Diversity

Thalli, the guitar-player, bows and exits the stage. He walks to two blue-skinned girls and hands them both a basket of petals. Cobal, the boy who played the wooden flute, nods to the drum and marimba players and then Gypsum, the marimba player, and Indi, the drummer and dancer, leave the stage and take their place with everyone along a path running through the clearing. The man and the woman separate and walk to opposite ends of the path. With a barely audible squeak, Thalli runs away and returns with a satin cushion as well as two necklaces and hands the cushion to a blue-skinned boy. He ushers the girls with flowers to go and they walk towards the man, gracefully spreading the petals along the path. Cobal starts playing a song as the woman walks slowly towards the man. This signifies the journey they will make together. When she reaches him, he holds her in his arms and says, "My love, will you be with me forever?" and the lady says, "Yes, I will love you for life." An old man with silver skin bows to them and the boy with the necklaces comes and kneels before him. The old man takes the necklaces and put them over the man and woman's heads. The couple put the necklace pieces together, forming a tree. When the tree is connected, they kiss, which bonds them for life. They say each other's names as they stare into each other's eyes. "Vanadi," the man utters. "Quiss!" Vanadi says. They smile and kiss again. All the odd people as Vanadi and Quiss walk to the refreshments table, their necklaces still joined. Vanadi and Quiss fill their plates, inviting everyone else to do so as well. They sit on the previous dance floor while everyone else follows suit. Thalli, Cobal, Indi, and Gypsum play soft music to entertain everyone. Vanadi and Quiss walk to the stage and say, "When this song is over, you all go to get something to eat, please!" Indi smiles. "Thank you!" she chirps. Seconds later, the song ends and the band leaves the stage. Cobal tentatively reaches for a plate full of mushrooms, but his hand changes course and grabs a cup of willow-bark tea. He then takes a handful of baby-button mushrooms. Thalli fills a glass with ale and fills a plate with fried morel mushrooms, two boiled pheasant eggs, duck, and fish and chips. Gypsum fills a glass with golden wine and sits down next to Cobal and Thalli. Indi fills a plate with a lavender scone, a cream-filled pastry, a little cake, and some fruit. She takes a cup of jasmine tea and joins the band. As soon as she sits down, Thalli is up and he fills his glass with more ale and then fills his plate a second time with rhubarb pie, turkey, quail, and more morel mushrooms. He refills his ale glass again and grabs an extra glass so it will last longer. Thalli sits down with a hiccup and downs his glass, earning a look of disgust from Indi. "What are you drinking?" she asks Gypsum. "Elderberry wine," she cheerfully replies. They eat with some small talk and pleasantries exchanged between them, except for Thalli, who focuses only on eating and drinking ale.