Closed Weaver Weaving

[Rosela]

Timestamp: Evening, 1st of Winter, 51AV

”Yes, there-careful!”

One of the pair of Akalaks holding the contraption grunted as he slid his hand out from underneath it. The other released his hold as well and the wooden frame hit the floor with a final clatter. Rosela cringed, but the structure held. It seemed sturdy, but she knew next to nothing about it or even how it worked. Minous at Cavern Creations had offered to explain it to her, but she'd been in a hurry at the time.

The Akalaks stood back and looked at her expectantly, brushing their hands.

”Ahem, ah, thank you. That’ll be all.”

They nodded silently to her and left, all business. Once, a pair of handsome delivery men might have struck up a conversation with the nice, young shop woman, but not now. Under the rapidly darkening sky outside, Riverfall had become something different. Rosela had as well, but whether that was due to the same sickness as had invaded the city or the creature that had invaded her belly remained to be seen. She pressed a hand in unconscious fear to her swollen stomach.

Pulling herself from maudlin thoughts, she ran a hand through her hair and returned to the corner where her new loom stood, banked by a chair and a desk stacked with spools. Moving closer, she picked up a spool of black silk thread. It had cost her a pretty miza, coming all the way from Kalinor. Even the loom itself hadn’t cost so much. Still holding the spool, she ran another hand along the polished wood of the loom. It looked so ridiculously complex with various handles and doodads sticking out every which way.

However, her new hire should clear up all her confusion. Rosela wouldn’t make the same mistake she’d made with Orabelle – she’d pick up on what this newcomer was doing from the start. What was her name again? Saera, Seri, Sana… It didn’t matter. Malin had been clear on her qualifications, and Rosela was sure they’d get along famously.

Returning to the front of the shop, she leaned on the front desk and waited for her new hire to arrive.

[Sheaya]

The end of fall and beginning of the winter season had been the mark of a harsh new beginning and the closing of a long chapter. Sheaya had came to Riverfall with nothing but a few possessions on the back of her horse and the clothes on her back with little coin, something that the expensive cost of living in this city had quickly drained her of. She had to sell things from her traveling gear, her late husband's compass, and much to her despair she even had to sell the only living thing that had made it with her this far, her horse. It was a blessing in hiding as she knew losing him meant no longer having to pay for his stabling, but at the same time she had grown attached to the beast that it had been a hard experience. She swore to herself that once she was capable of doing so she would buy back Horse and keep him, a sort of vow to herself she would not dilly dally in this city any more and never let her coin purse grow so light again. To much relief the horse had kept her afloat to pay her debts and to keep her from being thrown out into the frozen cold, but her coin purse would soon empty again at any rate and she was in need of work. It had been hard not working for so long as she was so use to working with her hands, but at the same time she had found other ways to occupy her time which had felt necessary at the time, and she still wasn't comfortable here. She still felt very meek in these walls, almost unusually but she was in no frame of mind to ponder on that. Thankfully her request for work at the labor aid office had finally panned out and she found herself a now hired weaver, a work she was happy to return to although she was not sure if she would be working with much goat hair in this city walls considering she had been told she would be working for a shop that specialized in clothing. Bundled up in her shawl and her blanket wrapped around her for another layer of protection against the cold she hurried out to the streets, keeping her head down and her appearance small as she hurried to the location she had been told to report. Thankfully her season here had acquainted her so much better with this city that finding her way had been no issue. Like most things in this city the outside did nothing for her; it felt as bland as everything save for the gardens did as she had never found the architecture of this place appealing but perhaps that was homesickness speaking. By the time she entered the shop and dusted herself off of any clinging snow she already had lost feeling in her toes and nose. This was something she was learning quickly she would just have to get use to, but it made her question if she would be able to stand this place for the rest of the season without dying of cold rather dramatically. Inside the shop was very welcoming with shelves and racks with colors and textures of fabric which would bring a smile to some faces, but for Sheaya what she was most relieved for was the warmth she felt. To her relief it was warm in here and she knew she would thaw out eventually here; that was if she wasn't made to work in a shack outside somewhere. She was so relieved by the warmth of the shop that she entirely forgot she should be looking for her new employer, entirely missing the sight of the desk out of the corner of her eye. "Thanks be to Yahal..." she sighed out loud to herself as she lowered her shawl from her hair and took a few more steps into the shop. She started glancing around the place, taking in the subtle beauty of the place; mostly the clothes as she knew she needed to replace her threadbare attire for something warmer and more fitting for this city. Perhaps that would be what she would save up for first as she would enjoy to feel warmer without having to carry a blanket around her all the time. After glancing at the clothes it was then she reminded herself she came here for business, It was only then that she glanced around for where the desk was to find she was about to pass it entirely in favor for heading to the back of the shop. She had no time to act embarrassed over this, for as she started to the desk she was unable to miss the clearly racial identification of the woman. Benachag, this woman was none other then an Eypharian! Though it had never effected her personally, Shea had grown up hearing the stories of what the Eypharians had done to her people. The elders of her tents had always been able to strike fear in the hearts of young and old with the stories of what the Benshira race had gone through in their years of slavery, and when she had been made to travel near their city she had always had a fearfulness of them as a child. She gripped her blanket tighter as she drew her breath, stilling her racing heart before she approached the desk as she ordered herself mentally to stand tall and face this woman head on. They were grown women and she needed this job. Working with an Eypharian was not as bad as the absurd things her brain was coming up with was making it seem. She would just have to pray to her god that her logic was dictating right and that she would have nothing to fear from this woman. Approaching the desk slowly she just tried to focus on her prayer and the soft ringing of her anklet, letting it sooth her nerves. "Hello? I am looking for my employer Rosela?" She spoke in her clearest common she could, but despite her best try her accent still lingered, especially on the light 'S' sound in the name which just sounded so heavy when she said it. "I am Shaya; I am new weaver that starts today. I will make pretty fabric to use." She spoke with the utmost confidence in herself, shortening her name as she knew that most people here had only reacted in confusion to the long version which spoke of her family.

[Rosela]

Rosela twirled a pencil between her fingers, staring down at the design she’d picked up to pass the chimes waiting. It was a woman’s dress, due to be part of her maternity line, but there was something slightly off about it… Was the waist off? Was the bottom hem too short? Two pairs of arms crossed in a huff, one over her belly, one resting under, and she tapped the paper in her hand with the pencil. What was missing… Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed her new hire walking through the doors.

She was so used to the sound of the front door opening that it was in fact a tinkling noise that got her attention first. Lifting her head with a blink, she took in the young woman walking towards her, anklet jingling with each step. As soon as Rosela saw her face and heard her accented introduction, something stirred in her belly that wasn’t the child. The weaver, Shaeya, was Benshiran. It bothered her somehow, in a way that reminded her of Old Rosela, the woman she was before her…condition. She couldn't remember - why did she not like them?

”Yes, I am Rosela, the Clothier. Welcome to my store.” Deciding to investigate it later, she put the design page down on the desk behind her and moved forward, hand extended in greeting. She’d long since become familiar with the human manner of greeting and hoped Sheaya, even if her Common wasn’t very good, knew it. Rosela’s own Common still failed her from time to time, despite being required to speak it every day since arriving in the city.

Sheaya’s confidence in her skills was inspiring, and despite the remnants of that uncomfortable feeling still twisting inside her, Rosela trusted this would turn out for the best. ”Thank you for coming; follow me.” She led the way to the back room, moving between the aisles of clothing, past the fireplace and into the back room. It was darkened and lit only by the room’s own face of the fireplace. Akajia's mark allowed Rosela to see perfectly through the shadows and it did not occur to her that the room was in fact too dark. To the right of the door was her own work desk, strewn with sewing accoutrements and design pencils. Against the right wall, the new loom stood, with its chair, desk, and set of shelves for finished bolts. The spools were stacked neatly on the desk, so Sheaya could arrange them in the drawers how she wished.

Clasping four hands demurely as she spun to a stop next to the loom, she set the other two on the polished frame. ”Here it is, brand new. Just delivered today.” Shifting to the side, she also indicated the spools, arranged in six rows. ”And some thread to get started. We’ll order more as you run out. We have…” She paused to think, trying to remember the types she’d bought. She’d been more concerned about getting a variety than too much of any particular kind. She knew the linen easily, but began picking up the various types of wool yarn to swipe her thumb across it and gauge the quality. ”There’s linen; this is the – what do they call it – normal wool? Medium? Here's fine and superfine wool, and then satin and silk.” Returning the spools to their sets, she looked back up at Sheaya. ”You can weave all of these, correct?”

OOCI just this post added the shelf set, after realizing you’d need a place to put finished pieces. If you think of anything in the course of your job threads that you need, just let me know, either IC or OOC.