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[perfectteatime]

Greetings friends, my name is bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

there appears to be an issue with the key...

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I aaa.;iiiooo

[ The feed suddenly cuts on and you can see the sky, and a bit of minty green hair. Forgive him he's not fantastic with technology. ]

Hello- apologies. I am Byleth Eisner. I do hope this ah- this message finds you all well. I would like to possibly request a bit of help as I believe I may be slightly-

[ It shifts and you can finally see his face! Wait- no. That's an Espurr who's soul-piercing eyes strare into the camera. ]

Espurr!

Breakfast, please! I know you must be hungry, but once we find our way to civilization, I promise we can eat-

Wait- don't d- [ The last thing the video shows are some Espurr beans before the feed cuts. ]

Comments

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix is glad Byleth didn't push that point; it was starting to feel like talking to Jaskier about it all over again.]

I am. Aside from Pokemon battling, I have been continuing my training in dance and skating, and learning to play the guitar. One of my students introduced me to photography, as well.

[Not that it occurs to him to mention the other thing he's been pursuing, which is having students. Whoops.

At the question, he fiddles with his Gear for a moment, and in a few seconds Byleth receives a photo in his messages.]

Honedge is a creature consisting of a ghost possessing a sword. This is mine, Zoltan, before it evolved. The other creature there is a Rattata named Gremlin; he is Dimitri's technology rat.

[Felix says this like it's a completely normal thing to say.

And he somewhat agrees with how wonderful this place is. Now that Sylvain is back, anyway. It's still the case that any one of them could go home at any time, and things are complicated with their group right now, but...in general?]

I suppose it is.

[perfectteatime]

[ There's a moment of silence, and Byleth processes all of that. Felix... ]

You've grown so much, Felix. I couldn't be more proud of you. I would be happy to help you train in your dancing. In my Fodlan, Sylvain was the one who took up that role. And to hear you play if you are willing.

Students of your own now, too? [ That part in particular makes him the happiest. ] You must elaborate on this "photography", I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest about what that is, but I am interested if you have found enjoyment in it.

[ Well. That was so much ghost-sword-rat info to take in. He blinks a couple of times. ]

How fascinating- I would very much like to meet one. Ah... Dimitri's... technology rat?

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix makes a face at being told he's grown and Byleth is proud of him. It's a face that's torn between embarrassment, annoyance, and gratitude. He perks up, though, when the professor offers to help him train.]

You chose Sylvain for us, as well, but I made him teach me the basics. That said, I've been dancing since I was a child. It was helpful in developing better footwork for swordplay.

[Also, he enjoys it. Which he never told Byleth, of course, because otherwise he might have chosen him for the White Heron cup instead - dodged an arrow.

He nods.]

I don't mind. I'll let you know the next time I practice.

[Oh, right. Students aren't a thing he had before he came here. He glances away.]

It's nothing. Just a few teenagers who needed to learn how to fight, or to battle with their Pokemon. Leaving it to someone else would have given them subpar skills, that's all. Two of them are living here in the house with us, currently.

[Felix shrugs.]

Pokemon are more intelligent than their animal counterparts. Dimitri has a rat named Gremlin who operates his Gear for him most of the time, because he's useless with this world's technology. And I can breed a Honedge for you, if you like. Otherwise, it's quite a hike from where you are to reach the ruins where they're found in the wild.

[He doesn't quite smile as he goes on, but his face does seem to brighten a bit.]

As for photography, that image I sent you is what they call a 'photograph.' Your Gear has the capability to capture things you see as images that persist. The device that creates them is called a 'camera.' Ah - and Sylvain showed me how to take pictures of myself.

[This time, when he talks about Sylvain, there's no mood drop or avoidance like there was the first time Byleth was here.

He fiddles with the Gear for a moment, then holds it up again to take a quick selfie and sends that to the professor, too. He doesn't smile for the camera or anything. It's just his normal face.]

Like that. I have many photos from our time here. I can send you some more, if you like.

[perfectteatime]

Well then, we will arrange for it.

Do not sell yourself short, Felix. Trust me. I'm sure you're a fantastic teacher. I would love to observe you teaching sometime, in fact. [ Is that just because he wants to see that softer side of Felix he so rarely shows? Maybe... ]

Oh, what a kind offer... though I may like to explore these ruins. May as well get to know the land. Would you want to accompany me on such a trip?

[ There's some fumbling when he receives the photo. ]

Oh! What an amazing invention... I would like to have a photograph of everyone. [ He's going to keep that picture, Felix. ]

I'd love to see the other photographs you have done.

[bestswordmaster]

[Observe him teaching? Byleth? ...well, it would be a good way to gauge his skill at doing it, he supposes. But having anyone just...watch him as he interacts with other people? That sounds awful. He grunts a noncommittal acknowledgment.]

Maybe.

[Felix's brows lift in mild surprise.] Actually, I would. I never had the opportunity to visit them myself, since my first Honedge was a gift from Sylvain. And flying on one of my Pokemon would be faster than hiking there by yourself.

[Felix has already resigned himself to the fact that people will just...have pictures of him, all the time, now. He rarely takes any of himself and doesn't like to be in photos when he can help it, but sometimes it's inevitable. And sometimes it's...not so bad.]

Fortunately for you, I have photographs of everyone.

[He starts sending pictures to Byleth one at a time. For the most part, he himself doesn't appear in them, and most of them are candid rather than posed. Claude and Sylvain playing chess; Dimitri carving something out of wood with a look of deep concentration; Ashe and Dedue in the garden; Dimitri and Claude laughing at something; Lysithea enjoying a cookie way too much. There are a few with Felix in them, though - Dimitri lifting Felix on the ice while practicing figure skating, Claude and Felix making curry, Felix chasing Sylvain around the living room with a throw pillow, Felix playing guitar while Annette and her Jigglypuff sing along.

And there's just one from the wedding: Felix and Sylvain during the handfasting part, with Dimitri officiating in his black armor and majestic furred cape, and Claude standing just beside and behind him. Sylvain's dressed in an immaculate, white, modern-style suit, while Felix is dressed in somewhat traditional Faerghan-style ducal finery (but with no fur or heavy wool), complete with a ceremonial Honedge at his belt and his hair pulled back with several small braids. There's no question that Byleth has never seen either Felix or Sylvain this happy in all the time he's known them.]

[perfectteatime]

[ He'd have something to say about plans to go out to those ruins but then the pictures start coming in and for a couple minutes, he's silent as he goes through them, one by one. When he finally finishes, Felix is given the reward of a practically glowing smile. Something that has never really been directed at him before, not from Byleth. Probably only on par with something Dimitri has seen less times than he could count on one hand.

It truly is warmth, from the standpoint that Byleth is hardly able to exude as much 98% of the time. ]

Felix... these are-

You-

I'm so happy. You and Sylvain... and these... these are one of the best gifts I think anyone has ever given me.

I... don't know what to say. These are beautiful. I only wish I could have been there for these myself, but looking at them makes me feel like I am.

[ Here it is Felix, your moment to be utterly showered in the Professor's utmost adoration. ]

Thank you. Thank you for sharing these with me, Felix.

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix blinks, eyes wide. Something is definitely different about Byleth, though he can't put his finger on what it is, exactly. He just knows he's never seen the professor look this...joyful over anything he's done before. His gaze drops a little, face flushing.]

All right, that's enough, no more gushing. There are more here that I can show you when you arrive.

[perfectteatime]

Sorry, Felix. [ He's not, but you know... he loves Felix so he'll say it. ] I'll be looking forward to seeing more when I arrive.

Thanks for sharing though.

When I get there, let's have a good spar, too.