The power of the dancer class

Byleth was ever worried about his students.

Be it Ignatz and his fear of people discovering that he likes to paint, Raphael's constant hungering for more food, Marianne's depressed mood, Claude's shenanigans and a bunch of other tasks that he had to juggle alongside teaching the Golden Deer House at Garreg Mach, his hands were always full, requiring for him to juggle a great many things all at once. One thing he did not seem to have to take care of, which was actually was a problem, was Hilda's tendency to make others do her work for hers. Chores, homework, her part of the battlefield, Hilda Valentine Goneril seemed to be constantly one that needed to be watched in order for her to learn about discipline, motivation and the value or hard-work, three things which she never seem to catch up on. It's not that she was not intelligent, far from it, this young lady knew how to be diplomatic, was kind and did have a head on her shoulders, but trying to make her do things she just had no interest in was a challenge onto itself. As such, Byleth had an idea when the White Heron Cup arrived, the dance competition that Garreg Mach held once every year, he thought about Hilda to represent the Golden Deer, knowing about how she liked to look "cute", like a "delicate flower". What best opportunity to do that then to dance?

Of course, she objected to it at first, anything requiring too much work being a bore to her, but she got rather into it rather quickly, winning the competition rather splendidly at that. She hadn't mastered it yet, far from it, but her steps were light and elegant, her stance quite correct and her knowledge of accessories and fashion helped put out a sumptuous outfit for her to dance with. The judges were quite taken with her, she had the ability to pick up the mystical dancer class, qualifying to boost the morale of others in such a way so as to provide them extra energy, motivation and renewed attention, which was pretty much exactly what she thought would be best for her, no matter how incredible she was with an axe on the battlefield. Promising Byleth that she would work as hard as possible as a dancer, the teacher tried to make hold on to that promise and then proceeded to tutor her like the others, catching her up on her bad habits yet seeing that she was getting better despite it all.

This was five years ago.

So many things had changed since then. Edelgard had declared war on the Church of Seiros, Rhea had vanished, war had fallen upon all of Fódlan and things were very dire. All of the students had reunited at Garreg Mach thanks to a promise they had made back then, all of them grown up in a myriad of ways, having evolved, lived, some thriving while others struggling. It was very heartfelt, very moving...And somehow Hilda had fallen back into her dirty habits again, managing to manipulate the Knights of Seiros and others into repairing the church for them, winking at villagers, saying a few soothing words...All the progress she had made had seemingly been cut short by years of absence and Byleth really felt that, as much as she had grown, it was perhaps time to confront this once and for all. Taking some time to speak privately with her, Byleth sighed before going straight to the point.

"I thought we had talked about you stopping taking advantage of people?" he said, knowing full well that the student and teacher relationship they had in the past was no longer valid now, both being full-grown adults and reasonable people...Or at least Byleth hoped for the latter when it came to Hilda. "You promised me you would work harder ."

"But I did, professor! I really did!" she said, insulted by this accusation on her being. "I've been working really hard as a dancer ever since you got me into that competition. I've practiced nearly every day and I got much, much better."

"That is not what I mean and you know it," Byleth said, crossing his arms as he gave her an annoyed glance. "Stop pushing your chores on other people and do them on your own."

"Uh, rude. For your information, I do things in exchange of that. I give them a form of payment. They don't do it for free, and I don't mean anything dirty or money or anything. It's an exchange of services," Hilda said, scandalized by such slander on her being as she pouted and crossed her arms in front of her past teacher. "There's a reason they're all so eager to help me out, I assure you, and it's nothing dirty."

"You compliment them? You cook for them? You make them accessories?" Byleth theorized, not seeing just how Hilda could manage to be so convincing to others as it was true that a lot of people, even those in the Golden Deer House, went on to help her whenever she was in trouble or did not have the time. It was almost as if they were at her beck and call, which was a rather sordid thing to imagine. "Spill it. What do you do for them exactly?"

"Why, it's a secret~" she said, winking at Byleth with a little knowing smile as she slowly went away. "I'm gonna practice like a hard-working girl, dance and try new steps and, if you're still curious, perhaps you ought to see me later this evening. Then, you'll understand everything."

And like that she was gone, not addressing the problem head-on as Byleth was too held up by strategy meetings, private lessons and the in-and-outs of the Church of Seiros to properly give this more time for the day. It was exhausting work and as much as everyone helped out, there was one who seemed to slip away each time and it was, of course, Hilda. Eating his dinner with the rest of the troupe and some of his past students, Byleth asked if others were as sick of this as he was and, to his surprise, none seemed to be that bothered by this.

"It's Hilda. I'm accustomed to it at this point."

"I mean, it's kind of a habit by now, you know?"

"I just never count her in any equation when it comes to work."

All the same kind of answers, each meaning that they just knew Hilda would not bother and that they were okay with it. But he wasn't, far from it. She had promised to show him just what she did that made it so others would be so eager to help and assist her and he'd get his answers. Things were dire now and everyone needed to pull their weight, including Hilda. He went to her chambers and knocked on the door, trying to compose himself as it would do no good to just burst in filled with anger. "Hilda, it's Byleth. I think we should talk again about your attitude. Would you let me in?"

"Oh, sure. Just open the door and wait for me. I'm still changing," Hilda answered, not even bothering to open the door as Byleth entered to a place which was surprisingly large and well-put together, with floors clean as a whistle and plenty of space for her to dance in. Perhaps she did actually train a lot as a dancer, which was nice to see, but that did not mean that she could skip out the rest either and this was why he was there. To cement this as pure fact. "Okay, I'm ready. Sorry for the wait."

Standing near the entrance, he closed the door, hoping for some privacy as there was no need for others to listen in on what would be a rather direct confrontation, with Byleth firm in his intent. This determination of his mellowed down considerably as she appeared from behind a screen, changed in a getup that was rather revealing, much more than anything Byleth could picture her wearing. Her old dancer outfit was something classy, long silken trails, a long skirt, a loose and ample top, most of it in white or in slight pink, adorned with coins. It did show off a light amount of skin, like her shoulders and a slight part of her legs when she moved, but here it was an absolute contrast as her belly, her shoulders, parts of her chest and near her entire back were exposed, showcasing her fair skin. She wore a black top with coins attached which demonstrated an ample amount of cleavage and a heart-shaped pendant of the deepest blue which hung between both of her mounds. A black see-through skirt, long yet hiding much of nothing, attached to a sash filled with coins that jingled with every steps, cut in a way so as to be able to showcase her long and slender legs and her bare feet. A black facial veil, transparent in its fabric, made it so it was impossible not to notice the slight smile on her face which complemented her pink eyes and hair. Coins were around her wrists, on bands around her thighs, on a bracelet near her left ankle and she revealed himself to Byleth in such a fashion with no shame. Far from it, she seemed excited as she twirled to give him a look at just how much she had grown.

"See something that you like, professor?" she asked, giving him a slight wink before going on to perform for him, her motions graceful, calculated and fluid as she never let her gaze wander away from his own, even while he was checking her out. "This is what I do: I perform. All that energy I give on the battlefield can serve other purposes out of it as well...And I'd like to demonstrate it~"

She was striking in so many ways. Her chest was larger and enticing, round and so perfect as it jiggled with each little motions, drawing his gaze upon it at times along with the heart-shaped pendant. Her abdomen was smooth and slim, yet slightly muscular as well, showing that there was indeed dedication to her craft as she rolled her hips and her stoMachh, sometimes bumping them up and down to spice things up. Her legs were smooth and slender, moving with precision as she swished the skirt away at times to let Byleth see how soft her skin looked from all angles. Her feet moved with purpose, her toes ever on guard as they twisted with some steps and made it so she could stand higher at times. Her arms were never at the same angle or spot, serpentine yet her fingers were beckoning for him to look, to go on and stare all that she wanted as her pink hair moved through the air, adding some whimsy to this performance while her pink eyes were looking at him. She smiled beneath her veil who swung alongside her entire body, her waist and hips circling and undulating in a manner that felt uncanny, mixing a sensual experience with one that was sexy to the extremes. Just by looking at her, he could tell that she had indeed practiced quite a lot.

But one thing that stood out a little, though that seemed to diminish with time, was the jingling of the coins. They were numerous and they seemed to create a beat all on their own, one which she danced to...Or that her dance created for itself. It was really fascinating as Byleth sat down, his own eyes never breaking off contact with the sumptuous Hilda and her dance maneuvers. Anything he had to say felt rather non-important right now when facing this, a magnificence that could hardly be described.

"Just stare all you want, professor. I love to perform for others, I like to see them staring and appreciating the efforts I put in my movements and in how I kept my body in shape. It's really all thanks to you that I'm like this...So..." she said, taking a pause in order to shimmy her hips and give Byleth a saucy little wink, fully aware of the effect she had on him. "Enjoy yourself~"

He was there for a reason, chastising her, telling her verbally that her constant dodging of her chores would not be tolerated anymore, but how could he when she did something like this? Did he have the heart to even tell her to stop? She had grown into a beautiful woman and she was dancing for him. Certainly, yelling at her or even scolding her lightly was not called for at this moment. He noticed for a little moment that her lips were moving beneath the veil, yet he heard no sound. Perhaps she was just nervous, just a touch in panic while performing for her past teacher. She still called him professor after all...So perhaps this was that, nothing to worry about.

She went for mayas next, undulations of her hips, pulling one in while pushing another one out so as to create waves that came and went without any pause. She got a touch closer to let him appreciate her abdominal muscles and her cute little belly button, managing to look in shape, strong, but also like a delicate flower, which was very much like her. "As you stare at me, you really can't help but relax as you don't want this moment to end as you listen to me smooth-talk you, helping you grow calmer and calmer, focused on my body and on my words. You're just getting more and more comfortable in my presence, in this moment that seems to stretch on forever...And you love every single moment~" she said, her voice gentle, calm and soothing, almost as if she was sharing a secret with him, something intimate that he felt was pure and precious.

Her hips repeated the same motion, back and forth, back and forth, the jingles of the coins and how they seemed to make it so there seemed to be a steady emphasis on everything she did, drawing the light and his attention toward her so easily. Dark, gold, pink and her fair skin seemed to be additive to one another, giving way to something tantalizing to the eye as he noticed once more that her lips were still moving, yet he could not understand if it was words or nerves. The coins drowned everything at times, as if they were distracting him from something...Yet Hilda proved to be quite a distraction, any tension in his body leaving rapidly as he smiled more and more as he looked at her. She was perfect, seductive and yet so gentle and flawless. As a dancer, she was out of this world.

"You feel as if you're drifting into a dream, one in which I am the center, the key to everything. You can't help but imagine me even as you look at my beauty, at my irresistible appeal. It's becoming impossible to think of anything else, to hear anything but my words as you wish so dearly to prolong this moment, to make it last forever~" Hilda continued, going for hip bumps so as to launch Byleth's gaze toward her chest as she bumped it to the side, making her breasts jiggle slightly while the heart-shaped pendant sparkled in an amazing way. "It's as if you were under some kind of spell, one you crave to be a part of, that you cannot resist in any manner...As if you were under my power~"

He felt mesmerized alright, charmed by her behavior and her actions as his mind felt as if it was trapped within her necklace, his spirit ensorceled by her words as there was a mystery to her with this veil she wore, but also an opennesss due to the amount of skin she put on display. It was impossible for him not to be absolute elated with every pore of her skin, with how she used this appeal of hers in such a talented way as to make him fall for her deeply. He did feel as if he was hypnotized, in a trance, hooked on her every moves and words and it made him smile somehow.

"I could tell you that you eyelids are growing heavier, that you're falling under my spell, deeply hypnotized and you'd love it as it would just prolong the experience. You'd think of nothing more than my sexy body and how nice I make you feel...You'd love that, wouldn't you?" Hilda suggested, going on for belly rolls to really pull his gaze upon her entire body, her knees helping make her whole body undulate while her arms rested behind her head to make him focus on her waist, her belly and her chest. "Then let us make this a reality as I'll count from three to zero and you'll fall under a nice, deep trance for me...Wouldn't that be wonderful? Now...Three~"

It would feel amazing as Byleth had kinda forgotten why he was there in the first place. It did not have anything to do with her dancing, but she was performing and she was beautiful, so it was enough. Thinking about other things than her was bothersome and difficult anyway, while focusing on her was just so easy and relaxing that he could do it in his sleep.

"Two~"

He felt his body grow slack, relaxing so much and enjoying this to such a degree that Byleth lost some of his composure. He felt a little faint, as if his body wasn't responding anymore. Her lips were moving on their own again, yet they looked so tantalizing, almost as if she sent secret whispers to his soul as he drooled, this scenario in which he was being hypnotized being too great to pass up.

"One~"

His vision was of pink, gold and black as the colors meshed with the jingles, with her motions. He was falling asleep, under her sexy sway, at her own sweet mercy and he smiled, his eyes turning into those colors that were encompassing everything. He was just so happy, so relaxed, so content...

"Zero~"

SNAP!

The fingers made him fall asleep as he was limping on the edge of her bed, about to fall down as she caught him, using her slender fingers and her soft touch to carefully control his trajectory and himself. She chuckled a little and whispered in his ear. "Open your eyes, but stay deep in this trance, under my control."

He obeyed, his eyes showing swirls of her colors, that of gold, dark and pink as he felt out of it, yet happy, undoubtedly imagining as if she were still dancing. Hilda had indeed taken his advice to heart, yet she had done so intelligently. Why work on boring things that were long and uninteresting? She had managed to do so with her dancing, but there was one thing that she had also worked hard at, discovering it during her time away from Garreg Mach, something immensely helpful and so much fun to do with others.

Hypnosis.

"Listen to me carefully, professor. Hear me well..."

Everyone was giving their all in the war effort to stop Edelgard and the progress of the Empire. The reconstruction at Garreg Mach was going all too well, newcomers coming to join the fight and take back their land and to return the Leicester Alliance to its former glory. Everyone gave it their all, but there was one pink-haired girl from the nobility that seemed to skip it all, that everyone seemed to agree should not work like the rest of them, everyone being all too happy to assist her in any way she needed. The responses to that were many, with many, including Byleth, telling a variety of them.

"She's the morale booster of the whole army."

"She's not much of a physical worker, actually."

"That's Hilda for you."

Of course, all of them received a little something from her, a moment of her time where she made them feel happy, special and relaxed. Most of them were indeed all too happy with this arrangement, especially Byleth who had shown her the way of the dancer, who had given her an opportunity back then to understand something she never knew she'd grow to love.

For him, these occasions were every single night.