*bursts in a year later* sup'
Not much to report, just fluff for the sake of fluffiness. Notes are at the bottom :)
Lyra hummed quietly as she organized her medicinal vials. Her fingers flicked gracefully with the high notes and swept leisurely along with the lower tones as she cleaned and rearranged each bottle. The larger jars, she decided, would go on the higher shelves. From left to right; Hallucinations, Probiotics, Painkillers, Poisons, Antibiotics, and Antiseptics in their own groups in alphabetical order. She repeated this process with the medium bottles on the lower shelves. She decided to put her small vials in the glass cabinet next to her desk.
She heard the door open and close almost silently, but she smiled as she smelled a sent she was intimately familiar with. Strong yet gentle arms wrapped around her waist as the potent smell of pine and licorice surrounded her.
"Atra esterní ono vanduen, Islanzadí Drottning," she said, not breaking in her dusting. She laughed as she felt the slight pout in her partner's thoughts.
"Hmmm, you knew it was me." Islanzadí set her sharp chin on Lyra's shoulder.
Lyra's mirth increased, and she leaned into Islanzadí's embrace. "I am sorry, love. I will act surprised in future."
Islanzadí huffed at the tease. She nuzzled into the shorter elf's neck and breathed contentedly into her silky skin. Lyra stroked her lover's black locks and continued shelving her herbs. The humming resumed - Islanzadí's lower vibrato joining her. Their duet no louder than the wind and the birds.
Lyra's hand rested on the last bottle shelved, the other still lazily combing through Islanzadí's hair. Islanzadí was swaying slightly with the tempo, rocking Lyra in her arms. Lyra's finger slid from the glass in favor of lacing themselves with her lover's.
Lyra pulls away from the embrace, though, reluctantly. Islanzadí frowns but does not stop her. She smiles again when Lyra takes her hand and leads her to the sofa.
Lyra retrieved some clay mugs from a cabinet, and fills them with milk and honey. With a whispered word from the ancient language, the drinks heat. She hands Islanzadí her mug quietly and they cuddle together on the sofa. Islanzadí talks about the gardens and trouble with the houses and listens to Lyra chat about her plants. Lyra listens to Islanzadí's worries and helps ease her stress by letting her complain and distracting her with the research she's gathered on magical wildlife. Islanzadí kisses her cheeks and comforts her during her frustrations, and Lyra smiles as she tells Islanzadí about her "adventures" in Du Weldenvarden.
They sit for a while afterward in contented silence as a steady drizzle begins to fall outside.
Notes:
Ok so Haldir639 had a good point on elves being more tolerant to same-sex couples so I've decided to explain my reasoning for Islanzadí's fears in more detail.
It's not that it's exactly frowned upon, it's more of a lack of representation. Finding a mate and conceiving children is the closest thing to sacred to elves, so being able to conceive with your mate is pressed upon. Trans elves are more widely represented because they have the means to create their reproductive organs for themselves via magic. Gay or lesbian elves might not feel comfortable with that and thus be unable to conceive. Islanzadí feels that her attraction is wrong because she scared of being judged for being unable to conceive with Lyra. Also the fact that she's had a previous mate and she's scared that she might be seen as unfaithful to Evandar for moving on.