Work Text:
These days Mai found herself at the Blue Moon more than usual. With one disaster after another, Mai had no time or desire to cook for herself. And well, Owen hooked her up with free meals pretty often. When you do some type of commission or repair for the Blue Moon at least once a week, you get a few perks.
Mai swirled her glass of yakmel milk—one of the first non-contaminated batches Sandrock had seen in a couple weeks. Cooper had been pestering her every darn time she passed by the ranch. He demanded to know when the heck she’d get that green gas cleared away. After breaking her back building the massive thing, she’d installed the air purifier in the Valley of Whispers a few days ago.
But, Peach, that man still would not leave her alone. Mai knew the man had a grudge against her for her slight involvement in Elsie’s disappearance during the whole debacle, but she was sick of his yapping. She’d remember to take the long way to the other side of town when she visited Qi tomorrow. Her ears were gonna start bleeding if she heard that man’s voice one more time. Frankly, she’d have run away too if she were Elsie.
Mai picked at her hot and sour fish. The plate was still half-full but she had lost her appetite a while ago. Fang would be displeased if she wound up in the clinic again but she just couldn’t bring herself to finish the food. Stress from everything had completely shot any appetite she had.
Sighing, she pushed the plate away and opted for a swig of milk. At least she ate what she could and was having something other than water for once.
The saloon was fairly quiet tonight. With it being late, the townsfolk were winding down for the night. The only energy in the room was the periodic laughter from the front. Owen was over at the front counter, chatting away with some tourists. They were lively, which didn’t surprise Mai at all. Owen knew how to connect with folks. He could probably get a brick wall to open up if he tried.
It was a relief to see a handful of the tourists. Most skipped town when word got out about a poisonous green gas. Owen had suffered from even smaller crowds because of it. Hopefully, this was a sign of better times ahead.
Meanwhile, Ernest was in his usual spot in the back corner all the way on the other side of the saloon, scribbling away in his notebook. Knowing him, he’d likely be here until close. Once he got his ideas flowing, he didn’t stop.
Lost in her thoughts, Mai hadn’t noticed the gentleman who’d approached her.
“Builder, good to see you again,” he said, tipping his hat. He loomed over her, his trenchcoat covered in a fine layer of dust. He had a sharp smell of expensive cologne.
Mai tried not to show her nervousness. “Good to see you, too, Mr. Musa. Are you coming back from city hall?”
Musa adjusted his gold-rimmed sunglasses. “Yes. Mayor Trudy and I discussed more details about the road this evening. We received another telegram from Mayor Gale in Portia about some logistical issues that came up. Took us longer than anticipated but it was resolved.”
Mai nodded, taking another sip of her drink. The conversation reached that awkward lull where neither person really knew what to say next. Mai had gotten better about making small talk since moving to Sandrock but, Light, it was a struggle. Especially because she was talking to someone who had high expectations of her. Made her words get stuck in her throat. She knew her way around a workshop, but it was overwhelming being seen as a hot-shot builder. Mai just tried to pay the bills.
Musa gestured to the booth across from her. “Mind if I take a seat? I’d like to ask you something.”
Mai nodded her head, but avoided eye contact. The painting on the wall next to her was suddenly quite interesting. Bet it came from the Mysterious Man.
Musa took off his hat and made himself comfortable, eyeing the anxious builder through his glasses. “I hear you’re from Highwind.”
“Yup. Born and raised.”
“I’ve always enjoyed the annual gliding tournaments down there. I’ve been fortunate enough to see a few in person. The racing portions were the most exciting to me.”
Mai’s eye twitched. Her chest tightened, and she braced herself for where this conversation was headed.
“I didn’t realize it was you at first, but it suddenly clicked that I knew you from your time as a competitive glider. You were one of the top athletes in the obstacle race, right?”
Mai laughed nervously, her stomach dropping. She found herself missing Cooper’s grating voice. Someone get her out of here.
“Haha, you got it…that’s me, #12 from West Highwind.” Her head drooped. Might as well skip ahead to the end of this old conversation. “And yes, I’m the one who punched her competitor, got banned, was published in the Windy Times–your resident screw-up,” she rattled off, adding the last part in a sarcastic tone. She winced hearing how defensive her words came out. She was just trying to beat her accuser to the punch, not pick a fight.
Musa maintained a calm expression. He didn’t bat an eye.
Mai coughed, staring blankly at the table. Her half-eaten fish still sat there, picked apart and gutted. She wished she was that fish. At least then she’d be dead and not have to endure this dreadful situation.
She’d expected someone would recognize her eventually. Sure, she was on the backside of the desert but the world was a small place. She assaulted someone and accused them of tampering with her equipment. That’s not exactly forgettable news. Back home, people gossiped about it over dinner. And while the average person outside of Highwind likely wouldn’t know about it, those who were even remotely interested in the city’s most famous sport would have heard of her–perhaps even have seen her compete if they frequented the races back in the day.
Still, being recognized by literally the richest man in the Free Cities and who was now her superior kinda sucked. She could really go for another glass of yakmel milk right now. Owen was still absorbed by his guests up front. Mai clenched her fists. Crap.
Musa leaned back in the booth, his arms crossed. He had always kept a neutral face in the short time Mai had known him. The only instance she could remember him showing a readable expression was when everyone in Sandrock royally screwed up the first day he was in town. There was also that time he almost drank contaminated milk.
So maybe the fact his face wasn’t scrunched in disgust was a good sign. Or maybe he was being polite. Who knew?
Musa cleared his throat, his deep voice clear and round. “I’m concerned you seem to think so little of yourself, Mai. True, you did a regrettable thing back then. But you were young. You’ve proven that you’re different now. And you’re hardly a screw-up like you claim. You’ve shown you’re anything but that.”
He said it so easily. it annoyed Mai. She’d grown up, obviously, but that altercation would always follow her around. And he just proved that it still did.
“Look, Mr. Musa, I don’t want to come off as rude but why are you bringing this up?” She shot him a snarky look. “You want an autograph or somethin’?”
Musa laughed. Seeing him smile startled Mai. He looked surprisingly approachable, a stark contrast to his usual intimidating self.
“Ah, no, not this time. Though perhaps I may ask you for one when you inevitably become a famous builder. You seem destined for greatness.”
Mai blushed. She reached for a piece of hair to fidget with. “I-I seriously doubt that, Mr. Musa, sir, but I appreciate the compliment.”
Musa’s smile softened, and he maintained the friendly air. “I’m just relieved to see you doing well for yourself after all these years. I remember reading about your triumphs in the papers, and hearing about your disqualification was…upsetting to say the least. Admittedly, you were one of my favorite gliders in the obstacle races. One of the times I visited Highwind for an annual tournament, you placed first in several rounds. Your maneuvering being impressive and far more sophisticated than your associates.”
Mai’s heart skipped. Musa— the Musa—had seen her compete? And he was a fan? She pinched her arm under the table to be certain she wasn’t dreaming.
How long had it been since someone had praised her gliding? She hadn’t realized she missed this, the recognition of in a sport she’d dedicated her time, body, and mind training for. Warmth spread across her chest, her shoulders straightening a bit in her growing confidence.
“T-thank you. Seriously, I mean it. It’s been awhile since I’ve talked to a fan.” She chuckled, and she couldn’t resist asking, “Have you been keeping up with the final races for this year? A lot of smaller, independent competitions are still happening.”
“Can’t say I have—I usually just read about the state’s race. I didn’t know races were still happening this late in the year.”
“Oh, yeah, we do it year-round.” It was true—gliding was a popular pastime. Actually, most children started gliding before they began schooling. Mai’s parents had a photo of her first flight hanging in the hallway back home. She’d only glided over a small hill, but it was considered a rite of passage.
Mai leaned forward, explaining to Musa more about gliding. Her dark eyes glimmered with excitement. She was thrilled to have someone to talk to. “While the annual races hosted by the state get a lot of publicity, the individual towns within Highwind are constantly hosting community races. That’s where you can see the up-and-coming athletes. And if you subscribe to the Windy Times, there’s a whole sports section where you can read about it—that’s what I’ve been doing. But I recommend going to see them in person because that’s where the real action is.”
Musa expressed his interest, and continued asking questions. As the two talked, they hardly noticed the other guests leaving and Grace mopping the floors. Owen came over to clear Mai’s forgotten dishes.
“I hate to rush you two out of here, but we’re closing for the night.”
Mai looked up at him sheepishly. “Ah, my bad. Mr. Musa, I’m glad we got to talk tonight. It was refreshing to talk about gliding again.”
Owen had already left the table with the dirty plates. Musa replied as he grabbed his hat. “My pleasure. I’m glad to have gotten to know you better—it only confirmed my confidence in hiring you as the lead builder in this project.”
The two slid out of their booths. Musa fixed his coat and bade her farewell. He left for his room on the second floor.
Mai made her way to the front counter to say goodnight to Owen. He stopped her.
“Hey, I overheard some of your conversation with Musa. Seems like he’s much more amiable than we initially thought, huh?”
“Yeah, seems so.” Mai scratched the back of her head. “Although, he freaked me out when he asked about my days as an athlete. Caught me off guard. I was sure he was gonna kick me off the project.”
Owen slung the rag he used to wipe down the counter over his shoulder. “Musa doesn’t seem like that type of person. Besides, aren’t you glad to see that other people aren’t as hung up about it as you thought?”
Mai recalled the night she’d told a few folks about the scandal. Nia was in town and brought it up, not realizing Mai hadn’t disclosed anything to her new friends. While she’d initially been hesitant to explain, as she opened up she was relieved to see that the people of Sandrock were far more receptive than she’d believed. Back home, she still wore her bad reputation shamefully. But here, everyone supported her, faults and all.
Mai had long since accepted responsibility for her aggressive behavior as a teenager, and though she’d also given up even trying to prove the tampering allegations, it was vindicating to hear her friends’ encouragement.
She smiled thinking about Justice’s comment, the sheriff proudly stating that if he were one of the civil corps officers on the case, he would’ve fought to investigate the suspicious behavior of the competitor. Heidi had gently pushed Mai to not be hasty in assuming everyone she met would belittle her for her past upon finding out. And as Owen pointed out, she was right. Musa was surprisingly kind and while Mai didn’t bother explaining the details to the man, he showed no sign of judgment as they conversed. She hoped that her maturity would speak louder than her previous errors.
She knew that there would be people who weren’t as kind, but a weight she’d been carrying all these years lifted from her heart nonetheless. With each passing day, moving forward felt more achievable.
Mai grinned and nodded. “Yeah, I’m glad. Anyways, I’m beat, so I’m gonna turn in for the night. Be seein’ ya!”
Mai and Owen waved goodbye, and the builder pushed open the glass doors. The brisk night air enveloped her, and despite the chill, she practically skipped home. When her head hit the pillow, slept the most soundly she had in a while.