A bracer should be prepared for any incoming threats that will emerge. A bracer should be ready to assist and protect civilians at a moment's notice. And finally, a bracer should always be alert and aware of their surroundings, keep their composure, and make proper decisions. There are a lot of factors those who live the bracer life have to deal with. That's why it's no surprise that bracers usually never get their full eight hours of sleep.
The only part a certain bracer from the Empire despised with a passion.
And no matter how old or how mature she had gotten, Fie Claussell still struggled with waking up early and resisting the urge to wrap herself in her warm blanket and drift back to dreamland.
Especially since she's temporarily living in a foreign country for work.
Fie did her bread and butter by turning off her alarm (and trying not to throw it at a nearby wall), brushing her teeth, and doing her skincare routine. What? She's a grown woman now, not just the catlike girl who used to sleep on benches during her academy days.
With her morning routine almost done, the B-rank bracer yawned as she plopped down on her seat in the living room, taking out her Xipha as she scrolled through her inbox.
Her lips twitched upwards at the sight of orbmails from her beloved and friends back in the Empire.
She might never admit it, but Fie felt a sense of loneliness during the first few days of her stay in the Republic. Don't get her wrong. She enjoyed being around Elaine, Zin, and the other bracers, even Van and the rest of Arkride Solutions as well. She had done work in Calvard before, but it was the first time she stayed for a long-term business trip. But sometimes, she felt out of place.
Elaine probably saw what Fie truly felt since the two would usually hang out during their free time. She was thankful that the blonde didn't press the matter further. It was an unnecessary worry, in her opinion. But with some advice Elaine subtly gave her, the bracer started to feel better.
She formed a new habit of having a group call with her friends from Class VII at night. Fie couldn't believe that she didn't think of that idea herself. It was simple advice, but it helped Sylphid a lot when the smallest waves of homesickness washed over her, especially when she suddenly feels the emptiness of her Chevalier not by her side.
"I hope they're free again tonight. Maybe I can talk about a certain pair that rekindled their love for each other." Snickering under her breath, Fie smirked at the thought before the image of Elaine's dangerous smile appeared on her mind. "On second thought, I'd get in trouble if I did that..."
The bracer preferred not to entice the wrath of a certain A-rank.
She answered each of her orbmails one by one until only one remained. The last one's from the one and only Rean Schwarzer.
[Good morning, Fie! I hope you didn't break your alarm clock this time, haha. Anyways, can you call me when you're free? I got something to tell. I have some tests to prepare for my class so I'll talk to you later. Good luck with work. Love you]
Fie rolled her eyes at his message. She only broke one alarm clock, okay!
...
Okay, maybe three, but that's not the point! Those incidents happened during the time Fie was still a newbie bracer. It's not her fault the ringing sound pissed her off! Ugh... she regrets telling Rean about her alarm clock throwing tendencies now.
Her mock annoyance was replaced with curiosity. She wondered what Rean wanted to tell her that needed for them to have a call, not that she minded but still.
[very funny, Rean. but sure, i'll call ya after i get some coffee and breakfast. good luck with classes. love you too~]
Flipping her Xipha closed, Fie smiled and got up from her seat. It's time to grab some coffee.
"...Care to tell me how you wrecked the pub while you were passed out again?"
"I-I told you I don't exactly know! When I woke up, I saw the inside completely thrashed, and some jaeger dropouts on the floor passed out. The owner told me I beat the shit out of them when they tried to shove me!"
Fie sighed as she left McMillan Café through the front door, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and her Xipha in the other. The bracer was currently talking to her former mentor and fellow bracer— Sara Valestein— about work. Apparently, the Purple Lightning lost consciousness after her ninth drink last night before a few jaeger dropouts came to rob the pub for supplies.
They were acting more like thieves than dropouts, though...
"Okay... Let me rephrase it then: Did you dream about anything while you were passed out?
"Uh... did I dream about anything? Now that you mention it, I did dream about fighting a few monsters trying to take my booze away— Ah!"
"Should have known..." One more sigh left Fie as she took a sip of her coffee. "When those dropouts tried to shove you, you probably reacted as if the monsters in your dream were about to pounce on your booze and you retaliated, basically sleep fighting."
Her battle instincts were likely triggered while she was unconscious as well. There was no way Sara would allow anyone to shove her, unconscious or not. If they have the tiniest bit of malicious intent, their asses would get an ass-kicking.
"Ohhhh. So that's why I felt like I was swinging my arms around..." Fie could hear the older woman's realization from her tone.
"Did the owner charge you for wrecking the place?" She snickered, imagining the pub owner's reaction to the Purple Lightning's onslaught.
Sylphid heard the former instructor groan in the other line. She could even see her making a pouty face too! "H-He did... B-But! He only asked for half of the payment for the damages!"
"Probably because you cleaned up those jaeger dropouts. If you destroyed his inventory too, you're definitely paying double for the damages."
"Ugh..."
The two bracers exchanged banters for a while longer before Sara had to end the call due to work calling her name. Fie was about to pocket her orbment when she received an orbmail from the Sword Maiden. Tilting her head curiously, she checked it out.
[Good morning, Fie. I'm sorry, but something's... preventing me from coming to work in time. I might be a little late, so you and Zin can start the requests without me.]
A mischievous smirk graced her pretty features upon reading the message. Oh, Fie knew what that "something" was. Elaine told Fie herself about her plans for last night yesterday. She could only imagine what happened after a certain Spriggan took her home.
Hehe, new ammo to tease her with. Ah, but Fie needed to use them wisely! Teasing Elaine wasn't worth earning painful cheek stretches!
...But she might as well reply in her usual way.
After coming up with a response and sending an orbmail to her friend, Fie decided it was time to give a certain war hero a call.
Scrolling through her contacts, the bracer looked for her boyfriend's number before a sheepish smile spread across her face.
My Chevalier
The name that replaced Rean's name in her contacts when the two started dating. Fie wasn't one to give her friend's contacts nicknames, but she made an exception just this once. Sure, it was a little cheesy, but the ex-jaeger couldn't help but find it cute whenever she saw it.
"I think Rean's rubbing off on me..." She chuckled under her breath as the woman pressed video call.
Her Xipha rang two to three times before it stopped, the image of a black-haired man wearing glasses popped up on her screen as her smile grew wider.
"You look dorky."
"That's the first thing you say to me?" He sighed in an exaggerated manner, causing his girlfriend to giggle before his lips curled upward. "At least you're energetic this morning. Ah, good morning, by the way."
"Morning~." She beamed before taking a swig of her coffee. "So, what did you wanna tell me that you couldn't do it through an orbmail?"
"W-Well, that's..."
Uh-oh, that nervous tone of his wasn't a good sign. Fie narrowed her eyes in worry as she pressed her lips together.
"Rean? Did something happen? Or did you do something reckless and stupid again?" She deadpanned the last bit of her statement. The bracer knew Rean wasn't as reckless as before, but his recklessness was still present, even if he himself wasn't aware of it.
"M-Maybe a bit of both...?" His girlfriend groaned. Fie got ready to scold him but was cut off when he elaborated further. "Xeno and Leo came to visit me yesterday."
Her mouth opened to deliver a scolding but promptly closed when those names slipped out of her lover's lips. Her eyelids flickered in surprise before her chartreuse orbs widened.
"Those two never told me anything about them visiting you." She then shot him an accusatory glare. "You never said anything about them visiting you yesterday either."
"I have a reason, though!" Rean waved his hands wildly, trying to calm the upset fairy. "Remember when I said I'll be sleeping early last night and I won't be able to call you?"
"Yeah, you told me that you stayed up late doing paperwork the night before—" Realization struck Sylphid when she recalled yesterday's events.
The two called each other during her break in the late afternoon and Fie noticed the fatigue and pain in his tone, despite them being faint. She thought she only imagined things since that was usually the time the academy would have combat training. Fie cursed herself for not noticing it yesterday and frowned.
"You weren't tired from doing too much paperwork... you were tired because Xeno and Leo fought you yesterday."
An apologetic smile stitched onto Rean's lips before he sighed. "...Yeah. They did. They said it was the perfect time to test me since you were still busy with work in Calvard. They told me you'd try to intervene and fight with me if you were in the Empire."
Fie clicked her tongue in annoyance. Damn those two for being right. She would definitely intervene and fight them with Rean. A fight for their approval or not, the bracer wasn't going to let Rean fight those two regimental commanders by himself!
And as a bracer, Fie wasn't about to stand by while the three go at it. Those three were strong. And because they were strong, their fight might cause a bystander to be put in harm's way. Xeno and Leo better have fought Rean in the academy field with Aurelia keeping them in check or on the highway, or else they'll suffer Fie's punishment.
The cold shoulder.
Yeah. Who would have thought that two jaegers who abandoned her in the past, whether they had a valid reason or not, would be weak against Fie's cold shoulder treatment?
"I swear when I see those two again... they're gonna get it for doing that behind my back... leaving you injured... bedridden... broken bones... gonna ignore them for a week or two..." The bracer hung her head and began mumbling inaudibly, pouting as her boyfriend sweatdropped.
It would probably take a bit before Fie would snap out of this state of hers. The last time this actually happened was when Fie found out Rean got injured during a field study. He didn't think it was an injury worth mentioning, so he didn't say anything. Who knew Fie would go on mumbling how worried she was and how he didn't consider her feelings for five minutes straight?
Rean was touched and happy that Fie cared so much about him. She was more open with her emotions after the two became an item, so she didn't bother hiding her fears and concerns when they were alone, appearances be damned. That's why the bracer gave him a scolding and a flick to his forehead for not telling her that he broke his left arm.
Considering a broken left arm as a minor injury was something he would certainly do...
The only method that worked that brought her back to reality was a kiss on her lips. But because the two were currently in different countries... that method won't work. So, Rean gambled his luck with one sentence.
"I won, Fie."
Fie stopped her mumbling as her head shot up to look at her boyfriend. Rean was smiling, a smile with no nervousness or doubt.
"You won...?" Is she hearing things? There was no deception in his tone. Fie would have noticed if he was lying after all.
Rean smiled wryly for a moment before saying, "It was more of a draw, but Xeno and Leo said I won our duel. Those two were still strong as ever. It took everything I had to force them onto their knees, not to mention that I was fighting to keep my injuries at a minimum. I didn't want to worry you."
Pink dusted the fairy's cheeks as she took in her lover's statement. Rean was thinking of her while he fought? The warmth that came to her heart made it skip a beat as she struggled to respond.
"I'll always worry about you, stupid..." She whispered more to herself than to Rean. The instructor simply smiled as he caught her quiet words. He knows. He knows that all too well. "How badly were you injured?"
"A few broken bones, that's all." Fie winced but nodded. She knew he wouldn't come out of that duel unscathed but hearing how much he got hurt still didn't make it easy for her.
"I'm guessing you sent that orbmail because you were focusing on recovering from your injuries yesterday?"
"Ahaha... got it in one. Linde told me to retire early for the night, so my body could recover faster. I didn't call yesterday since you would be worried sick all night if you knew about the fight and my injuries. I'm sorry for that."
Fie smiled in understanding. She didn't like it, but the bracer understood his reasoning. He always considered what was best for everyone, despite his denseness getting in the way sometimes. "Idiot... Fine, I'm over it. I'm just glad you're okay."
He chuckled before he closed his eyes. "I won my duel against them, so you know what that means?" She does? His shift into a serious tone gave him Fie's undivided attention as she tilted her head. "I have a question for you once you're back home."
"Eh? Why can't you just ask me the question now?" She pouted with an annoyed countenance.
"It would be pretty lame if I asked you through a video call, don't you think?"
Ask her through a video call... wha...? What did he mean by that?
Fie was supposed to know what Rean meant when he won the duel against her brothers.
Rean has a question for her after she returns to the Empire.
...
...
...
...
Oh...
Ohhhhh!
How could she have not realized what he meant!
A rosy tint colored her cheeks as Fie stepped back in surprise, her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage at the true meaning of his words. Ah, her cheeks were burning up!
"Babe, are you serious...?" Serious? Heh, he merely nodded for his response. Sylphid's blush deepened as she opened her mouth, but no words left her lips. Fie felt like she was riding an emotional rollercoaster...
Annoyance and sadness from Rean not informing her about his duel against her brothers and those two for purposely fighting Rean while she was away.
Relief upon learning Rean wasn't badly injured.
And happiness because Rean had won against Xeno and Leo, gained their approval, and finally, asked her the question.
If Rean was here, Fie would give him a sweet kiss right now.
Fie smiled brightly before rubbing her misty eyes. The urge to cry tears of joy was so tempting, but she had to keep her cool, at least until she was back in Erebonia. The bracer still had an image to uphold as the cool and collected bracer of the Empire.
"You just made it harder for me not to go home and give you a kiss, idiot. Actually, scratch that. I'd give you more than just a kiss for your implications." Fie smirked teasingly as she took the pleasure of seeing Rean's face gradually turn red.
"U-Uh... I um... ahaha..." Her words shut down any attempt of him giving a proper reply, her smirk widening at his blushing face. "Geez... I really am no match for you when it comes to teasing, huh?"
"Who said I was teasing~?" Yup, she really did enjoy seeing his face turn into a tomato. Watching Rean stutter caused the bracer to giggle. It was cute. "Can't wait to come back to hear your question then. Though... I think you already know my answer."
Rean recovered from his stammer as he scratched his cheek. He flashed her soft smile, his blush still apparent on his face. "And I can't wait to hear it." Rean looked away from the screen, presumably to check the time. "I guess we'll have to end it here for now. We still have work after all."
"Yeah... You good to talk later? There're a few things I wanna share with you~."
"Why do I feel like it's related to the Sword Maiden...? But sure, I'm free during lunch and after school like usual."
"Great. I'll talk to you later then." Fie nodded, a sweet smile appearing on her slightly red face. "Love you. I miss you."
A smile just as sweet crossed the instructor's visage as he whispered, "I love and miss you too... my Sylphid."
Leaving her with those sweet parting words, he hung up the call as Fie leaned against the nearby lamppost and sighed contently. Her blush returned in full force, red stretching across her ears. Patience, Fie. Patience. All she needed was to be patient, and she'll be back in the Empire in no time.
The woman glanced at her left hand and giggled softly when she imagined the what-ifs. She was in slight disbelief, yet she also knew it was real. Downing her now lukewarm coffee, the woman threw the cup in a nearby bin before pocketing her orbment.
"The client should be in the Seiden District." Fie started her stroll to the other district, a noticeable spring in her step. The bracer's euphoric state made her completely forget the cheek stretching she might receive from Elaine.
Oh well, she was too happy to care.