"There!" Mystinia finished dressing her eldest daughter up in one of her teenage-year gowns. It was her favorite.

"How do I look?"

Callypso was dressed in a long gown the color of a sunrise reflecting off rose petals.Unlike most of Callypso's fancy dresses, this one had no lace. Younger Mystinia liked something less frilly. The long sleeves were tied up at the elbows with silk ribbons and fanned out like huge blooming flowers. The neckline swooped like the wings of a Wyrm down- cute, not lewd. The whole outfit was completed by half of Callypso's logn silver hair braided and nested into a crown, and the other half flowing freely like a river of dreams.

"Wait." Callypso drew something from her dresser. It was a face veil with roses along the sides.

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What if she ditched? Gukko pulled nervously at the edges of his shirt. Hejaat had warned him that most girlswereflamboyant, pretty and sweet now but actually little demons underneath.

And the same Hejaat forced him (literally) into Fighter's fancy dress armor, pretty to look at but even prettier in a battle to the wearer.

The othercouples, mostly young clanners and their dates and the such, chattered softly around him.

The table was set for two with a single rose inbetween and a rose-scented candle flickering coyly.

How could a candle be coy anyways?

The waiter, a young bangaa with exceptionally fine features and delicate-seeming frame, had stuck his hand in that candle and the glove caught on fire. In the process of screaming "Fire! Fire," he had dunked the cups of water he was holding madly around, splashing Gukko with the contents until a nearby Bishop, irritated about his night out with his girlfriend being disturbed, muttered a small Water. Unforunately, Gukko, in his haste to help the young bangaa, had followed his leaping movements in search of more water, stepped right in the way.

So he was effectively soaked before finally, an Elementalist, with a Concentrated Sliprain, settled the whole crisis.

But Gukko was soaked.

His two swords, the Venus Blade and the Flametongue, were safely (and dryly)es, more out of caution than to show off to Callypso.

The Bishop and the Waiter apologized and tried to make up Gukko's sopping wet clothes by various things that included an Aero spell, towels,and a Shining Air by the Elementalist. Unforunately, it also rendered him blind until a White Mage, ticked off by the commotion, slapped an Esuna in his face and sat down again. By this time, Gukko was somewhat dry, but his shirt was still sopping wet.

The mad beast of anxiety frolicked in his gut until, fashioned out of creamstone and moonlight and white silver, Callypso appeared.

Gukko stood up and pulled out the chair on the other side of the small table for her.

"Thank you." Once she made sure no curious clanners would see her face, she pulled back the peachy veil.

She was even more beautiful by the moonlight streaming through the window in the ceiling. The candlelight chased shadows over her smooth face, but that only made her look all the more alluring.

"Well, thank you," Callypso said.

Hejaat and the clan had insisted that the budget be not too small.

"We're a good clan. We can afford it," Hejaat assured him.

"No, I don't want t-"

Bialiese knocked him out so he couldn't argue.

"So... How long have you been living here?" he asked, trying to start a not-too-awkward conversation.

"Your shirt's wet," she commented.

Gukko blushed and explained the whole Waiter-Sliprain-Water commotion.

A faint trace of a evanescent smile traced Callypso's features. "Here. Let me dry it." She reached over and touched the center of his chest, creating a circle of dryness that expanded. The shirt was dry.

"Erm, thanks... I guess, well..."

"I've lived here all my life," Callypso answered the first question. She nibbled the edge of her finger daintily. "Ever since... I was born, obviously. How silly!" She laughed lightly.

Gukko wouldn't have cared one bit of Callypso spent the whole time talking, as long as she laughed and smiled too...

"Well?"

"Erm... Sorry..." Gukko stammered. "What?"

"Where were you born?" Hergentle tibre held no trace of annoyance.

Gukko found himself pouring out his entire lifestory to her.

In the end, Callypso nodded.

"I believe you all right," she replied. She lifted her claw-hands gently to touch the side of his cheek. He flinched, unsure of what to say or do. "Not used to girls, eh?"

"N-No, I mean, never."

Callypso sighed. "I'm not used to boys either, only the type that threw rocks a my window and yelled at me to come down for a midnight rampant."

"Must be annoying?" He was glad that idea never occured to him.

"At first, yes. Couldn't get any sleep. But after a few fireballs, they kinda got the idea."

"Disturb Callypso and die?" Gukko flushed. He never meant to say that-

"I guess. That's a nice way to think about it." Callypso laughed.

"Well, what would you like?"

Callypso seemed surprised. "I already ate dinner at home! Erm, I feel so awkward. Never felt this before... What do you want?"

Gukko shook his head. "Only you." He blushed again. He didn't mean for the words, they just came out.. This was the start of the Apolcal-

"Then you'll get it." Callypso lay her head on her hands. "Okay."

The rose candle flickered.