He doesn’t know how he got roped into this, but nonetheless, Gerome is more than sheepish to be doing so. Just what is this wyvern rider doing, you may inquire? Christmas carolling for the army. Ah, yes.
Flashback time. It started out as a small idea that was proposed by Inigo. No big deal. He managed to convince Brady to play a cheery tune. Morgan and Marc joined in after, because…well, they were Morgan and Marc. He’s not even sure of how the kids that were planning to throw this surprise choir for the rest of the army, but eventually, Nah, Noire, Kjelle, and the others were corralled into the ridiculous event.
Not Gerome, though. Oooh, no, he’d rather die than embarrass himself like that. Honestly, singing songs and dancing and playing music? It seems like a fun idea, but the youth isn’t for that kind of thing. Not even socializing. His job was to release Minerva, and that’s it. He’d probably go back into the future and die like he was supposed to (thought he honestly didn’t like that idea, it was most likely his written future). And it pained him to even look at his mother and father. They weren’t his true parents, but merely another copy of them; however, the pain was still there.
And then Morgan came along. He doesn’t know how, but she managed to convince him to join the other kids. It was probably sorcery. Or she used reverse psychology, or threatened him- She’s a tactician, he’s pretty sure she’d do all of the above (okay, not really, but you get the idea).
So now he has to sing along with the other kids.
It started out pretty well. The adults had gathered outside, and the kids began their performance. Brady played his violin while Owain sang and Inigo danced (a rare occurence, but it was an acception). Nah and Yarne performed a fun show in their Taguel and Manakete forms, doing tricks and flips, and everything else. Severa, Cynthia and Kjelle held a little tournament, in which everybody could bet on whom would win (Marc had jokingly betted that all of them would. You can guess who walked out with a pile of bullions after the three girls gave up). Lucina, Noire and Laurent had played a little drama skit that was based on the possibility of them winning against Grima.
He had planned to skip out, but when his comrades had practically forced him to the stage, he had no choice but to do it. Since he didn’t have anything prepared, the kids thought it to be a great time to start their chorus.
It had gone well the first few songs, and he was actually starting to…enjoy it. The kids sang, the parents clapped and cheered…
Going well, right?But then it happens.
Over in the crowd, Gaius had brought out his tree full of sweets. Yep, the one that was always kept in the Barracks, and guarded by the thief. No big deal, right? …Unless you’re Nowi. The two start to bicker, and it’s not like they’re serious about it (though Gaius did look a bit…pale at the thought of having someone take his candy).
"Gimme candy!""Why? It’s mine, hands off.""Gimme candy, I want candy!""No way, jose. Over my dead body."Etc, etc…
Though, knowing Nowi, she took it to drastic measures. A manakete’s gotta do what a manakete’s gotta do, right? So, she transforms. That’s right, in the middle of the crowd, during the performance, she goes full-on dragon. Screaming, fleeing, just plain catastrophe follows suit. Gerome, the big stupid idiot he is, goes to try to stop the conflict. The others, after realizing what just happened, rush in thereafter. He manages to place himself between the manakete and thief, just in time for, oh yes, Nowi’s icy dragonbreath.
And thus, now Gerome stands, so frozen by the dragon’s breath that he can’t even move.
Lucina walks in, concerned, and pokes him.
Inigo walks in, and adjusts Gerome to look like he’s dancing.
So maybe this is why Gerome doesn’t want to interfere with this timeline…
Not because of his parents.
Not because of the unyielding fate he is supposed to meet.
Not because of him just plain not wanting to.
But because of the army itself.
