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“Couldn't you have time stop at this moment?”
Silence is something that Ryne’s always had complicated feelings for. Once upon a time, she muses, she had feared it.
Some say that silence is suffocating. And once upon a time, Ryne had found herself agreeing. It was always the times before Thancred had rescued her that she had agreed, bitterness and fear creeping up in her heart at the very concept of complete and utter silence.
Afterwards was always a different story.
After Thancred dashed in and rescued her, Ryne slowly begins to attribute silence with peaceful afternoons in Urianger’s study, the two of them drawing away on a piece of parchment, hiding from Thancred with a wink and a smile from the mysterious elf man.
To feel his sad yet proud smile as he sits, basking in the memories of the days so close and so far from his reach is something she attributes with silence and warmth.
She begins attributing silence to the many opportunities she’s presented to study the books Urianger lends her from his personal collection.
(She treasures every single one, even to this day.)
She sees him in the quiet moments she shares with Gaia. She sees him in the dusty shadows of his study, under the box she later finds, long after the Scions departure, filled to the brim with letters to Ryne and the drawings her and Urianger made.
Silence is a peaceful thing, Ryne thinks. She no longer fears it.
She no longer solely thinks of the cold nights where she was locked away in her cell, shivering and trembling from both cold and fear as she felt the dizzying presence of light surrounding her cage.
The sin-eaters she could never hear yet felt all too keenly.
She remembers them all.
Gaia is a different story.
Ryne knows Gaia hates silence.
The other Oracle had once described it as dizzying, sniping that she couldn’t possibly imagine how Ryne could be so crazy as to enjoy it.
Confused, Ryne had asked why.
“When I.. ..fused… with Mitron,” Gaia had begun, cringing at the name, catching Ryne off guard, “we didn’t have a need for words. Everything was shared between us. And it..- ..Gods, it was so deathly silent, Ryne.” Her voice breaks as she shudders violently, hugging herself. “He- She.. Everything was so overwhelming, it was staggering. I think the silence was the worst part. I don’t know if I can ever get it out of my head.” She shakily admits.
“Gaia…”
“It’s..” She swallows, “it’s fine. I’m fine. I need a moment. Excuse me.” She says, hurrying away, her heels clacking against the stones on the ground loudly.
Shortly after, Ryne had gone to Lyna and asked about something that could make music on its own, like a player. And if the captain had access to such a thing. Preferably a small one that was easily portable.
The Viis pauses, tilting her head as she clearly mulls it over. “Yes,” she says after a long pause. “However, you would have better luck seeking out Katliss, the Crystalline Mean Director. She’s an elf that’s very hard to miss,” Lyna comments with a warm smile.
Of course…!
“Thank you, Lyna!” Ryne beams, racing off to the Crystalline Mean to find the elf lady in question, completely missing Lyna’s exasperated look.
It’s a long list of inquiries and running around before Ryne is successful, but when she is, she’s practically jumping up and down out of excitement. She grabs the box that Katliss had packed the item in, (along with a few other additions), carrying it along with her up the steps to The Pendants, two steps at a time.
She pushes open the door with her back, twirling around to get greeted with Noodle rubbing against her leg happily as he purrs. The purring sputtering a few times before it gets going strong. She giggles, careful to step around him so as not to step on his tail, setting down the box she’s carried in out of the walkway. She squints, looking around for Gaia, wondering where the other girl is, only for her search to be quite short.
She spots Gaia snoozing away on their shared bed, Biscuit curled up into a ball on the floor, a light purring filling the air. Ryne softens at the sight.
Gaia always looks beautiful, but she especially glows when she’s able to relax .
The moments where Gaia lets go and allows herself to simply be a person are some of her favorites, she admits. Ryne relishes those moments with Gaia, because no matter how short they are, they mean that for a while, just a little while, Gaia’s able to let go of the crinkle between her brows and allow herself to just exist.
And what could possibly make Ryne happier?
Ryne leans over Gaia’s sleeping form, carefully brushing a few strands of hair out of the goth’s face, holding her breath so as not to wake her. She smiles.
Yeah. This makes it all worth it, Ryne muses.
She looks around the room before coming to a decision, climbing onto the bed, wincing as it makes a loud creaking noise. She attempts to dodge Gaia’s legs, physically cringing as she accidentally hits Gaia with a knee at one point. The other girl simply grumbles in her sleep, mumbling something about ‘filthy hairbrushes,’ whatever that means.
Ryne slips under the covers, shuffling behind Gaia so she can wrap her arms around the other girl while burying her nose in the crook of her neck. She swallows a yawn, letting her eyes drift shut, thinking about how maybe a little nap wouldn’t hurt..
She isn’t sure how much time has passed, but when Ryne awakens, she feels warm.
She feels.. safe, even.
She lets out a pleased hum as she feels a light kiss pressed to the back of her neck, shivering slightly as a chill runs down her spine.
“Hey, dork.” Gaia mumbles, voice low and breathy.
Ryne smiles, opening her mouth only to yawn. At some point during her nap, she realizes she had ended up turning over onto her side with her back facing Gaia.
“Says the girl who talks in her sleep,” Ryne sighs happily. She loves this.
She loves Gaia.
“Wh-Wha! I do not!” Gaia whispers harshly, and Ryne can practically feel the heat radiating from her face. She giggles as she flips back around so she’s facing her girlfriend.
Ryne places her hands next to her face, laying them loosely on the bed by the pillow. Hoping for Gaia to catch on, which, luckily, she does as she reaches out to grab Ryne’s hand and interlock their fingers. She ends up scooting closer to the ginger until their noses are practically touching, their cheeks equally tinted red.
Ryne smiles mischievously, ignoring her rosy cheeks. “Wanna try something?” She whispers.
Gaia snorts. “You gotta tell me what it is first, nerd.” She teases, clearly trying to hold her breath as an attempt to push her blush down.
“Haha, okay, okay.” Ryne pauses. “So..” Gods, this part is so nerve-racking! “Maybe we could.. kiss?” She falters, her smile flickering into one of nervousness as she loses her previous confidence.
Gaia raises an eyebrow. “Ryne Waters,” she begins slowly with a smirk, “do you perhaps like me?”
Smug Gaia… Ryne thinks in awe, her flush expanding to her entire face rather than just her cheeks.
“Maaaybe..” She mutters with an embarrassed smile.
“Only maybe?” Gaia snarks.
Ryne laughs, heart fluttering in the most delightful of ways. As it always does when she’s with Gaia. “Definitely.” She breathes instead.
Gaia smiles. It’s a simple, quiet thing, and Ryne files it away for later, realizing a very important fact.
Her girlfriend has dimples.
And she’s so, so beautiful.
Gaia coughs, releasing her hand, causing Ryne to realize her staring wasn’t as subtle as she thought. “Done staring, are you?” She asks snidely. And once upon a time, Ryne would have recoiled, curling in on herself at the response, stepping back and retracting her outstretched hand with an apology bubbling from her lips.
Here and now is a different story.
“Never,” Ryne says softly.
“Dork.” The other girl jabs.
“ Your dork.” She counters.
“You’re incorrigible,” Gaia sighs before leaning in all the way, pecking Ryne on the lips tenderly. They last like that for a few seconds before she pulls away, and begins to scoot backwards, clearly worried about overstepping Ryne’s boundaries. Ryne loves and appreciates her for it, but gods, she wants to kiss her girlfriend, damn it! So she grabs the front of Gaia’s sweater, yanking her closer once more, and presses their lips together.
At first, Gaia gasps into the kiss, clearly taken off-guard, but it only takes a moment for her to relax and allow herself to go lax in Ryne’s arms.
Ryne isn’t sure when, as the whole thing is a huge blur to her, but Gaia ends up shifting their positions, resulting with Ryne below the other girl as they kiss, but breaks it off as she begins peppering Ryne’s face with little kisses on numerous places, blowing air at her to draw out her giggles.
Luckily for Ryne’s sanity, Gaia pauses in her ministrations, coming to a stop. She huffs out a dazed, incredulous laugh as she falls against Ryne, burying her face in the crook of her girlfriend's neck in a smooth motion that leaves Ryne breathless as she tries to process it all.
“..ou suck.” Gaia grumbles. Ryne giggles once more as she feels Gaia’s lips curl into a satisfied smile against her skin. She wraps her arms around the brunette, hugging her closer, savoring their shared warmth.
No words are really needed as they both try to regain their breath. They both know what she means.
Curse you for being so damn cute. She had heard Gaia mumble once, after Ryne had plucked a dandelion from the ground and offered it to her.
“You’re warm.” Ryne comments at last, delighting in the reaction her words pull from Gaia as she hears a sharp inhale sucked in through teeth and a clearly affectionate sigh, the air tickling against her neck.
“..You’re ridiculous.” Gaia mumbles.
“Hehe.”
She smiles as she feels Gaia start to regain her breath, heart settling down, the whole impromptu make-out session clearly having caught her off guard.
“..Hey, Ryne?” Gaia starts, pulling back lightly to look the Oracle in the eye. Ryne hums. Gaia’s eyes are stunning. She did her eyeshadow differently today, even if it’s a little smudged now. “What’s in the box?”
“Oh!” She nearly forgot. All previous notions are forgotten. “Lemme up-!” She squeaks excitedly, releasing Gaia so she can get up. She can’t believe she almost forgot! Taken aback, Gaia rolls away, looking at her like she’s insane, which in all fairness, probably isn’t too far off all things considered.
Ryne messily slides off the bed, narrowly avoiding taking Gaia with her. She hurries over to the box, grabbing it and bringing it back to the bed, careful to avoid stepping on Biscuit as she navigates around him. She sighs as she does, amused at the fact that the tabby chose the center of the carpet to sleep on. He’s a lot like Gaia in that regard, she thinks.
Gaia sits up, staring at the box with confusion written plain across her face.
“And.. that is..?” She frowns, pointing at the box.
“A gift!” Ryne beams. “For you!”
“Huh?”
“Well.. I… It’s easier if you just open it!” She fumbles, looking away.
The brunette blinks. “Okay, okay. If you insist. But just so you know, if this blows up in my face I’m making you buy me dinner.” She smiles.
“Deal!”
Gaia reaches down to grab the box, her eyebrows shooting up as she places it on her lap. “This thing’s super light, Ryne..” She comments.
Ryne nods vigorously, practically vibrating as she waits for Gaia to open the box, praying it’s soon, excited for the other girl’s reaction.
Fortunately, curiosity soon wins out for Gaia, as she’s fishing a pair of keys from her pants pocket and neatly sliding them vertically across the tape that seals the box shut, and one ear-bleeding sound later, the box is open.
Gaia’s nose wrinkles. “..Ryne, what are these?” Hm? Gaia reaches into the box, pulling out a packing peanut. “Are these the gift?”
Ah..!
Ryne shakes her head, laughing nervously as she mulls over the plan she hurriedly threw together. Maybe this was a bad idea..! She frets. No, no, I just need to give this a chance.. See it through..!
Gaia hums. She reaches into the box once more, and the little sounds of packing peanuts being crunched and moved around can be heard as she does. It doesn’t take long for Gaia to finally get to what Ryne actually intended her to find.
Gaia gasps.
Ryne sweats.
“It’s a…” She pauses. “Okay, I don’t actually know what this is.” Gaia admits, setting it aside so she can pointedly look at Ryne for an explanation.
She takes a deep breath. “It’s a music player.” At Gaia’s confused look, Ryne hurriedly tacks on, “it makes sounds come out of it. like instruments and other things.”
“Oh.”
Ryne fidgets in place. “I know you don’t like the quiet, so I thought why not get something to fill that? Oh! And it’s small enough where it can be portable! So you can take it with you!” She adds.
“I.. I don’t…” The Oracle of Darkness takes a deep breath. “I don’t need pity, Ryne. I don’t.. I don’t need extra things. I have you. That’s enough for me.”
Her heart sinks. “You don’t like it.” It’s not really a question at this point.
“That’s not.. I didn’t… I didn’t say that.” Gaia mumbles. “I do like it,” she sighs, breaking eye contact so she can look at the radio, an unreadable expression on her face.
“But..?” Ryne prods.
“But I’m worried.” She sighs. “I’m worried about being weak,” Gaia admits. “It’s.. taken me much longer than I’d like to think about just to be able to say that, and I’m not even sure I’m any better than I was before.”
“Oh, Gaia..”
Ryne takes a few steps forward before she pauses in front of Gaia, taking her hands and rubbing small circles both clockwise and counterclockwise on each hand with her thumbs. Gaia laughs.
She pauses, giving the other girl’s hands a gentle yet firm squeeze. Gaia smiles in her direction, only to snicker and look away “Ryne,” she tries.
“Yes?” She blinks, confused.
“You have..” She coughs, clearly resisting the urge to laugh. “You have a little something on your face,” she chokes.
“Huh?” Ryne stares before letting go of Gaia’s hands, frowning as she walks over to the mirror sitting on Gaia’s makeup area, as it’s so proudly dubbed.
She gasps.
Her face is almost entirely covered in lipstick. Gaia’s lipstick.
Gaia bursts out laughing, falling backwards onto the bed as she cackles, her laughter soon turning into wheezing as Biscuit apparently had decided to awake during all the commotion and leapt onto Gaia’s stomach, lightly knocking the wind out of her.
Ryne turns back around, face beet red and prepared to lightheartedly scold Gaia, only to giggle uncontrollably when she spots what’s happened to the other girl. Apparently, Noodle had been hiding underneath their bed, and when he saw Biscuit leap onto the bed, he decided to do the same.
It didn’t take Ryne long to realize two things. The first, being that Biscuit was very comfortable around Gaia. (This she already suspected, but it was nice to have confirmation,) and the second being that Biscuit really liked to sprawl himself all over places.
This combined into Biscuit having ended up sprawled all over Gaia’s stomach dramatically.
The girl in question huffs. “A little help if you’re done staring, please.”
Ryne smirks. “I don’t know…” She looked over at Noodle, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, licking his left paw. “Noodle makes a very good case why I shouldn’t.”
Gaia sighs. “Guess I’ll die, then.”
Later, when night falls, Biscuit and Noodle have decided to curl up in the box that once contained Gaia’s new radio, very firmly making it their new nest. Ryne had attempted once or twice to grab Noodle out of the box, but to no avail, the young kitten yowling loudly in protest each time she reaches down to pick him up. Eventually, she gives up.
She changes into her pajamas,swapping out of her daywear and carefully untying her hair out of its ribbon, careful not to rip or tear the old thing. It’s incredibly precious to her, after all. Even if it’s a little tattered and frayed at the edges, Ryne doesn’t think she has it in her to replace it.
Gaia’s already helped her wipe off all the lipstick on her face, so Ryne no longer has to worry about that. (It definitely didn’t help that Gaia kept kissing her, though.. Not that Ryne would complain about free kisses.)
Ryne looks over at Gaia, who's standing in front of one of the tables decorating their room, fiddling with something in her hands. She blinks.
Gaia then lets out a frustrated growl, forcefully setting down the object she was messing with.
“I don’t… understand..!” She hisses, crossing her arms angrily as she sulks, and wow, Ryne can feel the pout from here.
“Do you want help?” She offers lightly, careful to keep her voice level. She knows that if she makes it too cheery Gaia's likely to snap, which won't help either of them, and will definitely end up in the brunette feeling incredibly guilty later. They're not too sure why that one happens yet.
“..Ugh.. Yeah.” Gaia admits quietly.
“Okay.” Ryne smiles.
She carefully explains what the elf lady told her, saying how you need a specific song inserted into the player for it to work, and luckily told Ryne that she threw in a few starters as extra. Apparently it worked by flicking a switch on the side, and then it began playing from the playlist of songs.
Gaia frowns at the end of the explanation. “That’s it?”
Ryne nods. “That’s it,” she says.
“Alright… I guess.” She mutters, turning back around to fiddle with the tiny device. She soon ends up finding the switch by the sound of the flick noise that Ryne hears, followed by a.. piano? She isn’t quite sure.
“Oh.” Gaia whispers, awed as the song begins.
It’s a very gentle, melthodotic piece. Ryne notices, trying to rack her brain for instrument names that she might’ve heard of back in Eulmore. She comes up blank, but it doesn’t change the fact that the tune is incredibly soothing, even as the pace increases and it becomes.. strangely sad.
Ryne steps across the room to grab Gaia’s hand, lightly tugging her away from the table towards their shared bed. She’s met with little to no resistance, making her task much easier. She hops onto the bed, slithering under the covers, frowning as she notices Gaia’s dazed, faraway look.
“Gaia,” she calls gently, concern freezing her heart as she wills her voice not to shake. Worry clouds her mind as impossible scenarios jump to the forefront. What if Mitron's returned? What if he wants to steal Gaia away again? I won't be able to stop him without the Warrior here.
Thankfully, her voice seems to snap Gaia back to reality, the other girl shaking her head as she quietly slips underneath the blankets beside her without uttering a word, both easing and causing Ryne's worries to cease and grow.
But after a few moments pass, the small incident is practically forgotten, Ryne determining that it's far too late into the night to worry about such things.
Ryne pokes Gaia's cheek, smiling widely when Gaia’s nose scrunches up in confusion. “You’re really pretty, Gaia.” She says simply.
“Wh..” Gaia breaks off into a yawn, unable to finish her sentence. She's more tired than she let on, even with her nap earlier today.
She’s always more sluggish at night, Ryne recalls. It's painfully ironic, she muses. The Oracle of Darkness becomes sleepy in the nighttime!
Ryne sighs happily, scooting closer to Gaia, letting their legs get tangled together as they face each other. “It’s okay,” she promises. “You can rest.”
Two Oracles, light and dark, together at last. Ryne doesn’t think she’d rather be anywhere else.
The song picks up in volume, marching along the tune as if it’s a soldier about to head to his own execution. It slowly tapers off, like a dying flame, and there’s something so.. serene about it that brings a small warmth to Ryne’s heart. The next song starts up, but Ryne doesn’t even pay attention, too focused on Gaia, watching her eyelashes flutter as she attempts to fight off sleep, determined to the last. Ryne frowns, cupping Gaia’s face with her hand. “It’s okay.” She says softly, looking into Gaia’s eyes as she speaks.
Getting Gaia to actually fall asleep is always a challenge, Ryne sighs internally.
In these past few months Gaia’s nightmares have been getting worse, and due to that, the other girl has been deathly afraid to sleep. It’s a miracle she even took a nap today.
“I love you, Gaia. I won’t let anything happen, okay?” She says softly, watching as Gaia leans into her touch, shuddering.
“..’Kay.” Gaia slurs out, eyes finally drifting shut and her breathing evening out. Ryne sighs, scooting closer to press their foreheads together as she closes her eyes, letting the warmth of being there with Gaia whisk her away into the realm of sleep.