|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 3:21 pm
 (Art by Scarlett Arbuckle)
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 3:29 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 3:29 pm
Name: Harika
Stage: Stage 3 - Seamstress
Race: 1/2 Leaf x 1/2 Fire
Gender: Female
Significant Other: Aurick
Children: Eviyn and Inali
Height: 5'2
Build: Hourglass figure, well endowed with a button nose, large almond eyes and full lips.
3 Base Traits: Persistent - Chaotic - Creative
Personality: Harika does not understand the meaning of impossible. The girl will continue to persist at a task, altering and changing it up as necessary, to produce some sort of final product instead of calling it quits. If she has her heart set on something she can be rather stubborn which can be both beneficial and harmful depending on the situation and how badly she pushes her body to its limits to achieve whatever goal she has in mind for the day, whether staying up long hours into the night to successfully design an outfit or working through a project even when her fingers are sore from being pricked so much by her needles.
She does tend to have some chaotic habits, her opinions changing based on the day especially when it comes to crafting as she is prone to altering a design based on the situation rather than always sticking to the original plan, and there does tend to be a mess of material in her work area along with whatever other accessories she has gathered for today's project. Sometimes she'll take a moment to clean the area around her, but more than likely one would expect to walk into a mess of materials and the like scattered around. Harika does insist that she has some form of organization in her chaos....somehow and it has been noted that she can pull out a certain item by request within seconds despite what her workshop looks like. In the chaos is Harika's creativity. She's not held back by any set format and is a free spirit that adores creating new things and thinking outside of the box. Being an artisan is her dream and she adores creating outfits, something that she has enjoyed since being a young child when she first started sewing alongside her mother during their travels.
History: Harika was born to a pair of travelers who were descendants from those who had ventured far away from the mainland. The girl enjoyed a fairly carefree childhood with her parents traveling with a crew who ventured across the islands, mostly fishermen and gatherers who just enjoyed whatever the day held for them. Most days Harika would help her mother who who enjoyed artisan work more than fishing and the like. The youngling picked up on sewing quickly and found herself designing playful outfits for her own stuffed dolls, her excitement growing whenever she showed off her latest product to her parents who encouraged her work. Such happiness did not last forever as her mother eventually got sick and passed, leaving Harika alone with her grieving father. When her father remarried and Harika found herself surrounded by step-brothers and sisters, the girl felt out of place as her passions were overlooked by the sterner lot of warriors and hunters. Eventually years passed and while Harika learned to tolerate her new siblings and her prickly stepmother, the girl never quite settled into her new lifestyle and distance grew between her and her father who did not see any issue with things and just urged Harika to try to give them a chance.
Caught up in daydreams of big cities where she could set up as an artisan, Harika quickly found herself interested in the ideas of others who wanted to travel back across the sea and to the mainland. While her father was content with the sailing life and his new wife, Harika was more than willing to go with the group who wanted to return to Tendaji. While Harika did not despise her father nor hate her new family, the girl simply wanted to live life her way and after several discussions with her father she convinced him to allow her to travel with the rest.
While she wasn't certain of her path the girl found herself in love with the Oban cities, her interest in fashion showing as she watched all of the nobles walking about in their fancy outfits and jewels, and eventually she stumbled into a seamstress who offered her a position. Thankfully Harika had previous experience since her mother had often taken care of designing clothing for those that they traveled with throughout the islands and she took quickly to the seamstress's instructions, which solidified her apprenticeship under the older Oban woman. She lived in Sulburi for nearly two years before getting caught in drama that chased her from the city where she went to continue her work overseas in Belrea. Now she works part-time at Aurick's bakery while also honing her craft as a seamstress, trying to save as much money as possible to open up a shop one day. She has become enamored with the Belrean fashions and loves to explore all the designs that she can, the hybrid delighted at the opportunity to grow and learn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:32 pm
♥ Relationships ♥
❣ Family ❣
❣ Friends / Foes ❣
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:32 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:33 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:34 pm
♥ Growth Reqs ♥
[x1] [a1] [a2]
❣
Stage 2/3Growth Form Character Name: Harika
Class Promotion: [Rogue (Seamstress)]
Current Location: Oba
Journal: X
Growth Point Links: 50/50
[Princess Pinkie] - 5 pnts
[Willing to work for crumbs] - 5 pnts
[Autumn Decorations] - 5 pnts
[Staying Solo] 5 pnts
[An Offer] - 5 pnts
[Introducing Boris] - 5 pnts
[Attire for the Theater Solo] - 10 pnts
[Take on the Beast WE] - 5 pnts
[Pastoral Paradise] - 5 pnts
Growth Blurb: Harika has fully embraced living in Belrea after having to leave Oba. When she originally thought she would simply be staying for a few months at the most in the new country, the hybrid found that she loves the fashion and life that she's built there. She's growing bolder as a designer and has stepped forward with her evolving talents by designing outfits for actual performers and even for an actress in Belrea.
Physical Description: Something off shoulder like these: [Ex1] / [Ex2] / [Ex3] / [Ex4]
Hair inspiration.
Earrings, necklace any type of accessories really. Just feel free to blend Belrean fashion in with her design, feeling like victorian/steampunk/dressy with some embroidery, light makeup and such.
Gloves are optional along with bracelets, etc. Exact design up to artist!
Body Type: Well endowed, hour glass.
Preferred Artists: Kana or Scar [Full or Collab]
WIPs: Sure!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:34 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:35 pm
♥ Seamstress at Work ♥
A mess of fabrics, pins, ribbons, silks and sketches cluttered the stone floor of the small room that Harika rented from the shop owner. Even her bedding had not been spared in her rampage as she worked on midnight designs, the usually tucked away floor mattress still rolled out on the floor with its scattered blankets covered in a vivid array of colored silks. Harika herself was in disarray with her bright pink hair sticking out of her typical braid, the curls fighting for freedom since she had opted to avoid brushing her hair and fixing the loose braid in her frenzy. Her clothing was wrinkled and pins jutted out of the piece of cloth that she had slung over her shoulder, their closeness making it easier to grab at them while she stabbed the fabric onto a spare mannequin that she had stolen from the main workshop. If she placed a shari of gold across some deep violet material that would accent it nicely, right? Despite her Oban heritage the girl was trying to get a better grasp of the country that her ancestors had left decades ago to venture into the far ocean and the islands scattered there. It was strange to hear that she came from this land, especially when she had come back with the vivid pink hair that so many found themselves startled by. Her leaf heritage hadn’t done her much justice either since many also questioned the purple of her stones, an array of pinks more typical to the Tale earthlings that had stayed behind while apparently her ancestors had somehow managed to change during their time overseas. At least Harika shared the same eyes and ears of the Tale earthlings so it was easier to understand her heritage there while the Oban one was still a bit baffling for her even though she felt at home in the desert heat, probably a courtesy of her previous life on the ocean with the sun constantly blazing on her back while they sailed around the islands. It was admittedly a bit too dry for her taste some days but thankfully Sulburi was a city built with a water system and near several oases that made up for the miles of sand stretching into the horizon. Harika loved the oasis the most and often tried to use her free days to travel to the nearest one so that she could splash around the refreshing waters. The bathhouses in Oba were also nice but a bit too crowded for her tastes some days, especially since she wasn’t wealthy enough to rent out private chambers save for those rare times when she had worked hard and wanted to use some spare coin for a moment of luxury. It was during one of those moments that she had noticed some noblewomen discussing outfits for an upcoming holiday and so the girl had taken it upon herself to try and craft something for next month’s festival. Apparently it was a good time to sell dresses and so here she was trying to make more formal attire, the process extremely tedious as she wanted to perfect every little stitch of embroidery as she added delicate golden threads into the deep violet and crimson silks. “Maybe if I use something sheer here instead?” Mumbled Harika through a mouthful of pins as she continued working her way around the mannequin. If she could at least get three outfits finished by the festival that would be a good start to getting her name out there, right? She could only hope so since the girl was determined to become the best seamstress in the city, if not the whole country and even world one day.
Becoming the best would help her to find the validation she had so desperately sought back in the islands. So far at least coming here had gotten her some recognition for her talents which was a huge step forward compared to the past when she had been scoffed at for spending so much time on embroidery instead of hunting or the like. Her father and his new family hadn’t understood her deep love for designing but it was at least something that she had shared with her mother while she was alive. A sigh left Harika’s lips as she reminisced about when she lived in the islands once again. It was easier to forget about such things during the day time when she was caught up in the bustle of the shop, the chatter of the clients and other apprentices and seamstresses keeping her mind focused on the present day instead of the past, but at night it was far too quiet and she found herself reflecting on things more. Would her father be proud of her if he saw how easily she worked within the walls of the city or would he think she was still being foolish spending her days inside of a building instead of outside with the ocean breeze constantly at her side? Harika did admittedly miss the ocean, the gleaming depths of water always a touching sight since she adored the islands she had been raised in, but it could not be dressed like the earthlings she encountered daily now since moving to Oba. The ocean could ease her spirit but it couldn’t provide for her socially like these earthlings could. Her father’s wife and her children were hunters, adventurers of the ocean who didn’t understand fashion and desired nothing more than to fight and ruin everything she ever designed for them. Harika did miss some of the freedoms, the ability to race across the sands or to curse or play about without worrying over the opinions of others, but that was just how life was. Nothing was perfect, right? Still, at least she could run to the oasis when she needed some sort of break from all of this. The islands could not provide her with that sort of balance, not when everyone was so scattered or focused on adventuring and surviving together. There was nothing like the city’s fashion, no nobles or royals to aspire towards, none of the arts, nothing but the wild ocean and the savagery of nature to guide them along. At least Harika could express herself in design here and admittedly some of the chaos from her slightly freer, perhaps crazier childhood did shine in her work and the chaotic way she designed late at night like this but that was simply how she was. Certainly she didn’t always bow when some high ranking person came across her nor did she always use the more formal speech but that was part of Harika’s charm or at least she hoped that others saw it that way. Even if it sometimes did earn her a scowl from the older seamstresses at least Harika knew that she wasn’t completely silenced by a life within the city walls.
“Though my clothing feels pretty silent tonight.” Harika quipped quietly to herself as she started poking at the silks once again and arranging them for the twelfth time. This was what she wanted so why was it so hard lately? The girl let out a loud sigh before dropping her pins into a basket and sitting on the floor in protest. Maybe it would be best if she just tried to get some sleep and start again tomorrow? At least she wasn’t working the floor and had the day to relax. I could go to the oasis. Harika pondered the idea before a soft smile crossed her lips. That would be nice. She could go to the oasis and get some ideas since that always seemed to help her to find some inspiration. Maybe a dress based off of the waters? Usually things were more crimson and indigo within Sulburi, but it would be nice to represent the ocean instead. Harika’s smile brightened at the thought. She could be a bit more daring, right? Being a bit more daring was her own style as a wildcard after all. The girl glanced towards the small window that allowed her to see the desert sky, the upper level of the shop giving her some scenery despite the rows of buildings stretching across the area. The stars were brilliant against the sky and gave her even more ideas. Perhaps she wasn’t so uninspired and just needed some fresh air. Harika nodded at the thought before standing and starting to gather her materials into their respective baskets, the chaos slowly getting tucked away before she laid down on her bed for the night. An indigo dress with crimson edges reflecting the morning sun as it slowly raised up into the sky, the tiny gemstones along the bodice and train resembling stars while another dress made of deeper blues could have silver stitching in a brighter, sheer material that stretched across the bottom half reminding one of ripples in the water. Where had all of these ideas been a few hours ago? Harika chuckled at the thought before clutching the pillow close to her chest. Maybe she would take a nap and then sketch all of this before going to the oasis to gather a few more ideas before starting all over again. She just hoped that no one noticed the extra mannequin was missing from the storage room.
[1550 WC]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:56 pm
♥ Growth ♥
Harika had finally caught the attention of someone with influence and she was not going to lose this chance! The girl had pressed herself staying up late hours into the night to work on the project while also balancing her tasks as an apprentice seamstress. It was challenging to appease Kirenta Deblous but Harika was doing her best. It was also stressful to hide it from her mentor for fear that she would lose her place at the shop. She didn’t want to risk everything but she had to do something in order to change her life! Harika refused to be an assistant forever. She wanted to be the designer that others looked at, not the seamstress nobles sent their children to go get measured by! Harika still fumed at that memory before focusing again at the task she had been given.
Bold. Mesmerizing. Deceptive. Innovative. Soft.
Those were the five words that Xipili had given her and Harika had done her best to think of the ultimate idea. If she failed this task then he would have her kicked out before she even had a chance to truly test her skills in the fashion world! “I refuse.” Someone had finally placed their faith in her and Harika would not let them down. It had taken days and nights of stress and work, many poked fingers and even a near fire when she accidentally knocked a candle over in her exhaustion, but the girl had finally managed her idea. It was a soft looking outfit of cream that almost looked feathered, like some sort of bird from the plains, but when Xipili would dance in it the surprise would show. Harika smiled as she tested the outer tunic again, the long trail almost seeming like fire as the crimson and gold material overtook the creams. It went from soft to vivid, the colors bold and memorizing as the pale bird was taken over by fire to emerge as a one of the great firebirds of legend.
Harika locked her door behind her after placing the outfit in a safe location once more. She was ready. However, her heart stopped when she overheard some fellow apprentices mention something. “Miss Deblous is going to this gala?” Someone hissed.
“Of course she is!”
Oh no. Harika’s gaze widened in surprise before the seamstress in question came up behind her. “Harika.” The woman’s tone was clipped, her crimson gaze calculating as she glanced over the apprentice. “What have you been up to?” An all too familiar card rested in her fingers and Harika had to bow her head.
“I may have attended an event.” She admitted. How could she lie now that the seamstress had found the card?
“You used my name to steal a spot?” Kirenta actually chuckled before handing the card back over. “I could let you go for that. What do you think?”
“I…” Harika wanted to apologize but she couldn’t. If she backed down now that would mean she would have to also back down out of Xipili’s challenge and she couldn't’ do that. “I have no regrets. I have an opportunity to climb now and I want to do it. I’m sorry if I harmed your faith in me but I will not be caged here any longer! I want to design, not work on someone else’s projects and keep my ideas hidden in some notebook.”
“Oh?” The Oban tilted her head before giving a slight shrug. “Then I suppose we will have to see what you can do. Get your name out there in a month, Harika. If you don’t then I don’t want to see you trying to steal projects or attending any future events.”
“Fine.” Harika accepted the challenge. “I’ll show off my greatest creation and even you will be amazed!” She promised. It was risky to stand up to her mentor and if this failed then she would surely have no place in Oba for her designs. But Harika was excited instead of afraid. This was her first big move onto the path that she had always dreamed about.
[684]
Harika has always wanted to design clothing for nobles so that she can become famous for her ideas. This is her first step forward and a challenging one as it risks the comfortable life of an assistant so that she could try to climb the ranks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 21, 2023 8:55 pm
♥ Staying in Belrea ♥
Why not return to Sulburi? Harika chewed on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully as she pondered the question written in elegant script that had arrived in today’s mail. Madam Kirenta had supported her after her initial debut in Sulburi before sending her overseas to study fashion in Belrea, which was basically an attempt to keep Harika away from potential sabotage where a fellow designer had framed her in a surprising twist. Unfortunately Harika was still fresh to the playing field, the seamstress not having a name just yet after two years of living within Oba and finally landing a job that was more than simply sweeping around the shop or running errands for others in between clients. Her plan to design a stunning outfit had done wonders for the man she had hoped to impress but fear and ignorance had pushed Harika to leave the country, at least for a little while, so that the Madam could calm down things before she got into even worse trouble for stepping on toes of some important nobles. Had it been six months already since she had run away from the shop and taken all of her savings to go overseas? Time truly did fly whenever one was caught up in a frenzy of events, including nearly losing all of her savings and struggling in the streets before encountering Aurick and working at the bakery. Harika had even managed to snag some part time work at a local dress shop to get the experience of Belrean fashion, something that she actually found herself enjoying far more than she ever believed possible as the designs and the overall attire of the foreign country really appealed to the creative artisan. Somehow over the last couple of months her desire to save up money, get her name cleared back in Sulburi had faded into more of a fascination with Belrea and turned into a desire to make a home here within the foreign cities instead of back in the bustling capital of Oba. Just because she did not have Belrean blood did not mean that she could not find a place in Belrea, right? Even Harika had been astonished by the thought but somehow this place had started truly feeling like a new home for the wandering artisan who had left the ocean so many years ago. Would her mother approve of this place? Harika closed her eyes and thought about the pink haired woman with golden gemstones that glistened in the sunlight with her amber gaze that was always so full of life and laughter. The memories were foggy since her mother had left this world when Harika was only a young girl, but the few that remained were cherished and kept secured within Harika’s heart since her mother was the last true relative that she felt such a bond with. Losing her father to her step-mother and that family had been a bitter pill to swallow and the final one to get her overseas away from it all. What was the point of going about the ocean on ships, roaming and fishing from island to island with no end goal in sight since the ocean’s horizon was endless? Harika had wanted more, she had wanted to test herself and to become a designer that would touch others’ lives instead of simply fading into the ocean waves like so many others in her family had done. Her mother surely would approve of Belrea since she was the one who had pushed Harika to follow her heart even if it took her far away from the ocean and the islands that her family called home. She would always treasure the ocean and the memories of her mother singing to her about the world below, but there had always been something missing even with that beautiful view. Not even Oba had truly satisfied her desire to explore, the realization blooming within Harika as she fought against the strict society and created her own designs that lit up like fire…which had ultimately burned her and chased her from the city before leading her to Belrea. Maybe she truly was an islander, wanting to explore the unknown but rather than the ocean depths that her mother had sung about, it was these foreign countries Harika desired. Have you seen the emerald greens and deep dark turquoise. Shimmering weeds swaying in the flow? Gleaming scales entice you as they swim below… Harika softly hummed the familiar melody under her breath as she slowly took out parchment for her own response to Madam Kirenta. Harika was a woman of passion, going with her instincts instead of spending so much time pondering over things and the answer she felt was best had surprisingly been to decline the offer to return.
“While I appreciate your offer to return and work in Sulburi, I feel that there is still much for me to learn about Belrea and its fashions. Not everything is silk and gold like in Oba and the array of designs that you can see within the city is truly astounding. I’ll enclose a few sketches for you, hopefully that helps to show exactly what I’ve learned so far. Please enjoy them and feel free to use the designs as a token of my sincerity for all of your help in the past. I am not certain about when I would return to Oba so please feel free to continue sending letters to this address as I will also send updates and additional designs to you. As it is I do not see myself leaving Belrea for the remainder of this year and will consider your proposal should it still remain by spring. If not, I understand that special apprentice of yours along with her noble family connections is still a strong influence upon society there and perhaps it is best if I continue my studies elsewhere.
Best regards,
Harika”
How had she managed to learn such decent writing? Harika chuckled softly under her breath as she looked over the script once more and made a few edits before placing it to the side and searching for her sketchbook. Thankfully her mother not only had taught her how to read and write but also how to draw. Most of those living throughout the islands focused on survival skills while her mother had focused more on teaching knowledge and the arts to her only daughter, the remaining skills passed down from her own grandmother who had been an exiled noblewoman from Oba who had fallen for a nomadic islander in the southern seas. Not that such heritage truly impressed Harika and if anything she had managed to keep that to herself while living in Oba for fear that somehow her great-grandmother’s past would come back to haunt her, as unlikely as that could be. If anything she looked more like someone from Tale with only her pink hair marking her as an outsider. “Though I suppose if I returned to Oba or Tale wearing these outfits then I would definitely be considered an outsider.” Harika mused as she pondered over one of the first sketches, a split dress with ruffles that trailed behind the wearer with leather boots that went all the way up to one’s thigh and decorated with cogs and gears. Then there was a man’s waistcoat with long tails and ruffled sleeves, a handkerchief tied at the neck with a gemstone adornment there. A sketch of two youngling outfits as well were tucked into the letter that Harika carefully folded into the envelope, sealing it with her own wax seal that resembled the design on her forehead. She was actually quite fond of the corset design, well whenever one didn’t tighten the laces to a ridiculous amount where you could not breathe, and the bronze accessories were quickly growing on Harika. Currently she was dressed in a cream summer evening dress with short sleeves that had bows tied at the top, the lilac colored ribbon laced throughout the whole top that hugged along her collarbone. The light cotton was nice and cool against her skin which was a relief considering how the one window in the tiny room that Harika had managed to rent, after so many nights spent hiding in the bakery and the seamstress shop, only allowed in so much air on a night like this. “It’s going to be a bit too hot to sleep well.” Harika admitted as she fanned her face with the sealed envelope, the hybrid pursing her lips thoughtfully as she glanced around the messy room full of scattered materials and sewing supplies. Maybe it would just be another one of those nights where she came up with a new design, after all. Not that it was the letter at fault for her sudden restlessness! It was simply too hot for sleep tonight and most definitely not because of the inner turmoil of thoughts that the surprising offer had stirred up within Harika. Once before she would have loved to return to Oba, but now? It was hard imagining not going to the bakery first thing in the morning when she wasn’t working at the dress shop. Things had definitely taken a surprising turn that Harika had never expected. Surprisingly though she was not complaining about such a twist, not this time.
❣ [1566 wc] ❣
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 21, 2023 8:57 pm
♥ Attire for the Theater ♥
Harika’s lips closed tightly around several pins, the seamstress lost in thought as she circled around a mannequin for what was surely the hundredth time within the hour. Her wavy hair, usually styled in a fashionable manner with some sort of trinkets or ribbons intertwined within the pink strands, was frazzled and her clothing horribly wrinkled but there was a brightness in her teal gaze that stood out from the shadows resting just beneath. It was honestly not an uncommon sight to see the young hybrid working in a frenzy throughout the night despite her exhaustion from bouncing between two occupations within the Belrean city, but tonight she was even more energetic and chaotic than usual. There was a variety of materials scattered around the little space she had secured for herself near the bakery, the small room just big enough to fit a slender iron framed bed with some quilts and pillows pressed up against the sole window and a chest of her own belongings before erupting into piles of fabrics and seamstress materials that she had brought home with her for midnight projects such as this particular one that she was currently working on. Every part of the room was utilized for working on projects rather than simply living as Harika had taken to only sleeping in the room as necessary and washing up in the mornings before running out to the bakery for breakfast and taking some spare rolls and the like while working for dinners that she ate on the run. Harika even swapped from pacing to using the worn down washstand for a seat as she studied the mannequin, this time opting to stay still as she simply stared down the front of the bodice that she had just laced with golden ribbons, it was usually at this point when she was simply looking for anything to touch up the dress with. Up close the embroidery was already perfect, the delicate golden and bronze stitches intertwining into a series of flowers and vines surrounded by dancing insects, but she wanted to make certain that it still caught attention from a few feet away rather than someone needing to be within a few inches of the person wearing the attire. Maybe a brooch with a gemstone for the neck? She thought, the two remaining pins shifting in her mouth as she considered the possibility. The actress who had commissioned the piece from her was performing in a romantic play the next evening and while Harika had done fittings several times now with the woman and even had her measurements memorized it was nerve wracking to think that tomorrow this dress would be in a performance seen by almost a hundred Belreans if not more! Her previous designer had fallen ill and the dress beforehand had been ruined by a jealous competitor and it was only luck that Harika had overheard the woman’s assistant bemoaning her luck at the bakery less than a couple of weeks ago. “Does she need a fresh design?” Harika had asked when she delivered the bag of croissants and freshly brewed coffee to the assistant who had ordered things to go for those currently practicing the play at the nearby theater. The hybrid’s cheeks had been flushed, but her gaze eager as she dared to take the chance to speak with the Geian woman who seemed almost at wit’s end.
Of course, Tilda as Harika later learned her name, had been wary at first but then she noticed Harika’s own attire that stood out from typical outfits. Thankfully, Harika had opted to wear one of her custom dresses that day since she wanted to celebrate the spring season with blossoms and everything sewn into her outfit to help brighten up the place alongside of the flowers spread throughout the bakery and the lace curtains that she had also made especially for the cherry blossom trees currently blooming throughout the whole city and nearby park. Not wanting to be drowning in pink because of her own natural hair color Harika had actually opted for cream colors, the dress accented with only some pink and brown to mimic the branches of the blooming trees with the pale pink and white petals that trailed down across her apron, the ruffles making it look like they were actually falling every time Harika walked across the room. Harika was always adamant about making outfits that looked alive rather than stagnant, the woman wanting life to be in her designs rather than something lackluster or repetitive like so many others. Her first real assignment in Oba had proven that she could bring life into her designs as she made an outfit that rose from the ashes, the fire bird of Sauti inspiring the attire that she had made for Xipili so long ago. It had been so successful, but because of jealousy others had managed to chase Harika out of the city for a time and when she had meant to return to Sulburi the hybrid had instead fallen in love with Belrea and the fashion here. Such things did not dampen her spirits for long as Harika proved by jumping at the chance to speak with Tilda, convincing the Geian that she could indeed create a spring dress befitting of a flower spirit who had fallen in love with a normal earthling man. Worried about more sabotage the pair had opted to keep Harika’s existence a secret, hiring a fake seamstress to make a dress at the actual theater while Harika worked behind the scenes to meet with the actress Elouise and sew her creation back at home away from any wandering eyes. Though now that Harika reflected upon the situation and remembered that this was for a spirit, not some fashionable lady who would be more reserved than others, the hybrid found herself shifting away from the idea of a gemstone handkerchief tied around a high neckline. Taking out the pins, Harika placed them on the washstand so that she could ponder her thoughts out loud. “Elouise would wear something like that at a party, but not her character. Dianthe would find something like that too restrictive.” Harika tilted her head thoughtfully, a soft sigh leaving her lips as she considered things again. “Let’s lower that.” She didn’t want to tarnish Elouise’s image in any way but if the play was to be accurate then it had to fit the character, not just the actress. Bronze scissors flashed in the flickering lantern light as Harika moved like a tornado once more, the outfit perfectly shifting under her careful hand despite her quick movements. Rather than gemstones she would bring out the natural beauty of Elouise as a spirit from nature, the addition of real petals frozen in time under clear wax trailing along the lowered bodice with sheer ribbons drifting along her arms instead of full sleeves leading to an illusion of floating wings or a gentle breeze following along behind the actress. A few carefully placed flower petals along the ribbon would additionally give the appearance of someone running through a field full of spring flowers whenever Elouise would dash across the stage, the petals trailing behind her as if she was losing them herself since she was after all an embodiment of spring. Then the bronze and golden stitching of the insects along the silk corset would shimmer in the lights during the production, mimicking the metallic and crystal dragonflies so commonly seen in the flower fields during this time of year. Rather than making some intricate headpiece for the outfit, Harika simply fashioned some twisting ribbons with flowers that would go into Elouise’s pale hair, something that should be simply tied back and mostly loose save for maybe the one scene where she tries desperately to fit into the man’s world before feeling too stifled and starting to fade away because of the pressures of the human world taking a toll on her as someone who had been born as a free spirit in nature. A heart-breaking tale of sacrifice, misunderstood love with the earthling opting to destroy himself rather than destroy the spirit he had thought to tame before actually falling in love himself. “One day they’ll make stories that aren’t always about star-crossed lovers.” Mused Harika as she finished the final touches on the dress, adding in several more sheer ribbons that twisted along the arms with petals before adding in actual metallic dragonfly pins on both shoulders to hold the ribbons firmly in place so that the actress could move throughout the stage without worry. The best part? Whenever Elouise prepared for her fading away scene there was an extra layer that could be draped on the dress which was darker in color, the vibrant teals and greens diluted by the dark gray and brown material that was sheer and yet so darkly colored that it made the dress look like it was wilting away with the darkest part starting at the very bottom. Harika had managed to dye the sheer material and stitched folds of material that stretched from the bottom up almost like grasping vines or shadows trying to pull the actress down back into the ground, only the top would have any hint of the previously vibrant colors once the piece was placed on top of the actual dress. It would save performance time with the shifting outfit as she could fall down around the stage, the shadows of the trees and shrubbery in the scene covering stagehands as they draped the material across for the transition from Dianthe’s vibrant life to near death. A stagehand would help with that while others quickly brushed darker makeup across her eyes, giving the appearance of deep shadows similar to the ones that Harika had now as she went throughout the night working on the final touches. It was when the moon was mostly gone from the sky that Harika’s eyes eventually closed and she fell asleep on top of a pile of silks, the hybrid curled up in her exhaustion before the dress that would eventually gleam in the morning sunlight as it entered the room through the crack in the curtains.
Knock, knock, KNOCK!
Harika jerked upwards with a gasp, the woman wiping her hand across her mouth to clear it of any drool that may have gathered there while she was passed out in a deep sleep from exhaustion. “C-coming!” She managed, trying to twist her wild hair into a braid over a shoulder before moving for the door to crack it open a smidge….just in case the visitor wasn’t Tilda. “Is it almost noon already?” Harika groaned as she realized that those cornflower blue eyes and pale green curls did indeed belong to Tilda who was impatiently pushing into the room, forcing Harika backwards to allow the other woman inside the narrow and messy space. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Harika murmured as she closed the door behind Tilda who surveyed the room with a frown before gasping as she noticed the centerpiece. “Hopefully that’s a good reaction?”
“It is!” Tilda finally replied with a grin as she moved towards the dress, nearly stumbling over a pile of material before catching herself and holding out a hesitant hand as if afraid a single touch would destroy the illusion of the outfit. “I think you really captured Dianthe…it’s so amazing. Elouise normally wouldn’t wear something like this because of how reserved she is, but the character definitely would! It looks so otherworldly!” Her fingers traced over the ribbons hanging from the arms, the openings from where Harika had layered them along the sleeves perfect for showing Elouise’s own crystals off that would match the bright colors of the dress. “Honestly, I think she’ll love it. It makes me almost glad that they sabotaged the other one!” Tilda laughed as she glanced back towards Harika. “I don’t know if our agreed upon payment will be enough to show how thankful I am for your help in this. Did you not sleep all week? Just look at those shadowed eyes!”
Harika waved off Tilda’s concerns with a laugh. “It was worth it. Do you really think Elouise will like it for her character? I really tried to put everything that I knew about Dianthe into the design. Here is the outer piece for the one transition during the play and I also touched up the dress that she wears while trying to fit into society for her lover.” Harika reached for a dress that was hanging in the back corner where she had set up a clothing line so that she could put up several outfits. “Will Elouise be at the theater already? I can follow you back just in case there’s any last minute alterations we need to make for the dress.” It was best if she used all the time that she had today before the production since it was rare for Harika to actually take time away from the bakery, as much as she hated it the woman wanted to make certain that she didn’t falter last night and had asked for today off just in case she wasn’t finished with the dress in time. Though the very thought of the bakery made her stomach rumble and Harika realized that once again she had skipped dinner in her haste to finish up her newest project.
Tilda raised a brow at the sound, the Geian woman chuckling at Harika’s enthusiasm. “Elouise should be at the theater within an hour which is plenty enough time for us to pick up snacks along the way. Most of the performers try to avoid a heavy meal before the opening night so some light snacks will be perfect, feel free to help yourself to any while we wait on Elouise to arrive.” Tilda gestured towards the dress so that Harika could wrap it up properly. “I’ll carry those while you carry the more important packages.” Waiting in the hallway to give Harika time to fix up her own appearance, the hybrid quickly washing her face and twisting her hair back into a proper braid with a fresh change of clothing into a dress that she had picked out for today’s performance, Tilda let out another laugh as Harika emerged to join her, the Geian taking a moment to appreciate the foreigner’s spring inspired attire with its layers of lace and ruffles that moved like butterflies floating between flowers. “Best be careful or they’ll think you want to steal a role for yourself.” She teased before walking away, leading the way back out onto the streets and towards the bakery where she darted in and out quickly so that they could continue along their way towards the theater. Harika could only follow behind, her heels swiftly clacking against the paved walkways as she tried to keep up with the brisk pace of her companion. Even though she had laughed off the teasing compliment, Harika could not help the blush that spread across her cheeks as she got attention from others as they made their way to the theater. She constantly wore outfits that were fashionable and daring, many of her own design, but she felt especially self-conscious today and had even opted to stay outside rather than going into the bakery with Tilda. What if Aurick saw her? Did it matter? Didn’t she want him to see her today? Harika shook her head as she focused on following Tilda inside, trying her best to shove out the image of the lightning baker who somehow always made his way into her thoughts as of late. Thankfully she didn’t have much freedom to think about Aurick, especially not when Elouise rushed towards her for the outfits. “They’re perfect, Harika! Oh do you think I can pull this off? It looks so lovely…” Harika simply smiled as she helped Elouise into the outfit, pinning back a few more ribbons for the true final touches as the actress swirled around in the dress meant for both the opening act and the finale. As Harika watched others starting on Elouise’s hair and makeup, the dress fully settled around the woman’s body now that everything had been pinned and laced into place, the actress continued speaking towards her. “You know I do need a few more outfits for some upcoming parties this season. What do you think, Harika?”
“Hmm?” Harika blinked in surprise as Tilda nudged her to accept the offer. “I mean, of course! Are you certain?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? You did wonders with this outfit and I would love to see what else you can come up with! Especially in the winter…do you work well with wool? It gets dreadfully cold whenever we have to host events in the mountains during the winter solstice so I could use a really sturdy yet fashionable outfit.” Elouise gushed with a laugh. “I think you would be perfect for helping with it.” Her now curled hair was being draped about loosely along her shoulders as the makeup artist twisted in the vines and flowers that Harika had prepared to go along with the outfit and even coiled copper wires were sneaked into the style to add extra volume so that everything looked like it was constantly in motion, as if a breeze was surrounding Elouise. It was fitting considering how much movement she was currently doing, the actress seemingly never stopping as she prepared for tonight’s performance. Harika could not help but to feel a bit overwhelmed herself even though she was often one to be constantly moving as well!
“I can sketch out some ideas.” Harika finally managed with a small smile. “If you really like some of them then I will see what I can do with and without wool.” She nodded her head sheepishly as she pondered the option. She had only worked with silks and finer materials before coming to Belrea so using wool would be a different experience indeed. Either way though as Harika wished Elouise good luck for her performance and followed Tilda to their seats in the audience, the hybrid couldn’t stop smiling throughout the night especially whenever she heard others gushing over Dianthe’s appearance during the production. Another job well done.
[3050 wc]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
