Somehow, I catch up with her, "Rianta-chira, what's wrong?"
She fights back against my grabbing, "I... I don't want to talk about it... Not here... Not..."
"What about your sheets? Are you not going to pick a pattern for them?" I ask, trying to keep her around by taking her mind off of whatever is bothering her.
"I'll... I'll let you pick for me..." she whimpers, echoes of running and tears filling my ears thereafter. Standing still, I frown back the way of the shop door. Should I go after her further and try to resolve what ails her? Or, am I better off trying after I finish with the shopping so I don't cause problems for others?
I... I do not know.
Indecision has me frozen solid at the worst possible time since arriving in this town. If I don't go and see if she is ok, then I'll feel bad. This is clearly related to the line of questioning I started. Yet, at the same time, I should be mindful of my place in this land and with her. We are still largely strangers with little near a week of being aware of each other.
If I could, getting Nin-kischu might be my best option as he can...?
Shaking my head, I force myself back to the counter to resolve our purchase. The man on the other side doesn't seem to be bothered and I get to offering up what I need to. A door opens and closes, an elderly man coming out into the open with an almost visible smell. Q-Quite a strong one!
"Well, this is certainly a lot to work with. Got something special planned, perhaps?" the elderly man asks, his voice raspy like it had been scraped out of his body.
"Hm? Oh, yes, I am going to be making an outfit," I tell him, putting my aimless mental energy into some nods, "Maybe two..."
Turning my head in the direction I assume Rianta-chira went, my thoughts flicker back to her.
"What kind of outfit are you hoping to make?" the old man asks as he sends the younger one off to sort out the other customers. The elder starts to pick up the sheets and I take some off of his hands to help out. I follow along until we arrive in the backend of the building and my eyes burn instantly. This room smells awful, even with all its magical ventilation and I am feeling light-headed already. The smells are so strong... I almost want to cancel my printing request and leave with blank, plain sheets.
Though, tired of explaining what I want to make already, despite only doing it once, I desire a lie, "Dresses for special occasions."
"Ah, very good choice. I can only wish you luck when making it. Now, time to make them right beautiful," he goes, his equipment slipping onto the perfect grooves in his worn skin. His fingers cracked and painted with all the dyes he has touched over the years.
"Thank you." I answer cheerfully. Even with my good mood being ruined by the thick, lingering flavour in the air. Maybe I should try to keep small talk to a minimum and ensure my answers are laconic? As far from verbose as I can be, really.
"Now, do you have something specific in mind for the patterns? Or, are you fine with what I have on display here?" he asks, a book entering my hands and I quickly open it up. Pictures decorate the pages along with stuck-in examples of how it looks on every possible for-sale fabric. The examples don't go beyond being basic colours, however, I am not having a hard time imagining mixtures and combos.
Though, I know three colours and patterns quite easily.
"With these three colours..." I start to say, pulling out what material Rianta-chira had picked, "Can you put on these patterns, please?"
My fingers go across all the flowers on display, along with other kinds of greenery. Moving onto the next set of sheets, I point out several of the more symbolic prints. Ones associated with the gods and goddesses, largely. Satisfied I have covered all of Rianta-chira's requests, I move onto my own sheets.
Waiting for the old man to finish up with filling out his notebook, I prepare to explain. He puts the pen down for half a second and a torrent of information washes from my mouth. His head nods along and without missing a beat, the pen twirls back into his grip. He writes it all down flawlessly.
"I could crossover some of the printing presses and their parts. But, I don't think I'd be able to do what you describe fully. Seems like something I need experience with to do properly." he explains with a shake of his head and I nod, as it is fine. I was expecting such an outcome to begin with. Still, it's a shame, I was really hoping to be as authentic to home as possible.
"Are there any animals or plants you have that fit close enough to what I have described?" I ask, trying an alternate way of looking at it.
"Creatures with small, wiry limbs and short fuzzy hair? I'll have to go see," he questions and then tells, wandering off the moment his lips close. Left on my own in the stench of the dye room, my nose crumples in pain. He comes back with example sheets, animals and plants I am not familiar with all over. But, they all somewhat match the shape I am looking for.
"Hm, will... Will you perhaps be able to make their colouring more metallic?" I ask, and he nods.
"I can do that," he answers, the motion ending.
"That is good... I will have these sheets done like that, then. With these ones... Being the plants. These being the animals, please." I clarify, sorting the piles out myself.
"Yep, now, this will take a while, so," he starts to say, a mechanical spinning disrupting the bubbling of vats, "When this starts going off, your order will be ready. And, as a precaution, please leave the total cost of your purchase here if you don't intend to burden Founding-Lord Brewbrt. In case you spend the money in the meantime while you wait."
"I think I have already paid." I answer slowly, double checking my memory before I deceive myself with a lack of truth to reality.
The old man chuckles, "All good, then."
"Is it a common problem that people make orders they cannot pay?" I ask, curious to see if there's more to his words. Eyeing the device he gave me, I refuse to fiddle with its clock-like parts and keep my interest purely visual. What an egg-shaped tool.
"It is, yeah. But, luckily, the shop is one in the part of town where it's easily sorted. Customer can go and bring in their annoyed parents if they're young. The older ones can burn their lungs running back to their personal vaults or the bank," he explains with a slight shrug, some kind of safety precautions occupying his hands for the moment.
"How about the other parts of town, do you get customers from there?" I ask him, wondering what it might be like if they came by.
"Not often. It's pretty rare. Don't think I've had an unknown face come in here for years. We sometimes get those who've just had a recent big payout, however. The hunter types, the ryphurgok ranchers if they've made a big sale to some group. But, admittedly, those last ones ain't coming by anytime soon. Given what has happened." the old man laughs out rather darkly.
"I see. Will you be needing me for anything else?" I question, more eager to get out of this smell before it stains my -borrowed, white- clothes a smoker's yellow.
"No. No, I will not need you for now. Come back when you can, just make sure to keep an eye on that there clock. Don't want you getting spooked, having forgotten about it. But, it probably doesn't matter, anyway. You don't blend in a whole lot so I might even be able to have someone fetch you," he explains and I frown a bit.
"I don't follow...?" I let out at the last part, clueless about it.
"You aren't Jhermonikra, and you came in with an aelenvar. Sayings of sore thumbs and all that," he explains with a shrug as I move to leave. Nodding my head in understanding, I head on out and leave the foul-scented room behind. Rushing out the door, a deep breath of fresh air fills my lungs. I step even further out into the open street, eager to lose any lingerings of that room.
"Never before have I wanted to taste you again so soon..." I breathe, my shoulders slumping with eager relaxation. Washing my mouth with it, I fake a spit and blegh. Emptying my mind of one problem, I fill it with another and get to trying to find Rianta-chira.
Unfortunately, I only have a single point of reference to work with...
Problem now is, is well, people change directions. She could very much not be heading the opposite way while I was in that printing room. Putting my hands together as I walk, my thumbs rub against each other. I need to find her soon before Nin-kischu gets back if he is on his way, especially with this being so soon after her injury.
Spotting a man who seems to be observant, I approach, "Excuse me, have you seen a woman with rose-red hair and not much clothes come by here? An aelenvar?"
The man stops with his task of washing a window and stands up. The food contents of the shop are somewhat easier to see now. The smell, though, I am enjoying it so much more than the printing room. Bakeries always smell so divine, it's a wonder why there's no god or goddess of bakeries specifically!
"Aye, someone did come by... Went down that way, towards the flower gardens," he informs me, returning to his work with the tip of his hat.
"Thank you." I tell him, passing on and then stopping. Looking back, I glance down at what is left of the money given to me. We still have a fair amount left and given how high the Orbital-Halo now is, I guess lunch is on the menu now. Those around me certainly seem to agree and a few outside-dining places are getting busy.
But... If I get food first before I find her, will Rianta-chira hold it against me? Is she petty enough to allow a rift to form over that? Or is this a pointless thought to have given her concerns regarding Nin-kischu?
Besides, food can help calm her down. I know a good meal has helped me in times of sadness before. Again, though, she might take it as me more so caring about sweets then checking in on her. But, again, I am not her friend, not much of one right now, anyway. Again, why am I overthinking this!?
I do not know, and it's frustrating me...