originallutece | (no subject)

Suit yourself.

[She won't press, not anymore. Rosalind finally sips her cocoa again, draining the mug. She's smiling, but it's fond, at least.]

Sexuality aside . . . thinking about someone eagerly and repeatedly is a fairly sure sign of affection. That's how it's worked for all my relationships.

[ Oh god, this conversation got incredibly embarrassing really fast. Thanks for that, Mom. ]

Isn't that what friends do normally? There's no way what we do is weird for that.

Not . . .

[Okay, how to say this without actually saying this? Hm.]

It isn't just that you want to spend time with them. It's that they occupy your thoughts constantly. It's that your every thought is about them, or so it seems. You're giddy when you speak to them, and you make up any excuse in the world to see them, no matter how flimsy. It's . . . it's a rush, almost, especially in this stage.

[. . .]

Trust me when I say I know what it is to feel something for someone close to you, and not be certain what it is, or if it's that kind of affection.

[ All flustered entertainment aside, Noctis starts to simmer down when Rosalind clarifies. His shoulders slack a bit, gaze staring at her rather wide-eyed when everything she says makes too much sense, but falling to something somber again as he looks away and down to the floor.

He can't be absolutely positive that this is what's going on. Prompto might as well be his first friend, so how is he to know that this is just how he feels for the first close companion he's ever had? There's nothing to compare to. And his head hasn't exactly been in the right place lately. ]

Mmfh.

[ He rubs his face, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. ]

Okay, so... Let's say in a hypothetical situation.

[ A shrug with one shoulder, a forcibly aloof expression and tone: ]

That's what's happening. Then what?

Then you decide what you want to happen. Ignoring the other factors, even ignoring the other person . . . make certain you know what it is you want to happen.

[ He raises a brow. ]

Ignore Prompto until I can confirm whether or not I want to make out with him.

No. Ignore factors like what does Prompto want, how has he been acting, what does this look mean, so on and so forth. Assume that whatever you want, he wants too, because it will make it easier to decide what you want.

[ While Noctis' tone is rather dismissive and sleepy, it's all a front. Because the more they talk about this, the more his stomach twists and churns.

He slouches against the couch. ]

I doubt that's the case. He's not actually gay.

What did I just say?

[ His cheeks puff a bit, just for a split second. ]

I get that.

But what good would that even do? He's not into guys.

[bitch what did she just say--]

Did he tell you that? Explicitly?

[ How does a straight face look with an absolutely glowing, red complexion? Just as hilarious as you might think. ]

Thaaaaaat he's not gay.

Edited 2017-08-13 05:41 (UTC)

Tell me precisely what he said.

[It's just she doesn't want a hilarious misunderstanding like "you're heavy" "now I have to lose weight before I can be friends with Noctis"]

[ Noctis takes a deep breath, exhaling something very akin to yet another sigh. ]

"Dude, I'm not gay!"

[ This is accomplishing nothing. He's also totally trying to mock Prompto's manner of speaking, and failing. Because he constantly sounds like he's half asleep. ]

Edited 2017-08-13 05:45 (UTC)

. . . what precisely were you two doing?

[ JESUS CHRIST, ROSALIND. ]

I-I don't remember, it was during some conversation.

[LISTEN THIS CONVERSATION STARTED WITH NOCTIS LOOKING AT PROMPTO IN THE GYM, SHE'S COVERING ALL HER BASES]

All right. Well. In that case, you have to work through it. You learn to accept that your feelings aren't returned, and let the crush die on its own.

[ See, if he's gay? So be it. That doesn't bother him much, and he's likely to come around to that conclusion comfortably soon enough. It's this whole situation with Prompto that has him a little up in arms, because he's constantly worried that he's too much anyway.

His arms cross, foot tapping against the floor. It'd be pretty shitty if this wound up with him having feelings for Prompto that are unrequited. ]

It was a hypothetical scenario anyway.

[was it

was it really]

Mm.

[Pushing won't help, not now, but she'll be keeping a closer eye on him. If Prompto truly doesn't swing that way, it'd be best for Noctis to simply acknowledge his feelings; it'll make it all the easier to work through them that way. But demanding he admit it right now won't help; he'll just deny it further.]

Well. If nothing else, you've learned a bit more about my own sordid love life. I should think the conversation worth that alone.

[ Absolutely, Ros. 100%.

He relaxes a bit, at least when the subject deviates away from him. ]

I never thought you swung that way. Actually, it's weird picturing you with anyone at all.

Kinda like when you see a teacher outside of the school. Because they live there.

[ His smirk is lopsided. Isn't he hilarious? ]

[she's cracking a rib he's so funny]

There's a lot I don't tell ten year olds who follow me around. That was only a few years after her, you know.

[A beat, and then, a slight smile on her face:]

Do you want to see a picture of her?

[ He snorts at the remark about him as a ten year old.

At the offer, he softens. ]

Ah.

Yeah, sure.

[The photos are still on her dresser, so it only takes her a moment to fetch them. There's a few there, but the one she passes to Noctis is a rather scenic photo of the lawns of Cambridge. A much younger Rosalind, sixteen and still a little gawky, sitting next to a frankly stunning young woman. They're both smiling up at the camera, but whereas Ros simply looks pleased to be there, there's something eye-catching about her companion.]

The summer of 2001. Her boyfriend-- husband, now-- took the photo.

[ Noctis watches as Rosalind gets up to grab her photos. And he quietly waits, sitting up and even going as far as scooting closer when she starts going through them. When she hands over the photo of her at Cambridge, he carefully takes it.

Younger Rosalind, even if it were a few years before she'd worked for his father, looks much like he remembers. There's a bit of comforting nostalgia in that, but his attention definitely locks on the woman she sits beside. ]

Oh.

[ He looks a little stunned. ]

She's beautiful.

Yes.

[She sounds rueful.]

Beautiful and charismatic: a dangerous combination. I did too many stupid things thanks to her.