Joy ride (part1): Stealing

messing 'round

Mohai keeps her piece just until they are over the threshold; she sweeps into his rooms uninvited totting her spear like she's off to war. Then stops abruptly, turns to face him. And James knows he's off his game; literally off balance. Too light, too sensitive; too whole and in too much shock to be on top of his game. But really, he should have noticed sooner. In the way she marched- not walked. Stared straight ahead the whole way. Whatever; damage control it is.

"Why don't you come in," James delivers half-mocking, half in reprimand as he closes the door. It at least gets him a pause and one corner of her mouth turning up, before it falls again with a sigh. Mohay falters: turns and twists; looks everywhere but at him. And it's so unlike her; unlike the warrior woman he got to know in these weeks that James feels obliged to help her out. "You are.. upset with me."

That gets a laugh out of her, at least. An almost hysterical sound that she cuts off by turning her back at him. Then, with a firmer grip on her spear, she turns to face him. "You and the Princess are close."

Is that what's upset her? James grunts at that. It is no secret. He has been nothing but honest in this regard. "She is an amazing woman. I am blessed she would take time to put me back together.." Pauzing, James reconsiders; studies the Dora. Heart-rate elevated; beating like a war-drum in his ear-thrumming and washing over him like a bass-beat. Tension in her every muscle; one in her jaw, working rhythmically to keep herself under control. She is beyond angry; no. She is raging to the point where Mohai; a competent and confident Dora warrior, doesn't know what to do with herself. "You and Shuri do not get along..?"

"What?!" Mohai seems distressed by the idea. Nearly throws her spear; though it doesn't get close to being aimed at him; and that's a welcome plus at this point. "No! She is my princess. I just," Mohai deflates. "I thought... you and me..?" shakes her head, "No. but, you are right. She is the princess. I won't get in the way. I can see Shuri feels for you.."

James swallows thinly, suddenly worried. Finally placing the source of her rage. He needs to tread carefully now. Deliberately, he moves from the door, pulls out one of the ornate chairs, and makes a show of sitting down leisurely. Sitting down will be better; he needs to de-escalate this, not challenge her further. And yet, and yet.. He hadn't realised. And now, James feels like an idiot for it. He should have seen this the moment Mohai walked into Shuri's lab. But, he'd been distracted.

He taps his metal hand on the table in a simple beat. Ignores his own heart in his throat and the sensations of wood-grain on his metal fingers. The balance, the temperature. All the things; ignores and asks: "would Shuri liking me make you feel threatened?"

Again, that nervous; near-hysterical laugh. It grates on his nerves: her manner. Her anger. Jealousy is such a nasty emotion. "Why, yes," she admits, readily. Still with that hint of righteous fury. "I would feel.. threatened" Mohai pushes the word, like it's not quite fitting, "..if you and the Princess got into a relationship."

James pouts his lips into a silent "o". All the too-much of his feelings fall away as he finally knows what he needs to do: how he can stop her trail of thought. Turn that anger; that rage away from himself. Deflect it. Disarm it. He knows the way. "Mohai..." he chides, "what, I'm going to go and date the Wakandan Princess?" James looks her in the eye, reprimanding her with a frown. "What? Woo her and court her? Buy her a ring and ask the King of Wakanda her hand in marriage?"

Mohai blinks. Hesitates, then asks more than claims. "Our royal family would accept you if that is what Shuri wishes. And she has already accepted you.."

"Okay." James allows his voice to raise, just ever so slightly. "Should I, what? -ask her to abdicate from succession? Or would you have her produce little half-breeds with the most fucking famous Nazi collaborater in known history?" -Mohai hisses, spits out half a syllable before he cuts her off hard: "also not going to happen by the way. No fucking pitter patter of feet in that future.."