ordine | because today is the very last day.

because today is the very last day.

We'll allow you to be in Class VII under the guise of someone being brought in to be an example for the other students. I'll trust that you'll watch over those children and, at the same time, look for signs of Rean Schwarzer being one of the key members of the Imperial Liberation Front.

"Man, they're always giving me the hard jobs. Slave drivers, all of 'em!"

But, that didn't matter now. Rean was here at the academy, sleeping among the members of Class VII, keeping to himself and looking for Crow at every opportunity. It wasn't like Crow hadn't seen him around once or twice, having caught a glimpse of him when Rean was running around delivering student notebooks with all the enthusiasm as a workaholic, but...

(The rot has already begun to settle. He can feel it somewhere deep inside of him, scalding hot and dark as it coils around his heart. His inner beast sings for its kin, for Rean, and it's slightly frustrating how empty he realizes that he was without him.)

He was treading some very fine ground. Both Sara and the Principal believed him when he said he had nothing to do with them anymore other than the occasional check-in to make sure everyone was alive, but with Rean here it was like everything was either going to get really intense or really catastrophic. Or maybe it'll be both? I really hope I'm worrying for nothing.

The door to the classroom swung open with a simple push and he breathed in real deep, mustering up a fearless smile as he walked inside and settled in front of the class between the students and Instructor Sara, all the mirth in the world in his eyes even as they scanned the starstruck faces of his new classmates searching for the one he was looking for.

"So, a little birdie told me you all needed a good role model for the next two years and I was gracious enough to accept. Starting today, I'll be a member of Class VII with all you fine folks-- hope you guys don't mind. It's gonna be pretty sweet! ♪"

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Rean was at the back, at the very last row. He'd picked the seat nearest to the window -- admittedly, because an old friend joked that if he had to go undercover somewhere, the best spot was always the spot nearest to the easiest exit -- and was slumped on the desk pretending to be asleep when he heard that very familiar voice.

Crow. It had been several years by now since Crow had left the ILF with Ordine and pretty much disappeared from their collective radars. Crow had been the best agent there was in their group and he'd used it to successfully evade them. Evade him; though, he was certain that wasn't much of a feat in itself. Despite the time lag, Rean could recognize that voice -- the tinge of playfulness Crow infused his speech with, when he was trying to be friendly -- anywhere.

He stamped out the burning urge - almost literally, with the mark on his chest flaring up ever so slightly- to just shoot up from his chair and quickly make sure it was Crow introducing himself in front of the class. His cover was that of something of a lazy and eternally sleepy student so Rean had to, somehow, pretend not to be particularly interested.

He made a show of stirring before slowly lifting his head up from his desk to 'sleepily' study their new arrival.

He froze when their eyes met. Crow easily stripped him of whatever pretense he'd set up. He wasn't hiding who he was, not from Crow at least, but that small bit of confidence he'd gained from pretending to be an unlikely addition to Class 7 with his near-narcoleptic tendency to sleep anywhere, and barely-passing marks that Class 7 had accepted so easily.... well, it made Rean feel like his lies were paper thin and that he had to try harder, especially now that Crow had decided to appear here, right before him.

There we are. Good boy.

Crow's mind was full of praises upon seeing that familiar tuft of hair pop up from the desk to stare at him, all shocked awe and slightly blistering heat in his own chest. He was able to ignore it in favor of waving off the flying concerns of having a second year in their class, of it being the student who swooped in and took the top marks of the year like it was nothing (he remembered that as the requirement for them to see how serious he actually was about attending the academy), and the debate of whether or not Crow is actually a good role model.

He was almost appalled at their lack of confidence in him. Almost. It wasn't like he had a lot of interaction with them yet and while Sara explained to them that Crow actually took part in Class VII's prototype class, Crow's already started to direct his gaze back at Rean if only to just--

Wink.

Flirty and friendly and overflowing with stars, Crow winked at him from across the room as if that would be recognition and sign enough that he knew who he was and there was nothing to worry about. That, Crow hoped against hope, would stay true for as long as humanly possible. He wasn't entirely sure what his old friends were up to, but it smelled way too fishy.

The occurrence in Celdric and Rean enrolling in Thors...

Crow was worried. The last thing he needed was to be convinced to come back, but if Rean was still involved with the Imperial Liberation Front then he had no choice but to investigate. His last talk with Scarlet ensured that, if Rean stayed, he would at least be watched over until he left, but now Crow's concerned that he never did.

Why? He has a family to return to who're worried sick.

Crow was intent on finding out.

There was very little Rean could do about the heat rising up to his cheeks. He could learn subterfuge, learn how to lie just a bit better, but willing himself not to blush, or keeping all those little instantaneous reactions in check, were still things that were far beyond Rean's reach. No amount of effort was going to give him mastery over those in a span of several years and so, instantly feeling like he was laid bare for anyone who took that moment to look back at him, to look long enough even, Rean feigned a yawn and curled back up on his desk, like a little turtle retreating into his shell.

One way or another, he was going to have the talk he'd long wanted to have with Crow. Right now, surrounded by classmates and under the watchful eye of Sara, there was very, very little he could do.

Crow didn't bother to hide his own amused snrk, deigning to stride down the isle to the desk in front of Rean's with a gait that speaks levels of how self-confident he is in his identity and choices. He would always maintain that he did what he had to do, no matter what anyone asked, but knowing that Rean likely had something to say to him wasn't going to deter him at all.

Under Sara's watchful gaze, Crow still reached over and ruffled Rean's hair before sitting down, unmindful of the disturbance he's caused thus far.

It was just another day in another class here at Thors Military Academy for him. And now, he wasn't entirely alone or heart-achingly empty anymore.

Rean shivered a bit, keenly feeling Crow's fingers as they ruffled his hair. Crow had done that to him before, many times. It had been a common gesture between the two of them, but like this, when Rean was trying to ignore Crow in front of the whole class, it seemed to multiply the gesture's effect. He pretended not to notice, to still be blissfully asleep, but he was sure Crow could see the way his ears grew slightly redder.

He wondered if he was going to have to answer why Crow did that to him. And what Crow's plans were, to begin with....

Crow, being the honest little shit he was, couldn't keep the delighted little laugh inside at catching Rean's reactions and that spurs one of their classmates's - green hair, miffed expression (over having been so thoroughly surprised) - questions, ones he took without missing a beat even as he turns to the side to casually card his fingers through Rean's hair. Crow was always comfortable with Rean and to see him here made his entire body tingle with happiness.

The Instructor had already finished her own introduction for Crow to the class, so it left Crow (and Rean) open to a new stream of questions.

"Why are you acting so familiar with him?"

He was all too happy to oblige, no matter what the situation at hand. "Oh, yeah! He's an old friend." Really, really old. "You won't have any problems with this one. He's a good kid."

And Crow had nothing but praises for Rean: a good kid, pretty strong, very fluffy and well-mannered. A proper noble gentleman with a good heart. Rean always wore his heart on his sleeve, so walking in and seeing him taking his joking advice only made Crow more suspicious of him. But, it didn't seem like he was any different than before; he still blushed at innocent flirting and got a little embarrassed over even more innocent ruffling. Crow was looking for a reaction and he certainly got what he wanted.

It was teeth rotting cute.

And just how are you going to explain how we're old friends?, Rean grumbled in his mind. He said nothing, of course, just kept his head down. He was aware, though, that Crow was definitely going to take this chance to feed them anything he wanted... unless Rean cut in. And that, Rean wasn't confident he could do without blowing at least part of his cover.

He couldn't help it, but even like this, he was sure he wouldn't be able to completely control what he said, let alone his actions, around Crow.

And speaking of the devil, Laura piped up, "An old friend?"

Crow's all smiles and sunshine as he answered, taking Rean's silence in stride, almost as if he were taking it as permission to say what he wanted until he's stopped, "Yup! ♪ We met back in my wild, rebellious days. Been a while since I last saw him, though. Since he's not awake to tell me himself, how's he been so far?"

Here, Crow didn't expect to hear that Rean slept through his classes with the excuse of having borderline narcolepsy and his grades were just barely passable. If anything they told him was new information at all to him, he didn't show it, and instead hummed along in confirmation like he knew what they were going to say all along. All of it reeks of something suspicious, but none of his suspicions leak through his face or tone as he keeps them schooled perfectly pleasant and cheerful.

Nothing about the field study was mentioned, which was fine with Crow; he already knew the details having heard it from Sara as he read through the reports. He was glad, at the very least, that everyone handled their business. It looked like he would have to snoop a little more on his old friends, though.

Cutting in when they're finished with their tellings of Rean's sleepy tendencies in and out of class, Crow played with a lock of Rean's hair idly and said, "We~eell, I guess some things do change. At least his fluffy head of hair isn't one of those things. ♥"

Once a pro at changing the subject, always a pro at changing the subject.

Crow's avoidance skills certainly didn't change, Rean thought to himself. He could think of a quip or two to fire back with, but decided to save it for later and spent the rest of that class pretending to be asleep anyway. Once in a while, Crow's fingers toyed with his hair - as if trying to get him to rouse, or at least say something while the rest of the class' attention was firmly on the board in front of them - but Rean persevered.

When class ended, that was when Rean decided to act. When he was sure no one was looking, he pulled Crow towards one of the abandoned class rooms and locked the door behind him. This particular room was always locked - Rean made sure it was - and had nothing particularly remarkable stored in it so he was confident nobody would be coming in anytime soon, or would be eavesdropping at them.

"It's so nice of you to finally show up again after all this time."

It had been a while since Crow was able to just sit somewhere and casually touch someone the same casual way he was touching Rean. He could do it with Towa, sure, but she was one girl whose heart he didn't want to play with, being his friend and - sometimes - the person he went to for support. What he told her was mundane and hushed between the two of them, never particularly deep because he was her rock too, simply seeking someone to listen. In the beginning, that was all he could do, and nowadays he doesn't bother.

Crow made himself steel in case something happened and, with Rean dragging him away to an abandoned classroom, he found that he was glad for it.

So nothing changed after all.

The last thing Crow needed was to wear another mask. His expression turned closed off and quiet, the smile on his face loose and cool as he answered, "I don't know what you're talking about. I've been at this academy for two years now; you're the one who dropped in on me." And he could've sworn he didn't really do anything to warrant chasing, but maybe he was wrong all this time. "So, what's up?"

It never hurt to maintain a friendly disposition. With Rean, he knew he didn't need to worry; he could be casual and friendly and Rean wouldn't take advantage of it. Still... He had his doubts now and he wasn't going to drop his guard until he knew why Rean was dragging him around.

Edited 2016-07-12 00:27 (UTC)

"I knew you were here," Rean cut to the main topic. "That's why I'm here. But why didn't you show up until now? I didn't change my name for a reason, you know?"

With this, Rean knew he was laying it plain for Crow. Not that Crow wouldn't be able to figure out the particular reason Rean was here at Thors. But, as Crow once told him, letting your opponent know exactly what your intentions were didn't mean you were accepting defeat. Accepting the inevitable was also a way of gaining the upper hand, at least, in the sense that you were confident about it. On the defensive, grasping what little secrets he had, all the while knowing Crow would pick him apart easily, was not a state Rean wanted to be in.

"What? And you expected me to come to you like a paranoid puppy? Yeah, no, that wasn't happenin' any time soon," Crow huffed, the undercurrent of a laugh in his voice. "I figured you were here to actually attend class, study, and broaden your horizons like the rest of the good ol' students here... Didn't wanna hang over you like a shadow. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you weren't doing too well."

Oh, he knew Rean's game, exactly what he wanted down to a t. But, Crow was excellent at talking his way out of extra responsibility and old burdens. He put the Imperial Liberation Front behind him with drafts with plans all over them for a few years after he left; he didn't leave them bereft, but certainly he did leave. There was no arguing that.

He wanted them all to scatter. He wanted to protect what was his.

"Speaking of your name: have you gone back to see your family the last few years?"

Rean crossed his arms across his chest and frowned. "That's not up for discussion. And if you were so surprised, why didn't you check up on me sooner?"

He hadn't picked the cover so Crow would find a reason to be worried and come to him. It was just the easier cover to play for him; the other option was to be a playboy gambler, a plan they'd originally written for Crow when he toyed with the idea of entering Erebonia's most prestigious military school. Anyway, now that Crow mentioned it, he figured he'd milk it for all its worth. And besides, it the other topic Crow brought up wasn't something Rean wanted to talk about.

"I'll just go on ahead and take that as a, 'No, Crow, I haven't had the chance to go and visit my family yet.' As for why I didn't check on you sooner... Like I said: I didn't wanna be a looming shadow over your shoulder. You need to find your own way without me guiding you along."

Because he realized very quickly that it was a mistake to get Rean involved in his troubles. Rean was so young, so impressionable, so compassionate; his bleeding heart was something that Crow feels he took advantage of at the time. A practitioner of the Eight Leaves, One Blade sword style wasn't something you came across every single day, much less one so damn nice.

Crow was a fool who was in over his head. He was not, however, lost. He fought his way out of an extremely dark place without anyone else's help and he's been slowly picking up his own pieces as time's gone on. No one was going to come here and ruin that for him because once he's done with picking himself up, he's going to start picking up the Imperial Liberation Front's pieces, too.

That wasn't something Rean needed to know, though.

Instead, Crow put his hands on his hips and leaned in towards Rean, finding his smile once more. "So... I expected you to do way better here. What the hell's got you putting yourself down for less than what you're actually worth? We both know you're better than this, Rean."

"And I sure did find my way on my own," Rean mumbled before sighing. And by 'way' he meant the position Crow left behind when he up and left the ILF. Having to become acting-leader of the ILF, even with the plans Crow had left for them all, was no easy task. Rean was aware he was far from the person who should be leading them all, but they needed a figurehead of sorts and... well, he was the one who fit that bill best out of the upper ranks left behind.

He shook his head. "And I'm not here to study and be an honor student, you know? A career in the military or the railway police isn't something I'm in for, Crow."

I'm here for you. To bring you back.

"No, you didn't find your way if you're in this place for me. I swear, you're just as bad as Vita. Did you know she's here in Trista too?" And she wouldn't leave him the hell alone for Aidios's sake. Crow didn't sound unhappy though, his tone tinged with something decidedly fond.

After all... it was good to see old friends again, even if they hung on your shoulder every chance they got, or even if they tried bringing you back in to your old organization. Vita almost got him a couple of times - both for her organization, and his own.

Crossing his arms then, it was obvious that Crow wasn't opening himself to discussion about going back anywhere near the Front. He was just going to steamroll over whatever Rean had to say about it no matter what he had to say about it.

(Crow loves him, but it's a bittersweet and soft feeling he can bury, thrumming in the back of his memories.)

"But... Hell, I'm happy you're here. Why don't you try being a student for a while? I got a good feeling about Class VII. ♪ Hang out for a bit, peruse your options, maybe even find yourself a girlfriend. I'll even stay there with you."

But with his marks and his skills, he's already being looked at by various people in various locations so the possibility of him coming out of Thors without a career path is nil.

Edited 2016-07-12 04:00 (UTC)

"Yeah. She's the one who told me where to find you." It bothered Rean a bit that he had to be told where Crow was, but he was just thankful to find his old friend again.

"You know why I'm here Crow. I'm not here to have fun I'm--" Rean took a deep breath. " We need you back, Crow. It's not the same without you."

"I figured as much. And I'll pretend I didn't hear you ask me that and instead that I heard you agree to hanging around with Class VII." Basically: I heard you, but I am completely ignoring the fact that you asked me that at all.

He would protect Rean for as long as he could and hide it. Bury it, let it rot, and never look back at it again until he had no choice but to accept it.

Smile wide and true, Crow lets his thoughts consume him for a moment - about his opportunities if he stays and his opportunities if he goes, both things he doesn't actually care about because he has to tie up loose ends, too - and eventually decided that he would tell Rean.

Rean deserved to know.

"Giliath Osbourne wants me, too."

Rean's heart seized for a moment at that admission. With a serious look, he stepped closer to Crow and grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Then you can't stay here. We have to get you out of here," Rean said urgently. He knew enough that, given Crow's past, Gilliath's interest in him wasn't anything good. "Does he know about Ordine... is that why he's interested in you?"

"Woah there, sweetheart! I think I'm fine where I am right now," Crow tried to reason, throwing his hands in the air in surrender. "But yeah, that's part of the reason. Said I'm too much of an asset to leave alone and he'd rather have me as one of his Ironbloods."

Crow didn't blame him, but it didn't mean he liked the idea of being an Ironblood either. He still hated Giliath Osbourne even if he gave up on his revenge. Still--

"Principal Vandyck said that the Chancellor can't actually touch me until I'm out of the academy, so for the moment I'm protected by both him and the Board of Directors. And given who's on that Board... well, just rest assured that I'm safe." For now.

"You have less than a year." He'd been listening when Crow introduced himself, he knew Crow was supposed to graduate soon. The ILF and the Noble Factions' plans were progressing but Rean wondered now if it was going fast enough.

Rean sighed and then let Crow go. "Why did you go here, of all places, anyway? You know Osbourne can find you here."

Inwardly, Rean wondered if it was exactly because of that that Crow chose the Academy. They had plans to infiltrate Thors before, but that was with support -- there were never plans to leave Crow alone on his own. Even now, Rean was within Scarlet's reach. If things went south, he had a contingency plan in place.

Crow blinked at him slowly, as if Rean just asked him something insanely stupid or inane and he can't even begin to compute why it was asked in the first place. But, he told himself he wouldn't outright lie to Rean because he supposes Rean could still be trusted, and so when he answered it was a roundabout answer that was more of a question than an actual answer.

"Why don't you stick around and find out, then? Stay with me and figure out for yourself why I'm here, risking my own safety."

Stay.

And then he took a step back away from Rean, his entire body relaxing as he shook his head and sighed in return. Osbourne already knew where he was and it was only a matter of time before he fell into his hands; playing it safe by staying with the Front wouldn't do anything for anyone other than temporarily calm their nerves. He was naturally warmed by Rean's concern.

They would come for him harder, try and convince him much more, but Crow wouldn't listen to anyone. Crow wasn't alone. He had Vita and the Principal, as well as Instructor Sara, and for the moment he was safe.

"No." Rean shook his head. "I'm staying so I can convince you to come back with me. I don't care if you've got everything planned and you think you're not in danger. We want you back because you're our friend. Sure you think you'll be okay -- and maybe you're right. But... don't do things alone, Crow."

"You're still staying and that's all that matters." I don't really care what your reasons are. "I seriously doubt their intentions and reasons for wanting me back are as pure as yours, Rean."

And it's then that he turned away, rolling his shoulders and starting off towards the locked door to unlock it and leave. Crow was going to do everything alone the same as he always did and Rean's presence wasn't going to stop him from proceeding as planned. He wouldn't slow down now.

"Either way, I seriously gotta go now so I'll catch you later. I'm really late for a date right now and she'll skin me alive if I'm not there soon! ♪" Which was technically true because he referred to all of his outings with Towa as 'dates' (because it made Towa blush and fluster and turn off her default Mom Mode).

Either way, Crow wanted out of this room stat. He had a few things to report and a few things to keep to himself, balled up in his mind as secrets.

"Maybe. But it's not completely selfish either."

As Rean watched Crow walk away, he thought of reaching out to grab Crow by his hand and to keep him there. He didn't act on that thought. They had time. This wouldn't be the last time they spoke to each other. In fact, in the next several months, they'll be seeing each other a lot...

Rean planned on never letting Crow out of his sight again.

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