midnightstar

Since graduating from the Academy, life has been..interesting for Alisa, to say the least. She's been kept very busy, since she was upholding her promise to her mother on showing her the proper way to run the company, and it wasn't easy to put in those changes. Though it would have been a lot harder if she didn't have the support of those around her. But because of that, she hadn't been able to get time to get to visit Rean as much as she liked.

Translation: As much as she liked = every day. She did get to visit - or vice versa - at least on the weekend, and she talked to him almost every night thanks to the range on the ARCUS. Just as finished up for the night, she made her way up to the penthouse, glancing around to make sure she was alone (And you never know with Sharon) in order to take out her ARCUS once more and see if she could get a hold of Rean before bed. She was planning on seeing if he was in the area - alternatively, she was sure she could get away for a visit, if he wasn't busy.

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Rean's life....was no less overwhelming. Even once Crossbell had been pacified for the most part, he would often receive the Imperial government's special orders requesting his deployment with Valimar to sort out some of their more...troublesome operations. The powers of a divine knight were even more of a deterrent now that the only other Divine Knight no longer had its awakener. A power that his recently revealed father did not hesitate to use to his advantage. But he was trapped. There was no way he could really defy the man who had single handedly used the civil war to completely undermine the structure of the Nobles in the Empire. Letting them strangle themselves with their own hands until the public opinion had reached rock bottom. A brilliant strategy if it weren't so horrifically eficient.

As such the few moments he would get a call from any of his classmates, were a brief oasis of happiness. Unfortunately the missions he would be tasked with often took him far out of Arcus Communications range and there were a few instances when he had missed calls. Luckily Towa would often relay any of those messsages. He owed her the world for still supporting him even though she had her own graduation to work out.

Today though he just so happened to be on a train passing through Roer when he got the call. Valimar was tucked away inside one of the cargo cars that had been specially attached to the train itself via arrangements with the RMP.

"Hello? This is Schwarzer speaking." His answer came politely. After all he had no idea who was calling him since it wasn't just his class that had this number. Still he sounded....tired. Worn out a bit. Honestly he was pining for the sweet heavenly bliss of Ymir at times like these but since learning who his true father was, he had been hesitant if not outright fearful of facing his adoptive family. He had wanted to know where his place in the world all this time and yet when he finally had his answer, he wished he could take it all back and stop it from ever coming to pass. Despite that, he still clung to the Schwarzer name. Which made him feel like a hypocrite but he could not bring himself to throw it away even though he also felt he was unworthy of it.

"Rean?" Her initial happiness is dampened a little when she hears how tired he sounds. There's a tightness in her chest, worried - just hearing his voice she wished she could be closer to help him. But she didn't have the first idea of how to do that, beyond simply support him however she could.

That being said, she's almost at a loss to say anything, just wanting to hear his voice. So many thoughts run through her head, but none are things she can say over the Arcus -not wait Sharon undoubtedly lurking nearby, ready to troll her at a moment's notice. So she keeps it casual, for now. "The connection is really clear," she noted - she remembered the last few times she tried to talk to him and he was mostly out of range, the bursts of static were and low quality of the connection were frustrating at best. "Where are you..?"

His breath catches in his throat for a moment as he hears that soft warm voice from the other end of the ARcus. It was little wonder that his calls with Alisa had been by far his happiest moments in the past couple of months since everything in Erebonia had come to its conclusion. He manages to answer back though it's definitely a bit more lively.

"Alisa! I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon." Rean quickly paced away from the slumbering knight who actually had his eyes lit up as the awakener seemed to pace away to get a bit of privacy. "Ah that's probably because I should be somewhere near Roer. I'm on my way to Trista since I just...uhm got back." He's clearly not proud of what his 'business' trip out of the empire involved. A hero he's hailed as and yet he couldn't help feel like the lowest of low. AFter all he played a part in taking over the home of innocent people. Even if he ended up saving civilians from retreating retaliation tactics it didn't change that he was still part of the invading force. A weight that had forced him to just become numb to most of it, simply concentrating on saving and reducing damage as much as possible. SO much so that days often blurred together and some events simply faded from memory.

Hearing his voice sound so much more lively, Alisa's voice brightened in turn, pushing aside her concern for the moment. More importantly, HE'S NEAR ROER. There's an inward grimace at hearing- guessing really - why he might be near Roer when he mentioned he 'just got back'. What he's been having to do was hard on him, moreso than what some people understood. "Oh, um, well I just - I thought I'd see how you were doing..!" Even though she had spoken to him just a few days ago, rather than a few weeks ago or something.

"So you're near Roer...?" It was probably late now, but she still wanted to see him, even more now that she knew he was close by. But if he had to go straight back and work.. UGH, but if she doesn't ask he'll pass Roer and she'll miss her chance. "Do you have some free time? I know it's late, but-" I want to see you. "We... the company I mean, we just developed a new product, and I thought you might like to see..!" Keff. He could rest in the guest room and then she could show it to him tomorrow, and maybe he could relax for one day at LEAST.

If he knew how unconvincing his previous talks had been he would feel even worse for worrying Alisa with his own troubles. After all she had plenty on her plate as it is with having to fix the Reinford group and prove to her mother that she could actually bring it back from the brink that the war had brought it to in terms of management if not profits. Public opinion had taken a hit though considering the soldats and their performance during the war on the side of the Alliance. He'd even caught wind of some petitions to reprimand Schmitt for his involvment. Luckily his clout was too great to really even feel a breeze of that outcry. Then again the man was so self absorbed not even Aidios herself could make him feel guilty most likely.

Hearing that sudden hopeful change in her voice has quite the effect on his own heart. Frankly he had intended to just pass on through quickly and just retire for a day or two. On the other hand there was no denying the longing to actually see Alisa again. In the end he found his answer. But just as he was about to answer the door to the cargo car opened and in came another familiar figure.

"C-Captain Claire?!"

Rean was just about to pull the arcus away when she signaled him to not do so.

"I am so sorry to interrupt but I came to inform you that the train is going to have to undergo some emergency maintenance in Roer. So we will have to stay for about three days until that gets sorted out." Rean narrowed his eyes at the captain's announcement. That was....suspiciously good timing. He wasn't sure if he actually believed her if he was entirely honest. The icy Maiden's thought process were a mystery even to people more competent than he.

"I see. Thank you for telling me Captain Claire. Then I will leave Valimar in your care."

"Yes of course. You can entrust him to me without concern." Rean once again gave Claire a suspicious glance before sighing. "I guess you heard that, right Alisa?"

Alisa was trying very hard not to jump for joy - whereas before she was kind of jealous of the classy maiden, the fact that Claire was conveniently making it possible for Rean to stop in Roer for a little bit made the woman shoot right back up to approval. She coughed a little when Rean got back on the ARCUS, "Yeah!" ...dial it back Alisa. "I-I mean, yes. I heard, sorry." She wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but the minute he said 'Captain' she ..kind of found it difficult to put the ARCUS down.

It could easily have been some emergency that came up that would have taken him away from her -- well, it might be early to say that he was 'hers'. They've been apart more than they were together nowadays. Long distance relationships rarely work out - but if nothing else... the less she saw of him, the more she wanted to see him. What if he didn't feel the same way?

Nono, she shouldn't think that way. "So um, you don't have to stay in the hotel, when you get here. You can stay in one of our guest rooms...if you want." There was just... one little hitch that might make her a little nervous on that, but she'll address that later.

Edited (o/`) Date: 2018-02-22 03:10 pm (UTC)

With her message delivered, the Captain excused herself without another word to let Rean and his caller have their privacy back. A single light that functioned as Valimar's eye followed the woman out before dimming back into darkness

Rean gave a faint chuckle hearing how enthusiastic Alisa was at first before she caught herself. That reaction made his heart oh so warm inside. She was still the same Alisa even with her own duties and responsibilties she carried on her shoulders since devoting herself to the company. That was comforting to hear really. It reminded him of better times. Simpler times when his biggest worry was simply to keep up with the rest of the class in grades. Goddess that felt like a lifetime ago now.

"Ah. I-Is that really okay? I wouldn't want to impose or anything." You could almost TASTE the blush dusting his cheeks and once again a single eye light flickered as it focused on the Awakener.

There's a long pause from Alisa, the awkwardness thick enough to be cut with a sword. "Y-yeah! I mean, it's not like we'll be sleeping in the same ro.. room or anything!" he has his, and she has hers!

Except her mother and grandfather would be out in Heimdallr for business. Alisa personally hoped they'd be able to keep from arguing - even though arguing seemed to be how they get along too, weirdly enough.

"I mean unless... you don't want to..." The awkward in that statement. It was one thing when it was the Field Study, or when they had a bunch of other people, but the next few nights it was just going to be her and Rean.... ~~And Sharon, but Alisa doesn't know about her sneaky shipper-maid being on hand, shhh~~.

To be fair they DID sleep in the same room during their first field study. Though it was never just him and Alisa. That being said the moment he hears that awkward shyness and perhaps if he squinted, even a hint of disappointment, Rean quickly answered back

"No! no no no it's not like that at all! I...I would be more than happy to take you up on that offer." There was no denying how much he missed her and now that he had no real excuse not to get off this train at Roer, that feeling was emboldened drastically. Valimar's single eye rolled faintly before going dark again. His Awakener was really so very confusing sometimes.

Edited Date: 2018-02-22 04:10 pm (UTC)

Well, that's true. She holds her Arcus just a bit tighter, biting her lip to keep from smiling even more brightly, "O-okay! How far are you from Roer now then? I'll meet you at the station." Though he'll probably have arrived by the time she gets there. They've been talking for a while, and trains don't exactly stop for conversations.

It's nearly impossible to hide the eagerness in her voice - and there'll be no discouraging her from coming to meet him anyway. She's already heading out of her room to get her coat, a skip in her step.

He can feel her excitement all the way through the ARcus and the first impulse to say that picking him up was not necessary, gets immediately pushed to the back of his mind as he quietly shakes his head with a fond smile. "Let me check." He said and stepped out of the cargo car only to walk up to the nearest window until he found one giving him a proper glance.

"Oh I can see one of the main Orbal generators already. So probably less than ten minutes out." Oh dear she's going to run so hard to get to the station now wasn't she?

Hell yeah she is! "O-oh! You're so close! I mean - okay, then in that case, I'll see you soon, ..Rean." Very calmly, she waits for him to end his connection before putting her Arcus away.

And then she bolts down the stairs to the door, carefully makes her way to the elevator and takes it down to the lobby, where she nods polite, if hurried greetings to the people still on call there.

She doesn't run in the building obviously, but she definitely has a hurried pace, and she politely waves away anyone who tries to get her attention on her way out. Once outside, she sprints over to the escalator, waiting impatiently for it to move (TOO SLOWLY) to the ground level, at which point she full on runs towards the train station. If he hasn't already arrived, he'd either see her sprinting into the station (at which point she'd quickly walk like normal if she saw him looking at her) or she'd be there already, panting like she just ran a marathon in half the time.

"Okay then. I'll see you soon." Honestly it felt so good to have someone waiting for his arrival so eagerly. After all at the academy there wasn't anyone really waiting for him. Towa was busy up to her neck with graduating and everyone else from the class had already left. It was little wonder he mihgt have felt understandably alone at times.

But that would not be the case now as the train slowed to a crawl and then a stop at the station platform. "I'll see you later Valimar. Make sure you get as much rest as you need." Rean taps his knuckle in a friendly gesture against the giant's leg before slipping out and stepping onto the platform, craning his neck a little with a sigh as he looks from one end of the platform to the other to catch a glimpse of Alisa sooner. She just so happens to show up at the opposite end of the platform he was facing so she would have time to try and pretend she had not just run to the station as if her very life depended on it. Rean had stopped wearing his school uniform when on missions and was instead ssporting a much more adult looking outfit with the long grey overcoat and black pants with a black jacket and white undershirt. His hair seems to have grown out a bit and he also seems to have gained a few extra inches giving him a much more grown up look aside from the momentary glimps of weariness in his eyees when he finally turned his head around to finally catch glimpse of Alisa. His face splits into the biggest smile he has shown in months and he briskly walks over, almost breaking into a run of his own. Just in time for the train doors to suddenly his shut and the train itself to start rolling by without warning as it left the station. If he really wanted to, Rean could easily catcch up with his unusual powers but instead he watches the train with Valimar just roll away down the train tracks and out of sight.

"...I guess that explains everything."

PHEW, she JUST made it as the train was pulling into the station. She didn't see Rean yet in the crowd of people stepping out of their own trains, but she did lean against one of the platform railings to catch her breath, puffing and huffing for a few seconds, before briskly making her way towards the side of the platform his train should be arriving at.

Hrm. She actually didn't recognize him at first, given what he was wearing - it was different from what he wore the last time they met. Still, when she sees him, she can't help but walk quickly towards him, almost running - and then the train leaves. Wh... well this works for her, you sly dog Claire. More importantly, while Rean is watching the train pull away, Alisa has already broken into a run to hug Rean tightly, tighter than when he was missing for that month. "Rean..!"

Honestly Rean could not even bring himself to be upset about the deception. Valimar was in good hands and it wasn't like anyone but him could even do anything with him. Besides he could always call him just by calling out his name. Rean had fallen for such an easy trick and yet that didn't feel so bad. Especially not when he hears Alisa the next moment and he turns around just in time to catch Alisa as she runs into his arms almost getting him to take a half step back before he closed his arms back around Alisa as well.

"Alisa~ It's so good to see you." No that wasn't all of it. To feel her warmth in his arms like this, to hear her voice like this without the ARcus as the intermediary. This almost felt like a dream and he takes a moment to tuck his face againt Alisa's neck catching the faint hint of perfume.

She couldn't even put to words how happy she felt when he closed his arms around her and tucked himself against her. Talking to him on the Arcus was nice, but this, nothing could replace the real thing - the feel of his warm body, the sound of his heartbeat. "It's been too long since ..." Since she's been near enough to him to feel him like this. She hums softly, "I've missed you, Rean." she admitted, with a bit of a blush.

Honestly he was almsot tempted to just stay like this in the moment but it was simply not the time especially when there was the promise of getting to stay with her for the duration of his stay here. Rean closed his eyes and let his hand stroke along ALisa's back while he squeezed her a little tighter.

"It really has. I've missed this so much~" Everything about Alisa really. Now that he had her in arms he was loathe to release her. They had to be making qutie teh scene on the platform come to think of it...

OH they were definitely making a scene. The platform had yet to empty out fully after all. But the way he was holding her was ...so soothing, almost like his headpets! She let out a long sigh, "Rean..." ... ...

Wait, are they being watched? Alisa lifted her head from his chest slowly, glanced left - where there was a pair of girls whispering and giggling. And where she could see behind Rean was a couple about ten years older than herself and Rean, and while they weren't giggling or whispering, they did have Knowing Grins(tm), politely looking away when Alisa caught sight of them.

Meep. Abruptly she pulled back, her face red as an acerbic tomato. "U-um! We.. should.. I... I think we're holding up the people on the platform." They aren't. "Erm.. do you have any things...?" He must have a bag or something, maybe?

Rean was completely aware of the audience yet chose to ignore it to the best of his ability since this was his little shred of happiness after a long drought of any kind of true joy for him. He chuckled and goughed into his fist with a blush of his own before reaching down to pick up his traveling suitcase.

"Just what I have in here." he answered before holding it slack at his side again. "Lets be on our way then." He said with an enthusiastic smile.

Stepping back from Rean, Alisa nodded, clearing her throat as well, "Right." Uh, now how does she break it to him that they were going to be alone...

Gah, maybe she was too hasty offering to let him stay in the guest room - but she'd missed him! Also, the penthouse was MUCH too quiet and lonely with just her. Still as she walked at his side, she stepped onto the escalator heading back to the Reinford Building, tilting her head to look at him a few times.

".. did you get taller?" She asked curiously. She hadn't put on a few inches of height herself but it wasn't nearly as noticeable as with him.

Well Rean was no better since he didn't suspect that they would have that entire penthouse all to themselves. If he knew that he would probably be a lot more fidgety and nervous just like Alisa. After all this was her home and he was there in her home and....no no no he couldn't let his thoughts stray that far off the deep end or he might make Alisa angry.

Her question snaps him out of his musings and he nods shakily.

"Ah yeah I feel like I have. I didn't get the chance to check by how much but even I noticed the difference. Especially just now when we um...hugged."

"Y-yeah, I thought so too.." There's that blush again, and she suddenly seems a LOT more fidgety now that tey were on the same level as the Reinford Building. But she tried to distract herself from that with idle chatter - wondering who he's talked to from Class VII last, sharing a few stories when she visited other cities and caught up with their friends. She doesn't even notice the slightly raised eyebrows they were getting when she walked all the way into the building and tapped the button to call the elevator. Which was a fine time to drop the bomb.

"So um... listen, Rean? There's something I didn't get a chance to bring up when we were talking on the Arcus." She folded her arms, passing through the doors

Rean couldn't help but take notice of the weird looks from the reinford staff as well but before he could really try to piece it all together, the two were now stepping into the elevator cabin while Alisa reached out to push the button to the penthouse floor.

"Hm? WHat is it Alisa? Is there a problem of some kind?"

"NO! No no, nonononnonnonono," Alisa answers quickly. He takes on so much, the last thing she wanted him to do was worry. The elevator doors opened, and she shot a glance around, scowling at one or two employees before they quickly averted their glances (with small grins) before quickly stepping onto the elevator with him.

"The thing is, I didn't get a chance to bring up that.. um, well that...we'll be ..urm..." Oh my she's just getting more and more red, "We'll be--"

DING, the elevator doors open and Sharon is standing in front of them with a bright, sunny smile. "Welcome back Lady Alisa. Hello, Master Rean~! My you've grown into a fine young man!" Smile smile.

Alisa goes dead silent, the red in her face changing to the white of shock. "Wha... w... wh--!!!"

That was a lot of no's. At any other time he would definitely consider that to be a suspiciously vehement denial of his question. Still this was ALisa and she often got like that when really flustered so he just took her words for truth.

But then what was bothering her. Something about the two of them being what... Rean was about to ask to try and help Alisa along. That was until the doors opened and lo and behold the ultimate maid was right there in front of them waiting for both her mistress and her dear 'friend?'

"S-Sharon!" He didn't even process the praise she opened up with since yeah no one never could get used to the fact that Sharon could seemingly be everywhere and nowhere with merely a thought.