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Ryne could remember when the concept of Starlight was first explained to her. Thancred had been talking about it, and the whole idea seemed magical. Of course, just the notion of night was still a very ephemeral one in her mind, and to add to it an entire celebration designed around giving to others… it almost seemed unthinkable after life in Eulmore. Coming to the Crystarium and seeing the celebration in person had helped make it seem more real, but it wasn’t until she saw the stars for the first time that she truly felt the wonder of it all.
Which was why she hadn’t been surprised that Gaia seemed so dismissive of Starlight. Adding to that the restoration of the Empty, which had taken so much of their focus of late, and it was completely understandable that Gaia wouldn’t have much time or thought to devote to something like that. Especially now that they were utilizing the Zeromus crystal to help restore the balance of aether in the Empty. Gaia had been working so hard to help unlock the full potential of the crystal in the safest way possible, and together they’d come up with a working theory of how a steady trickle of dark aether, as the aspect of action and change, would increase influence at a quicker rate than the more passive stasis of light would be able to counter.
There had to be balance, and that balance needed to be maintained with care and dedication. And Ryne could think of no better partner in this endeavor than Gaia.
Time seemed to pass so quickly with so much work to occupy them, and she delighted in the arrival of letters from everyone on the Source. But what relieved her the most was how much happier and more content Thancred and Urianger sounded in their missives, a fact that she and Gaia both had noticed and rejoiced in - Gaia, of course, in her slightly more standoffish but incredibly genuine way. The gifts that accompanied the letters were lovely; Urianger had sent a selection of books for the two of them, and Ryne was excited to dive into them as soon as possible. They ranged from collections of myths and legends from the Source to botanical tomes, and it warmed her heart to see how well he knew her interests and was ever so encouraging of them.
Strangely enough, Gaia wouldn’t let her see the books that he’d sent her, and the urge to snoop a bit was very strong. After all, she didn’t seem displeased by the gift, only going a bit red in the face and evasive when asked about it. That did bring another situation to light, one that they had been studiously ignoring for quite some time now. At least Ryne had been, and since Gaia had said nothing either, Ryne could only surmise that either she was alone in her thoughts, or Gaia was likewise as unwilling to discuss things as she was. Neither of those options were particularly encouraging to her, but then again she supposed it was to be expected. Neither of their lives had left much time for things like romance.
Ryne had lived most of her life as the Minfilia, destined to fight and die in battle with the Sin Eaters. Of course, Eulmore’s change of stance hadn’t exactly meant a new way of life for her. Her destiny was still a cage; the bars had simply looked different. Gaia’s cage had been different, and yet similar enough for them to share how breathtaking and terrifying the freedom to choose their own path seemed. But now that they had both settled into this new life and purpose together, Ryne had found herself thinking about Gaia in a very different way than she had expected.
Urianger and Thancred had certainly seen it during their time working in the Empty; Thancred had even made it a point to tell her that if she wanted advice, she’d be better off asking Urianger, because his knowledge of how to woo a woman would do her very little good. Given how devoted the two men seemed to be to one another, she decided then and there that she did not want to know anything about the escapades that would lead him to make such a statement. Urianger had been very gentle and understanding with her shy inquiries, and had offered wonderful advice, but oddly enough the most helpful and poignant advice had come from the Exarch himself.
“The temptation will certainly be there for you to push aside your feelings, to look to your duty and see it as more important, more pressing. You will tell yourself that there will be time after things are more settled and your work must take precedence. I know that temptation… that trap… all too well. Please do not fall into it as I did. Those feelings, that desire for someone to share those dreams of a better world, are just as precious and should be enjoyed to the fullest. There will be enough times in life in which you will have to make sacrifices, when you will plant seeds that will grow into magnificent forests whose leaves you will never walk beneath. This is not one of those sacrifices. Embrace your feelings fully, and never regret taking the chance to have something wonderful with someone you love.”
That advice was what had spurred her to action. Hence, when she discovered that the Chais had come to the Crystarium to visit for Starlight, it seemed like fate was agreeing with her. Who better to ask for advice from the most wonderfully in love people she had ever seen?
The Wandering Stair was still a busy spot for people to congregate after the workday, sharing drinks and laughter, but among those of a more romantic inclination, the Lucent Bower had garnered quite a following since opening. It was there that the Chais had decided to have lunch before the evening’s festivities on Starlight Eve, and there that Ryne was able to take a few moments to ask them about matters of the heart. After all, when in doubt, ask the experts!
“Ryne, my dear! It’s so lovely to see you!” Dulia-Chai was as effusive as ever, wrapping the young woman up in soft, surprisingly strong arms and hugging her tightly. “You look so beautiful, positively glowing! My sweet girl, I hope you have wonderful plans for Starlight!” She beamed, and Ryne couldn’t help but blush a little at the well-wishes. Especially considering what she was coming to ask about.
“It’s wonderful to see you too, Lady Chai. And Lord Chai, I’m so happy to see you both well!” The Mystel man smiled and inclined his head to her, but was content to let his wife gush over the young lady for the moment. “I’m so sorry to disturb your lunch together, but I had a…” She hesitated, looking uncertain for a moment. How should she ask for advice like this? Was it too personal? Would they see it as her prying into their affairs? She’d come such a long way from the frightened, self-conscious girl she had been but sometimes these kinds of situations left her frozen even still.
“Nothing to worry about, dear girl. We’re always happy to see you, and happy to spare time for you. What can we help with?” Chai-Nuzz, as always, saw right to the heart of the matter, motioning to the tea service in the center of the table. That gently authoritative voice cut through the uncertainty and she offered him a grateful smile as she sat down, taking a small cake while Lady Chai poured her a cup of tea.
“It’s… something a bit personal, and I apologize if I am prying. But I wanted to ask the two of you, when you first… when you knew that you loved each other, how did you confess?”
The change that came over them was subtle but instantaneous, and if Ryne had thought that she’d seen the Chais gaze lovingly before, she was unprepared for the tenderness and affection that came over their faces. Dulia-Chai seemed to practically glow, and Chai-Nuzz looked at her as if she were the only other being in existence at that moment. “I was the one to confess to him.” Dulia-Chai giggled, covering her mouth daintily as Chai-Nuzz reached out to take her other hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
“My darling has always been so terribly bad at caring for himself, always running himself ragged with his work. I had been the one managing the books and such for the mining company and it was not an uncommon thing for me to find him at his desk, far past the end of day, having worked himself into near unconsciousness. And one day, I simply decided that I’d not stand for it anymore. I told him that I was not about to watch the man I love run himself into the ground. He would be taking better care of himself, eating properly and sleeping more than an hour or two a night.”
Her smile turned a bit impish. “Perhaps it was unfair of me to confess when he was halfway to passing out, but it had the desired effect. After all, he now had someone else concerned about him and he couldn’t bear to let me down.”
Ryne looked from Lady Chai, beaming with delight, to Lord Chai, who cleared his throat a little embarrassedly and looked away as his face reddened. “Well, you did make a very succinct case, my dear.” He coughed into his fist, ears folded back a little. But the tiny smile hovering around his lips made it clear that it was a very happy memory indeed. It made Ryne smile to herself, thinking about all the times that Gaia had lectured her about not taking proper care of herself, of running herself a bit ragged with her studies and the various projects she was working on. She couldn’t quite help the little flutter of her heart to think that perhaps Gaia was saying something similar in her inimitably Gaia way.
“Dulia has always had a way of seeing to the heart of a thing, better than I could. I see the parts, how to fit them together, but she’s the one that sees the whole picture.” Chai-Nuzz smiled at her, and again Ryne had the distinct feeling of having all but disappeared as far as the Mystel man was concerned. She finished her tea and set the cup down with a quiet clink against the saucer, offering them both a bright smile before making her excuses. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they hadn’t realized she’d left until later. But their story had given her a bit of insight - and the courage to go forward with speaking to Gaia. After all, even if she was wrong, even if Gaia didn’t feel the same way for her, she would be able to know that she’d at least taken the chance.
“Ryne? Where are we even going?” Gaia grumbled, but Ryne was almost sure that she could detect a tiny waver in her voice. “You realize that if we fall and break our necks, I will never let you forget it. Doesn’t matter how many times we reincarnate, I will come find you to remind you that you got me killed! And on Starlight too, that must be some sort of especially egregious crime!”
“We’re nearly there, don’t worry! And we aren’t going to fall and break our necks! The balcony up here is just… it’s a really beautiful view, especially tonight!” Her own heart was racing and she hoped that Gaia didn’t notice that her hand was sweating as they headed up the stairs. The air was crisp, a far cry from Amh Araeng, and their breath was visible in the air as they reached the top of the stairs. And just as Ryne had said, the view was beautiful as they looked out over Lakeland from one of the highest points of the Tower. Lyna had been kind enough to allow her to bring Gaia up here, and she had promised they wouldn’t stay long, but it seemed like the perfect backdrop for her confession.
Gaia’s expression as she looked out over the starlit night, down over the decorations that adorned the Crystarium below made it seem as though Ryne’s intuition was right, and it gave her the extra boost of confidence that she needed to be able to take Gaia’s other hand and begin to speak.
“I’ve been rehearsing what I wanted to say for days now, and I’m sure that I’ll still muck it up somehow.” She laughed, voice a little shaky as she looked into Gaia’s beautiful eyes. “But I have to say it. Not just because I need to say it, but because you deserve to hear me say it, to know how I feel about you. Because… because I do feel for you, Gaia. I feel so many things for you. I admire you, I worry about you, I care for you… and I love you.”
Gaia’s expression went from stunned to elated to… disappointed? in the course of seconds, and Ryne faltered as she tried to figure out what exactly had gone wrong. Gaia pulled her hands away and Ryne felt as though her chest was going to crack. “Honestly! You had to do this now, when I had reservations at that silly cafe everyone’s been gushing about as being so romantic! You were the one who asked me to be friends; couldn’t you let me be the on to ask you to be my girlfriend?”
Everything seemed to stop in that moment, as Ryne stared at Gaia, watching her grumpy pout twitch as she struggled valiantly to keep from laughing. “Gaia!! That’s so… you… ugh!” She flung herself at the other girl, wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her tightly, doing her best not to cry with happiness and relief both. “You’re so mean, why would you do that to me? I thought you were going to say…”
“Say what? Hmm? That I don’t love you too? That I haven’t loved you almost since I met you? That it’d be actually possible for me not to love you?” Gaia laughed, the sound slightly muffled against Ryne’s hair. “Of course I love you. How could I not love you? When I’m with you, I’m happier than I ever thought I could be. And I want to be with you always.” She took a breath and leaned back, looking down at Ryne and cupping her face with an expression that could only be adoring. “So… yes. I love you too, in case that bit wasn’t clear.”
Ryne’s head was spinning, her stomach twisting with giddy excitement as Gaia pulled away, grabbing her hand and leading her quickly down the stairs once more. “W-wait! But… but I had more to say, I wanted to tell you…”
“Well, we can say all that at the cafe! If we hurry, we can still make it for our reservations!”