unbreakable_king: Sendhil Ramamurthy in Heroes (Only Ever A Disappointment)
Rhy Maresh ([personal profile] unbreakable_king) wrote in [community profile] aterat2023-03-10 01:07 pm

Rendered Silent For You

Who; Rhy Maresh, Llewellyn Watts, Open
What; Rhy accidentally makes a wish and things happen
Where; The Maresh-Watts home, the Markets
When; Feb 12th to 18th
Warnings; CW: Temporarily Deaf character

I. Poorly Chosen Words | A Cut Above
It had been an uncomfortable day through the whole of it. There was tension in the air that Rhy didn't understand, though it definitely frustrated him. His head was aching, he had work to do, and there was so much silly nattering.

Which was what led to incautious words, just as the bell rang over the door to announce the arrival of a new customer.

"Would it be too much for a man to wish for a bit of silence?"

And he had to pause, and smile. Because the sounds faded away. People were respecting the request. Thank goodness. He smiled and looked back down to the vest he was embroidering, not even noticing the customer before him.
II. Comfort At Home | Maresh-Watts Home (Closer to Llewellyn)
Something had gone wrong, and Rhy didn't know what. He had just come to recognize it, and after much pantomiming from the girls at the shop, he had known he should go home. Which was where Rhy was now. He'd arrived without Llewellyn there, and so he had taken a hot mug of tea to the living room and settled there on the couch. It had been a rather poor choice of location of course, given the fact that it meant his back was to the door. There was no way he would see his husband entering, but it was a common place for him, so he'd done it without thinking.

So now he sat, sipping tea, watching the fire without hearing its crackle, and waited.
III. Simpler Market Day | Markets
There was one advantage, if one wished to call it such. The market was less stress when it was quiet. There was no chance for him to call out for those who might sell him things, there was no arguments, there was no bargaining. All there was for him was a list as he moves through the market.

When he reached a stall he frowned to see the merchant there not bothering to look at him.

"I need help," he said, feeling the words in his own body, but not hearing a single one. "Please?"
gadaboutdetective: (135)

II. Comfort At Home

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-10 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Llewellyn hadn’t expected his husband home for some time yet. His afternoon was free from the office, which meant some household chores he’d made a list of, and taking care of Pretzel. Most of the tidying up was done (aside from his notes, but those were always a lost cause and contained to the study), and he’d left the dishes to dry on a rack next to the sink before heading out with their fuzzy son for his afternoon walkies.

Which was quite how he’d missed Rhy’s early return, and didn’t discover it until he was already in the entryway next to the living room. He unclipped the leash as Pretzel practically howled and barked his heart out in joy at being home, wincing slightly at the noise. “Okay bud, I think uh- everyone on the street knows we made it back home. Good job.” He finally chuckled, stretching his back lightly before taking off his hat and coat to put on the rack in the hall.

Of course, he isn’t aware of his husband’s current predicament. So he was more than a little surprised when he spots Rhy sitting in the living room. He hadn’t said anything despite Pretzel’s usual noise, so perhaps a surprise afternoon off. “Rhy! A pleasant surprise to see you home so early, my love.” He said, walking up to the sofa and leaning on the back of it curiously. “What brings you home so early, love?” He leaned over to press a kiss to the other’s head in greeting, as he normally would when they got home for the day.
gadaboutdetective: (176)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-11 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Rhy jerking away from him was not something Llewellyn had anticipated, and he pulled back, both in surprise and concern, himself. He would be hurt by his husband recoiling from his kiss like that, but really… That wasn’t like Rhy, nor was dropping a steaming cup of tea all over himself. He was the more graceful of the two of them, after all. No, this seemed like genuine surprise and fear, as though he hadn’t known he was approaching.

“Rhy?? Not good- uh… Here, let me help.” He would deal with the surprise later, and moved instead to scoop up the teacup and to assess the potential damage, the soaked fabric had to go even if it might’ve already burned the skin beneath, they didn’t want it to be worse than it was. And something cold, definitely something cold immediately. He was panicking a little, perhaps, but he was also used to dealing with surprise injuries. Both his own and his brothers when they had been around.
gadaboutdetective: (136)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-13 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Llewellyn’s shoulders relaxed slightly, as it seemed like Rhy hadn’t been burned by the drink. Thank goodness. He let out a relieved breath as he carefully set the mug upright on the table. “I am, yes, Pretzel and I got back from a walk-” He started, only to find himself stricken again by how odd his husband’s statement was. He was home, but anyone on the street would know he was home given Pretzel’s usual excitement, and he had spoken as he entered the room…

There was a sinking feeling in his chest. Something was very wrong here.

His arms returned the gesture as Rhy reached for him, instinctively drawing him close for a moment in a comforting embrace. Then he carefully draws back just enough to look Rhy in the eye, drawing one hand away long enough to gesture at his own ears as he speaks carefully. “Love, can you not hear?” Hoping the gesture would be enough of an indication for Rhy to confirm it.
gadaboutdetective: (166)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-14 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
Llewellyn feels bad as he sees the confusion written on his husband’s face. If he didn’t need to know what was going on, he would have drawn Rhy right back into his arms. He needs to know, though, if only to be able to help.

His fear is confirmed though as Rhy responds, and he feels his heart sink. What on earth had happened? He’s not unused to conversing with people who cannot hear or speak, given his casework in the past. Still, it’s a shock and a worry for Rhy to have suddenly lost his hearing, it’s no wonder the poor man had been so startled.

He squeezes a hand reassuringly and nods slightly, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of his notebooks (thank goodness he keeps them on him) to write a note. There are dozens of questions he wants to ask, but first thing first, he needs the other to know he understands.

I understand now. I’ll refrain from speaking at you and write instead, okay? I’m sorry for scaring you so, my love.
gadaboutdetective: (80)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-16 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
He didn’t, but it still happened. It was something they were going to need to figure out, some way to let Rhy know if he was approaching to avoid future scares and potential accidents. Something a little less jarring, he hopes. The apology is something that gets a shake of his head again. He couldn’t imagine a need for the other to apologize right now. It’s not like he asked to suddenly find himself without one of his senses.

No need to apologize, you couldn’t help it any more than I could have known. We’ll figure something out to avoid it happening again, promise.

He shifts to his feet for a moment, moving to sit next to Rhy and offers a comforting arm while he keeps the notepad handy.

Do you know what happened, or what was happening around the time that you lost it?
gadaboutdetective: (176)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-17 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
Noisy and then not noisy… Llewellyn hums to himself, looking at his notepad thoughtfully. It indicated that this wasn’t anything that happened due to natural causes. If Rhy was losing his hearing, he thinks it would have been something noticed over time… And he paid attention to his husband. If the man had been noticeably missing things said or asking one to repeat themselves, he would have noticed.

Then he considered his and Pretzel’s walk around the city… There had been some very noticeable snapping and some even odder behavior going around after the person said something. He’s not good at figuring out things of a less natural nature, because he doesn’t fully understand what is and isn’t possible. Those lines are often blurred, so it’s hard to form a theory…

But… Well, this seems at least slightly logical.

Did you say anything before it went quiet?
gadaboutdetective: (96)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective 2023-03-23 02:00 pm (UTC)(link)
That sounded close enough to what he was thinking, especially depending on how his husband had worded the request itself. It seemed like there was definitely some kind of magic gone awry in the city again, some new and unpleasant thing affecting people… On the one hand, these things were rarely permanent… On the other hand, it was terribly frustrating to see it happen. Worse to see Rhy put through something unpleasant. It was clear how jarring this all would be for him.

Then I think there’s something specific going on in the city again, dear, rather than you naturally losing your hearing. I noted some odd things happening while walking Pretzel, but it seems some things said are coming true in unexpected ways.

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-03-23 19:33 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-03-24 18:40 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-03-25 13:32 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-03-27 12:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-03-29 14:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-03-30 19:17 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-06 01:22 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-06 20:51 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-07 13:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-07 19:19 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-08 18:00 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-13 14:02 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-13 19:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-14 16:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-14 21:43 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-15 14:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-20 00:53 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-20 20:38 (UTC) - Expand

Okay!

[personal profile] gadaboutdetective - 2023-04-21 18:10 (UTC) - Expand
ask_whydunit: (Reines I'm not a packhorse)

I. Poorly Chosen Words

[personal profile] ask_whydunit 2023-03-16 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Waver had arrived shortly after Rhy’s wish, looking to pick up some clothing to replace things that had been ruined recently. Normally he wouldn’t care too much, but he didn’t really have the resources to pull from here. With everything that had happened since October, he was starting to run a little low on changes of clothing. “Ah… Excuse me?” He asked, standing in front of the counter where Rhy was working, brow raised slightly as the man continued to work on a vest. “Hello?” He tried again, to no avail. His brow arched slightly as he tried to decide if he should just put some of the items he had picked up on the counter or not.

He understood dedication to your work, sure, but he was pretty sure ignoring paying customers wasn’t a good way to do business… And everyone else in the shop was also occupied already, hm…
ask_whydunit: (light frown)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit 2023-03-17 08:33 am (UTC)(link)
As the man continued to focus on the vest, the professor was left to stand there awkwardly.

Waver wasn’t rude, no, he was actually mostly polite depending on the person if you asked his sister. Even if he was a bit touchy and grumpy sometimes, it was usually limited to the people who pushed his buttons, but they also got a certain level of respect depending on the person.

But… He also couldn’t stand there all day. Being out and about was awkward as it was. Carefully, picking a space on the counter that wasn’t occupied by the man’s work, he set a couple of the folded shirts he’d picked up down.
ask_whydunit: (Curious deductions)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit 2023-03-23 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Waver had anticipated the man might be a little startled, given his focus and that it could be a bit jarring to come out of whatever train of thought you were locked in while working on something (it happened to him enough)… But he hadn’t expected the man to look quite so mystified by the interruption. His brow raised a little, before the question gets a nod. “Ah, yes? I’d like to purchase these and to put in a request to have some adjustments made to a few things.” He responded, deciding it wasn’t best to dwell on the awkward standing around he’d done before now.
ask_whydunit: (Puzzled)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit 2023-03-23 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Rhy’s annoyed look is a surprise, as are his words. The professor’s own expression shifting to a bewildered annoyance of his own at the suggestion that he’d do something stupid like that. “What the hell do you mean by-” He started, then stopped as certain facts lined up in his head. 1. He’d tried to get the man’s attention and failed when approaching the counter. 2. It took Rhy seeing something set down to notice him there. And 3. Now he was suggesting that Waver was just moving his mouth instead of talking.

The man couldn’t hear him, clearly, but also was acting like he should be able to… Shit.

Well, Rhy’s final suggestion would have to be the one he went with. He keeps his notebook for notes on things he’s working on and organizing details for aspects of this world that he’s looking into. He’s not about to ruin his organization considering some of the things he was working on, so he tugs out the tellphone instead and opens up a message to briefly type out a few words before setting the device on the counter to slide in front of Rhy to look at.

Not to alarm you, but I was actually talking just now. You really couldn't tell?
ask_whydunit: (Sad frown)

Aw no worries, I've had that happen <3

[personal profile] ask_whydunit 2023-03-24 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
That one simple word confirms what he’d thought, and Waver feels pretty bad about being the bearer of his news. Even if someone would have to be, considering Rhy was going to need to know at some point. Probably better now than in the middle of a busy intersection or something. Still feels awkward to have to tell a total stranger they lost their hearing.

It looked like his quick errand wasn’t going to be so quick... Just leaving someone who’d discovered something like this wouldn’t sit right with him, even if it probably would with other mages. He still remembered how they treated Melvin when his health went south, so… Helping. Not that he had much of an idea on how to do that, given he wasn’t sure what was at play here.

Regardless, the mage can see the tremor in the man’s hand, and it seems like he’s fairly close to a panic attack. Having had enough of those himself over the years, Waver made a small motion to signal he wanted Rhy to hand the phone back to him so he can type a message out again.

I think it’s safe to guess this is new, then. Do you have a break room or something here to avoid customers?
ask_whydunit: (I see then)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit 2023-03-25 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Great, of course there wasn’t… Being located where they were, they all probably just went out to the market or neighboring shops for a break. Still, he couldn’t exactly keep working like this. The horror on the man’s face was clear enough to indicate that coping with this wasn’t going to be as easy as taking a moment to breathe.

Okay… I’m going to have a word with your colleague over there for a minute. Just so the guy didn’t think he was being abandoned after the bad news was dropped on him. Just to make sure you’re not harassed by customers that don’t know what’s going on or people think I’m disrupting things.

Because it’d look weird after a while for some random guy to just stand around talking to someone during work hours instead of actually buying anything.

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-03-27 12:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-03-29 14:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-03-30 19:18 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-06 01:07 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-06 21:04 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-07 14:00 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-07 19:20 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-08 18:17 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-13 13:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-13 19:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-14 16:27 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-14 21:37 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-15 14:39 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-20 00:28 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ask_whydunit - 2023-04-20 20:33 (UTC) - Expand