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Nervous was hardly the adjective used to describe Fontaine's best duelist. She was as striking as she was bold, a pillar of strength and a symbol of discipline. Hundreds of duels under her belt yet none could ever have prepared her for this heart pounding moment. The meeting went as swimmingly as she had expected, Monsieur Neuvillette is as forthcoming as he usually is. Surprise was evident however, after all, it isn't everyday that the duelist requested a leave of absence given her studious, no-nonsense personality. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why her leave was approved rather quickly. Regardless, she was satisfied to know she had a week's worth of time-off.
Clorinde stood outside the Palais Mermonia, clutching her approved papers. Many things began running through her head. Surrealism, disbelief, dumbfounded confusion, and most of all at a loss of how to proceed. It was no longer the mere simple fact that she had some time off, but rather the things she could do in between. Pulling another paper from her pockets, she unfolded the neat creases, raked her eyes through the list of things she wanted to accomplish before then. A smile etched its way to her usually rigid expression, fingers tracing the fancy calligraphy on the material.
There was only one other person other than Sigewinne that ended their script with fancy flourishes. Someone that listed every possible tourist spot in Fontaine. Someone who blocked every possible hour of their dates. Someone who probably prepared a myriad of snacks for them both. Someone like—
"...ss Navia?"
"What?"
Her eyes snapped up and there was the Iudex in front of her curiously eyeing the paper in hand. The Monsieur made a gesture to the Opera Epiclese where a familiar blonde stood, parasol against her shoulder. The Mademoiselle was unaccompanied by her bodyguards, but Clorinde wouldn't be surprised if they were somewhere in the crowd overseeing their day. Maybe there was already someone nearby looking for her. That said–
"Miss Clorinde? I was asking if you happened to be looking for Miss Navia. I had assumed..."
Assumed what? Clorinde turned her attention to the man, curious yet under the impression they were on the same page all the same.
"...Yes?"
Neuvillette paused, his eyes trickling to the papers in hand, the blonde in the distance, then back to the duelist in front of him. Daft as he may admit himself to be towards human emotions, he was uncannily perceptive. Or was it just Clorinde oblivious to her own obvious devotion? It wasn't just the leave, after all. It's also that tension seeping out of the woman's body with the Mademoiselle around, a certain lax in her features, and a certain… light in her eyes.
There passed a moment of silence, the judge ultimately deciding against continuing his statement.
"Nothing further. Enjoy the rest of your day."
With that, he was off to whatever business he had left for the day with Clorinde no closer to a defense to her intentions nor even a reply for her person. She graced herself a moment for composure before walking with purpose towards the blonde awaiting her timely arrival. Navia's always known Clorinde to be precise, never one to be tardy regardless of any inconvenience.
They had plans. Big plans. Not as big as the Spina di Rosula's plans like perhaps the rebuilding of Poisson, but plans nonetheless. It's been a while since they've had time together. Between harboring grudges and saving the country, there wasn't exactly time to deal with everything in between. Not to explore what they lost, no reminiscing about long forgotten childhoods, and no rekindling their former spark.
At least not yet.
Which is why she's here now with her heart bouncing off the walls of her chest. Navia clutched the parasol, her sunglasses hiding nothing but the uneasy look in her eyes, her nervousness instead radiating off of her through her body. She had the sense she was forgetting something, only adding to her other worries. There were still some odds between them. Their cultivated indifference still upholding a small barrier. But as Fontaine welcomes a new era of hope and bright tomorrows, Navia hopes that this saga of romantic endeavors would welcome the same for them.
A gloved hand wrapped around her arm, the familiar warmth sending a shiver up her spine. Clorinde had made her way over, the papers she held tucked away with her hands occupied with catching the lady's attention.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all, though I thought you'd take a while. I certainly wasn't expecting you to come in your usual getup."
Clorinde took a good look at herself. Nothing but some of the finest from Chioriya's Boutique aka; her uniform. Was there anything wrong with her apparel?
"O-Oh, I don't mean to imply anything, but I was hoping I'd get to see you in casual clothes."
Navia explained quickly, not wanting to embarrass the girl or come off as nitpicky just before their date. It's not like she had any problems per se, but the thought of Clorinde dressing up just for the occasion has certainly been fuel for her thoughts. For as long as she remembered, her friend had dressed rather curtly towards every situation. Is it too much to want to see her in casual clothes? Then again, that form-fitting pants, iron-pressed dress shirt, and the matching black and purple accents that decorated her capable body was a feast for Navia's eyes.
She did love a woman in uniform—
Silence.
A pause.
A tense little bated breath.
"I will.. certainly keep that in mind for our next dates," Clorinde coughed into her gloved hand, hiding the pink that covered her cheeks with her hat, thanking the archons it isn't simple decor.
Ah. AH. AHHHHH. Red engulfed the Mademoiselle's face as the embarrassment settled in the air. She bit her lower lip and casted her eyes away, the parasol and sunglasses won't be able to save her now. She clammed up. Admitting that she wanted to see her in casual clothes was one thing, but telling her THAT to her face was one different matter entirely!
"Ah.. I mean.. You don't.. have to.. Not that I oppose but—"
Stuck between taking back what she said and leaning into it. Of course she wanted to see Clorinde in uniform. She just didn't want to be seen as some sort of deviant knowing that she found the duelist highly attractive on duty. Meanwhile Clorinde was fighting back a smile, a stupid little grin from the mere joy of knowing Navia found her desirable even after all these years.
Frankly, she thought it harder to win her affection back, but as much as she longed to have Navia in her embrace so maybe—Just maybe they were on the same page.
She cast her gaze down where her hand had been all this time. Despite the awkward state of affairs, the woman never moved away, not even to hide away. Navia would much rather embrace the tension than spend another minute away from her. No more would they let grudges and grief take much more than they already did.
Thus, Clorinde slipped her arm around hers, tugging her off and away into Opera Epiclese. A silent motion to move on to better, brighter things. Navia clued in on the gesture and composed herself under the dimmed lights of the venue. That electric buzz ignited from the earlier blunder was yet to dissipate, but its light thrum over her skin was not at all bothersome. It kept her on her toes, so hypersensitive to every change in movement and reaction.
And yet they always said Clorinde was a stickler for details.
It's akin to charting a map—Well, maybe that was too cliche. Maybe relearning to ride a bicycle? You didn't actually forget how to. The body remembers in reflex what the mind lacks. Though the test of time blurred memories of the past, the body remembers the warmth their proximity brought her.
Throughout the musical's run, Navia was too preoccupied with that fact. No one would dare call her an 'easy' girl, not by a long shot. The rest of Poisson could testify to that. Yet the way Clorinde never let go of her arm had her squirming in her seat. The upper floor of the opera provided all the privacy they needed such that her stolen glances and warm cheeks weren't at all visible.
A shame, she thought. All the grandeur of the stage, the lights, the music, yet her eyes were transfixed on a single subject. A fixation Clorinde more or less picked up on. Every twitch beneath her palm was engraved to mind. Though her eyes were drawn to the stage, her other senses made up for what her eyes wouldn't.
She could almost hear her shallow breaths, controlled only by her sense of manners. The dress Navia so beautifully wore was bunched up and creased all over trying to sit ever closer to her. A certain closeness that let the duelist catch a whiff of the Mademoiselle's perfume, a hint of sunny fields and warm honey that had her mouth drying up. Her eye twitched, her throat parched for a taste of that sweet candy.
Tension ran high in between, but there was only so much Clorinde could do in response. After all, she still had her doubts, her own insecurities that are yet to be absolved. What if she played her hand wrong and scared off the poor girl? In the face of a blooming romance, she wanted to do things right.
The least she can do now is keep their arms intertwined, taking only one brave step to reach down and hold her hand. The gesture she thought presumptuous and yet.. reciprocated. Clorinde wouldn't bring herself to look, scared to break this fragile bubble of certain uncertain emotions. If she did, perhaps she'd have seen the sly smile on the lady's face, those red dusted cheeks that conveyed little of the excitement Navia truly felt.
To remedy that, Navia responded the only way acceptable; intertwining their fingers together under the blanket of darkness, fortifying that imaginative little bubble of theirs. It made Navia want to giggle, made her want to laugh at how silly she was feeling. Giddy at the mere touch of holding her hand. It brought up memories. Good ones and the bad.
Clorinde's good to her, even with how she acted so coldly towards her. Often she wondered how she could ever repay such patience and loyalty and–it suddenly hit her.
That's exactly it–
That's what she forgot.
The gift she painstakingly put together just for today!
And she left it nowhere else but Poisson.
Surely Clorinde wouldn't be opposed to a little detour, right?
Honestly, no. She would never be. Not when Navia was asking. Hence, after the theater was over Clorinde eagerly agreed to go back to Navia's home.
"I did say it would be no problem if we went back, although I also don't want to trouble you with a gift. I'm not really—"
Worth that much, she wanted to continue but Navia was there, ready to do away with this negativity.
"Nonsense! I've troubled you enough blocking out your entire week and well," Navia paused, taking Clorinde's outstretched hand onto the boat. The duelist really didn't see the urgency in going back for a token of appreciation, but she knew better to argue with Navia; the most hospitable person she knew in Fontaine. She shouldn't be surprised if she prepared a feast back home too.
Navia smiled up brightly at her, guiding Clorinde to their seats as she went on, "The least I can do is give you a gift and it's in incredibly poor taste not to show up to a date without a token! For that, I'm sorry."
"I—"
"If you must feel so adamant on refusing, just consider this as an adventure. Unpredictable as it is fun."
There she goes with her zealous attitude. Looking out to the horizon for new views and hopeful tomorrows.
"You do remember how to have fun right? Or is Miss Champion Duelist too strict to go on an adventure with me?"
The Mademoiselle stood near the bow of the boat, donning her famous sunglasses, a hand on her hip and a finger pointed to Poisson with the sun behind her head. An image of a true hero. A hero who hadn't anticipated the boat suddenly starting and stumbling. Only to be caught in the arms of a certain purple-haired individual. They caught each other's gaze, held it for a second too many, and suddenly Navia forgot what she was prattling on about.
"Your loyal knight Clorinde awaits your command, milady," she responded cooly. Such enthusiasm must be matched in turn! Definitely not an excuse to cover up her little fumble and that stare she held.
"O-Onwards my soldier! To the horizon and new lands!"
The duelist helped her back to her seat, continuing their little charade over cushions and what do you know, Navia's specialty macarons. The trip may not have been as long as the city's touring aquabuses, but it provided ample time for the two to reminisce about their adventures in their youth.
A barrage of questions fired at her now, Clorinde's attention hooked with every single one.
"Do you remember running through the fields in the Erinnyes Forest?"
"Sweetly.. cruising through the lakelight lilies."
Although the memory seemed so far away, she could picture the forest surrounding the great willow, patches of wild flowers seen all around. Then there were the two moving from one lakelight to another. A semblance of innocent curiosity and penchance for the unknown. It's said that they're manifestations of life. A thread of the life of Fontaine's waters. They're a gentle azure, much like the ocean depths accompanied by its refreshing salty scent. A marvel, but still a marvel that did not compete with the wonder in Navia's eyes. The first instance sparked then for Clorinde saw the world reflected so clearly in those blue depths.
"The cabin outside Poisson that papa built us?"
"I remember you falling through the unfinished floors–"
They were a little older then, playing tabletop games that Clorinde was more than happy to indulge Navia in. Every danger conquered, every evil plan thwarted by the brave, valiant hero. A hero that just so happened to fall through the floors to their in progress playhouse.
Clearly a mere trial in their journey to greatness!
The small Mademoiselle was hanging on by a thread (an exaggeration), still pudgy hands clinging to Clorinde's more slender ones. She looked scared, but a hero never wavers! At least that is what the future duelist told her. Clorinde struggled to pull her up, but by then she had already learned to keep her composure, encouraging her with her role as the lady's 'knight' defining her character perfectly. A knight must be brave and reliable in the face of crisis! And brave and reliable indeed she was, pulling the hero back to the safety's grace just in time. A narration that Navia so enthusiastically chanted even at her lowest which Clorinde played into of course.
A tale of trust, loyalty, and friendship, fortifying the notion that the other mattered to each other all the more. The second instance occurred, bravery and trust in those blue depths ultimately paving the way for something more intimate. As their youthful days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, Clorinde found herself wishing to be more than a simple 'knight'. Her curious wonder soon turning into sincere affection warranted at the altar.
Their trip down memory lane seemed to bring Navia to the same point.
She fidgeted, their trip to Poisson drawing closer to its end. They clearly made a lot of progress, but nowhere near what satisfied Navia. Not enough to wave off that looming sense of loss and dread. What if this, like their youthful romance, was nothing more but a moment in time spurred by premature feelings? A syncopation of what should've been more meaningful thwarted by their own inexperience. They never did get the chance to pick up the pieces of their once shattered bond.
Did they have it now?
Navia turned to look at her, heart thumping against her chest.
There was only one way to find out.
"Do you... still think about it?"
Her voice grew quieter, her gaze to the distance if only to hide the uncertainty in her eyes. The wind made her hair roll out over her shoulder in waves, bringing life to her already lively blonde curls. Framed by the setting sun and a cloudless sky, Clorinde could think of no better beauty. She got the sense she was supposed to know what the blonde hinted at, but she could count on the stars many of what she could think of that involved Navia.
"Our first kiss."
She finally said after a beat of silence, a bout of nervousness overwhelming her all over again. It was the third. For a moment it was nothing but the crashing waves and her own heart beating in her ears. For Navia, it was an experience like nothing before. A culmination of long years of frustrations and lament.
For Clorinde it was.. everything.
"...Fondly."
Clorinde replied almost immediately, her eagerness getting the better of her. Just like that, it's as if the answer turned the tides of their prolonged feud. A path to redemption, a path forward–hell, a path to wherever Navia wanted to go for all she cared! While Navia more or less rushed into this wearing her heart on her sleeve, the duelist was close to imploding on herself. She was staring, lowering her head to look at her hands.
Was she hearing herself right? Did she hear all THAT right? Her fingers trembled, balling her hands into fists. Crescents dug into her palms and sure enough they stung. A big proof that this was real. The restlessness, excitement, the shock and relief all came rushing into her all at one. Manifested only by a boisterous laugh not even Navia's ever heard before.
She laughed and she hiccuped, tears soon running the sides of her face. Those balled fists clutched her stomach. What a fool she's truly been! For the pain, the indifference, the mere doubt that Navia would never feel the same way with her. Her laughs gradually receded, turning into small hiccups as the tears continued to stream down her face.
It was only appropriate that Navia got to decide when and how to define their relationship. But damn was it hard to respect that. From the theater, sneaking glances and wanting to put an arm around her, pull her to an embrace, to the boat desperate to tell her she looked pretty against the sunny skies. Because what then if the blonde woman decided her intentions were misplaced? What then if Navia had decided then and there that was all their situationship would ever amount to?
Fear unmoved her, and yet she agonized in stagnation all the same.
It was difficult.
Difficult to say—
"I love you, Navia. I always have. You loved me once before, but I wasn't sure if you can ever love me again. That's why.. That's why I–"
Quieted by a mere kiss to her forehead, Clorinde could only look up at her hopefully. It only struck her that Navia had been crying too, albeit just not as vocally as she was. She waited until the blonde cupped her face to press their foreheads together. This close, Clorinde could see the way her eyes lit up in awe. Perhaps that's what Neuvillette saw with her earlier.
Yet another proof Navia felt the same. She laughed again, this time without the tears she so shamelessly shed. Her hands went over Navia's on her face, and for the remaining few minutes of this little boat ride, maybe they'll relish this sweet reunion and confirmation a little longer. The Mademoiselle wiped any stray tears and in her mind ran scenario after scenario of what could happen after.
''I love you too.''
Regardless of how it played out, she was relieved to know in her heart Clorinde was her 'partner' all the same.