A few days later, Lilly was busy putting on a beautiful red dress. She had given Mia her share from the necklaces while letting her know the date would be today, free of charge.
And tomorrow she would go to Aether's Echo to meet a representative of the garrison, to discuss hiring her as a temporary enchanter. Everything was going as she had hoped.
The dress had belonged to her mother, making it a sentimental choice for tonight. 'I'm sure she won't mind,' Lilly thought, looking forward to meeting her mother again in her dreams. It was a lot easier to wear this dress after meeting her again; otherwise, it would be too heavy to wear. Even Gramps had looked at it with a fond smile when they took it out of the storage.
Lilly thought it was the prettiest dress in the house, much better than everything in her own wardrobe. And Mia had told her to dress for the occasion, so she really didn't have much of a choice.
The dress was gorgeous, with uncovered shoulders and a long skirt. It was decorated with intricate roses on one side, going down to her hip. 'Not too much skin, and plenty of space for a nice necklace.'
The protective necklace was well-suited for the dress, or at least Lilly thought so. With golden metal and an orange jewel, it made for a fiery color scheme. She had swapped her necklace with Gramp's one since it looked a bit better. Her own necklace was the one she made first, still slightly uneven.
Her hair was freely flowing down her shoulders and back, but there were braids on both sides, connecting at the back, to make it a bit more elegant.
The clasps on her back had been a challenge, but luckily the flames had understood her command and helped her close them. She wouldn't mind having Gramps do it, but it was easier this way.
"Well then, I think I'm ready." Lilly took a last spin in the mirror to catch any oversights, but everything looked great. She was a bit worried about her eye color not fitting with the dress and necklace, but it would have to do.
She walked carefully down the stairs to meet Gramps, finding him in the living room, as was usual in the evening.
"Oh, Lilly, you look stunning! That dress really suits red hair," Gramps exclaimed, looking her up and down.
"Thanks, Gramps. I think it was the right choice. I hope I can show it to Mom the next time I see her." Lilly took another pirouette, making sure he could see every angle properly.
"I'm sure she would love to see you in it. She used that one on several evenings with your father..." He took a moment to gather himself, unable to help the tear falling from his eye. It was emotional for him seeing Lilly in that dress, but she understood him well.
Lilly gave him a quick hug. She would have liked to stay a bit longer, but getting ready had taken a bit longer than she expected. "I'm sorry, Gramps, I don't have much time left, so I have to head out," Lilly told him, while walking towards the door.
He seemed fine, gathering himself quickly. "Have fun tonight then, I expect I won't be up when you get back."
Lilly said her goodbyes and left the house, walking the familiar road to Mia's house. She lived closer to the center of the city, so they had decided to meet at her place.
The light of the evening sun made the streets feel even warmer than usual, with a nice orange glow. The cobblestone road between the wooden houses was less crowded than usual, but there were still people walking home after a day's work. Most of them cast glances at Lilly, and some glances were longer than she was used to.
'Oh, I'm really feeling the nerves again. I hope Mia also thinks I look nice.' Lilly was touching her hair to make sure it wasn't ruined by the light breeze. She had brought a small purse of essentials, since pockets 'weren't fashionable' according to the people who decided things like that. Her mother had also had the same complaint, according to Gramps.
The familiar house with a protruding smith was unusually imposing today. But once Lilly noticed the beauty standing in front of the door, it became a lot more inviting.
Mia had put on a colorful green dress, with a white coat on top. Her hair had been meticulously braided, in a way that told Lilly she hadn't done it herself. She didn't seem very comfortable being this dressed up and girly, judging by the nervous blush on her face before she had even noticed Lilly approaching.
"Mia, you look stunning!" Lilly said while she was approaching. She had to take a moment to appreciate that this girl was her girlfriend. It was a wonderful feeling.
"Lilly!" Mia exclaimed, seemingly not entirely prepared to meet her yet. "You look also very good. Also look very good, I mean. That dress is perfect with your face– I mean hair!"
"Oh, come on now. You shouldn't be that nervous." Lilly put a hand on Mia's shoulder, hoping to relax her a bit. Seeing her like that made Lilly feel less nervous though, just like with their first greeting after becoming a couple.
Mia took a deep breath, and looked slightly better afterwards. "Sorry, Lilly, it's just… I'm not used to this."
Lilly had rarely seen Mia like this before; she always appeared to be confident and strong in most matters. 'I guess relationship stuff and girly stuff is a weakness of hers,' Lilly surmised, finding this side of Mia to be extremely charming.
"You're so cute, Mia."
Lilly had said that without thinking of the consequences. Mia was now a lot more red than earlier, and after a short moment, she hid her face with both hands.
"Why would you say that right now?" she said in a muffled voice, looking like she wanted to go back inside.
"Sorry, it slipped out. It's just so refreshing to see you like this."
Mia's face reappeared after hearing that, but she didn't seem much more confident. "I… I just wanted to dress up properly for once. If not tonight, then when, I guess was my thought."
"I'm very glad you did. But I also meant seeing you flustered like this. It's not something I've seen often. I can't help it, you really are cute!"
"Lilly! Stop teasing me, please!"
"But it's true!"
"Stop either way, I can't make it through this evening if you're going to be like this."
"Fine, I'll pretend that you're acting normally then. And that you're wearing the leather apron like usual."
Mia didn't seem perfectly happy with that, hesitating slightly. "Well… Let's pretend I'm acting normally at least."
"Got it! You really look beautiful tonight then. Did your mom help with the hair?" Lilly asked, being given the go-ahead on talking about her appearance.
"Yeah, I'm not very good at braiding. She seemed very happy to be asked, and went all out, I think." Mia touched her hair, feeling the tight little braids that were intricately weaved together.
"She did an amazing job! But I think we should get going, Mia. I'm not sure when they start lifting exactly." Lilly was a bit nervous they would be left behind on the ground, which would have been a disaster.
"You're the one making us late here. But fine, let's go." Mia replied, before nervously offering her hand, so Lilly could hold it.
"... It feels a bit… scary, to be walking around in public together like this. But I guess we'll have to get used to the looks." Lilly felt a bit anxious about other people throwing looks at them. Two girls in a relationship was a rather uncommon sight, at least in this city.
"Let's just pretend it's because we look so pretty," Mia suggested, with a bit of a resigned tone.
"Well, today it might be," Lilly added, feeling rather confident in their ability to turn heads right now, regardless of social norms.
They walked together in the last light of the sun, towards the center of the city. Some faces did turn, making them a bit self-conscious. Mia seemed to have it worse, so Lilly squeezed her hand a bit every time she noticed her being uncomfortable. She seemed to appreciate that.
"Is it any wonder I fell for you, Lilly?" Mia asked quietly, after another comforting squeeze helped keep her mind in check.
That came as a bit of a surprise to Lilly. She felt very flattered and didn't know how to respond right away.
"I guess I am rather loveable," was the eventual response. A half-joke was easier than facing it directly, and it wouldn't make sense to get too deep before the date even got properly started.
"You really are," Mia responded, not helping.
Lilly went quiet again, struggling to give an honest answer. But before long, she got a squeeze back. And Mia looked at her with a smile.
"First dates are hard, huh?"
"They really are! And there's so much left of it," Lilly said, hoping it would get easier during the dinner.
Before long, they arrived at a magnificent-looking facade leading up to a restaurant. They could hear relaxing music coming from up there, indicating a live music performance. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a cleanly dressed young man standing behind a small counter, ready to let those with reservations through.
The girls walked up to him, and Lilly hoped everything was in order. Gallus should have taken care of everything, so she only needed her name to get in.
"Good evening, ladies, may I say you're both looking lovely tonight. Do you have a reservation?" He asked them, with a very professional smile.
"Good evening, there should be a reservation under Lilly Baker, I think."
The server looked through a list on the counter, taking a while before finding anything.
"Oh, right! From Mr. Gallus, correct?" He said, finally recognizing the name.
"Yes, he's the one who took care of the reservation. Is everything fine?" Lilly asked, still a bit nervous.
"Absolutely, a luxury package for two with a three-course meal and drinks included. Please follow me." He closed the list and opened a banner to let them through, before walking before them up the stairs.
Lilly felt an excitement as she walked up the steps. She had seen the floating restaurant from the ground many times, thinking of how nice it must be to look at everything from up there. Finally, she had the chance.
They soon arrived at the top, and both were surprised at the exclusive-looking dining area. Every surface was decorated with velvet or shiny black wood, completely spotless, and gave off a very clean and proper feel. The music was coming from a small band in a corner, playing at the perfect volume for everyone to enjoy without being intrusive. Lilly could easily see out from the restaurant, since the outer edge only had a wooden railing. And already now the view was nice, looking out at the city.
Most of the tables were filled by now, and the clientele were dressed in fancy clothes and jewelry. Lilly didn't recognize any of them immediately, but they were from the higher society of the city, so it wasn't very surprising.
The server led them to a well-decorated table for two next to the edge of the seating area. Their table was elevated on a circular platform, giving them an unobstructed view, slightly above the rest of the diners.
"Here you are, ladies, the best spot in the restaurant. Please have a seat," he said with the same smile, showing them to their places.
Lilly was very surprised about getting such nice treatment. 'Gallus must really have some influence on the owner of this place,' she thought, wondering if he gave her some special treatment due to her family history.
They both sat down, and Lilly noticed Mia looking excitedly around her. It had been her dream to go to this place after all, so it made sense for her to be excited. Lilly smiled, thinking Mia had gotten over her nerves a bit as well.
"Now, the reason this spot is special is because of the formations it uses. You have the option to shut out everyone else from seeing or hearing you if you'd like, and all your food and drinks will come floating to you from the air. When you finish a dish or a glass, you only need to put it over here, and it will float away again," the server explained, making sure they understood how everything functioned.
'Wow, I guess it makes sense for them to use formations for everything. The entire place can float, after all, so they probably need a lot of knowledge about them,' Lilly thought, impressed by the mundane functions taken care of by magic. The cover seemed really useful though, she thought.
"We will be lifting off in about ten minutes, and then you will be able to see everything from here. We'll travel around a bit close to the city, and to make sure you can see everything, we will also be spinning slowly. The trip takes about two hours, so you'll likely be finished eating by the time we land again. In any case, you can keep sitting here if you'd like. Do you have any questions?"
Lilly was a bit worried about the small railing keeping them safe when they would be floating high up in the air, so she asked, "Are there any safety measures beyond the railing?"
"Yes, there's a barrier around the entire restaurant that's activated while it's floating. The railing is only to make people feel safe; it's impossible to fall off."
"Okay, that's good." Lilly had a small fear of heights, but knowing she couldn't fall off made it a lot better.
"What will we eat?" Mia asked, looking slightly hungry.
"For starters, we have creamy sea king soup topped with brown cheese, followed by a marinated arcane deer steak on risotto. For dessert, a light forest fruit tiramisu, a customer favorite. We also serve wine with each course, with the main attraction being the azure grape wine with the main course."
Lilly didn't recognize all those words, but she expected it to be delicious either way. The arcane deer steak sounded delicious though; she had rarely had meat from magical beasts before. But of course, the main attraction of this place was the view after they took to the skies.
Mia's eyes widened, and she had a hint of drool at the corner of her mouth. Lilly chuckled, realizing Mia was more familiar with the exotic menu than she was.
The server wished them a nice meal before leaving them to enjoy themselves. Lilly felt she might be a bit lightly dressed considering they were going high up in the sky, but hopefully the barrier would take care of the wind and cold.
"So, not too bad for a first date, Lilly," Mia said lightly, seemingly still a bit absentminded.
"I'd say it's acceptable at least. Do you want to put the cover up?" Lilly asked, hoping they could enjoy themselves away from prying eyes.
"Oh, please do. It would take a load off my mind." Mia said, grateful to have the option.
Lily pressed the button to raise the screen, making them invisible and inaudible to the other customers. It appeared instantly, and it made it look like everything past it was covered in dense fog. All sounds of chatter and music were dampened, leaving a nice ambient sound they could talk freely in.
"This is perfect," Mia smiled. "It's relaxing, not worrying about prying eyes or ears." She seemed a lot more comfortable now, being alone with Lilly.
"I agree, it's a great service. Now we just need to wait for the restaurant to lift, and the food to arrive, floating through the air."
Mia looked at her gently, and Lilly looked back at her. They just enjoyed each other's eyes for a moment, smiling when the other smiled, and eventually they both laughed a bit.
"This is great. We're so early in this relationship, but… I don't know, I'm just so happy about it!" Mia seemed very happy just to be sitting here with Lilly, on a date. The bonus of being at the Skyview Restaurant was more like a cherry on top, at least before it had any chance to impress them properly.
Lilly smiled some more, seeing Mia like this. "I feel the same way. It's like, just being together, and knowing how we both feel about each other… That's enough to make me happy."
"Exactly! And there's still so much more left for us to do." Mia looked at the view, clearly imagining some of their future together.
"I don't think Elly has to worry about us just interacting as friends. We probably need to get better at… you know, showing affection and stuff. But I think we're fine either way."
"I agree. I'm really happy about this date though, so I don't think she's wrong either." Mia responded, looking back at Lilly.
At that moment, they heard something like a signal from the restaurant, and then they felt themselves slowly ascending upwards. They both got out of their chairs to get a better look at the view, and it was as impressive as they had hoped.
Seeing the city they had grown up in from the sky was an incredible experience. They could see where they lived, where they had walked, where they had played as kids, where they went to school. Pretty much their entire lives had happened within these walls. And now it all looked so small. And now it looked even smaller.
"This is amazing…" Mia said absentmindedly, taking in the view with all her heart.
Lilly was feeling the same way, but she spared some glances at Mia from time to time, enjoying the excited face she was making. And her eyes sparkling with the lit streets of Thundrel.
"Want to hold hands again? It felt nice," Lilly asked, holding her hand towards Mia. She took it without answering, but she did show another smile.
They both just took in the view for a while. Now they were high enough up that the city lights started to look like tiny stars. The view towards the rest of the country was incredible though; they could see the forest, fields, rolling hills, and even a mountain range far in the distance. The sun had gone below the horizon when they were on the ground, but now they could almost see it again, giving them a second sunset.
They were a bit surprised when sounds of plates suddenly sounded from behind them, signaling the appetizer had arrived.
They both sat down again, having had their fill of magnificent views for a moment.
"I'm looking forward to this!" Mia said, seemingly in a hurry to eat something. She hesitated a bit about what spoon to use, but quickly decided on the biggest one.
The food looked a bit unusual, but it smelled great, with a hint of seafood and cream. It had a light brown color on top, but as soon as the spoon went through the surface, it was filled with soft white soup.
The soup was a delightful surprise. Its warm seafood base melded perfectly with the sweet creaminess of the brown cheese on top. The two tastes worked surprisingly well together, and it was light enough to not make them full before the main course.
"This is great! What do you think Mia?"
"Oh, it's very good. I'm not sure about this brown cheese though, it sticks to my throat." She was clearly trying to get it off after saying that.
"Try some wine then, it should complement the food. I don't know what that means, but it's probably a good thing." Lilly took her own glass and sipped it lightly, trying to feel the taste and how it changed the feel of her mouth.
Mia looked at her lips, and bit her own nervously. "That does look tasty."
Lilly didn't take the hint. "It is, you should try it."
"... I meant your lips," Mia said softly, with a playful look.
"Oh… Well, come here then."
Mia lifted from her seat, and they shared their second kiss, with a bit more… taste, this time. Mia was still hungry, it seemed.
After the kiss, they both stayed close together, gazing tenderly into each other's eyes for a while.
"The wine does fit well," Mia whispered gently. She looked so perfect, Lilly thought, with her deep green eyes and rosy pink lips.
"Told you so," Lilly responded, with an equally quiet and gentle tone.
Mia sat back down with a smile, eager for some normal food this time.
'... I don't want to go home alone after this meal,' Lilly thought. Her face was flush with excitement now, and she kind of wanted to skip the rest of the meal. 'Focus, Lilly. You're literally up in the air right now,' she reminded herself, trying to distract herself with the soup.
It was a good soup. But it tasted better on her lips.
"... Are you… going home, after we finish here?" Lilly asked, after an internal debate. She had won that debate in the end, but she had also lost.
Mia quickly took the hint, probably having some similar thoughts herself, and smiled brightly. "Well, it's a bit early in the evening to discuss such things. But I think I'd go wherever you'd like me to, if you know a place."
Lilly had to think again. 'Can I take her home to Gramps? The bed is a bit small… And what about after tonight? Where are we going in this relationship? How fast are we moving? Are we moving in together? Where would that be? Can I leave Gramps alone? That would be hard. Would she move in with us? With a bigger bed?'
"Lilly, are you okay?" Mia's voice broke through her reverie, laced with a touch of concern.
"Yeah, just thinking about the future. There's a lot to think about... About us." Lilly's voice trailed off, her gaze lingering on the city lights below, reflecting the myriad of thoughts shining in her eyes.
Mia reached across the table, her hand gently covering Lilly's. "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."
The moment hung in the air, suspended like the floating restaurant, a world of possibilities stretching out before them. Lilly looked at Mia, her heart full of questions and her eyes full of stars.