Ylisse High (Fire Emblem: Awakening fanfic)

The Blueberry Boy (and Validad)

"Really? 'I call this meeting to be started?'" Zara says, raising an eyebrow. "So formal..."

"Well... Umm..." Chrom flounders, not quite sure how to reply.

"Kidding, kidding. So, what's today's meeting about?" Zara rushes to say. I don't blame her. I have no idea how to deal with the confused puppy eyes he just accidentally switched on.

Chrom's wave of relief from the change of the topic is visible on is face for a moment before he resumes talking.

It would be painful to watch this boy play poker, I decide.

"Umm..." I raise my hand before he starts, almost feeling bad for cutting him off. "I have a question before we go on." Leckily, he doesn'lt seem to mind and nods his inviation for me to continue. I look around, wondering if anyone was asking the same uestion inside before going on. "Well, not to bbe rude, but... What exactly is this club trying to accomplish?"

I  steal a quick glance around the room. I'm almost surprised when I see realization dawning on a few of the faces, as if they never registered that the point of the club was never actually revealed.

Almost.

Chrom, however, is pretty much in his element now. He, for all intents and purposes, looks like a professional speaker as he stands in front of the white board with a charming smile before uncapping a marker (blue--what else? I think dryly to myself) and launching into a speech so flawless it nearly seems choreographed.

"Excellent question, Becca! That, in fact, is the focus of today's meeting!" He turns to the white board and writes in all caps 'WHAT ARE THE SHEPHERDS DOING?"

I hear Zara mutter "Me during a test" under her breath from beside me as Chrom dots the question mark. I bite my cheek to trap my laugh, but a snicker escapes. Zara keeps her head still, but the speed at which her eyes widen and move to see who laughed at her whispered joke alone could have given her whiplash. I feel guilty for a moment, as if I intruded on a personal moment, but then she smiles slyly with one half of her mouth at me, and I feel slightly reassured.

As our liittle exchange was going on, it seems like we had missed riding on the wave of muttered questions, responses, and contributions to the words written on the board. Chrom stands at the front, letting the ideas flow for a few moments before going on.

"So, does anyone have any ideas?"

A  few hands go up, some timidly and some... Well, let's just say that some people were reaaaaallllly excited.

"How about... Sumia?" Chrom says. She almost audibly gulps then says in a voice louder and steadier than I expected,

"Well, we could help people out."

Chrom nods. "Nice. Does anyone else have something to add to that?" And then, like a classroom horror story, he turns to me and Zara. "Guys?";

I glance over a Zara, hoping she was thinking of contributions instead of daydreaming like I was. Her face is flat as she likely knew how to make it as her hands worked independantly to cover the doodle on her paper, though a volleyball hurtling towards an outstretched hand was still visible.

So much for that plan.

"Well, umm..." MYy mind races for something, anything to say. Just like in the nightmares, everyone starts shuffling awkwardly, feeling pity for the poor soul oing through it while also not wanting to draw attention towards themselves. II can hear Cordelia tapping her fingernails anxiously against the desk and Lon'qu clearing his throat.

I have to hold myself back from explicitly yelling 'Eureka!'

"The Regna Ferox HIgh tournament!" I exclaim. Chrom'ls eyebrows quirk up, completing a pleased expression.