One Voice Over a Million Whispers (Rinsapur)
Days at the cafe were getting more exhausting the further Rinnessa got into her pregnancy. Running around the kitchen and getting facetime with her clientele were all part of her daily routine, but she was spending more time sitting when she could manage it. The girls at the cafe were putting in the work to make up for their boss's need for more rest, which was good. Soon, they would have to handle things on their own while Rin learned to parent two little half-elves.
That was not the only thing Rin's energy was being spent handling, of course.
The weather was finally taking a turn for the better, but Rin still bundled up on her walk home from work. Even the March chill was enough to make her shiver these days. She longed for the warmth of her apartment and her girlfriend, but when she opened the door, her shiver came from an ominous hunch rather than the weather. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, the witch cautiously walked toward her bedroom.
Rin had been throughout with warding the apartment. She had crystal arrangements all over the space in strategic locations, but the most protected area was still the bedroom. More and more, that was where Rin expected to find her lover. Sure enough, when she knocked and slowly opened the door, Lark was in the corner of the room, rocking back and forth with her hands against her ears. Rin's smile faltered briefly; they both knew she could not shut out the whispers like that.
Ever since the whispers had grown worse, after the declaration of the ceasefire, Lark rarely left the apartment. This was best; Rin just wanted her safe and did not want to know what the whispers would lead her to do. They were doing everything they could, and Rin was pushing the limits of her magical knowledge. Herb baths, draughts mixed with Lark's tea, and every spell, ritual, and charm Rin could get her hands on. Even sitting there, Lark had more than one crystal item she wore to help ward away the voices.
Rin hoped something would change soon, because she hated seeing the woman she loved like this. Until something changed, she just had to be supportive, putting on her warmest smile. "Gods, have I missed ye, Lark. All I could think about for the last hour of work was your beautiful face. Well, and yer tummy."
The voice she spoke in was clear, with a slight melody to it. Rin noticed that helped in reaching out through the whispers. In this case, it worked enough to have those light blue eyes lift from Lark's knees. She did not say anything, but she was looking at Rin rather than closing herself down completely. That happened sometimes on the worst days.
Rin pressed forward, knowing Lark was not going to be able to talk much right now. "Of course, I'm assumin' ye and th' wee one are starvin' so I picked up a quail t' whip up wi' biscuits and gravy. Keep your strength up." It was a legitimate concern and Rin was not going to let her girlfriend or their baby wither away because of the void. In th' meantime, though, I baked us up some lemon bars as a treat."
Lark did not look away, but her weak voice trembled its reply. "I-i-it's really bad tod-day, Rin... I... I..."
Stepping closer, Rin got to her knees and carefully placed her hands on Lark's shoulders. When the elf did not lash out, she leaned in and pressed her forehead to Lark's. "I know, love. So let's just talk over them." She pulled away, kissing the spot on Lark’s forehead. She smiled as broadly as she could as she brought one thumb to her own mouth, biting it enough to draw her own blood. "We'll have a night in eatin' lemon bars and talkin' about things. We've got plenty t' talk about."
Rin placed her thumb against Lark's forehead and drew a sigil. Ever since their "conception ritual," their blood shared a connection. It was, after all, blood magic. "How about baby names? I think it's time we talk about them. We're havin' two children, and we don't exactly know what we're gettin' so we'll want two boy names and two girl names, at least." Maybe even something more neutral? "Plus we can choose human or elven names. So much to think about right?"
For the first time since Rin returned, she noticed Lark smile, however weak the expression was. "I... that sounds nice, Rin."
Pleased with the progress, Rin reached into her paper bag and pulled out two treats, handing Lark one unless she was not ready to feed herself yet. If not, Rin could do that too, because they were a team. "That's th' smile I fell in love with. Alright then." She took a seat on the floor next to Lark, keeping an arm around the elf. "Let's name some wee half-elves."
@larksapur-wra
