"What're you laughing at?"
Charley wiped at her face, rubbing at whatever was coated there. It smeared onto her fingers, coming off in grimy clumps of bright colors. Brilliant, she was nothing more than a walking rainbow of plant vomit right now. Her hands could barely keep still, swiping at the colors and trying to shake it off. The pollen clung as tightly to each other as it did her hand, until she summoned some sort of superhuman grit to send some flying back toward the plants it belonged to.
"Take that!" The street urchin followed her wish with a kick at the flora stands. It seemed to shake back at her, threatening more pollen. Charley made a mean face at it, though she took a few steps back anyway, surveying the awful state of herself. All she'd wanted to do here was look at some pretty flowers. Now, thanks to some old bitty and a giggly Tiger Lily, Charley couldn't even have that!
She turned to Tiger Lily and her color-coated skirts. They were pretty and full of a dazzling array of hues, so blown together that Charley wrinkled her nose at the garish display. The little girl had stopped laughing, at last.
"That's more like it," Charley said, feeling her nose rising a little higher as she did. "Show some respect for your elders."
Could have only been a year or two, but Charley was going to take it. Anything to avoid being laughed at.
Charley wiped at her face, rubbing at whatever was coated there. It smeared onto her fingers, coming off in grimy clumps of bright colors. Brilliant, she was nothing more than a walking rainbow of plant vomit right now. Her hands could barely keep still, swiping at the colors and trying to shake it off. The pollen clung as tightly to each other as it did her hand, until she summoned some sort of superhuman grit to send some flying back toward the plants it belonged to.
"Take that!" The street urchin followed her wish with a kick at the flora stands. It seemed to shake back at her, threatening more pollen. Charley made a mean face at it, though she took a few steps back anyway, surveying the awful state of herself. All she'd wanted to do here was look at some pretty flowers. Now, thanks to some old bitty and a giggly Tiger Lily, Charley couldn't even have that!
She turned to Tiger Lily and her color-coated skirts. They were pretty and full of a dazzling array of hues, so blown together that Charley wrinkled her nose at the garish display. The little girl had stopped laughing, at last.
"That's more like it," Charley said, feeling her nose rising a little higher as she did. "Show some respect for your elders."
Could have only been a year or two, but Charley was going to take it. Anything to avoid being laughed at.
![[Image: bZbZdaH.png]](https://i.imgur.com/bZbZdaH.png)