Submission (#3869) Approved

Saoirse has gotten it into her head that she needs to find a market for the material she has designed inspired by the birch trees of Bellmoril. With Donaar's help she finished the work to scrounge up fabric and ink, she makes and then enlists her sibling, Kai, to model it for the local dressmaker, Daffolyn.

Word count: 1,907
Elnin AP is for: Saoirse
Other elnin: Donaar, Kai, Zinnia, and Daffolyn
Mini requirement: Two or more elnin, Include an adult Elnin

     "Donaar! I need your help!" Saoirse burst into the front room, a few copper leaves following her entrance on the breeze which she swept back out with her tail tip.   She moved to wear her brother was sitting and  shook his's arm, trying to persuade him to follow her.  "I want to make fabric that looks like the birch bark but I don't know where she keeps the paints here."  They were visiting Mitternacht's home after running into her at the marketplace a few days beforehand.  After inviting them to dinner she decided there was enough space for them to stay for a few extra days which Nolatari had accepted, wanting to catch up with her good friend.  Saoirse had been delighted when she heard the vacation extension because she needed to study birch trees more for her plan to work.  She had already cajoled her younger brother, Kai into using his animal friends to find some smaller branches to use as examples, and was hoping to trick Zinnia into wearing her creation when she was done.  But first she needed paint... and fabric, but she just needed to go back to the market for that.

     The older kittom stared at her while not moving from his spot in the room where he had been scrawling words down into his small note book.  Closing it and slipping it into his pouch with the air of nonchalance, Donaar sighed as if this was the greatest interruption ever before shrugging at his sister.  "And what would you have me do? We can't just take her stuff without asking."  He gestured towards the clean guest space  as if to prove his point.  "And good luck getting a question in, Mum and Mitter have not stopped chatting since we came here."  While he was fine with the peace and quiet this space was, es[ecially when compared to the inn they had been staying at, the other two siblings had been mostly getting into everywhere and thus was now on cleaning duty in the kitchen. He was not about to interrupt the conversation again and possibly suffer the consequences.

     Saoirse flung her head and shoulders back dramatically and sighed, almost as deep as Donaar did earlier. "Uuuuugh I knooooow!" She crossed her arms and looked out the window where the apple-laden trees beckoned invitingly.  Mitternacht's home was surrounded by fruit trees and clover, perfect for hive she took care of at the end of the garden.  Most elnin in Bellmoril kept a small vegetable garden and Mitter was no expection.  She had been thinking up ideas while sitting by the carrots and lettuice heads but was still latched on the birch tree inspiration; enough so that she felt she would burst if she didn't try.  "Do you think someone else might have some paint? Or maybe we can make some?" She remembered a project they once had where they make charcoal sticks out of charred branches. "What if..." 

     "No..." Donaar already knew where she was going with that and did not want to be responsible for any fires.  Looking around for something to placate his sister, the darker kittom spied a chest that had many drawers with labels attached carefully above the handles.  Sauntering over he took a peek at some of the labels before smiling to himself.  "Ok, how about this, you find the fabric and I'll tackle the paint."  As he continued to regard the labels an idea started to hatch in his mind.  If this worked he would have a little more peace and quiet for at least the next few hours.  "In fact..." Donaar took out some paper, a quill and some ink from the drawers and took them over to the nearby desk and scratched out a note. Scrolling it up he used to wax to seal it and then handed it to Saoirse. "Here, give this to that merchant Mum was talking to the other day and he should give you enough for your needs."

     She looked confused for a moment, "What is it?"

     Donaar looked smug, "Just something that will help you get some fabric. That is..." he paused teasingly, "if you have the skills to slip out and go there by yourself without getting lost or distracted." 

     "I can't do that! We are not allowed out without Mum!"

     "So be it," Donaar shrugged and took his place on the couch where he had been before the interruption.  "That's the best I can offer."  He took out his book and pretended to write.  When he looked back up, she was already gone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

     "Why do I have to be here?"  Kai wiggled a bit as he held up his arms in an attempt to keep the outfit he was wearing on his shoulders.  "I thought you were going to get Zinnia to help out?  This is more their thing?"

     Saoirse spoke around a paintbrush as she checked out her handiwork while sitting on the cobblestone pathway.  "The merchant said he wanted to see the finished product in exchange for the use of his fabric..."  Spotting an empty swath she added a few more decisive lines, blowing onto the wet ink to help it dry faster before adding under her breath, "not like he'll be able to get out this ink though..." 

     "And Zinnia is helping me because you don't like talking to other people."  Donaar called from over his shoulder as he was clearing out some space from in front of the store.  The rural shopfronts gave the town a quaint air but the thatched roofs meant that sometimes the streets needed to be cleaned of loose straw.  He kicked a few more strands off to the side as he pulled a wooden box to the side, to form a small barricade to divert foot-traffic on the stone pathway that the store front spilled out on. "Let me know when you are ready Surry and then I'll call them out." 

     She nodded as she examined her work once more, spreading the material to show off the birch patterning. The material was draped over her brother artfully, the best she could do as she never found a sewing kit at Mitter's home. Still, even with the rather shapeless look it had, the vibe of Bellmoril was what she had captured and she was pleased with herself. She envisioned gold trim to match the golden leaves of the town's signature foliage and nodded, yes, this was what she was going for. Taking a few steps back she waved towards her brother, "Ok Donaar, call them out. Let's see if they like it enough to sell it!"

     Donaar immediately walked into the covered area of the stall and came back out followed by an Elnin of all yellow shades who looked like they would perfectly fit within the surrounding foliage.  He gestured towards Kai who stood as streight and tall as they could with the freshly painted fabric draped across him and Saoirse who toed the quickly capped ink pot back behind her sibling.  "And this is what I was talking about. What do you think?"

     With a quick eye to catch the concept, Daffolyn regarded the small trio before them and made a small show of circling around to take it in from all sides.  "So what were you going for? Can you describe it for me?"  The golden nin smiled warmly at the kittoms as she inspected the fabric that had been painted to look like the birch trees that surrounded them.  While they were pretty sure they knew what the inspiration had been they wanted to know the thought process behind it.

     "Well..." Saoirse knew it was her moment and stepped forward.  She let her brothers direct the crowd so that they would not get lost in the now-busy sidewalk and focused on the shopkeeper before her.  "We are new here and I am used to trees of dark barks and purple hues from where I am from.  When I saw the birch trees with their pretty patterning on the bark I was inspired to create something similar."  The navy kittom gestured towards the birch trees that lined the side of the street to emphisize her point.  Lifting the edges of the material, she ran a paw along the end and added.  "I would sew some golden trim but I was not able to find any.  Thank you for letting us use this fabric though."

     Daffolyn nodded with another smile,  "You are very welcome.  It was a scrap from the end of the bolt that I would not have been able to sell.  I am glad to see it used, especially for a project such as this."  They knelt down and, after acknowledging a nod from Kai, reached out to finger the material, taking a closer look at the markings Saoirse had painted on.  Some were thin and precise and others were smudged into the fabric but the overall effect gave a pretty mottled appearance and they could easily see how the accent of gold trim would work very well.  "It is quite beautiful, I am delighted to see new creative ideas."  They stood back up and turned to the smaller kittom  "And how do you propose we make this so that the markings stay into the fabric even through washing?" 

     Looking down at the fabric, Saoirse tried to remember the few things she had overheard her mother talk about when discussing the newest clothing designs.  Dye would be too incontrollable and was usually used for larger swaths, painting on the fabric, she already knew would be messy and take too long.  That and she wasn't sure how well the ink she used would last in the long run.  There was embroidery but that would take even longer than painting and would add in extra bulk.  She scrunched up her nose as she considered other options before it dawned on her.  She remembered why they had come to the city.  The person her mother had come to see was a weaver and they had been talking about weaving the pattern into the fabric itself.  "Could it be woven in?  As in, could the darker fibers be woven into the material as it is being made?" 

     "You may be onto something there."  The yellow nin considered the idea.  "With the pattern mostly being horizontal it would be easy to add in darker fibers."  Daffolyn had worked with birch inspired fabric before, especially when it was festival time within the region when people used the golden leaves to accent their own designs, but usually it was stained or painted which meant it wasn't as common.  However, the way Saoirse had layered out the pattern of greys and darks gave them a few ideas that would work well on a loom.  Daffolyn looked at the kittom curiously, this had started out as a favor asked via a note but had blossomed into something more.  "Have you considered an apprenticeship? I think you might do well as a designer if that is something you were interested in."  They had a few ideas of where to send her, this bright young kittom could do well with some formal training.

     "It would be a dream!" Saoirse could barely believe her ears.  She grabbed Kai by the shoulders and spun him around happily, not minding that still-wet ink was transferring from the fabric draped over him to her own garb.  "I can't wait to tell Mum! She will be so surprised!"