My, my, what's happening here?

[handyplothole]

Any day now the Mansion will be blanketed in snow and festooned with icicles, right on schedule; but for the moment, the lawns are still bare, the wind brisk but not bitter, the air bracing. Conveniently, because something seems to be going on

Comments

[russet_goddess]

Zara also has her stock displayed on a table. Frankly, the evergreen and ribbon is, in her opinion, going way too far, but hey. It's the price you pay for snagging a table instead of just a blanket on the ground. She has samples of her sewing out, as well as swatches of cloth, and many, many beautiful, hand-sewn dresses neatly piles on the table, hanging down over the sides so their skirts show--she'll be only too annoyed pleased to take one out and show you if you want a better look.

[shensitivity]

Shenshen lets out a little squeal when she sees this -- fortunately from some distance away, for the sake of Zara's ears -- and whisks over, skirts fluttering. "But how divine, I had no idea, in this desert!"

Because clothes shopping? Life in this place may be worth living after all.

[russet_goddess]

Zara just looks at her.

[shensitivity]

She's already riffling through the hanging skirts -- carefully, not making a mess of them; Shenshen is a noisy and not infrequently a demanding customer, but never a destructive one. "Oh, look, look. I must tell Pfannee, oh my stars -- But you are open for business?" acknowledging Zara for the first time with a most imploring look. "I've had to depend on these magic closets all this time, and they have such dismal taste, you have no idea--!"

[russet_goddess]

"I'm open," shortly. "You looking for anything special?"

[shensitivity]

"My dear, that is exactly what I'm looking for!" Sparkle. "Especially now. I mean, simplicity and all that is very well for summer, but-- ooooh!"

She's found a heavy ribbed silk, pear-green. She lifts out the skirt, smoothing it. "Oh, this I must see."

[russet_goddess]

Zara pulls it out for her, with the touch a person has with her own work, and holds it to display it at its best.

[shensitivity]

"Now that, that is just darling, I absolutely covet..." Shenshen purses her lips. "Or no, I know-- Do you do your own alterations?"

Yes, folks, Shenshen does know four-syllable words!

[russet_goddess]

"All of 'em. You want something done to it, you tell me, I do it."

[shensitivity]

"I've a friend, you see, and the color is absolutely ideal, but she... you know." Shenshen holds a hand at about shoulder height, demurely.

[russet_goddess]

"Short. You want the hem in."

[shensitivity]

"Would you? Marvelous." That settles that, as far as Shenshen is concerned, and she goes back to looking.

[russet_goddess]

Zara, however, is not quite finished with her, and she continues, "How much in?"

[stillnotprince]

Behind her will appear Don John.

He won't announce his presence before he speaks, and so he'll be addressing the back of her head. His words are quiet, gruff, and rushed, like a man who would rather be anywhere but here. This is likely because it is true.

"Know you the Lady Hero?"

[russet_goddess]

She'll be extremely irritated at being snuck up on, which is what he's done as far as she's concerned, and she turns to look at him with her hands on her hips. "Who's that? Your ladylove?"

[stillnotprince]

"Leonato's daughter," he says simply.

He's not going to buy Hero a dress unless Zara can estimate her size. He'd also like to keep this low-profile, because-- well, he has an image to maintain here.