A second skin [Rosela]

[Fade]

10 of winter A costume for any type of performer was a second skin, a sort of mask and the symbol of what you did. In the circus the costume defined the performer, and Fades worn out costume was beginning to fall apart, literally. The clowns in their baggy pants, the ring aster in his top hat, the ballerinas, acrobats and contortionist in their cleverly colored leotards. She had also grown a few centimeters stretching the fabric over her now more womanly body. And she had never changed her costume over all these years, but now she acknowledged the little tears with some sadness. It was a armless leotard, white and sparkling with sequins or al least the ones that remained. She sighed pushing the costume into her bag and heading out towards her new destination. She was looking for a good tailor, she was ready to spend a fair amount of mizas for he costume and maybe some new clothes were in order too. Her white fluttery dress had seen to many ruff terrains and her cape barely warmed her enough to sleep at night. She made her way through the crowds careful to avoid contact oblivious to the stares she got from men and women alike, she was used to it now, the unique allure her gnosis gave her. She was looking for a shop she had heard about Red Diamond Fashions but she was also looking around at other shops peeking in the windows for she was always looking for a small job, anything really. The days were long without anything real to do and Fade had wasted to much time, she needed to settle down for some time at least and be useful. She spotted what she was looking for by a wooden sign announcing that the ivy covered building was Red Diamond Fashions. She paused at the door a moment her glacier blue eyes examining the shop window then she took a deep breath and walked into the shop. She looked around the cozy interior drinking in the beautiful women side of the shop and the luxurious textures and fabrics. Catching a glimpsed of herself in the mirror she smiled, she almost looked like a ghost all in white her blonde white hair all over the place and her blue eyes a big contrast on her general paleness. She stood there waiting not sure it would be polite to call out to whoever ran the shop for no shop hands were to be seen.

[Rosela]

Rosela’s breath seemed to crystallize in front of her in the morning air as she trekked across town to open up the shop. She’d gotten her first taste of snow, and was already sick of it. The warmth of her winter clothes was still something of a novelty, and she tried to focus on that as her numb fingers fumbled with the keys to the front door. Once inside, she lit the candles and the shop started to warm quickly. It was getting harder and harder to leave the shop at night, only to go back to her small, cold, miserable little home. In any case, the winter season seemed to breath new life into her business, and only into its second season, business was significantly picking up. She was actually starting to get people talking about her fashions, and a couple had come in a few days prior on the strong recommendation of one of their friends. The morning passed quickly, with customers filling the silence. An Akalak and his Nakivak came in for some maternity winter wear; a teenage Akalak wandered in for replacement snow gloves; and an elderly human woman dragged her husband in, looking for matching scarves. Scarves were proving to be the hot sellers at the moment, and Rosela was busily stitching replacements between sales. It was only making a dent in what needed to get done however, as the men’s trousers, women’s sweaters, and plain gloves were all in short supply. A couple days that week, she’d even taken to staying late to sew replacements during the evening hours, but it still wasn’t enough. As much as she hated to admit it, she was going to need some shop help sometime soon. Rosela quickly disappeared into the back for more wool for scarves when she heard the door open in the front room. In a teetering dash, she grabbed the entire bolt of heavy gray wool and popped back out into the front room. A human woman had come in, looking ghostly pale against the display of women’s clothing. Her large blue eyes were the focal point of her thin face and for a moment, Rosela couldn’t picture her in anything but the snowy white she had on. The moment broke after a heartbeat, and Rosela quickly dropped the bolt of wool on the desk before making her way over. ”Hi! Welcome to Red Diamond Fashions. I’m Rosela. What can I help you find today?”

[Fade]

Fade turned to meet Rosela but her face hardened when she saw her, her piercing eyes narrowing. For a moment memories of Ahnatep invaded her thoughts. Memories of many arms hurting her, her master enjoyed pain, not his of course but hers. Fade pushed away the thoughts, she was no ones slave now. She bit her lip afraid that she might seem impolite. Fade was not given to prejudice by nature but she had been startled by Roselas six arms and the memories hey brought back. She tried to relax her face “Forgive me” She fought for an explanation “I wasn’t expecting an Eypharian in Riverfall” Riverfall was such a peaceful and free city; the woman must have been a very strange Eypharian to settle down here, distant from her race’s ruthlessness. The climate also differed greatly to the dry sandy Ahnatep, with its exotic scents and bazaar. Self-consciously she pushed stray strands of hair from her face concentrating on the matter at hand, her curiosity could wait. She smiled relaxing more “I’m Fade, and aside some winter clothing I’m looking for a more unique piece of clothing, I was wondering if you could help me?” She opened her bag slowly taking her costume out, a lone sequin drifted to the floor. The sequins like branches or veins covered the costume especially exaggerating curves. There was also a pattern on the side but the years had taken their toll. It was also a low cut costume showing to the world that just above her breast she bore Nikalis mark, her owner had been very proud of that. “I am looking for a new costume, I am a contortionist and I’ve grown out of this…” She unfolded the costume, her fingers running along the rugged seams of the fabric. “Even though my circus days are over, this is my second skin, it defines me” She paused “And maybe all of this white is exaggerates my all too pale complexion, what do you think?” She gestured to her fluttery white dress smiling.

[Rosela]

There was an awkward moment where Rosela was quite certain her newest customer was about to get nasty, and angry defensiveness rose in her chest. The fingertips of two hands tapped together in front of her as she waited for the young woman to make the first move. Her stiletto, little used as it was, was in the desk, where she could get at it in a moment. Rosela reserved her forgiveness, but cleared her throat and plastered a friendly smile on her face. ”Yes, I…live here,” She offered awkwardly by way of explanation. Her instinct was to say more, to talk through the awkwardness and make a sale out of it, but her pride beat it down. If this pale, little thing was going to walk into her shop and judge her for her race, she could just- ”Oh my.” The words popped out at the presentation of the costume, and Rosela immediately felt her anger fading. Custom outfits were always fun to make, besides being very cost effective, and she wasn’t about to pass it up on a bad first impression. Moving forward, Rosela picked up the costume from the bottom, leaving the top in Fade’s hands. ”I can certainly make you a replacement costume. We’ll have to sit down and figure out exactly what you want to get a price though. The white…” Dropping the costume as she leaned back on a hip, Rosela put a hand to her chin and gave her a look up and down. ”I suppose it depends on what you’re going for. White can be very luminous and innocent, and for contortionists…” She opened her mouth to continue, but closed it and shrugged after a moment, waving a hand helplessly. ”I have to say, I’ve never designed a contortionist costume, but I can imagine pale colors would emphasize the outline of your body. For regular clothes, anything in the pastels would look great. You could definitely get away with some bold reds and maybe some animal prints if you wanted to though.” She immediately glanced around the women's section for a couple such pieces, but stopped herself before she got too far ahead. "Did you want just a replacement costume today, or were you looking for anything else?"

[Fade]

Fade smiled sighing inwardly as Rosela seemingly entranced by the costume didn’t further any comment about the moment of tension that had just passed. She waited then for a moment thinking before speaking “I would need something that can certainly draw attention, something that follows my body’s lines to enhance the contortion…” She stoped talking, groping for words then she simply shrugged off her cloak smiling politely then extending her hands above her back she arched her back performing a seemingly effortless back bend one hand clutching an ankle the other one gesturing at the impossible backward curve her back formed, it looked like it was about snap. She continued to talk effortless the only change was that maybe her breath came out shorter, but only slightly “Something with some pattern or embroidery along my side so my bends seem even more…well, impossible.” She smiled gaining a normal position “As for the price, as much as I can afford for a new second skin” She followed Roselas glance around the women’s section thinking about the colour red, maybe it suited her, as for animal prints they sounded far to exotic and flashy. “I warmer set of even simple clothes” she said slowly “Something not too flashy, I don’t want to attract too much attention as for the costume it has to be the exact opposite, it would have to touch the imagination” Her fingers strayed to her scarlet mark just between her breast and collarbone “And something that could cover this from malicious eyes”

[Rosela]

Rosela went speechless as Fade suddenly doubled backwards into an impossible bend. Her mouth opened and closed several times before an uninspired ”Oh,” worked its way out. Her eyes stayed on the bend of her back, even as she straightened. ”Ahem, yes, embroidery along the sides… Oh!” Sudden inspiration snapped her out of her shock. ”I have the loveliest gold thread… Or maybe, big sweeping arcs of gold…” She waved her hands to dispel the thoughts before they took her away from the proper order of things. “As for price, well, the whole thing will have to be out of either cotton or silk. Wool really won’t stretch as well, and you’ll be pouring sweat in a few minutes. Cotton is obviously very durable and well priced, but you won’t get the same sheen as silk. The price difference also a pretty big decider, anyway. A cotton outfit would be about 3sm, whereas a silk one would be about 18gm.” Rosela doubted she’d go for the silk – the fabric was so unfortunately expensive in Riverfall – but she figured she’d at least put the option on the table. ”Once we figure out the fabric, we can nail down a design from there. After that, measurements, and then I can give you a timeline for when I can have it ready.” Biting her lip, she tapped a finger on her chin as she considered the old costume. ”We’ll probably have to spend a lot of time in fitting, just to make sure it fits snugly and won’t ride up.” Rosela silently despaired that Fade didn’t have a bolder sense of fashion, but most women in Riverfall didn’t, so she wasn’t entirely surprised. ”We’ll definitely want to go with pastels for everyday clothes then, maybe with some dark accents to really make it pop.” Fade drew her attention to the mark on her chest, what Rosela had initially dismissed as a birthmark. Upon inspection though, it was clearly a gnosis mark, and in a slight panic, Rosela immediately ran through the mnemonic devices from her schooldays to remember who’s it was. A Rolling River, Goddess Raingiver… That’s not it. Swirling Forms, God of Storms… No, of course not Zulrav. What was it… Red Wine Spilled…Needs Fullfilled! ”Nikali?” She exclaimed, surprised. ”I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of her marked before.” Smiling up at Fade, she waved a hand flippantly. ”We can hide that no problem. High collars are everywhere, and we can figure out something come the summertime.”

[Fade]

Fade smiled at the idea Rosela had briefly painted in her mind, sweeping arcs of gold…Fade imagined the circus again, the lights the audience the pain and the ever lasting smile on every performers face, it was a fairy tale of horrors. But she had lived for those performances, she had sweated and ached in the mornings for those staring faces, to give a bit of magic and wonder were real magic skills were not used. Fade frowned slightly at the price Rosela offered for silk signing silently, she wouldn’t risk such a high price especially without a job “What about a mix between the two fabrics? Some Silk and a majority of cotton? Would that be possible?” She bit her lip and remarked softly“18 gold mizas is an exceptionally steep price!How long would it take?” Fade silently entrusted herself to Rosela for her remarks seemed alien to her, how could any article of clothing pop? Fades fashion sense had still to be woken entirely as it halted, in front of an article of clothing, at the thought of if it would fit. No popping or animal prints involved just simple everyday usage and commodity. But in the shop her eyes drank all in, even Roselas outfit was particularly pleasing to the eye. “Pastels it is then…” her voice trailed off then afraid to make a fashion blunder but then she asked anyway“what about something dark blue?” “Yes, my goddess is Nikali and I serve her purpose” She said a touch of solemnity in her voice “And I’m ashamed of wanting to hide it, but those blessed by the goddess of pleasure, slavery and lust are often hunted for” She didn’t add that even if it happened she wouldn’t be treated at all in a bad way, Ranuri slaves were cherished and a blessing by Nikali could often change a low servants life radically for the best.

[Rosela]

As expected, Fade balked at the price, but Rosela saw it coming so she didn’t pursue it too intensely. ”A combination piece, that’ll really make the accents pop…” Rosela hummed, mostly to herself. ”We’ll have to see how much silk the design uses, but I imagine it’ll be somewhere in the area of…6gm?” She opened all her hands at the offer, leaving it to Fade. She was undercutting herself a bit, but a public performer wearing her fashions would be excellent publicity. ”Getting a design can take as little as a chime or as much as a bell, depending on how long it takes for us to get to a design you like. But it is the most important step, since its really hard to change designs when you’re in the middle of making it. I take some measurements, a couple chimes there, and put together the best approximation of the suit that I can just from the measurements. Depending on the design….a bell or so, probably half a bell. Then lastly, the fitting, that’s pretty much like the design part. It can take a chime or a bell, depending on how close I got with it. We’ll definitely want to test it a lot before you leave, so we don’t discover that it rips when you do this or that when you’re out there actually performing.” Rosela’s hands moved around emphatically with each step she described, finally dropping to lay casually around her sides when she stopped. ”We can definitely go with something dark blue?” She nodded and smiled encouragingly, as she did whenever a customer seemed a little tentative in trying something bold. ”A nice pleated dress, some leggings to stay warm; it’ll be adorable. I have just the thing in mind…” Waving a hand for Fade to follow her, she led her to the middle of the section. ”Hunted for? Oh my… We’ll, ah, be sure to cover that right up then.” It was an awkward turn in conversation, and Rosela didn’t really know how to respond to it, so she breezed quickly past the subject. She wasn’t exactly pious herself, but seemed to be meeting a lot of people lately who were. Where she stopped in the row, there was a bright red dress on display. It was knee-length with wide pleats at the front, and attached to the long sleeved top with a small, black, ornamental belt. There were some small ruffles around the cuffs and around the high neckline, which lay against the otherwise straight lines of the dress nicely. Instead of going for the red one on display, Rosela’s fingers danced over the folded stack next to it, four hands neatly pulling out a midnight blue version of it. Unfolding it for Fade’s perusal, she held it up in front of the red one. ”What do you think? It’s wool-backed cotton, so it’ll keep you warm, and some nice leggings will run you an extra 4sm.” As much as she wanted to dive into the custom job first, it was always easiest to get the smaller things out of the way so they could concentrate on the custom stuff last. After extensive measurements and fitting, people rarely wanted to stay even longer and look for regular clothing.

[Fade]

Fade’s face lit up a smile forming on her lips, 6 gold mizas sounded so much better! “That would be great!” She exclaimed happily. Fade listened at Roselas action plan, for its seemed like an action plan and she got lost as some point but the Eypharian’s tone reassured her, she knew what she was doing. Fade would looked a bit distant but her imagination was caught in fantastic designs, gold and white maybe swirling together like mingling paint…or something scarlet maybe with silver designs. “I have no obligations, so I have all the time for tests and measurements” Said Fade happy that Rosela had mentioned extensive tryouts and tests. She didn’t want something flimsy that would tear the first split she did. She voiced the image that had formed in her head “As for the design, it’s all in the colours…maybe white and swirling gold, or even red and silver!” She paused and added “It would have to last as well yes” Fade remained silent as Rosela breezed quickly upon the phrase she said about her Ranuri. Maybe she didn’t know the worth of her mark, but Fade didn’t comment. Fade blinked as Rosela drew her attention to a knee length midnight blue dress. Fade smiled reaching out to touch the fabric gently , it certainly seemed warm enough “It would be perfect!” She nodded slowly. She looked at Rosela her eyes sparkling with a little exited dread “So first of all measurements…right?” And then giving into curiosity she almost blurted out “How did you come by this trade in Riverfall?”

[Rosela]

OOC : Rosela’s not super pious, so she actually doesn’t know the full extent of the Ranuri. She knows logically what it does, but the actual implications will have to be explained/demonstrated later when they start discussing the job. ”Wonderful!” Rosela exclaimed at Fade’s acceptance of the price. The hardest part was over, and they could finally move onto the more interesting bits. She nodded thoughtfully at her color suggestions, incorporating them into her mental scheme. The design would go very quickly with so many ideas to choose from. ”Oh, I’m glad you like it,” She smiled when Fade accepted the darling blue dress, and Rosela draped it over an arm. ”We’ll just keep this over at the desk then, for later. First, we want to put that design to paper, so we can see it all laid out in front of us. It makes putting it all together so much easier.” Leading her over to the desk, four hands quickly folded the dress and laid it to the side. She pulled out an off-white piece of paper and pencil, quickly sketching a very stylized female figure in the top left quadrant. It had long, angled arms and legs, making it look very thin. She added small, dark eyes and a high ponytail, like Fade's. Rosela hummed as she marked off the edges of the suit on the arms and legs. ”I just opened last season, actually, but I’ve been sewing for most of my life.” The white pencil came out, and she started filling in the suit. ”Fashion is such a lovely business, it just seemed like a natural fit, you know?” A dark yellow pencil was pulled out next, drawing arcs of yellow over the white. Transferring the yellow pencil to another hand, she picked out a gray one, adding small accents around the yellow. ”Now just pretend that’s silver and gold – I don’t have pencils that fancy. What do you think? We can definitely go through a couple different designs to find the one you really like.”