Chapter 43: Unintended Influence

“Pardon? Perfect? It doesn’t seem to fit like the others. They are loose, but I’m near swimming in this…” Seeing Wanda just point at the mirror I looked over at myself, hood flipped back but acting as a cowl around the back of my head. The red hoodie reached down to mid thigh and sleeves bunched a bit on my forearms, but it softened me, made my go from smooth and taught to a hint pluffy, snuggly.

“You turned me into a stuffed animal.” I stated, thinking back on one of the shelves in Goode’s General Goods.

“Darling! You are lines and hardness and beauty in strength. That,” Wanda pointed at the red hoodie. “Smoothens your edges. It will also… keep you warm.” Wanda sent me a warm smile. “And people will want to hug you in it.”

Rolling my eyes, I looked at the mirror again and noted the embroidery on the chest, above my heart. 4 diamonds with white thread on the tops, and black on the bottom. I looked at it with a hint of a puzzled expression for a bit before Wanda winked and stepped close to me. Her thimble covered finger held an inch from the embroidery traced the white diamond tops. “Em em, Monday March” the finger then floated over the black threaded diamond bottoms. “Double-u double-u, Wanda’s Wearables.”

“So, I’m advertising for you if asked?”

“Seems fair, considering the pricing.”

“Speaking of… it seems not very expensive for everything you’re selling me.”

Wanda shrugged, avoiding my eyes. “You came in with Ann, and I can’t afford to lose her custom…” Then her hand slapped in front of her mouth.

“She does seem to have quite the influence, doesn’t she?”

Wanda kept her mouth closed and then nodded.

“I did her a favor and saved her brother from a spot of trouble, but… did you charge me your cost at least?”

Not agreeing quickly enough to put me at ease Wanda nodded, sniffed and smiled. “So happy to have you looking lovely, darling.”

I could sense a tiny raft of grudging acceptance from her, floating in a sea of resignation.

“You agreed to a deal, and convinced me to take that deal, which wasn’t in your best interest. So, what can we do to make it fair, Wanda?” The seamstress averted their eyes until I leaned over. “The deal for the clothes, rings and sandals stands. I am pleased with the quality and here is the 20 additional dollars I agreed to pay.” I fished 2 empty silver from my pack to pay her and smiled. “Now, while we pick the right sandals and rings, and you adjust the dress, I need a tutor in appropriate pricing for hand crafted items here and in Big Bay, as well as general pricing for items and services. I was wondering if you knew a tutor willing to work on such short notice?”

Wanda and I puttered around for over an hour, looking over rings and sandals, her making tweaks to the yellow dress, and me asking her questions about pricing for a great number of things. During our talk she provided me with handy ways to guess if I was getting a good deal, a fair deal, or should walk away. Friday prompted me to ask for some additional specifics, and we learned that the Pillow and Pie was perhaps the most expensive establishment in God’s Bath. What we were spending there was enough to be considered a fair living per day in Big Bay. Seeing as Buckle was Ann’s sister, and he didn’t want anything bad to happen to me, it wasn’t surprising he sent me there. I could have probably gotten by for 3-4 dollars a day if I’d chosen to look around. It also did a fair bit to explain why she’d even been casually willing to drop my fee by a dollar at breakfast when I’d been being silly.

With further consideration I realized I might have been painting Ann in a more generous light than perhaps fit her. ‘I’m certain the tickle of her voice has nothing to do with it,’ I thought.

Big Bay was certain to be more expensive. As for the clothing, and the purchases I’d made at GGG, well, they were fair for the most part. Wanda’s clothes were higher quality than the price I’d paid, and she lost out in the transaction. Staying in the good graces of one of the more socially influential people in town was certainly worth a bit of a loss, however. And Wanda did enjoy dressing me up.

With 10 dollars for tutoring and tailoring Wanda relaxed quite a bit, and helped Friday and I with a few good baselines to consider for purchases, as well as a couple handy tactics to attempt to save money in the future. She also showed me some hallmarks of quality stitching that I could use to assess the quality of a tailor. It did make me feel a tiny bit guilty about how little I’d paid the scruffies earlier, but they’d agreed to it, and had seemed to be having fun.

I left Wanda’s wearing the yellow dress and sandals. The blue pack on my back almost full with the additional new clothes. I expected I’d be wearing the jeans or the leather when leaving town tomorrow. Thinking about goofing with the scruffies and holding Billie’s hand, I'd slipped rings on each pinkie, and onto the next finger of my right hand. My gold pin was secured near my left collarbone and I’d enjoyed the last glance at Wanda’s mirror before she covered it up.

Not many mirrors in town, Wanda admitted, and if she left it uncovered most of her traffic was just people looking at themselves rather than looking to purchase.

Friday let me know that it would be well over an hour before dinner was being served, but while I could have easily explored the non book options at the Circle and Stick I thought it might be worthwhile to visit Buckle and see about moving the hides.

A short walk later I entered the main room at the Pillow and Pie. A glance showed that Roy and Jazmine were chatting at the comfortable chairs near the cold hearth, though no one else was in the room. Their conversation seemed charged, and I was about to head towards my room as they both glanced at me. Jazmine scowled but Roy gestured me over.

The scowl hurt a little, I didn’t think I’d done anything to irritate Feathers beyond being a System user.

I approached and stood near them. “Yes Roy? Jazmine.” I said simply acknowledging the long haired woman with her name and a brief nod before returning my eyes to Roy.

“You spent some time with Muto and Tok?” Roy asked me.

I chuckled before I could catch myself. “A bit, bumped into them and hired them at horrible rates for a bit, I guess because they were bored?”

“Horrible rates?” Jazmine asked, pointedly. Ugh, I hate how my brain wanted to attack back with a snarky comment.

Instead, I nodded. “A few skewers and bits of fried dough from the street vendors. Oh, and desserts after dinner.”

“What?” Mustache and Feathers chirped with incredulity at the same time.

“Hmm?” I expressed back, confused.

“Ah, well… they said they were well paid…” Roy said.

I shrugged. “In silliness, perhaps? We goofed around for a bit, they seem quite skilled in basic combat training though.”

Roy looked away, Jazmine stared at me, just short of a glare, and I felt the agitation rising… Before I tried my best to bring myself under control, thinking she wasn’t nearly so aggravating as Granny Gabby.

“Hey Jazmine, yes, I’m a Syssy. Yeah, I didn’t tell you last night, in part because you seemed prejudiced.” She looked about to defend herself at my words and I just held my hand up to try and give her pause. “And in part because I’ve no idea if that prejudice is deserved. You don’t want to escort me to Big Bay, fine by me. Bluebird has more to gain than me so far as I can understand. Just decline the offer Roy, I won’t try to convince you if she doesn’t want to do it.”

Feathers folded their arms in front of them and muttered. “Too late.”

“Hmm?”

Roy glanced at me. “Muto and Tok voted to escort you before they headed to the bath…”

Interrupting Roy, Jazmine’s voice sounded a little lost. “They don’t DO that.”

“You mean voting? I thought they told me about a breakfast thing…”

The pair of them glanced at each other with slightly wide eyes before Jazmine closed hers and spoke softly. “Fine, I’ll accept the job.”

Roy nodded as he stood. “I’ll let the Guild know.”

I gestured to give me just a moment before he left. “Not my place, but I’m going to say it anyhow. Yesterday you were talking about a System using merchant who was looking to get to Big Bay, right?”

They both nodded at me slowly.

“Maybe see if they are willing to buy a Ways pass? And pay additional to travel with us?”

Roy nodded. “Smart, I’ll see.” He said as he got ready to head back to the Guildhall, I assumed.

I nodded with a, what I hoped to be civil, farewell to Feathers before she caught my attention with an almost furtive glance. Almost reluctantly she told me, “I like your new dress. I mean I assume it’s new because you weren’t wearing it at breakfast.”

I gave her a smile, and decided I might as well see if I could do Wanda a good turn. “Thanks, Wanda’s work, over at Wanda’s Wearables?” I half asked as if checking to see if she knew of the place. Jazmine’s blank look indicated a lack of knowledge. “Same street as Goode’s, just down a bit closer to the gate. She did up 3 outfits for me in a day, so she might be able to do something for you in short order if you were interested.”

Waving to her, I turned towards the stairs when I noticed Bernie near the kitchen doors attempting to catch my eye.