The "I'm Sorry" Date (Aqua)

The faery was still exhausted from the week she had. Flying back from the court, the riots, Terra's funeral, they all took a toll on her. If it hadn't been for Namine's excitement that Aqua and Omar were going to dinner to get to know one another better, she might have forgotten about the dinner entirely. It was a get-to-know you dinner. Aqua kept telling herself that, but Namine was pushing things. The young human wanted Aqua to dress nicely. Aqua mostly humored her. Namine had picked out one of Aqua's favorite lavender turtle neck sweaters and a pair of nice jeans. Aqua paired them with a set of sneakers that were still in rather nice shape. A knock brought Aqua out of her thoughts.

Since she was going out, she may or may not have encouraged Jane to take Namine out for a movie or something, so the blonde wasn't left alone with her thoughts. Jane happily complied and whisked the little blonde away with surprising exuberance. Though she could have done without Jane's teasing. She brushed a hand through her hair one last time before she opened the door.

"Hello," she greeted.

"I... I'll be fine," she reassured him, a bit taken back by the suddenness of it all.

Of course Namine told him about the funeral. She had missed 'family dinner' night over at Jane's to attend for Aqua's sake. But it seemed Omar was a worrier. Concerned about her well being when it would have been such an inconvenience for her to reschedule on him. His thoughtfulness was a little endearing if Aqua were to be truthfully honest. But if he immediately thought she looked tired, she worried about how she appeared. She hadn't been sleeping much, but that was because so much planning was involved in funerals. She hadn't wanted his family to do that on their own. Then came her own insomnia, which she used to study for Riku's cure. She was almost there.

"Let's just go out. We don't have to talk about it right away." she said. "It'll be nice to get away for a little."

Or rather, she didn't want to talk about first thing. She took a deep breath and let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, thank you," Aqua said.

She was a bit relieved he already knew about her aversion to iron. She didn't know how he knew, but thought it better not to ask just yet. He was old enough to be Jane's dad, so it was probably because he was older than her. He had been around long enough to have a full grown child. And Omar had been a gentleman, letting her into the car first and directing the driver. It was hard to believe this was the same guy who she had arrested for a bar fight of all things. Granted, he had politely asked if she would let him hit Vanitas one last time before she cuffed him and he let her clean up his arms after Vanitas smashed a bottle over him. So maybe the two different 'Omars' she saw in her mind's eye weren't too far off.

"As long as I don't have to recite anything!" she said with a light laugh. "I guess I'll just have to see for myself how good the sandwiches are."

"That's actually a really good idea." Aqua said.

Poetry was required for songs, a form of it anyways. Then came placing the lyrics to music. But this was a good way of trial and error. If there was a good reaction to the poetry, then he had something good for his lyrics. If not, an edit and a change here or there would make it glow. She hadn't realized the time and the dedication that Omar put into his music. She would have noticed it but she supposed it took him actually pointing it out for her to realize that there were more elements involved in music than she thought.

Aqua followed Omar inside. It was actually quite welcoming inside. Already quite crowded with people eager to hear the poetry. The mood of the crowd did lift her up a bit and she found herself smiling for the first time in nearly a week. She glanced over at Omar. This was obviously somewhere he visited often, since he seemed so much at ease there, just as comfortable there as he was at the bar.

"My mom was a bard once." Aqua said, vaguely remembering the songs her mother used to sing along with the stories. "But when I was born, she was a teacher."

It didn't sting as much to talk about her mother. Her mother used to sing and dance as she waltzed her way through the house. Her father, no matter how bad his day was or how grumpy he seemed when he walked in, always lightened up when he saw her in a jovial mood. It was like someone seeing light for the first time in their life, each and every time they looked at one another. Judging by Omar's 'someone with experience' in losing someone comment, neither of them had found that light.

Aqua quickly glanced up at the menu when Omar ordered. She hadn't even thought about what she wanted to eat, so caught up in conversation with Omar. She shouldn't have let herself get so distracted. So slightly pink in the face, she decided on what she wanted to have - going with a sandwich that Omar had suggested.

"Um, an Italian sub and a water?" she requested.

"Um, that one?" she said a bit uncertainly.

She had gestured to a table nearby the stage, so they would have a good view of the performers, if they actually ended up paying attention to the people who went up on stage or if they would be caught up in conversation. She did want to know her friend's new guardian. She was already figuring out so many things about him that she hadn't known before. Gentle, kind, sweet, patient. She had been quick to judge him when she first arrested him. But Namine was lucky to have someone like him in her life. The blonde needed someone like him.

It seemed Omar was full of surprises that night. She didn't know what to say when he pulled out the chair for her but just took her cues and sat as she should. The two of them settled in, as did an uncertain silence. The only thing Aqua knew they had in common was Namine. They were getting to know one another in the interest of making sure the little blonde had fallen in with good people. Or at least someone who wouldn't take advantage of her meek nature.

"I... didn't know that," Aqua said quietly. "My parents never took me to the court. They didn't treat anyone different based on what they were."

At least she didn't think they did. With the Seelie Queen's revelation that her father worked for her, Aqua wasn't sure what her parents were anymore. She knew they were her parents and that they loved her dearly (enough so her father saved her from being burned to death by iron like they were). Her species might have been a reason that Omar was uncomfortable around her. If he thought that she believed herself to be superior, was that why he was so nice?

"It doesn't bother you that I'm a faery, does it?" she asked.

She tried to look human, but really, there was no hiding it. One slip up and her glamour could drop, making her look as she normally did. She typically saved for letting her glamour go when she was at home, alone. It unnerved Namine sometimes to see inky black eyes though she did like Aqua's wings. The blonde said they inspired her to paint. Aqua had yet to see any of those paintings.