----------------------------------------------
RESPITE MARKETPLACE - LATE MORNING
----------------------------------------------
Mirriam navigates the busy marketplace with ease, managing to only lightly thump anyone walking by her with her tail when they choose to make her dodge around them. Her uniform is as crisp as ever, much more together than the rough humming from behind her smile. She's loaded with a bundle of letters in one satchel today, dropping them off in individual shops. Her other satchel is full of two parcels, keeping her from closing the leather top which, if she were honest, annoyed the kangaroo that morning. Just small enough to not be worth going out just for them, just large enough to be a minor hassle. She passes the stall they both belong to twice before pausing in front of Emmeline and Jennica's table, pulling the parcel out and looking at the nearest shop. "Here? Merchants are supposed to... Yeah alright, hey miss lizard lady? Y'know who... 'Ra-hisk' is? She's got parcels." She looks right at Rhask, wiggling one of the parcels to emphasize that she's a courier.
Rhask is in the middle of knitting a piece of clothing for an order when she looks up at the kangaroo, curiosity on her face as she sees the unfamiliar person on the other side of the stall. "Hm? Oh! The materials I ordered!" She sets her knitting aside and jumps up with a happy little grin, holding her hands out to accept the parcel, "I'm Rhask, and I'm the one that ordered the materials!"
Mirriam hums, tilting her head a bit. "Rhask? Well since y'know how ta pronounce it, must be your name! S'ppose it does sound like something lizard-y after all." She chuckles, leaning over the stall a bit to hand off the parcel to Rhask. "I don't know how long ya been waiting for it, but whoever sent it knew which stall y'were in."
Rhask giggles and accepts the parcel, which she sets down behind the counter for the moment. "I've been ordering materials from Vamas for a little while, now, so I think the supplier knows at this point. I figure I'd get a head start on making things in preparation for winter time."
Mirriam ahhs, nodding. "I see, makes sense! I've only just come back, so don't know all th'new faces. So many new faces! Respite's grown a lot in three years, f'sure."
Rhask tilts her head, curiosity still evident in her eyes. "You used to live here before? Wow, what was it like three years ago?" She smiles a bit, "I've only been here for a little under a year."
Mirriam hums, scratching her chin for a moment. "Oh, less busy? Not as many houses outside th'walls, that's for sure! Might be a bit skewed though, was workin' in Polycaster fer most of my time away, way busier." She nods, looking to Rhask. "Well welcome, I guess! It's a nice place. Is that a knitted sweater? Are people buying woolen stuff in Respite?"
Rhask chuckles and nods as she picks up one of the completed sweaters on the counter and holds it up for Mirriam to look at. "Thanks for the welcome, and yup! It's not made from wool, though. It gets hot, here, so I had to modify a bit so things are lighter weight. I've also managed to make them a bit more weather-proof thanks to some ideas from someone I know!"
Mirriam feels the material, looking over the garment with a curious smile. "This looks great! And weatherproof you say? Like a bit'o rain and wind? Y'got anything that'll fit me? I didn't bring a whole lot of clothes back with me, mostly a few uniforms 'n such." She giggles, "If not, do ya do orders?"
Rhask giggles and nods. "Oh, way more than just 'a bit of rain', miss! Watch, I'll show you!" She sets the piece of clothing down flat on the counter, then dips down behind the counter for a few seconds, during which she answers the other question, "I have a bunch of stuff that can fit just about anyone, but I can do custom pieces if you want something more fitted!"
Mirriam watches as directed, grinning when Rhask confirms her question. "I'm not fussy on fit, s'long as it's comfortable. Our uniforms are made for savannas and cities, not really fer heavy rain season. It's only a bit stuffy here, 'til I get soaked midsummer."
Rhask pops back up, a cup of water in hand. "Oh, good news, then! The way I treat the fabric, it gets nice and stretchy, so it's pretty cozy." She gestures at the cup with a grin, "Now! Here's a cup of water. You'd figure a material like this would just soak it right up, right?"
Mirriam hums, tilting her head a bit. "Ya, that sounds about right. Issit not gonna?"
Rhask simply grins and tips the cup over, dumping the contents out in their entirety right onto the middle of the sweater. The water splashes just a little, and eventually settles into the contours of the sweater's materials, but simply beads up. "Nope!"
Mirriam stares at the sweater for a few moments, smiling brightly. "That's incredible! Y'turned a shirt into a backwards waterskin! But what about stretches? I guess the water don't sit in puddles when ya move around though... Is it a secret?"
Rhask nods as she sets the cup aside and stretches the fabric while it's on the table. A small amount of water does manage to get through the weave, but definitely far, far less than what it would have soaked up without the treatment. "The way I treat it is something I learned from another tailor, so I can't really share it, but the waterproofing and stretchiness are both from the same treatment."
Mirriam chuckles, nodding. "That's fair, yeah. Ya id a great job though, that's some great 'proofin! I think I might nneed ya to size me up for somethin' like that, if y'aren't too busy, ami."
Rhask nods with a smile as she pulls the shirt off of the counter and gives it a well-practiced snap to the side, spraying the water away from the store front and towards the stretch of ground a bit behind her. "Sure! If you have the time, I could get you fitted right now, if you like!"
Mirriam is about to round the stall when she remembers the weight at her sides. "Ah would love to, but can ya wait maybe... Quarter an hour? Can't really abandon my route so close to done! Well, I could, my own boss an' all but it's th'principle, ya know?"
Rhask blinks, then chuckles when she remembers that the person across the counter just delivered her package. "Oh, sure! I'll be right here when you're done, miss. Take your time!"
Mirriam grins, nodding. "Oh-ay, wont make you wait long, Rhask!" She waves briefly before turning away and darting off, weaving pretty well through the crowd again. It doesn't exactly take the roo a long time to find the rest of her recipients, her route taking her in a full circle out of the far end of the marketplace, back to the Thirsty Minnow where she drops off her satchels and the only two unreceived letters. She returns a minute shorter than expected, huffing through a rather excited smile when she peeks back into the stall. "Still here, mm?"
Rhask is indeed still sitting behind the counter, her knitting needles flashing as she took the time to continue work on the piece she was working on before Mirriam first showed up. She looks up with a smile and nods. "Yup, still here!"
Mirriam chuckles, stepping up to the counter and catching her breath. Without the satchels at her sides, the uniform she's wearing hangs relatively loose on her body, giving her a rather straight-lined appearance. "That's good, wouldn't have blamed ya for trotting off for lunch though! So where d'we do the measurin'?"
Rhask tilts her head a bit as she sets her knitting aside again and grabs her measuring string, along with a notepad and pencil. "Don't worry, miss, I usually eat a little later most days. As for where... right here, of course!"
Mirriam blinks, looking back toward the marketplace. "Here? Well, if that's not unusual, sure. Guess it's not like everyone is always dressed to full anyhow." She thinks of at least one person who she knows wanders about in very little, blushing a bit when she realizes she's recalling her wearing even less at the moment." Without much warning, Mirriam grips the bottom of her uniform shirts, pulling them up over her head and setting the garments in a bundle on the counter top. She does keep her back to the main marketplace, grinning with a bit of a remaining blush at Rhask. "Ah uh... Bold practice but that's fun... Er fine." At least Rhask's measurements will be 100 percent accurate...
Rhask continues to smile at Mirriam right up until she starts pulling her shirt up. She tries to stutter out a reply to stop the kangaroo from doing so, but winds up blushing vividly more out of embarrassment than anything else as the uniform top gets bundled onto the counter. "A-ah! W-wait miss, no I d-didn't mean...! I, ah... oh, dear..." She trails off, the flushing of her cheeks showing through her scales, "I... er... y-you didn't need to disrobe, miss..."
Mirriam blinks, looking down at her shirt then back to Rhask with a nervous chuckle, delayed in her reaction before one arm coming up across her chest. "Oh! I uh... Maybe di'nt understand that bit! Well uh... We're here, d'you... Need me to put it back on?"
Rhask 's eyes flick towards Mirriam's chest as she covers up, but simply smiles awkwardly as she looks back up. "Uh... if you want to, yes. Er... the measurements are pretty accurate as long as your clothes aren't overly thick. E-even then, I don't think I'd need you to completely undress..."
Mirriam chuckles, reaching for her shirts with her free hand and trying to shake the undershirt free of the heavier green top. "Well I w-wasn't gonna take my pants off for ya, miss. Only need a j-jacket for now methink..." She shakes the shirts harder, giving up on modesty after a moment to use both hands to start untangling them.
Rhask averts her eyes out of respect for Mirriam. "I, uh... wouldn't have asked you to do that anyway, miss... Just outer clothing like jackets and overcoats coming off would be enough."
Mirriam chuckles quietly again, managing to pull the cotton undershirt free of her coat and pulling it on, only flashing the market for a moment longer. "I'm sorry! Was my fault, might have been a bit excited 'bout getting a proper shirt made!" She grins, her blush fading quickly now she's covered herself again.
Rhask giggles a little as she chances a look at Mirriam, only to turn to properly face her again once she sees she's covered up. "It's fine, miss. But, please, come around the counter and I can start measuring you so you can get some new clothes."
Mirriam grins, nodding as she sets the jacket aside, more tangled up than ever. She's dreading the wrinkles in the back of her mind, but her focus is on stepping around the stall without knocking anything over with her tail. "I'll behave, promise." She steps into a clear spot, spreading her arms and standing still.
Rhask giggles a bit as she steps aside to make some space for Mirriam, the implications flying clean over her head. "I didn't take you for a troublemaker of any sort, miss. Don't worry, it won't take long to get you measured."
Mirriam chuckles, nodding slightly. "I'm glad, wouldn't want t'scare you off. Most folks here aren't as unstuffy, don't think it'll happen too often to ya." Her focus on standing still leaves her eyes to wander over things behind the stall, as well as Rhask. "I love the white in your outfit, how d'ya keep it so bright?"
Rhask goes about her initial measurements of Mirriam, starting with her arms and waist. She smiles brightly as she answers the question. "Vigorous washing, and good dyes. In northern Vamas, the bright colors are what keeps us visible out in the snow."
Mirriam hums, nodding a bit as she admires the outfit. "I see. I soak my cottons fer longer, but they still get a bit off. I mean not too worried, this shirt's always covered..." She giggles. "Well, usually. So from Vamas, are ya? I didn't know many lizards would live somewhere so cold. Or are ya part something? Cause I mean, never met any lizards... well endowed as y'are either." She hesitates, shaking her head. "Sorry, didn't mean t'blurt that out, a bit rambling, still nervous after th'whole... Gods Mirriam shut up. Sorry." She chuckles nervously again, looking away from Rhask.
Rhask nods along with a smile as she lets Mirriam look her clothes over a bit between measurements while she writes down the numbers. She pauses, however, and tilts her head at the question. "From what I've heard, Lizards are all over the place. And... endowed? What do you mean?"
Mirriam blushes a bit, still looking aside. "Ah n-nevermind my rambling, it was ah... Inappropriate to ask about. I m-mean..." She glances toward Rhask, subconsciously flitting her gaze to her chest before looking up to her eyes. She smiles apologetically. "So ah y'got me all scribbled down, yea?"
Rhask blinks as she catches Mirriam's eyes flicking down at her chest, then she catches on. She winds up blushing a little beneath her scales again. "Ah... n-no, I'm a full-blooded Lizard, as far as I'm aware." She pauses and glances at the notepad to double-check the numbers she has, "Uh... you're looking just for shirts, right?"
Mirriam sighs a bit as the awkward topic seems to be escapable. "Yeah. Maybe a jacket with th-that water blocking, similar to mine? Liek the color mostly, the shape doesn't matter too much, but the color's a bit important."
Rhask hums as she shifts her gaze over to the bundled jacket on the counter. "That same vibrant green? I should be able to match it pretty closely." She steps back a bit and takes a moment to look her outfit over, then points at the green on her belt, "Here, see?"
Mirriam looks down, finding the green Rhask is pointing to and smiling. "That looks close as can be, yep! So yah, a shirt and jacket pair, if that's not too much to ask!"
Rhask nods happily and quickly makes a note on the list of measurements. "A shirt and a jacket, sure! Did you want the treatment on both the shirt and the jacket, or just the jacket?"
Mirriam grins, stepping back around to the side of the counter she as a customer should be on. "Well just the jacket, I think. Don't plan on wandering around in the shirt much without it, really." She hums after a few moments, placing her hands on her sides. "Oh, that jacket has padding, almost forgot. Keeps the satchels from hurting, y'know?" Pretty sure it's just stacked cloth."
Rhask hums thoughtfully at that little detail, then jots down another note. "I might be able to come up with something good, in that case. Our clothing is a little bulky up in Vamas just for insulation, but I think I can modify that design for padding."
Mirriam grins, slipping her jacket on over her head and quickly tugging it straight. Only a handful of wrinkles remain after a moment of fussing. "I trust y'know your trade, Rhask."
Rhask smiles and nods. "I do enjoy trying to experiment in design! I'll try my best to make sure the jacket is comfortable to wear with and without your satchels."
Mirriam nods, grinning. "I look forward to it, ami! D'ya know when I should come back around?"
Rhask thinks for a few seconds, looking at the measurements, modifications and such, then mentally compares it to her current list of orders. "I'd say... maybe a week or two? The treatment for the jacket will be the part that takes the longest, but I should have the shirt ready pretty quickly, probably within a few days."
Mirriam grins, nodding quickly. "Alright! I'll see you in two weeks with a janglin' pouch of coins! Thank you ferya time, Rhask, really. 'Specially when I was stumbling down dumbass street."
Rhask giggles and waves a hand. "It's fine, miss. We all have our moments. No offense taken at all, really." She smiles warmly, "If you want, you're welcome to stop by any time to see what I have for sale. I also help the folks I share this stall with sell their goods, too, if you're interested in charms."
Mirriam looks aside to the charm displays, humming for a moment. "Oh? I thought you were just sharing the stall, but yeah, where are they at? I mean, some of these are cute..." She bends, examining a couple of the pieces without touching. "But I dunno if I need any. Don't even got a house t'keep em in right now." She grins at Rhask, shrugging. "Maybe next week!"
Rhask grins and nods. "Perhaps! The folks I help out and share the stall with are in and out a bit, but you'll know them when you see them. Miss Jennica and Miss Emmeline. We trade off who's present every couple of days just so we don't crowd up too much back here."
Mirriam chuckles, nodding. "I could see that, most of these things are built for one big merchant at most. Like a uh... Well, a bull or ox or something." She pauses a moment, shaking her head. "Not sure where I was going with that but hyep."
Rhask giggles. "You aren't too far off. There is a bit of space, but it definitely isn't meant for more than two people at a time." She dips into a bit of a bow, still smiling brightly, "Anyway! I'd best let you get on with your day, miss. Your order will be ready within a couple of weeks, and feel free to stop by before then if you want updates on progress!"
Mirriam smiles, bowing back in turn, almost mirroring Rhask's gesture perfectly. "And you, misss Rhask! Thank you again!" She turns with a chuckle, almost walking into another marketgoer on the way out of the stall, a bit of extra bounce in her step and probably glad she's already forgotten about the impromptu show she'd put on a few minutes before.