Mohi knocks on her door for the fifth time that morning. "C'mon now, girl 's time to git brek'fes."
Snapdragon buries her face further into the pillow and bunches her fingers up in its ratty cloth. "I don' wanna, Mohi." She doesn't want breakfast or lunch or dinner or to go to her factory or to do anything at all. She just wants to lay down with her cheek pressed against the pillow.
"Kaz says ya come in las' night all soakin' wet." Mohi calls through the door. "Ya catch sickness out there?"
"Maybe." She lies. "I don't feel so good." And she doesn't, but it isn't a matter of sickness so much as a tummy tickling sorrow. She bunches herself into a little ball. She had finally found someone willing to tolerate her odder quirks and she'd managed to push too far.
She should have known better than to try to push those quirks on someone who isn't quite interested.
She forces herself out of bed and makes her way out into the backyard. Zenyul and Kaz are already out there, sloshing through puddles and mud as they show off their bending. It would be mighty nice to join them. She doesn't much feel up for a trip to her factory today. Maybe they can teach her to fight; even if she can't bend it would still be nice to pick up a normal hobby. Maybe if she does that, she can have someone nice like Mai.
Snapdragon ducks back inside and removes her necklace. She gives the thing one last look over. It doesn't seem so pretty now. She drops it in with the rest of the trash and wanders back outside.
"Zenyul, Kaz, I want you to teach me to do that stuff!"
The boys take pauses.
"I thought ya said ya couldn't bend?" Zenyul cocks his head.
"Anyways, don't you have a building to scramble up?" Kaz asks.
Her face grows hot. "I decided I'm done doin' that. I wanna learn to…" She gives her best imitation of their bending.
"Yer serious?" Zenyul asks.
Snapdragon gives a firm nod, expecting to be met with a similar one. Instead Kaz bursts out laughing, "you can't bend."
"But I can do all'a them jumps 'n flips, I do it all the time when I'm explorin' the city." Her face grows redder still.
"Ya need fire ta firebend." Zenyul quirks a brow.
"Fine, ferget it." She bunches her fists and kicks the nearest rock. She'll teach herself to do those silly tricks. She'll be better than Zenyul and Kaz both. She doesn't even have fire but somehow she'll manage it.
.oOo.
Mai supposes that nervousness beats boredom. She doesn't fancy walking in this part of Capital City alone. And she isn't sure that Mohi will take well to seeing her at her doorstep after upsetting Snapdragon so thoroughly.
She gives the door a quick knock. She hears the unlatching of a bolt and the turning of a lock. Mohi lumbers over her. Silently. Overbearingly silently.
"I'd like to speak with Snapdragon."
Mohi's eyes narrow. "She been sulkin' all day 'n nite coz'a ya."
"It was a misunderstanding, I assure you." Mai replies carefully. Perhaps more carefully than is needed.
The woman has a bladed stare that bears a likeness to the sharpness of the knives tucked under Mai's own sleeves. "Some misunda'standin'. Talk ta 'er, but if ya make thin's worse…"
"I won't make things worse." She promises. "Is she in her room?"
"She out back." Mohi gestures.
Mai slips outside to find Snapdragon throwing kicks and punches at the air. Every now and then she stops to observe Zenyul and Kaz. It would seem that she is trying to bend. Her face scrunches up and she throws another punch.
"Hey." Mai greets lamely.
Snapdragon jerks before turning around. She forces a smile. "Oh hi, Mai."
"Don't look at me like that." It is somehow worse than Mohi's glower. She can still feel it on her back, burning into her. She steals a peek over her shoulder and catches Mohi lingering at the window. "I'm here to ask you if you wanted to go out for dinner. I know how much you loved the palace food."
Snapdragon tilts her head.
"And it just so happens that I have a new necklace that...well it doesn't go with any outfit I own but I still wanted to wear it."
She holds up that ridiculous trash necklace.
Now Snapdragon is beaming from ear to ear, a true picture of delight. Her eyes light up and it as if she has been jolted with a shock of energy; she grabs Mai's hand, "come with me to the factory and help me find something to wear!"
She tugs Mai past Mohi.
"Where's yours?" Mai asks with a gesture to her own accessory.
"Oh, I, uh…"
She hears a clacking from behind. "'S right here." She holds out the necklace.
Snapdragon takes it from the woman's hand and puts it around her neck.
"That was in the garbage." Mai points out.
"That's where some of the charms came from in the first place." Snapdragon shrugs.
Mai sighs, she supposes that, that much is true. She wonders how many pieces of her necklace had been found in a rubbish bin. "I'm taking her for dinner. We might stay at the palace if Snapdragon is up for it."
"Stay where ya like, long as ya ain't hurt muh girl again. Don' ya leave 'er walkin' alone in the rain like that anymore." Mohi gives Snapdragon a little pat.
"It's a sunny day, trust me, I'm only this nauseous when it's this cheerfully bright. Snapdragon is going to have a great time." Mai promises. The woman is already jittery with excitement. Mai isn't sure if it is for the upper class meal she is about to receive or simply the prospect of going on a date.
Mai comes to decide that it had to have been the food that Snapdragon was excited for. She finds that the woman is somewhat clueless. Oblivious. Mai waits for her to swallow her drink before inquiring, "you know that this is a date, right?"
"A date?" She asks. "With...with me?"
Mai nods.
"You ain't embarrassed to be around me?"
Mai wouldn't exactly go that far. It isn't exactly comfortable to have so many eyes upon her. Especially eyes that do little to conceal the judgment within them. She thinks that they have been watching them since they arrived. And suddenly she reconsiders letting Snapdragon pick out her own outfit.
All the same, she needs Snapdragon to know that she is loved for exactly who she is
All the same, it might be better if she learns to deal with eyes that judge. She could use a bit of Snapdragon's spunk and creativity. The confidence it takes her to be truly herself; Mai wishes that she could have that.
"Maybe a little." Mai admits. "I don't want you to change though." She isn't sure how to articulate it. "I guess that I wish other people would."
"What do you mean?"
"I wish that they wouldn't look at you like that." With crinkled noses and upturned chins.
Snapdragon shrugs. "I'm kinda used to it."
She coughs awkwardly, "okay, there is one thing though."
Snapdragon looks up from her soup.
"Can you eat with spoons and chopsticks instead of your hands?"
Snapdragon frowns but she reaches for the chopsticks.
.oOo.
Her tummy does all sorts of flops and flutters as they near the palace. She supposes that it isn't quite as intimidating as it was the first time, but the jitters are still quite heavily present. She fiddles with the rusty cog on her necklace.
"You're slowing down." Mai observes. Snapdragon shuffles to keep pace. "Don't tell me that you're still nervous."
"I ain't sacred. I ain't scared of anythin'." Except for nobles and their passive-aggressive stares and remarks. She can already hear them complaining of her scent. "Do I get to use the palace bath again?"
"Do you want to?"
Snapdragon nods. "I like the soap bubbles." She also likes those pretty delicate scents. Something about them is comforting. Something about them feels right.
"Well the sooner you get inside, the sooner you can have a bubble bath." Mai replies. "I can go for one too."
"I asked first." She darts up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She waits for Mai at the top.
"Alright, you can take the first bath." Mai agrees. She takes Snapdragon's hand and gives her forehead a little kiss. Snapdragon's whole face goes red. "But only because our first date went so well."
"It did?"
"Did you have a good time."
She nods vigorously, "it were wonderful. We gonna do it again?"
This time Mai kisses her nose. "You can pick the location next time."