Im not sure if you're taking requests at this time, so please ignore this if you aren't!! 😅 But could I request Jeritza with a mute s/o (mute as a result of damage done by crest experiments). They use sign language, and/or writes in a notepad to communicate. They have a wyvern/work as the teacher for wyvern-riding
Sorry if this is too specific! And of course, no pressure if you don't wanna write it! I hope you have a good day C:
Anon!! I'm not sure if I've written about it here before but I've always had the headcanon that someone who communicates through writing would be the ideal person to get close to Jeritza. It just makes sense doesn't it? Since he feels like he needs to stay physically away from people to protect them from himself. I've forgotten a lot of Jeritza lore in this past year since I was last active in the fandom but here goes my best try... I hope I can do your concept justice! 💙
Jeritza with a mute S/O:
At the beginning when you barely know each other, Jeritza would only talk to you when it was absolutely necessary. He didn't know sign language back then, so you'd write down what you wanted to say, and he was so stoic about the whole thing that you had no way of knowing if he felt any particular way about it.
The thing is, he didn't know what to do with the little notes you'd give to him that he'd find in his pockets at the end of the day. You were always so kind and had such a way with your words... he was ashamed of how much he enjoyed reading the little things you had said to him over and over again.
Writing was one of the few ways he could be close to someone, after all. No matter how much he wanted to spend more time with you, he feared the Death Knight hurting you too much to approach you and ask you out.
But eventually, he figured there was no harm in writing you a letter. From a secret admirer, of course. What was one more secret identity? Perhaps under this one, he thought, he could actually be true to himself.
And so you started receiving these letters that grew bolder each time, from a mysterious yet sweet man who loved ice cream and kittens, but was adamant that no matter what happened, you could never meet.
It broke his heart when you asked in one of your replies if the reason why he didn't want to meet you in person was because you couldn't speak. He realised then that any amount of reassurance to the contrary would fall flat if he continued to hide his true motives.
But how could he possibly reveal them? He realised that he had locked himself in a path with no way out. How foolish he had been to believe he could have a shred of a normal, happy life, he thought!
The war broke out soon after, and the further lack of replies meant you were left wondering if the person you had fallen in love with through these letters had ended up on the other side of it... or worse.
Now this would be significantly angstier if you did not join Edelgard and were indeed, on opposite sides. But I'm going to take a guess and say you did.
So it was during a war council meeting that you first started connecting the dots. When the matter of stealth infiltration behind enemy lines was being discussed, you were surprised to see Jeritza suggest sign language as a way to communicate without calling attention to yourselves.
Turns out, he had seen you use it before the war with some family that visited and had been learning it on his own ever since. He wanted to surprise you with that someday.
Edelgard thought his idea was brilliant and assigned the two of you together for the mission. Despite Jeritza protesting in private after the mission was over, she did not change her decision.
During the mission, after your objective was secured, tragedy struck, and you were gravely hurt. Thinking it might all be over, Jeritza rushed to confess his identity and feelings while he held you in his arms.
You had never seen him so distraught, and you could barely hear most of what he was saying, but you knew one thing: despite your state, you felt safe and loved in his arms.
He did not dare visit you while you recovered. He feared hurting you when you could not defend yourself or run away far too much.
He did send you flowers each day, though, and also your favourite sweets. Of course, he wrote you letters.
He tried to be discreet about it to avoid unwanted gossip from the soldiers under his command, but sooner than later he had to accept that his secret was out.
One deadly glare was enough to shut them up quickly, though.
