February Catch All [closed]

[nastyboy]

Who: What remains of Team Femblemtroika
What: With a few hard hitting losses to the gang, they all try to deal with it. This may mean a roadtrip through Kanto.
When: February
Where: Starting in Olivine, ending in the vague and widely defined area of Kanto
Warnings: None besides their grief (as of yet)

Comments

Depression Junction aka everyone's left and everyone else is sad

[nastyboy]

Claude

[nastyboy]

Winter does not come snowflake by snowflake, but in an all consuming rush, a blizzard - frigid, unforgiving, isolating. Blinding.

Dimitri has always known that to be true, both in the natural world, and.... in things far more personal. Things that hurt far more than than the bite of frost along his fingers. Winter's chill can at least be fought with the proper items - a fire to bring back warmth to the body, heavy furs layered around one's shoulders to keep it there, hot food which sinks down heavy into the stomach.

There are no such items for the isolating coldness left behind when they lose people.

He's always known that.

And yet, once, many many months ago... His lovers had all held him close as he'd mourned the loss of Dedue. In turn, not long after, he'd taken their hands in turn, promised he would be there and make them happy.

Dimitri... feels that's all he can do now. That's all he can try to do, even as the property feels all the emptier with no laughter coming from Chip's room, or the delicate sound of Lorenz's spoon against a teacup, or lights forever off over at the house that had been made for Felix and Sylvain specifically.

So he stays with those he can, although he is but only one person and there are only so many places he can be at the same time. Right now... Right now, that's going to Claude, Loog right there by him. The blue wolf hasn't departed from his side once, since Felix disappeared... And even presses up against Claude when the two find him.

"Claude..." He doesn't ask how he's feeling. Dimitri knows what the answer is for all of them. "You have made sure to eat today?"

Hermione

[nastyboy]

It is becoming abundantly clear to Dimitri that all of them staying in this place, where the empty rooms are becoming all the harder to ignore... May be doing them more harm than good. He does his best to try and recall what they all did the last time they lost important people close to them... and something finally shifts in his memories.

That is why he ends up knocking at Hermione's room one afternoon, a few books in his arms and his Gear as always in his pocket. Alexandre, Felix's Luxray, is accompanying him patiently. "Hermione... Could I have a moment of your time? I have a favor to request."

I totally missed your link in the discord ><

[logical_lioness]

Hermione is working on her breeder's notebook, updating it with the latest information. She looks up from reading through the heavily tabbed journal as Dimitri enters.

"Oh, hi Dimitri. Sure, what do you need?"

She bookmarks where's she's up to and closes the book.

no worries lol

[nastyboy]

"Well, if you will pardon my intrusion..." Dimitri shuts the door behind him, and gingerly sets the books he has in his own arms down on the desk.

"I was thinking... With the recent losses that we have all experienced, I feel as though... it is too easy to get lost in one's own misery," he tries, curling his hand up and holding it across his middle. "To lay and stagnate. So I was hoping... Initially, we all were on a journey to finish the badges, but I feel as though that got sidetracked, at some point.

"So could you help me figure out a journey through Kanto, for all of us? To journey anew?"

Eri

[nastyboy]

When it comes to big losses, no one handles it harder than children. Dimitri knows this. Things that would cause a terrible wound on even adults will pierce even deeper through children, putting in a scar that never quite heals.

This isn't as severe as being dropped straight into a warzone, losing those you love right before your eyes, but Dimitri isn't the type to dismiss different kinds of pain.

Especially when Eri has gone through so much.

So he and his Pokemon do their best to watch over Eri - when they all lose Chip at first, then Lorenz, and finally Felix and Sylvain. Silkie does her absolute best, using her psychic powers to watch over both home and its inhabitants, and all of his rats try to comfort her - all of his pokemon pitch in. But it is a lot. He knows it is.

So, with a bit of planning help, eventually, he has a solution. Or, at least, something of a solution.

That's why he approaches Eri, kneeling down to the ground and holding his hand out to her. "Hey, Eri. Do you remember going to Kanto?"

[candyapplechild]

[ Eri already had enough in the way of scars that would remain with her for the rest of her life... the difference now was the opportunity now to properly heal those wounds, even if it first started with another brief depressive spiral that Eri was turning out to be especially prone to for her age. Especially when to her it felt like she just kept losing more and more.

Her eyes are rubbed red from the tears, tearstains still visible on her cheeks but overall better than before after having mostly cried everything out. Still, she sniffles and looks up at Dimitri. ]

...Mmhm.

[ She nods yes. ]

[nastyboy]

Well... What do you think about going on a trip there, all of us together?

[Gently, he runs his hand over her hair, patting her lightly.]

We can go do all the gyms you've wanted to do... And visit things you've never seen before. We could even take pictures of everything, and make a photo album.

Do you think you would like that?

[candyapplechild]

[ Her eyes clearly light up for a moment, though they quickly dim again. She's clearly receptive to the suggestion, but if only feelings were that simple. ]

B-But... without...

[ It feels unfair... to go on such a fun trip without them. ]

[nastyboy]

I know... [Gently, as gentle as he ever can be, Dimitri leans in to pull her into a hug.] I know.

I, too... would rather go with all of them with us as well.

[But they will waste away if they all stay stagnant here.]

[But Felix would be enraged if he saw them do nothing but mourn.]

[But Chip would hate it, if they made Grant cry.]

[Dimitri does not say any of these things. It is a lot to lay on a child on even a normal day, and it is a lot to lay on a child grieving. So Dimitri does not go into such things, not today. Instead, he pulls back, his arms still wrapped around her.]

But you know... Sylvain left, once before. And then he came back a little while after, you know.

So one day... I am sure we will see them all again - whether all together, or one by one. [Another soft stroke of her hair.] And when that day comes... We can guide them personally to all the places we got to visit, and show them all the most fun things, and exciting places.

And we'll take pictures, just to show them.

[candyapplechild]

[ She leans into the hug, still sniffling but... taking comfort in the gentle show of affection. What he says makes sense... and it does give her hope. Of seeing them all again... ]

Can... can I take pictures myself too...?

for dedue

[woofdad]

Objectively, it makes perfect sense that life just… keeps going in the household, even after the sudden disappearance of several of its members. No matter how strange it feels to Grant to consider that he’s just… standing here, helping Dedue clean up after dinner, less than a month after Chip vanished, it just kind of has to be that way. Finding things to do is certainly better than stewing in his own thoughts, anyway.

Maybe it’s that desire for distraction that leads him to notice how Dedue keeps pausing in his work, rubbing at his scarred hands. …Or maybe he just would have noticed anyway. Either way, he pauses before putting a stack of dried plates away, glancing over his shoulder at Dedue. “Are your hands bothering you?”

[donoteattheweeds]

The running of the household always must go on, even in hard times. Dedue has found the work to be a welcome distraction, and keeping the house in order is one less thing that the others must deal with. He does so now, cleaning up the dishes after dinner with Grant helping to dry and put them away.

Once, Dedue had spoken with Grant about the pains of his body, about how he ached on days that are cold and wet. It had only been a brief conversation, but it was more than he ever spoke about such things to the others. They all had their own sets of troublesome scars, and it seemed... foolish to complain about it to his fellow Blue Lions. Who among them did not endure the twinges of their old wounds? Perhaps Dedue had more of them than some, but why burden the rest of them with something that could not be changed?

This month's weather, not dissimilar to the Pegasus Moons that he's endured in Faerghus, is not favorable towards his particular troubles. His hands are the most acute of it, aching deep in the bone where his fingers are crooked. The hot water eases it a little as he scrubs dishes, but he still pauses at times to rub at the places where his joints have swelled.

Grant is an observant man; Dedue is not entirely surprised that he's noticed.

"It is not important," he says. "It is merely a result of the cold and damp."

[woofdad]

Grant raises his eyebrows. Dedue's answer doesn't surprise him, but that doesn't mean he likes it. On one hand, he gets what Dedue means, as far as it not being worth stopping everything every time an old injury acts up.

On the other hand, he doesn't want to encourage that enduring habit of brushing off his own discomfort.

Instead of going right back to drying dishes, Grant moves around the kitchen for a bit, retrieving a few things from cupboards - a clean hand towel, to start with. "Have you taken anything for it...? Also, can I get at the sink for a second?"

[donoteattheweeds]

"I have not," he replies, another answer that's probably not a surprise to Grant. "Heat has been helpful in easing the pain a little."

A warm compress usually eased things well enough, at least allowing him to continue with his day mostly unimpeded. Making his life tolerable, even if it couldn't be entirely comfortable.

He moves aside at Grant's request, allowing him access to the sink again.

"It is usually not so bothersome."

[woofdad]

He nods, turning on the hot water to soak the towel through before wringing it out in turn. Speaking of warm compresses! "Good, yeah."

Grant rolls the towel up and sets it in the microwave, then goes to grab a bottle of pills and a glass of water while it heats. "I'm glad to hear that, at least. Still, might as well treat it on the bad days... speaking of which. One of these pills should help. I... usually end up taking one or two when my neck or shoulder act up."

[donoteattheweeds]

"I see."

For now, warm compresses and over-the-counter medications may be enough to keep the pain at bay. In their own world, he might have been able to get access to vulneraries, and those would help with the swelling to some degree. He's under no illusions, though, that it would get worse with age, should he manage to live long enough. That there may be a time where his hands are too stiff and painful to hold an embroidery needle or cut with a knife.

Such are the prices that he pays, and would pay again if given the choice.

He takes the pill and water when it's offered. He'd had such things before, when he'd been stricken with fever after the course of vaccinations. It had seemed to reduce his symptoms at the time, so it stands to reason that it may be useful here as well.

"I forget, at times, that physicians in this place have better treatments for such things than those in Fódlan do. There is little that could be done that would have any significant efficacy, except perhaps for laudanum tincture."

[woofdad]

There is just... no hiding the tinge of pain that crosses Grant's face at that. "Laudanum... yeah, uh. That's something I'm real glad for in this place and my world, I dunno what I'd do without ibuprofen. ...Except, you know, suffer, obviously."

The microwave dings, and Grant passes the warmed towel to Dedue. "Here - I can wash and dry the rest."

the nescafe frappe attack (for claude)

[donoteattheweeds]

Spring will soon be upon them, and the household is still in some odd state of mourning. Dedue has tried to support Dimitri and the others as best as he is able, but things are... delicate. There were many losses in a short time.

One such loss comes to the forefront of his mind with unfortunate regularity with the changing of the weather-- the relentless approach of spring reminds him of what he'll have to do to reawaken the gardens, and in particular, the roses. He's a little concerned about the survival of the miniature ones, the purple--

Which, again, turns his thoughts towards that which should not be named. It's selfish of him, anyway, to be so preoccupied when there are others in the house who are experiencing the loss more acutely. He should be more productive with his time than brooding about might-have-beens.

(Or, he could stand at the window with a cup of tea and brood out at the still slumbering gardens. That he could also do.)

[vrdantwind]

That is a thing he can do. Not an ideal thing, but it is on the list of options.

Honestly, Claude has been trying to be...a little less wrapped up in himself. He's lost a lot, and been hurting deeply for it, there's no doubt about that. But he'd hate to think of what his fellow Almyrans would say about his brooding about it. The most charitable - and accurate - thing they might say is that it's not like he's doing anyone any good with it.

Unfortunately for Dedue, when Claude is trying to escape himself, he often winds up focusing on other people. And there Dedue is, right at hand. And, of course, honestly, Dedue deserves checking in on regardless. The man may not have lost people as close to him as Claude and the others, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need thinking of, or should just be sidelined.

So Claude moves to stand beside Dedue, looking out the window as well. "You know, I can't tell if something's eating you or if that's just your resting frown."

[donoteattheweeds]

Here Dedue is, indeed.

When Claude approaches and speaks to him, Dedue-- half out of habit-- schools his face into something more neutral. Relaxes his furrowed brow, softens the downward turn of his lips, even though it probably isn't so necessary around someone like Claude. Old habits are hard to be rid of, and Dedue often has thoughts that he never voices.

"I am merely thinking. It is not important," he says, and turns his head to regard his window companion. "Are you well, Claude? I could make tea, if you would like."

It's fine, Claude, let the large man serve you tea and possibly make you an early lunch.

[vrdantwind]

"C'mon, do you really not know how to not be so deferential?" Claude gives Dedue a slight smile. "I asked whether something was bothering you because what you're thinking about is important to me. And while you do make incredible tea, and that's hard to turn down...it always worries me a little when you reflexively offer to do stuff for us, like you're a servant. It's been a long time since our titles from home mattered."

[donoteattheweeds]

“My apologies, Claude. I have not been clear in my meaning. I do not offer to do these things for you out of deference, but because I know that these past few weeks have been difficult, and I would provide what comfort and ease that I can.”

Actions speak more clearly and readily for him than words. And like any good Faerghan— or foreign boy mostly brought up by Faerghans, anyway— that tends to mean making a pot of tea for anyone enduring hardship.

“Besides,” he says, and there is just a hint of a there-and-gone-again smile at the corners of his mouth, “were I treating you as I would a master, you would not have needed to ask for tea. I would have already had it prepared in anticipation of your needs.”

[vrdantwind]

That softens Claude's smile. "Well, I can't say I don't appreciate it, Dedue, but the thing is, I'm pretty sure these past few weeks have been difficult on you, too. That's kind of what concerns me. There's been a lot of emphasis on how Grant and Dimitri and I are doing, but I'm worried you've been kind of left in the lurch because of it. The people who left mattered to you too, didn't they?"

But Dedue's almost-joke gets a definite laugh. Claude's not yet back up to his full brightness, but by now...well, this isn't his first serious loss rodeo anymore. And he's been trying to lean into the philosophies of his own people, which he grew up in but until recently never had to personally try to practice - celebrate what you had, and what you still have, rather than sit around crying about what you can't get back.

And even a flicker of friendly teasing from Dedue? That's well worth celebrating.

"I guess you've got me there. All right, then; I'll accept your offer in the spirit you made it - that of a solicitous friend who makes better tea than I do. And then maybe you can accept my nosiness in the same spirit, how's that sound?"

[donoteattheweeds]

"I think that would be agreeable."

With that agreed on, let's go, nosy twink-- it's time for Dedue to make tea. The process of it is something that he's done so often that it's basically muscle-memory, soothing in its ease and repetition. Claude, as he recalls, is partial to Almyran pine tea, and while that exact blend is not available in this world, pine blends are. It isn't among Dedue's favorites-- he finds it a little too astringent for his tastes-- but he doesn't find it objectionable.

And while the water is set to boil, it's only appropriate to gather together foods to have with the tea-- one cannot simply offer tea alone, without something to go with it. Tea sandwiches are simple and something that Dedue has had ample experience in preparing, and they have a few tins of those almond cookies that Claude favors. Dedue prepares these things in the time that he has, his work quick and precise. He had learned to make tea for a crown prince; there are no sloppy stacks or crooked edges.

The snacks are plated and on a tray by the time the tea has reached its brewing time, and Dedue removes the strainer and sets the teapot into its holder, kept warm by a tea light.

"Where shall we take our tea?"

The weather has been getting warmer, but Claude is often cold and it may still not be quite warm enough for him to take tea outdoors.