Solo Fresh New Faces pt. 2

[Rosela]

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Timestamp: 58th of Winter

Rosela’s foot bounced unconsciously as she stared into her tea, lost in thought on her plans for the rest of the day. She had two interviews, extensive ones that would take her last two candidates down to one. It was a decision not to be made lightly, but hopefully the process would be less emotionally taxing than the original interviews had been. A migraine rose at the sheer memory, and one hand pressed against her temple as she drew her eyes off the cup of tea between two other hands. Using her hypnotism throughout the day likely hadn’t helped much, but it had been a good exercise if nothing else. In more than one case, she strongly suspected it had been more of a hindrance. She had no intentions of using her hypnotism for the current interviews, however, resolving to see how they performed naturally this time.

The morning sun was just over the tops of the nearby buildings’ roofs, cold and small though it was. The shadows seemed to revel in the lessened light, and they quivered quietly under every overhang and windowsill. Winter was still far from being over, and she snuggled deeper into her fur cloak at the thought. She was the only one in the tavern still wearing her cloak, but she couldn’t bring herself to give it up just yet. The first applicant was due any chime and –

“M-Ms. Rosela? Hi!”

”Kia’ala, good morning.” Realizing she couldn’t put it off any more, Rosela shrugged out of her cloak, shifting slightly so that she could lay it over the back of her bench. Kia’ala was dressed much as she had during the introductory interview, in a muted suit of pale blue, long and loose to accentuate her lithe figure. It was stylish, but indicative of her tastes – quiet and unassuming.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”

”No, no, you’re right on time.” She was indeed, and it was clearly a good start.

“Great, yeah. So, did you have a good week? It’s starting to warm up out there, right?”

”A bit…” Rosela lied, grateful her sleeves hid the goosebumps that rose on her arms in the absence of her cloak. Someday she’d have to get used to these winters, and she’d just have to suffer until then. ”So, let’s begin. Today will be just a series of…conversations. We’ll talk about looking at people’s best colors, upselling items from the store…and we’ll practice some basic stitching.” She concluded her pre-planned introduction with a timed sip of her tea, watching the Konti in her peripheral.

Kia’ala nodded happily and sat up straight in her chair. She was professional, excitable, and good-looking. Her fashion sense was the only thing somewhat lacking, but Rosela hoped she could be guided in a more interesting direction.

”Well then, let’s begin.”

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[Rosela]

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“I’d say…a nice coral pink, almost beige pale, with like a flowing bottom or something.”

”Are you sure you’d go with something that pale? Her skin tone’s rather washed out as it is.” Taking care to control her breathing, Rosela felt very aware of the muscles in her cheeks as she suppressed a wince. It was the third suggestion that was, frankly, boring. Despite Rosela’s continual second-guessing, Kia’ala hadn’t seemed to pick up on opinion of her fashion sense.

Rosela hummed quietly to herself and sipped her tea. It was only lukewarm now, but she saw with amusement that Kia’ala sipped her tea as well. Hadn’t she read somewhere that imitating body language meant something?

At that moment, a muscular Akontak woman strode in, hefting off an armored cloak as she moved into the tavern. Rosela loved the Akontak look – all bold skin and that brilliant white hair. Recrossing her ankles under the table, she leaned forward casually, glancing at Kia’ala. ”Her,” she murmured, careful not to stare at the bulky woman dropping herself into a stool at the bar. ”She comes in for something formal. What do you suggest?”

“Formal, um…” Kia’ala bit her lip, blatantly staring at the woman’s turned back. “A suit. Straight lines to contrast her, um, muscles? A dark…blue suit. Flat color.” She glanced at Rosela, almost nervously. “The kind without the shirt underneath? You know, stylish.”

About to nod along with her assessment of a suit, Rosela stopped herself at the color. A dark blue suit, really? How monumentally dull. ”You wouldn’t go brighter? Something to tie in all that hair?” Kia’ala nodded firmly, and Rosela had the sudden impression that her gentle steering was being taken as false bad advice. ”All dark blue will make her hair stand out like a beacon,” Rosela said flatly, taking a calm sip of her tea instead of looking up at Kia’ala’s shocked face. ”She’d need something as contrasting as her skin and hair, like something with fringe, or a white belt.” She paused to look up at the woman, who was laughingly showing off a pair of impressive biceps to the slightly smaller Akalak next to her. ”At the very least, a white over-the-coat belt, and white shoes.”

“Um, I… I guess… I mean, you don’t want to go too crazy with it, right?” Kia’ala was still staring at the woman, Rosela felt a stab of exasperation as she watched her reflection ripple in her tea. A thought pierced her mind like the single ring of a bell: This girl was not going to work out. She didn’t like pinning her hopes on the young man she had for the afternoon, but style wasn’t something she wanted to have to teach, apparently so boldly as this.

The Akontak paused in another pose and finally noticed her audience, turning back and catching Kia’ala staring. The Konti gasped and forcefully looked down at her cup, a strong blush rising on her cheeks. Feeling bold in her frustration, Rosela looked up and met the now-suspicious woman’s eyes with a smile, one hand lifting her empty teacup in a mock toast.

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[Rosela]

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Kia’ala had likely guessed the outcome of her interview, and looked clearly disappointed when Rosela called off the second half – the sewing test.

”I know you can sew; it’s just getting late in the day and I don’t think we need to test it.” She felt the comforting presence of her shop behind her, one hand on the doorknob and four others clasped demurely in front of her.

“Are you sure?”

”Go on. I’ll send someone with my decision later today.” Despite having her best comforting smile, Rosela could see she wasn’t buying it. Stopping short of hypnotism to make her buy it, she resolved to save her strength and just let the silence lengthen.

“Well, thanks for the opportunity. I’ll look for that then.”

There was something to be admired in the way she powered through the awkwardness, but Rosela kept her smile in place as she began to pull the door open. ”It was a pleasure to have you. Take care.”

“Um, okay. Bye.”

”Goodbye.”

Kia’ala turned away and Rosela slipped quickly inside the door before the farewell could lengthen further. Sighing deeply, she pulled off her cloak with a flourish and laid it over the desk. Just one more interview to go, and though she desperately hoped it would go well, she had to remind herself that she could not accept him just because he was the only remaining candidate. It’d be better to man the desk herself for another season or two rather than accept someone who may ruin her reputation.

For the moment though, she had an empty shop to herself, and she leaned against the wall next to the front desk, breathing in the still air. It was so much bigger than when she’d started, twice the size to be exact. Pushing off the wall, she walked over to the new section, Orabelle’s section, moving her eyes over the wide walls. The shadows were quieter here, as the open space had less of them. This addition held an emotional place in her heart – the first step beyond being a mere clothing store. Hudon, provided he worked out, was the next step. She’d be free to pursue the other avenues she’d dreamed of: perfumes, jewelry, even making her own fabric.

A loud crack outside and a swell of chattering voices brought her out of her thoughts with a small intake of breath. One hand trailed off the back of a chair as she moved back toward the front desk. Hudon would be there soon, and she couldn’t be lost in her thoughts when it happened.

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[Rosela]

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”Is he? Oh that’s too bad…” Rosela frowned, two arms crossing two hold her elbows.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s a tough old guy.” Hudon nodded comfortingly. “He laughed when I told him you were hiring. ‘About time,’ he said.”

Rosela barked a single surprised laugh. She’d met Preskon once, but over the course of several bells and more glasses of wine, he’d been a fount of entrepreneurial knowledge, partially thanks to her ‘hypnotic’ social skills. He was down with a chill apparently, and Rosela couldn’t help but remember how old he’d looked when they met. ”Do send him my best, and my compliments to his tailor.”

“I’m sure his tailor will appreciate that; I apprenticed under him last year, and he was a big fan of yours.”

”Did you? That would have been good to bring up in your interview.”
He visibly preened under her smile, grinning and straightening his collar. “I didn’t want to have an unfair advantage over the other applicants.”

Rosela’s laugh was a low chuckle, and she stood to the side as Hudon opened the tavern door for her. ”Why thank you,” she responded cheerily as she moved inside.

It was so far, so good for the young Akalak: he was charming, handsome, and the pale violet button-up he wore was unassumingly stylish. Understated pastels that were so dull on Kia’ala popped brilliantly against Hudon’s dark skin. Whether he could dress others as well as he dressed himself remained to be seen.

The lunch bell was starting to wind down, so there were significantly less people this time. The muscular Akontak was gone, and Rosela felt a surprising pang of disappointment. The table she’d occupied earlier was still open however, and she took the lead from Hudon and led him there. The bartender apparently recognized her from earlier, and held up a teacup inquiringly from behind the bar. Rosela held up two fingers and smiled, belatedly asking Hudon, ”Tea fine?”

“Sounds great.”

”So, down to business then.”

“Ah, if we must.”

”I’m afraid we do. Today’s interview will just be a series of conversations. Getting people’s best colors, upselling items, and then…” She’d planned on a test of his stitching ability, but as she had with Kia’ala, Rosela decided on the spot to skip it. He’d apprenticed under a tailor, for Akajia’s sake. ”And then we’ll part ways for the evening. How does that sound?”

“Like a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.”

He certainly knew how to charm, and she gave him a wry smile as their tea arrived. As he reached for his changepurse, she huffed indelicately and swept her own mizas onto the table as two hands reached out to forstall his. Mizas were taken away, the moment passed, and Rosela wrapped two hands around the warm cup in front of her. ”That woman, sitting by the door? If she came in looking for nice to wear to a dinner party, what would you suggest?”

Hudon was silent for a moment, glancing inconspicuously between the woman and the door next to her. “Nice, but not too nice? All that brown hair, she’d look great in chocolate, something really rich and deep.”

Impressed but attempting to withhold judgment, Rosela prodded further. ”What style?”

For the first time, his confidence seemed to waver and he glanced quickly over at her. “If she were wearing that, I guess…” He took a slow sip of tea, eyes narrowed and flitting between the woman and various other spaces in the room. “Cocktail dresses are always in fashion, so we’d start there. Something with a little, you know…” His hand fluttered vaguely. “Ruffle at the bottom. Not too much, just something to give it a little interest.” The silence extended and Hudon shook himself as he realized he was staring at the woman. Flashing a beaming smile with an attempt at regaining his composure, he shrugged. “Hey, we could do more if she had curls, but straight hair like that? Lines all the way down.”

”Any accessories?”

Hudon shrugged nonchalantly, now apparently secure in his pick. “Oh, she’d have to pick up a belt with it, something long and loose. It’d really pull the whole thing together.”

Rosela’s eyebrows rose noncommittally as she took a small sip of her tea, breathing in the warm vapor. ”Not bad,” she said finally. ”A nice wrap would have worked as well, but a belt is always a good option.”

The last of the anxiety left Hudon’s face and he sat back with a smile. “A darker brown than the skirt, hm?”

Before Rosela could reply, both of their eyes were drawn to the door, where an icy blast heralded a heavily pregnant Konti, waddling in out of the cold in a wildly patterned sweater dress and bright green scarf. Feeling cruel, Rosela gave Hudon a twisted smile and recrossed her legs. ”She comes in…wanting anything that will match her scarf.”

“Mm mm mm,” Hudon hummed in criticism as he shook his head slightly. “You’re a cruel woman.”

”Welcome to the world of fashion.”

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[Rosela]

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In the end, it was simply no contest between Kia’ala and Hudon. Back in the empty shop, Rosela knelt down in front of the shop fireplace and hesitated for a moment. She didn’t like second guessing herself so many times, but…

”You’ll have a new face around here,” She whispered to the shadows flitting about the fireplace.

”The Akalak.” It was not a question, only a confirmation.

Rosela sighed before answering, reaching out to finally pour the jug of water over the dying coals. A plume of steam rose up and the embers hissed in protest. ”Yes, him. I think he’ll do well here.”

The shadows also hesitated in responding, descending quickly to fill the nooks and crannies left by the drowned embers. ”You don’t speak to us as often as you used to.”

”I know.” She frowned and sighed again, sadly. Chin in one hand, she looked through the darkness and could see the philtering lab on the other side. ”I’m sorry for that. With other people here, I…you know I don’t want anyone to know.”

“Secrets are our Mother’s bread and butter.”

The empty water jug shifted restlessly from hand to hand. She could still see the moment clearly, the council hall, Akajia and Wysar presiding, the shock of Akajia’s touch. Almost unconsciously, her eyes were drawn to the other side of the shop, where new wood would be visible from the outside. Where she’d been awoken one night to see flames licking at the wood and stone that was her lifeblood.

Putting away her maudlin thoughts, she cleared her throat discreetly and stood. ”I may not speak, but…I’m still here. Kindof like you.”

The shadows did not answer, and after setting the jug on the low shelf next to the fireplace, Rosela turned and left.

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[Gale Austin McCenry]

Rosela

Experience

Socialization	+1
Teaching	+1
Observation	+2

Items/Consequences

Item	Description
N/A	N/A

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Lores

■	Making Hard Decisions: Don’t take them lightly
■	Interviewing without hypnotism
■	interviews: Knowing when it won’t work out
■	Some people have no fashion sense
■	Managing the desk: Sometimes better than hiring
■	First steps towards your dream
■	Cruel with Fashion
■	Choosing the better of two applicants

Additional Comments

Good job! I liked the vast difference between the two applicants and how Rosela responded. Hopefully Hudon will work out and not end up a dead end. Keep up the good work! It was a wonderful read.

If you have any questions or concerns about the grade, then please don’t hesitate to PM me and we’ll get it sorted out.