Geranium

Cupcakes.

That was what Geranium loved more than anything else in the world: Cupcakes.

Rich, perfectly moist cake, still warm from the oven. Buttery-sweet frosting swirled in delicious and delicate patterns.

Heaven.

Cupcakes had been her favourite food for as long as she could remember. Each bite was pure, sugary bliss. She could eat half a dozen in a sitting, easily - which was especially impressive given how small of a dragon she was. There was no way her little Veilspun belly should have been able to fit that much in it - but for cupcakes, Geranium somehow found a way.

Just eating them wasn't enough for her, though.

No, Geranium had one goal in life:

To eat as many cupcakes as possible
To be a cupcake baker.

Unfortunately, she struggled to find an apprenticeship. Most bakeries in Sornieth made baked goods sized to the larger dragon breeds - which meant the average cupcake was about half a Geranium in size. Bakers looked at the little Veilspun and wondered how she could ever lift a measuring cup - let alone mix the batter!

Shop after shop politely turned her away. She rarely got an interview - and never a callback.

But Geranium remained undaunted. Her spirit was as vibrant as the colours of her hide. She knew what she was meant to do - and she refused to give up.

She was going to be the best cupcake baker EVER.

Since no bakery would hire her, Geranium decided on the obvious solution:
She opened her own bakery.

Did she have any experience? No.
Could she afford to hire help? No.
Did she have the first clue what she was doing? No.
But by golly, she was going to do it!

Tiny arms strained and wings beat furiously as she carried her ingredients to the counter. Eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla, milk...she arranged each carefully.

It took all of her effort to lift the final necessary piece: a cookbook FULL of cupcake recipes. It was her prized possession. Geranium had spent countless nights poring over its recipes for different batters and frostings, drooling all the while. One day, she planned to make them all.

Muffin tins? Check.
Measuring spoons? Check.
Whisk? Check.
Mixing bowl? HEAVY, but check!

Geranium panted heavily, already sweating from the exertion.

But this was IT. This was her MOMENT.

She could do this.

She pulled her long hair back, and bound it in a messy bun.

It was time to bake CUPCAKES.

All through the night she worked. Measuring cups almost as large as the Veilspun herself heaped sugar into the bowl. She carefully sifted flour and poured vanilla. Wings vibrating as quick as a hummingbird's, she flew in circles around the bowl, dragging the whisk to and fro.

She tasted the batter - and tasted it again.

Perfect.

Decorative paper wrappers lined the trays. For a moment the exhausted Veilspun was tempted to curl up in one for a nap. It was the perfect size for a bed...

But there was no time to rest.
There were cupcakes to be made.

She doled out batter and slid the trays into the oven. The main task complete, she got to work whisking powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla into a thick and creamy frosting.

Soon the most heavenly smell began to fill the kitchen. Geranium's stomach rumbled.

It took all of her willpower to let the cupcakes cool when she pulled them out of the oven. The smell was DIVINE.

At last they were cool enough to frost. She was generous with the frosting, giving each cupcake a hefty dollop. She used her long, thin tail to smooth the thick mixture over the surface.

And then it was time for the finishing touch. The pièce de résistance:

Candied petals, plucked from her own branches. Perfectly pink, crystallized with sugar, and so fine that they melted in your mouth-

(She knew. She had taste tested them thoroughly.)

Geranium practically vibrated with excitement. The cupcakes looked SO GOOD!! Perfectly decorated, beautifully presented...

She ate every last one.

And they. were. DELICIOUS!!!

One day she would open her bakery fully, and bake cupcakes for other dragons. But for right now? The cupcakes were for her.

Full and satisfied, Geranium curled up beside the still-warm oven. A smudge of flour decorated her cheek. There was frosting on her nose. The kitchen was a mess. Her belly was distended. But her heart was as full of joy as her stomach was of cupcakes.

And as she drifted off into a well-earned sleep, she smiled.

She couldn't wait to try a new flavour tomorrow.