#larksapur

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."

(Continued from here)

Rin smirked as her question led Lark exactly where she hoped. With the chill of the outdoors fading away, Rin was reveling in the warmth of her girlfriend. She had a growing need, and she was clearly not alone.

Life was wonderful. She was happy. And she could, in large part, thank the gorgeous elf happily finding a place between her legs.

Even after taking a portal to Northrend at Roxlyn's request, Rin and Lark still needed to catch a ship that would be docking at the small independent island the witch lived on. Rin had a coat and a scarf, knowing it would be cold up north at this time of year.

While she had been wanting to visit her old teacher for some time, it was surprising that Roxie would ask her to visit barely a month after their last meeting. She asked her to bring Lark, who thankfully had no problem with impromptu travel.

The girls made it down a path covered in crunchy snow to a cozy cabin at the edge of the town. A blood elf woman was outside playing fetch with a dog almost her size. When she spotted them approaching, she smiled. "Roxie, I think you've got company!"

It only took half a minute for the void elf dressed in thick, fur-lined robes to poke her head out of the door. "Nice to see you two made it in safe."

"Yep! Though I didn' realize it'd already be snowin' up here!"

"Well, get in here then. We have the hearth going and soup ready."

Rin squeezed Lark's hand. "How are ye feeling?" The boat trip had made both of them a bit queasy. Really, Rin's stomach had been annoying her for days now, and she wondered if she was coming down with something.

Kat was adamant that the ceasefire was not worth the paper it was declared on, but Rinnessa was going to be optimistic. She could feel more secure at the Howling Owl, now. She had to worry less about friends on either side getting slain in a conflict. Even Roxlyn seemed more willing to visit Stormwind in light of recent events, which was great. Rin liked getting the chance to catch up with her mentor.

Before she would come to town, the witch did have a request of her former Apprentice. There was a merchant in the city who had gotten their hands on a relic and Roxlyn wanted to get it before someone else did. With Rin in town, she picked up the little idol so she could give it to her former teacher when she came around.

Walking into the flat, Rin looked over the small statuette. It seemed... trollish? She wondered if this was procured during the excursions into Zandalar. Maybe it was best not to dwell on how the artifact was originally obtained. Roxlyn did have a habit of finding questionably moral items interesting, after all.

Removing a coat from her shoulders, Rin called out onto the small apartment. "Lark, ye home? I've returned with a wee troll totem and two hot cocoa. At least one of those things is for you!"

@larksapur-wra

<3 Please look at this amazing commission from @rooku who is insanely talented and incredibly easy to work with.

(Continue from here)

Rinnessa felt something off about the whole situation, and it was a relief to have Lark open up honestly. Rin didn't blame her for holding that; in her shoes, Rin might have done the same, worrying she might be a burden.

Still, the shoe was on Lark's foot. And at the full explanation, Rin furrowed her brow, then determination colored her expression. She stood up and took Lark's hand, picking up anything Lark had with her.

She spoke matter-of-factly. "Come on. We're gettin' your stuff. Ye can pay me back when ye're ready. Then we're going to my flat. Yer staying wi' me. As long as ye need," she added. She was determined, but was still Rin, so she wasn't used to being pushy.

Was it weird that the flat felt weird on nights where Lark wasn’t sleeping over?

Maybe that was silly, or she was getting in too deep too quick, but Lark spent the majority of nights sleeping over at this point. Kat was... less than thrilled about that, but Rinnessa honestly just enjoyed Larksapur’s company. The void elf didn’t drain her energy like so many other people did.

But the were not living together. Yes, Lark had most of her clothes at the flat. Sure, Lark was living at the Inn when she was not at Rin’s and Rin worried about that. Still, it felt like a line she was nervous to cross, given the... undeclared nature of what they were.

And so, it was one of those nights when Lark was not spending the night, and Rin was feeling antsy. She was too restless to sleep just yet, and the flat felt... quiet. She decided it might be a good time for an evening stroll.

Rin kept a want tucked into the waistband of her skirt, knowing Kat would kill her if she was out at night without some method to defend herself. After all the they had both endured, Rin was not going to zone out and make herself a target for some lowlife.

The walk took the pink-haired witch toward a park, which was the easiest way to get close to nature without leaving Stormwind. The rustling of trees and grass in the summer breeze calmed her.

She had no goal or destination in walking, but fortune and fate were funny. Unexpectedly, Rinnessa came across a familiar elf laying across a park bench. Grinning, Rin skipped over to Larksapur. “Out for an evenin’ stroll, too?”

Rinessa did not bite off more than she could chew! That said, with her business partner away, she could use some extra help. Thankfully, Larksapur was back and, while she was not much of a baker, she could lend a helping hand.

Fruit tarts we're not too difficult; she was just making a lot of them, in an assortment of Pride related color combinations to fulfill an order for a local celebration. It was after hours, so they were the only two people in the cafe, letting them chat and get things done.

(From I)

Rin was glad Lark let the conversation move past what was still an awkward, unspoken topic because she had no clue what she would say in the event she had to speak it. Rin already said what she said, and she would not push Larksapur. She knew all too well how necessary it was to come to things at one’s own pace. Rin just hoped if Lark ever figured something out, she wouldn’t just forget to mention it. The girl was wonderful, but... well, oblivious.