Work Text:
Lost Items
“Sylvain, is this your lipstick?”
He looks surprised, but pleased.
“Thanks professor! I’ve been wondering where this was.” It’s been about three weeks since the incident with his brother, Miklan, and the Lance of Ruin. He certainly sounds like he’s doing better, but I still wish that he would talk to someone about it. He says he’s fine, and that his brother deserved what happened to him, but that’s still his brother. No one’s ever really alright after something like that. But he seems to be doing better, so I’ll give him his space.
“Now, before I give this back, why do you have lipstick?” I already know its part of his pickup artist shenanigans, but who knows, I've been wrong before.
“Well when I’m out with a girl and she forgets hers I’m there to help her out. Hell I have a whole bag of feminine hygiene stuff I bring on dates.”
“Wow, that is surprisingly thoughtful of you Sylvain.”
“Speaking of going out with cute girls, are you doing anything tonight?”
And he’s back to his usual self again. “Really.”
“Hey, I had to ask!” He puts his hands up and backs away. “See you in class tomorrow teach.”
As Sylvain walks back into the cathedral from the balcony I catch a glimpse of something in the bottom of the bushes. Are those brushes? And paint as well it would seem. I wonder, did Ignatz leave these out here? I really ought to get these back to him. Grabbing his misplaced supplies as I go, I head into the cathedral. It’s early in the afternoon, the sun heading west to shines through the stained glass, bathing the whole inside of the cathedral in a soft rainbow. There’s something beautiful and still about the cathedral in this moment. The world stands still like a painting. I take in the scenery and a deep breath. I see the statue of Saint Indech, and think of his descendent, Bernadetta. According to legend, Indech, while a fearsome warrior, had trouble talking to people. I wonder what else we inherited from our ancestors beyond our crests? How much of themselves would our ancestors recognize in us? How is Bernie doing?
I walk the bridge from the cathedral to the monastery proper and make my way to the dorms. Someone is singing in their room. Someone also has left sewing needles and thread on the walkway outside their door.
“Bernie!” I call out, just loud enough to be heard, but not so loud as to be alarming. The singing ceases immediately.
“Uh no one’s in here, please leave.”
“Bernie it’s me.” I reach down and snag the needle and thread as I say it.
“Oh. Hi professor, I was just, uh, studying. Like a good student! No need for me to come out." We both know I’m not buying that, but I’m not going to say anything.
“Well Bernie if that’s the case then you have a lovely studying voice. Anyhow, I’ve got this cake out here and nobody to eat it with, what a shame.” The instant I say cake I hear footsteps. I knew that would get her attention. Her door creaks open a touch.
“I can eat it with you if you’d like prof-wait a minute theres no cake!” She looks me in the eye and gives me a pout.”Why would you do that professor!?”
“Because I wanted to see you and this is the only way I could get you out here. How are you doing? Anything of yours go missing recently?” I hold the needle and thread in front of me.
“Oh, thanks professor, I didn’t realize I dropped this. Bernie’s doing alright. She’d be doing better with some cake though.” She says in a tone that tells me she wants me to bring her some. I might oblige, but I certainly won’t let her know that now.
“Well that’s nice to hear, but whether or not you have cake is entirely up to you. See you in class tomorrow!”
“Aw, well bye professor.” I walk away and she closes her door. She used to never open it at all, which considering her childhood was entirely understandable, but she feels safe enough to open up, which means I’m doing something right.
Now where was I going? Ignatz. Ignatz is where I was going. I walk out to the fishing pond. He’s not out there, but Raphael and Alois are out there fishing, with Flayn inspecting everything they catch. It looks like Alois is giving Raphael fishing advice, which, while heartwarming, is unfortunate as Alois is bar none the worst fisherman I have ever met.
"Hello there Professor!”
“Hiya teach!”
“Greetings Professor!” Shout Alois, Raphael, and Flayn respectively from across the pond. I give them a full hand-swinging-over-head wave before I walk up the stairs to the dining hall.
There he is! Across the hall at a table sit Ignatz Victor and Dorothea. They aren’t talking to each other about anything or at all, Ignatz is buried in a book and Dorothea is poking at her food looking bored out of her mind. She starts beaming when she sees me across the room and hails me over, startling Ignatz, who waves as well. I’ll go sit and talk now, I can get food later.
“Oh it’s so nice of you to come through professor! I haven’t seen you at all today, where’ve you been?” I can’t help but smile as she talks to me.
“I’ve been in my room and then the cathedral, it’s been a slow day. Oh! Ignatz! Speaking of cathedral, you left these over on the balcony.” I slide his art supplies across the table to him.
“Thank you professor . . .” He sheepishly takes the supplies and puts them on the bench beside him.
“Ignatz I didn’t know you painted! What do you paint? Still life? Portraits? Landscapes?”Dorothea looked genuinely exited and Ignatz looked genuinely uncomfortable. Ignatz gave me look that said “Why would you do this to me?” as he reluctantly almost answered Dorothea's query.
“Uh, you know, just paintings mostly. It’s really just a hobby I swear.”
She gave him a pleading and slightly dejected “Ignatz. . .” before he actually gave an answer.
“Um, landscapes, usually. Nothing really interesting. Have you picked up any hobbies professor?” I don’t mind him steering the conversation away from himself, but I just wish I had an answer.
“Yeah I have, definitely. I . . . I uh. Huh, I don’t know if I do.” What do I do in my free time? What did I do for fun? Is it another thing from my past that I can’t remember, or was there nothing for me to remember anyways? I wrack my brain and nothing comes up. Damn! Something starts beating in my chest as I keep trying to look back but everything before Gareg Mach gets darker and hazier the farther back I go. I had a whole life before this, didn’t I? So where is it!? Where are my memories, my life, my anything!?
My chest is boiling hot and aching with fatigue at the same time, but in two slightly different places.
“Professor are you okay? Is something wrong?” Dorothea reaches over the table and grabs my hand.”Professor? Byleth!”
Ignatz gasps. I’m sitting over the table, shaking and sweating and crying as I squeeze Dorothea’s hand. I listen to her voice and grab her hand in both of mine and try and focus on her. The beating slows down to a halt and I stop crying and shaking, though I still feel hot.
“I . . . I’m fine now. Thank you Dorothea.” I want to let go of her hand, but I can’t seem to make my hands loosen up, and she makes no effort to pull her hand away.
Ignatz does his best not to cry as he blubbers out an apology through tears and panic,”Oh goddess, I’m so sorry professor I didn’t mean for that to happen I didn’t know if I knew I wouldn’t have asked I’m sorry I’m so so so so sorry I-“
I cut him short “Ignatz! Stop. Look me in the eye. Take a deep breath.” I am still panting as I talk.”It’s not your fault. I didn’t know this would happen, so you couldn’t possibly have known. It’s not your fault. It can’t be.” Dorothea gets up and comes to my side of the table to help me up.
“Lets get you to Manuela, professor. Ignatz, can you give me a hand?” Ignatz looks around with apprehension.
“Please, Ignatz. Please.” He takes a deep breath and comes to the other side of the table. As they are helping me up to the infirmary I feel my heart beat a little bit and pain shoots through my chest again. As I wince and groan from the pain they pick up the pace and take me up the stairs to the second floor of the monastery.
“Manuela! Manuela!” Dorothea shouts down the hallway