For not having dated before, he was a complete natural. The young thief automatically gave him ten respect points for asking where she wanted to go rather than picking for himself. But then, maybe that was just the logical thing to do, seeing as she was the person who had won him. For a split second, she reflected on how odd that sounded-she had won him in an auction. It wouldn't have been so unusual, except her people had never really been into that sort of thing. Cid would call it "demeaning" to both men and women. But then, Rikku had never really agreed with her father on much of anything except that machina was their way of life.
As they walked, she puffed out one cheek in thought. There were several places she could think to go at the moment, but one stood out over the others right when she thought of it. A slow smile curled her lips, and she veered Zack a little to the left, down a cobblestone walkway. There were trees ahead-it looked like a park.
And indeed it was. Soon enough, the splashing of water began to slowly break the almost-music of birds chirping and the wind going through leaves. The structure was painted a light blue, some of the paint only just starting to peel away from the stone, revealing weathered grey rock beneath. Alabaster statues of women in togas were carved into the top of the fountain, water pooling in the wide bowl beneath their feet. A few beings that had wings like angels dotted the bottom pool, streams falling upon their upturned faces once it overflowed from the first basin. The blonde's expression softened just a bit; this place, surprisingly, held some of her best memories. Sure, it was almost right in the middle of the city, on the borderline between the two houses' territories, but it was relatively peaceful most of the time.
"We can eat in a little bit," she said, almost as an apology but not quite, as she just stood there, letting swirled verdant eyes drink in the sight. She hadn't been here in a long while-too long. "I just wanted to make sure it was still here."
Zack followed her willingly and smiled as they made their way to the park. It was so peaceful and just bright here. He never went out to the park much nowadays. He used to go out to the park with his mom and dad when he was little, but of course times changed. He looked over to the fountain, his eyes widening in awe.
"Wow... it's beautiful!" he exclaimed as he walked towards the fountain. He almost dragged her over to it as he stared down into the sparkling water. "It's been forever since I've been to a park. Years at that!" Zack smiled, staring down at his reflection with a heavy sigh. "I used to go to the park with my parents. Play ball, and just hang out."
Zack turned and faced Rikku. "How old is this fountain?" he asked, tilting his head.
A low laugh trilled from her lips, and she let herself be led towards the base, something that hadn't occurred in a long while. She was used to being in charge, to getting her way. But to let someone else worry about all that for a split-second, even if the gesture was unconscious, was a sort of respite. She was just a normal girl on a date with a cute boy, and there was nothing important or ominous waiting at home or a few miles away with the rest of her people.
"I came here with my mom when I was a kid. But I like to drop by every now and then to make sure nothing has changed." It was, perhaps, one of the few constants in her life. Everything else was just always changing and whirling out of control. But this place seemed to stay the same no matter what. It was comforting, in a way, to know that at least some of her childhood, besides her cheerful disposition and love of machina, remained intact.
Her petite shoulders gave a half-shrug, and she looked at her rippling image in the water. "Old as the city, most likely. It's been here since I can remember, and mom used to say that it was here when she was a kid and when her mom and her mom's mom were kids." She wouldn't have believed that if she hadn't gone there once and heard an older couple talking about how they used to play in the cool waters when they were children. After that, the structure's old age had been so much more believable.
As they walked, she puffed out one cheek in thought. There were several places she could think to go at the moment, but one stood out over the others right when she thought of it. A slow smile curled her lips, and she veered Zack a little to the left, down a cobblestone walkway. There were trees ahead-it looked like a park.
And indeed it was. Soon enough, the splashing of water began to slowly break the almost-music of birds chirping and the wind going through leaves. The structure was painted a light blue, some of the paint only just starting to peel away from the stone, revealing weathered grey rock beneath. Alabaster statues of women in togas were carved into the top of the fountain, water pooling in the wide bowl beneath their feet. A few beings that had wings like angels dotted the bottom pool, streams falling upon their upturned faces once it overflowed from the first basin. The blonde's expression softened just a bit; this place, surprisingly, held some of her best memories. Sure, it was almost right in the middle of the city, on the borderline between the two houses' territories, but it was relatively peaceful most of the time.
"We can eat in a little bit," she said, almost as an apology but not quite, as she just stood there, letting swirled verdant eyes drink in the sight. She hadn't been here in a long while-too long. "I just wanted to make sure it was still here."
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"Wow... it's beautiful!" he exclaimed as he walked towards the fountain. He almost dragged her over to it as he stared down into the sparkling water. "It's been forever since I've been to a park. Years at that!" Zack smiled, staring down at his reflection with a heavy sigh. "I used to go to the park with my parents. Play ball, and just hang out."
Zack turned and faced Rikku. "How old is this fountain?" he asked, tilting his head.
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"I came here with my mom when I was a kid. But I like to drop by every now and then to make sure nothing has changed." It was, perhaps, one of the few constants in her life. Everything else was just always changing and whirling out of control. But this place seemed to stay the same no matter what. It was comforting, in a way, to know that at least some of her childhood, besides her cheerful disposition and love of machina, remained intact.
Her petite shoulders gave a half-shrug, and she looked at her rippling image in the water. "Old as the city, most likely. It's been here since I can remember, and mom used to say that it was here when she was a kid and when her mom and her mom's mom were kids." She wouldn't have believed that if she hadn't gone there once and heard an older couple talking about how they used to play in the cool waters when they were children. After that, the structure's old age had been so much more believable.
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