OOM: Mineral City, 1888 -- That's why I hang my hat... -- for Rachel

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate doesn't try to draw attention to herself, but it's kind of hard to sneak through the bar leading a 15-hand pony. Beaut's not fond of hardwood, truth be told, but convenient doors to Texas aren't always to be found from the forest outside.

"Come along, sugar. Not far now an' there'll be dirt under your hooves again."

Beaut issues a dubious snort, sidestepping when a waitrat ventures a little too close. Kate swings around to steady her, arm brushing a piece of yellowed paper she's got tucked into her britches. She knocks it loose, and it flutters to the floor behind her.

"He ain't botherin' you. C'mon."

She moves a little faster. The quicker she gets Beaut outside, the better. Opening her door, she grins as Beaut's ears twitch forward in recognition, and lets her mosey out first.

"No, no. By all means, let me hold the door for you."

The two disappear.

But the yellowed map remains.


As does the door.

Comments

[theresnodoor]

Oh, she certainly does. And she'd like her even more if she had an ounce of taste.

Rachel's nose wrinkles as she heads into the shop, muttering, "Turquoise-studded, seriously?"


It's not exactly Payless. And while these would certainly qualify as 'custom shoes,' the leather the cobbler fits her with is less than comfortable.

Still, Rachel knows the look of a salesman who thinks he's giving her a good deal. The cobbler beams at her as she paces the room thoughtfully, eyes down on her 'shoes.'

They aren't turquoise-studded but they're not half bad either.


By the time Kate returns, Rachel's leaning outside the front door, beaming proudly, morphing outfit accompanied by new, handmade leather boots.

"Took you long enough."

[ikissdhimbck]

Hey, turquoise is a precious commodity in Kate's day and age. Sometimes taste bows to expense, and nothing draws attention like studded boots.

Kate's trailing a tailor as she crosses the street, hollering and laughing her approval.

"Hoowee! Ain't those somethin'!"

Barefoot in Texas no longer!

The tailor blinks at Rachel's morphing outfit, stumbling a step before moving in to get her measurements.

"How much they run you?"

[theresnodoor]

Rachel ignores the tailor, smirks happily, and hands Kate her change. From the looks of it, she paid a few less than ten dollars.

"They're not too bad, actually."

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate's eyebrows go up.

Well, now. She wouldn't have pegged Rachel as a bargain hunter, but that's damn impressive.

"They look mighty fine. An' they'll look better as y'wear 'em. The leather'll get soft an' broken in."

She smirks.

"There's more good news. This fella here's gonna make me a new skirt. I know y'was frettin' on that."

The tailor is pole thin and tall, with long fingers and a crooked nose. It makes his accent, already a thick Celtic hum, slightly unintelligible.

"Ah, miss? Was that a skirt you'd be wantin'?"

[theresnodoor]

A joke could be made here about the obvious need for a skirt for Rachel.

Instead, she chooses to smile and nod, the smile of a competent young woman utterly comfortable in her underthings. "Yes, thank you. I was definitely fretting."

[ikissdhimbck]

The tailor shrugs off his jacket, and holds it out to her.

"If you'll come across the way, miss, where it's a bit more private..."

Kate beams at Rachel.

"He's got some lovely fabrics."

Nothing to see here, boys. Just move right along.

[theresnodoor]

All these men running around, trying to dress her. Rachel beams right back at Kate and walks across the street with her.

Privacy is valued and usually only appreciated when she's not still running on an adrenaline high.

"Remind me to take you shopping in a real mall sometime. You'll love it."

[ikissdhimbck]

She cuts a sideways look at her.

"What's that mean? A 'real mall'?"

[theresnodoor]

"Oh, Kate," Rachel sighs, shaking her head in pure pity. "The important things Milliways has failed to teach you. This is sad."

[ikissdhimbck]

Her lips tic.

"As sad as a girl, buck-skinned in the heart'a Texas?"

She half-bows when they reach the tailor's, ushering Rachel in ahead of her.

[theresnodoor]

Rachel frowns at her over her shoulder, the both of them still ignoring the tailor. She's never actually heard the term 'buck-skinned' before but it's not that hard to guess.

It's not a friendly sort of frown.

"I didn't hear you complaining in the last town."

[ikissdhimbck]

"I'm not complainin'. I'm teasin'."

She's starting to understand what a dangerous affair that is with Rachel. She's got such a passionate make-up, it might be best to check her shoulder bumps and ribbing at the door.

"You'll get your chance with me, I'm sure. As I hear it told, I ain't exactly at the height of fashion by future reckonin'."

[theresnodoor]

Rachel rolls her eyes, presses her lips together to hide any more frowning she might do. Teasing, fine, whatever, she can take it, she's fine.

"Well, I keep hearing about how my outfit doesn't work for Texas," Rachel allows - grudgingly. Then she manages a smile, just a quirk of her lips as she steps into the store and reaches out to touch a piece of red wool. "I can't wait to see you in a Famous Footwear."

[ikissdhimbck]

She stops herself midway through asking which famous footwear.

"All right, all right. We can talk 'bout how t'dress me up later. For now, you're in the stage lights, sweetheart."

[theresnodoor]

"Oh no, awful," Rachel replies, beaming again. Her fingers run over a few bolts of rough cloth but creativity has never been Rachel's strong point. She has to actually look at the tailor now, eyebrows lifted.

"Do you have a catalogue or something?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Well, I — " he chuckles, scratching his jaw. "We're no Bloomingdale's, miss, but I'll see what I have. You do realize anythin' custom made will take time?"

He fetches a pamphlet of hand-drawn patterns while Kate sets a fine silver snuffbox on a table. She leans back, smiling serenely.

"That's quite all right, sir. We've got the time."

[theresnodoor]

"Oh, no," Rachel says, almost over Kate's words. Though once those sink in, she blinks at Kate in surprise. "Wait, we do?"

Rachel's never had custom made clothes in her life. And 1800s Texas wasn't the place she thought she'd get some.

[ikissdhimbck]

"We've got as much time as it takes you t'get what y'want."

The tailor looks between them indecisively, before she waves him forward with his drawings. Her eyes are dancing.

"If y'don't see somethin' y'want, then have it made. It'll be all right t'spend a night or two in a real bed an' a room with doors."

[theresnodoor]

Rachel doesn't move for a long moment, staring at Kate. Her lips curve into a slow smile.

"if you're trying to butter me up for something," she says, reaching for the pattern book the tailor holds out to her, "it's definitely working."

[ikissdhimbck]

She snickers, and tips her hat.

"Maybe this is jus' my way of sayin' 'thanks' for helpin' end a conversation back at the saloon that was startin' t'get borin'."

She did get what she needed, at least.

A new direction.

[theresnodoor]

"Excitement's my middle name," Rachel agrees, turning away.

But her smirk is very pleased as she starts flipping through patterns.

[ikissdhimbck]

And speaking of pleased, the tailor is downright ecstatic to discover just how interested Rachel is in what she sees. He does his best to talk her into more than one new outfit, but either way he knows he's walking away from this with a sizable profit. Unbeknownst to Kate or Rachel, some of that profit is going to do a good deal helping his family to the south, where they're suffering drought.

[theresnodoor]

It's probably a good deal less exciting once Rachel's made her choices, smiles sweetly, and gets to the details.

"I noticed you're down to the last couple of yards on that fabric. Say that I ask you to make the blouse out of that one instead of the blue, free up a little space on your shelves for newer patterns? What happens to the price on that shirt?"

"This skirt is beautiful, it really is, but all that extra fabric at the back, that train? That's not going to be much use to me and I hate to get it dirty. Why don't we take off a few feet there - no, I don't need it bustled - that should drop the price down some, shouldn't it?"

"Knock it down five more dollars, sir, and I'd be happy to buy that hat, too."

Rachel would deny to her grave that she's ever flirted with a man, and she'd believe it whole-heartedly. But that doesn't mean she can't be 'nice' to get what she wants.



By the time the sun's going down, Rachel has her bill of sale, her new boots, a schedule to pick up her garments, and a lovely grey hat to shade from the sun.

It's a little incongruous with her morphing suit, but that'll change in a few days when she picks up the skirt and blouse.

For now, Rachel tips the brim of the hat to duck the sun's glare and grins happily to herself.

[ikissdhimbck]

She? Is downright impressive.

Kate's been watching the whole affair, giving Rachel the reins to decide on what she wants and how to go about getting it. The fears she started out with are suddenly gone. Rachel's shown that even half-naked and a century gone from her time she's still competent and able to take care of herself.

She had the tailor and two seamstresses on their toes, and she might deny flirting later on, but Kate caught those extra 'nice' words she said. She's all set inside of an hour; Kate even had the liberty to duck out and arrange accommodations for the night.

She's snickering as they walk to their lodgings, nothing but leather boots and a fine hat with dusk as the rest of Rachel's covering.

"You managed some pretty slick talkin' back there, y'know. I was a firsthand witness t'the way the sweat at the small of his back started as a half dollar and ended the size of a dinner plate through his shirt."

[theresnodoor]

Rachel is practically giddy. She just shopped. She went shopping. So hunted and cajoled and found deals hidden under rocks and it was hers again, this single shining thing.

She's not even all that interested in the clothes and has to remind herself, several times, not to just toss that bit of paper away.

Finally, she grins and tucks it into the strap of her morphing suit, blue eyes dancing when she glances at Kate. "I've never bargained like that before. Usually I just have to find the sale. That was fun, that was like making my own."