sworndevotion | karteria inbox

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.

[He... Can't really tell if it's a joke or not, because Dedue takes it completely seriously until he reads "jokes aside", and then re-reads the first paragraph to see if he missed a joke. Sometimes he does.]

Call me whatever you like, then, Mr. Wriothesley.

[He's scarcely had the privilege of an honorific, so even if it is a joke of some kind, he does like it. And if the vibe is to act with more formality and politeness, Dedue is always on board.]

Augmented have only been allowed to hold business licenses for a couple of months, I believe, but Ms. Lauralae applied at the beginning of December. And yes, if you are looking for others to chat with, she is a must, as she technically owns the farm. Of course, I have already discussed your involvement with her, and you have her approval, but I am certain a conversation would be beneficial for both of you. You may also want to speak to Mr. Momo, who is our... Chicken broker. Truth be told, I do not know what that means, but it sounds relevant to you.

If you would like me to make introductions for you with them, this can be arranged.

Warmly,
Dedue

[ don't worry, dedue, any teasing from here is entirely of the soft kind. even if it's nothing more than some banter with titles and honorifics thrown into the mix, now that wriothesley has a better read on the other man. ]

But of course. I'd say it fits, given we'll be peers once I’ve shared my introductions and ideas with everyone you've just mentioned. I'm looking forward to meeting the boss—and our resident chicken broker. And there’s no need to go above and beyond for me. I think mentioning you in my introductory message will do just fine, Mr. Dedue. Though, have you thought about giving fishing at the pond another try since our first attempt? As I wouldn’t mind making a habit of exchanging recipes, especially if I’ll be making regular visits to the farm from here on.

I would advise against calling her the boss. I do not think she would enjoy that.

[Lauralae doesn't think much of herself like that, and they don't really have a hierarchy on the farm. She technically owns it because she applied for the business license, but no one gives anyone else any orders. They all just pitch in, work together.]

Yes, it will. And yes, I have gone fishing once since then. I do not want to overfish the pond, but it does seem to have a healthy population, based on what I have caught.

I know many fish recipes. I am happy to share them with you, and/or fish with you again. I would like to learn more from you as well.

And I very much appreciate the warning in kind, Dedue. It’d barely be my first day and I’d already be in hot water with the team. Thanks for looking out for me. But once the weather eases up and the seasons shift toward something warmer, we can look into raising more fish in the pond? More for our own comfort than anything else.

[ wriothesley can only imagine the city's reaction to receiving or consuming fish from their little farming operation, but it never hurts to keep things thriving on their land for the long run. ]

So let’s make it a good habit for us both then. How about we start with one day a month spent fishing and cooking together? The only days I’ll be busy are the ones tied up with payroll, so just say the word and I’ll happily be there.

Of course. I would not say we have any official hierarchy. We all work as equal members of a team. Miss Lauralae is very kind, but a little... Skittish, so it is best not to come on too strong, in my experience.

[A lot skittish, really, but Dedue is pretty sure the two will get along, if only because Wriothesley is similar to himself in some key ways, and he and Lauralae get along swimmingly.]

Raising fish? I have no idea how one would go about doing that.

[He may come from a fishing village, but they were definitely not advanced enough for fish-farming.]

This sounds good. I will let you know.

Then rest assured, Dedue, that any consulting I do only applies to making sure the team’s paid as fairly as Karteria allows, and the farm still has a (functioning) roof over its head. For the most part, anyway. Beyond that, I’ll do my best to leave as well-meaning a first impression with others as I did with you. Haha. But I suppose there’s no better time than now to start learning how to raise fish. And don’t worry—since I was the one who pitched the idea, I’ll exercise due diligence and look into a method that suits all of us.

[ now that wriothesley no longer has a prison to run or titles to uphold, he can return to picking up odd jobs and hobbies for the sake of learning something new. ]

I am sure you will. I think they will like you.

Very well. I am willing to learn. Anything that increases our food production seems like a good idea.

[ it's been a little over a week or so, but wriothesley does come back to this chain of messages. and with it are digitally scanned copies of certain official paperwork, seeing as dedue had been managing the financials before wriothesley stepped in. ]

Just thought you ought to have a copy of these formal documents on hand, Mr. Dedue, in case any officials happen to stop by with questions about financials and the like. I'll be leaving the originals at the farmhouse office the next time I stop by as well. To keep things short: starting next month, the farm will begin receiving formal funding along with some government-backed benefits. It may take a bit for wages to fully catch up with all the work that’s already been put in, but it should be enough for everyone working the farm to live more comfortably moving forward. And with this in place, we might even be in a position to start negotiating contracts with local businesses—especially if you know of any who’d be interested in fresh produce or long-term partnerships.

[Dedue glances at the documents, then reads Wriothesley's message, then pores over the documents in more detail.]

Wow. This is amazing. My deepest gratitude, Mr. Wriothesley. I would not have been able to secure this funding myself. It is a big relief.

[Mainly because he did not know how, had no idea who to ask or what arguments to make.]

I have a growing knowledge of the restaurants and markets in the city. I could identify potential partners, but you would probably be the better one to negotiate with them. My golem status is impossible to hide now, and they are unlikely to take me seriously.

I didn't do much besides organize our thoughts and argue for a little fairness when it came to all the farm's hard work.

[ wriothesley did have help from patho-gen, of course, but that’s something he can bring up later. ]

And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you mentioning how your current job’s a little—hm—stingy about fairly compensating its employees. If you’d like, maybe we could spend an afternoon or two practicing some negotiation skills by visiting those potential partners together? I think it’d serve both you and the farm well to speak more easily about contract opportunities. And once numis are on the table, I doubt anyone would turn you away from the conversation, Mr. Dedue.

There is no need to downplay your contribution.

Well... If you think my presence would not be off-putting in those talks, I suppose I could. I do not think I would contribute much, however. I do not have much in the way of people skills.

[doubt.jpg]

In more good news, I will be leaving that job because I have been offered another, at an Augmented-run café, and they will pay me.

Well, you managed to charm me into wanting to work alongside you, right? Hah. So with that in mind, I’d say you’ve got more than enough people skills, Mr. Dedue. And much like your armor, I think a bit of polishing could do those skills a world of good.

Building on that, there’s really no better time to practice leaving a strong, lasting impression on others than when you’re stepping away from a role with grace. Although if we’re talking real good news, the best part is that you’ve found a workplace that genuinely values your experience.

The problem is, I do not know how I did that, so it would be hard to replicate.

Is that so? I am open to discussing how I should approach the conversation... I am a little nervous about it, and my soul does not like the change, and the stepping away from a task, even an unpaid one.

I, on the other hand, am glad to be moving somewhere I am more valued.

[His face flushes as he types that last part. Even suggesting that he has value feels arrogant and silly, somehow.]

I think it speaks more to your natural charm than anything else. Endearingly honest, with just enough understated compassion to where I wouldn’t try to reverse-engineer that sort of sentiment—it might come off more calculated than you intend, and you’re far better suited to sincerity. That said, I wouldn’t mind helping you be a little less shy about showing it more often, especially while you're already making a clean break by handing in that resignation. Seems like a good place to start as any, while we're all here in Karteria. Just let me know your schedule, and we’ll do our best to make sure the shift into your new workplace carries the same satisfaction you’re feeling now and right into day one.

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follow up before wrio becomes john carpenter's the thing

weh wrio ;_;

SHHHH it's ok they'll hang some more soon ;;

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