.
Tenten stretched out beneath their feet making Ayszel dizzy as she gazed down the steeply stretching streets. Ayszel tried to stare at the back of Oishi's head to keep her stomach down. "Do you tour often?" she asked. "Give tours often? Not too, Kalea is pretty isolated. I usually give Botany tours."
"Botany tours?" intrigued, Ayszels voice rose.
"Yes, I show people the gardens and introduce them to the native species." He explained, head wiggling with pride.
"Could you show me some the plants in this tour?"
"Uhm...I'm not sure if we have time. I have lots of places to show you so you can navigate Lhavit. Foreigners always find the levels of Lhavit difficult to learn. I'll show you some plants as we come across them though, and I can substitute the restaurants and bars, which people usually prefer, for the parks."
"Thank you," she bowed her head as they approached a small shop, "What's here?"
"Here, we get you some clothes." He opened the door for her and she stepped into the warmth. A furnace lay frothing and bubbling with flames that made even her perspire. Both her and Oishi immediately stripped off their outer layers to avoid the uncomfortable warmth.
"I'll wait here for you," He took a seat near the entrance twisting his toes in the familiar twitchiness of youth. He may mimic an adult well but he's still a kid, she chuckled to herself.
An elegant sleek woman approached her, her wide hips weaving between the stands that held the long sheets of fabric. She wore the traditional multi-layered dresses and drapes of most Lhavitian woman, although they were far more summery than the weather outside prescribed. In fact, the entire shop was a dazzle of summer, Ayszel realized. Tall pale rose and white vases held long tall flowers that spread the sweet scent of summer through the summery warm air. It was like being transported in time.
"Your shop is beautiful..." Ayszel murmured when the woman had drawn close enough.
"Thank you. I like to enjoy a little bit of summer everyday. Shall I get you some tea while we discuss your wardrobe? I don't like browsers, sticky little fingers all over my clothes. Besides, every woman desires a closet that speaks to whom she is, and people simply don't know what looks best on them." She explained quickly, wasting no time.
"U-uh...yes, that would be...good? lovely?" She murmured, "I don't know much about clothes," she conceded, having never worn clothes before this moment.
"Not many do,"
Ayszel took the proffered seat, an elegantly carved chair with a creamy pale embroidered fabric. Never had she seen such furniture. While she had grown up in the relative sparsity of Zinrah they had loved extravagance. Though fabrics weren't practical in the jungle humidity they had still managed to embrace the elegance through intricate and elaborate jewelry.
"So, where are you from?"
"Is it obvious...that obvious...I am foreign?"
"Haha, if your lack of competency in common weren't indication enough, your accent would give you away." She chuckled, her laugh high pitched and sharp like bells. Ayszel lingered on her more carefully this time, she carried herself like the queens of Zinrah, with as much pomp and circumstance.
"I am Myrian, I am from the jungle." She lied, sinking into her new identity. "My name is Litka of the Blooded Fangs."
"Well Litka, you will probably be most comfortable in some greens...maybe some olives and browns like some terra cotta and sorrel...hmm" she tapped her chin delicately with her long painted nails. "But you would look marvelous in some golds, butter and tuscan sun." As she spoke she began ruffling through some clothes.
"You can go in there and undress my dear, I'll bring you clothes one at a time and we can see what cut looks best. You have a very thick athletic build so we have to be careful to put you in something that will accentuate your femininity." She decided, thinking aloud to herself.
"Thank you," Ayszel flushed at the compliment and received a puzzled expression in reply.
"Right...Myrian..." she whispered as she disappeared into the forest of clothes. Ayszel slipped into the curtained changing room. Inside were three full length mirrors and a plush lounge loveseat against one wall. She suddenly felt grungy and filthy as she shed the rough layers, laying them across the much finer fabric of the loveseat.
The woman reached an arm into the dressing room without peeking herself. "Here, try this first." her voice left no room for argument. Ayszel took the long light green gown from her fingers. It was made of several light layers of increasing transparency and lightness of colour. The layers were clipped together on the hanger from the underneath and as they moved up the layers lay over the previous.
The first was a rich basil green that buttoned along the right side of her ribcage making her wince as the fabric pressed against her wound. Fortunately, the wound was crusted over with clotted blood and grass keeping her from beginning to bleed again. The next layer was a lighter billowing light green draped only over one shoulder and flowing down much lower than the last. The final layer was like gossamer in its lightness and was as pale as a fern.
"Come out my dear, come out." She ushered. Ayszel moved out, feeling both regal and delightfully unimpaired by the fabric.
"As I suspected, you look delightful in that shade of green. A great winter outfit, we'll have to get you some matching gloves, and a hat, and a jacket and some stockings and shoes..."
"I'm sorry miss, but this looks like it's getting rather expensive..."
"Well yes, but if you plan on staying in Lhavit and getting a job you'll have to look the part. What better way to look capable than to dress the part. Besides, what else do you need your Kina for? Pamper yourself my dear. After such a long journey in such arduous settings, you deserve to surround yourself with a little elegance," She persuaded. Ayszel found herself nodding along. Her power had been ripped away from her from when she had been forced from Zinrah by her best friend, she had had all the comforts of home stolen forever. Here was the promise of a little comfort, a little touch of community. Maybe this would make her whole.
She wouldn't realize, perhaps for years, what leaving home had done to her. What calling herself Litka had done to her sense of identity. What not being able to access her res was doing to her soul. What she did know, was what she yearned for again and the hope that this may be a portal to that sense of self. And so, she indulged. Over-indulged. She wrapped herself in the cocoons of fabric the woman promised and the many bangles and circlets she proffered and parted with her Kina as easily as if her hand were covered in oil.
Tenten stretched out beneath their feet making Ayszel dizzy as she gazed down the steeply stretching streets. Ayszel tried to stare at the back of Oishi's head to keep her stomach down. "Do you tour often?" she asked. "Give tours often? Not too, Kalea is pretty isolated. I usually give Botany tours."
"Botany tours?" intrigued, Ayszels voice rose.
"Yes, I show people the gardens and introduce them to the native species." He explained, head wiggling with pride.
"Could you show me some the plants in this tour?"
"Uhm...I'm not sure if we have time. I have lots of places to show you so you can navigate Lhavit. Foreigners always find the levels of Lhavit difficult to learn. I'll show you some plants as we come across them though, and I can substitute the restaurants and bars, which people usually prefer, for the parks."
"Thank you," she bowed her head as they approached a small shop, "What's here?"
"Here, we get you some clothes." He opened the door for her and she stepped into the warmth. A furnace lay frothing and bubbling with flames that made even her perspire. Both her and Oishi immediately stripped off their outer layers to avoid the uncomfortable warmth.
"I'll wait here for you," He took a seat near the entrance twisting his toes in the familiar twitchiness of youth. He may mimic an adult well but he's still a kid, she chuckled to herself.
An elegant sleek woman approached her, her wide hips weaving between the stands that held the long sheets of fabric. She wore the traditional multi-layered dresses and drapes of most Lhavitian woman, although they were far more summery than the weather outside prescribed. In fact, the entire shop was a dazzle of summer, Ayszel realized. Tall pale rose and white vases held long tall flowers that spread the sweet scent of summer through the summery warm air. It was like being transported in time.
"Your shop is beautiful..." Ayszel murmured when the woman had drawn close enough.
"Thank you. I like to enjoy a little bit of summer everyday. Shall I get you some tea while we discuss your wardrobe? I don't like browsers, sticky little fingers all over my clothes. Besides, every woman desires a closet that speaks to whom she is, and people simply don't know what looks best on them." She explained quickly, wasting no time.
"U-uh...yes, that would be...good? lovely?" She murmured, "I don't know much about clothes," she conceded, having never worn clothes before this moment.
"Not many do,"
Ayszel took the proffered seat, an elegantly carved chair with a creamy pale embroidered fabric. Never had she seen such furniture. While she had grown up in the relative sparsity of Zinrah they had loved extravagance. Though fabrics weren't practical in the jungle humidity they had still managed to embrace the elegance through intricate and elaborate jewelry.
"So, where are you from?"
"Is it obvious...that obvious...I am foreign?"
"Haha, if your lack of competency in common weren't indication enough, your accent would give you away." She chuckled, her laugh high pitched and sharp like bells. Ayszel lingered on her more carefully this time, she carried herself like the queens of Zinrah, with as much pomp and circumstance.
"I am Myrian, I am from the jungle." She lied, sinking into her new identity. "My name is Litka of the Blooded Fangs."
"Well Litka, you will probably be most comfortable in some greens...maybe some olives and browns like some terra cotta and sorrel...hmm" she tapped her chin delicately with her long painted nails. "But you would look marvelous in some golds, butter and tuscan sun." As she spoke she began ruffling through some clothes.
"You can go in there and undress my dear, I'll bring you clothes one at a time and we can see what cut looks best. You have a very thick athletic build so we have to be careful to put you in something that will accentuate your femininity." She decided, thinking aloud to herself.
"Thank you," Ayszel flushed at the compliment and received a puzzled expression in reply.
"Right...Myrian..." she whispered as she disappeared into the forest of clothes. Ayszel slipped into the curtained changing room. Inside were three full length mirrors and a plush lounge loveseat against one wall. She suddenly felt grungy and filthy as she shed the rough layers, laying them across the much finer fabric of the loveseat.
The woman reached an arm into the dressing room without peeking herself. "Here, try this first." her voice left no room for argument. Ayszel took the long light green gown from her fingers. It was made of several light layers of increasing transparency and lightness of colour. The layers were clipped together on the hanger from the underneath and as they moved up the layers lay over the previous.
The first was a rich basil green that buttoned along the right side of her ribcage making her wince as the fabric pressed against her wound. Fortunately, the wound was crusted over with clotted blood and grass keeping her from beginning to bleed again. The next layer was a lighter billowing light green draped only over one shoulder and flowing down much lower than the last. The final layer was like gossamer in its lightness and was as pale as a fern.
"Come out my dear, come out." She ushered. Ayszel moved out, feeling both regal and delightfully unimpaired by the fabric.
"As I suspected, you look delightful in that shade of green. A great winter outfit, we'll have to get you some matching gloves, and a hat, and a jacket and some stockings and shoes..."
"I'm sorry miss, but this looks like it's getting rather expensive..."
"Well yes, but if you plan on staying in Lhavit and getting a job you'll have to look the part. What better way to look capable than to dress the part. Besides, what else do you need your Kina for? Pamper yourself my dear. After such a long journey in such arduous settings, you deserve to surround yourself with a little elegance," She persuaded. Ayszel found herself nodding along. Her power had been ripped away from her from when she had been forced from Zinrah by her best friend, she had had all the comforts of home stolen forever. Here was the promise of a little comfort, a little touch of community. Maybe this would make her whole.
She wouldn't realize, perhaps for years, what leaving home had done to her. What calling herself Litka had done to her sense of identity. What not being able to access her res was doing to her soul. What she did know, was what she yearned for again and the hope that this may be a portal to that sense of self. And so, she indulged. Over-indulged. She wrapped herself in the cocoons of fabric the woman promised and the many bangles and circlets she proffered and parted with her Kina as easily as if her hand were covered in oil.
Sale Receipt :
Just to make that clear.
