."
"If it wouldn't be a bother, that would be a great help to all of us," Lambert said, "You can even take one of our carts to make transporting the box much easier. It's on loan from the Student Council so you don't need to worry about returning it to us as we have no need for it anymore."
"Thanks, Lambert!" Rean said before turning to Alisa and Jusis and jerking in surprise. "Oh! Jusis, your hair…"
Jusis subconsciously brought his hand up to his hair that had grown long enough to brush against his shoulders. "What about it?"
Rean stammered, scratching at his cheek nervously as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "It's umm...different..." Then he flailed his hands about in a panic. "Not that I mean it in a bad way or anything. Though it's definitely a different look on you and...umm...what I mean to say is it...it looks good on you and ummm…"
Jusis' brain short circuited from that small compliment. "Oh," he said oh so eloquently. He fiddled with his hair in an unusual fit of shyness. "Thank you...I suppose."
An awkward silence descended upon them as the two fidgeted with light blushes on their faces. Neither one knew what to say to the other now. Then Rean abruptly said his goodbyes, citing the misdelivered package as his reason for his departure. He rushed off the field with the crate much to Jusis' disappointment. Paula, Lambert, Emily, and Theresa watched the interaction in confusion.
They turned to Alisa, who looked like she was trying to strangle someone with the way her hands twisted in the air. "Are you kidding me?! That was a prime opportunity to finally do something! Rean, you complete and utter blockhead! You can't make Jusis do all the work. He's just as if not more emotionally stunted than you!" She quietly seethed with the irritated rage of someone on the verge of doing something drastic and possibly very illegal.
The four bystanders looked at each other and an understanding passed among them. They quickly returned to their respective tasks as directly involving oneself with the matters of Class VII, especially ones involving Rean, was never good for anyone's sanity and patience.
Eventually, Jusis snapped out of his daze. He returned to grooming and preparing the horses as he weathered Alisa's teasing over his affection for Rean. He was able to silence her for a time when he countered with her own blossoming affection for Crow. Before she could gather her wits, a call on his ARCUS interrupted. He picked it up and it was Rean asking him for a favor. Thankful for the chance to escape, he quickly left the field. But not before Alisa told him to have a good time and be safe with a cheeky wink tagged on at the end.
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The orbal bike raced down the East Trista Highway towards Heimdallr with amazing speed. Rean sat atop the bike itself while Jusis settled as comfortably as he could in the side car.
"You know, I had expected this vehicle to be a mechanical parody of horse riding," Jusis admitted. "But it actually isn't bad at all."
Rean chuckled. "That's quite the compliment coming from you. Speaking of horses, are you sure it's alright for you to come out with me? You were in the middle of helping the Riding Club, weren't you?"
"The Riding Club's attraction is largely being organized by second-years. Plus, we were mostly done with our preparations for the day and only needed those cones to complete construction of the course. They'll be perfectly fine without my assistance," Jusis explained. Then he deadpanned. "Besides, if I'm intended to wear one of those outfits, I might as well help you retrieve them. Especially after being unceremoniously used as a mannequin by Crow."
Rean blushed at the reminder, his mind unhelpfully bringing up the image of Jusis being shoved into a beta version of the girl's costume by a snickering Crow and unhelpful Fie who sneakily took pictures off to the side. He remembered being struck dumb by how the outfit suited Jusis despite him being a man. How the corset accentuated the lines of his body, the skirt made his pale legs go on for miles, and don't even get him started on the sleeveless shirt revealing strong, lithe arms with faint scars that only served to enhance the other's attractiveness. Rean quickly shook his head to rid himself of the memory before the other could grow suspicious of his silence.
"Makes sense you'll want to check the final product considering you'll have so much time in the spotlight during your duet with Machias," he said, wincing when his voice cracked slightly in the beginning.
Jusis glared at him, too distracted by the reminder of who he had to perform with to care about Rean's brief strange behavior. "Having to sing with him is insulting enough but if this costume deviates even slightly from the final design that was chosen...be prepared to suffer the consequences."
Rean chuckled nervously. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. The guys' costumes will definitely fit you better than everyone else."
Jusis groaned. "I don't know whether I should be flattered or worried. Perhaps the latter given Crow's tendencies to go overboard when it comes to competitions where there's a bet to be made..."
"That would be a Crow thing to do. But don't worry, you'll see," Rean reassured.
"How ominous," Jusis deadpanned.
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By the time they reached the Le Sage Boutique main store, the sun was beginning to set in the horizon.
"Sorry that you had to come all this way to pick these up," the store owner, Howard, said apologetically, "I think you'll be happy with how they turned out though."
"It's no problem at all. I can't wait to see them," Rean said enthusiastically. "If anything, we should be the ones apologizing for sending the order in so late. We really appreciate how quickly you made these for us."
"Indeed," Jusis nodded in agreement. "Many thanks for your hard work."
Howard laughed. "This is no sweat compared to what Crow put us through last year. He had us working like madmen. Last year's concert was great though so you can bet that I'll be there to see if you kids can top that."
Then he glanced over at Jusis with an appreciative once over. "But man, did you base the designs off of this guy's closet or something? I thought it was strange that the men and women's designs were so similar but seeing you now, it's clear where the inspiration came from. You put one of these outfits on and you'll be the one everyone either wants to be or be with."
Rean chuckled. "Yeah, he's definitely got the physique to pull off either costume." Then he blushed, realizing exactly what he said. "Not that it's a bad thing or anything! I'm just saying that you have a very attractive figure and I don't mean that in a weird way or anything, I'm just talking about how objectively you are an attractive person and I…uhhh…what I mean is-"
Jusis grabbed Rean by the shoulders and shook him. "Please stop your babbling. You're making it worse," he said as his face burned red the longer Rean kept inserting his foot into his mouth. Rean obeyed by shutting up and closing his jaw with a loud click.
Howard laughed jovially. "Oh to be young and in love!"
"W-What!" Jusis cried out in shock.
Rean flailed about in a panic. "T-That's not- We're not-"
That set Howard off on another round of laughter. "Oh to be young, in love, and in denial! I guess it's really not just a river in Lamare." He wiped away a tear as he finally calmed down. "Hold on a moment you two and let me grab those outfits for you."
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Jusis stepped out of the store with a suitcase and saw Rean staring up at the sky in a daze. "What are you doing, Rean?" He asked as he stepped up beside him. "Are you going to continue staring off into the distance or help me place these into the sidecar?"
Rean snapped out of his daze and chuckled sheepishly. "Oh right. Sorry about that. I just got distracted by a strange bird on that lamppost, that's all."
"A strange bird?" Jusis repeated in confusion. "What was strange about it?"
"I've never seen a bird with feathers that color before. It was really deep blue, almost like lapis lazuli," Rean explained.
"A bird with lapis lazuli feathers?" Jusis muttered thoughtfully to himself. "I feel like I've seen something similar before but I don't quite remember where...or when for that matter." Then he shook his head when the memory continued to elude him. "If nothing else, it does sound like a rare breed. But what would it be doing in Heimdallr of all places?"
Rean shrugged. "Who knows?"
"Ooh! What do we have here?" A sultry voice called out.
Rean turned to the source of the voice and was shocked by who he saw. Jusis, however, narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the casually dressed woman approaching them. While she may seem like any other Erebonian citizen, albeit a rather beautiful one, her demeanor was graceful and her presence commanded power with an air of mysticism. She reminded Jusis of what he thought a more mature and confident Emma would grow to become. And it was that thought, in addition to the feeling of distant recognition (though from where he was unsure), that warned him there was more to this woman than meets the eye.
"Vit- I mean, Misty!" Rean exclaimed in surprise.
Jusis glanced at Rean with a thoughtful hum.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Rean?" The woman, Misty, said cheerfully. "Thanks for not using my real name. If people in the capital were to hear it, I'd be drowning in fans before I knew what hit me."
Rean chuckled. "It's no problem at all. Fancy meeting you here though. I assume you're planning to shop?"
She nodded. "You guessed it. While Trista may have a branch store, the one in Heimdallr has a much better selection." She gestured to the suitcases and the orbal bike. "What about you? What are you doing with those suitcases? Two buddies going off on an exciting adventure together?"
Then she smiled slyly. "Or perhaps two lovers off on a whirlwind romantic tryst?" She sighed longingly. "Ah, to be a teenager again..."
Two things happened at once. Jusis turned bright red for the nth time that day and sputtered incoherent objections to such suggestions as his mind short circuited. Rean flailed his arms around in a panic while stammering out denials that there was anything more than friendship going on between them. For some reason, both felt a sense of disappointment after they finally calmed down and coherently explained the situation to Misty.
"Wow! A concert, huh?" She said, "That sounds like a blast! I'd love to drop by the festival and see it myself." She placed her head on her head in thought. "Hmm...I might be able to pop by if I can clear a bit of space in my schedule..."
"It'd be really great if you were able to," Rean said, "Although I can't imagine a professional like you would be terribly impressed."
Misty waved him off with a smile. "Oh don't be silly. Great music comes from the heart and I can tell you've got a lot of heart in you so don't be so quick to write yourself off." Then she glanced down at her watch and her eyes widened in surprise. "Whoops! Lost track of time there. I better get going. Bye for now! Be sure to tune in tomorrow," she said with a wink.
Rean smiled. "Of course! I always do."
"So that was the famous Azure Diva, was it?" Jusis asked, brow furrowing in thought. He distinctly remembered one of Ouroboros' anguis going under a similar moniker, but nothing about Misty screamed of any possible connection to the Society. She was more likely to be a witch than anything. He'd have to ask Emma about that later on, probably after the festival considering how busy they'll be. "And I assume Misty is an alias of hers?"
"You hit it right on the nail," Rean nodded, "Then again, you would know all about aliases and secret identities, wouldn't you?"
Jusis smiled. "Indeed. It also makes sense if you think about it. I imagine learning that their star singer is also a radio host would send the entire opera house staff into conniptions."
Rean chuckled. "It sounds like she just does it for a weekly change of pace."
"Still, something about her feels...familiar," Jusis muttered thoughtfully to himself.
"Wait...tomorrow's Friday, isn't it?" Rean abruptly asked, "And Abend Time is only broadcasted on Sundays. I wonder what she meant by tune in tomorrow?"
Jusis shrugged. "Perhaps she will be appearing on some other program."
Rean hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe...Well, it doesn't matter. We should head back to Trista. I'm sure everyone's waiting for us now."
"I suppose that's true. We still have to try on our outfits and if there's a single aspect of mine that I dislike, you will hear about it," Jusis warned, dead serious in tone and expression.
Rean laughed. "Of course! But I'm sure you'll like it."
"Famous last words," Jusis scoffed.
The two loaded the suitcases into the sidecar and secured it before climbing atop the bike. Rean started the bike as Jusis settled behind him and wrapped his arms around Rean's torso. Then they rode off to the East Trista highway, both blushing lightly at the closeness between them.
Unbeknownst to them, Vita walked out of the boutique and watched them ride off into the sunset.
"So that's the Eternal Tranquility, is it? Or perhaps I should be calling him Celsius now since he's no longer part of the Society?" She said with a cryptic smile, "And he's even close to a potential awakener as well. How interesting..."
She looked up as a bird with lapis lazuli feathers landed on a nearby lamppost. "I wonder if this was also a part of the Grand Master's plan? Or perhaps the workings of something else, divine or sinister? Is it fate that we have been given this prime chance to right the wrongs of the past? Or will we be doomed to write another chapter of this accursed tale with pointless bloodshed as our ink?"
The bird chirped musically to her and she laughed softly. "Well said, Grianos." She held her hand out to the bird. "Now...shall we begin the next phase?"
The bird flew down to land gently on her hand and the two disappeared in a flash of soft blue light.
XXXXXX
"Wow! These outfits are actually pretty nice," Alisa said as she examined her costume.
"Yeah, we look cute and everything," Fie agreed with an amused smile.
Laura nodded. "I was a bit hesitant given the initial conflict of design choices, but they turned out very well. It's tasteful without being too revealing. My compliments to Crow and Rean."
Millium twirled around in glee. "And the black makes us look super hot! But Emma definitely takes the cake!"
Emma whimpered as she tried to fold her arms around her in a way that would cover up her chest instead of enhancing it. "Oh...I knew I shouldn't have trusted Rean to keep Crow in line. Why do I have to wear something as embarrassing as this?"
"Come now, Emma. You look absolutely gorgeous," Laura smiled reassuringly.
"Well lookie here! Who could these beautiful ladies be?" Crow called out as he and the boys made their way over to the girls. He walked up to Alisa and gently took her hand to place a delicate kiss on it with a wink. "I hope you like your outfit, Miss Reinford. I designed it with you in mind after all."
Alisa's face burned bright red as her brain short circuited. Fie and Millium giggled at her reaction and Rean sighed in exasperation. Emma fanned her hands frantically to try and cool the poor girl down, completely forgetting her initial mortification over her outfit. The others shook their heads in amusement.
"Alright, that's enough outta you, Casanova," Rean said as he grabbed Crow by the collar and dragged him away from the malfunctioning Alisa.
Laura chuckled then she gave the boys a once over as they stood in their outfits. "Well, well. You all look rather dashing in your outfits."
"More like reject princes from a children's book. But it kind of works, I guess," Fie remarked with a smirk.
"I feel kinda bad cause your costumes don't look as good as ours do," Millium unapologetically stated with glee.
Rean shrugged. "Well, given how much time we had to design them, we just had to settle with the guys wearing the same thing with different colored ties as the only variation." He released his hold on Crow and gave the older boy a stern look to 'behave'.
Crow pouted but relented. He crossed his arms and smiled winningly at them all. "And it's not like anyone would care what the guys would be wearing. Better for the girls to stand out and the guys to fade into the background." He winked. "That's called knowing your audience, ladies and gents!"
"It's not really like that though," Elliot interjected, "We're all different heights and have different hair colors. And since we decided on black for the girls and white for the guys, we had to standardize the looks."
"So that's how it is," Gaius nodded in understanding. "It makes sense given how white is not as easy to color match as black is."
Rean nodded. "Exactly."
Crow slumped dejectedly. "Oh come on guys. Why can't you all let me have my fun?"
"Your idea of fun is highly questionable," Machias deadpanned.
"Well I'm certainly having my share of fun seeing you in that outfit. You look absolutely preposterous in all of that finery even if it is just a costume," Jusis remarked with a smirk.
Machias glared at him, highly offended. "It's not like I want to look like this! What sane man would want to dress like a noble?" Then he gave him a flat look. "And I hope you haven't forgotten that we'll be singing in these outfits, together."
Jusis sighed. "Despite my most earnest attempts, I haven't."
Crow clapped to get everyone's attention. "Alright! Are you guys ready to sing your hearts out and practice the night away?"
"We've only got a day and a half left, and that's if you include tonight so we have no time to waste!" Elliot sternly warned. Then he smiled cheerfully at them. "That's why no one's going to leave this building tonight until we can do a perfect run through of our whole set!"
Everyone looked at Elliot in disbelief and dread.
"I don't think he's going to take no for an answer," Jusis tiredly remarked.
Alisa sighed. "You're like a military drill sergeant when it comes to music. It's times like these that I can really see the resemblance between you and Craig the Red..."
Fie groaned. "We're not going to get any sleep tonight, are we?"
"I suppose there's nothing else we can do but buckle down and give it our best shot," Gaius calmly remarked.
Emma gave a long suffering sigh. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to cast my shame into the wind and just bear with it..." She grumbled petulantly under her breath, complaining about her predicament.
"E-Emma?" Alisa hesitantly asked but Emma continued to mumble, now sounding like she was casting a curse.
Millium jerked back in shock. "Oh no! I think we broke Emma!"
Laura shook her head with a sigh. "Perhaps we should leave her be for a while."
Crow chuckled nervously when Emma directed a glare at him, still muttering away.
They managed to knock Emma out of her cursing daze and commenced their first dress rehearsal to some mixed success. The entire night was an experience straight from hell with non stop movement, singing, dancing, and instrument playing. The usually mild-mannered Elliot embodied his dad and unleashed an endless torrent of scathing criticism whenever a mistake was made no matter how small.
They did have to call it a night eventually as none of them would be any good if they collapsed from exhaustion before the festival even began. Elliot reluctantly let them go and then, like a switch, he started profusely apologizing for his behavior. Everyone laughed and waved it off, citing that they appreciated his more assertive nature and were only complaining to complain.
Class VII walked back to their dorm in the late night, enjoying the cool evening breeze. Along the way, many of them teased Rean and Jusis about their little excursion to Heimdallr and how the two reacted to seeing each other in costume. Rean was of no use in the face of such teasing, stammering and flailing about uselessly. Jusis would counter with his own observations of his classmates' affections for others, finding some retribution in driving some of them, especially Machias, speechless.
Thankfully for everyone, they arrived at the dorm before it could escalate into armed combat and all said their good nights before turning in.
XXXXXX
10.22 S.1204
~ Festival Preparation Day 2 ~
First thing in the morning, Class VII got together and rushed back to the Old Schoolhouse to rehearse their performance over and over again. Thankfully, Elliot was much lighter on the criticism this time, focusing more on making sure everyone was doing well and having a good time rather than on perfection. There were also more breaks between each run as nobody wanted to injure themselves or damage their voices before the day of their performance. Despite Emma still stressing over the pressures of her solo, rehearsals were more enjoyable this time.
Finally, after hours had passed…
The last notes of Emma's solo faded away, leaving the entire room in silence.
"Yeah! We did it!" Millium cheered, pumping her fist up in excitement.
Fie nodded. "That was our best run yet."
"It felt like we were really giving everything we had with that one," Gaius agreed.
Emma slumped in exhaustion. "I need some rest..."
"The only question now is if we'll be able to pull it off in front of a hall full of people," Alisa said.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine!" Elliot reassured, "We've prepared as much as we can so it's all in the Goddess' hands now."
Machias sighed. "But when you put it that way, it sounds like it all comes down to luck no matter how much work we put into it..."
"If that's the case, then we'll just have to coerce luck into staying on our side," Jusis rebuked.
Crow clapped enthusiastically. "Nice work, guys! If you play like you did just now for the concert, then we'll be golden."
"Thank you for your help, Crow," Gaius said.
"If you're satisfied then that means our audience will be too," Elliot remarked.
Machias groaned. "What time is it, even?"
"Too late, that's what," Fie sighed, stretching her arms out with a tired groan.
"It's only 3pm, you guys," Alisa said, shaking her head in exasperation. "Though honestly, I thought it was evening already."
Laura chuckled. "Well, no one can accuse us of not being focused at least."
Emma sighed. "I just want to go back to my room, bury my face into my pillow, and pretend like I'm fine and not about to toss my dignity out the window..."
Rean patted Emma comfortingly on the back. "There, there. Everything's going to be alright now that we can finally rest up for the day."
"Rest?" Crow asked in surprise. He shook his head and tutted in disappointment. "Oh-no-no-no-no, there's no time for that."
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"See, the best concerts always have two aces in the hole: an unexpected surprise and an encore," he explained, "Now that we've got the basics down, we can really work on something that'll pave our way to victory."
"What?" Alisa asked, growing afraid of what Crow was getting at.
"A surprise and an encore?" Gaius asked in confusion.
Rean and Elliot immediately clued into what Crow's getting at.
"Please tell me you're kidding...you are, right?" Rean asked with a flat expression.
"Wait, we're not seriously doing that are we?" Elliot asked with a hint of desperation. "I thought you were just joking!"
"H-Hold on just a moment!" Machias interjected, "You're not thinking of adding another song or something, are you?"
"Ding, ding, ding! Give the man a prize!" Crow said with a grin. "Don't you worry your pretty little heads off though. As soon as you hear what I've got to say, you'll be all in on this. I've got a nice tune in mind that everyone's heard and most people probably even know the lyrics too." He placed his hands on his hips and smiled deviously at them. "Anyways, we haven't got much time to waste so how about we get down to business now?"
"You're a slave driver," Alisa declared with a glare.
"Only for you, my dear," Crow cheekily said with a wink that had her blushing from embarrassment and indignation again.
Emma fell down to her knees in devastation.
"Ahhh! You killed her!" Millium exclaimed.
Laura rushed to check on her. "Hang in there, Emma!"
Rean sighed. "Looks like you're taking us on a ride whether we like it or not so I guess we better strap ourselves in."
Jusis shook his head in resignation. "Aidios save us all from the hell we're about to journey into."
"You said it," Fie sighed.
XXXXXX
Towa was taken aback when she turned around and saw a completely drained, almost zombified Class VII standing before her. Even Millium was one step away from collapsing into a heap on the ground from how exhausted she was. Crow rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and Sara was outright grinning in amusement.
"R-Rean? Jusis?" Towa cried out in concern.
"What happened to you guys? You all look like the walking dead," George asked, dumbfounded by the sight before him.
The members of Class VII collectively glared at Crow as a response to George's question. Crow chuckled nervously as he felt the killing intent aimed at him slowly rise to critical levels.
George nodded with an understanding only one who has also suffered through the same ordeal could achieve. "Never mind then. I think I can guess what happened."
"I still can't believe we managed to make it through alive," Machias sighed.
"We were basically tortured," Fie deadpanned.
"I'm sooooo tired. I'm gonna call Lammy," Millium muttered.
Jusis glared at her. "Don't you dare..."
"All that practice better be worth it else you'll be target practice for my bow, Crow," Alisa said, giving the second year a look that screamed of murder.
Crow chuckled nervously. "See, you say things like that and I'm torn between giving as good as I've got or being too scared to say anything else you might just riddle me with holes right here and now..."
Emma let out a small snore, murmuring softly under her breath, "Celine...Grandmother..."
"E-Emma! You can't just sleep out here!" Alisa shouted in a panic.
Laura rushed over to support the sleep walking girl. "At least summon up the energy needed to go to your room first."
"Ummm...I know this is probably a stupid question but are you all okay?" Towa asked hesitantly.
"Does this at least mean you're finished with your concert rehearsal?" George asked.
Elliot chuckled. "Just about. We did end up cutting it pretty close though."
Crow nonchalantly linked his arms behind his head with a casual smile. "Now all that's left is to perform it in front of a live audience."
"And I hope you'll remember that if all this work was for nothing, your public execution will become the show instead," Alisa reminded him of his imminent doom should things not work out.
Crow laughed nervously as he subtly inched away from the glaring girl. Rean nudged his elbow into the silver haired boy's side to stop him from escaping.
"I'm sure we'll be fine," Gaius reassured, though his exhaustion still shone through despite his calm demeanor. "A wind of blessing will blow upon us."
"Still, you all looked like you practiced till you dropped...literally," Sara helpfully remarked. "But you should still be proud of all the hard work you've done these past two days."
"That's right! All your hard work will definitely pay off!" Towa encouraged cheerfully.
"I can't wait to see you guys play live. I've got a feeling that you'll exceed everyone's expectations, even your own," George said.
Class VII nodded in agreement, appreciative of Towa and George's encouragement. Then they finally had a moment to realize their surroundings, taking in the decorations and stalls that had been set up by the academy's entrance while they were practicing.
"It looks like everything's been set up and decorated," Elliot observed.
Alisa giggled. "Even though I'm exhausted, I can really feel the excitement in the air."
Crow whistled, impressed. "Looks like this year's festival is gonna be livelier than last year!"
"George, Towa, thank you both so much for all the hard work you've put into helping this festival come to fruition," Rean said, nodding in gratitude.
"Same to you guys," George said, "You've been pedal to the metal all the way, especially these past couple of days."
Towa giggled cheerfully. "I'm ready to have some fun tomorrow. Make sure to let loose as well. You've all earned it!"
XXXXXX
"Listen up, Albarea. The success or failure of the guys' part depends entirely on us as much as I hate to think about," Machias said with arms crossed and a determined expression, "So don't even think about screwing this up!"
Jusis scoffed. "You're the last person who should be reminding me of that. If we're exchanging advice, then try not to be too overzealous on stage. We don't want you to squander all of our hard work."
"I know perfectly well what I should and shouldn't be doing on stage," Machias irritably rebuked.
"You two never change do you?" Rean said as he walked up to them in the hallway. "But at least you seem to be arguing in sync so the concert should be a breeze if you keep this up."
Jusis and Machias whipped their heads to pin Rean with a glare. "Nobody asked you," they both said in unison.
Rean sheepishly chuckled. "By the way, you guys got any plans for what you're gonna do at the festival tomorrow?"
Machias shrugged. "I'm going to be helping Stefan out with the Chess Club's exhibit and maybe stop by one of the Writing Club's reading sessions to keep Emma company."
"Oh! Like a date?" Rean asked.
Machias sputtered like a dying orbal car. "W-W-Wh-What?! A d-d-date?!"
"Our Class President and Vice President doing us the favor of ending the nauseating dance between them?" Jusis remarked sarcastically, "I would pay mira to see that happen."
"Nobody asked you!" Machias retorted indignantly.
"I wish you good luck, Machias," Rean said, patting the bespectacled boy encouragingly on the back.
Machias deadpanned. "I don't want to hear that from someone as oblivious as you."
Rean tilted his head in confusion but shrugged when Machias refused to elaborate. He turned his attention to Jusis and asked, "What about you? Are you planning to help the Riding Club out?"
Jusis shook his head. "No. I have friends and family from Liberl who will be arriving first thing in the morning tomorrow so I will be spending the day with them."
"Friends and family from Liberl?" Rean asked in surprise when Jusis nodded in confirmation, "They're coming all the way from there?"
"They were quite interested in seeing what sort of festival an Erebonian military academy has to offer and couldn't let the chance to come visit pass them by," Jusis explained.
Rean chuckled. "Well I hope that the academy festival can live up to their expectations and I would love to meet them if possible."
"Of course. They have been quite interested in meeting you all as that would provide physical evidence that I have made actual human friends through my own efforts and not secluded myself away with the horses as Estelle is adamant in believing," Jusis said with a wry smile, "In addition, Rufus and Cassius will be arriving the day after. I could introduce you to Cassius if you'd like."
"Cassius? As in 'The Divine Blade Cassius Bright' Cassius Sara and Toval were talking about?" Rean asked, somewhat bewildered.
Jusis nodded. "The one and the same."
Rean waved his hands about bashfully in refusal. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly ask you or him to do that. I've only just entered the intermediate level of the Eight Leaves One Blade school. So I don't think I'm worthy enough of standing before a master like him yet."
Jusis sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "One day you're going to have to stop with your frankly infuriating self deprecating attitude and realize you're worth more than you give yourself credit for."
Rean gazed at him, genuinely feeling touched by the compliment. "Jusis..."
"And I see you two have forgotten that I'm still here," Machias deadpanned, "If you're going to keep flirting with each other, then I'm going to leave before I see or hear anything I'll never be able to forget."
Both Rean and Jusis turned red and quickly broke eye contact to look in opposite directions.
Jusis cleared his throat. "I think it's time I call it a night. I'll need all the energy I can get if I want to be able to survive tomorrow. Good night." Then he quickly walked away to his room without making it seem like he was trying to escape the suddenly uncomfortable situation.
"Uhhh..." Rean eloquently said before snapping out of his daze. "Good night to you too!"
Machias shook his head in exasperation. "Completely hopeless, the both of you."
"Pot meet kettle," Jusis called out, closing his door before Machias could retort.
Machias let out a shout of frustration before storming off to his room as well. Rean chuckled to himself and left to go talk with the others before calling it a night, all the while shaking his head to try and get it out of the gutter.
And scene! Just like I said this chapter isn't really overall plot focused, it's mainly centered around building the relationship between Jusis and Rean as well as some much needed time with Class VII. There are a few hints to what I've got planned for the overall plot so at least you have something to chew on. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed the little bit of progress we've made with the slow burn between "Oblivious as a Brick Wall Rean" and "Emotions are Complicated ™ Jusis". Anyways, again sorry for the delay but the next chapter should come out within a reasonable amount of time (aka before the end of the month hopefully, maybe, no promises though.) Until next time!