Fire Crested Professor

RP blog for Byleth Eisner, mutual-only and selective, written by Nina

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

He paused to just stare at her for a few moments.

“Yes, I suppose it is better that I’m more comfortable speaking with you about more things if we’re to be friends,” he finally said.  “I’m guessing that is what you want, with how many times you’ve invited me to tea and to eat with you.”

Byleth nodded. “It’s hard to befriend someone without knowing much about them. Or spending time with them.”

But the way he said it made her feel...strange. Anxious? She remembered what Sylvain had said before.

“I can stop inviting you if you want.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“Well, I suppose when you have us all together in the barracks, it’s bound to get ah… that way.” He cleared his throat.  “Ear plugs are quite useful on some nights.”

“That sounds annoying. You could always get a room at an inn in town.”

Byleth looked at him a moment. “I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to talk about sex with me now.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

@heroofbravery

Continued from here

It was hot. Really hot. Byleth didn’t remember summer having ever been this hot before. Then again, she couldn’t exactly recall distinct memories of any summers before.

But this one? This one was scorching. And after a long day training with her students, she’d come back to the monastery and laid in a cool bath until her fingers and toes had gone wrinkly.

She’d washed up, but it was too hot to want to wear her coat. Or even her shirt. So that left her in her shorts, boots, and sports bra, wandering out with her extra clothes hanging over her arm. By chance, it seemed Dunban had bathed at the same time.

She’d never seen him without a shirt before. Her eyes wandered over him without meaning to, taking in the jagged scars over his right arm -- and his impressive musculature.

“Like what?” Byleth asked, before a whisper from Sothis cleared it up. “Ah. You mean they’ll think we had sex.”

Then a blink. “So?”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“I was speaking more of the staff,” he said.  “I don’t have a lot of contact with the students, since I don’t do seminars or teach.”

“Oh.”

A pause. “I don’t have a lot of contact with the staff. Other than talking to Manuela and Hanneman, and Seteth sometimes.”

And Rhea, an uncommon amount, but was she considered staff? Byleth didn’t consider her staff.

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“Very low on my priorities list, yes.  If I found the right person it may rise but…” Another careless shrug.  “I’ve been here at the monastery for a couple years now and for being full of religious devotees, there is quite a bit of… canoodling, as it were, though.”

Byleth stared at him for a good minute after that before blinking. “I’ve only heard Dimitri call it that.”

And been laughed at for it. Byleth had to imagine it was an old-fashioned term.

“The Academy is full of students who are going to be married off for their family’s benefit. Many of them see this as their only opportunity to do what they want. Or who they want.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

A long pause, and then he cleared his throat.

“A-at any rate, I suppose I should apologize for thinking I needed to treat you differently just because you’re a woman.  You would think I knew enough to realize that doesn’t mean you’re automatically attracted to me, but when one spends their life with quite a few admirers…” It wasn’t bragging so much as just stating the truth.

“It doesn’t matter. You said that you weren’t interested in that,” Byleth said, looking over at him.

Had that sounded accusing? Hoping to soothe any oversteps she’d made, she added, “It’s okay to not be interested.”

Despite feeling new things by the day, Byleth could see easily enough that some people let their emotions overwhelm their judgement. She’d seen Lorenz make enough women uncomfortable to realize it might be the same for Dunban.

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“Which is not something I’m willing to do,” he said with a shrug.   “Feel free to do it in my place if you feel the need.”

Permission granted.

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“…unfortunately we do not resort to violence in polite society.   Covering it simply gets rid of the need for any of that in the first place.”

“In a polite society, people don’t go up and poke someone’s wounds. The society who does that isn’t polite. And deserves to have their hands slapped.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

A pause, and then, “I’m going to be honest, it was about hiding it at first but now it’s more about making sure it’s not touched.  People seem fascinated when they can see the injuries.”

“Tell them not to. If they persist, hit them. They should stop.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“…thank you.” That got a smile out of him, even if it was a small one.  “Your honesty really is refreshing, professor.  It’s no wonder the students admire you so much.”

The praise earned a smile in return -- one that was rare, but also seemed to put a spark of life in her eyes.

“Thank you. Remember that your worth as a person doesn’t depend on what you can or can’t do.”

She looked back at his arm. “And you don’t need to hide your arm all the time.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

They’d managed to cross the grounds by then, reaching the dorms.  So he took shade under one of the overhangs.  And then he pulled the cape off his arm.

“My whole life, I’ve always been the brave, dashing hero. The one kids look up to, who women go crazy for.  And even though I still manage to have that reputation here, I have a reminder every day of my shortcomings.  So hearing those things from you, or anyone, makes me feel conflicted.”

Byleth’s gaze fell back to his scarred arm. The way he’d taken the cape off seemed to indicate he wanted her to look. Or, maybe, that he was tired of always trying to hide it.

She looked back up at his face, her own softening. “I didn’t mention your physical prowess, or your deeds. You’re a good person. You’d be a good person even if you never picked up a sword again.”

[hand-of-vengeance]

@firecrestedprofessor

It had been a hell of a run for Desiderius Erasmus, pun mostly intended. One downward spiral led to another, and that led to yet another, but he was anything if not stubborn and resourceful. The Church may have crippled him, but they also underestimated him.

Which was why he was here in a library-- a small place with a shockingly vast array of specialized books: occult books, tomes, esoteric teachings, bullshit to most humans. Useful to him, depending.

But there was a quickly growing pile of that bullshit on the floor next to him while the suited demon thumbed through pages, looking for anything useful: locations, legends... traces of the artifacts he needed.

He didn’t hear the door open, consumed in his work as he was. 

[firecrestedprofessor]

hand-of-vengeance​:

“It sounds like a connection, if you ask me. I can’t answer about the politics of the church… but I can tell you what I see plainly.”

“…I see that you aren’t what you appear to be. Whatever you’re tethered to, it’s buried deep, and it’s much greater than humanity.” But Erasmus paused, and tilted his head to get a look at her from another angle. “What’s your name?” 

Byleth merely watched him look over her, trying to do the same to him. He was tall, with dark hair, and wore a suit that looked expensive. No weapons. Probably relied on stealth -- wore the wrong clothes for it -- or magic. Magic, which he’d already admitted he had, though he’d scoffed at her insinuating he was a ‘mere’ mage.

There was little reason not to give her name, though.

“Byleth.” She gazed up at him. “What’s yours?”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“Well, where would I be if I didn’t trust my friends’ judgement, hmm?” He managed a smile.  “And I’m not upset.  It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

Complicated? Byleth tilted her head, gazing at him quizzically.

“Explain,” she prompted.

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

A pause as he took that all in, and then he cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

“Well, I never was a very good judge of my own character, but if you say so I suppose I have to believe it, eh?”

“You don’t have to,” Byleth replied. “But it’s the truth.”

She blinked at him. “You seem upset.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

He is my daughter, I'll be your husband.

“Your family tree is confusing.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“No,” he said with a laugh.  “If anything, it reminds me a bit of home.  I suppose it’s the one thing that will follow me, even if my reputation didn’t.  All I wonder is what exactly I did to become such a hot commodity here as well.”

That was easy to answer, at least.

“You’re kind, and honest. You’re easy to get along with. You’re attractive and well-groomed. Despite your circumstances, you aren’t bitter or angry towards anyone. You ignore the pessimism of others and hold fast to your optimism. In the face of hardship, you persevere.”

Byleth met his gaze.

“You have a lot of admirable qualities, Dunban. Many of them are rare.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

“Well- yes.  My friends all tend to be male, and ones who definitely aren’t actually interested in me,” he said with a laugh.  “Perhaps I’m projecting, because I may not pay it much attention, but I do know I’m quite popular here.  I’ve had to tell female knights I went out on missions with to focus more than anything else.”

“Yes, you’re popular,” Byleth agreed. “Some of the students have complained about it.”

She paused for a moment, before asking, “Does it make you uncomfortable? I can tell them to stop.”

[firecrestedprofessor]

heroofbravery​:

He cleared his throat at that.  “I wouldn’t want you getting the wrong idea, is all.  I realize literally just now there’s a difference in using those jokes with my friends back home and…” He waved his hand at her.  “No need for you to think I’m coming-on to you, yeah?”

The more he continued, the more Byleth found herself confused. He couldn’t joke with her? Or was it that she didn’t understand jokes at times?

All he did was gesture at her, and she wasn’t sure what that meant.

“Because I’m...female?” she asked slowly.