aterat | Rendered Silent For You

Entry tags:

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?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No injuries, at least here and now. And Rhy looks shocked to see him here.

"You're home," he said, as if this was not obvious to them both. And then he was reaching for Llewellyn, without even getting up. He didn't think he cared for anything but the other man's touch right now.

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.

Comforting embraces were good. Rhy definitely accepted the thing and then didn't let go. Couldn't let go. Don't let go. Except Llewellyn does, and he is moving his mouth and Rhy doesn't understand it.

"I can't hear you," he said, hoping he was actually saying the words. He could feel them in his throat, in his head, so maybe he was.

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.

"You didn't mean to," Rhy says softly, but fuck, it's comforting to know that Llewellyn is thinking about that. It's a relief. "I'm sorry."

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?

"No," Rhy said with a shake of his head. "I was at work. It was noisy. Then it wasn't noisy."

At all. And it wasn't getting better.

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?

Did he say anything? Rhy has to think hard about it. It felt so long ago, and the world felt so... fuzzy to him without sound.

"I think I asked for quiet."

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.

OH that's dreadful. And yes, there's still fear clear in his expression and posture because how could there not be? He's experienced so many things, so many near deaths, but never something like this. Never being deprived of a sense like this.

"But for how long?"

Llewellyn lifts the pencil to write a response, but it hesitates for just a moment. He doesn’t know how long, and saying that isn’t going to help the fear he can see in Rhy’s eyes. Words cross the paper with a slower, thoughtful pace.

Well, we know these strange things don’t tend to last permanently. Usually, things seem to last anywhere from a week to the end of the month itself. Even those mirrors where people are switched only last a week before they’re switched back. So while it’s hard to put a specific length of time on something like this, I can’t imagine it will be longer than a month at most.

So it probably wasn’t forever, but it was debatable on how long it would last…

I’ll reach out to a few other people and see if they know anything, but we’ll figure things out until it’s reversed. I promise.

He’d work out ways to let Rhy know he was near without scaring the life out of him again, and they could communicate like this. If… If things lasted longer or didn’t revert to normal? Llewellyn would figure that out, too. He loved Rhy, whether he could hear or not.

A week to a month? Either way Rhy is so shaken over considering any of this. In fact, he's actually shaking, almost vibrating. There's terror, and he doesn't even have a good way to voice it, but he moans in distress because he can feel a sound like that.

It breaks his heart to see Rhy so incredibly shaken by this, to see the fear in his eyes and hear that distressed sound escape him. Of all the things that happen in these worlds, something like this seemed especially cruel. To take something from someone without warning, without a certainty of when it would be over (if it would be). So instead of writing further, he set the notepad and pencil aside and draws his husband close again now that the time for questions was past and they knew what was happening. He needs to offer some comfort, needs to try at least to give him that much.

Comfort was good, because he could have that in silence and pretend it was normal, it was real, it was right. So he curls into those arms, just wanting to feel them. To be supported by them.

He shifts to draw Rhy close enough to rest his head on his chest comfortably, a hand running soothing circles over the other’s back as he knows he can’t say anything to offer comfort when Rhy couldn’t hear it. He would show that with his actions, with a gentle press of lips to the top of his head and to let him rest like this until he felt a little more relaxed.

The time is used to think of what more to do that day, he would call around to see if anyone knew more about this whole wish thing… Maybe see if he could find out how long it lasted… Llewellyn didn’t like the idea of going out, now. Not today, at least. Today, he’d stay home and help Rhy with adjusting to this and make sure he was comfortable.

"What now?" Rhy asked at a whisper. Or what he thought was a whisper. He was talking louder than he'd realized. "I don't know what to do now."

Llewellyn looked at Rhy thoughtfully as he spoke up. Hearing the uncertainty there, he knew he had to say something… Well, write something, he supposed. While he kept an arm comfortably around Rhy, the other moved to the pad of paper again. At least, he supposed, putting his words in writing wouldn’t convey his own uncertainty and worry. His husband didn’t need that now. He wanted him to feel comforted and to know that it would be okay. It takes him a little longer to write something at this angle, but he manages to get something down and moved slightly so Rhy could see the paper.

I think we take the afternoon to figure some things out, love. Ways we can let you know if I’m in the room, or how to get your attention without scaring you like I did before. I know of some people back in my world have a few ways they communicate such things, even ways of communicating without having to write things down.

If this lasted too long, he’d teach his husband sign language, he thinks. Some people in his time were against it, but Llewellyn thought they were ridiculous.

I’ll try to get in touch with some people in the morning to see if anyone else knows anything… But we’ll spend the evening in. Give yourself time to adjust. If there’s anything you’d like me to do, or to focus on, I want you to tell me.

That sounds wise. Reads wise. Whatever it is. It's all wise, and he hates it.

"I haven't been this scared since I woke up dead," Rhy admitted, his voice small, so small.

So much fear, that first day after his brother had called him back. And now it was back, a chill fear in his breast.

Llewellyn wishes he could do something to help, to undo whatever it was that had put his husband in this condition. To take that fear away, but he’s as powerless now as he’s always been when it comes to things like this. He holds the other close again, silently cursing what his husband had already been through, and this world for throwing more at him. His arms shift slightly, instinctively protective, before taking a breath as he lifted the pencil again a moment later.

I’m sorry, my love… I hate that you’ve been through so much and to have to face more now… It is scary, what these worlds can do doesn’t seem fair… But I promise we’ll figure things out, that it will be okay.

"I'm not the best at figuring things out," Rhy said with a sigh. It was Kell that was always the smart one. Rhy was smart with people, not... curses. Not evil magics. Not magic at all.

That’s why we’ll figure it out together, love. You’re not alone, I’m not going anywhere.

Even if Llewellyn himself could only really help with figuring out how to help Rhy while he was without his hearing, he wasn’t about to just leave Rhy to figure things out alone. While he had next to no knowledge concerning magic beyond what other people told him, he did know people more experienced with it than himself. Asking their connections for help in figuring out the magical aspect of the problem would go a long way, he thinks.

Well, that's something. A lot of something.

"A mage found me when it happened. He's trying to figure out how to fix it, but he didn't look hopeful."

Well… The fact that he’s willing to try means it can’t be a zero percent chance of figuring it out, right?

He offered his husband a reassuring smile. It was actually good to hear that he had at least had some help before now… It had been a little worrying to think Rhy was left to wander around entirely on his own before he got home.

And I’ll reach out to some of the other people we know who are experienced with things like this, to see if they can offer any advice too. But for now let me do what I can to help you be comfortable, love.

His eyes wandered for a moment, hearing the familiar sound of paws padding across a rug.

And Pretzel too, he’ll want to give you a good cuddle, I think.

He set the pen down, directing Rhy’s attention to the dog so he wouldn’t get surprised if the basset approached like he normally did.

Comfortable? How is he supposed to be comfortable? He's lost. Beyond lost. And having to focus frustratingly on written word rather than actual word. But the words and direction does turn his eyes to the dog, and Rhy offered the beast a smile.

"This will be troublesome. I won't be able to hear when he needs to go out."

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