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Neither of the women were ready to leave the premises of the Waking Sands. Too busy browsing the many tomes present in one of the available rooms. Y’shtola may have browsed most of them through her much longer stay, but this was all new to the person she invited in the room. In all but name, it was a date. It has been a few hours now between some talks and some breaks, so she understood when Aelynn’s eyes started to wander around and away from her studies. With all that said, she did notice how they wandered to her direction most of the time, despite how physically close they already were. It was almost as if she wanted to break the ice. A rare moment, coming from her.
“You are distracted,” Y’shtola said as a matter of fact. “You should speak your mind, maybe I can answer your question.”
Aelynn kept her eyes down on the book she was reading initially, then glanced up after feeling Y’shtola’s piercing gaze. Hesitation.
“But it has nothing to do with any of the tomes I’ve read so far.”
…The Miqo’te had a feeling this was indeed the case. “Ask anyroad.”
Aelynn fidgeted with her fingers for a few seconds before opting to lift up the tome so she could hide her face, only letting her eyes visible.
“Sorry for being indiscreet, but…” She took a few more silent seconds before finally speaking; “Y’shtola, do you, perchance, currently have a lover?”
Y’shtola blinked for a few seconds. Did she really ask her that? But by looking at her eyes, it was clear to her that the Au Ra was actually serious (even if she currently wants to dig a hole for just asking a question). And it looked like she didn’t want to back down yet.
It was only fair to answer such an innocent question. “Nay, I haven’t. Haven’t got the chance, so far.”
Y’shtola noticed the slight surprise in Aelynn’s eyes, who quickly averted her gaze.
“...and do you like the company of women, perhaps?” A shameless inquiry. She was still not meeting her eyes. In fact, she was wondering if she should just hide her whole face.
“I do not mind the company of others but I still do lean more towards women,” Y’shtola answered, her face unreadable.
Aelynn slowly moved her eyes in Y’shtola’s direction, before focusing on the tome despite it being too close to her face. “.............I see,” she said, a clear hint of relief in her tone.
Y’shtola could not see most of her face, but she knew. She let the silence settle in. “Did that quench your unusual curiosity?”
It took a minute to get an answer from her, slowly putting down the tome, ready to go back to reading with a little smile. “Plenty. I thank you.”
Please do not get back at me for this, please do not get back at me for this, please–
“Well then, please quench my own curiosity; why are you asking me all of that?”
Aelynn just knew she shouldn’t have put down the tome, and now she was internally panicking. She normally had the restraint of not saying anything incriminating her thoughts. It was now obvious she was now at the second part that she loathed. She spoke, and now she has to reap what she sow. What is done is done, and she slowly stood up, deciding to commit fully to it, not running away from what she wanted to do.
“To make it as brief as possible, I admit Eorzea as a whole is still unknown to me, and I would like to explore the world with you, if you would like me.” Aelynn slowly took Y’shtola’s hand, softening her gaze. “You… do catch my fancy a lot, miss Y’shtola, and I would like to date you into the unknown. What do you think?”
It took a long moment of silence before Aelynn broke eye contact, her face flushing red of embarrassment. Who was I trying to imitate here? Thancred???
Letting go of Y’shtola’s hand, she backed away, deciding to ignore the state of her own face. “You may now forget everything I just said, I have to go.”
“And not putting the tomes back into place? Sit.”
It was an immediate fold, with even a barely heard “Yes, ma’am” while she sat down.
Closing her eyes and picking a pen, she started overthinking about what she could have done better. “......I apologize, you deserved much better than a silly outburst. Let me redo that properly, on another day.”
“That is the most I’ve heard you speak in the span of a few days,” Y’shtola noted, giving a gentle tap on her shoulder. “And nay, I am not letting you do it again.”
“Why not? At least I should make it more–”
It happened quickly and without any warning. Aelynn’s eyes quickly opened out of surprise, but very slowly closed once more, letting herself shamefully melt under Y’shtola’s lips.
Y’shtola finally let her go after a whole minute, breathless. She took a good look at Aelynn’s flustered state. If she spoke. Instead of actually speaking her mind, she simply gave a simple question;
“How do you fare?”
It appeared she stunlocked her big time. Seeing her struggle with her words not because of her usual quietness but because she actively had too much to say it becomes a jungle of a mess… was cute.
“I’m fine, I swear I’m fine,” ended up being what Aelynn settled on answering, her face burning, and her gaze hesitating between staring away, or at Y’shtola. Or at Y’shtola’s lips. If she spoke more, she knew it would be something very, very foolish; asking for another one. “....Wait, did you just do that to make me shut up?”
“I am sure in some other context, that would be my way of doing this to you,” Y’shtola started in a way that what she just said could be easily dismissed so that Aelynn does not process in time what she implied. “But I just wanted to give you an answer that would not be up for debate. And by how you’re currently reacting, I will assume it has been approved.”
Aelynn glanced away, really trying to calm herself down. Y’shtola was so close. Too close. A yes could have been simple enough, but now all that was left for Aelynn to do was acting really shy and now that’s embarrassing.
“Now before I think of pouncing on you, we really should put the tomes in their places. It is getting way too late to stay awake, don’t you think?”
It took forever between cleaning the room and being back in her private chambers for Aelynn to process anything correctly.
She could not sleep.