Felix matched the glare from Annette with his own stern stare as they sat across from each other at the table. He had no idea why she was like this, all that he knew was that she was mad. Seriously though, was it really such a bad thing that he heard her singing? Her voice was actually quite pleasant and the lyrics were quite catchy. In fact he was almost tempted to hum her little tune, though that would likely aggravate the girl even more.
"Yo Felix, Annette," Marisa greeted as she and Flayn walked up to their table. "Whatcha you two fighting about?"
"Nothing," Felix replied quickly. "She's just mad that while I was at the greenhouse I happened to-"
"Felix don't you dare!" Annette shouted at him.
"Fine, but it's not like you were doing anything wrong," Felix conceded. He still couldn't figure out what the issue was. Why would she be embarrassed by something that she was genuinely good at. "Anyway, it's good that you're here. I have a… favor to ask of you."
Marisa took turns looking between Felix and Annette before a disturbing little grin formed on her face. She immediately took a seat next to Annette with Flayn sitting next to him. "So what do you need?"
"My… father has called me back to aid in repelling bandits. Apparently they've been raiding our territories and have become a thorn to the people recently."
"So you want me to tag along and blow some idiots up, fair enough. But why don't you get the rest of our class involved?" Marisa asked.
"Yea why don't you?" Annette asked, now a bit calmer. "We'd be perfectly willing to help out, we're all from the same nation after all."
"It's a family issue and I'd rather not be indebted to so many people. Also with your broom we'd be able to get to my family's territory much more quickly than if we had to travel on foot as a large group," Felix replied.
"I get that, but really just the two of us?" Marisa asked.
"Did you not consider the Professor?" Flayn asked. "He is always willing to help others."
"I had considered him first but well…"
I know that you like cats… Sothis's figure floated around the spire in which Byleth now stood. She looked very annoyed, which was pretty much a default expression for her. But did you really have to chase it all the way up here?
It was a worthy opponent. It's rare that something could outmaneuver me so deftly.
You were getting competitive with an animal.
It had the spirit to match any person.
Well now you're trapped up here like a cat! How in the world are you going to get down?
Byleth leaned over, his eyes pointed at a particularly large patch of foliage below.
Don't you dare aim for the bushes! I am sharing this body with you too!
"He's a bit occupied right now," Felix replied.
"Hmm yea I can carry you on my broom," Marisa conceded. "With just the two of us and some supplies, we should make it there in a day or two if I'm remembering the maps correctly."
"While you're there could you happen to pick me up a souvenir?" Flayn asked as she took a large melon that she had somehow stuffed into her clothes. "It's been a long time since I've visited the Kingdom."
"Um what's with the melon?" Annette asked.
"I found this on sale at the market!" Flayn replied happily. "This breed is actually quite delicious but notoriously hard to cut. Thankfully I have an expert fruit cutter here just for that!"
Felix suddenly began to regret that time he had decided to humor that green-haired girl. "My blade is for my enemies, not fruit!"
"Who said it can't be both?" Flayn asked sweetly as she rolled the melon in front of him. "Would you really deny us such a sweet treat?"
Felix snorted. "Already have another sweet being forced on me."
"Yea it's weird," Annette commented. "I don't know why Lys dragged you over here just so you could try a cake that she baked."
"Probably because I mentioned I don't like sweets or cakes in general," Felix replied.
Marisa nodded. "Yea that'll do it. Has a bit of an addiction there that the SDM sorta just fed. Also has a bit of pride in her baking, spent a lot of time watching and learning from Sakuya."
A light thump could be heard under the table as Marisa kicked something underneath. She immediately looked underneath and had her head down there for a good few seconds before sitting back up. "So uh, why is Bernedetta hiding down there?"
"Bernie's not here!" a familiar voice called out from under the table.
Felix sighed. "She ducked under the table as soon as she saw Lysithea drag Annette and me to the Mess Hall. She's been hiding there ever since."
"Which is also weird? What did you do to her?" Annette asked.
"Nothing. She's easily frightened, but… also surprisingly skilled. Somehow she used this weird technique that completely disarmed me when I accidentally surprised her so I guess I have been trying to get her to teach me."
"You seem to have a lot of trouble with women," Marisa commented happily.
"Uh. Now you're sounding like Sylvian and I get enough of that out of him," Felix replied.
"Here's the cake. Ooh I'm sure you'll love it; I made it just for your tastes!" Lysithea announced as she exited the kitchen. "Oh and you got a full table to try it. That's really sweet of you Felix!"
"I didn't- I…" Felix buried his face in his palm. "Just give me the cake."
Lysithea cheerfully set the cake down in front of them and cut it into five- actually six pieces once she had been informed of the guest hiding under the table. A bit of prompting was also all it took for Felix to start cutting into the melon.
"So that's where Bernadetta went," Lysithea commented as sat down next to Annette.
"Hey Bernie's an Archer right?" Marisa asked.
"Yea? A bit skittish, but I think her aim is fairly good," Felix replied.
"I can attest to that," Lysithea muttered.
Marisa ducked back down. "Yo Bernie! Would you be willing to help us on our next class mission if I give you this cake and melon?"
"No! And why are you acting so nice to- *Gasp* its poison isn't it! You're trying to poison me well I won't fall for your-"
"What if I make you something that'll make it harder for people to notice you?"
"… Go on."
A bit of haggling was all it took to get the recluse's agreement before Marisa sat back up. "Alright. Archer got."
"Don't we already have Ashe?" Annette asked.
"He's been out of it since… you know his dad. So I'd rather not put too much pressure on him in case things go wrong."
"And you think that Bernadetta would be good in a high-pressure situation?" Lysithea asked.
"Apparently Felix thinks she's quite skilled." Marisa grabbed a fork and took a bite of her cake. "This is… different."
"Do you like it?" Lysithea asked.
"Yeah, it's solid. Just usually you're more generous with the sugar and cream."
"Well Felix apparently hates those things and thus believes all cake is to be refused. I'm trying to prove him otherwise."
All the girls at the table looked at Felix who had just started his fourth bite of cake. He looked back at them in turn. "What? It's actually not bad. And it pairs surprisingly well with the fruit."
If anything it was more savory than sweet, with the slightest touch of sugar bringing out the other flavors of the cake. It also wasn't cream or anything like that which by his guess would make it surprisingly easy to store and carry. Could even be a good combat and field ration, he'd have to ask her the recipe sometime.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Flayn said. "We should do this again sometime."
"I'll probably be busy," Felix replied as he went back to eating his cake. Really the last thing he wanted was to get caught in this sort of situation again.
"Oh yea Felix, you think Lys can tag along?" Marisa asked.
"Tag along for what?" Lysithea asked.
Felix considered it. Lysithea was also a fairly potent spellcaster with some potential with a blade if she could actually bring up the motivation to pursue it. She was also apparently capable of flying which meant that she wouldn't slow them either and she could carry her own supplies. "To my family's territory. My father's been asking me for assistance to repel some bandits."
"I just reached a vital point in my experiment. It can be left alone for now but I need to check on the results by the end of the week," Lys replied.
"Not going to take that long, we're flying there. Felix is riding on my broom."
"Hmm. It's a bit of a risk though and I would like to observe…" Lysithea trailed off as she looked at the direction of a random student that had apparently been making their way towards her. It only took her and Felix's glare for the student to stop on their heels and slowly back away.
"… Sure I'll help out," Lysithea conceded. "Need to get away from this place anyway."
"You know Lys I know you're interested in relationships, but it wouldn't be that bad to hear them out," Marisa suggested. "Like you didn't seem so annoyed when people asked you out back home."
"In Gensokyo they are interested in me, so at the very least I can humor them. Here, I'm a title and territory. House Ordelia might be on the decline, but our lands are still quite valuable. Being a noble in general complicates romantic relationships, especially for people that don't want them."
"Yep." Annette nodded, along with Felix, and a moan of agreement from Bernadetta below the table. Or at least that was what Felix assumed was agreement, the girl actually had several different tones in her noises and all of them meant different things.
"I simply don't have the time currently to spare dealing with such things," Lysithea continued. "Not if I want to achieve what I have to."
"And once you've done that and finally have time?" Marisa asked.
"Maybe. But it's not going to be over Ordelian Territory that's for sure."
"Oh yea Lys I've been meaning to ask you if you could teach me the magic that lets you fly?" Annette asked.
"It's a bit complicated, at least how I learned," Lysithea admitted. "Took years of fine magical control to manipulate the air and space around my body good enough to achieve proper flight. To even be able to try requires a significant number of enchantments and materials applied to the clothes and body, most of which we don't even have here or the equipment" She began to wave a hand in the air. "It doesn't help that the atmosphere here isn't actually that conducive to flying compared to Gensokyo. Yes it doesn't prevent someone who knows how to fly if they already knew how, but it's a significant obstacle for someone trying to learn since air and mana current here feel much more unstable."
"Wow that sounds tough," Annette said. "Is that how you learned Marisa?"
"Oh, I just enchanted my broom and kept throwing myself off roofs. Then added more enchantments and tried again. Took a few months, bunch of bruising, and a broken bone, but I learned eventually," Marisa replied casually.
"Sounds like you," Felix replied.
"Marisa let me jump off her broom a few times," Flayn commented cheerfully. "There is nothing quite like the feeling of a free fall knowing someone there is going to catch you."
"Wait does Seteth know about that?" Annette asked.
"I would not suggest going about anything using Marisa's methods," Lysithea commented. "They're barely suitable for her."
"You learn faster when you're fearing for your life. Really get those instincts to kick in for future bad situations. Besides, lots of magic is created through trial and error," Marisa replied.
"I have to agree," Felix agreed. "There is no better mentor than practical experience."
"Lots of failures also happened with trial and error, many of which with explosive results," Lysithea replied.
"I mean that's how I created Spell Cards for Danmaku. Accidents work out sometimes," Marisa said.
After that they spent the rest of the meal talking way too much. Felix didn't necessarily mind talking with individuals but thrust him in a large group where everyone was gabbing all around him, well it was certainly testing his patience on the matter.
Eventually the meal ended and he was able to leave. Unfortunately that was not before Flayn had forced him to agree to another session of cutting copious amounts of fruit for the Mess Hall.
He was debating how to get out of his obligation when he spotted a familiar green-haired administrator for the Church.
Yes Seteth! He was a man that became completely irrational when it came to matter with his sister. Just a few words from him and he'd have the perfect excuse to avoid any more fruit cutting sessions with Flayn.
"Ah Felix I've been meaning to speak with you," Seteth said as he approached.
"I assume this has something to do with your sister?" Felix asked.
"Yes actually."
Yes. Yes. Yes! This was it!
Seteth suddenly put a hand on his shoulder. "I thank you for entertaining my sister so much. Continue as you are."
As Seteth walked away Felix could only stand there and blink at just what had happened. "… Damn it…"
Marisa's broom was not the most pleasant of rides for Felix. Certainly quick and convenient but the broom wasn't the biggest thing to sit on and he had to hold onto the girl by the stomach the entire time as they flew. It also didn't help that after a few hours in, a certain spot on his rear had gotten incredibly sore. He couldn't even shift his seating position, because he simply didn't want to risk it at that height. Yes Marisa could probably catch him if he did fall off but the fall wouldn't be very pleasant.
By the end of the day he was very grateful when they landed on the ground and he was finally allowed to stand up. He suspected that she didn't actually need to rest this early and had noticed his fidgeting, but he refused to bring it up.
"Probably get there in a half day with our current speed," Lysithea said as she landed next to them. Her flight, Felix had observed, was slower but also smoother. She didn't seem to jerk at all when turning or changing altitude unlike Marisa whose inertia and weight still had to be carried on the broom. Then again it probably wasn't fair to complain considering that Marisa had his additional weight and well-being to consider.
"Camp for the night then since it's getting late?" Marisa asked. "Wake up early we'll probably get there around noon."
Lysithea nodded. "Sounds good."
Setting up camp was more than familiar for the three of them at this point, made much more convenient by Lysithea and Marisa's casual use of magic.
Unlike other magic users of Fodlan that used their magic primarily for combat, these girls seemed to use it for nearly every aspect of their lives. For convenience, a thirst for knowledge, a drive to grow stronger, if this is what the people of the land of Gensokyo was like then perhaps he should visit it one day. A person was forged by the environment that was forced on them or that they themselves had chosen. His blade would grow sharper, one way or another.
Hmph now that he thought about it, incorporating his own techniques for everyday life might also be a more efficient use of his time… and he just justified cutting fruit for Flayn. Great.
"Something on your mind?" Marisa asked.
"No," Felix replied as he reached into his satchel, pulled out a training sword, and threw it at Lysithea.
The girl didn't have the instincts or reaction time to catch the thing. Instead the blade hit her chest, fell into her arms, bounced as she tried to get a hold of it, and ultimately it and the girl fell backwards onto the ground.
Yea she needed a lot of work for things that didn't involve magic.
"What was that for!?" Lysithea moaned as she slowly picked herself up.
"Your Professor wanted me to spar with you with a blade. This is a continuation of that."
"We're on a mission! Your mission!"
"And there's still time to get some practice before we sleep for the night," Felix said as he took out his own training blade. "Come."
"Mariiissaaa," Lysithea whined as she looked to her fellow magic user for assistance.
Marisa shrugged. "Sorry Lys, sounds like you need the practice and a little more physical exercise wouldn't hurt."
"What about you then- EEP!" Lysithea yelped as the wooden handle of a broom was suddenly thrusted in her direction. She had barely dodged where it had been aimed at her face only to have to retreat further at repeated thrusts.
Felix simply stood back and watched as Marisa used her broom like a polearm, incorporating some basic forms. The twirls and spins were a bit unnecessary, but she never did it in a way that made her vulnerable, if anything they actually seemed to confuse Lysithea even more. As a whole she was competent, certainly lacking in strength and endurance, but she knew the movements well enough.
Or at least that was what he had thought until Marisa had put her broom against her rear and thrusted out with her butt… The crazy thing was that it actually had worked and the force of her projectile rear, carried forward by the weight of the rest of her body, actually knocked Lysithea to the ground.
Lysithea for her part had quickly recovered by flipping back off the ground to an upright position, which Felix confirmed wasn't acrobatics but her incorporating short bursts of flight. Being able to move quickly and unexpectedly didn't really help her though as she was forced to avoid and deflect a few strikes with her blade. Her lack of experience was a developing issue; She made the mistake of constantly retreating to a range where Marisa was stronger and never really did anything apart from reacting defensively to each of Marisa's moves.
After what couldn't even have been twenty seconds by his count, Lysithea finally tried to step forward and swing at Marisa's waist.
Marisa simply pivoted on her foot, blocked the sword by holding it lengthwise against her body, and then kicked at the bottom of her makeshift weapon. The broom struck Lysithea's legs, tangling them and causing her to fall forward. Marisa then converted the momentum of her swing, swung it around like a wooden staff, and stopped it just short of hitting Lysithea's face.
Lysithea simply froze in shock, which gave Marisa plenty of time to pull back and tap her on the forehead with her broom.
"You realize that there were a couple of incidents where we didn't fight with traditional Danmaku?" Marisa asked. "Still lots of bullets and flying of course but also some melee combat involved. Had to learn how to use my broom real quick to keep up. Did you know that Reimu knows Aikido? I didn't until she palm striked me in the chest."
"Is that why you were busy watching Dimitri in the Training Grounds?" Felix asked.
"Sylvain and Ingrid actually," Marisa replied. "I don't think I can replicate any of Dimitri's feats of raw brute strength like that. Not without some serious body enhancement magic which I haven't quite picked up from Byakuren just yet. But yea anyway it doesn't have to be a focus, but you should be able to do something if someone gets up close to you like that Lys."
"Point taken," Lysithea conceded as she picked herself up. She was panting and clearly tired, but her eyes and body language looked determined at the very least.
"Looks like you've warmed up," Felix stated as he approached the girl and spun his blade in his hand. "Let's see how much you're willing to learn."
With only one tent Felix had volunteered to sleep outside. He preferred it this way anyway, the solitude under the night sky allowed him to collect his thoughts in a way. Ever since Marisa had joined the Blue Lions his eyes had opened up a bit to the world outside of Fodlan. He had been aware that other lands existed in the world, but it hadn't been anything that he had considered until now. Perhaps his future wasn't to be stuck in Fodlan under the influence of his father. It wasn't like the man would lack an heir, Felix's little brother had proven a knack for administrative work and would probably enjoy managing a territory more than he would.
A rustle of grass announced the approach of someone, but he didn't draw his blade.
"Not joining her in the tent?" Felix asked as Marisa sat down nearby.
"Nah, I prefer sleeping under the stars too," Marisa replied.
"I'd imagine so… Tell me when did you decide to fully pursue the path of Magic?"
"… Since I was like seven? Took a bit before I committed but I knew I loved the second I got my hands on a grimoire that had ended up at the store."
"You figure things out quickly then."
"Yeah, didn't make it easy though. Just cause I knew what I wanted didn't mean I knew how to get it. All I did know was that I had to throw away everything I knew if I wanted to have the chance to try."
"Everything?" Felix asked.
"Yea let's just say that the humans in Gensokyo are very superstitious and fearful. They're better now but back then, they really didn't like me learning magic."
Felix scoffed. "Why does what they think matter?"
"It didn't but I wasn't going to learn anything at home so I ran away."
"Were you an orphan?"
"Nah."
"Your parents didn't object?"
"He doesn't matter."
It was clearly a topic she wished to avoid, which was something he was more than familiar with. "Tell me, are there any skilled swordsmen in your land?"
"Yea Youmu. Could tell you a lot about the sorta techniques that she uses."
A/N
No this is not a harem. Just making fun of the fact that Felix tends to be a bit more on the backfoot in his Supports primarily dealing with a certain type of people.
Below is my Kofi account. Any tip is appreciated though I will still do my best to keep writing, nevertheless.
/soul249134
