#odyssey

He's already digging through a bin of fabric.

Aoife guides her back to the guest quarters, then waves. “I’ll leave your outfits waiting for you. I should go clean up myself.”

"How fast IS that guy?"

She grins. “He's the best we got.”

When Gladiola and Thistle finish showering and freshening up, there are, as promised, baskets sitting out waiting for them with a fabric bundle in each in the shared dressing room. It's voile, clearly, and feels lightly off glamour.

Gladiola decides NOT to be paranoid for once and just trust. SHe takes the basket opens it, pulls out the voile, and immediately puts it on

Thistle inspects hers.

The fabric is… it’s linen feeling, breathable and crisp and cut to each of their sizes, and in the pattern chosen.

It’s also plain, stark, undyed natural- off white and without adornment.

Oh, a soft sigh.

She certainly likes the tucks and ruffles - the skirt resembles nothing so much as a mermaids tail, with the cascades of flounces below the knee.

Until Gladiola puts hers on. Then, glamour shimmers, and the color and pattern forms! As if reading not her mind, but her soul, the layered cotton takes on color and adornment, (possibly leaning heavily to silvery white and Dairrean green…)

Eyebrows shoot up, and then there's some fierce kenning.

Oh, it’s magical fabric alright!

A touch of chicanery, or is that spring? Maybe it's aphrodisiac, the art of desire… nah… or some sort of soothsay or even naming? Thistle can't tell! But it is complex, and very interesting.

Whatever it is, it doesn’t feel malicious or harmful.

Of course, each is simply a dress of plain fabric, if well crafted to their sizes, unless worn.

"Oh wow" Gwen's voice can be heard

"This is fascinating... I wonder if I could replicate it?"

Thistle's dress is a fairly close fit through the body, before it flares into the mermaid. The fabric blossoms into a rainbow plaid, cut on the bias. each flounce is bound in ribbons of a different color, and a bright pink hibiscus with turquoise-edged petals and a bright yellow center is set at one hip.

Citrine reached out to touch the fabric before Thistle had put it on, and it had shifted, starting to take on a golden hue before she pulled away.

But once worn, the colors shift, mutate, meld, then settle, and the pattern is locked!

A laugh. "Maybe I can get a wee dress for you, ninny."

Gwen comes out, the main colors are Green and White though the white has a silver trim in areas. It's a peasant blouse of white but the elasticated headline has some of that aforementioned silver lining showing off her shoulders with style. The slightly puffed sleeves of it are also elasticated with a flounce of angalise trimming, there is an emerald waist band with a bow tied in the back. There is a circular madras overskirt of green . 3 pleats at lower sides with narrow green and silver bows. The over skirt is edged with a angaliase trim, all that over a white circular petticoat just above the ankles. She also wears a madras head tie, with a tiny turqoise stone bound in it.

If one looks very carefully, some of the lining is akin to celtic hounds on a hunt.

"Nice!"

"Yeah? The dress is gorgeous, I just worry I make it LOOK bad by compa.." And she takes a look at Thistle's own outfit "WOW. You are popping in that"

Art’s voice from outside, along with a soft knock. “Are you ready?”

"We're ready!" A quick touch-up of eyeliner!

She also applies just a bit of make up "Wish Chuck could see me now. He'd lose it, in a good way"

"And Ready, Art!"

He is also wearing the same linen fabric, cut to fit him as a dapper vest over an undershirt, and trim slacks. A Caribbean version of festive formal wear.

He waits for them just outside the door- His outfit, however, is still off-white, un dyed and without adornment.

Art’s eyes widen at the dresses. “…wow.” Simply.

"Oh, I wonder if it will... ha! Furkin' brilliant, that!"

"I know right? I think I sang that song by Luisa to the dogs one more time" A pause then "Hey, why is yours white plain?"

"Totally cha-cha, ain't it?" She does a little hip-wiggle.

"Because he's getting Sained. Duh."

"OH doh! That IS brilliant" She agrees now that she gets it

Art is a bit distracted, maybe the pattern on Thistle's outfit is like an insect pattern to confuse potential predators.

But then he looks up, and lightbulb DING!

“That does make sense. I was wondering if they ran out of dye, after seeing the others outside.”

"Hey, like that ancient song says, you're pretty fly for a white guy"

Art looks like he might not quite get the reference, but he grins anyway. “Thanks.”

In the plain outfit, the young Sidhe had no distractions from his own appearance. It is more evident than ever that this is not the same ‘Artie’ of a year ago, even post Chrysalis.

But then he spoils it by asking, “You both promise not to shun me if I’m Liam or Gwydion or some other unwelcome house?”

He is joking, but an under current of anxiety still trickle through.

"You're still Art."

"I don't know, if you're a nother Daireann I think we have to thumb wrestle for dominance" straight faced

“I suppose I am. And not a chance, I know you'd win.” He offers an arm to Thistle, and his other arm to Gladiola. “May I have the honor of you both as my escorts?”

"Ab-so-furkin-lutely."

"It's we who are honored," A pleased look "And to answer your question, a liam was very kind to me once. We're good"

And yes, she takes the other arm

He beams, and heads down the walkway towards the beach. They pass others along the way, each Selkie wearing a similar fabric, but patterned unique.

Most feature a red wave swirl somewhere in the design, but Aoife’s has swimming sport fish - marlins, swordfish, etc in the design. Niamh’s has colorful swirls like whirlpools on a background of ocean blues and greens, and so on.

A grin at Aoife. It feels a bit weird discovering a girl is attracted to her, and she feels bad about that reaction, but she LIKES Aoife as a friend and respects her. Nope. Not letting my hateful dad imprint on me like that

Thistle's spirals a quite pink - possibly the same color as the hibiscus.