Work Text:
Valentine’s Day blooms early at the Gardenview Educational Center.
Above the enormous tree, beneath the glass ceiling in the center, float tiny paper lanterns in the shape of flowers. Long twisted strands of heart-shaped paper swing around the Valentine's Day-themed shops which are now filled with limited-time merchandise. Garlands of ivy and pink ribbons curl around dinosaur skeletons thanks to Shelly, and the decorated elevators are thanks to Flutter & Yatta. There were some hijinks throughout that time, though, because any opportunity with Yatta is an emotional roller coaster. Looey had to take charge and keep an eye on her. Nevertheless, the final result is delightful. Little satin bows even adorn the fossil exhibits. Something will be gleaming wherever one looks. Really, it's just a well-designed product.
And at the center of it all stands the mastermind, Glisten the Mirror.
He adjusts his glittering toga in the reflection of a polished glass case then promptly strikes a pose. The costume had to be perfect, and it certainly met his expectations. A long white toga flows down his body, coated with eye-catching glitter. It is very loose, leaving one arm exposed to the wind. A pink toga praetexta wraps around the costume and is embellished with small hearts. Glisten wears a golden wreath as a crown, with the appearance of a prop bow and arrow, with the curving bow gold and the arrow with a gold heart tip. All of the glitter catches the sunlight coming through the atrium dome in the center and scatters it like confetti.
“Perfect,” he declares. He clears his throat and whips out his host voice: “Romance deserves radiance.”
Behind him, Dandy rolls his eyes fondly. “Must be really proud of that catchphrase, yeah? You’ve been practicing it all week.”
“And I’ll practice it another week if I must,” Glisten replies. “Valentine’s Day is my moment.”
Dandy chuckles. As Gardenview's official mascot and resident go-getter everyman, he is accustomed to Glisten's flare for the dramatic. Today, however, even he had to confess that, after years of ranting about not being in the spotlight enough and promising to be good at it, Glisten finally put his money where his mouth is.
During Glisten's first, but certainly not last, personal excoriation session, his eyes wander to a clock on the wall. Like an unwary mouse on its way to a jagged metal prison, the seductive glimmer of information keeps leaving breadcrumbs for his growing worry to pursue. He examines the clock's whites, the little and large hands, the number markers, and then the lengths between the hands and the numbers.
Oh no. It can’t be. It’s too early.
This mirror is not the type to reject to perform. A slim chance to revel in the splendor of the spotlight is enticing enough for him to go sprinting. But, this is truly his moment. It was expressly Arthur and Delilah's decision, and Delilah had to do a lot of persuading.
This can’t go wrong. It just can’t. It’d ruin him. Nothing can be left to chance.
Pushing his feet forward, Glisten slams his hands on the sides of Dandy’s head, cornering him. “We need another practice! Stat!”
A faint glow of surveillance emanates behind them. Its tickle brushes against the walls, bringing them back to where they stood. Dandy has his back rubbed against it, allowing the tingles to tickle him too. Dandy looks at Glisten in complete disbelief. It takes a few moments for the words to clear.
“Maybe… maybe let me move then?”
Glisten blinks wildly, as if manually analyzing the words. He immediately walks away, striking his head on the crack in the grandeur of something like this. He still shoos him away. Still need practice; can’t let this fail.
Dandy, playing the guest role, enters the building carrying free Valentine's Day merchandise from Dyle on the train. He gestures to Connie, air security, who is prepared to identify wrongdoers and warn others. On paper, the stance said that. Actually, it's a way to frighten people without getting flack. Through the museum speakers, a gentle chime sounds.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and cherished guests!” Glisten’s voice echoes warmly across the Gardenview. “Welcome to Gardenview’s Grand Valentine’s Celebration! I am Glisten, your wonderful host and devoted guide for this most luminous of holidays.”
Dandy comes to a halt at a dotted line that marks a good distance from the stairs. Soon, two mini smoke bombs explode at the top of the stairs, and here he comes to roll up in a sweet entrance. Once the smoke clears out, again with the help of Connie, Glisten is at the metaphorical center stage in his cute Cupid outfit. With Dandy’s cue of clapping, he sweeps into a bow so theatrical that nearby paper hearts flutter by.
Dandy steps forward as the honorary “first guest.” “So where are we heading first?” He pauses, thinking of a name on the spot. “Oh, dazzling one?”
Well, not really a name. Dandy isn't great at impromptu compliments. He mentally berates himself for being so cringe-worthy. Glisten nearly short-circuits by the term. That's not in the script. Nobody has offered him praise before. The closest has been his morning routine when he compliments himself in his huge mirror. Glisten has been stun-locked for far too long, and Dandy's tap of concern gets him to return to reality.
Adjusting adequately, Glisten offers his arm. “Why, special first guest, why not go to the first exhibit: the Hall of Floral Histories!”
Flowers are often associated with Valentine's Day, aside from romantic love. Therefore, something related to it is the first stop. Gold and blush hues fill the Hall of Floral Histories. For this exhibit, a botanical garden was created. There are displays inside that illustrate how certain flowers represent various emotions, such as lavender for dedication, daisies for loyalty, and roses for love.
Flutter has been stationed here. Posters showing flower symbolism are all around the perimeter for people wanting to assemble personalized bouquets. On the side, a little sign credits Easter toon Bassie for the flower assembly. She even gets a personalized bouquet herself. It’ll be given once the event finishes.
As a physical chime, Flutter quickly flaps her wings to attract attention. On the countertop is a bouquet. She flies over and drops it to Dandy, grabbing the end with her feet. Upon examining a tag, he discovers it is a bunch of sunflowers and…
“Baby’s breath? What is that?” Dandy asks.
Flutter flies back to where she’s supposed to be. No answer is given.
Dandy shrugs it off, since there are still other exhibits. He does note a card. It says, “You’re the kind of friend who brings sunshine wherever he goes.” Have to admit, Dandy does get a stupid smile because of it.
Glisten sees this and pumps his fist in the air. Things are going great. He gives a thumbs up to Flutter, who nods in support. He walks in Dandy’s line of sight, dabbing at an imaginary tear.
“Moving onward before I weep from this.”
Next up: Affection Analysis.
Rodger and Toddles are in a role-playing situation in this section. In this instance, Rodger is a scientist who has never dated and has never been able to comprehend how couples come together. Thus, he began studying the relationship between individuals with his tiny henchman (Toodles). The exhibit is an interactive experience in which couples, friends, and families may place their hands on glowing panels that show synchronized heart-rate patterns on a large screen. When two rhythms coincided, the lights shimmered pink.
Rodger, as Dr. Noel Love, points to the pads with a pad and pencil. “Please have two people place their hands on the machine so we can get results of the ‘closeness.’”
Since there’s no one else, Glisten and Dandy are the ones to put their hands on the pad.
The screen flickers… then gradually, the two glowing waveforms begin to move in tandem.
Glisten blinked. “Well. Obviously. We are spectacularly synchronized.”
Dandy nudges him. “Or maybe you’re just excited.”
“I am always excited,” Glisten replies with a grin.
From there, they tour the Sweetheart Story Corner. Velvet cushions are scattered across the floor, and soft fairy lights drape between bookshelves. Brightney, a literature-loving toon, has been reading classic love tales to devolve on tropes and stereotypes. Some are lovey-dovey, some are hilariously bad, and some are tender.
Dandy whispers, “Do you think we should add other incentives to visit here?”
Glisten’s expression softens. “I think it’s fine on its own. People still enjoy romance novels; it’s the most popular subgenre!” He couldn’t have sounded more unsure.
Finally, they reach the grand atrium once more.
The last attraction is Glisten’s personal favorite: the “Wall of Appreciation.” This is likely to be the most popular time. Visitors will be encouraged to write words or create pictures of thanks to friends, family, instructors, or even themselves and pin them to a towering heart-shaped board. Alternatively, they can place it in an envelope, purchase a stamp from the gift shop with the option of adding a little something-something, and have it delivered to this special person.
The wall of appreciation is hosted by the Craft siblings. They were open about their desire to do this since it promoted creation from one of the most powerful emotions that exist. They both created exemplary drawings as part of their preparation.
Scraps’s drawing is of her brother hugging himself with the message “I’m proud of you.”
Goob’s drawing is less expertly done. It’s a derpy drawing of his sister’s head with a poorly placed smile, a smiley face. In big letters, it says, “Best sister ever.”
Originally, only the Craft siblings would be involved. But Brusha pushed herself because it made sense to include a skilled artist on such a trip (i.e., she wanted to brag). Brusha is meticulously creating a masterpiece while holding a complete painter's kit and canvas. She isn’t allowing anyone to see it, so nobody knows what it is.
The final test has come to an end. Glisten looks like the clock again. Each tick is another lost second until the big time comes up. Dandy walks up and places a complimentary hand on his shoulder. “Glisten, this has been really good.”
Glisten stands in his hiding spot playing with the toga. The show is about to start, and he’s about to pull an Astro. For once, he doesn’t try to cover up anything with another pose. He sighs deeply, the tension rising again as fast as it had been let go.
“I hope this goes well,” Glisten says under his breath. It’s pathetic. The quiver at the end makes it worse.
Dandy gives a soft smile. The hand rubs the cloth-covered shoulder.
“Well, Host Extraordinaire,” Dandy smirks. “I think you’ll do great. You’ve practiced your butt off and truly put your heart & soul into this. I’m sure Arthur and Delilah will be proud of picking you for this.”
Right then, the lights dim slightly. Soft music drifts through the hall. The glass ceiling reflects hundreds of tiny paper hearts suspended on nearly invisible threads, catching the afternoon sun so they shimmer like constellations.
Dyle’s announcement rings through the main building. The visitors are about to gather for the new Valentine's Day event. Glisten straightens, glitter catching the alight once more. He shakes his limbs as if he’s trying to physically shake off any uncertainty in his mind.
“You got this,” Dandy says.
The flower toon runs around to place the hiding spot. But, before walking to the station to greet the guests, he adds one little thing. “Thanks for the bouquet, by the way. Baby’s breath is still pretty weird, but the thought is still appreciated.”
When the mirror turns to look, it is too late. The flower has already gone to his position. Glisten looks at his hands and the gold bow and arrow. The heart tip reflects Glisten, which his face reflects back to the heart-tipped arrow.
One breath in, one breath out.
An audience fills the entrance area. Adults and children alike wait to see what events are lined up for this special day. Glisten hooks the bow and arrow on the toga praetexta. He sees the mini smoke bombs tossed out.
One breath in, one breath out.
In the entrance to the heart of Gardenview, surrounded by laughter and awe, Glisten smiles, certain that this Valentine’s Day will be remembered as the most dazzling one yet.
He won’t allow it to be otherwise.