Submission (#7149) Approved

"Hold still I'm trying to get this to stick." Saoirse deftly pinned a drape of shimmering material around the slightly squirming kittom. "I just need to attach the bottom this sleeve and then you can put your arm down." She pulled a few more pins out of the pillow attached to her wrist and continued figuring out the seam on its way down the side of the dress. The petal-covered elnin had been traveling through Kyendi when she had overheard the need for costumes for a small event celebrating the arrival of spring. Of course she just had to offer her services much to the appreciation of locals who had lined up after seeing some of her creations. She enjoyed her work greatly, especially when there was creative inspirations to play around with. This pair who had come up to ask for something special, had definitely been inspiring for her.

The pair in question was Umbra and Sparkle, two young performers who traveled along with Sheppard's Crook on occasion when they were moving through the length of Eyre without long stops. Saoirse had ran into them once before when she had joined in with the kittom caravan when traveling without the rest of her family. The tailor chuckled as she remembered some of the eventful evenings they had watching the two perform and was excited to design their new outfits for the celebrations. Umbra had been quite easy, her dark and mysterious, quiet nature was perfect for a dark shimmering cloak trimmed with a crystal encrusted ribbon. She had wanted to bring in a design of stars and nighttime imagery at first but Umbra had disagreed, wanting to show off the vibes of the mysterious ruins and odd portals that Kyendi was known for.

"I'm looking for rocky greys, green ivy, and mosses. While I do like the cloak, I think I'd prefer robes like the ancient elnin wore; like the ones found on the wall paintings in the temples." Umbra nodded as she unscrolled a long roll of paper which had drawings and sketches of such designs. "I'm ok with some blues, but nothing too dark; I'm already quite dark enough." The kittom added while brushing down the fur on her arm that had gotten ruffled with the caplet she was wearing. "Something I can easily move around in too, it is a performance after all."

Saoirse nodded and was able to quickly draw up some designs for approval and just a day later had something sewn together which Umbra approved of. Long flowing sleeves that could be spun up around the arms during the more complicated dance movements, and an open skirt of grey tones which had a craggy embroidered pattern though it which gave the appearance of a rocky wall. There were a few different layers of material wrapped around the waist that draped over the open skirts which were printed with stalks of bamboo and lotus flowers, both native to the mountains of Kyendi. The colours were subtle and muted but contrasted nicely against Umbra's dark fur.

Sparkle however, proved to be a bit of a problem. "I'd like a rainbow of colours, bright and floral, maybe with a glowing sun or the sea side." The scroll he handed over was much more in line with something designed with Ealei in mind.

With a long, inward, sigh Saoirse had nodded and taken the notes puzzling over how she was going to turn this into something fitting for Kyendi's atmosphere. She remembered the long flowing sleeves given to Umbra's design and decided to counterpoint that. Drawing on her creative juices, she thought about the flora of the region, remembering the large chrysanthemums and delicate lotus flowers. Bringing to mind the many hidden waterfalls of the region and recalling the glorious sunrises punctuated by floating islands, a vision started forming in her mind. She would design something that would be both elegant and yet have a secret colourful surprise.

Which brought her back to the moment of pinning the sleeve into the correct place. If Saoirse got the placement wrong it would not twist and flare the way it should. The outer layer of the kimono-style robe was pale with wispy clouds that contrasted with the previously designed darker shimmering cloak with the crystal edging. Pale green and grey islands were embroidered over the clouded background, almost unnoticeable unless you looked closely. To mirror Umbra's design, the flowing sash was a pale mossy green that shifted into a light sky blue keeping with the soft theme. Saoirse finished pinning the side of the sleeve and gestured to Sparkle who dropped his arms with a minor grumble before rolling their shoulders a few times. "Go take a look in the mirror," she said with a smile and nudges him off the pedestal towards the mirrors on the side wall.

Sparkle hopped down and moved with light footsteps towards the mirror and regarded themselves for a good five minutes. Twisting from side to side he played around with the layers before catching a flash of bright colours. Spinning around he gasped as the fabric shifted around with the movement. When he stopped Sparkle gathered up the top layer of the kimono and pulled it away from the rest of the layers. "Oh this is smart." the kittom murmured to himself with an impressed tone. Under the pale, subtly embroidered layer there was a second kimono. This one had the same pattern as the first but instead of the white, the silk had been painted into a colourful sunset with the same floating islands picked out in purples and teals. He spun around once more, letting the pale over layer float slowly down over the sunset and nodded at his reflection. "It's perfect. Thank you Saoirse." The Kittom was excited for their next performance.