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[sworndevotion]

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[onereason]

[Dimitri had been doing his best to keep an eye on Dedue after he'd returned. His behaviour was, well... a little too familiar. He recognized it all too well. And, unfortunately, it hadn't ever been something he'd been able to solve. Especially not on his own. So, the best he can do is try to check in with Dedue at least once a day. Ideally more. But sometimes he lost track of time himself.

Today, he heads to the common room first to grab some food for both of them before taking it to Dedue's room.

He knocks on Dedue's door, speaking up after he doesn't hear any movement from within.] Dedue, it's me. May I enter?

cw disassociation/extreme exec dysfunction/depression

[sworndevotion]

[Dedue has been sleeping a lot since returning. He hasn't been cooking at all. And when he's not sleeping, he's... Not all there. His golem soul shuts him down into a state of dormancy for hours at a time, which for all intents and purposes is like extreme disassociation. Staring at the wall, aware of what's around him but not feeling anything, physical or emotional, not moving, not thinking.

Whenever Dimitri checks on him, he tries to get out of bed and go down to the dining hall with his friend, tries to eat, tries to brush his teeth or comb his hair, because he knows he should. He knows he should be the one caring for Dimitri, and feels guilty for how useless he is to his liege. But the guilt only serves to intensify the dormancy, making him even more useless. Not a good cycle.

Still, Dimitri's presence is always a balm, especially with their imprint. Even if Dedue can't bring himself to do much, he knows he'd be much worse off without his friend checking in as regularly as he can. It's probably what's keeping him from full dormancy, keeping him responsive.

Because it goes like this: he's staring at the wall, stuck, unable to move even when he tries, and then he hears a knock, and then Dimitri's voice, and suddenly he's able to blink and move a little. His mouth no longer feels rusted shut, and he can call weakly:]

Yes.

[He moves his hand to press his palm against the bed, and while the intent is to push himself up to sitting, he can't get that far. It feels like his muscles are stuck, frozen, and his body weighs as much as pure lead.

Or... Steel.]

[onereason]

[Of course, Dimitri has noticed Dedue's much decreased mobility upon his return. He doesn't know what causes it, but he suspects it is his natural soul. Are his joints turning to stone? To metal? He just can't say. More than that, he's caught Dedue slipping into trances. It's the only way he can really explain it. He's awake but hardly alert.

It reminds him of the beast he'd devolved into in the past five years. There are far more parallels than he's comfortable with.

He pushes the door open, and it's like walking into the room of someone paralyzed. He can't help but think of the times he'd toured the army infirmary and shown soldiers who had survived but suffered injuries that would likely change their lives forever. It made his heart ache. And it was even worse seeing Dedue this way.]

I've brought you some breakfast. Or, rather, brunch, I suppose... [He admits sheepishly. More and more, he found himself wide awake at night and napping on and off throughout the day. This morning, he'd slept in far too long.] Egg, cheese and sausage sandwiches. And these, they're potatoes, they called them hashed browns, I believe.

[He sets the tray of food down on the bed beside Dedue so he can walk over to the tiny window and open the curtain, letting in sunlight. His intent is to make his way back to sit beside Dedue, but it appears as though Dedue may not have brushed his hair yet this morning (relatable, honestly), but he takes it upon himself to try to smooth it. Pausing in front of him, he runs his fingers through Dedue's hair to comb it back so he can re-tie it.] Will you eat something? For me?

[sworndevotion]

[Still laying when Dimitri enters, the only thing that spurs him to sit up is that age-old habit of etiquette, that when royalty enters a room you must stand and bow. They're well past that sort of thing, and yet, laying down when Dimitri enters still feels deeply inappropriate and wrong.

He pushes himself up, slowly and stiffly, until he's sitting on the edge of his bed, slumped forward over his knees. Dedue is usually an early riser, but it's clear he hasn't been out of bed yet today, still in pajamas.]

Apologies...

[Is what he says in response to it being brunch, feeling guilty for sleeping in so late. Really, most of his greetings are apologies as of late, like he feels the need to apologize just for existing.]

Thank you. It smells good.

[Food is usually something that can make him feel better, but lately, he hasn't had much of an appetite. Whether that's because he's so melancholy, or whether it's an effect of corruption (Jayce had told him he doesn't eat food anymore), he isn't sure, but it troubles him. He hopes today he will be able to eat all of what Dimitri has brought.

He closes his eyes as Dimitri combs his fingers through his hair, their strong imprint making him feel a little less heavy, a little less numb.]

Yes, I will try.

@yesod; post-october trauma week checking in

[wordchain]

[ Given that Dedue previously seemed to be a constant in the Valentia, the fact that his presence has recently been missing from the common areas is rather noticeable. Whether he was subjected to Patho-Gen's experiments himself or people close to him were, it's likely that there is a correlation. They may not know each other well, but Yesod decides to attempt contacting the other man, his thoughts lingering on the suffering inflicted upon those who were taken. ]

Greetings, Dedue. Are you unharmed?

aww! <3 new un; wroughtpinnacle

[sworndevotion]

[Indeed, Dedue was absent from the Valentia that week, and even now that everyone has returned, he hasn't been cooking in the kitchen, and has scarcely been out of his room.

He's pleasantly surprised to hear from Yesod, given that they only met a few times.]

Ah, hello, Yesod.

I cannot say I am unharmed, but I am healing.

And yourself?

[wordchain]

[ Ah, Dedue has changed his username — Yesod is curious as to its meaning, but that seems a topic best left for another time. Dedue's response takes precedence, confirming his suspicions. It was, of course, impossible that recent events spared anyone, be it because of what they were forced to endure firsthand or otherwise. ]

I am relieved that you're recovering, in that case.

[ Physically, he assumes. He won't ask Dedue to elaborate via the Syntrofos, nor does he think that it would be appropriate for him to request the details, but it's the unseen harm that tends to take far longer to heal, and even suppressed memories resurface. ]

I suppose I'd simply like to mention that if I can be of assistance in some form, you're welcome to contact me.

[ Though he imagines that Dedue has no shortage of friends to turn to. ]

[sworndevotion]

Oh, that is very kind of you to offer.

[He tries to think of something. Minutes pass, as his thoughts are slow to come. It's not that he doesn't need help— he is struggling, but he can't quite figure out what would be appropriate to ask for.]

It has been difficult to leave my room. I

[Wow, this is very difficult. He is not used to asking for help.]

It is helpful for food to be brought by, if that is convenient. You are under no obligation.

delivery. post-revival.

[rakta]

[ There is a gift left for Dedue at the farmhouse, his name written in scratchy handwriting, wrapped in a dark blue fabric that turns out to be a huge scarf.

› Various pens for letter writing, and some fancy, strong paper, for whatever purposes he might seek.
› Various small pouches of what turn out to be tea - and the largest one is chamomile. Each one is labelled with the blend and what it should bring, such as relaxation or better sleep.
› Two sets of the protection potion she had mentioned, with a note stating her uncertainty about their strength here.
› One larger vial of some kind of poultice adjacent paste, that is labelled as being brewed for the easing of sore and aching muscles.

The note left simply says: I'm sorry. - L. ]

text, un wroughtpinnacle

[sworndevotion]

Lauralae,

Thank you for the gift. It is very kind of you. I appreciate it, as will Dimitri.

You are forgiven.

Dedue

[rakta]

[ The reply comes about two hours later; she’s clearly been dwelling on it. ]

you should not forgive so easily.

[sworndevotion]

[She's clearly been avoiding him, and the silence makes him wonder if it will continue, despite the gesture of the gift. The gift makes him certain she is punishing herself.]

Why not?

late december.

[reprisings]

[ A package wrapped in nice paper will be left at the same time as Dimitri's package. Within is a scarf made of warm material as well as several empty notebooks for Dedue to write in. But at the bottom will be two books: one is of the plant species in and around Karteria (with the caveat that some may have died because of arcane radiation); the other is of intermediate and advanced growing techniques. Dedue knows what he's about in the greenhouse so she won't insult his intelligence, but he did say he wanted to do more.

With it is a note: ]

I hope you enjoy Midwinter, Dedue! This book has been helpful for me as I'm trying to learn what I can about growing, though Lauralae's been teaching me a good deal.

Take care and stay warm!
~Dorothea

pretend this isn't late as shit

[sworndevotion]

[In return, Dedue sends a package to Dorothea containing a scarf he thought would look nice on her and a note.]

Dear Dorothea,

Thank you for the gifts. These books will surely be of help to me. I hope you stay safe and warm for the holiday.

Sincerely,
Dedue

shhhh i'm not late, this totally happened late december

[wormkin]

[Sometime in the last days of the month, Dedue will get a gift on his doorstep that is wrapped in... well. It's shell. But!! It's better than the shell Cas made pre-Terra! Which was papery and skin colored. This shell, however, is pink and green and silky soft, which obviously means it's fine.

...anyway! Inside, Dedue will find a whole set of gardening tools! They've got some gentle use to them, but they're sturdy. There's a note attached in wobbly scrawl:]

Friend Dedue, these were gifts brought with me when I first arrived here. I no longer need them, and so I wish for you to have them. If you choose to use them, I hope they are as kind to you as they have been kind to me.

🪱

[yes, there is a worm included]

text, un wroughtpinnacle

[sworndevotion]

Hello, Cassius.

Thank you kindly for the gift. I will put these tools to good use at the farm and the greenhouse.

There seems to be a worm in the package. Was this intentional? If so, how should I care for

[It? Him? You?]

this worm?

Warmly,
Dedue

un: wurmfren

[wormkin]

I am glad you like them, friend Dedue. I hope they serve you well.

The worm was intentional, yes. While it is away from me, it is dormant, and does not need to be fed. You may place it in a safe place until you need me. If it is to perish, I will know, and I will come.

text, un: wr10

[trounce]

Hello, Mr. Dedue. Leave it to me to forget the reason I visited the farm in the first place, though it was a pleasure to spend that time getting to know you, the farm operation itself, and sharing a bit of food from home.

Still, I think the extra time proved useful, since it gave me the chance to look more closely into the kinds of benefits businesses are entitled to here in Karteria. With some research, I was able to put together the following ideas. Please feel free to share them with your colleagues and to pursue whichever options best fit the farm’s mission and long-term vision. I would also have no issue stepping in as a consultant and accountant to help handle payroll, if that would be useful.

Please see the attached document. I hope to hear from you soon.

▌ TATEYAMA_FARM_PROPOSAL.txt

After some digging, I believe the farm qualifies as hazard-zone critical infrastructure. It produces food in conditions no regular workforce could survive, which may give us standing to pursue:
• Hazard pay stipends through emergency government channels.
• Radiation exposure compensation for Augmented workers.

We should also look into securing stable buyers inside the barrier:
• Schools, hospitals, grocers, Patho-Gen, and similar institutions.
• From there, the farm could structure long-term, low-margin contracts, sliding-scale pricing, or pre-paid seasonal commitments. This would give the farm predictable cash flow, which is often more important than raw profit.

The team may also want to consider selling information alongside produce:
• The farm is already, effectively, running priceless experiments in crop growth under arcane radiation and soil mutation tolerance.
• This data could be licensed to Patho-Gen, the University, or comparable research councils.

What I am not proposing:
• Turning this into a for-profit enterprise.
• Selling control to Patho-Gen.
• Pushing workers harder for marginal gains.

[sworndevotion]

Hello, Wriothesley.

My last name is Molinaro, but call me Dedue.

[The honorific is... Nice, though, in a way. A signal of a kind of respect he doesn't often get.]

I am glad to hear from you, and grateful you stopped by the farm. I enjoyed it very much.

Your proposal looks good. I appreciate you making the effort to research this topic. These are smart strategies to ensure we can pay the staff. While I have another job, it does not pay me, so I am not able to fund the farm as much as I'd planned.

[#justgolemthingz]

As there are terms in the proposal I do not know the meaning of, I believe you would be far better at managing this than I would. Tighnari has already been doing some experiments on the plants, so he will be excited by the idea of selling the information, though I believe we all would like to stay as separate from Patho-Gen as we can, for the moment. I agree with not pushing workers- something we all need to be mindful of here on a daily basis, as plenty of us tend to overwork ourselves.

We would be happy to bring you on as an accountant, or whatever title you deem appropriate for this kind of work. Your expertise would be immensely helpful.

Thank you.
Dedue

[trounce]

Well, with a response that formal, it would almost feel remiss to refer to you as anything less than Mr. Dedue. If you'll allow it, I'd like to keep the title—just to maintain the appearance of formal business correspondence, and as a bit of good-natured banter between us. You're welcome to use the same formalities with me in kind.

But all jokes aside, what you've shared about your other work makes me even more motivated to push the farm’s case to the right people. I’ll do my best to argue for at least retroactive benefits, especially if we've held our business license for some time now.

But I really do appreciate having a second pair of eyes on the proposal—and your stamp of approval means a great deal. I’ll be reaching out to Mr. Tighnari as well to get his thoughts, in the hopes of building a stronger case for the farm overall. In the meantime, outside of our favorite scholar, is there anyone else you’d like me to loop in or keep informed?

I’d hate to step on any toes or catch the rest of the staff off guard with these sorts of talks.

action, forward to feb

[rakta]

It's a quiet morning, when the two of them wake up together.

It is not always commonplace; some mornings they have things on the farm to do together, work that cannot be avoided, all the more important now that Dedue is mostly better and recovered from his heartache. It will never go away, and Lauralae knows that, but she recognises that he is strong, and working hard. She respects it, and enjoys the strangely domestic moments that the two of them now get to share.

Waking with the dawn is familiar enough to her now that she hardly complains, but something feels different this morning. Her new soul has made her body all the more unique, and the adjustment she is feeling has taken a toll she had not expected. When she shifts, adjusting her weight and sitting up, she can feel her tongue, strange in her mouth, and the odd pull of scales growing on her skin.

Yawning, she turns her head, fangs bared like a dog, as she checks to see if Dedue is still sleeping.

[sworndevotion]

If not for Lauralae, Dedue may have frozen out in the fields, and if not, he would have been dormant for a much longer period. She has shortened his recovery process significantly. Though his soul mandates that his primary coping mechanism is to numb his emotions and focus on work tasks around the farm, having her around has reminded him to take breaks, reminded him to soften and remember his humanity. His fondness for her allows him to access his feelings in a way that's conducive to his overall healing. Having her to take care of, as well as the plants and animals and other farm workers, gives him a sense of purpose. And while the pain will never leave him so long as he is separated from Dimitri, he finds her company a great comfort that reminds him life is worth living, even without his liege.

He's been steadily needing less rest, and now he is almost back to normal in that sense. His corruption is complete, so for the first time in months, he does not have physical pain. He's found that at times he can go into a state that is restful, but still aware of surroundings, and sometimes he feels worried enough about Lauralae to 'watch over' her while she sleeps. Such is the case this morning; his eyes are closed and he looks to be sleeping lightly, but as soon as she moves, he is aware of it, and opens his steely blue-grey eyes to look at her.

"Good morning," he murmurs.

[rakta]

The truth is that Lauralae does not need sleep like another mortal might. Her elven heritage lends itself to a trance rather than real rest, and with her Spectral soul demanding that she waken at night to use her powers, she finds it hard to settle down and doze in a way that feels truly human. Is it the new soul inside of her that begs it of her, that demands that she curls up with something warm and enjoy being lax, soft and gentle. Without it, she would be awake more than she imagines Dedue would approve of.

When his eyes look upon her, she can feel her chest warm. She might lack a pulse now, but her body makes up for it, fingers curling into the blankets that surround them as she watches him, flooded with molten feeling. It's not new, feeling this around Dedue, but the intensity is surprising her, making her attempt to be more cautious with the way they interact with one another. It would be poor, she thinks, to cause him discomfort.

"I hope you rested well," even if he did not sleep. One gloved hand raises, touching his cheek gently, drawn to him like a magnet.

ding dong delivery!

[trounce]

✉ SENDING OUR THANKS AND WELL WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR
► inside the red envelope rests an assortment of pristine seashells, sand dollars, and sea glass; also accompanied by other odd little curiosities—which are mostly old coins and strange mechanical parts. ► a second package also includes a carefully crafted leather roll containing a curated set of culinary knives. perfect for a certain someone’s new position at the café just down the road from wriothesley and neuvillette’s place.
	MONSIEUR DEDUE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, AND FOR LOOKING AFTER US BOTH. NEUVILLETTE AND I ARE HEALING AS WELL AS WE CAN, AND YOUR KINDNESS THROUGHOUT THE ORDEAL HAS SUPPORTED US MORE THAN YOU’D THINK. I HOPE YOU’VE BEEN KEEPING STEADY SINCE AND IF NOT, WE’RE HERE FOR YOU IN KIND.

text, un wroughtpinnacle

[sworndevotion]

[The gift is staggering. Dedue has never seen cooking knives of such fine quality. He marvels over them for a good while.

He wishes letter writing was more common here, because a letter would feel more appropriate as a response to this, but he figures a text will communicate his appreciation more quickly, anyway. He would not want them to assume he did not enjoy the gift when they did not hear from him for days after giving it.]

Dear Mr. Wriothesley and Neuvillette,

Thank you for the incredible gift. You really did not need to do something like this, and I hope the cost was not a burden to you. Nonetheless, I am very grateful, and will make good use of them.

Thank you as well for the update on your well-being. I am so relieved that you are recovering. I tend to worry, so please let me know if there is anything else I can do for either of you.

I have been well, and the farm is well. I have started at the new job. It is... Interesting.

I hope to see you both soon.

Sincerely yours,
Dedue Molinaro