Now for a chapter to introduce Fire Emblem's famous redheaded mascot into the mix.
Chapter 3 – Daily Life (Harpstring Moon)
Byleth took in a deep breath as she stretched her arms over her head, having just finished some work in the greenhouse. Despite that she hadn't even been at the monastery for a month now, she found herself quickly adapting to the work there. Planting and cultivation weren't something a mercenary tended to know, but she was a fast learner.
However, as she thought on what to do next, she noticed a familiar brunette looking around at one of the clotheslines. Dorothea had a flustered look on her face; clearly something of hers was missing.
As Byleth approached her, Dorothea noticed her presence and said, "Oh, Professor… Hello." Her face turned slightly red as she spoke.
"Dorothea. Is something wrong?" asked Byleth.
"Well, the truth is, my, um, my undershirt got blown away by the wind… A-and it's not important why, it only matters that it's pale blue."
Hearing this, Byleth thought back to seeing Caspar with a strange cloth of such a color back at the training grounds. He had been using it as a sweat cloth. And it had looked a lot more like a woman's unmentionables than a rag, though Caspar hadn't noticed.
"I… think I might have seen it," said Byleth. "And I think you'll need to get a new one."
"What? Oh no, please don't tell me a dog got it…"
"Let's just say that's what happened."
"Aww… I liked that one… Anyhow, thank you for telling me."
"I'm glad to help."
"I suppose I'll need to go into town to get some new clothes anyhow. Say, how about you come with me?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, um, how do I put this nicely? Your wardrobe is… well, I guess it works on you, but, um… Your sense of fashion is… interesting. Sure, it looks like it works for battle, but for class or social gatherings? Metal plates aren't exactly that flattering."
"They're not?"
"Of course not! You need something that'll make men fall head-over-heels for you. I mean, have you seen yourself in a mirror? You're gorgeous!"
"I don't think–"
"Come on, Professor! Let's get you something new to wear! Just leave it to me!"
"Hold on a– Gwaa!"
Byleth made a brief yelp of surprise as Dorothea grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off.
…
The market bazaar within the monastery was always a lively place. Merchants from all over Fódlan were peddling their wares, with some shouting out to attract customers. Merchandise of all kinds could be found there: clothing, food, antiques, weaponry, and more.
Byleth had never seen such a lively market before. It was hard for her to take in all the sights while Dorothea continued to lead her through the crowds by the arm. It felt a little strange that she was letting one of her students drag her around, but Byleth did nothing to resist.
Dorothea, meanwhile, was busy trying to tell Byleth all about the market, or at least the parts she knew. Dorothea usually only came down to the market to buy new clothing or beauty products, as it wasn't a great place for flirting.
Looking about the market, Dorothea said, "Oh look, they've got some new stuff in from Morfis. Maybe something from there would be… no, never mind, not the right colors. Maybe we'll try… no, no, that wouldn't fit you at all."
"Dorothea, this isn't necessary," said Byleth. "I don't need new clothes. I'm fine with what I–"
"Oh, don't be silly, Professor! You might not have needed it as a mercenary, but you're now a teacher here at Garreg Mach. You gotta look the part!"
Byleth's expression turned to slight exasperation as she thought of Professor Manuela's outfit. The physician's wardrobe could hardly be called professional, yet no one complained about her. What was so wrong with her own outfit?
The two then rounded a corner and saw a row of stores lined up beside one another. There was a particular shop that caught Dorothea's eye.
"Hey, I haven't seen that one before," she said. "It must be new. Let's see what they've got."
The two moved toward the shop. Just as they neared it, however, they were surprised as a scruffy-looking man was thrown out of the shop and crashed onto the pavement face-first.
Then, a familiar grizzled voice said, "Not on my watch, pal."
Two figures stepped out of the shop as the scruffy man tried to push himself up. The first, a blonde scarred man wearing an orange tunic over a set of chainmail, stepped down on the scruffy man's back, pinning him to the ground. The second was a much smaller woman with long red hair in a ponytail, her tunic bearing what looked like a Crest design on it.
"That's right!" said the woman. "You think you can just run off with some of my goods, you thief?! You've got another thing coming!"
"Heh, if you can call it merchandise."
"Hey! That's hurtful, Jeralt!"
The man smirked at this, but then he noticed Byleth and Dorothea. "Oh, Byleth. What brings you here?"
"Father," said Byleth. "What's this about?"
"Father?" asked Dorothea.
The singer took a moment to look at Byleth and then quickly looked over at Jeralt, then she looked at Byleth again. She was surprised by how little they resembled each other.
"That's your dad?" Byleth nodded, so Dorothea added, "He doesn't look anything like you."
"I've heard that one a lot," said Jeralt. "She takes more after her mother than me."
"Hey, By! Long time no see!" said the redhead.
"Anna! What has it been, three years?" asked Byleth.
"Something like that. Wow, how time flies. Your dad and I were just catching up when this jerk tried to run off with some of my stuff!"
"You still haven't taken my advice on keeping your things more secure, Anna," said Jeralt.
"Hey, if I did that, no one would be able to see everything I have to offer."
Turning his attention back to his daughter, Jeralt looked at Dorothea and asked, "And who would this be?"
"Me? I'm Dorothea, former diva from the Mittelfrank Opera in Enbarr. Now I'm a student at the Officer's Academy."
"I see," said Jeralt. "So, she's one of the brats you're teaching?"
Dorothea went wide-eyed at Jeralt's choice of words.
"B-B-B-BRAT?!" Turning to Byleth, Dorothea said indignantly, "Did your father just call me a–"
"Yes, he did," Byleth said nonchalantly. "Don't take it personally; he's always like that."
This answer was not to Dorothea's liking. The singer puffed out her cheeks with an audible pout.
Anna made a short laugh as she said, "You never were one for tact, were you, Jeralt?"
Jeralt ignored this as the thief under his heel made another effort to try and escape. Jeralt simply put more pressure down on the thief's back, then he reached down and grabbed the thief by the arm.
"Alright, I'll just be taking this shoplifter off your hands. Good seeing you again, Anna." With that, Jeralt hauled the thief up to his feet and led him away for punishment.
"Likewise, Jeralt. And thanks for the help! I'll be sure to get you some of that good Sreng stuff you like!"
As Jeralt left their sight, Dorothea sighed and said, "So that was Jeralt the Blade Breaker, huh?"
Byleth nodded at this, and then turned to Anna as the redhead asked, "So, what are you two doing here? Jeralt told me you got yourself a teaching gig, By. How's that going so far?"
"It's certainly a new experience," Byleth answered.
"To answer your first question," said Dorothea, "I was looking to get Professor Byleth some new clothing."
"Ahh. Still wearing those stockings, I see."
"What? They fit just fine."
"I know, By, but you really could use some more variety. Well, you two are in luck!" Anna brought a finger to her cheek with a sly smile as she said, "I was just opening my shop for business here and, seeing as you're an old friend, I'd be more than happy to give you a discount on some new outfits. Right this way!"
"Really?" asked Dorothea. "That's great! Come on, Professor, let's see what she's got!"
Byleth was again surprised as Anna and Dorothea both led her into the shop.
…
Edelgard made a small sigh as she worked to get some of her sheets off a long clothesline. Normally this was something Hubert would have insisted on doing for her, but she didn't want to grow dependent on him for everything. Still, the wind wasn't making the job easy for her.
Just then, a strong gust of wind blew toward her, and one of the sheets came off the clothesline. Edelgard yelped as the sheet blanketed her, sending her to the ground in an undignified heap.
"Urgh, this cursed wind!" Edelgard groaned. "Perhaps I should not have picked today to do my own laundry."
Edelgard scrambled to pull the sheet off her body when she saw Dorothea and Byleth approaching her, each with a bundle of new clothes in their hands. The sight of Byleth, however, brought a small blush to Edelgard's cheeks.
Byleth was now dressed in an outfit that more resembled the student uniforms, with a double-breasted black-and-gold shirt and a short skirt that revealed a large portion of her legs. Her stockings had been replaced with long white socks, and she wore a proper cape instead of her overcoat on her shoulders. To top it all off, a pink hairband now adorned her head.
"Hey, Edie!" said Dorothea. "Liking the Professor's new look?"
Edelgard could not find anything to say to this, much to her embarrassment.
Seeing as Anna didn't get any Support conversations from the DLC, I'm going to be taking my own spin on the 3H version of her. She'll be a rather important character as the story goes along. And no, she's not just one of the countless Outworld Anna's out there.
And please leave reviews. I likes reviews.