To make a dress

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Brunnhold's college town, located inside the university grounds.

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Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:53 pm
Topics: 7
Race: Galdor
: "For Gods' sake, just call me Rina."
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Writer: Rachel/jadeowl
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Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:04 am

Rina's house The Stacks, Brunnhold
on the 6th of Intas, 2719 Evening
Rina was utterly disgusted. She had contacted her regular tailor, only to be told that he had retired. Even worse, the new tailor -- Vandela's old apprentice -- refused to work with her. She tossed money at the shop like the coins were made of water, and the bastard had the nerve that he would rather be seen dead than have a cripple wear his clothing.

"Why the clocking hell wouldn't Vandela tell me he was retiring?" Rina asked Estella as she angrily ripped up the note that she had gotten. She threw the scraps into the fire and hobbled back to her desk, taking out her writing supplies.

"I don't know, ma'am. Perhaps it wasn't an expected retirement? I know that sometimes family emergencies come up," Estella said as she refreshed Rina's tea.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. The chroveshit has no idea how much money he's going to be missing out, not just from me. Good luck affording Mulugeta pez Jotaku fabrics without the godsdamned discount that I arranged for Vandela. I've seen the new owner's work. It's nothing without Ja's fabrics," Rina said with a spiteful chuckle as she wrote a letter to her ja to explain the situation.

"Have you heard about any new tailors in town, Barclay?" she asked the butler as he entered the room to see what the ruckus was about. Confusion crossed Barclay's face, so Rina explained the situation.

"Ah, yes," Barclay said. "I have heard there's a new up-and-coming tailor, some man named Feldspar? Anastasia's servant Minnie was going on about him when I went over to deliver your dinner invitation the other night."

"Good. I'll go to him. Anastasia has good taste and, if Minnie's raving about his clothing, it's good enough for me," Rina said as she set the letter to her ja aside to dry and began a new letter.

Hello, Mr. Feldspar,

I will be quick and cut to the point. I have found that my favorite tailor has retired. His former apprentice chooses to not continue working with me, as he doesn’t like to collaborate and finds it too much of a “hassle” to modify designs to suit someone in a wheelchair. I have heard good things about your clothing and would like to collaborate with you to make a fabulous dress for my upcoming birthday. I have enclosed one of my designs to show you an example of my work though, obviously, whatever we design for the birthday party will involve input from both of us.

Cost is no object here, but I will happily help keep your costs down to compensate for the hassle of dressing a cripple. Perhaps you have heard of Mulugeta pez Jotaku fabrics? One of my fathers is an owner of that company. If you would be interested in working with me, I would be happy to talk to my ja about setting up a discount for fabric for you to use at your store.

If you are up to the challenge, I have enclosed my calling card with my address. I shall be expecting you at 23 o’clock on the 10th. If that time is not convenient to you or you choose not to work with me, please be so kind as to let me know.

Sincerely,
Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa


"See that this is delivered tonight, Barclay," Rina said as she put the letter to the side and wheeled herself out of the room.

Barclay sighed as Estella turned to follow Rina. "I don't suppose you know where this Feldspar's shop is, Estella?"

Estella laughed. "I don't. But I'm sure you'll find it."
Last edited by Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa on Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Juniper Feldspar
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Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:53 pm
Topics: 10
Race: Wick
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Sun Mar 31, 2019 11:09 am

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The Stacks| Late afternoon
10th INTAS 2719
For possibly the tenth time, nervous hands unpacked the basket that had been so carefully prepared.

The letter had been unexpected, naturally, such things were- but the mention of Mulugeta Pez Jokatu had sent the man into a positive tizzy. The potential for a supply contract with one of the top fabric houses out of Mugroba was not to be sneezed at, and the little tailor's natural anxieties had wormed their way to the forefront of his mind.

Juniper sighed, forcing himself to calm down. He had sketchbook, portfolio, drawing tools, tape measure, embroidery samples...

This Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa sounded like a woman with a strong and decisive mind, and she clearly had some not inconsiderable creative talent if the design she had sent along with her letter was anything to go by. And designing with a wheelchair in mind was going to be a challenge-but it was the kind of challenge the little tailor relished, and he was looking forward to seeing what he had to work with.

Miranda trilled anxiously from her perch on the chair back, already clipped in to her dainty leather harness- she’d be coming with him in her official capacity- and the wick turned to her, stroking comforting fingers over her fluffed feather crest.

"It'll be alright, love. I'm just fussing.”

A few minutes later, the basket was over his arm, Miranda curled inside his scarf, and he was trotting through the winter streets, breath misting the frosty air. It was freezing. With clouds in the sky there wasn't even warmth from the sun to take the chill off, and the wind tugged at his coat hems and the ends of his velvet scarf.

The townhouse was in one of the better-organised, better-built parts of the Stacks- gollies had standards, after all. Red brick like the famous walls of the University, it rose several stories above the street, very well-taken care of, windows gleaming and the dark green paint on windowsills and door like new. The single step up to the front door with its shining brass knocker had been replaced, or cunningly overlaid, with a shallowly sloping, solid wooden ramp, its surface cross-hatched for grip on wet days.

Settling his covered basket more comfortably on his arm, the little ginger wick carefully closed the wrought-iron gate behind him, looking up at the red facade with some trepidation, but squared his shoulders and stepped forward up the ramp, raising the ring of the doorknocker to rap firmly three times.
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Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:53 pm
Topics: 7
Race: Galdor
: "For Gods' sake, just call me Rina."
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Plot Notes: Plot notes, incl. thread history
Writer: Rachel/jadeowl
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Sun Mar 31, 2019 12:17 pm

Rina’s House The Stacks, Brunnhold
on the 10th of Intas, 2719 23 o’clock
Juniper wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Rina spent the afternoon going through her clothes, looking for the perfect outfit to wear, one that would impress him without overwhelming him. She didn't want him think that she thought her designs and clothing was, by default, better than his.

Estella was about ready to scream.

“Rina, you’re overthinking this. You have your sketchbook to show him. You could meet him in your bathrobe and your drawings would still impress him,” she said as she put what felt like the 20th outfit on the pile of discarded clothes.

Rina chewed her lip stud and sighed as she flipped through her closet from the chair she had settled into. “I don’t want to scare this one off. I don’t want to have to keep looking for a godsdamned tailor.”

“I know that Frederick’s rejection hurt you, but any tailor with half a brain would take you on as a client, simply because of your ja. Being able to set up a discount for your tailor compensates for a lot,” Estella said with what some Anaxi galdori would say was offensive frankness. When the two of them were outside of the house or around other people, Estella was a proper passive, polite and submissive. But Rina allowed Estella to have more freedom when they were at home. The way that Rina figured it, when someone helped you do basic things like wiping your erse, taking a bath, and helping you eat, they deserved a bit of respect and freedom to be themselves.

In truth, the two women had gotten closer over the years, much closer than was socially appropriate. The two women weren't sexually involved; Rina's pain kept them from going that far. But they had everything else that defined a relationship. Barclay and Margaret kept their secret close, both devotedly loyal to the family that they had served for years. But if galdori society found out about Rina and Estella, it would be an epic scandal. Galdori just didn't have relationships with their passives.

“What about this?” Estella asked as she pulled out a shirt of Rina’s design. It was a vest in brown, with a sweetheart cut-out lined with leather. A simple leather collar was attached to the shoulders and a line of leather with precisely placed rivets connected the shoulders to the bodice. A leather strap ran down the midline, dressed with a buckle. The bodice was lightly boned, and black lace covered underlying fabric that formed the structure of the vest.

“You think?” Rina asked, screwing her face up in thought.

“Yes. It’s one of your best recent designs, but it’s not gaudy. We can put one of your black lace undershirts underneath it and use one of your simple walking skirts to complement it,” the passive said, turning to dig in the wardrobe. She pulled out a black lace undershirt with a matching sweetheart neckline. The wrist-length sleeves weren’t lined, which meant that the lace would show off Rina’s copper skin. She showed it to Rina.

After a few more minutes, Rina nodded. “Okay,” she said, taking the undershirt from Estella and changing into it. Then she started looking at skirts in the closet. She picked out a simple brown skirt, with a high waist. Today was a relatively good day for pain, so Rina was able to get herself into the skirt. Finally, the vest was put on.

Rina hobbled over to the full-length mirror and examined her outfit. After a few seconds, she nodded with satisfaction. “It’ll do,” she said before making her way to the vanity.

Estella let out a relieved sigh as she stepped over to do Rina’s hair. As almost always, Rina let it go free, but Estella put some hair products in the galdor’s hair to define the curls just the way Rina liked. Meanwhile, Rina put on her makeup. In many ways, putting on the copper lipstick, shimmery eyeshadow in shades of brown, and eyeliner calmed Rina down. She felt like she was putting on her armor.

Rina examined her face once she was done and let out a deep sigh. She finally felt ready to meet someone who could end up judging her and rejecting her as a lesser person. “Okay. He should be here soon. Will you go check and make sure Margaret has the snacks ready for tea? I put my sketchbooks in the parlor, right?” she asked before standing up and making her way to the wheelchair waiting outside her bedroom door. She sat down with a soft sigh. It was a good pain day, but not one where she could walk around the house all night.

“You did,” Estella said with a smile. “It’ll be fine,” she said, bending down to plant a soft kiss on Rina's crown. She squeezed Rina's shoulder gently and then headed to the kitchen.

Saida flew over from her resting place on the side table by the door and chirruped at Rina before wrapping herself around the galdor’s neck. The miraan buried herself in Rina’s hair for a moment, sensing Rina’s anxiety. She nuzzled Rina reassuringly and let out a comforting rumble from her chest that was more felt than heard.

Rina picked up one of the “toys” she kept in a bag that hung off her wheelchair arm, a piece of fabric with beads sewn onto it. She started counting the beads, the focus on counting calming her down enough that when someone knocked at the front door, she simply looked up. She tucked the “toy” back into her bag, then wheeled herself to the door.

Rina took a deep breath before opening the door and smiling brightly. “Hello!” she said cheerfully.

Then Saida saw the man’s miraan peeking out, chirruped excitedly, and flew off her shoulders to meet the first miraan she had seen since Rina had bought her from the breeder.

“Saida, no!” Rina said, trying to grab the miraan before she got too far.
Last edited by Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa on Sun Jul 28, 2019 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Juniper Feldspar
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:53 pm
Topics: 10
Race: Wick
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
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Writer: Foxing
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Sat Apr 06, 2019 3:50 pm

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The Stacks| Late afternoon
10th INTAS 2719
Juniper was momentarily confused when the door opened and there was no servant at eye level, but then his gaze dropped to find a striking Mugrobi woman, young but clearly very sure of herself from the confident way she considered the small tailor. And there was something vaguely familiar about her...

Her greeting was bright and cheerful, and he was just about reply, offering his hand, when a streak of copper unwound itself from around her neck, darting towards him.

He had just recognised the shape as another teacup drake, when Miranda squealed in distress, attempting to wriggle inside his shirt collar. Unfortunately for both the miraan and her owner, the harness she wore meant that she got her head inside but then stuck.


“Oh no...ah...darling, get…get out!


Hands gloved in soft grey leather shot up as he desperately craned his face away from the flailing clawed wings and whipping tail, scrabbling for a moment before closing firmly around scaled silver shoulders. The little wick gently tugged his pet free, wincing as he registered the long scratch one claw had left on his freckled cheek, above the neatly clipped line of his closely-trimmed ginger beard.

Holding the miraan close to his wool-coated chest and ducking away from the copper miraan, covered basket dangling askew from one elbow, he apologised profusely.


“I'm so sorry, I had no idea that...wait…”


That striking face and beautiful hair finally clicked in his head, and he remembered where he'd seen her before.


“...is it… Rina?”


That cheerful girl from the Singing Badger back in Vortas last year, back when…

He flushed, suddenly worried. Back when he'd just met Xav, and was acting more than a little moon-struck.

...like you're any better now… he scolded himself.

He cleared his throat nervously, still clutching Miranda, who wriggled, chirping indignantly, feather crest fluffed in distress.

“Juniper Feldspar. I believe you're expecting me?”
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Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:53 pm
Topics: 7
Race: Galdor
: "For Gods' sake, just call me Rina."
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Plot Notes: Plot notes, incl. thread history
Writer: Rachel/jadeowl
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Sat Apr 06, 2019 6:21 pm

Rina’s house Brunnhold
on the 10th of Intas, 2719 Evening
Rina swore colorfully in Mugrobi as Saida tried to get Juniper's miraan to come out and play.

Saida, come,” the bronze-skinned girl said in Mugrobi. Her voice was pure galdori command and Saida immediately stopped what she was doing. She flew back to Rina and, if one tried to anthropomorphize the miraan’s demeanor, one word would come to mind: ashamed.

The miraan wrapped herself around Rina’s neck, chirruping and trying to cheer Rina up. The ploy didn’t work and Rina called out to Estella. “Essie, dear. Can you please come put Saida in her cage until Mr. Feldspar’s visit is over?”

She turned back to Juniper, nodding her head at his recognizing her. “Yes, Rina. Please,” she laughed. “Father insists I use my full name for correspondence, but I’m not nearly sadistic enough to make everyone repeat my full name when talking to me, Mr. Feldspar. Or do you prefer Juniper?”

Essie came up behind her and gently took Saida from around Rina’s neck, scolding the miraan gently before walking off. “I’m so sorry about that. Saida hasn’t seen another miraan since we brought her home from the breeder,” Rina said apologetically as she pulled her wheelchair around. “If I had known you had one, I would have kept Saida in her cage. Please come in.” She rolled herself further down the hall, moving well out of the way of the door. “Is your miraan injured? I can heal her if she is.”

Once Juniper had entered the house, Rina led him down the hallway to the parlor. Her house was decorated richly, but not lavishly. The paintings on the wall were clearly originals and, when Juniper entered the parlor, the furniture was of equally high quality.

“Please, sit down,” Rina said, waving towards the couch and loveseat as she rolled herself over to a spot by the fireplace. Essie entered the room after Juniper, standing by the door quietly. “Essie will be bringing some light refreshment. I didn’t know what you like to drink, but we have wine, coffee, and various teas. I imagine that something warm would be appreciated if the blast of ice I got when I opened the door was any indication of the weather outside. I’ll be having coffee myself, Essie, dear,” she said to the passive, who nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“I have to be honest – I’m a bit embarrassed. If I had half a brain, I would have put two and two together and realized that the amazing tailor my friend’s servant was gushing about that just happened to be named Juniper was one and the same Juniper I met on that lovely Vortas night,” Rina laughed. Her body language and tone of voice was one of someone who was meeting up with an old friend, not someone who was meeting a person she was going to commission clothes from. “How have you been? How’s your lovely friend doing?” she asked.
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Juniper Feldspar
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:53 pm
Topics: 10
Race: Wick
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Mon May 27, 2019 2:43 pm

Feldspar Tailoring
☙ 10th of Intas, 2719; Evening ❧
He blinked, still a little thrown off-guard by the realisation that he already knew this client.

“I uh… Juniper is fine, I’ve never liked the honorific, it makes me feel like I’m pretending to be something I’m not.” ...and ye do enough o’ that in any case…

The little tailor apologised once again, still soothing his ruffled pet with one hand.

“No, no- it’s my fault, I should make it more public that I use her as a courier for the business. I really am so sorry. Saida, you say? She’s beautiful. And if I’m honest,” he continued, moving into the hall and carefully closing the front door behind him, “I’m not sure Miranda knows she’s a miraan. She was tiny when I found her, and I think yours might actually be the first of her kind she’s seen. Injured? Oh no, she’s just a diva. Aren’t you, pet?” he asked the little creature fondly, who had calmed down somewhat and was now wrapped firmly around his left wrist, the clawed wings clinging tightly to his fingers.

The tailor’s cobalt gaze flicked around the rooms, taking in the surroundings without staring impolitely, and Juniper smiled gratefully at his host ...client, ye moongazer, this is ne a social visit… placing his basket on the floor at his feet.

“Oh gosh, coffee would be wonderful- thank you.” That last was directed towards Essie, in an equally grateful tone.

Unwinding his scarf with the hand not currently draped in sepentine coils, Juniper laid it over the arm of the couch and began working on the buttons of his overcoat- it was lovely and warm in the parlour, a welcome respite from the bitter cold of the street.

He chuckled softly at her apology.

“Goodness, don’t worry. I’m far too grateful to realise that my new client is someone I already know and like.” He went to place Miranda down on the arm of the couch, but froze, remembering himself just in time. “Forgive me, would you rather she stayed off the furniture?”

Freckled cheeks flushed as Rina asked after his ‘lovely friend’.

“Um. Xavier is… well, I believe. They were only in Brunnhold for a very short time- they travel, you see. I did receive a letter not too long ago, I think they’re in Vienda currently, though I have no way of writing back…”

His smile faltered for a moment, memories bittersweet with the knowledge that he was unlikely to ever see the beautiful musician again, but he remembered himself swiftly.

“But how have you been since then? And what can I do for you? I had no idea you were so talented at designing.”

Shrugging off his overcoat, he placed that too over the arm of the couch, and sat leaning forward, elbows on his knees, regarding her with a cheerful smile.

☙❧
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Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:53 pm
Topics: 7
Race: Galdor
: "For Gods' sake, just call me Rina."
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Plot Notes: Plot notes, incl. thread history
Writer: Rachel/jadeowl
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Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:38 pm

Rina's house The Stacks, Brunnhold
on the 10th of Intas, 2719 Evening
Rina smiled brightly. "Juniper it is, then!" the half-Mugrobi woman said cheerfully. "Oh, you found yours? That must be an interesting story! I'd love to hear it sometime. I brought Saida from a Mugrobi breeder. There are some breeders who are trying to breed and train them, with the ultimate goal of making them as trainable as dogs. It's a pretty interesting process, though the process has only recently begun."

"I keep in touch with Saida's breeder. I got my beauty when I was 13, so she's getting up there in years. Gods willing, I won't need a replacement for her anytime soon, but I eventually will need a replacement," Rina said, sadness touching her voice. "She's my... well, we call her an 'assistance pet'," Rina continued with a bit of a self-conscious laugh. The term her family had settled on to refer to Saida had been a topic of teasing on occasion. "She comes with me and helps me with small tasks when Essie's not able to be with me, like when I'm in class. I've trained her to do all sorts of things from picking up something from the ground to helping me rearrange my blankets to getting something out of my bag."

Rina chuckled at Juniper's reluctance to put Miranda on the couch. "Please feel free as long as Miranda won't scratch the furniture or use it as a toilet. Saida's given the run of the house, for the most part. Of course, the kitchen is off-limits," she laughed, knowing that Juniper was probably well-aware of miraan appetites. "There's a litter box underneath that end table by the door if your beauty needs to use it."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Rina said sincerely. "Both my friends and I really enjoyed Xavier's performance. Ah, well. I suppose he'll be back in town eventually."

Rina blushed at Juniper's compliment. "Oh, thank you! It's a hobby of mine. It kind of came naturally, since my ja has his fabric business." She talked of her ja's business as if it were just some minor business that the man dabbled in, not a major international business. "I've been keeping busy. School and socializing and all that. Father wants me to build some solid network connections and, luckily, I like parties," she grinned.

Estella entered the room with fresh coffee and a plate of finger sandwiches and small sweets. "Please, help yourself," Estella said as she nodded her head and put the tray down on a table between the couch and loveseat. Once Juniper's coffee had been served, Estella moved over to Rina and helped her transfer from the wheelchair to the loveseat, supporting the disabled woman as she stood up and made the few steps between the wheeelchair and the loveseat slowly. Rina bit her bottom lip hard to keep from letting out a pain-filled whimper as she settled herself down, wedging herself in the corner of the loveseat and shifting until she found a comfortable position. Essie placed a light blanket on her, then moved the wheelchair so it was out of the way before sitting down in an armchair near the loveseat so she could help Rina if necessary.

Rina's demeanor changed as she got down to business. She still remained friendly, but her tone became less jovial and more serious. "As far as what I need from you, well... In the short term, I need help designing and producing a dress for my upcoming birthday party. It'll be nothing fancy, but I do like a good reason to dress up," Rina grinned.

"In the long term, I'm looking for a collaborator. My previous collaborator was forced to retire and the person that took over his shop felt that having someone like me," she paused, her bitterness touching her face despite her efforts as she waved along her body to indicate her disability, "representing his brand would bring down its reputation."

"Of course, he doesn't realize that I'm going to cut him off from my ja's fabrics," the disabled woman said with a self-satisfied smirk. "Let's see how that impacts his precious reputation." It was clear that the galdori woman was not one to cross. She didn't throw her power around often, but she wasn't one to let such a severe insult remain unpunished.

"My friends have been gushing about you, so I know you have the skill to make high-quality clothes. Of course, I'd give credit where it's due. I'm not one of those erseholes who pretend that they had the time and skill to make clothes on their own," Rina said with an ungraceful snort of disgust and rolled eyes. "I'm fully aware of the limitations of my skill and, while I've picked up some things from my previous collaborations, I know that it's best to leave the details to the experts. Plus I just cannot keep up with all the developments when it comes to sewing techniques and such," she chuckled.

"As I mentioned, you will be given a discount on Mulugeta pez Jotaku fabrics and the right to use the brand name in advertisements if we decide to embark upon a collaborative relationship. Essie, dear, give him one of the portfolios," Rina commanded before taking a drink of her coffee.

Estella murmured a "yes, ma'am" and stood up, moving over to a sideboard where Rina's portfolios had been placed. Estella stood there for a few seconds before picking out the portfolios that she thought would put her employer's design capability in the best light. She handed them to Juniper with a smile and slight nod of the head before sitting back down next to Rina.
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