closed and in progress;

[bequiet_hescreamed]

When; Monday, March 8th, just after midnight
Rating; G
Characters; soulofocean and conductyourself
Summary; Umi wanted to discuss some things with Clef.
Log;

At exactly one minute past midnight, Clef finally opened his door. The entire apartment was quiet, most of its other residents having gone off to bed several hours ago. This mage, for his part, was just waking up - there hadn't been much else to do alone in his room for half the day. Stepping out and closing the door behind him, he had half a mind to pause at Presea's room but ended up walking silently by and sparing only a glance through the half-open door. She'd understand if he had to postpone their time together for something more urgent, which was exactly what he felt he had to do.

His feet carried him across the house to the Water Knight's door, where he hesitated a moment before knocking softly. If she was still awake, at least, she'd probably hear it.

Comments

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

The knock sounded loud enough to call for Umi's bemused attention in the silence of the apartment. Hours before she and Ascot had come back from their... date -- she was still having a bit of trouble calling it that -- ending a curse day that'd been entirely too telltale, way too confusing for the Water Knight's taste. It'd filled her head with even more questions than she'd had been asking herself ever since Konata told her about this, ever since Fuu confirmed it. And then there was that stupid mirror curse that only complicated matters more...

A sigh heaved in Umi's chest as she rose from where she'd been lying on her bed, fully dressed and quite aware she wouldn't be able to sleep until her talk with Clef was over. She trusted the Guru to be a good listening ear, and a neutral one, as she'd told him.

Still, deep inside, she felt a certain reluctance about bringing up certain subjects. But she'd been beating around the literal bush for far long enough. Time to face the music, then. And ask for advise if it'd helped her.

Without must hesitancy Umi opened the door and nodded at the mage. "Night, Clef. Sorry to bother you at such hour." She glanced back at her room and gave him a tiny smile. "Come on in."

[bequiet_hescreamed]

"It's no trouble," he replied as he entered the room. It was impossible to help but look around the place as he did, since he had actually never been inside it before. He needed only a second to take in the blueness of the room before he turned to Umi again. "What was it, exactly, that you wished to discuss?"

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

Umi guided her visitor to the small sitting area beside her writing desk and chair, not failing to notice Clef's quick surveying of her room. She was glad she'd learned how to keep it orderly on her own. Ever since she'd had to do her own housekeeping she was improving by the day with that sort of task.

Inviting Clef to take a seat on one of the small blue couches, she did the same on the one opposite to his, her eyes focused on her own thoughts. Better to start from the beginning.

"There's quite a lot, but... Well." She folded her hands in her lap. "Mostly what everyone keeps saying Ascot feels for me. That last curse made me wonder... about what I may feel for him too."

[bequiet_hescreamed]

Clef hadn't been aware of those rumors, but elected not to say that. He had of course noticed the way Ascot acted around the Water Knight, but filed the whole thing away as unimportant. As much as he cared about her and was starting to grow attached to him, it really wasn't any of his business.

"Is it that you're not sure how you feel?" he asked, finally. It seemed like that was what she was trying to say, but it was hard to know for sure.

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

"I feel kinda stupid to admit this. But... you're really the best person I could turn to for talking about this." Umi sighed. That couldn't be truer if she tried: of course, she could go to Presea as well. Or Yuuko. Both women were the closest to mother figures Umi had away from home.

But Clef knew Ascot more than anyone (except perhaps Caldina). The Palu was his pupil, after all. If anyone could clue her in about this, that was likely the master mage.

"It's just that I need to know if it's true. If... he actually feels something else for me aside from friendship. And I'm not sure if I should ask him directly." Which was probably the best thing to do, but... knowing Ascot... "He'd get flustered. And I SURE don't want to seem so pushy."

[bequiet_hescreamed]

That was where she was wrong. Clef felt as though he was still only just getting to know Ascot - they hadn't met yet at the time he came from back home, and the young mage had only just recently arrived in the City, so it wasn't really just a feeling. Now that he thought about it, he certainly suspected that Ascot had feelings for Umi, but it was only a vague and uncertain suspicion that he countered with the observation that Presea acted the same way sometimes at random moments. For an instant, Clef thought he might be in over his head and was thinking of advising that she find someone else to ask - surely Presea would have been a better choice - when he realized that the question really wasn't as complicated as she was making it sound. This wasn't a question about whether or not Ascot had feelings for her, but ultimately whether or not she should try and pursue a relationship with him.

"I don't think you're ready for that answer yet," he said after some thought. It was obvious that they were going to be there for a while, so he let his slippers fall to the ground so that he could sit crosslegged on the couch and not have his feet dangle uncomfortably. "It's important to find out what's in your own heart before you ask after someone else's."

IDIOT MUN FORGOT HIS TIMELINE T___T

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

"Why is the first thing that brings to mind 'why should I go first'..." It was frustrating. This hadn't ever happened to her before. Which in itself said a lot about how special Ascot was to her. She'd had her fair share of boyfriends before. This...? This was nothing like it. Ascot was far dearer to her.

But Umi couldn't be certain. Not yet, at least. She did have strong feelings for the young summoner. Though as of late The City had done a lot to confuse her about it even more. Even with Clef.

"But this means a lot already." She concluded, mistaken or not, and mostly to herself. "You know there's something there. And I know... I do feel for him... even if I'm not sure how much."

Hey, don't you dare talk about Val that way. <3 Besides, it wouldn't be OOC to have forgotten.

[bequiet_hescreamed]

"If it's any consolation, I would have told him to go first had he asked my opinion." But he hadn't, and that said something right there. One need only consider why Ascot was so hesitant to see that it made sense for Umi to make the first move.

"In any case, I'm glad that seems to have helped," he said, although he honestly wasn't sure how or why or whether the words he had actually said had had any bearing whatsoever on the young lady's reaction. For a moment he thought of pointing out that he never said he knew anything about something being there, but once again decided against it.

Okay okay ♥ Sorry mun. Though I still consider you a weirdo.

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

It wasn't as if Clef had let much on. Or even that Umi had truly spotted any evidence that he knew about Ascot's heart. Perhaps all she needed was the smallest sign this was indeed as everyone kept telling her, to start considering her own feelings in a different light. Maybe she was just reluctant to see them for what they were.

Umi's expression grew sober upon considering this. Her small hands tightened in her lap. Was that it? Was what she'd seen The City do to people who developed feelings for each other keeping her from wanting to ponder her own emotions? That'd be so cowardly... And what was the logic in it anyway, if she'd get to see Ascot when she got sent back home? It wasn't as if Cephiro was a world she couldn't visit often.

She exhaled the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Well, it's... something. It's what everyone's been telling me. That I should sort out my feelings for him first." But it's not ALL of it. She hesitated there, evidently so. Should she bring this up? It'd been a weird curse, nothing but. Even if it'd released a part of her she'd kept hidden, it was a negative side. Just like it'd been a negative side of Clef what had brought this... confusion. So, it couldn't have any bearing to their actual feelings whatsoever. Not in anything but a twisted way.

...Right?

Still, the Water Knight hesitated.