Exchange
Maya liked to watch Candace work. She admired the way her hands moved with a needle and thread, and the way they seemed to twitch with the will of twin knitting needles. The look of concentration and content on the other woman's face calmed her in some strange way, as if Candace's tranquility was finding a way to embed itself in herself.
She did not have the mind to know all the names of the techniques Candace used, or even the names of the equipment she used. Maya didn't particularly care for all that, anyway.
One device that genuinely did intrigue her was the spinning wheel. It was a rather old fashioned object, which only added to its surprising appeal. The way the old wood clicked every time it hit that uneven spot on its axle pumped out a rhythm that put her in a trance, the never ending wool spinning along with it.
Maya would sit by a small end table littered with spools of yarn, building walls of them around her. They would be split down the middle so she could see Candace work over the spinning wheel. Every now and then, the two pairs blue eyes would meet for a quick second before darting elsewhere. Eventually they would make their way back towards each other before rounding in a mirrored smile.
"You, um, you know that autumn is coming soon," Candace began, keeping her eyes trained on the moving wool under her fingertips, "The wind is getting harsher."
Much to her disappointment, Candace's words were true. The green leaves blowing in the wind were starting to color into something bright, and the bright noon sun was starting to set earlier as the days flew by. Maya would miss splashing around in Caramel River District during the warm summer nights and travelling down the riverbanks to spot fireflies. At least yams came with fall.
As she spoke, Maya kept her eyes on Candace, hoping that she would look up at her while she talked. No such luck today. Maya hummed softly, encouraging her companion to continue her train of thought.
Hesitantly, Candace changed a glance up. When she was faced with Maya's intent, warm gaze, she flushed, unfamiliar with the undivided attention. In the same amount of time it had taken her to gather the courage to look up, she looked back down, taking a moment to chew on her lip.
"I just thought that, y-you know, I could, um, m-m-make you something."
The wool almost slipped from her fingers and her eyes widened in surprise. Maya felt like jumping over to make sure she wouldn't fall over due to her unusual mistake.
Flustered now, Candace hurriedly finished up her proposition, "L-L-Like, um, a dress. Or something."
Her eyes were timid as she slowly lifted her gaze to gauge Maya's reaction. Maya was smiling widely, genuinely touched that Candace would include her in this little world that the tailor was privileged to call her own.
"That sounds wonderful," Maya stated, feeling warmer than yam pie and happier than she had ever felt after eating one. "Thanks, Candy. Like, a lot."
A look of relief smoothed out Candace's countenance. She shyly returned Maya's smile.
"It's my pl-pleasure."
In the next few days, Candace urged Maya to go outside more often. They hardly hung out inside the Tailor Shop, and only did so if it rained. Even when it did rain, Candace preferred to go to the Inn and enjoy the food there. Maya had no complaints and did not show signs of noticing her companion's sudden interest in the world outside.
One night Maya was out on a walk, finding herself unable to sleep. The cool air of the night made her shiver and she hugged herself loosely. Her aimless route brought her to the Tailor Shop. Light emanated from one of the windows, pooling on the grass outside faintly. Alarmed, Maya rushed up to the glass and pressed her face against it.
In between a space in the curtains, she could see a blue blur moving in a back-and-forth motion. The figure was sluggish, yet it strove to continue.
It registered in her head that the person behind the window was Candace. Maya bit her lip, worried for her friend. What could be keeping her up at this hour? The moon winked at her, passing clouds covering the beacon of light for brief moments as it shone high in the sky.
Eventually, her concern overcame all of her rational thoughts. This did not take too long, considering that her mind was barely functional past midnight. Throwing all caution into the wind, Maya tried the front door. It was locked. Frustrated, she wiggled the doorknob, figuring that it would be a bit rude to kick at the door. Imagine the shoe scuffs that would cause.
Soon enough, someone answered the door. It revealed a surprised Candace, the tailor's heavy blue eyes wide with shock.
"M-Maya?" she murmured quietly. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes for too long to be deemed a blink. Obviously she was trying to wrap her head around the idea of Maya showing up at her front door in the middle of the night.
"Candy, what in the world are you doing?!" Maya exclaimed, unable to keep her voice low. She curled her fingers around the doorknob regretfully, watching as Candace threw a glance over her shoulder to make sure the noise hadn't roused anyone. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Slowly, Candace shook her head. She kept her lips shut, refusing to meet Maya's gaze.
Maya took this time to examine her friend's face. Dark bags outlined her demure eyes, expressing the lack of sleep that was apparently a trend. She frowned and reached out to brush a few strands of stray hair from Candace's eyes, attracting them to her hand.
"Go to sleep, Candy," Maya said, deciding that the tailor's well being was more important than knowing her personal affairs. She could admit that she was annoyed that she hadn't been informed, but Candace was having trouble keeping her eyes open at this point.
"But I..." Her eyes slid towards Maya's at a sluggish rate. "Need to finish."
"Candy, there can't possibly be anything so important that it's keeping you up this late." When Candace opened her mouth to object, Maya held up a hand to interrupt her. She was close to scowling, ready to barge right in if she needed to. "Nuh-uh. You're going to bed. Don't make me make you."
For a moment, Candace merely stared at her with her mouth open. Maya pulled at the door, a silent threat that she would do just as she said. The action seemed to startle Candace into a more lively state. She bowed slightly in goodbye and closed the door behind her.
Maya was busy polishing off a plate full of scrambled eggs when the bell above the door rang, signalling a visitor. She looked up to see Candace shuffle in, arms burdened with a plain pink box. Shyly the tailor approached her table and set the box down.
"Hi," she greeted, voice low and undemanding. Maya smiled at her.
"Hey," she replied, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. There was a small portion left on her plate and she offered her fork to her companion. "Want some?"
Candace glanced between Maya's fork and her bright eyes before nodding her head hesitantly. She held her hand out to receive the eating utensil, but Maya had something else in mind. The cook lifted her fork to Candace's lips, holding it patiently. Uncertain of herself, Candace allowed Maya to direct the food into her mouth, gently scraping the egg off the fork with her teeth.
"Good, huh?" Maya asked, cupping one side of her face in a hand. She watched intently as Candace chewed and nodded. "One of Sundae Inn's specials! 'Course it's good."
With a hearty smile, Maya slid the plate towards Candace. She couldn't say no to her and accepted the small offering of food silently.
Leaning on her forearms, Maya brought her head down to level with the box. She squinted at it curiously. "What's this?" She snaked an arm out from under the table to poke at it.
"Um." Candace put down her fork and gathered the box in her arms. "I-It's, um..." The tailor took a moment to rack her brain for the right words. They were escaping her, much to her chagrin. At a loss, she simply reached out and pulled the lid off.
Maya peered into the box and saw dark material occupying its rectangular space. She lifted her gaze questioningly at Candace, wordlessly asking for permission to open it. Candace nodded.
It was a dress. As she pulled it out of its container, it unfolded to the floor. Maya stood to see it in its entirety. The garment was composed of mostly dark fabric. Puffy shoulders wrinkled under her grasp, the sleeves leading to finely crafted white cuffs. On the hem of the dress were small patches with a symbol embroidered into it, the light color contrasting with the rest of the dress. To top it off, a white collar filled up the neckline, two simple buttons sitting on it comfortably.
"It's..." Images of Candace's sleep deprived face popped up in her mind and she faltered. With a quick glance over the dress, Maya could see the tailor's face twist with worry. Maya hurried to finish. "It's beautiful, Candy."
The tailor looked unsure of herself due to Maya's late reaction. Gently, the cook folded it into its original position and set it down. Once it was safe in the pink box, Maya drew her friend in for a tight hug, resting her head on her shoulder.
"Thank you so much," Maya said into her clothes. She smiled to herself as Candace took her sweet time in reacting, surprise slowing the arms that managed to make their way across her back. Pleased that she returned her embrace, Maya squeezed her friend closer to her body.
When she pulled away, Maya was amused to see that Candace's face was lit up in a bright flush. It was endearing in a way, and she could not fight the urge to push away a lock of hair from her eyes. Candace's eyes followed her hand as she pulled it back to her body.
"Thank you," the cook said again. Candace mumbled something inaudible and Maya smiled, that urge returning. She managed to shake it off this time, reaching for the box to finally tear her eyes away from her companion's embarrassed expression.
Box firmly in hand, Maya leaned in to give Candace a quick peck on her cheek. The tailor's eyes flew open and Maya was unable to hold back a small giggle.
"I can't wait to try it on!"
And with that, she escaped to her room. The last she saw of Candace was a deeply flushed face, fingers pressed to her cheek.
It startled Candace when Maya came thundering down the stairs. Her face with lit up with excitement as she bounded towards her, spinning and leaping on her way to meet her.
"Oh, Candy," she said, a dreamy expression on her face. Candace was able to identify it as dreamy once she stopped turning. Without any regard to Candace's person space, the cook reached out and grabbed her hands, urging her to twirl with her.
"It's so beautiful," Maya continued, drawling the "o" in "so". The tailor could not help but smile, happy that Maya was pleased with her gift. It was nothing compared to the company she endlessly supplied her with.
Together they spun and spun, barely avoiding tables and chairs. Candace was starting to grow dizzy, from both their movement and the perpetual smile plastered on her friend's face. The hands wrapped around hers were warm and welcoming, and if they had to keep spinning in order for her to retain her hold on them, then she did not mind that much.
Soon enough, Maya grew tired of their turning. She smiled breathlessly, pulling Candace's arm to draw her body towards hers. A blush crawled its way onto Candace's face due to their proximity. Maya was good at catching her off guard like that, enticing her with her body heat that was matched only by her contagious smile.
"What do you think?" Maya did not let go of Candace's hand as she gestured towards herself, newly clad in the dark dress. It contrasted nicely against her fair skin and her bright hair. Candace thought it was unfair that the cook had already used the word that was on the tip of her tongue.
"You look..." A contemplative look passed her expression as Candace sifted through her vocabulary. "M-Magnificent," she stated. With a nod, she decided that she was pleased with her choice of an adjective.
Maya looked content as well, her smile growing. Candace thought there had to be some limit to her smile, but she was proved wrong with every meeting they shared.
"Thank you," Maya replied. She grinned, lips parting to reveal white teeth. Amused, she repeated the phrase again and again. "I can't say that enough to really thank you for this awesome gift."
Smiling back, Candace absently thought that it paled in comparison to Maya's wide grin. "Seeing you th-this happy is enough."
Maya closed her eyes, rounded with her happiness, before sending them spinning and spinning again.