Vignette 3: Deck Me
deck:
"to clothe in a striking or elegant manner"
"ONE MORE TIME!" shouts Selphie.
Everyone groans audibly. Everyone except Quistis.
"Three, two, one!"
Selphie turns on the music and scrambles to her starting position.
The beginning of the track is Quistis' favorite. Guitar, flute, and hurdy gurdy harmonize in an ancient melody that transports her to rugged sea cliffs and sweeping fjords.
"WEAVE, ladies!" Selphie claps her hands to the lively beat while she dips her body up and down the line of female dancers. "Weave under and over, under and over! Don't forget that this is the KEY POINT of the choreography!"
"Don't forget that you promised to buy us DINNER!" Xu pants out, nearly crashing into Fujin from sheer exhaustion.
"TORTURE," mutters Fujin, sliding out of harm's way.
Rinoa weaves next. "Dinner better not be SALAD!" she sings threateningly.
The Dance of the Trabian Faeries has origins in folk music, and according to the folk legend associated with it, the faeries may choose to bless one woman with the gift of true love on a warm autumn night.
Of course, none of the women gathered here today are participating in hopes of romance. Selphie has insisted that there needs to be a delightful form of entertainment for tomorrow night's Harvest Fair, despite it being much smaller in scale than the springtime Garden Festival—and what's more delightful than an opportunity to dress up like bohemian pixies and twirl on a stage barefoot?
Rinoa finishes off the dance with a dazzling set of chaîné turns.
Selphie woo-hoos with triumph at the song's end.
True to her word, she has ordered a feast of chipotle-cherry brisket and pecan wood-smoked ribs and spinach-artichoke dip and grilled corn on the cob with peach cobbler. The guys join them in the abundant fare and the quad soon takes on the atmosphere of a pre-party.
"Squall and Seifer are missing," observes Selphie.
"Squall and Seifer are camping," says Rinoa, cramming a square of peach cobbler into her mouth. It's a dessert-first kind of day.
Quistis laughs delicately into her hand.
Irvine wants in on the joke. "What's so funny?"
"SEIFER…" Fujin grins. "HATES CAMPING."
Quistis nods. "That, and the image of those two pitching a tent together is just…"
"Too funny," agrees Selphie, following Rinoa's example of dessert first.
"Huh." Zell looks mildly offended. "Guess I wasn't invited!"
"Didn't you go camping a couple of weeks ago?" asks Macall from the Library Committee.
"Yeah, but that was for a mission…" Zell's pout turns into a blush as he accepts a second plate of food from Macall. "Hey, thanks!"
Selphie puts on a stern face. "They'll be back in time for the Fair, right!?"
"That's the plan!" confirms Rinoa.
When nobody is looking, Quistis takes her medication with a bite of food.
Quistis makes her way to the Harvest Fair with jaunty steps. Her feet keep wanting to break into dance but it's not yet time for the performance.
The night is pleasantly warm and the quad is bursting with cozy activities for all.
Zell has just entered a pie eating contest.
Squall and Nida are watching a whiskey distilling demonstration.
Irvine and Raijin are socializing with barnyard animals in the pumpkin patch.
All of the girls are crowded around a small table beside the stage.
"Quisty!" Selphie motions her friend over with a sense of urgency. "You have to see this!"
The table is laid out with flower crowns. Each girl has designed one to her liking.
"Oh, no!" Quistis glances at the line of flower crowns in slight panic. "Where did mine go?"
"Isn't that one yours?" Xu points at the crown in the center. "Your name tag is on it."
"But—"
Quistis doesn't recognize the crown at all. The one she crafted is a humble arrangement of verbenas, but this mysterious replacement is floral perfection, nothing like she's ever seen before.
"They're gorgeous!" gushes Macall, holding up her phone for all to see. "According to my plant identification app, these flowers are called Beauty of Balamb and they're mega rare!"
"Wanna know something interesting about this flower?" Selphie nudges Quistis with a wink. "It blooms for just one month out of the year—in autumn, of course—and grows only in the highest peaks of the Gaulg Mountains. Pretty dangerous terrain up there, from what I've heard!"
Quistis is even more confused. "But—"
"That's where Squall and Seifer went camping!" exclaims Rinoa. "Oh my gosh, I get it now!"
What does Rinoa get?
What is going on?
Someone please tell Quistis what is going on!
"Wanna know something else about this flower?" says a familiar male voice.
The girls watch with interest as Seifer strides up to them with a winsome smile.
"Tell us, tell us!"
He smirks at the way he's commanding everyone's attention. "They say that Beauty of Balamb has an affinity to magic."
Xu huffs with skepticism.
"SHOW," orders Fujin.
"Quistis," says Seifer, gently lifting her flower crown with bare hands. "Will you let me deck you with wildflowers?"
Rinoa, Selphie, and Macall squeal with girlish gratification.
Quistis' heart flutters and she isn't sure why. She likes this feeling, though, along with the intensity of Seifer's gaze.
She nods once.
He lowers the crown onto her head, ensuring that the fit is snug.
Then, he calls forth Fire from his hands.
Quistis and the others gasp, startled by the appearance of the burning element.
Seifer lights up the flowers and steps away, grinning the entire time.
Amazingly, her crown is not combusting. The magic inside of the flowers is converting the fuel to something even more incredible.
Hot flames alchemize into a natural glow that envelops her body, and the glow then breathes faerie dust into existence as it falls in soft spirals around her.
The girls ooh and aah to no end.
"Put on your crowns, my little Trabian Faeries!" says Selphie enthusiastically. "I know it's early but we can't miss this chance for a spectacular show!"
Seifer, who hates camping, has ventured into dangerous terrain (is that why he took Squall with him?) to pick mega rare, highly seasonal flowers in order to style them into a magnificent crown just for her.
This meaningful gift makes Quistis feel beautiful, extraordinary, and…
And loved.
(Is that too bold of a statement?)
She dances to her heart's content, and when it is her turn to weave, the faerie dust spreads to her companions in eddies of glittering pompoms. The audience cheers wildly at the enchanting display of light and movement. This will certainly be a Harvest Fair to remember.
When Quistis has finished her performance, she leaps off the stage and smiles at the one who has given her this joyful moment.
"Thank you, Seifer."
He wraps his arms around her. Her heart flutters once more.
He leans in close with an affectionate whisper:
"You are the Beauty of Balamb."