"See? I told you that you need to get more fresh air. You'll start looking all pale and pasty like Strich."
"Nobody could look as pale and pasty as Strich."
Keet may as well have lived at the Lumpy Pumpkin for the amount of time he spent there. Only recently had Tial been able to wean him away and back to Skyloft. Since the owner's daughter and chief waitress, Kina, had found a boyfriend in a young Skyloftian called Hen, Keet's interest in visiting had depleted quite a lot. Though he would never admit aloud to his crush on the waitress, it was clear as day to anyone who'd ever visited the Lumpy Pumpkin. Apart from Kina herself. She was a bit of a ditz - awareness wasn't exactly her strong suit.
So when the consequent moping had started, Tial had taken it upon herself to bring Keet back to reality. Though she'd teased him constantly about his crush and berated the fact that he'd waited too long without acting, other than complaining about other guests of the inn's attempts to claim her attention, they were still friends. She didn't want him to be mopey all the time.
Now that Kina's interests were definitely elsewhere, Tial had insisted that Keet stop wasting life 'peacocking around' at the Lumpy Pumpkin, as she'd so eloquently put it. Everyone in Skyloft wore quite colourful tunics, slacks, dresses - that was just part of their fashion. Keet's outfit, however, was still always more colourful than anyone else's. He said that he just liked bright colours. Tial reckoned jokingly that it was his way of attracting a mate, like a bird.
"You should feel honoured anyway. I've never brought anyone else to my special place," Tial declared.
"Special place?" Keet repeated.
"This is where I like to come and think."
Keet snorted. "You have the ability to think?" Tial's response was to punch him in the shoulder.
Despite his jokes, he couldn't deny that it was indeed a good place to think. Though the roar of the waterfall behind them was loud, it was constant, natural and relaxing. The grass around them was slightly damp from the spray, but it was cool and it smelt good , like fresh rain after a drought. You could even see the sunset from here, peering just around the corner of the island in the sky. When Tial said she'd never brought anyone else here, did she really mean that? Not even her sister? Tial and her twin, Teagan, were closer than anything. Everyone knew that. Maybe he really should feel honoured.
He lay back in the grass, folding his arms behind his head and watching the sun begin to slowly disappear below the horizon. "Thanks."
Tial didn't have to ask what he was thanking her for. She leant her head against the rocks and smiled down at him. "You're welcome."
As the sun sank lower, there were a few seconds when the pink and orange glow hit the thundering arc of the waterfall at just the right angle, reflecting back a thousand colours from the movement of the water. The dancing rainbow bathed Keet in its light, enhancing every colour in his outfit and many more. Tial watched in awe, unable to help wondering if maybe she'd invited Keet up here for a different reason, until the colours disappeared again, the sun finally retreating for the night after its parting gift.
Keet realised she was watching him. "What?"
Tial smiled again. "Nothing really. I was just thinking that colours really suit you."