Solo Shopping!

[Rosela]

Timestamp: 8th of Spring, 513AV

Rosela’s day off had come again, and for the first time in a very long time, she stayed in bed for a moment after she awoke. Through the window, the spring sun painted the sky ginger and pink with its slow ascent. Stretching widely in the small bed, she stared up at the candy clouds through squinted eyes as her back and shoulders popped. It was going to be a very, very good day, and she knew exactly why.

She was going shopping.

Not shopping for bread and cheese, or new fabric for the shop, but real shopping, and all for her. Rolling up into a sitting position, she grabbed her chest key from its hiding place in the window sill, and crawled to the end of the squeaking bed. A moment of upside-down fiddling with the lock, and she pulled open the lid. Shadows shuffled away from the intruding light, but remained silent – as the shadows of her home often did. She wasn’t sure if these were naturally quiet ones, or they simply didn’t want to speak to her. Her miza purse was hidden at the bottom of the chest, and after some sifting amongst her clothes, she pulled it out and bumped the lid shut again.

It seemed naughty, somehow, to look at all her mizas at once, and she curled the blankets around her body as she shuffled back into the corner with the heavy canvas purse. Biting her lip, she slowly opened the purse to the light. The gold-rimmed gems reflected the sunlight onto her face and hair, and she swirled a finger along the top of the pile. All hers. Not her family’s, not the shop’s, hers. Her eyes lifted reluctantly from the pile, to meander over the plain room, over the small bed’s posts, to the tiny hearth, the rough wooden table and chair, and the dingy windows. The only glimmer of happiness beyond the purse in her lap were her winter clothes, draped over the chair for the day. A stylish as it was, it was getting too warm, and she’d go back to a dress soon. She’d planned on the plain linen dress she’d arrived in Riverfall in, but now – her eyes were drawn back to the purse in her lap – she didn’t have to go back to that, couldn’t.

Though unhappy to put the purse away, she couldn’t stay in bed with it all day, and eventually got up, stretched formally, and got dressed, though leaving off any jewelry for the day. Her neck felt naked without something on it, but it was a necessary measure.

She had several stops to fit into the day, and she needed to plan it out if she was going to get it all in. Now that she’d cleared a day for herself, she wouldn’t have time to do it next time her day off came around. She’d need to go by the shop, to whip up her spring outfit, stop by Beautiful Things and Artfire Glassworks…And somewhere that sold furniture. There was a stall in Zhongjie, but she’d never bothered to look much into it. What was furniture when there were clothes and jewels to buy? As excited as she was to buy new things, it pained her to pull out a full third of her savings into her day purse. As she scooped them, being sure to drop not a one, she tried to distract herself with thoughts of the day ahead.

The shop was first, because the rest of the day would obviously go better if she were in a new outfit. Then, Beautiful Things, for the same reason. Artfire after that, since it’d take time to deliver; and lastly the furniture place. She hadn’t seen Azvan in quite a while, and it’d be a nice break in the day on to see a cute face.

Hiding her savings purse away again, she re-hid the key, and took a deep breath before stepping out the door.

[Rosela]

The walk to her shop was quick and dull, as it was a daily view. It was an unusually warm day, further encouraging her to lose her winter clothing as soon as possible. The streets were unusually empty, but she felt noticeable, in an uncomfortable way. She was in last season’s fashions, and had been for several days. While she may have felt the temperature deserved it, it was clear she was the only one who hadn’t immediately shed her wool.

She reached the shop at a fast pace, suddenly desperate to hide away. The shadow under her desk was quick to pipe up as she reached under for her accessories box.

“Today’s your day off. Can’t go a day without seeing your pretty clothes?”

“I have things to do,” She replied absently, sifting through the box for a particular buckle. “I’m making spring clothes. For myself.”

“Finally tired of walking around in last season’s fashions?” Despite the validity of the criticism, she knew it was just mocking her. The shadows, this one in particular, rarely cared about fashion, unless it was to reference something she was working on at the moment.

Finding the buckle she was looking for, she retreated to the friendlier back room without further comment.

It was stuffy in the back, and she immediately crossed the room to pry open the single, high window.

“Isn’t today your day off?” The shadow behind the boxes of winter clothes inquired disinterestedly.

“I’m making an outfit for myself.”

Question answered, they fell silent, and she felt them watching her as she went through her fabric and pulled out the bolt of off-white cotton. She had the vague notion of the design in her head, but she’d still need to draw it out. Her plan was something simple and elegant, with a focus on making the whole package look good, instead of just the clothing. It was a direction she wanted to take her whole women’s line in, after her revolutionary change in her menswear.

Heaving the bolt down on her worktable, she sat down and pulled out a piece of paper, immediately sketching out a female figure. The action had become so routine that she had to add her extra arms in as an afterthought. The pieces came together one at a time: long lines became the folds in the front of the dress, with an ankle-length hemline. Lines at the shoulders made the dress sleeveless. A line under the bust gave it an empire waist, particularly flattering on her hips. The neckline started out as a turtle neck, then erased and became a v-neck, then drew all the way down to the empire waist in a halter style.

One hand absently slid over the skin at the back of her neck, the crescent moon that had illuminated the shadows and let her eyes see their life. She made a small note to the side that the back of the neckline shouldn’t go up too far.

She added a few lines around the waistline and the bust, further indicating the fall of the fabric, and grabbed her red pencil. Red and white were her best colors, and they’d both be present in the dress. She sketched out various widths of a belt on the figure, settling on a medium to thin width, and added the buckle she’d picked out with a careless flourish. The buckle was made up of two intertwined rings, one of gold-painted metal, and the other of metal-backed red glass.

Putting down the pencil, she looked over the drawing with a critical eye.

“A bit plainer than what you usually sell,” the corner shadow commented, though not harshly.

“I know. Trying a new direction here.”

[Rosela]

Putting the design aside, she gathered up the cotton and pinned it to her cutting board, quickly snipping out the four pieces for the dress: two for the skirt, two for the top. The two for the top were set aside as she tackled the easiest part first, the skirt. After pinning, she threaded two needles, and set whipstitches up the two sides, consciously slowing her right hand down to match stitch for stitch with her left. Knotting the two sides, she bit off the thread, and quickly pinned the hem up, running a single-handed herringbone stitch along it when she was done. Two hands swiftly pulled away the pins as she went, and popped them back in her pincushion.

When the skirt was done, she snapped it inside out and check it visually against her body for the length. She knew her own measurements by now, but it was always good to make sure. It looked right, and she folded it up to place to the side. The top would be a bit more difficult, though only comparatively.

Pinning the two pieces together, she ran single handed backstitches along the side seams, not bothering to work with both hands on such short lengths. The front of the shoulder pieces got basting stitches each, before she realized she didn’t want ruffles quite that big. It’d make the whole top look billowy, and take all the shape out of her fantastic bust. Quickly pulling the stitches out, she redid them as running stitches, and bunched up the fabric on each side, knotting off the thread when she was done. Carefully pinning the top of the fabric to their respective sides of the shoulder pieces, hiding the line of running stitches, she fussed with the ruffles for a moment to make sure they laid right. A series of very careful back stitches secured them in place, slipping the needle through with slow precision to maintain the line.

Once each side was done, she flipped it right side out to check the size. It looked good, and she reversed both the top and the skirt and ran a slow running stitch across the bottom of the top’s front, making discreet ruffles under the bust. Careful pinning and backstitches secured the top to the skirt, and as soon as she knotted off the thread, she glanced at the window to see the sun. The morning was gone, but the afternoon was still early. She hadn’t lost too much time. Small herringbone stitches lined the armsaye and around the halter top. A final look-though to snip off stray threads, and it was done.

[Rosela]

Arching her back until it popped, she eyed she shadowed corner suspiciously. “You’re quiet today.”

“You looked busy.”

The show of consideration surprised her, and Rosela’s eyebrows rose briefly. “Well…thank you. What do you think?”

“It needs the belt.”

She twisted a smile and as she reached for the hem of her own shirt, she hesitated. It was easy to dress and undress at home, where the shadows kept to themselves. But here, where she conversed with, possibly even befriended, the resident shadows?

“Umm…Don’t look.” She grabbed her shirt indicatively.

“You’re kidding, right?” The tone was derisive and flat, and Rosela forced herself to dismiss her concerns. Still, she turned away from the table as she undressed, trying not to think about the rest of the shadows in the room.

Once the new dress was on, releasing a flush a cool air to her legs that weren’t covered by her boots, she grabbed a red fabric belt from the belt rack and wrapped it around her ribs, covering the empire waistline in the dress. She ran a few backstitches to attach it to the buckle, and secured it, the last part of her outfit. There were no mirrors in the back, so she posed dramatically for the shadows. “What do you think?”

There were various noises of mild interest from the corners of the room, and a thoughtful hum from the corner of her desk. “The belt makes it,” it concluded finally, to agreement from the rest of the room.

Sighing deeply, Rosela moved to straighten up her workspace, folding her winter clothes into a pile to be taken home later. “Well, I’m off to make it better, I’ll have you know.”

She exited the room with a flourish of her hand, hearing a derisive, “Good luck,” from under the front table as she approached. Deciding not to respond, she dropped 2 gold mizas and 8 silver into the till, and promptly left.

[Rosela]

The air suddenly had a slight chill to it, now that she was devoid of wool, but she forced herself to stave the shivers off and keep moving. Beautiful Things wasn’t far, and it was likely going to be her favorite part of the day. The small, columned building rose up from the hill like a brick sun, and she slipped inside after only a moment’s hesitation.

The room seemed to be even brighter than outside, and everywhere she looked, gems and precious metals sparkled. She belatedly noticed a massive Akalak next to the door, sparing her a glance before returning to his book. There was a bespectacled Akalak behind the counter, thinner than she usually saw, but deep in concentration over a sparkling tiara he turned over in his hands. Moving into the nearly silent room, she passed a large, black howlwing lounging on a display case, and another cleaning itself next to a small rack of embossed belts. Even the shadows of the place seemed richer, flickering behind jeweled necklaces and racks of rings. A single word in Makath reached her ears:

“Plain…”

“Ah yes, can I help you?” The man startled her out of her observations, Sumithal, if the reputation was correct, and she looked up with a polite smile. Her amazement wasn’t supposed to give her away. She was not a pauper come in to buy trinkets she could finally afford; she was a lady with expensive tastes, and the mizas to back them up.

“I need six matching gold bangles.” The superior tone came back to her easily, though it felt odd to speak it in Common. Arumenic was so much more beautiful for such things.

“Six?” He eyed her arms with interest, an action Rosela had become far too accustomed to in Riverfall. “Of course. This is our bracelet section.” He extended a long-fingered hand and moved from behind the counter to the left, where bracelets of various size and shape were hung from an assortment of polished branches. “I admit, I don’t have six matches of all of these, but I can make a set for you, if you find one you like.” He struck her as very excited, and Roesla wondered if it was what she looked like when about to make a large sale.

“How long would that take? To make the rest of the set.” She lazily picked up a chain bracelet she wasn’t interested in to inspect it. The quality was quite good, but she hid the thought from her face.

“It depends on the item, but no more than a day or two.”

Rosela hummed in slight disappointment. “I have a meeting tomorrow… I was really hoping to have my new jewelry by then. An important client, you understand.” Putting down the bracelet, she gave him a sympathetic look. She had no such meeting, but she had no intention of waiting an entire day to get what she paid for.

“I suppose…I could rearrange some things this evening. It really depends on the bracelet though.”

“Thank you dear, you’re a peach.” She allowed a moment of awkward silence as she continued to peruse the shelf, before one caught her eye. It was a thin gold bangle with intricate designs all the way around, with silver insets throughout.

Sumithal drew in a quiet breath. “Now that one I do have a full set of, very lovely piece. Pure gold, with silver accents.” He hesitated for a moment. Rosela recognized the tone and congratulated herself when his next breath was the price. “25 gold mizas. Each.”

[Rosela]

Rosela had known when she walked in that she wouldn’t be able to get gemstones, but she still balked at having to settle for plain gold. The wealthy didn’t have to settle for less. There was no getting around it though, she simply could not afford real rubies on six bracelets. Sumithal didn’t have to know that though. “I like it,” she said simply. “I’ll take the set. I’ll probably have rubies set in them at some point; how much would that be?”

“…Ah, it’s… 750 gold mizas.”

Putting a hand on her hip, Rosela gave him a pouting look. “No discount for the whole set?”

He touched his glasses briefly, and she was happy to see his hand tremble lightly. A deeper part of her brain sympathized – she’d likely go into hysterics if someone walked in and implied spending 750gm at her store. “Well, since it is a large order, and I could do them all at once…I could give you a little discount. 50 mizas off?”

“That sounds lovely. I’d like to wear them right away, if that’s okay. I left all my jewelry home since I knew I’d be coming here.” Granted, all her jewelry consisted of a copper torc and a cheap necklace of cut glass she got at Zhongjie. The thought struck her that she wouldn’t be able to wear those cheap things with such charming bangles, and her gaze inadvertently slipped to the necklaces in the glass counter behind him.

Whether he caught the slip or not, he sucked in a breath through his teeth, and raised his finger to her, as though she’d given him an idea. “Might I possibly tempt you further? I made the loveliest piece yesterday, and I know it’ll look great with those bracelets. I haven’t even put it out yet-” Before she could respond, he disappeared behind the counter, and was unlocking the case. “Unique of course, no one’s even seen it-” She could tell he was trying to impress her, and it was working, and she moved to the other side of the glass counter as he unwrapped the box.

Rosela forgot herself as he opened it, and her astonishment stood plain on her face. Rubies, real ones, glittered in the light, surrounded by gold and a couple gems too white to be diamonds. Rubies and curved gold were set along the front of the necklace, like beautiful leaves interspersed with just a few of the white gems. A large, gorgeous teardrop ruby hung from the center.

A single fingertip reached out to tap against the largest ruby. The sound seem amplified in the quiet room.

“Ruby and white topaz, set in gold.” Sumithal’s voice was hushed, as if reluctant to disturb her perusal.

“How much?” Rosela was surprised to find her voice breathy and quiet.

“330 gold mizas.” There was no hesitation in his voice this time, and Rosela knew that he could see the sale written in her face. It was far, far more than she’d planned to spend in the store, but seeing it… she couldn’t resist.

“I’ll take it.”

[Rosela]

The metal was cool against her skin as she stepped outside, and Rosela forced her fingers away from the gemstones at her neck. It seemed so painfully long since she’d worn real rubies, as though they were from another life. The bangles were adorable in their own right, but rubies were the real prize. It gave her a sense of power while walking down the street, running a hand through her hair as flyaway strands danced in the breeze, skirt swishing and rippling around her legs with each stride. For the first time since arriving in Riverfall, she was wealthy, and anyone looking at her would know it.

Artfire Glassworks was on the other end of town, and she relished the looks she got as she walked. A trio of Akalaks, possibly from the Kuvay’nas, paused their conversation as she strode by. Casually tossing her hair, she pretended to notice them just as she passed, and bit her lip as she offered a shy smile. Identical goofy grins dawned on all three faces just as she rounded the corner and out of sight.

The sun caught the glasswork in the windows of Artfire, and she understood where it got its name from. The displays seemed to be lit from within as the sun caught the various vases, dinnerware, and sculpture and reflected the light back in a vivid rainbow of color. There was movement inside, beyond the display, and Rosela looked through the shadows to see Azvan wrapping up what appeared to be a set of plates.

Pushing through the door, the room seemed momentarily dark as her eyes adjusted to the lack of sunlight. As usual, candles were lit throughout the room, and the sunlight entered through the side windows, giving the interior its own shine. Even the shadows seemed weaker here, fluttering down at the bases of stands and tables, leaving the eye to be dazzled by the light.

“Well, well, well! Haven’t seen you in here for a while.” Azvan grinned as he looked up from the wrappings, now showing themselves to be a glasswear set of swirled blue. “Come for another candelabra?”

Rosela gave him a sly look. “Nothing so elaborate this time. Just looking for another mirror. Five feet by two.”

“Did one in the shop break?” His concern was evident, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned into the side of the counter.

“No, no, they’re fine. This one’s for home.”

“Home?” Rubbing his stubble, he gave her a long, appreciative look. “Sounds good to me. Said it before, and it gets truer everyday: fine as you are, I’d want to look at myself too.”

“Flatterer.” Sauntering over to the counter, Rosela placed four hands on it and leaned forward, intimately close. The new low neckline on her dress showed off her bust wonderfully. “I got a mirror down in Zhongjie, back when I first got into the city, but wouldn’t you know it, it’s warped.” Her bottom lip pouted out and she looked away, playing with the lie. She’d been using one of her windows for a mirror all this time. It wasn’t useful for much except doing her makeup, so a proper one was high on the list.

“Warped? Petching hacks…” He seemed honestly irritated, and looked away briefly. “Ahem, ah, pardon my language. How about I set you up with something that’ll show you the real curves. None of my mirrors will warp on you, lifetime guarantee.”

“Aren’t you a doll. Still 10gm?”

“Make it 8. For a return customer.”

“Mm, I’ll have to stop in more often.”

“So wish you would.”

“In that case…” Rosela side stepped to the case next to the counter, containing an array of perfume bottles. One in particular had caught her eye, and reminded her of the weak perfume she’d made and never used, currently residing in her soapdish at home. “How much for one of these little lovelies?”

“Just a single gold miza.”

Gently reaching up, she plucked a green bottle from the shelf, smiling softly as the sun slid across its textured surface. It was teardrop shaped, with the glass formed into the shape of leaves. The cap was an intricately formed red flower. The shape was familiar, similar to one of the flowers she’d used in her perfume.

“This one.”

[Rosela]

Money exchanged hands and Rosela was back out the door with a promise from Azvan to deliver the mirror and bottle to her house when the store closed. It was past lunchtime already, and Rosela swung by Zhongjie, now bustling with lunch hour shoppers, to pick up a snack. The crowd around the fruit stand was shifting and chaotic, and after squirming her way to the front, did her best to make eye contact with the frenzied shopkeep. A few moments was all it took, and once they made eye contact, it stayed, and she squirmed her way back out with a bag of dried cherries.

Popping them slowly into her mouth as she meandered the stalls, she saw a familiar face leading a group of grubby children in and out of the crowd. She paused, and the next time Soren led his little group near her, they noticed her as well. In a moment they were in front of her, vibrating with energy like a small colony of bees.

“Need us to find anything for you today, Miss?” Soren puffed his chest out, standing firmly at the head of the pack.

“Another man-kin?” One of the skinnier boys piped up from the back.

“Thassa preddy necklace!” Another voice proclaimed with the air of a practiced line.

The notion to send them out for her various things crossed her mind. The sensation was akin to having a small herd of impressionable servants at her call. “Thank you, but nothing today, boys.” She was enjoying her shopping, now that she wasn’t on a tight budget, and didn’t mind spending the day there. Their faces fell, and Rosela sighed, popping another cherry into her mouth. Handing the rest of the bag to Soren, though there wasn’t much left, she nodded briefly to the rest of the boys. “Cherries, for being sweet. Be sure to share.”

The rest crowded in, peering into the bag, and almost drowned out Soren’s thanks. A pudgy boy on the side intoned, “I don’t like cherries…” and Rosela breezily ignored this, as well as his yelps of pain as the others punched his shoulders from various angles. She moved back into the crowd, leaving her little hive of minions to distribute the cherries amongst themselves.

[Rosela]

She was coming up on the end of her shopping trip, but made an impromptu side trip to the cosmetics stand she’d visited during the Beauty Fest and bought a better makeup kit. The one she had was running out, and rather than replenish one that limited her, she got a kit with fine, rare colors, closer to what she’d owned in Ahnatep.

At last, she came upon the furniture stall. It was more of a large tent than a formal stall, and various woodworked crafts were strategically placed throughout. To one side, a large bed took up a good amount of room. The proprietor was busy with an Akontak woman, haggling over the price of a table from the sound of it. While he was busy, Rosela circled the bed like a bird looking to land, running her fingers over the smooth wood. Two hands tested the mattress and found it soft and springy. It was firmer than the poor mattress she had at home, and she suddenly longed to sprawl out on it right there.

Just as she sat down on the edge, feeling the cushion of the stuffing cradle her rear, the proprietor bustled over, violet hands clasped excitedly. “Welcome, I see you have discerning taste. Interested in a new bed, are we?”

Rosela leaned back slowly and crossed her legs. “You bet. How much for this one?”

She was delighted to see him swallow slowly, but his posture remained professional. “Ah, 40gm. For the frame and mattress.”

“It doesn’t come with sheets?”

“I’m afraid not. We do have a selection of bedsheets specifically made for this bed-”

He attempted to lead her to a shelf stacked with sheet sets, but she remained on the bed. “Can I get a trade in on my old bed?” She tilted her head, pouting sweetly.

“I’m-I’m afraid not. We do offer free haul-away service-”

It was time to change tactics, and Rosela slid off the bed to touch the stack of sheets with a disinterested hand. “How about this.” She discreetly spotted the rolls of rugs on the other side of the tent, being careful to hide her interest this time. “I’ll take the bed, and instead of going to that stall up the way – I’m sure you know the one – for a new rug, I’ll buy that rug here, if you throw in the sheets.” She hadn’t intended on buying the rug from the smaller stall, as the prices may have been cheaper, but the quality was equally poor, but she was betting her mizas he didn’t like the competition.

He was clearly thinking it over, hand scratching absently at his prominent chin. “Those rugs they make up there, cheap, cheap, cheap.” He gave her a conspiratorial look and wagged his finger at her. “And I think you know good quality when you see it. Tell you what. Any rug over 20 gold mizas, and the sheets are yours.”

It was likely the best she was going to get, so she offered a wink in return. “Deal.”

[Rosela]

“No, not that one… Let me see the purple one again.”

Two Akalaks tiredly rolled the rug up and unrolled another, this one with purple, blue, and red designs. The proprietor was busy with another customer, and had assigned his two sons to help her pick a rug. Rosela had every intention of getting her miza’s worth out of the strapping young men.

Rug spread out, she put a hand under her chin and admired it. The sheets had been easy to pick, since she’d known exactly what she wanted before walking in. The rug was proving to be a bit more difficult. They’d shown her four so far, and the purple was her favorite, even though it was a full 10 gold mizas above the limit to get the sheets.

“You know what? I do like this one. I’ll take it.” Cold floors would be no more, and the plush fibers made her want to squeeze her toes in it already.

“Oh good, so…30gm?” One squinted at the tag on the back and showed it to his brother who nodded.

“Sounds good!” Rosela announced brightly at the pair of them, and their father, who now seemed to have been waiting to pounce, appeared at her side.

“Fantastic. So, 40gm for the bed, 30gm for the rug, and we’ll just throw those sheets in there for free.”

“I don’t suppose I could bargain for a delivery.”

“On the house.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and gestured to his two sons. “Arkex, Mejax, load it up with the bed and go get the palettes from the back.” He turned back to her, face instantly curious. “Too bad your…husband can’t come pick your things…?”

He was blatantly fishing, but Rosela decided to throw him a bone for giving her a good deal. “Oh, no, no, I’m not married.”

The sons’ reappearance from the back of the tent coincided with their father’s grin widening just a little more. “Such a shame, pretty girl like yourself! Feel free to keep these knuckleheads when they’re done, they’re no use around the shop! I’m sure you need things done around the house, no man around and all…”

Rosela gave a politely embarrassed laugh, covering her mouth with the back of a hand. The two sons gave each other a knowing look, but didn’t comment.