"She did what?!"

Sunset's shock was clear as day on her face, and Adagio, who sat opposite her, couldn't help but be amused by it.

"Yep. Stayed in the tub the whole time. The way Aria described it, you should have seen the look on Wiz's face. It was priceless!"

The ex-unicorn frowned while taking a sip of her tea.

"Honestly, Aria's having way too much fun in teasing that guy."

Both she and Adagio were, at present, sitting in their usual booth in the café that they so frequently spent time together in. It was about as busy as it usually was, with all of the normal patrons they'd come to expect here. Leaning back into her side of the booth, Adagio had her legs crossed and was downing her own tea, all while bearing that often-used Siren-esque smirk of hers.

"Let's be honest here, Sunset, it's the most fun my sister's had in a long time. Getting that kind of reaction from him without taking him to bed? Oh yeah, she's gonna have a lot more fun before she seals the deal with him."

Sunset looked back to her with some disapproval.

"She's going to give him a heart attack one of these days."

Adagio rolled her eyes to that.

"You worry too much. A youth like him? He can handle it."

Her smirk returned.

"Just like how Aria handles him, in fact."

Sunset shook her head, sighing and finishing off her tea. Seeing that, Adagio raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you need to get off and help one of the girls with their homework later?"

The other girl nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah. Rainbow's having some trouble with a particularly stubborn equation. We're meeting up at her place soon. In fact..."

She raised her wrist to her face, looking down at the watch she wore there.

"...I need to get going."

Reaching into her pocket, Sunset left some coins on the table for whatever waitress was going to come and collect her cup. However, before getting up from her seat, she paused, briefly glancing over her shoulder before looking back to Adagio, a concerned look plastered in her face. Noticing that, Adagio raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong, dear?"

Sunset paused, looking hesitant, before then getting back into her seat and leaning forward, bringing her voice down to a quieter tone.

"It's just...there's this guy at the bar up there, and...well...I could be totally wrong, but I think he's been looking at you since we got here."

Adagio's eyes slowly drifted to the bar in question. And sure enough, there was indeed a boy sitting there that, at first glance, seemed to be around the same age as Sunset and the other girls, perhaps a year or two older. He wore a combination of shirt, jacket and trousers that were all some variation on purple, either light or darker shades. As she took in this look, it occurred to Adagio that, perhaps by coincidence, those were pretty much the same colours as she usually wore. But, while that notion could quickly be dispelled from her mind, what couldn’t was the second coincidence she soon noticed. And that was his hair, while fairly short, was not only curly like hers, but also the same colour. This similarity continued in his skin tone, and all these elements were, it had to be said, intriguing for the ancient Siren. And just like Sunset had said, the boy was indeed casting quick glances, turning back when he realised he'd been noticed. Looking back to Adagio, Sunset watched as she answered.

”Yes. I’ve noticed him for some time now.”

Her tone suggested that she didn’t see it as any kind of issue, but even so, Sunset’s concerned remained.

"Are you gonna be okay by yourself?"

Adagio looked to her with a smile.

"No need to worry, Sunset. I can handle myself."

Sunset opened her mouth to speak, only to stop when realisation struck her. A story of a certain back-alley encounter replaying itself in her mind, perhaps? Whatever it was, she sighed, returning the smile before getting up from her chair and slinging her back-pack over her shoulder.

"Alright then...I'll see you later."

Adagio nodded, and with that, Sunset made her way off. It wasn't long before the younger Equestrian was out of the café entirely, and when she did, Adagio saw that the mystery boy had also watched her go. A few moments passed, then, at last, he too got out of his seat, before starting to walk over to her booth. Adagio raised an eyebrow at his approach, and when he was finally close enough, he spoke.

"Pardon me, Miss...but is this seat taken?"

His voice was, it had to be said, pleasant to hear. It was smooth, soothing even, with just a touch of charm to it. He was gesturing to Sunset's now-vacated spot, and after thinking about it for a moment, Adagio shrugged her shoulders.

"Go ahead."

The boy smiled, taking his place opposite her. For a time, neither of them said anything to each other, simply staring at one another. Adagio made no mention of it, but there was something about this youth that made him stand out amongst many of those she'd met. When she stared at people, right into their eyes, most couldn't cope for more than a few moments before looking away, as though she had some kind of natural intimidation factor. Even Sunset and her other friends felt this way about her when she really turned it on. But this boy? He was looking right into her eyes for far longer than most, which, naturally, kept her interest.

"You're Adagio Dazzle, yes?" he asked.

His question caught her off-guard, but not so much as to put her off her balance, as she remained as composed as ever, flipping aside some of her hair before answering.

"I am."

The boy's smile widened.

"A pleasure to meet you. I've...well..."

He scratched the back of his head in a manner that most would describe as "nervous". But Adagio, having long ago learned to recognise and read people, could see that it was a façade of sorts. A way to make him appear more meek than he really was. Even so, she smiled slightly, playing along for now, and stayed silent as he continued.

"...I've been a fan of yours for some time."

Adagio lifted her cup, taking another sip before replying.

"Indeed?"

The boy nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a phone. After pressing a few buttons on it, and then waiting for a moment, he showed her what he'd brought up on the screen. It was an online video of, surprisingly, her and her sisters' performance during the finale of the Battle of the Bands. The sound was muted, perhaps because this was a public place, but it was all there. The movements, the transformation, everything. Keeping her cup close to her lips, Adagio started speaking in a nonchalant manner.

"You enjoyed the show, I take it?"

Putting the phone back into his pocket, the boy leaned closer, clasping his hands together on the table and nodding in response.

"I did. The finest performance I've ever seen. Your voices? Utterly superb. Without peer. And that little magic show of yours was..."

He tilted his head forward slightly, a knowing look coming to him.

"...very impressive."

A smile crept onto Adagio's face.

"Didn't you hear? It was all special effects."

To Adagio's surprise, the boy started to develop the slightest of smirks, not unlike her own, after hearing that.

"With respect, I know my special effects, Miss Dazzle, and this...this was something more, wasn't it?"

In response, Adagio tried to sound as playfully innocent as possible.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Sir."

A chuckle escaped the boy, and in the silence that followed, Adagio began to quietly study him. He wanted something from her, that much was obvious. She was far older than any human, and she herself had played this game for a very long time. She knew all the tricks, all the little subtle things people do. And she was seeing all of them in this boy, both in how he held himself and in how he spoke. It was like looking in a mirror, albeit with some very obvious differences. In the end, and after putting her cup down, she just came out and said it, sounding as polite as possible as she did so.

"Why are you here?"

The boy, while somewhat taken aback by this question, soon sighed and looked as though the jig was up, but nevertheless seemed as composed as he had been this entire conversation.

"Well...it's quite simple. You're an intelligent, charming..."

His smirk returned.

"...not to mention exceptionally beautiful woman."

Pride crossed Adagio's face.

"Guilty, as charged."

The boy continued.

"And if I were to, say, happen to find you by accident while I was spending time at a café...well...I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to, shall we say..."

A slyness showed in his gaze.

"...get to know you a little better?"

Adagio was surprised at the forwardness of his words, the confidence in which he'd spoken, and that, coupled with the way he kept looking at her, eventually led to a somewhat sultry smile on her part.

"In that case, Sir...I'm glad we can be open about that. One does enjoy the company of charming individuals, after all."

Raising her hand, she moved it forward, offering it to the boy.

"Adagio Dazzle."

The boy's smile grew, and he took her hand into his own, holding it gently.

"Andantino. But my friends call me Andante."

Lifting her hand to his lips, he planted a tender kiss upon the back of it, keeping his eyes locked onto hers.

"Charmed," he said, silkily.

Her own smile widening slightly, Adagio looked right back to him with genuine interest in her expression.

"Oh yes...I do believe I am."