Chapter Text
"C' mon Fie. What's the point of an icebreaker if you don't make a couple of new friends?"
An impossible task, to be honest— if not downright absurd. Fie Claussell yawned. "How lame."
Everything was lame. Walking was lame. Trekking through a giant maze was lame. Beating up monsters that couldn't even touch her was lame. Not just lame. It was boring.
And don't get her started on those slugs; they took forever to kill, even with her new combat orbment. Weren't ARCUS' supposed to be the top-of-the-line cutting edge in technology? Arts still felt like crap to use. She'd rather use her guns.
Then again, if she brought a giant blade-rifle to school, Sara would get fussy. The killjoy.
Thinking about it now, what was a dungeon doing down here in the first place? Did the teachers know about it? The other students?
So many questions, very little motivation to answer them. Fie liked things that made her curious. Keeps her interested. Right now, though, they made her sleepy. Or sleepier, if that was possible. Heck, the only reason she agreed to join this 'special orienteering exercise' was so that Sara would stop nagging at her all the time.
First one at the exit and, guess what, Sara STILL nagged at her to go back and 'socialize.' Fie had a mind to point out that explicitly was not part of the contract.
Whatever. Pain in the ass as it was complaining would get her nowhere. Sara wanted her to come back with friends, so she would do just that to shut her up. Thus, in a desperate plea for some naptime, Fie, the Fie-rend extraordinaire, walked up to the first person she came across and said:
"Let's be friends."
"..."
The blond boy glared back at her in astonishment. Or was it anxiety? Fear? Her smile wasn't that crooked.
What was his name again? Albeama?
"Albarea," the boy corrected. He lowered his weapon— a fancy-looking broadsword. "Jusis Albarea, and I believe I have not had the pleasure."
Oh.
"Fie Claussell. That's my name."
"You would do well to first introduce yourself before blurting out outrageous requests." Jusis scoffed and shook his head. He could generously be described as— as normal girls would put it— hot, if he got rid of the arrogant air around him. "In the middle of a battlefield, no less."
His skills were no joke though, that much Fie could tell. She had a trained eye for those sort of things. "You seemed pretty capable. I thought you already knew I was coming."
"Regardless, Fie Claussell," Jusis said, enunciating her name with an obvious scowl, "my point still stands. I have no interest in becoming anyone's 'friend', whatever you think the entitlement might imply."
Fie groaned. "What a bother."
Oh well. She could try the next person. Didn't matter who. "C'ya."
"Wait— "
As she turned to leave, Jusis called out to her, seemingly in thought. "What?"
"May I ask why is it you want me to be your friend?"
She blinked. "It doesn't have to be you. I just need to become friends with someone."
"And why is that?" Jusis asked. He held his chin as his eyes scrutinized her up and down. "You hardly seem the type to crave companionship."
'Like you?' Fie snarked. She didn't say anything knowing it would lead to an argument. "I need them."
"For what?"
"...To complete a mission."
That was as much as she could divulge.
"I… see…" Jusis stared at her for what felt like minutes, trying and failing to understand what she just said.
Fie neither expected nor wanted him to, so she kept her mouth shut. She was a Jaeger, and him, a noble. Two titles on opposite sides of morality. If Jusis found out, if anyone found out, then they would never accept her. Nobody would.
Her hands were stained bloody. She had no right to impose them upon civilians. Why she was put in the same class, she may never know. And frankly, she didn't care. She didn't need their approval.
…Maybe…
Fie turned to leave.
"I have no idea what you meant by 'mission', but…" Jusis finally said. His voice felt oddly relaxed for some reason. "I do know what it feels like to be forced into making friends."
Not at all surprising. "You do?"
"Yes." Jusis crossed his arms and sighed. A moment later, he regarded Fie with an almost kind expression. "My advice? Do not oversell yourself. Be nice, but never extend a hand more than you need to. Put on airs and you'll only attract those that are more trouble than they are worth."
"..."
"Just be yourself," Jusis added. A hint of a smile flashed on his face a second before being shot down. "If your sincerity rings clear. you will find no trouble in making real friends."
Fie quirked a brow. With his hostile behavior with the glasses boy earlier, she had to ask. "Did it work for you?"
Silence. Jusis refused to answer her question.
…Interesting.
Far be it for her to pry, however. Fie nodded discerningly, raising her hand as she walked back further into the dungeon. "You're just over halfway through. Keep it up."
"I didn't ask…" she faintly heard Jusis grumble before turning a corner, and his footsteps faded away.
Snobbish to the very end, that one. Can't say she disliked it, though. She has had encounters with similar clients in the past, and none of them ever stabbed her in the back the moment she let her guard down. Unlike the friendlier ones.
Still...
"Be yourself, huh?"
In the distance, Fie saw another group of her classmates approaching. It appeared like the rest of the guys had banded together and were chatting to themselves.
Among them were the loud glasses-wearing boy and the black-haired weirdo brandishing a tachi. From the brief glimpse Fie had of the latter, she knew he was no ordinary student. She might even consider him dangerous. There was no reason for him to hold his weapon so guardedly.
Unless… he already sensed her presence.
Hmmm…
A perfect opportunity to test then, Fie reckoned. If he was as strong as she thought he was, then it'd be worth at least introducing herself.
What she would do after that escaped her, though. She still needed to 'break the ice', as Sara put it.
Wait… Escape…?
An idea popped into Fie's head. Jusis did say she should act more like herself. If he meant she should act more like a Jaeger, then this was a piece of cake. She simply had to show what she was capable of. They did the same back in the Corps.
Showing off an acrobatic flip or two was bound to impress someone, right? People looking for friends did that, right?