Zilo and Aria rode down the city streets atop Vivace. Aria turns her head back to Zilo and says,
"Alright, I have 5 spots for us to see in a very specific order. We'll need a half-hour at each one. Got it?" She turns to Zilo, the intense focus in her eyes. Zilo is already looking around at the area, since he hadn't seen this part of the city yet.
Aria shakes her head as the two of them arrive at the larges fountain in the city. Aria leaps off of Vivace and Zilo follows as she wraps Vivace onto a nearby pole. The fountain stands 2 stories tall with enchanted metallic children statues at the base that lets out a glimmering shine underneath.
"This is the Young One's Plaza, named for how Deneval's first king rose to the throne when he was only 4, and during the sun set... well you'll see."
Zilo is admiring the fountain as Aria lifts her hand to her face and her expression fills with disgust.
"Damned by the Gods! I forgot to get rid of my makeup from bar tending, stand right there in case it happens, I'll be right back."
Zilo waves her off as she runs over to the fountain to see a rippling version of herself. She reaches in to hold a small amount of water, but then she hears a voice. The voice sounds echoing and vibrating.
"Why would you take it off?"
Aria drops the water and looks around her, but the voice responds,
"Down here, Aria."
She looks down to see her reflection, looking back at her. She squints and says, "What the? Am I-"
"Going crazy? No. I'm what you need right now if you want to make this work."
"Make what work? My task?"
"No, your date." the reflection gives out a devilish smile.
Aria chuckles to herself before saying, "This is not a date, Zilo doesn't have the thought processes for something like a date."
"You are right, he doesn't, but what if he knew that?"
"What do you... I... You mean?"
The reflection shakes their head and says, " Zilo is a moron, but he knows that you aren't. Hell you saved their dead-end bar, so why wouldn't he take advantage of a mind like that?"
Aria raises an eyebrow then looks back at Zilo who is staring at the fountain, patiently waiting for her. Her eyes shoot open and she turns back to the reflection.
"Oh Gods, he planned this. How, what do I do?"
The reflection looks deeply back at her source and says, "All you need to do is-"
Suddenly a copper piece disturbs the reflection and it disappears. Aria panics reaching down into the water to fruitlessly try and retrieve her reflection.
On the other side of the fountain is Leo, losing concentration on his Silent Image spell and letting drop his Ghost Sound spell. He smiles and says, "Well, that's even better than trying to get her to start a fight."
A very nervous Aria walks back over to Zilo's side. She didn't know why she was so nervous. She had flirted with customers at the bar, but that was just for tips and meant nothing. Zilo greeted her back with,
"So is this suppose to happen soon?"
Aria looked back to the fountain and let out a light smile. That was right, this wasn't a date. This was a task for her training, nothing more, and once he saw the fountain during sunset they'd be off to the next spot.
Zilo's eyes filled with awe as the fountain reflected by the metal children and the sparkling water became a beautiful symphony of light and rays. Zilo clapped his hands together and announced.
"Task completed"
Aria's eyes shot open and she says, "WHAT!? But you said the whole city!?"
"I did, but I changed my mind." Zilo turns to Aria and smiles at her.
"You did so well with this first one. I'm absolutely blown away by this, Aria."
Aria's face goes beat red and she spins on her heels and shouts, "I need a minute!" Before retreating around the corner.
A few minutes pass and Aria returns from around the way, a new fierce look in her eyes. She walks all the way back over to Zilo and says, "Well there is no reason that we can't enjoy the rest of the city as well, right?"
"I suppose not, sounds like fun."
Aria leans in a little closer, wrapping around Zilo's arm before she says, "Great trust me, I set up an absolutely romantic night."
Zilo's face scrunches at that before he says, "Romantic? What?"
Aria looks up at Zilo with a devilish smile and she says, "Of course, romantic, but trust me." She stands on her toes to whisper in Zilo's ear,
"But just wait til we get back to the bar big boy." If Zilo's grey skin could blush he would be positively crimson. Aria lets go and raises her hands to her face and says,
"Oh drat, I forgot the city map, wait right here, alright?"
Zilo stiffly nods as Aria runs back around the building. Once she is out of view she reforms into the form of Leo. He smiles and says,
"Now to watch the fireworks."
Eventually Aria comes back around the corner, her face a little bit less red, and Zilo has a similar face minus the red. Leo watches on from the edge of the fountain. As she approaches Zilo says,
"Um do you mind if we take a minute before we move on?"
"Aria nods without meeting his eyes."
The two of them sit on the fountains edge and, for what seemed like hours, they just sorta awkwardly twittled their thumbs. Leo looks to be getting bored. Zilo breaks the silence and says, "So... you enjoying yourself?"
"I guess. Are you?"
"Oh yeah, it's just... I guess I'm not really the best at the romance half of talking, normally I just blather on about whatever, but I feel like every word needs to be perfect now."
Aria nodded shyly. She turns to him and says, "Well maybe that's the problem, you just need to be flexible with it."
Zilo understood her meaning but he had to be sure she did. His eyes flickered over to Aria and he asks, "What do you mean?"
Aria thumbs her chin and says, "Well you need to not think about it, just go with it. To have an understanding that the world isn't for you to control, but by how you react to the world, in that you can have control, in a way."
Leo leans on to his hand bored listening to this drivel, normally by now there's been argument or a full on slap in the face. Leo is just about to give up and head back to where he tied up Presto when Zilo suddenly grabs Aria's face delicately in his hands and says,
"You've done it. You are brilliant." And kisses her.
Leo's face falls off his arm in shock, splashing headfirst into the water. The moment is broken as Leo fully submerges to avoid being found by the two of them.
After a quick search around Aria pays it no mind then turns back to Zilo and says,
"Um... Thanks, but what was that for?"
Zilo shakes his head and he says, "Nothing, nothing at all, just. You are incredible."
Aria giggles at that and says, "That is literally the least 'nothing' then there could be."
Zilo smiles back, stands, and says, "I suppose it is, well I'm feeling a bit less... terrified now, would you like to take moonlit walk with me my dear." Says the bard, offering his hand.
Aria, who also looks a bit less hesitant raises her hand, which Zilo takes and she says, "Would be my pleasure Master Realms."
The two of them walk off into the night as Leo's head pops up out of the water and he says, "Well... I guess I did it... hooray?" A quizzical confused look is plastered onto his face as he watches the new couple round the corner.
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