[D9, LA, Expecting] Nap Time

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"I am happy to hear you've found someone and I fully understand your anxiety about it. But I told you the name in my heart, who is yours? I would hate to steal them away from you by mistake."

[Seppun Unsei]

"Oh. Ah. Kitsu Moshumaru-san. It's... a difficult spot, I think. I do care for him and I wish we could be together, but I believe I'm deathly afraid of real commitment that isn't forced onto me. Every time I think about settling into a marriage with him, if we get lucky, I panic. I think about 'What if he's found somebody else he'd rather be with?" "What if I find someone else I'd rather be with?" "What if Benten-no-kami ruins our potentially happy marriage?" "What if he just realizes that we were nothing more than a quick burning candle, a fun fling while here, and now that the passion's gone then that's it?" "What if the matchmakers were right that we weren't a good match, but we get married anyway and then everything gets worse?"" They frowned.

"Anyway, this wasn't the purpose of this conversation. The focus is on you."

[Asahina Soyokaze]

Soyokaze laughed loudly. "Of course it's Moshumaru. Of course we are both in love with people the other doesn't like."

[Seppun Unsei]

It took Unsei a moment to understand, but then they chuckled. "Really? You don't like him? I can respect that."

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"I find him odd and too forward. I do not hate him but our first meeting did not go well and he keeps inserting himself into the situation between Murato-san and I. The Lion in general have been so kind to me that it feels like a trap."

[Seppun Unsei]

They nodded. "I see. That's fair and makes sense really. I'd probably think it was a trap, too, if I were in your shoes."

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"That's why I'm so nervous about meeting other people, it feels like the entire Lion clan is waiting for me to make a mistake. It's all Bai's decision as far I'm concerned but I can barely compete with one man how can stand out against a united clan effort?" He took another bit of mochi and laid back. "I don't know what anyone would see in me anyway but that's a whole other set of issues I suppose."

[Seppun Unsei]

"Same issues here. It's something I've spoken with Shosuro-san about before. He compliments me and I turn them away because I don't see how, or I think little of myself. Something I know I should do is listen to him because people often have a tendency to, ah, be too critical with themselves. What someone might see as a beautiful piece of work could be seen as an abomination in the hands of the creator. You might not see anything of worth in yourself, but that doesn't mean that there isn't. The best thing to do is take a step back, breath, and think on if you trust the person. Say if the Kaito told you that she really liked your hair. Would you trust her to be saying the truth or would you think she was lying? If you trust her, then why not trust her that your hair looks good that day? Even if that little voice in your head is saying that it's bad." They asked casually.

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"Because I not used to getting compliments and I worry that she's just being nice and isn't really interested in me because no one has been before. The only compliments I am used to getting is being called "pretty" and that is usually mockingly by men twice my size or women who later tell me I'm like a sister to them. It's even happened here during this Miai."

[Seppun Unsei]

"So do you not trust her to tell you the truth?" They asked simply. "Because it is a step of trust to believe in the words of someone else, especially in regards to ones appearance. Yet, it is a step of trust one must make if they aren't able to think highly of themselves."

"Moreso, what do you want? Do you want to be called pretty? Would you rather be called handsome? Regardless of the answer, it will require you to find someone you trust enough to believe them when they give you compliments."

"A stupid quote I heard once was 'Believe in me that believes in you.' I think it's supposed to mean, if you can't believe in yourself, believe in someone else who does believe in you."