Closed ...But Does It Come In Black? (Rosela)

[Uopa]

The Forty-Third Day of the Spring Season, Five Hundred and Thirteen Years After the Valterrian

[Uopa]

Nearly half the season was over and Uopa was feeling... "Unaccomplished," she spat at Kanto as they lay, entwined, enjoying their last few moments of peace before the sun crested the horizon and Uopa's nephew, Javird, came barging in on them as he did most mornings at the crack of dawn. "How can you say that?" the Drykas replied as he stroked her hair. "You have many achievements to be proud of." "Oh really?" the Inarta spat some more. "Really," he firmly replied as he shifted his body so that he could draw hers closer, against his naked form, "but, please, don't ask me to name specifics. It's too early for that." "Too early, huh?" she grunted. "Yep," he whispered before his mouth found hers. "Eeewwww," they then heard from the doorway as their expected little intruder arrived upon the scene. "Mushy mouths," he announced as he dashed across the room and leapt onto the bed. "You're a mushy mouth!" Kanto exclaimed in return as his arms released Uopa and then grabbed for Javird, tickling him until he was nothing but a ball of giggles. At this point, Uopa took advantage of the situation and slipped out from under the covers, taking one of the sheets with her as she did. Wrapping it around her torso, she shuffled toward the corner of the room and took a seat near the wash bowl. "Ooo," Kanto called from the bed as he continued to wrestle with Javird, "Why don't you let me take care of this little one today and you...you can treat yourself to a day of rest and recreation. Go get a massage...or go hiking...or swimming...or..." "Or what?"" she questioned as she began to brush her hair. "Or, I don't know, go shopping. It's been a while since you've treated yourself to something new. Aren't you participating in that Form and Fitness Festival?" "Yeah? So?" she muttered as she yanked on the comb that suddenly became caught up in a knot. "Well...buy yourself a new dress or something. Go wild! Get something really unexpected, like, you know...something that isn't so, uh, black...or white. You have the coin. Spend a little on yourself for a change." "Are you trying to tell me something?" she replied as she shot him a nasty look. "Not at all," the Drykas giggled as he allowed Javird to get the upper hand. "Just...do something fun. Okay?" he added as he gathered up the little boy, covers and all, and departed, shaking his exposed posterior at the Inarta as he went. Right, she thought to herself as she finally got the comb free. Because shopping is such a fun thing to do, she lamented with a sour look on her face as she stood and approached her wardrobe. "Kan the Correct strikes again!" she found herself admitting aloud as she slipped on her simple white undergarments and matching top, before reaching for her faded black pants, which were made of the same boring cotton material. It seemed the only thing she had going for her were her sandals, which had a smattering of colored beads worked into them. "Ha!" she balked as she slid them on. "All is not lost." But then she grabbed her black scarf and black satchel and, well, she suddenly felt dull again. "Okay. You win," she announced as she left the bedroom - passing by Kanto and Javird eating some sort of breakfast she probably didn't want to know the details of - and made her way for the apartment door. "I'm going shopping!

[Rosela]

Spring was well and fully under way, and Rosela practically danced along the street to her shop. She’d finally shed her winter wear some days ago, and relished being back in a skirt. Flowers bloomed in the corners of the city, and everywhere seemed to bursting with color. Even the sunrise painted the scattered clouds confetti pink and the sky above tangerine. The thought made her hungry, and she made a quick detour down to Zhongjie to look for a fruit stand.

When she’d first arrived in the city, it seemed like every day found her amongst the stalls, lusting after the trinkets and luxuries she’d once taken for granted, but could no longer afford. Once she’d started to get money, she’d hoarded it, afraid to spend a single miza or it would all disappear. Now, she strutted into the square, aware of the mizas in her purse, perusing the stalls still setting up for the day. After finding the fruit stand, she was disappointed to see the tangerines small and hard.

“Sorry, miss,” the elderly human man sighed. “You’re a bit late for the tangerines. Going out of season they are. Might I tempt you with some dried? Imported from down south, you know.” He winked at her, as though sharing an inside joke.

Though the implication that they grew near her homeland made them less desirable, she gave the man a charming smile anyway. ”How much for just a few, a quarter pound?”

“Just a quarter pound? Ah, you’ve more self control than I have, young miss. Say, 3gm, 7sm, and ah, 5cm.”

Smiling back, Rosela handed over the mizas and took the small bag he gave her. She winked back at him as she left, taking her first bite. By the time she’d made it to her shop, she’d finished half the bag and wrapped the rest up for lunch. Instead of taking time to set up the shop, she flipped out the Open sign as soon as she entered, licking the fingers of one hand as she moved quickly to the back to fetch her project for the day.

Once settled, the day drew sluggishly by, interspersed with customers coming in for this or that. Rosela worked on a women’s dress to pass the time, ankle length with a halter top, and a spill of fabric from the bottom of the neckline to fall seamlessly into the dress area. The fabric was from a fantastically colorful bolt of cotton she’d snatched up at the weaver’s a few days prior. Most of it was spread out over the table as she worked on the hem. The thin cotton required herringbone stitches, and twice the line of them had been interrupted by a customer. Once it was finished, she checked it once again for stray pins and crooked seams, and carried it up to the front to display.

Ledger :

Dried Apricots = 15gm/lb. 1 quarter of that is 3.75.

Deducted from ledger: 3gm 7sm 5cm

[Uopa]

Wandering aimlessly, Uopa began to wonder if shopping the day away had been a poor choice on her part. A very poor choice indeed. Nothing was catching her fancy. Not a single thing. Fresh fruit? Eh. Fine wines? Whatever. Handcrafted leather goods for the bedroom that left little to the imagination? Nice, but she wasn't in the mood. Okay. Where to now? she thought as she stood in the center of the busy market square, tapping her sandaled foot on the stone pavers below. Maybe it's time to call it a day and head home. Although... Kanto would probably send her right back out if she returned home empty handed. The thought of that happening did not sit well with the Inarta. It was bad enough he had managed to coax her out here in the first place, but to present him with the details of an unsuccessful spree would only add fuel to his fire. What was the name of that shop Vajal had mentioned? she pondered now, thinking back to the last time she had seen her fashion savvy sibling. "Red...something...Designs? No. Ruby Red Fashions? No. That's not it..." "How about Red Diamond Fashions, my dear?" an elderly Akalak interjected, having heard her mutterings, as he ambled by with walking stick in hand. "Oh! Right," she replied with a start, unaware that she had been vocalizing her thoughts. "Thank you." Spinning on her heels, she boldly made her way toward the nearest path, only to find that she had no idea where she was even going. "It's that way," the same elder informed her as he pointed to a path in the opposite direction. "Ha! Thank you, once again," she replied as she dashed by him, giving his shoulder a gentle pat as she did. Making her way along the path, she suddenly felt far more hopeful that this jaunt would have a favorable outcome. If she remembered correctly, her sister had spoken highly of the shop. She recalled her stating that the service was top notch and that the quality of the merchandise was rather impressive, too, which was a pleasant discovery. You could usually find one or the other, but rarely both under one roof. Why didn't I come here in the first place? she inwardly questioned as she approached the lovely, ivy-enshrouded cottage that housed the boutique. Perhaps because upon further reflection, you hadn't felt the need to update your wardrobe as much as Kanto had, however... As she stood now, gazing at the beautiful dresses on display in the front window, she suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to purchase one of everything! What's come over me? This...this is ridiculous! This is so not me... Or was it? For most of her life she had lived in the shadow of her fashion-forward sister. There was no competing with Vajal when it came to dressing in the most current styles. Actually, truth be told, Vajal was usually the one to start said trends. So, for Uopa, it had been far easier to just dress plainly instead of making any effort to keep up with the unstoppable fashionista. Yet, perhaps those days were over. Maybe it was time to step up her game. She had a job she enjoyed, a man who loved her deeply, and... "...a three-year old little boy who will most likely ruin whatever I purchase here today," she told herself as she began to reconsider her actions. "Maybe I should just head home."

[Rosela]

Humming tunelessly to herself, Rosela paused in her movement to the front to straighten a pile of trousers. It reminded her, there was a stack in the back that needed new seams. Perhaps she’d work on them when she was done with a few dresses-

”…little boy who will most likely ruin whatever I purchase here today…”

Shaking out the dress in her hand, she leaned forward to see a red haired woman on the otherside of the display glass, talking to herself. Correction – there was a red haired woman outside her shop, wearing white…and black. That was it. No accessories, no jewelry, just a white top and black pants. The dullness of the outfit seemed to reach out and hurt her soul.

“She has nice shoes.” She shadow in the top corner of the display case, seeming to sense her judgment, pointed out what were, admittedly, decent sandals. They weren’t enough to save the outfit, however, and Rosela took hold of the display mannequin with an exaggerated flourish of movement and made sure to make a little extra noise as she pulled it away from the window. Whether she noticed the movement or the noise, Rosela waved happily when the woman looked up. The dress on the display was slipped off in one motion, and she pulled on the new, colorful affair with an air of anticipation. Perhaps the excited pattern would be enough to inspire this poor creature into a life of color.

[Uopa]

On the verge of turning away from the shop's window, Uopa's attention was instantly drawn back as one of the dresses began to slide away from its form, only to be replaced with an equally captivating garment. Oh, that's nice. A bit colorful, but still very nice. I could see myself wearing it to... However, the Inarta's thoughts drifted off as she suddenly became hyper aware that she was being watched. Well, obviously there was someone inside the shop, swapping the dresses out. Garments didn't do that themselves, not even magically enhanced ones, as far as she knew. She just wasn't aware until this very moment that there was an individual in the window as well. The funny thing was, how could she be so unaware of the multi-limbed clerk. Smiling back with a slight wave of her own, Uopa decided to venture inside. Even if she didn't make a purchase today, it couldn't hurt to look around and get some ideas for the future. The Inarta was thinking that even if this season ended up being a not-so-social one, the next one could hold promise. "Hello," she warmly greeted the clerk as she stepped inside. "That's a lovely garment," she continued to chat as she viewed the newly displayed dress. "May I?" she inquired as she reached out to stroke the fabric, not knowing from sight the type of material it was crafted with. "Oh, that's very nice. It's cotton, correct? I do like the feel of cotton. It's a, uh, breathable fabric, if you know what I mean." Taking a step back, Uopa tried to picture herself in the dress. It was styled as she would like it to be, not too formal, but also not too revealing. However, the colors were really throwing her off. She wasn't sure she could handle that much color, nor did she think she could pull it off. "I almost hate to ask you this, but does it come in something a bit more basic? As you can see, I'm a fairly simple girl," she informed the clerk as she motioned to her current attire.

[Rosela]

”Hi there, welcome to Red Diamond Fashions.” The greeting had become automatic when customer entered and Rosela turned to smile warmly. It was always nice to have an informed customer, and she grinned when her newest one correctly identified the fabric. ”Yes it is! Great for this lovely spring weather we’re having. Linen is also very nice this time of year, and it happens to be a bit sturdier and better at repelling stains. A particular consideration if you’ve got a young man around the house with a penchant for ruining clothing…” She twirled a hand vaguely, looking up at the ceiling innocently.

Rosela sighed in mock exasperation as the plain clothes in question were indicated. ”Oh honey… You really would look just fabulous in some real color. Something as busy as this-” She indicated the displayed dress delicately. ”May be too big a step, but what about some nice jewel tones? We have a couple alternate colors for this dress over here, and a couple even in linen if you’re considering it…” Extending a hand, she led Uopa to the second aisle of the women’s section, where duplicates of the dress were stacked on a shelf.

”Let’s see,” she hummed, multiple hands moving through the stack to keep everything folded while she looked. ”A nice sapphire blue, maybe? Or…” Two hands pulled out a dress from the middle of the stack, holding it up to unfold dramatically. ”You would look gorgeous in emerald green. It’s a bit dark for spring, but you redheads can pull green off pretty much year round while the rest of us suffer in pastels.” She gave a look of mock-jealousy, but it quickly broke into a smile. ”Well, what do you think?”

[Uopa]

"Oh, I just don't know. It seems a bit much," Uopa replied as her hands fondled the dress being presented to her. "The fabric seems right, but the color...it's just...it's so...I mean, you're right, green is a great color, but I do really like blue, too...and, well...I do have a little one in the home. That's one of the reasons why I resort to black. Those darn stains can be such a worry at times, but usually not with black." She took a step back now and really soaked in the full effect of the dress. It was not only bright, but a little flirty, which made her excited and nervous, all at the same time. She wasn't one to show off her figure or to draw attention to herself. To be honest, she didn't really need to, seeing that she was in a committed relationship. However, it couldn't hurt to spice things up a little. Kanto was worth it. Wasn't he? "Would it be possible to try one or two on?" she questioned, hoping that the answer would be an affirmative. It was bad enough that she was out shopping on a whim, but to purchase something blindly seemed silly. It wasn't that she was lacking in coin. No, that wasn't it at all. She just hated the thought of buying something that she really didn't need in the first place, only to have it look like a mess once she slipped it on. "I'll take extra care. I promise," she informed the clerk as she gathered up a few samples and made her way toward what she hoped was a dressing room. She did this so rarely that every step of the process seemed foreign to her. Thankfully, the clerk seemed both patient and kind. "Do you know the designer?" she inquired as she paused to take another look at the garments in her grasp. "They are very talented. This stitch work is impeccable," she admitted as she scrutinized the hemlines. "My sister, Vajal, was raving about this place, and now I see firsthand why she was going on and on. I'm a crafter myself. I can certainly appreciate the time and effort it takes to make something of this caliber. Please give them my regards."

[Rosela]

”If stains are a worry, we’ll definitely want to stick with the linen. It’s not stainproof, but it’s better than cotton. How old is the little one?” She didn’t care much for children herself, but had discovered that mothers who came to the shop loved talking about them. ”Black is of course the best at not showing stains, but everyone needs a little variety! If we let function control our form…” Four hands clenched together in front of her chest as she searched for the words. ”Then...we’re limiting our own beauty. Not that you don’t look beautiful in black – it works very well with your complexion – but beauty should be cultivated. A wild rose is beautiful, but its blooms will grow bigger when someone's there to prune and help it along.”

Catching herself in her passion, she stopped her sermon abruptly and coughed discreetly behind a hand. ”Ahem, sorry. I get a little passionate about fashion. As you may have noticed. You can certainly try a few on, we have changing rooms in the back for just that.” She indicated the three doors behind the front desk with a wave of a hand. ”Let’s get a few to try here…” Pulling a sapphire blue version of the dress out, she flipped through the rest of the colors. ”I know I have a nice amethyst one in linen here somewhere…”

The compliment brought a sudden blush to her cheeks and as two hands paused in handing the couple of dresses to Uopa as another pair of hands pressed to her chest. ”I’m so very flattered, thank you! I’m the designer, actually; this is my shop. Do give your sister my best, it really is a gift to hear she’s happy with her purchase.”

A hand touched Uopa’s shoulder as she led her back towards the changing rooms. ”You just try those on now, and let me run to the back. I have one more I think you’ll like, but I don’t think I’ve put it out.” Once the changing room door closed, Rosela dashed to the back room and snatched the amethyst dress from the backup pile. She wasn’t concerned of Uopa stealing, but she didn’t want to be away from the front for more than a moment.

Safely back out front, Rosela passed the folded dress over the changing room door and waited for the woman to take it. ”So, you’re a craftsman as well? What is it you do? Maybe I’ve seen your work as well.”

[Uopa]

Once inside the changing room, Uopa began to feel a bit more hopeful that she would leave the shop with something, which hopefully meant Kanto would stop pestering her! The mere fact that she was in the booth and not still browsing the showroom meant a sale was inevitable. The assortment of garments hanging before her held great promise, running the gambit from fancy to functional. Now she just needed to decide which route to take. Would she dare skip down both paths? "That sounds great," she replied as the clerk, nay, designer dashed off to retrieve yet another option. It amused the Inarta that the woman played both roles. In her shop, her aunt usually worked the front end of the business, while she spent her time crafting. Slipping out of her sandals, her linen pants came off next. By the time she was working off her top, a flurry of amethyst fabric was coming at her head from just over the top of the door. Scrambling to catch the dress with one of her arms still caught up in her top, Uopa managed to grasp the beautiful garment just before it hit the floor. "I, uh, yeah. I'm a glassworker at Artfire," she managed to reply as she hung the latest option with the rest and finished removing her top. "My aunt and I work there, along with Azvan Vagra. I only just officially joined the staff this season, regardless of the fact that I've been making pieces for the shop for many years now. So, chances are, you probably have seen my work. We're really the only place in town to...oh, petch," she suddenly exclaimed as she came to realize the dress she was slipping into was on backwards. "Oh, uh...there we go. Sorry. So, as I was saying," she continued as she stepped from the booth, "we're really the only place to...oh...wow." As she stood now before the full length mirror situated just outside the changing rooms, she couldn't help but be in awe of the image before her. Who was this woman standing before her with the long neck and slender shoulders, narrow waist and perky bosom? She...she looked... "I'll take it!" she exclaimed as she made the stunning figure in the reflection twirl and twirl and twirl!