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TILLA'S TAILORING - AFTERNOON
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Robin slowly wanders around the small shop, full of all sizes and manners of clothing. It really is just a very general shop of 'You need an outfit, we probably have that outfit.' Really Robin is just trying to keep an eye out for anything that might have drifted in from Vamas. He also needs a pair of coveralls, the one set he'd brought was torn up the back by a snag in the rented barn. Despite the white blouse and narrow red skirt, his brushed tail curled up against his back out of everyone elses way as he tries to peruse the rack for work clothes that might fit him.
Maecy is in buying a few supplies, nearly finished with her big project and just down to the details now. With Mia's cutter working perfectly, the 'details' now mostly require more traditional sewing tools she's left at home, resulting in the stoat now buying some lower end tools and fabrics, but they'll have to do, and Tilla's Tailoring has the best selection of the basics in Respite.
Robin draws a pair of overalls from the rack, quietly scoffing at the inseam as he turns them over. "Please... This will pop apart just from picking up a bag of sand..." He holds them out in front of himself, sighing. "And they're too big. Is this a badger waistline? This is no good..."
Maecy steps nearby, rolling out a bit of fabric to examine. Her ears perk up at Robin's complaints. She looks back with a smile, "They don't really do customization, do they? If there's something you like I can probably modify it for you cheap."
Robin gives a light sigh, shaking his head a little as he looks past the coveralls toward the stoat. "Mmh?" He gets a look at the materials she's gathered, humming. "Oh I don't know ah... The uh... Heavy fabric might not be suited to work with those tools." He glances toward the overalls, which probably aren't that much heavier than a thick cotton.
Maecy chuckles, "These tools? No, maybe not. But trust me, I've been working with some... ah, much heavier material back in my room. These are just for the detailing." She glances at the coveralls. "Besides, that's just a work outfit. My Mom taught me to resize that kind of stuff in my sleep."
Robin tilts his head a little, glancing at the tools again, then back to Maecy's face. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know you had more tools. Suppose I might assume a bit out this way. Your mother, hmm?"
Maecy nods, "Family of stoats, and Sarn fashion doesn't usually account for us smaller folk. ...don't know if any place's fashion does that. Seems we always get left out. But ah, room for opportunity, as they say!" She pauses, then blinks, "Oh! I didn't even introduce myself! I'm Maecy. Maecy Frecklemeyer."
Robin nods, offering a short curtsey. "Robin Tanner, at your service. I normally don't have too much trouble finding nice stuff, but work clothes do seem to be hit and miss. Honestly, I got dozens of overalls and coveralls and gloves from my pops, but I don't tend to ruin 'em much."
Maecy offers a curtsey in return, "Oh! Well hang onto those then! I don't usually offer my services for resizing and repairs and such, but I'm a little short on coin and it beats begging off my sister. Never been afraid of a bit of simple work, even if it's not my usual thing. And I mean, honestly the only work clothes I've actually 'designed' were my sisters, and her specifications for the outfit was just 'lots of pockets'."
Robin pauses, nodding. "Lots of pockets would be very nice, yes. I can certainly pay, within reason. If your sister is your size, I'd need it to be just a bit smaller." He looks to the oversized outfit in his hands. "So you normally do what, blouses and such? Who's your designer?"
Maecy giggles. "The better question is who's my manufacturer. I mean, it's also me. But it's me. I'm the designer" She slips out the sketchpad from inside the breast pocket of her outfit and presents it to Robin, "I give my sister that one, a few extra pockets never hurts."
Robin blinks, smiling a bit more. "Oh really? Again, I assumed and was wrong..." He pauses in speaking as he takes the sketchbook and flips through the first few designs. "Oh... Very wrong... These are wonderful! Oh look how you designed everything around this giraffe's height, the patterns~!"
Maecy blushes, giving another little bow, "I think it's important to design outfits that are both beautiful unto themselves, and also accentuate everyone's natural beauty. I'll never understand folks who think the same outfit is 'good enough' for everyone. I mean, utility is one thing, but fashion should be unique! Fashion should be a reflection of the person wearing it, and not just 'the thing everyone else is wearing'." She frowns, "Ugh, sorry. Sarn Nobility is maddening to deal with as a designer. And I've not even dealt with all that many of them."
Robin waves a hand at that. "Nobility can stuff it, they get all the nice stuff for free. I don't have a ton of money right now, but I might be back here with some one day. And if not, you might wind up in Vamas one day. I'd die to have you create something for me~!"
Maecy nods enthusiastically, "Oh, sure, I'd be delighted to! Though, I'm guessing you don't just mean", She motions towards the rack of overalls, "Work clothes? What were you thinking?"
Robin sets the overalls down, turning a bit on the spot as he gestures to where the current outfit accents, and where it generally falls flat. "Something to accent my tail a bit more, maybe? I like flowing around the legs, but snug around the chest. Like you say, not much in our sizes in general. But really, I want to leave the patterns and lines up to you, goin by your sketches."
Maecy flips through her sketchbook to an empty page, pulling out her pencil as she tries to shuffle all the tools she's buying under her arm, resulting in a rather awkward looking pose. She starts to sketch, then stops to look around. "Err... maybe finish our purchases, first? I have an idea, and I want to get it draw out and see where it goes, but I guess doing it right here in the aisle would be... uh... difficult."
Robin shakes his head a bit, reaching for the things Maecy is holding other than her sketchbook. "I'll take these to the counter, you focus on what you gotta focus on~" He does so while paying for the closest pair of overalls to his size he'd managed to find, though doesn't hint at paying for her things - he's already riding on what little he and Shirley have available.
Maecy shifts position to let Robin take her things up to the counter, not really assuming he intends to pay for them, but suddenly a bit engrossed in her idea. "Open for the tail, but how best to accentuate it? I like this bit of flair though, having the lines blend into it..." She mumbles to herself as she draws.
Robin pays for his things, finding a spot against the wall to sit and discuss more with Maecy about fashion and their home towns, occasionally one of them flitting here or there in the shop to grab something for inspiration .
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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - EVENING
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Erika is sitting at a table, leaning back and mostly staring into nothing at all, her head full of various musings. The okapi is dressed up a bit, in a small purple number - she figured heading out would make her focus on something else besides the ritual she, Nesseth and Louma are about to make with young Xochicoatl, and she really has no idea what she's doing.
Mirriam plods her way into the Thirsty Minnow, mumbling something to herself about 'all the heavy parcels' as she drops her satchels, right hand carrying them just an inch above the floor by their straps. She looks fairly tired, though still smiles around to anyone who greets her on the way in. Her smile brightens when she spots Erika, diverting from her beeline to the bar and plopping herself down in the seat across the table from the okapi. "Hello cher~! How's ya doin'?"
Erika brightens up at the sight of the Roo: "Oh! Hey there! And I guess just doing nothing much. You? You sorta look all toasty."
Mirriam huffs, setting her empty satchels down beside her and shedding her green jacket. She nods and groans with a big stretch upwards, squeaking a bit as she relaxes from the stretch a second later. "A bit, yea. Everyone and their gramma musta been shipping our gold ingots or sum'n t'day. Felt like I was carryin' the mint 'round."
Erika giggles softly, lifting her hand to Mirriam's: "Aww, it couldn't have been that bad... you're a big girl."
Mirriam grins, squeezing Erika's hand gently. "Damn right I am. Still, y'looked a bit distracted when I came over, you gotcher own heavy parcel weighin' ya down?"
Erika blinks, then nods slowly, her smile waning a bit: "You could say. It's a... mess. Though if everything goes fine, there's nothing to worry about, but before it does, there's everything to worry about." She gives Mirriam a short version of the events - far as she knows - leading up the ritual.
Mirriam listens, nodding along but keeping comments to herself, which is a bit of a feat. "Well sounds like ya got tangled up inta something complicated, 'n so did Nesseth. Sounds a lot like if that goof off Captain hadn't messed up, ya would be free and clear a all that. I ain't really got no advice for ya, cher."
Erika squeezes Mirriam's hand: "Not really expecting advice I guess, just... I dunno, it's kinda all over my head. Just want no one to get hurt."
Mirriam giggles quietly. Well then I c'n be here for support, at least. Who've ya talked to about it all though? Or ya lettin' Nesseth and Xochicoatl handle the ritual plannin'?"
Erika glances aside: "Mostly letting them do it... I'm not really all that good at all... that." She shrugs: "Be there for them, help where I can, hope for the best?"
Mirriam tilts her head a bit. "Just don't go gettin' yourself cursed or summat that, yea?" She grins a bit. "You got weird luck with that kinda thing, it seems."
Erika gives a lopsided smile: "I don't think I can get like... more cursed, right? I already have a feral side up here-" she taps the side of her head: "That really won't leave."
Mirriam hums, nodding. "True, but like, don't need ya disappearin' into another time or whatever. I might not understand what's goin' on exactly with the snake lady."
Erika shrugs: "Yeah, you got a point. Let's... let's hope that it won't cause more trouble or anything."
Mirriam smiles, letting go of Erika's hand to shuffle into the seat next to her to pull the okapi into a hug. "I'm sure all comes out fine long as Louma doesn't tick off the gods with her smarminess."
Erika giggles despite herself as she hugs the roo: "Probably not. She doesn't mean harm."
Mirriam chuckles, shrugging. "Probably not. How's ya garden doin', by the way? Haven't swung by to bug ya for a few days."
Erika smiles a little bit brighter: "The one constant in my life... the garden's doing really great, all in all. Some of the new seeds me and Nesseth found up near Mean Peak have started to grow admirably - can't wait to see what they're good for!"
Mirriam giggles, giving Erika a nudge. "None've those plants're blue and flowery, right? Ya recovered'n got yer assets back where they're s'posed t'be, no need ta tempt fate by growin' the things yourself, yea?"
Erika pauses for a brief second: "W-weeelll... we do have one individual in case we need to make the antidote again. But it's safely growing inside a glass jar on my windowsill."
Mirriam gives Erika a look as that well is drawn out, but breathes a sigh of relief on hearing more. "Well that's fine then. Oh wait, that flower is the one? I seen it last week, no wonder y'all can't keep from rollin' around in them. It does look quite pretty."
Erika giggles: "Pretty and dangerous. And even smells good. Darned thing, really." She leans back: "I guess I should've guessed it, sooner or later a plant would dictate some of my life."
Mirriam grins, leaning over and nuzzling Erika's neck for a moment. "Well ya got two outa three things in common with that flower. Least two obvious ones~"
Erika giggles as she leans on Mirriam just a bit more: "So dangerous and I smell good?"
Mirriam giggles, nodding. "Yea. I slready forget what the other one ya said was. Horny? I think flowers're always horny, right? That's a less noticable trait, usually."
Erika gives Mirriam's ear a lick: "You might need to get this cleaned, some day. Although horny is probably accurate for me."
Mirriam shivers, blushing a bit. "Only speakin' from experience, cher~"
Erika nuzzles Mirriam's neck in turn: "Mm, I'm such a horrible friend, taking up your time with such nonsense."
Mirriam hugs Erika, blush brightening a bit more. "Nah, no time wasted. 'M glad ta hear ya out on yer troubles with Louma, always brings a glow to my heart, vren."
Erika smirks: "My troubles or the fact that Louma's getting the short end of whatever stick? What's with her and you, anyway?"
Mirriam hums, pausing on that. "I... Don't know really? Mean I used ta help Nesseth prank her back in the day, and I guess I kinda dislike her by proxy? I know she was a bitch ta him back when he got here, 'n that was enough fer me."
Erika tilts her head: "I guess? I mean, she's kinda stiff but not really that mean? Though she mostly keeps away from my garden."
Mirriam giggles. "Probably doesn' wanna get a twig in her feathers. S'why yer better'n her. Plenty soft instead'a stiff." She gives Erika's butt a playful squeeze under the guise of another hug.
Erika giggles, then squeaks at the butt-squeeze: "Mrf! Being soft is definitely why I keep you around, you've got all the curves to enjoy with all senses."
Mirriam grins at the squeak, not discouraged by the flattery. "Well maybe I can't give ya any helpful direction on the whole magical ritual thing, but I c'n offer ya a couple hours of exhaustin' distraction. I don' like seein' ya all stressed out after all, cher~"
Erika smirks: "Well, if you're offering... my place is currently a bit busy, but reckon we can always 'get a room', as the saying goes?"
Mirriam chuckles. "Aww, we can' just get to it at the table? Well if ya insist on a little more privacy, sure~"
Erika sticks her tongue out: "Pretty sure Barkeep would throw us out, and I want that even less than a ban at the bathhouse."
Mirriam kisses Erika, giggling after. "As ya like. Bed's probably more comfy than the table anywho~" She bites her lip, nudging Erika toward the stairs.
Erika giggles: "Talking my language, this roo lady is. I must obey." She follows Mirriam with very little resistance, somehow.
Mirriam leads the way upstairs, finding a few ways once behind closed doors to fully distract Erika.