#softdedue

[onenicebugperday]

This is Webitha, the big spider that guards my door! I’m wondering what kind of spider she is? Willamette valley, Oregon

She's beautiful! Most likely a cross orbweaver, but I'd need a peek at the other side to confirm that.

[indigowallbreaker]

“Hey, come here. It’s alright.” from the soft prompts for dedubert (with mer!Hubert?)

I've been so hype for this one since it came in THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! ALWAYS HERE TO WRITE DEDUBERT FOR YOU <3

(Taking MerMay Rarepair prompts until the end of May!)

--

The water was almost level with Dedue's shoulders. He looked between the mouth of the cave tunnel far above him and the glowing green eyes across the cavern, trying to decide a path.

"You must have heard dreadful things about my kind to hesitate so long," the glowing eyes said.

Dedue tugged against the weight shackled to his ankle to try and see up the tunnel better. More than likely, the mercenaries who had put him here were camped out at the mouth of the tunnel, ready to subdue him again if he tried to run for it. They would either wait until the tide receded to shackle him once more, or just kill him outright. Either way, above him was only death.

Whereas down here...

The glowing eyes belonged to a mermaid. Not a mermaid from stories meant to excite a child's imagination before bed-- this was a mermaid straight from the deepest parts of nightmare. A character from a fireside tale told by the oldest of sailors. This mermaid in particular sported skin so pale it was nearly translucent, a tail black as ink, and eyes that seemed to pierce Dedue as they narrowed. Allowing this mermaid close could also mean death.

"Let me cut you free," the glowing eyes said slowly, "and I will lead you from this place."

"Why would you want to help me?"

The mermaid's chuckle made the water now rising to Dedue's chin feel all the colder. "You would spend precious time interrogating me? Surely your curiosity can wait. You don't have much time left."

Dedue took one last look up at the tunnel. Force his way through a camp of mercenaries, or trust a mermaid. It was time to choose his ending.

"What is your name?" Dedue asked.

The mermaid swam closer. "You may call me Hubert."

"Hubert. Lead the way."

Hubert smiled with all his teeth. Without hesitation, he dove under the water, moving towards Dedue's bound ankles. A swipe from his claws had Dedue free. He wasted no time in kicking off the ropes and weights, now able to tread water. Hubert broke the surface and grabbed Dedue's arm.

For a moment, Dedue was sure he would be dragged under and gutted. But Hubert's claws didn't even graze Dedude's skin as he clasped their hands together.

"Take a deep breath," Hubert warned.

Dedue did just that-- and then let the water envelope him.

With a tight grip on Dedue's hand, Hubert pulled him to an opening in the cave wall. It was just wide enough for them to swim side by side. Dedue suspected they wouldn't have fit at all except that Hubert was thin as seaweed and just as flexible, guiding them around corners with fluidity.

Dedue's lungs began to burn. He squeezed Hubert's hand. In answer, Hubert swam faster, his tail brushing Dedue's legs. The tail wasn't completely black, Dedue now noticed. Each scale was edged in wine red. Hubert's hand was warm, his expression nearing panic. It made Dedue consider if, perhaps, those nightmarish tales had been wrong.

With one final sharp turn, the pair sped out into the open ocean. Dedue's vision was fading, and Hubert immediately angled them upward, pulling Dedue along almost entirely on his own strength.

Dedue broke the surface with a gasp. He let go of Hubert's hand to keep himself afloat, flailing about ungraciously as air flooded his lungs once again.

Arms wrapped around his torso. Dedue jerked, trying to pull away. "Come here. It’s alright," soothed Hubert. "Just breathe."

There was little point in being suspicious of Hubert now. Dedue let Hubert hold him close, bowing his head into Hubert's shoulder and panting hard. Hubert and his not-quite-black tail keep them from sinking, and so Dedue could concentrate on simply breathing.

After several quiet moments, Dedue managed to say, "Thank you." His voice was hoarse and strained. Hubert didn't release him. For a moment, Dedue thought Hubert hadn't heard him. His claws skimmed up and down Dedue's back in a soothing rhythm. "I assume you... want something in return?" Dedue panted when Hubert didn't speak.

"Worry on that later," Hubert said. "Catch your breath and I will point you to shore. Then we will talk."

Those last words would have sounded menacing if it weren't for Hubert's careful strokes over Dedue's skin. This was absolutely not a creature of nightmare. It was possible Hubert was simply the exception but Dedue didn't care. For better or for worse, he owed this mermaid a debt, and Dedue didn't think he minded all that much.

[indigowallbreaker]

Holding hands while running through the rain for diminand!!

The idea of mid-skip Ferdinand and Dimitri interacting wouldn’t leave my head until I wrote this, which might explain the length.

(Currently accepting rare ships! Click here for the info post!)

--

The Kingdom was infamous for its sudden and damaging snow storms. Ferdinand had grown up hearing almost unbelievable horror stories of travelers getting caught in a blizzard and ending up turned completely around.

So when Ferdinand himself was suddenly set upon by a rainstorm in the Oghma mountains near Charon, he almost felt cheated. 

It had been two years since Houses Gautier and Fraldarius had begun their fight with the so-called “Faerghus Dukedom”. Ferdinand had hoped to join up with his old school friends and aid them in defending the Kingdom from Cornelia-- but the terrain was proving difficult to progress through. And now it was also raining.

Ferdinand guided his horse down a steep incline before locating an outcrop of rock to shelter them both. There was no use going on until the storm passed, so Ferdinand took his pack from the saddle and began taking out flint and food, already dreading his search for dry wood.

Just then, the crunch of boots met his ears. Ferdinand tensed. Who in their right mind would be out in this weather? Apart from himself, of course.

Whoever it was seemed to be limping away from Ferdinand’s shelter, judging by their gait, and Ferdinand poked his head out to catch a look. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks. But there could be no mistaking that blond hair and tattered cloak, that proud chin and cold blue eyes.

Prince Dimitri struggled through the rain for a few more paces before collapsing to one knee, letting out a grunt of pain that made Ferdinand wince. The rain strengthened as if determined to keep Dimitri pinned down. Pushing through his shock, Ferdinand ran out into the storm.

“Dimitri!” Ferdinand knelt in the mud. “Dimitri, is it truely--”

A clawed gauntlet caught Ferdinand’s wrist. Dimitri lifted his head, fixing a single eye on Ferdinand. The other was covered by a patch, leaving Ferdinand’s imagination to fill in the gaps. It was then he noticed the other marks Dimitri bore-- thorns stuck to the inside of his arm, cuts along his neck and cheek, one knee bloody. “What has happened to you...?” Ferdinand wondered aloud. He was unable to keep the pity from his voice.

Dimitri didn’t seem to notice. He let go of Ferdinand and attempted to stand. “Where are you going?” Ferdinand grabbed Dimitri’s uninjured arm. “Surely there are people looking for you!”

“Let them look. All they will find is a corpse.”

“Indeed they will, if you continue walking around in the rain in this condition!”

Dimitir sneered. “A beast hunts no matter the weather.” 

He tried to march away again, but stumbled. Ferdinand took his weight with effort. “Enough of that talk. This way.” Dimitri straightened but didn’t protest this time. He allowed Ferdinand to take his hand and guide them back to the shelter at a brisk pace.

Once there, Ferdinand sat Dimitri in the driest spot right against the rock. He dug out a spare shirt from his pack and tossed it to Dimitri. “It is much too small but you can dry yourself off with it, at least,” Ferdinand explained even as Dimitri’s hair created a small puddle beside him. 

In short order, Ferdinand found a few branches that weren’t completely soaked through and set about making a fire. While he waited for it to grow, he knelt next to Dimitri again and began assessing his various wounds. 

“Finding you alive in the wilderness like this-- it is almost like an opera,” Ferdinand said when he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. Dimitri turned to him but said nothing. “I wish I had some tea to offer you. It would do us both good to enjoy a cup and warm up.”

Dimitri snorted, but Ferdinand saw the amusement in his face. “You would waste tea on me?” He asked, his tone nowhere near as harsh as before.

Ferdinand huffed. “It would not be a waste! Do not speak of yourself that way.”

Dimitri let out an airy chuckle. He took Ferdinand’s hand again and leaned against him, gaze on the fire. “I am warm enough like this.”

Ferdinand wanted to say that was hardly possible-- their clothes were still damp and there was little heat to be found there. But Dimitri sagged into Ferdinand as if finally allowing himself to rest. Though he had half a hundred questions to ask, Ferdinand couldn’t bring himself to interupt this bit of peace Dimitri had found.

So the two sat there, in the middle of the mountains, their boots stretched out towards the fire and the pitter patter of rain all around them, hand in hand.  

[indigowallbreaker]

squeezing hand for comfort and encouragement from the hand prompts for syldue (any mermaid arrangement you like!

It's Dedue's turn to be a mermaid! This one is kinda canon-adjacent, you could say?

(Taking MerMay Rarepair prompts until the end of May!)

--

Some part of Sylvain wondered if he should take his clothes off. He had been standing waist deep in the ocean-- still wearing his jacket, shirt, pants, and sandals-- for some time now. The part of him not wondering about his attire was contemplating the orb in his hand.

The orb was made of translucent green glass, with a turquoise gem suspended in the middle. It weighed almost nothing. Sylvain held it up to the morning sun, watching the way the light cast greenish freckles on the still water around him.

"You disapprove," Sylvain stated.

Not far ahead of him, about where the shore dropped off into deeper water, was Dedue. The merman's long, thick tail was teal, with a jagged stripe of orange and yellow scales around his torso where it met brown skin. His white hair was pulled back with a hairtie Sylvain had gifted him back when they first met.

Dedue frowned at Sylvain's words. "I only worry."

"You're good at that."

"You said yourself that this spell from Annette is temporary," Dedue went on, swimming close enough that he had to lay across the sand. "I know you wish to escape the burdens of your crest, but I worry you will forever mourn a life you cannot get back to."

Sylvain lowered the glass orb. "I can just ask Annette to make more. Or a stronger one. Or even a permanent one, if I gave her enough time!" He said it like it was a joke, but he could tell Dedue saw right through him.

"Remember that life in the ocean has its own struggles."

"I know."

"You will be trading crest problems for other ones."

"Yeah, but..." Sylvain moved forward, the water now up to his thighs. He reached out and took Dedue's hand. "The ocean's got you. That's enough for me."

Dedue's steel grey eyes rounded before he let out a warm chuckle. He squeezed Sylvain's hand. "I am not trying to talk you out of this, you understand. There is much I wish to show you under the ocean."

Sylvain grinned. "Can't wait." He knelt in the water, soaking his clothes with a sense of finality. Taking a deep breath of air-- his last for the next 24 hours-- Sylvain clutched the orb in his hand.

It cracked, fractured, and broke. The gem that had be suspended inside grazed Sylvain's palm.

Pain instantly spiked through Sylvain's chest and he gasped, a sharp thing that only hurt him more. His legs cramped horribly. Shutting his eyes tight, Sylvain grit his teeth, back bowing as he tried to hold in another cry. Dedue was speaking to him but none of the words could make it past the pain.

Squeezing Sylvain's hand again, Dedue pulled Sylvain under the waves.

Cool saltwater instantly soothed Sylvain's body. Dedue pulled Sylvain deeper, until the sand disappeared from under them, and Sylvain unfurled.

A sunset orange tail trailed after him. Slack jawed, Sylvain ran his hand across the delicate scales, marveling at the subtle stripes of turquoise just visible when the tail turned the right way. When he turned his tail the right way. Sylvain flipped his tail giddily. It was so easy to control, as if his torso had always ended in a mermaid's tail.

"It worked!" He exclaimed, probably unnecessarily. "Dedue, I can--"

Dedue kissed him. With one hand against Sylvain's lower back, Dedue wrapped his tail around Sylvain's, lacing their fingers together. Usually their kisses caused one of them to be in some awkward position to accommodate the other; Sylvain kneeling in seashells or Dedue craning his neck up. Sea and land weren't meant to fold together neatly.

This was the closest they had ever been to one another. And it was heaven.

Sylvain rest his free hand on Dedue's shoulder, sinking into the kiss. He wasn't sure if the tail tangling part was a typical mermaid thing or Dedue showing relief that the spell worked-- and he didn't care. Sylvain had water in his lungs, a strong hand in his grip, and Dedue over his mouth. Nothing else mattered in that moment.

It was Dedue who pulled away first. He touched his forehead to Sylvain's, uncurling their tails but still holding Sylvain close. "How do you feel?" He asked.

"Better than ever," Sylvain replied, lips still tingling.

"Good." Dedue drew back with a smile. "Then let us be off. The Duscur Sea awaits."

[indigowallbreaker]

Hubert receiving an unexpected hug (you can pick from whom)

(Had a friend pick the second person and found I really loved this match up)

The Demonic Beast blocking the exit of the Red Canyon should have been killed by Caspar’s fists. Instead, it screeched and charged right at Hubert. Already bleeding heavily from several talon marks, courtesy of the pair of hawks he had helped Petra and Ignatz take down, Hubert could only raise a hand and prepare a spell. One hit from this beast would kill him-- the least he could do was not make it easy.

Just as the beast reached Hubert and reared on his hind legs, Hubert shot out his magic, hitting the beast hard enough to knock the attack away. A paw landed just feet from Hubert, claws gouging the hard earth. Petra took advantage of the opening and fired two arrows into the beast’s thick hide. This time when it screeched, it then fell down dead.

Hubert lowered his arm, panting through bruised ribs and staring at the beast’s body. One wrong move and that could have been him lying lifeless against the unforgiving boulders of the canyon... 

“Hubert! Hubert, hey, you’re safe.” A hug interrupted Hubert’s thoughts. In fact, seeing who was hugging him made Hubert forget his panic entirely. 

Ignatz had his arms around Hubert’s waist, mindful of his ribs, and was smiling reassuringly up at him. “You’re alright,” Ignatz stated again. 

Hubert was too exhausted and wounded to scowl. “What are you doing?” He was able to say without much annoyance. 

Ignatz’s eyes widened and he let go, jumping back as if burnt. “S-Sorry! We did that a lot in the Golden Deer. To make sure someone was okay after a close call. Ah, sorry, I just forgot this class isn’t as...” He made a gesture Hubert took to mean something along the lines of ‘touchy-feeling’. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Hubert said. “It’s a sound strategy. It helps assess injuries and improves morale.”

“I... suppose that’s one way to look at it.” 

A cry from another hawk made them both look around. The monstrous creature had its sights set on the Professor, and Edelgard’s group was moving quickly to try and intercept.

Hubert rolled his good shoulder and straightened. “This isn’t over.” Then he cracked a smirk at Ignatz. “There will be more uses for your strategy before the way is clear.”

Ignatz laughed even as he notched an arrow. “I’d be happy to teach everyone how to do it!”

Together, they lead the charge further into the canyon where more close calls awaited them.  

[indigowallbreaker]

another rare pair prompt: cold hands in warm hands from the handholding prompts with hudue!!

DONE! Had this whole plot outlined but it took a while to figure out a starting point. Hope it was worth the wait!

(Currently accepting rare ships! Click here for the info post!)

--

Dedue found Hubert shin-deep in the river, pant legs rolled up to his knees and both hands in the water. The Kingdom-Empire-Alliance army camp sat a good distance away. Finding Hubert this far from Edelgard after a battle with the Agarthans was strange enough-- it was stranger still to see him apparently sifting through a river.

There was no particular reason Dedue had gone looking for Hubert in the first place. By rights, Dedue should be helping Dimitri sort through the aftermath or plan their next move. But Dedue always made sure to find Hubert after a battle. It had become a habit not long after the countries teamed up against Slither. Something about seeing Hubert, sometimes wounded or tired but still standing, always set Dedue at ease. 

Coming to a stop beside Hubert's boots at the water's edge, Dedue spoke. "What are you doing?"

Hubert pulled a flat rock from the river bottom, scowled at it, and flung it over his shoulder back into the river. "According to your report, this is where you were struck in the head. Therefore this is the most likely place your earring would have fallen off,” Hubert said.

At the mention, Dedue unconsciously reached up to touch his unadorned earlobe. He hadn't noticed his Duscur earring missing until well after the fight. Hilda had gasped and pointed at the side of his head as if the ear itself had been cut off.

Dedue watched Hubert take a few steps before bending again. “What do you want with my earring?”

“I do not want your earring,” Hubert corrected. “But I cannot have you distracted. This earring clearly has sentimental or nostalgic meaning to you. If I can locate it, you can keep your focus on the war.” He picked an arrowhead from the water and tossed it aside. 

“That water is freezing. Do not waste your time on my account.”

“Don’t tell me how to waste my time.”

Dedue shook his head. He had become accustomed to Hubert’s stubbornness by now. Sitting on the stiff spring grass, he undid his boots, placed them beside Hubert’s, and stepped into the river. Even with all his years living in the northern parts of the Kingdom, Dedue gave a shiver-- the water was just as cold as it had been when Dedue had charged through it earlier. 

Hubert continued searching. He pushed aside rocks and grabbed at promising clumps of sand, glaring at his find each time it didn’t turn out to be the earring. Once he reached his side, Dedue put a hand on Hubert’s shoulder to stop him. 

Hubert finally met his eyes. “It’s worth looking once, at least,” Hubert said. “You are distracted enough-- putting yourself between Dimitri and every conceivable threat on and off the battlefield. If I can take one worry from you I will.” 

“I will lament its loss but I’m hardly the type to be consumed by grief over a bit of jewelry.” Dedue lowered his gaze to Hubert’s hands. They were turning a harsh pink, almost red. Dedue took both Hubert’s hands in his own and rubbed them gently. “I care more about your wellbeing than any earring. You will lose your fingers at this rate.”

Hubert frowned at their hands but Dedue saw his shoulders relax. “Surely a memento of your homeland means more to you than if I have cold fingers or not.”

“I am not so sure anymore.”

Hubert abruptly looked back at the river. His hands tightened in Dedue’s grasp. A tight discomfort gripped Dedue’s chest that had nothing to do with the cold water, and the two were quite for a long moment. It felt as though elaborating on that statement would upset whatever balance they had found working side by side together during this war-- but if that upset could be for the better... 

“Hubert--”

“There!” 

In a flurry of movement, Hubert pulled his hands from Dedue’s and practically dived for something just to Dedue’s left. Straightening, he uncurled his fist to reveal, to Dedue’s amazement, the earring. 

Dedue could only stand there as Hubert shoved the earring into his hands and marched out of the river. “I’ll thank you to never doubt me again,” Hubert called from the bank. 

Stunned, Dedue fit the earring back in place. Relief flooded him as the familiar weight returned, and he sent a silent prayer to his gods in gratitude. 

Hubert was pulling his gloves back on when Dedue stepped out of the river. “Thank you,” Dedue said, putting a hand to his heart and bowing in a way he usually reserved for Dimitri.

“You’re welcome.” Hubert’s brow was furrowed. He looked up at Dedue, fiddling with the hem of one glove. “What were you about to say?”

“I could tell you, but I wouldn’t want you distracted.” Dedue chuckled at the resulting scowl. “Let us return to camp first. I have a feeling this will be a longer conversation than we can afford with cold feet.”  

[indigowallbreaker]

#8 from the heartbreaking prompts “how many times has he told you he doesn’t love you?” for hudue (but you can have it be like. The line applies to a different unrequited ship if you want. Or not.)

Love any excuse to come back to these two. 

(Currently accepting rare ships! Click here for the info post!)

--

Dedue watched as Ignatz trod on Dimitri’s foot for a third time. With a wave of her hand, Dorothea signaled for the violinist to stop playing and moved forward to correct Ignatz’s position. Red bloomed on Ignatz’s cheeks but Dimitri seemed more amused than anything else. Under Dorothea’s instruction, the couple readjusted their arms, then the dancing began again. Dimitri leaned forward and murmured something to Ignatz that made them both smile.

“Too much work for a first dance if you ask me.” Felix had appeared at Dedue’s side, leaning back against the wall with disinterest-- though his eyes were trained on the king and his fiancé. “You’re off duty,” Felix continued.

“I merely came to check their progress,” Dedue said. There had been some improvement since yesterday but he was still glad Dorothea had stepped in to assist them.  

Felix grunted. Crossing his arms, he said, in a low voice Dedue only barely heard above the violin, “How many times has he told you he doesn’t love you?”

Dedue looked at him. “Who?”

“The boar. You’ve been acting strange lately. I hope you’re not pining after him or something. Every woman in Fódlan is already doing that.”

“I am not pining for His Majesty.”

“Good.” 

Dedue couldn’t help a small smile. “Are you worried for me, Felix?”

Felix scowled and uncrossed his arms. “Even lapdogs deserve to be happy. That’s all I’m saying.” 

The music stopped again, and they both looked up to find Ignatz rubbing his shoulder and Dorothea lecturing a flushed Dimitri about holding on too tight. Dedue shook his head. “His Majesty knows how I feel about him. But I appreciate your concern.” Felix didn’t seem to think that was worth responding to, so Dedue merely nodded to him and left the room. 

Castle Fhirdiad was growing busier by the day. The wedding was still a week away, but everyone had a part to play in getting things ready. Edelgard’s arrival seemed to have impressed upon the staff how close they were getting to the big day-- and Claude’s arrival in a few days would surely increase activity tenfold. 

But Dedue had the evening off. So he made his way to his rooms without pause. Inside, he found quite the welcome sight.

Hubert sat on the couch before the roaring fire, holding a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, already dressed down for the night. When he saw Dedue, Hubert put down the coffee but kept reading the book. 

Dedue began taking off his armor. “I believe Felix expressed sympathy towards me just now,” he said in greeting.

“We should speak to Mercedes about getting him looked over,” Hubert replied dryly. He turned a page. “What did he say?”

“He seems to think I am secretly in love with His Majesty and thus in pain over his engagement.”

“Hm.”

“He said I deserve to be happy.”

“On that we agree.”

Free from his armor, Dedue sat beside Hubert and lifted his arm in invitation. Hubert filled the spot without hesitation, fitting against Dedue’s side and letting out a sigh. “Perhaps it’s time we told everyone,” Hubert said, closing the book at last.

“Perhaps.” Dedue tucked his chin over Hubert’s head. The smell of coffee still lingered, a scent Dedue associated with Hubert so much that it never failed to set him at ease. “His Majesty and Emperor Edelgard took the news of our relationship well enough. But I would hate to distract from the wedding preparation.”

Hubert let out a snort of amusement. “You show your pride in the strangest ways sometimes. You truly believe news of us would distract an entire castle?”

“Not the entire castle, no. Our friends, maybe. Felix most definitely.”

“Well then. For Felix’s sake, let us hold off a little longer.”

Dedue hummed his agreement, wrapping an arm around Hubert. “Just a little longer,” he repeated. 

He didn’t mind, really. As much as Dedue enjoyed the image of dancing with Hubert at the wedding the way other couples would be, there was something nice about keeping Hubert all to himself. It certainly made moments like this-- relaxing against one another after a trying day-- all the more special.  

[indigowallbreaker]

I also have Many Many thoughts about transfem Sylvain!!!! I feel like as she gets older she starts to realize that a lot of why she feels so weird about women is like, envy? And a lot of why she’s so angry about her position is because she’s being forced into this role of Strong Man that she doesn’t really want at all. She wants to be able to be soft and creative and kind, and her father wants her to be hard and strategic and violent.

And I’m sure it takes her a long time to untangle that knot, but when she does and she figures out who she is it makes her so, so happy. And changing her name is super empowering for her because it’s helping her move away from the weight of her family’s expectations and into being her own person, who’s living her life for herself, the way she wants to!

(and not to plug my writing but you can read my series about this here)

So I've held onto this ask for a long while now because it's just so so good and I liked having it around to greet me when I opened my ask box.

But I had a transfem Sylvain dream last night. When I woke up, I was like "Maybe I've held on to that ask for too long".

Therefore-- Good morning, everyone, Transfem Sylvain finding out what makes her happy and chasing that feeling into the ground is an amazing hc and I'm beyond happy you linked your series 😭❤️

In my dream I was at like one of those gymnasium high school dances. In walks Sylvain and the whispers start because he's wearing a simple, though nice, dress and looking a tad awkward in it. Someone near me remarks that no one can dance with him because he probably only knows how to lead. What a shame, they say. But Sylvain looks so happy she's practicing glowing and I step up and ask her to dance and she takes my hand and everyone stops to watch us.

Mind you, in real life I am CLUELESS on how to dance, and Dream Indio is no exception, apparently. Which is unfair. But Sylvain was so happy I don't think she cared. She was grinning and laughing and to me she looked gorgeous and I woke up feeling bad I couldn't give her a proper dance but oh gods that smile she wore...

Anyway. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Transfem Sylvain. It may have taken a while, but they gave me quite the nice dream :')