Apex85: Euron Greyjoy? Sorry bud, that went right over my head. I have absolutely no idea who that is, so...you have my apologies, but I don't get the reference. But considering what I would want to do to them, I'm going to imagine that what you are implying is incredibly violent. So, yeah, we're pretty much in agreement.
Nipped in the bud? For those five, maybe. Agreed.
Jose19: Yeah, I'm ignoring all of that. As I've said before, and to you personally a bunch of times when you tried to spoil stuff for me in PMs, NO SPOILERS! Do it again, and I will ignore any attempt at further communication. That is all.
Ouchanrrul: Yeah, I get ya, but for now at least, they're gonna go hand in hand, my friend. Oh most certainly not. Why thank you very much! :)
You too!
RosyMiranto18: Another regular reviewer, yay! Don't worry about the length of your review, I don't mind. In fact, I actively encourage my readers to leave detailed feedback and such, as I love it!
Can't wait. No sweat, everyone makes mistakes, after all. No big deal.
Those are some interesting ideas; no need to worry, you have my word that Warrick will not be in all the chapters. That's a promise.
Fair enough. Patrick will certainly be affected by Verrat's presence, that's for sure.
I know. They just seem to be getting worse, don't they? (Insert evil laughter here.)
Oh yeah. Gotta love Laura and the orbal washing machine scene. It's only about luck when Fie loses, don't you know that? XP Well, I'm sure he'd want to look manlier, so...
Pretty much. Jusis stands up for his friends, once he actually has some anyway. Nah, you're thinking of Colette, who lost her student hand book. This was just some random student who lost their notebook, full of notes regarding their coursework.
Nah, it's gonna take more than this to break Rean to the point where he starts drinking. If Sara's around when that happens though, well...let's just say it probably would end up with a very, very drunk Rean Schwarzer. It'll wait for awhile at least, so that she can tell them on her own terms, most likely.
You make a fair point. True, true. It's gonna take some time though, that's for sure. Most definitely.
They'll need it. Alright. I look forward to it, and I'll do my best!
Manu259: That's fair enough; why thank you, that's quite the compliment! :)
Of course, gotta keep'em in character. Otherwise, where's the fun?
That she did, oh for sure.
No problem!
Yep!
RedBurningDragon: Yeah, pretty much. Yep. That she did, and most definitely.
JoshPlater: I'm glad to hear that. Agreed wholeheartedly. I like Towa, but Fie is best girl by leaps and bounds. Not only because, at least I feel, she has the best chemistry with Rean, but also because she's one of the only two girls in the entire cast that I'd be chomping at the bit to play a spinoff game featuring them as a protagonist. Personal opinions and all that so, yeah, moving on.
Not a bad assumption, but I will say you're not quite on the mark. I won't say anymore, as you'll find out yourself as you read further. Also, yes, the Nord Highlands are next.
Now there's an idea...however, I'm afraid I pretty much have everything planned out, mentally at least, already, and have no intentions of making any real radical changes to the outline I have set up for the next several chapters. Interesting take on it though, I thank you for sharing it.
fangs of death: Thank you! I'm happy you enjoy it and are looking forward to more.
Once more, allow me to thank all those who reviewed, and allow me to thank those who have added this story to their favorites and alerts since the last update as well. Virtual Delirium, Lord Naruto, MercyChimes, storyteller1333, miner249er, HypahDimension, silverwolfg, Fate Alitheia, trekeviousjones, naruto8371, Yuki no Tora, PokiStars, hollowichigo25, Aragon365, edbones100, ZMusok, FireSamurai, Gintoki, Muckdile, vastolorde624, Theforce172, LaughingCoffin's revenge, azriafifi, Rogue Leader Solo, xaldreca, Daoue, LuceteStellae, fangs of death, AschTB, MrGamesaregreat, Raegarch, Darkmaster10000000, zero02, thank you!
One last thing before we get to the chapter. HOLY FUCKING SHIT! IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING! COLD STEEL 3 COMES OUT OCTOBER TWENTY SECOND! FINALLY! HYPE-OVERLOAD!
Ahem. Sorry about that. I let my excitement get the better of me for a moment there. But yeah, less than three months to go. Hell yeah! Now, onto the chapter.
UPDATE
Touch-ups.
Please read, review, and enjoy.
ACT I - CHAPTER III - PART II
...
6/7 - Monday
It was early, too early.
Barely six in the morning, and yet, both the lackadaisical ex-jaeger and her older jovial counterpart were up and dressed for the day.
Both ladies enjoyed partaking in as much sleep as they possibly could, so if anyone had seen them up at this time, they could be forgiven for thinking something was amiss..
"What's this about, Sara?" Fie came right out and asked her guardian directly, her usual bored inflection present as always; she stood across from the woman, choosing to stand rather than sit.
Sara didn't respond right away, adjusting her seating on her bed.
"I wanted to talk with you." She then said simply.
"About?" The fifteen-year-old inquired with a slight quirk of her brow.
"Rean." The twenty-something supplied.
"What about him?" The younger girl queried with just the slightest twinge of concern in her voice.
"I spoke with him last night, and...something troubling came to my attention." The usually ever-merry instructor informed her charge, doing so with a troubled sigh and an even tone.
"Like what?" The petite teenager probed.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable disclosing what exactly it was we were talking about, lest I violate the trust between a student and their instructor. However, I will say this." The former bracer preambled. "There was something he said last night, something strange, and the moment the words left his mouth, I could hear it in his voice, hell, I could sense it: an inordinate amount of self-loathing radiating off of him." She apprised her.
"It was concerning, to say the least. The sheer weight of his emotions in that moment, the depth of self-hatred...I've only seen it that extreme a few times in my entire life, and only in those who have far more sins to bare." She illuminated this fact.
"I was expecting teenage angst...but this is beyond the pale." She related the gravity of this situation in simple terms.
"And I was hoping that you could shed some light on this whole thing for me." She finally let her ward know why she'd approached her about this.
"You know Rean better than anyone else on, and I suspect off, campus; do you have any idea where this self-loathing stems from?" Sara adjured her younger counterpart, her demeanor far more serious and pensive than the ex-jaeger had seen her in months.
Fie's usually expressionless visage had become ruminative and solicitous as all this was put upon her.
She'd picked up on Rean's inferiority complex, and she'd certainly become all too aware of the fact that he wasn't exactly fond or even content with himself.
But to this extent...
'Self-loathing? Self-hatred?' The thought nearly made her cringe.
'Does this really run that deep?'
It bewildered her to think that her childhood friend could feel so negatively about himself, yet she also knew the signs had been there, she'd just failed to see them for what they were, only recognizing them now, after the fact.
'I didn't want to believe that he could really feel like that about himself.'
She came to grips with this, a scowl forming upon her face.
"Stupid." Fie reproached herself aloud with a tch sound.
Only for Sara to quirk her brow at her, curious as to what she'd meant by that.
Shaking her head at her apparent failing; the silver-haired maiden locked eyes with her instructor.
"Rean's secrets aren't mine to tell. So, I have no intention of sharing them with anyone without his permission, even you." She let her mentor know straight up.
"That said...there's still plenty of stuff I can tell you."
...
Fie related to Sara the entirety of her knowledge about Rean and how he was treated by those around him, specifically other nobles. The few incidents she had witnessed as a child, the ones he'd shared with her after the fact here at Thors, as well as the ones she had first hand experience with in the past two months. From noble children bullying and snubbing him, to adults sneering, glaring and talking down to him, to teenagers now, who pushed him around and spat all sorts of contemptuous drivel.
She also expounded the matter, letting the teacher know that more often than not, retaliation wasn't acceptable. Otherwise, Rean would find the Schwarzers suffering the consequences of his actions, even when in the right. As a result, the Schwarzer family was all but excommunicated from the rest of the nobility, not only for adopting Rean, but also for said actions; standing up for himself and others, that's all he really ever did. But since he was the black sheep of the nobility and dared to not roll over and just take their abuse, to not submit, his family was ostracized.
It went without saying, the young teen felt the blame lied solely with himself.
"The simple fact that Rean isn't of noble blood gave them all the reason they could ever need." The stoic girl surmised regarding the nobility's behavior, her tone containing just the slightest edge of bitterness within.
"That explains a lot." Sara acknowledged with a frown.
"But still...I'm uncertain that's the full extent of it." She opined.
"What you've told me is more than enough to form the basis of his complex and feelings of self-hatred, however, with how he reacted...well, I'm not exactly a psychologist, but I have my doubts." She admitted.
"I get the feeling there's something more to all this...isn't there?" She probed her student for additional information, certain that couldn't be the whole story.
Fie nodded her head at that.
"When we were kids, he was forced into a situation where it was necessary for him to kill." The young maiden disclosed this fact bluntly and with a level tone; such a thing was commonplace in the past of both student and instructor, as such, neither shied away from the topic.
"It wasn't his fault. It was mine. I made a stupid mistake and he paid for it." She continued, speaking matter-of-factly with a splash of self-resentment accompanying it.
"Fie..." Sara spoke her ward's name solicitously.
The teen shook her head at that; she did not want to be comforted, she wanted her words to be taken at face-value, nothing more, nothing less.
"He did it to protect his sister; he did it to protect me." She finished, elucidating the matter.
The faintest hints of further emotions were present in her voice, and those same emotions were projected in her lime-green eyes for anyone who knew her well enough to decipher.
Sara was one such person, ergo, she recognized exactly what Fie was feeling as she imparted this piece of her shared past with Rean. She was certainly grateful, but moreover, she was openly empathetic on the subject of one's first kill.
There was something else present, however, that was far more telling of events...admiration, of sorts, like she'd been impressed by what he'd done...almost as if she was proud of him.
That, in most contexts, would set off some alarm bells in an educator's head. In this instance though, it had the intended effect of conveying more than the young girl was willing to say.
As a former jaeger, the act of killing would be unremarkable to her. As such, for someone to kill in front of her, even to protect someone else, no real impression would usually be made. It was a mundane part of one's life in such a profession, after all.
It struck the ex-bracer then, her eyes noticeably widening; in that moment she recalled her report to Principal Vandyck two months prior.
...
"According to Group A's reports, one of their assailants was a jaeger called Warrick, otherwise known as the Silver Haze. Apparently he's been investigating his brother's death for some time now. He suspects Fie, as she was the only member of Zephyr present in Ymir at the time."
"When exactly did this incident occur?"
"Roughly eight years ago."
...
Realization hit Sara like a ton of bricks.
'It was Rean.' She cognized, momentarily stunned as she comprehended this truth.
The how of the matter was a conundrum, as the teen had only been a boy of nine-years-old at the time, however, the instructor knew better than to doubt her charge's words.
The girl never lied.
She dodged the question, changed the subject, gave a vague, non-committal response or sometimes even misled the inquirer; if all else failed, she'd simply refuse to answer. But, Sara had never ever known her to outright lie.
"Ever since then...he's been afraid. Afraid of himself, of what he did." Fie carried on, divulging this sensitive info to her caretaker.
"He's terrified of what he's capable of." She delineated; closing her eyes as images of a distraught, teary-eyed child-Rean wrapped in his mother's embrace flashed before her mind's eye.
...
"W-What d-d-did I-I d-do?! M-Mom, wh-why d-did I-I do t-tha-that!? W-Wha-What's w-wro-wrong w-with m-me!?" Everything that came out of the child's mouth after that was completely unintelligible, his words having regressed into gibberish as his small body was wracked with tremors from his uncontrollable sobbing.
Lucia Schwarzer did the only thing she could, as she held her baby close and tried her best to comfort and calm down her hysterical, bawling child.
...
Fie was pulled from the memory by the other present party's voice.
"Something like that would be traumatizing, especially for a little kid. But...it feels like...I'm missing something." Sara remarked with a shake of her head.
Something was nagging her at the back of her mind, some uneasy feeling in her gut telling her that she had yet to hear the full story. Her instincts told her something was missing from the picture painted for her, something vital...
"There's more to this than that." She extrapolated. "There's something about this that you're not telling me."
"I already told you that would be the case. It's not my secret to share, so I won't." The stoic teenager reiterated her previous statement.
"I've told you everything I can. So, if that's all, I'll be going now." She spoke curtly, sounding almost irritated through the apathetic demeanor she had once more begun to display.
Turning around, she swiftly exited the instructor's room, closing the door behind her.
...
"I must have hit a nerve." Sara speculated aloud, face marred by concern.
Letting out a heavy sigh, the eccentric woman shook her head once more.
"I may not know the whole story, but I just can't help myself. I've gotta figure out a way to help those kids."
...
Fie lingered outside her guardian's door for a moment, her mind awash with the many precious memories she possessed of her best friend.
'He hates himself...'
That thought had her beset by her emotions.
The most prominent of which were the sadness she felt for him, and the anger she held for all those who'd been unkind to him; all these feelings coalesced in the pit of her stomach and had it in knots.
She was almost nauseous at the notion; this surge of negative emotions making her lightheaded for a second.
'I have to fix this.' She decided then, shaking herself out of her unpleasant state.
'Talking to him about it won't do much good, not right now, at least. I could tell him he was wrong about himself a million times over, and it still wouldn't be likely to get past that hard head of his. I have to show him that he's wrong.' She concluded.
'I'll show him, over and over again, if that's what it takes.' She resolved to herself.
'Eventually, he'll realize...'
Determined, Fie made for the stairs.
Twelve-year-old Rean watched from afar as his little sister played with her new friends: twins visiting Ymir with their family on holiday.
He sported a large smile as the three girls frolicked about laughing and having a good time.
'I'm glad she's having so much fun.'
Elise had friends within the village, but none outside of it. She was snubbed by most other noble children, because of the ostracization of the Schwarzer family. So it filled her older brother with joy to see her happily running around with new friends.
He hadn't actually spoken directly with the twin noble girls, however, their families had dinner together just an hour prior and they had seemed perfectly amicable with his parents. As such, the young boy chalked them up as nice people. That being the case, he decided to go play with them as well.
However, as he moved to join them, one of the twins took note of his approach and proceeded to give him a serious stink-eye, openly making it clear that she wanted him to stay away from her.
Rean faltered, his smile falling away; for good measure, the ten-year-old mouthed the words 'go away' to make things overtly clear. Getting the hint, Rean backed up to his original position, hesitating for a brief moment, before turning around and leaving.
It kind of hurt, sure, but he was getting used to being treated worse than that, so it wasn't that big a deal really.
'Besides, those girls are Elise's friends; so long as they're nice to her, it's all right.' The young boy thought to himself.
'If they don't want me around, I'll just go do something else, give them space so Elise can have fun with them. No need for me to ruin her good time.' He reasoned.
Neither Elise or the other twin noticed this little exchange, and simply continued to play, the third girl rejoining them quickly enough.
...
The next day...
Rean found himself beside the riverbank near Ymir, where Elise sat, her knees pulled to her chest; uncomfortably close to the water in her brother's opinion.
She looked lost in thought.
What bothered the young boy about this sight was the fact that she was alone, 'I thought Elise was supposed to hang out with those girls today...'
Approaching his little sister, he took a moment to sit down beside her before engaging.
"Hey, Elise, what are you doing out here? I thought you made plans to play with your new friends."
"They're not my friends." She responded curtly.
"What? But you guys were getting along so well. Did you get in a fight about something?" He asked her with a bit of concern.
The ten-year-old shook her head at that.
"What is it, then?" He questioned further.
"They kept saying nasty things about you. They wouldn't stop even when I asked them to. They said that if I was going to defend a bug like you, then they couldn't be my friends anymore." She informed him, her sadness seeping into her tone despite herself.
Rean should have been shocked and appalled at this information, however, this was not the first time something like this had happened, and as such, he honestly wasn't surprised. That being said, it didn't stop the wave of guilt he felt for being the cause of his kid sister losing even more friends.
"I'm sorry, Elise."
Feeling incapable of looking at her in that moment, he averted his eyes downward as he apologized to her.
He was apologizing for the unfairness of the situation, for the unkindness shown to her by those twins, and for most of all, being the cause of it.
"It's okay." She attempted to assure him.
Except it wasn't.
It wasn't right that she suffered because of him. It wasn't right that the entire family suffered because of him.
This was just the tip of the iceberg, only a minor incident in the long line of misfortune to fall upon the minor noble family.
It drove the twelve-year-old nearly mad.
'Why are they always punished because of me?'
"If someone wants to speak so poorly of you, then I don't want to be their friend anyway." Elise spoke further, voice level and tone firm.
She meant those words, but...somehow...that only made it worse, as Rean felt his chest tighten just a tad.
...
Two years later...
A teenage Rean sat alone in the pews of Ymir's church.
The day's sermon had ended a while ago and everyone had already departed, save for the nuns and preacher who ran the religious establishment.
Rean had come here for guidance many times in his life, however, nothing they'd ever taught him, or told him, or anything they did made things any easier
Nothing worked. Nothing helped.
'Why do I even come here?" He pondered bitterly in that moment.
It was for this reason that he did not approach the Sisters and Father, and instead sat alone in the pews.
His eyes were closed and his head was bowed, not in prayer, but rather in reflection.
So many nobles that used to visit Ymir on holiday or to meet with the patriarch of the Schwarzer family, even most of those who'd come simply because they were on good terms with the family...they no longer came around.
It was a grievous social faux pas to be seen associating with the black sheep family of the nobility.
Because they dared to taint the noble line with commoner blood, and for the audacity the 'taint' had to dare lay hands on one of the heirs of the Four Great Houses.
Only those too stuck in their ways and unwilling to give up their favorite vacation spot, or those who had no hope of ever landing in the good graces of the upper crest of the noble caste anyway, would dare to be caught associating with the low-ranked, commoner befouled family.
And even a fair number of them weren't willing to risk drawing the ire of their fellow nobles by being daring to be friendly with the Baron.
'Is this gonna keep happening?' Rean wondered silently to himself.
'I don't want this...I don't want them to have to live like this, just because I'm here...'
He'd just gotten in a shouting match with none other than Verrat Cayenne, the same boy who'd he'd assaulted three years prior.
He'd resisted the urge to deck him this time around, not that it did much good, unfortunately.
He dared to insult his family yet again, not once or twice but nonstop, clearly attempting to rile Rean up. Needless to say, it worked.
The fourteen-year-old vividly remember what happened the last time he'd laid hands on the higher-ranked noble, so he kept himself in check in that regard.
Not that it made a whole lot of difference, since Verrat was sure to demand of all the nobles who had yet to blacklist Ymir and all the establishments wherein to do so now, since he'd been treated so 'poorly' and 'inappropriately'. As such, it was highly doubtful the few noble families that still patronized the Phoenix Wings Inn would be willing to return after this, more so for the fact that Verrat would not be pleased if they did so, rather than actually being offended over what occurred.
Not every family would simply listen and roll over, however, most would. That would hurt Ymir down the line.
'I wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason he came to visit Ymir in the first place. I bet he was looking to start a fight with me, looking for any excuse to tarnish the Schwarzer name even further than it already is; all because of me. And I fell for it!' Rean grit his teeth and clenched his fists, holding his eyes closed as tight as he could; anger flowed through him.
'I'm so damn stupid!' He cursed himself.
'Everything I do makes it harder on them. I always make things worse. I can't seem to do anything right...' Rean lamented silently.
'That's why Master Ka-Fai stopped my training...isn't it? He knew I wouldn't be able to handle it, knew I wouldn't amount to much even with his help...'
Dark thoughts began to run through the fourteen-year-old's mind in that moment.
'I'm so pathetic. I'm...nothing but a burden to everyone around me.'
.
.
.
Then why don't you do the world a favor and just disappear?
Rean awoke to the sound of knocking at his door.
Sitting up in bed, he stifled a groan as he moved the hair that covered his eyes from his case of bed-head.
The dream...or rather, the reliving of some of his memories, didn't exactly make him eager to face the day. If anything, he felt drained, and completely unmotivated in that moment.
"Why don't you do the world a favor and just disappear?" Rean repeated the words he'd heard in his dream aloud.
"I'm the one who thought that..." He acknowledge this to himself.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he decided to just leave it alone.
Getting up out of bed, Rean yawned as he made for his door.
He knew who it was by the time the skin of his palm met the doorknob, as his senses kicked in.
"Hey, Fie, what's up?" He greeted her once he'd opened the door.
Fie noted the only mostly awake look in her childhood friend's eyes, that and the fact that he was still wearing his pajamas; it was clear he'd literally just woken up.
"Didn't mean to wake you. Was already up, so I figured I'd see if you were too."
"That's fine." He waved it off.
"Here, give me a few minutes. I'll take a shower and get changed. Then I'll make us some breakfast, all right?"
"Sounds good."
...
Twenty minutes later, Rean was getting what he needed to make himself and his best friend some breakfast.
As he prepared in the kitchen, Fie opted to hang out there with him rather than wait at the dining table.
"Should only take fifteen minutes or so." The raven-haired teen told her.
"Mm." Came her acknowledgment.
A lull occurred in their communication as Rean prepped to cook, though it was short lived as Fie spoke up.
"You looked a little out of it up there."
"Yeah, I suppose I was." He copped to it easily enough.
"Another nightmare?" She queried.
"Not exactly." He answered.
"What was it then?" She probed.
"Just dreaming about some things I'd rather forget is all." He told her honestly.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really." He supplied.
"We can, if you want to. But I'd rather not."
"Not if you don't want to." She responded with a shake of her head.
"All right then." The diffident swordsman accepted the concession.
"Moving on, if you don't mind; care to tell me more about what you were up to after you left Ymir?" He questioned her, curious.
"You really want to hear more about my time in the corps, even after what I told you in Bareahard?" She asked him with a slightly quirked brow.
"I do." Came his simple response.
"It doesn't matter to me how ugly the stories might be. If they're about you, I want to hear them." He continued.
"I wasn't there to help you through all your hardships, and while hearing about them doesn't come close to making up for it, at least you have someone to talk to about it. It's not much, I know, but I can at least give you someone to confide in, when it becomes too much to bear alone." He spoke sincerely, from the heart, like he always did.
"Alright, I guess, if you insist." She said in response, a ghost of a smile on her face.
"If you wanna be all sappy about it." She teased him.
He chuckled at that. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm sappy. Whatever."
...
After several minutes of swapping stories about their time separated, Fie decided to bring something up that she'd had on her mind for awhile now.
"Rean, I've been meaning to ask you, what happened with Warrick's brother...has it happened to you since then?" The silver-haired maiden suddenly inquired.
"Not counting what happened with Warrick last month; since we've been apart, have you transformed?"
...
Silence ensued for a number of moments then, before Rean was able to bring himself to answer.
"No, I haven't." He replied brusquely.
"But, I have felt my hold on it slip more than once in these past eight years." Before elaborating further, some shame colored his voice as he admitted this. "I'm doing the best I can. I have no intention of ever letting it happen again, I won't do what I did to that man to anyone else, not if I can help it." He assured her.
"If I have a say, you'll never have to see that side of me again."
"That's not what I meant." She replied, now frowning.
"I wasn't doubting you." She reassured him.
"I..." He hesitated in that moment.
"I know, Fie."
Did he though?
...
Rean finished cooking, put the food on two different plates, before turning around to let his childhood friend know it was ready.
Only, the moment he was facing her, she'd closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him as she pulled herself close to him, resting her head against his chest as she hugged him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She apologized, allowing her sincerity to color her voice.
"It's okay. I know what you meant. You don't need to apologize." He affirmed to her.
"You're just concerned about me, I know that." He gave her a smile at that, hugging her back.
They stayed like that for a few moments...
"We should eat before it gets cold." Rean said then.
Fie just nodded her head before letting go of him.
"When we're done, might as well head to the academy. Not much else for us to do with the time we've got before the bell."
The petite ex-jaeger just nodded once more.
Rean, currently on his way to school, found himself face to face with one Patrick T. Hyarms, having run into the noble at the crossway between the paths to the noble dorm and the commoner dorm.
Upon the two teens making eye contact, a confrontation was inevitable. Especially so considering they hadn't really had any interaction since the month prior, when the Schwarzer heir had failed to accept or deny the invitation extended to him.
It went without saying, he'd gone out of his way to avoid having to give any real answer on the subject by simply steering clear of the Hyarms boy.
'Looks like I can't put it off any longer...' Rean thought to himself, as he came to a stop in front of the considerably higher ranked noble.
"I don't appreciate your behavior, Schwarzer." Patrick jumped right in and began, wearing his aggravation openly.
"I don't really know what you're talking about." Rean attempted to evade the accusation, wanting to just get this over with and get to class.
"You've been ducking me, Schwarzer." The Hyarms boy blatantly accused.
"I've tried numerous times to get your answer to my offer, and you go out of your way to avoid me. I showed you courtesy, and you don't even bother to reciprocate." He complained.
"I so generously extended you an invitation, despite your meager position; one that you do not even deserve, mind you, having been adopted into it." The noble teen disparaged the lower ranked boy. "I stuck my neck out for you, out of the kindness of my heart, and attempted to include you in spite of your 'unique' circumstances." He continued to pompously talk down to his fellow academy student.
"The way you responded to my offer, with such disrespect, you might as well have just spat in my face." He angrily deprecated the minor noble's actions.
"I will not have you tarnishing my reputation. I can't have my peers looking at me like some imbecile for inviting someone like you to join us at the noble's salon, only to be ducked and dodged like some sort of pest. It not only sends the message that my company is undesirable, but also that I'm willing to allow anyone into our inner circle. I have attempted to be amicable with you-" Patrick continued his long-winded spiel.
"Look, I'm sorry." The Eight Leaves practitioner cut in, interrupting the scion of one of the Four Great Houses. "I meant no disrespect, I swear." He spoke earnestly; he had no desire to make anyone's life harder than it already was, nor did he wish to offend or upset anyone.
"I just don't have any real interest in going to the Noble Salon, or hanging out with the students that go there. I don't care for all the haughty attitudes and their constant networking." He bluntly explained himself. "And you're...well, let's just say we wouldn't exactly get along. So if you really want an answer that badly, then thanks, but no thanks. I'm afraid I have to decline." He politely informed his fellow noble.
"I apologize for any inconvenience I've imposed upon you or anything of the sort." He added for good measure.
"You think that will suffice when you've made me look like a fool? You-" Patrick started, only to be cut off once more.
"He said no, so hit the bricks." Fie butted in, as she came up from behind her childhood friend.
"First of all, who do you think you are, interrupting those of higher standing!? Second, what does that even mean?" The Hyarms kid replied with great irritation.
"Right, pampered noble, you wouldn't know that phrase." The petite girl commented.
"Excuse me!?" The strawberry-blond exclaimed.
"Watch how you speak to me, Jaeger Tot!" He commanded.
"'Jaeger Tot'? Get that one from Verrat?" The stoic girl queried.
"I doubt you came up with it yourself." She added.
"What is that supposed to mean!?" The pompous noble demanded.
"I'm calling you stupid." Fie answered in a completely deadpan manner.
The humble swordsman nearly did a double-take at his childhood friend, surprised by her sudden aggressiveness.
'Something's bothering her.' He realized almost immediately.
"Why you little-!" Extremely offended, Patrick stepped forward, invading the younger teen's personal space as he stuck his hand in her face.
"You listen here-!"
Only to find his hand being pulled back, by Rean.
"Back off, Patrick." He told him, voice steady and tone firm; he wore an almost grim expression that the high-ranking noble had never seen on him before. Not to mention the whiplash he almost got from the sudden tone shift.
Snatching his hand away from the Schwarzer heir, Patrick attempted to hide his wince of pain, having not been expecting such a strong grip.
"Take your filthy hands off me!" He exclaimed furiously, partly because he was genuinely pissed, and partly as a sort of bravado to cover up the fact that he'd been hurt.
"Don't think you can speak to me however you please, Schwarzer!" He returned his full attention to the other male present. "Just because Ymir's Lord took you in out of pity doesn't change the fact that you're a nobody without a drop of noble blood!" He derided the adopted noble.
In spite of himself, the diffident swordsman's eyes widened a fraction as those words hit close to home. They didn't hurt so much as remind him of the times he had been hurt by all too similar words.
Patrick spared a few more words of denigration and other such; Rean honestly wasn't paying much attention at this point; before taking off, leaving the childhood friends alone with a warning to watch themselves.
...
"Are you alright, Rean?" Fie asked him, letting her concern show for a moment.
She'd, of course, noticed how the uptight noble's words had affected him.
Her voice broke him from his state of thought. "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine."
He shook his head clear of further thoughts on the matter.
"That said..." He continued to speak, turning to face her.
"What was that about?" He asked her outright.
"Guess I'm just tired of sitting around and watching as assholes talk down to you." The petite teen answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Decided I'd had enough."
He took a long look at her then, searching for a sign she wasn't telling him everything. Whether he found it or not, he seemed to be content after a handful of moments.
"Okay." He accepted her words at face-value, giving a sigh of defeat as he did so.
With that, they continued on towards the academy.
Half of Class VII could be found eating together in the cafeteria: Rean, Fie, Laura, Machias, and Jusis all monopolizing the table closest to the back.
The childhood friends sat next to each other; Machias and Jusis sat either side the two, and Laura sat across from the duo.
They'd just gotten comfortable and begun to eat, enjoying some light conversation as they did; plenty of other students were currently flooding in and ordering their lunches or unpacking whatever they'd brought for themselves; when a certain topic came up...
"Rean...forgive me for asking, but..." Machias began, before lowering his voice to almost a whisper.
"...were you really the one who killed that jaeger's brother?" He inquired with concern.
The flow of conversation between the five classmates came to an immediate halt at this.
"You have my sincerest apologies for bringing up what I'm sure is a sensitive subject, and if you truly don't feel comfortable talking about it, I'll drop it. That said, however, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since that fiasco down in the waterway; you confessed to being the one who did it. Was that true? Were you really the one who killed him?" The bespectacled bookworm enjoined his friend to answer.
A moment of silence passes...
"Way to bring the table down, Regnitz." Jusis chided his rival.
"What does it matter?" Fie rebuffed the class VP.
"He said it to protect me."
"I know that. But what's been bothering me...is how. You were just a kid when it happened, right? I've been racking my brain for days and haven't been able to come up with any sort of real answer." The dark green-haired eighteen year old told them.
He needn't mention that he didn't believe the explanation the swordsman had given at the time when pressed, they all knew that was bogus.
"Perhaps it'd be better to ask such things at a more appropriate time, Machias." Laura interjected. "You've kept you voice sufficiently low, however, we're in a public place, anyone could overhear if they listened hard enough. I'm sure Rean would prefer to have this conversation in private."
"Indeed." The aloof blond concurred.
"I had thought you'd have better manners than that." He commented.
The bespectacled genius shot a glare at his rival then, before sighing at that. "You're right. I'm sorry, Rean. I just...I can't shake this uneasy feeling about the whole thing. Forget I even asked."
Forest-green met fuchsia then, as Rean and Machias locked eyes; suddenly, the diffident swordsman gave his friend the answer to his inquiry. "Yeah...yeah, I did. As for how..."
The raven-haired youth averted his eyes then. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"He was there on a hit. He'd come to assassinate Rean. Decided he'd kidnap his little sister and kill me too, while he was at it." Fie laid the context of the incident out.
"If Rean hadn't done what he did, neither he or I would be here now." The ex-jaeger bluntly apprised her classmate.
"I can give you all the gory details, if you want." She offered passive-aggressively.
"N-No, that's all right. I didn't mean to upset you guys. I was just..." Machias fumbled for his words, dismayed by the fact that he'd distressed his friends.
"I'm really sorry, okay? It'd just been nagging at me, and I didn't think it would bother you two this much, and-"
"It's okay, Machias, really." Rean assured him then, able to bring himself to look at his friends once more.
"There's no need to apologize. It's not your fault I'm squeamish about the details of that day." He further assured his friend, giving a smile to let him know he meant it.
The bespectacled teen let out a sigh of relief at that.
"It's a sore subject." The silver-haired maiden laid out. "So just leave it alone."
"I'll tell you guys about it one day, if you really want, I promise. Just not today." The Schwarzer heir attempted to placate, a sheepish expression on his face.
"That sounds more than reasonable." Laura said.
"We'll hold you to that." Jusis informed him.
"I would appreciate that. Thank you." Machias agreed to leave it at that for now.
The five ate in a companionable silence for a short while then.
...
"Hey guys, room for two more?" Came a familiar voice, getting the table's attention.
There stood Elliot and Gaius, both holding trays of food, looking for a place to sit.
"I'm sure we can make the space." Rean spoke for the table, giving the two the go ahead to pull up chairs.
So they did just that.
Gaius sat beside Jusis.
"You two look like you're getting along well." Elliot remarked as he sat beside Machias.
This comment earned the orange-haired teen a small glare from the rivals.
Which just caused him to chuckle. "Haha. You guys may not like it, but everyone has noticed. And I mean everyone. I heard some girls from Class III talking about it this morning." He informed them.
"We may have noticed it as soon as you guys got back, but it seems the other students are picking up on it too." He reiterated his point, just to make it clear.
"Wonderful." The imperial fencer uttered sarcastically.
The bookworm just rolled his eyes.
"Rean, Fie, how has your training been progressing?" Gaius queried, getting everyone's attention on the childhood friends.
"Oh yeah, you guys have been at it every day for over a month now, right?" The timid violinist questioned.
"Even when they were supposed to be recovering they were training; you guys are too reckless." The class VP chastised the duo.
"Course' we were." Fie made no effort to deny it.
"We made sure to keep training during the field study; we weren't gonna let some injuries stop us. Besides, we were cautious and only did some light stuff, to be safe." She reassured them. "And to answer your question, Gaius, it's going well."
"Training?" Laura repeated.
"If you would permit me, I would be thrilled to join you two sometime." The swordswoman requested with a grin.
"I wouldn't mind assisting, if you so desired." Jusis offered.
"Haha, thanks guys. We'll be sure to take you up on that, eventually." The humble swordsman responded with gratitude.
...
After awhile, lunch nearly over, the seven classmates dispersed.
Rean and Fie were the last ones of the group to leave the cafeteria.
As the pair headed for the main building, they passed a few students; none of them really paid the two any attention, except for one.
He wore the normal green blazer and brown slacks, had short brown hair, green eyes, and slightly tanned skin; he appeared to be a second-year.
He seemed to be eyeing Fie as he approached them. But, he made no move to get their attention or stop them.
However, as he was to pass them, he purposely drew too close and collided with the younger girl's shoulder, shoulder checking her without actually using his shoulder; too tall for that to work.
That would be more than enough to get the two's attention. But it was what came out of his mouth as he did this that really got them, "Murderer."
His voice was lowered to nothing but a whisper so that only the two of them could hear him.
Fie was visibly taken off guard in that moment; turning to face this stranger she'd never seen before in her life, she was unable to hide the slightest bit of hurt displayed in her eyes.
The older boy had turned to face her as well, ignoring the other male entirely, and stared back with nothing but hate in his eyes.
"Got something to say, jaeger-bitch?" He spat with absolute contempt.
The silver-haired maiden managed to school herself then, her usual neutral expression returning as she buried the tiny bit of hurt down deep, away from all eyes.
"No." She responded simply to his open hostility.
Rean was so shocked by all this he'd found himself unable to react.
That is until the second-year sneered at Fie, taking a step forward, invading her personal space, looking none too friendly as he did so.
Whether he was going to shout in her face or hit her, he didn't get the chance to do either, as he found himself roughly shoved back, Rean forcefully getting between them.
"Back off." Rean warned the punk; expression now far more serious.
"And just who the hell are you!?" The older teenager demanded, turning his glare on him.
The Eight Leaves practitioner glared right back at him, looking none too kind himself.
"Her friend." He gruffly informed.
The two glared at one and other for a long moment, before...
"Tsk, whatever!" The punk second-year exclaimed, before slinking off, leaving the two alone next to the main building.
"The hatred in his eyes...I've seen it before." The stoic fifteen-year-old suddenly stated, getting her best friend's focus on her, rather than the retreating form of the older boy.
"A jaeger killed someone important to him." She averred without a shred of doubt in her.
She knew for certain; she'd seen that look too many times before.
"That doesn't give him the right to treat you like that." Rean proclaimed with conviction, as he patted her head to comfort her.
"Mm. I know that."
Seventh Period, Combat Practice
Class VII was gathered on the field, standing in line formation; Sara across from them, unusually quiet.
Just as her silence began to make some of her students uncomfortable, at least a few thinking she had some sort of crazy idea to make things hell for them today; she finally spoke.
"All right, guys, today we'll be doing things a bit differently." She informed her students.
Audible groans could be heard from both Elliot and Alisa at that.
"Don't get you panties in a bunch, this isn't some special physical lesson; we're going to be covering something important that every military academy student should be prepared to deal with." She announced.
That got a few quirked brows.
"For the four of you that weren't with Group A in Bareahard, I'm sure the others have told you about how hairy things got. However, since you weren't actually there in person, I highly doubt you're able to grasp how bad the situation really was." The twenty-something posited.
"There's a world of difference between reading a report ,or hearing about a dire combat situation secondhand, and experiencing it yourself." The former bracer lectured.
All eyes were laser-focused on the instructor at this point, the air of seriousness ridding any concerns about her usual hair-tearing inducing craziness.
"As such..." She continued. "Today I want to talk to you guys about something that everyone in the military must eventually face; bracers, jaegers, and even students like you too, simply because you attend a military academy." She preambled.
"Taking a life." She revealed the topic of the lesson, her jovial nature gone and replaced by a somewhat more serious demeanor.
Silence...
Everyone was at attention.
No moans, groans or complaints; they all stood and listened attentively.
"How many of you have actually taken a life?" Sara queried the teenagers, her words getting some of them to stand up straighter, several frowns forming.
"Let me be clear, I'm not asking if you've killed some wild animal or even a ferocious monster." She clarified.
"What I'm asking you is this: who amongst you has taken the life of another human being?" She posed this grim question to her students.
A disquiet air seemed to settle over the class then, a number of them clearly quite uncomfortable with the inquiry.
Elliot had begun fidgeting, Alisa was distributing her weight from side to side as she moved from one foot to the other, Emma was fiddling with her glasses; those three were just the ones that could not help but display their uneasiness.
After a long, stretched out period of anxious silence, only two of the nine raised their hands.
Fie was first, to the surprise of no one.
That said, it didn't stop the glances from the more sensitive members of the group; no ill intent was behind the looks, so she didn't mind.
The second elicited more of a reaction, as Rean raised his hand, to the great shock of Alisa, Elliot, and Emma.
The three didn't just glance at him, they outright stared for several moments.
Gaius seemed surprised as well, though considerably less so than the other three.
Sara stepped forward then, shortening the distance between her and the childhood friends to a few short rege.
The instructor pointedly met their gaze, locking eyes with them, as she uttered a single word.
"Why?"
It was only a single syllable that passed her lips, but the steely tone she'd said it with was enough to intimidate.
"To survive." Fie's answer came easy, the words rolling off her tongue; she showed no hesitance, as she met her mentor's gaze and stared her down.
"I..." Rean hesitated for just a single moment, closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath to try and calm himself.
"I did it to protect someone." He answered with conviction, yet there was visible doubt in his eyes.
Fie subtly reached out with her right hand then, taking hold of Rean's left hand, getting his attention.
The raven-haired teen's eyes shot to Fie, as she grabbed his hand and held it.
She met his eyes with her own; she didn't speak a word, but the edges of her mouth quirking upward into the smallest of smiles let him know she was trying to comfort and reassure him.
A light blush formed on his face at the feel of her hand in his, but the implications of such a thing fell to the wayside as warmth filled his heart at the meaning behind her gesture.
'She's always there for me when I need her...'
"Thank you." Sara thanked the two, her usual merry tone returning as she smiled at them.
She'd taken note of their physical contact, having been the only one to do so, but said nothing on the subject.
She backed off then, returning to her original spot across from her class.
"Now that we have examples, we can discuss the matter in further detail."
Class VII's instructor would go on to speak candidly with her students on the topic of taking a life, and all the messy aspects that came with it.
Rean and Fie were once more upon the academy field, locked in combat, today being the first time they've been able to train seriously since they'd been injured back in Bareahard; as such, they were making up for lost time.
Having already been at it for awhile now, the battle was reaching it's climax...
As the childhood friends crossed blades, the younger of the two was caught off guard, as the older managed to disarm her, knocking her gunblades from her grasp.
Recovering from her shock quickly, she gave as good as she got, and disarmed him in turn with a well-placed kick.
No longer wielding any sort of weapons, most would call it here, and pronounce the fight a draw.
Not this duo.
The Eight Leaves practitioner began to backpedal away from his opponent, swaying side to side as he dodged her attacks; avoiding punches, ducking kicks, sidestepping elbows: he expertly evaded her assault.
Until she overextended herself with a right overhand punch, to which the unarmed swordsman pivoted back and guided her fist away with his left hand, pushing her arm across her chest. Now vulnerable, she was unable to defend as he counter attacked, striking her directly in the face with an open palm.
Her head knocked back from the attack, she faltered; Rean capitalized by extending his fingers to their limit, stiffening his hand, and delivering a right-handed chop to the side of the neck.
Unfortunately for him, she tanked the hit, hissing in discomfort, before turning the tables on him.
Not allowing him to retract his arm, the stoic girl latched onto the hand against her neck, before driving her left fist into her training partner's stomach.
The punch rocked the Schwarzer heir, spittle escaping his mouth as he coughed, the air forced from him; his body threatened to fold in on itself from the power of the blow. Not content to leave it there, the silver-haired fifteen-year-old followed up with a shot to the ribs, the strike eliciting a gasp from the recipient; he had to fight to keep from reflexively leaning toward his injury as he was wracked with pain.
Going for a third strike, she was thwarted, as the raven-haired boy caught her balled up hand with his own free one. To give himself some distance, he lashed out with a kick, forcing her to let go of him and retreat.
This gave him a second to recover as he took in several deep breaths.
'I often forget how unnaturally strong she is.' He thought to himself in that moment, as he cradled the two spots that'd been struck with her freakishly strong strikes.
'It's easy to write her off in that regard because of her size, but I'd wager that when it comes to physical strength, at least, she's the top of our class. Probably the entire school...' He pondered.
'The only person I can think of who might be able to match her, besides Instructor Sara, would be Laura...'
Straightening up, Rean reengaged his training partner, the two beginning to trade blows back and forth.
"Think I'll ever be as strong as you are?" The humble swordsman queried, only half-serious, countering a roundhouse kick.
"I'll make sure of it." The ex-jaeger promised him, deflecting his palm thrust and punishing him with a jab to the shoulder.
The childhood friends grinned back at one and other, and continued their training.
...
After much back and forth, both combatants were showing some serious fatigue.
They'd lost track of time at this point, the only thing giving them any vague idea of what time it was being the setting sun in the distance. These two factors made it inevitable that this training bout was drawing to a close.
It had been close so far, so it could go either way.
Since that was the case, Fie decided to go for broke, forcing her opponent to retreat as she struck out with a series of kicks. Rean reacted as she'd predicted he would, taking several backsteps and putting some distance between them.
That was her chance.
Breaking into a sprint, she charged him, rushing him with speed too great for him to dodge.
Eyes widening, the diffident swordsman realized what she was doing immediately; she was going to hit him with a shoulder block takedown and call it a win. There wasn't enough time to get out of the way, so he did the only thing he could think of, he threw himself into her head on; the two collided with opposing force.
As their bodies collided, they spun out, revolving a full three hundred sixty degrees before collapsing to the ground on top of one and other.
They'd wound up with Fie lying on her back, Rean atop of her, bodies so close that their noses were nearly touching.
Exhausted, they were both panting.
"I'd call that a draw." The younger of the two spoke up.
'He's shown so much improvement. He managed to keep pace with me for the entire fight.' She thought to herself, impressed.
"Fair enough." The older of the two had no qualms with the ruling.
Silence followed then, the only noise being the labored breathing the duo were doing.
Neither had spoken of the compromising position they'd suddenly found themselves in, merely content to stare into each other's eyes; fuschia dancing with lime-green.
Unconsciously, Rean moved in closer; Fie made no effort to stop him, as his lips drew dangerously near. A light blush dusted both childhood friends' faces at the extremely close proximity.
"Fie..." He breathed her name, not thinking straight in that moment.
"Rean..." She mimicked him, waiting for him to close that last bit of distance.
In that instant, both wanted nothing more than to kiss the other.
Before their lips could join, however, Rean came to his senses.
Having caught himself, he pulled back, visibly straining as he forced himself to do this.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Look what you almost did!' He mentally berated himself.
'You were going to steal her first kiss from her! Think before you act dammit!'
As he stood, he missed the visible disappointment on Fie's face.
Holding his hand out to her, she took it; he helped her to her feet.
"I'm sorry about that." He apologized, unable to meet her eyes with his own; genuinely remorseful for what had occurred.
"Rean, it's o-" The silver-haired maiden began, only to be cut off.
"Please, just...just forget about what happened just now." He requested, still unable to look at her.
A frown had carved itself into her face at this point.
"I...I'll see you tomorrow, Fie." With that, Rean moved to retrieve his blade, and then just walked away.
In spite of herself, Fie did not follow after him.
A touch of sadness welled up inside her, as she thought to herself 'I wanted you to kiss me...'
She knew this would be difficult. She'd have to just keep at it. She would keep trying.
This little setback would not stop her.
Rean found himself wandering Trista, not willing to return to the dorms just yet.
Living in this small town, there were only so many places he could go. As such, it didn't surprise him that he eventually ended up at the local chapel, walking down the aisle and looking for an empty pew to sit in; there were no shortage of them, as besides the preacher and a sister, there was only one other person present.
"Fancy meeting you here, Rean." Came the voice of this other person, getting Rean's attention.
"Hey there, Gaius." Rean greeted his friend upon spotting him, meeting him with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Did you come to pray?"
"Yeah." The foreigner confirmed. "The sun's almost completely set, so I figured I'd come along and give my thanks for another fulfilling day."
"Wow, you're pretty pious, Gaius." The Schwarzer heir remarked. "Come to think of it, we first met here on the day of the entrance ceremony, too."
"Haha, that we did." The long brown-haired teen acknowledged with a laugh. "Hard to believe it's already been over two months since then."
Rean decided to sit like he'd originally planned then, taking the pew furthest in the back, to the left. As he did this, he allowed his shoulders to sag and he released a heavy sigh.
"Are you alright?" The soft-spoken nord inquired with concern. "You seem troubled."
"Do I?" Rean was a bit caught by surprise that his friend had picked up on his less than stellar mood.
Gaius nodded his head at that.
"You do. Just as you have for the past week. Even more so than usual, in fact." He pointed out.
"I usually seemed troubled?" The raven-haired youth questioned with confusion.
"To some degree, yes." The kind nord confirmed.
"You always seem to be holding something back. It may have taken some longer than others, but everyone in our class has picked up on it at this point." He apprised his friend.
"But these past seven days, it's been a bit different. I'd reckon that, whatever it is, it's not the same thing you're usually struggling with." The spearman postulated.
Rean was visibly surprised by his classmate's insight.
"Heh, you certainly got that right." He admitted.
"Did you come to pray regarding whatever it is that troubles you so?" Gaius inquired.
The diffident swordsman seemed to tense at that; his taller friend did not fail to notice this.
"Not exactly."
"Did you not come to pray on your first day here in Trista?" Gaius queried with a quirked brow.
"Heh, not really, no." Rean replied with a self-deprecating chuckle.
The nord's brow furrowed in puzzlement at that.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you come to the church on your first day here, then?"
"I did it out of habit, if I'm being entirely honest." The humble swordsman responded.
He fidgeted in his seat for a brief moment then.
"I'm not exactly a devout believer." He reluctantly disclosed.
A dead silence followed his words.
"The only real reason I even come to church is...well, the fact that I was raised into it." He divulged, if for nothing more than to fill the silence.
"My family attended regularly, on top of my Sunday school education, and the fact that my father is close with the preacher; it's only natural that it became a part of my daily life. However, I rarely find myself believing in Aidios, and more just end up paying respect to the teachings and symbolism related to her. I don't so much believe, as I do go through the motions of belief." The adopted noble expatiated, unbosoming himself in this matter; his sheepishness and a touch of guilt written across his face.
"I see." Gaius said simply, openly contemplating his classmate's words.
More silence followed...
"I'm sorry if anything I said offended you." Rean said suddenly, feeling the compulsion to say something, anything to break the silence.
"What?" Gaius asked with bewilderment.
"The people of the Nord Highlands revere Aidios as well, don't they? I just didn't know how you might feel about the things I had to say." He explained himself.
"Ah, I understand." The spearman nodded his head.
As silence seemed like it was going to set in once more, the taller of the two continued to speak.
"It is said that Emperor Dreichels himself appealed to the church once the War of the Lions came to a close. Because of that, even now, a traveling priest visits regularly to hold classes, kind of like your Sunday school here." He informed his friend. "But we also revere the winds that blow through the highlands just as much as we do the Goddess herself." He affixed that part to his statement.
"This has been a tradition passed down by our ancestors ever since they first set foot in the highlands." He elaborated. "So, as far as I'm concerned, I see no difference between the fact that the people of Erebonia don't share our reverence for the wind, and the fact that you don't worship the Goddess." He expounded.
"I don't begrudge them, nor am I offended by their lack of belief, so why should it be any different with you?"
Rean couldn't help but be a bit taken aback at all that.
"That's...wow, okay, I guess I never really thought about it that way." He admitted.
"You're wise beyond your years, huh, Gaius?" He complimented his classmate.
The friends simply shared a smile at that; the humble swordsman's being far more genuine this time.
"Still, the winds and the Goddess, huh...? Would that mean you hold Sunday school out among the fields or something?" The Schwarzer heir speculated aloud.
"You're honestly not too far off. Most of our classes are held outside." The gentle foreigner let him know he was on the right track. "I learned a lot from the traveling priest who was there when I was younger. What he taught me back then even shaped who I am now."
'Sounds like quite a guy...' Rean thought to himself.
"All that said..." The soft-spoken nord spoke again, getting back on subject. "If there's anyone you should be apologizing to, it's yourself."
"Huh?" Was the humble swordsman's simple, perplexed response.
"You bottle everything up and bury it down deep. You keep everything to yourself. That's an arduous and wearisome way to live one's life." The spearman delineated.
"I understand that there are things you may not want to talk about, but I am here to lend an ear, if you wish someone to listen." He offered in an friendly and open manner.
"After all, that's what friends are for, right?" The nord had purposely turned Rean's own words against him, and by the grin he wore, he knew it too.
Rean couldn't help but laugh. "Hahahaha. I see what you did there."
With a sigh, he gave another smile.
"Thanks, Gaius." If nothing else, his friend had managed to raise his spirits a bit.
"You're more than welcome."
Laura stepped back, having just finished another set of sword katas.
She was only slightly winded, despite performing numerous powerful swings.
'I need to increase my stamina further.' She mentally restated her objective to herself.
'I ran out before our battle with Warrick had concluded. If I'd been capable of battling alongside Rean and Fie for longer, we may not have been in such a dire situation. If I had stood my ground with them, they may not have been so grievously injured; Instructor Sara may not have needed to save us.' She expounded her reasoning, trying to further motivate herself.
'If I had been capable of battling with them, perhaps we could have survived on our own.' She pondered to herself.
'I must be capable of doing so the next time we run into such a fearsome adversary. So that we will continue to live, so that we will be victorious.' She resolved to herself.
...
Just as the swordswoman was to start another set of katas, a knock at her door caught her attention.
Placing her blade down, allowing it to lean against her bed, she went to answer her door.
Once open, it revealed her visitor to be none other than her newest friend.
"Fie, how may I help you?" She greeted the younger girl with a smile.
"Can I talk to you?" The stoic teen requested of her senior.
"Of course, please, come in." The well-spoken noble ushered her in, before closing her door.
"So then, what's on your mind?" The older girl asked her junior outright, as she turned to face her.
"How would you get a boy's attention?" The petite teenager came right out and bluntly queried.
Laura was understandably surprised by this sudden inquiry.
"I-I'm afraid I have no experience with boys, at least not in any romantic sense." She explicated.
"That said, if I wanted to get a boy's attention, I suppose I would challenge him to a duel." She answered to the best of her ability.
"That won't work. Not with Rean." The silver-haired maiden shot that idea down immediately.
"I want him to take notice of me as more than a friend." She explained.
'Preferably without having to beat him over the head with it.' She thought somewhat sardonically.
"Hold on just a moment. While I'm honored you would come to me with this, I must ask, why me?" The blue-haired teen questioned.
"You're the only friend I have that's a girl." Fie replied.
"And isn't crazy." Came her addendum, thinking of Vivi and Edel in that moment.
The well-spoken swordswoman was oddly touched by that.
'She came to me for help. I must assist her somehow.' She decided then.
"Well, I suppose... Ah, I know. You could try cooking for him." The noble girl suddenly stated.
"From what I understand, cooking for someone is a common way to show love. It doesn't always have romantic connotations, however, a girl making something for a boy she likes is a classic show of affection." She elucidated.
"Mm. I see. That makes sense." Fie said with a nod of her head.
"Thanks, Laura. I'll try that."
"Glad I could help."
It was late, everyone had turned in for the night; almost everyone.
There was one person up past curfew, and for once it wasn't Sara.
Fie, with the grace of a cat, snuck down onto the first floor with practiced ease.
Taking a quick moment, she examined her surroundings, just to make sure no one else was down here. She would be able to sense most anyone that was, but as she'd learned in her time with Sara, those who knew how were capable of suppressing their presence. It ranged from person to person, some could lower it so that they would be almost indistinguishable among others in a crowd, and a few could even make their's disappear entirely.
Satisfied she was alone, Fie made a beeline for the kitchen.
...
Laura was restless, unable to sleep this night. As such, she decided she'd have herself a snack and perform a few more sets of sword katas.
Exiting her room, she made for the stairs and descended them at a decent clip. In doing so, she arrived down on the first floor rather quickly, thus allowing her to catch the sounds of pots and pans clattering.
Curiosity piqued, she approached the kitchen, already knowing who was in there as she sensed them out.
...
"Fie, what are you doing?" She questioned the younger girl with a quirked brow, as she entered the room she was in; taking notice of the fact that the fifteen-year-old was cleaning up a mess she'd made.
"What does it look like? I'm practicing my cooking." She retorted, sounding just a touch annoyed.
"I didn't think you'd start so soon." The well-spoken swordswoman admitted.
"I figured you would at least wait until tomorrow."
"Nope. Need to get a jump on this. The sooner he realizes, the better." She replied, as she finished scrambling to pick up the cookware.
"You appear to be having trouble." The blue-haired noble noted with a hint of amusement.
"Yeah, I'm not exactly a housewife, or a five-star chef." The silver-haired teenager snarked.
"Really? Rean had said you had a long time interest in cooking."
"Yeah, keyword being 'interest'. I don't know how to cook for shit." She confessed rather bluntly.
"All I can make are combat rations. Great for sustenance on the battlefield, crap for taste." She explicated.
"I've no more experience in the culinary arts than I do the opposite sex, to tell the truth. That said, if you desire my assistance, I will do my best to help you." Laura offered.
"Sounds good to me. I could use all the help I can get." Fie accepted with no hesitation.
So, the older girl joined her in the kitchen.
"Oh, there is one favor you must grant me, however." Laura affixed to her offer at the last second.
"And that would be?" Fie asked with a quirked brow.
"I would greatly appreciate hearing about your time in Ymir."
"Sure, why not?" The ex-jaeger acquiesced with a grin.
The two girls would practice cooking through the night, Fie regaling Laura with stories of her time with Rean in Ymir all the while.
END NOTE: COLD STEEL 3! OCTOBER 22! FUCK YEAH!