Heartburn, awful breath, and an irritated throat. No matter how many times she rinsed her mouth the taste lingered.

“Gods… make it stop.” She groans.

For the past two nights, Aliza was burdened with seasickness. Not feeling a ship's constant jostling and rolling was relieving, but she could hardly keep what food she ordered down. Other patrons of the bar became concerned. Tohea would occasionally make sure she was still alive between meals Aliza missed. This morning only one episode of vomiting and fatigue took her. Feeling a bit confident to be able to stomach at least a couple of warm bagels. Overlooking her attire, the situation of eventually mingling with others was beginning to settle over her.

“I think it might be time to look more fitting to my new ‘home’ now.”

Dawning her old black tunic and pants, she made her way to the main entrance of the Inn.

“Miss Menona!” Tohea called her at the bar, alerting Aliza. She slowly approaches the bar fighting her gurgling sore stomach.

“I see you're finally walking, feeling better? Are the bagels settling?” Concerned frowned her face.

Unknowing to Aliza, her face started to pale and sweat was beading from her forehead, “Yes, I feel rested today. I figured I would go shopping for some…” Her head droops overlooking her drab.

“Proper attire?” Tohea giggles. “You go ahead dear, if Olif comes by I'll let him know where you went…you won't go far. But first…” She cleans a small cup and fills it with water.

“You need fluid. Drink,” she orders Aliza while pouring a strange powder into the water. Aliza raised her brow and glared at the innkeeper from under her hood, “Easy girl. It’s a nausea relief, should keep your stomach settled so you can venture around.” Tohea assures her pushing the glass to her. It had a slight bubbling and hiss and smelled bland.

“Personally…I hold my nostrils shut,” she cringes.

Aliza ponders, looking back from Tohea and the cup of fizzing water. She grasps the cup, taking her advice and plugging her nostrils, she gulps the mixture down with a couple of mouthfuls and places the cup down. She accidentally tasted it. Nowhere near her samplings of poisoning on how to smell and taste for it. Could be medicinal… It felt strange going down her throat, but her stomach went from a rough grumble to a settled state. A comforted sigh of relief escapes her.

“That's much better! Thank you so much!” Aliza smiles and Tohea nods.

“Of course. Now, run along and by the way…try on something red,” she winks at her as Aliza leaves the bar.

Retracing her steps back through where Olif escorted her, she could feel eyes beading on her. She kept her eyes ahead and at the same time, tried not to get lost in her new environment. There was crisp cold in the air that had Aliza clutching her flapping hooded cloak together. Though she could tell it was time to retire it, it did little to nothing against the cold. Close to the dress shop, there was a stand that smelled of a warm aroma of cinnamon, sugar, and apples. She desperately wanted to taste it. And she was sure her starving stomach would appreciate it.

“Good morning! Apple Turnover?” The merchant greeted her.

“S-sure. How much for one?”

“3 gold Miss.”

Without hesitation, she reached into her pouch and gave the merchant his gold. With a smile, he took out his tongs reached into his stand, and pulled a medium-sized puffed pastry with cinnamon sugar coated on top. He slides it in a parchment bag and presents it cheekily to Aliza. Even though her eyes were hidden, he could tell they were glowing. Gently grabbing the pastry from his hand, she nodded and thanked him, and found a nearby bench to enjoy her treat.

One soft crunch, the cinnamon sugar coating her tongue, the gooey and soft center of the caramelized apples. Her senses were dancing and a satisfying smile grew on her face.

Gods, even the food is better! Well… not better than Mama’s banana pudding. But this is miles ahead from what I ate in the manor.

After some quality time finishing the warm pastry and a now happy stomach, she let out a sigh of relief and the cold hurried her to the market square. It seemed to be the start of the bustle of the day as the crowds were growing larger by the minute. As she quickly scanned the shops, her eyes met the blue number she had seen days ago, and paced herself to the shop.

She walked in to only be met by stares from everyone dousing the excitement she had. Brows furrowed and women and children clutched each other.. Aliza just kept her head down trying to keep a low profile. Making her way to the outfit by the window, the women nearby shuffled to get out of view. Taking a quick look around the room, some patrons looked at her in anticipation. Others observed from a distance while still shopping. The shopkeepers were less subtle as most stared daggers at her standing behind the counter. Aliza wanted to bite back and confront them, but the rational side kicked in just in time before the fire struck.

Calm down. I’m sure anyone with a ratty cloak coming into a store like this would raise suspicions. Just go on about your business. Rather not give them a genuine reason to call the guards.

Aliza walked up to the rack with pieces of the outfit putting a small smile on back on her face. She looked at the price tag for the white tunic, 20 gold, and held it to her body. It seemed… off. She grabbed the corset, still off. Then, the sudden realization washed over her before she grabbed another garment… Her measurements are unknown to her.

When was the last time? I was 25 right? And I’m 28? Shit…

Panic arose as she looked down at her clothes; well, her brother’s old clothes.

Oh, that makes sense now…

Her hope of a simple shopping trip with zero interaction just got complicated. She couldn’t - no- wouldn’t go back with the rags on her still. Amid her panic, a woman tapped her shoulder. She had medium dark skin, dark brown eyes, and pointed ears. Her hair was braided back into a ponytail. She was slender with a round face and pursed lips. She wore the tan dress that Aliza also wanted and was the same height as her. Her smile was… warm. She seemed genuine.

“Welcome to Broomhila’s…ma’am?” Aliza nodded. “Perfect! I’m Taryn. May I be of service?”

Her accent… or lack thereof.

“Are you…Icarian?” Aliza whispered.

“Yes. I guess the ‘accent’ gave it away.” She giggles.

“I’m from there too. Born and raised.” Aliza says keeping her volume low.

“Well look at that! One native meets another I see. Not many of us are around here. But don’t worry my dear. This place will grow on you quickly.” Taryn says laying one hand on her back. “Does anything stick out to you?”

A couple of the shopkeeper's Psst! at her and gave her the “What are you doing?” eyes. Her glare shuts them down and she redirects her attention to Aliza.

“This blue outfit I saw the other day, I would like to try on every piece of it if I could.”

“Absolutely ma’am! I’ll just need your measurements.” She says taking out her small notepad and pencil and turning it to a blank page.

“Well…I… I don’t know my measurements exactly.” Aliza stutters.

“Oh! That’s no problem ma’am, I can take your measurements in the back. I do need you to remove your cloak before we can begin. Store policy against cloaks or hats being worn inside.” Taryn said.

The lump in her throat grew and her head began to buzz as everyone’s gaze darted to her. She swallowed harshly looking back at Taryn hoping she would see or feel her fear. She stood firm with that smile still on her face. With a couple of deep breaths, she removed her cloak, and… jaws dropped to the floor.

“Ma’am you are gorgeous! Why have all the beauty hidden under a cloak?”

She nervously giggled and shrugged, “Nervous?” As her eyes darted around the shop.

“We have the same skin tone! Height too! Makes things easier for me. And those eyes… like sweet sweet honey. And your cheeks, adorably round.” Aliza blushed looking down at the floor. “Hmm… your clothing says Icurus. But your face resembles Sia. Your face almost resembles a wolf or a fox. Do you have family there?”

Aliza’s brows raised with curious eyes.

“No, my parents are Icurus natives.”

Taryn shakes off her thoughts and a smile gleams once more. “Well, you won the genetic lottery, ma’am! I’m sure you have a beautiful head of hair tied in that bun. I can bring you to one of our hairdressers in the back when we're done here.” Taryn gleefully went on. A new wave of excitement grew in Aliza as she enthusiastically nodded to her recommendation. “Perfect! Follow me. I’ll set up a dressing room for you.” Taryn took her hand and strode to the dressing room giddily. All eyes followed them but now - dare to say - there was admiration in their eyes. Passing by the other shopkeepers, one hastily followed behind them.

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Taryn had Aliza strip down to her underwear to get the most accurate measurements possible. Aliza was both excited and embarrassed since this was the first time she had been measured in years and the first public fitting room she had ever been in. The fitting room was full with Aliza taking the last stall. As Taryn escorted her out, all eyes followed her. She just kept her eyes on the ground up to the three-way mirror.

Usually, the seamstresses she had interacted with in the past were rude or incompetent. But this one was rather… gentle… and polite. She adjusted and advised her with gentleness and care. Kept the conversation going so things wouldn’t be too awkward between them, even getting the other shopkeeper involved, by the name of Gale. She didn’t apologize for her behavior before, for it seemed like two shy women being in the same place. Taryn used the opportunity to see if maybe she could be brought more out of her shell.

When the measuring was done and Taryn took time to write down her findings, Aliza looked up at her reflection and was enamored by her physique. She has seen herself naked but never this clear before. Maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was Taryn’s contagious positive vibrations, but Aliza was admiring what was looking back at her. She was lean and curvy. Large firm breasts and a cinched waistline. The lining of her abs leads to a V line to her hips. Her arms were bigger than she thought but her broad shoulders complimented them. And her long legs were toned to the point that when flexing her quads, the muscles carved themselves out. Turning around, her calves looked as if they were carved by a sculptor. Her hamstrings were smooth and strong.

Damn. I have nice legs. I can see why Father forbade me from courting.

Gazing up to see her full rear complemented by her thong was a nice round firm rear with dimples on each cheek.

When did I have dimples?

“Like what you see ma’am?” Taryn asked.

“Oh-um… I’m sorry.” She straightens attempting to crawl back into her shell.

“No, no! You should. You have a great physique. Do you train in anything specific?” Taryn asked.

“I haven’t trained in the past three months. My father trained me since I was ten in sword fighting.” She explained, her tone neutral when mentioning her father.

“Awww, isn’t that sweet? Daddy trying to protect his little girl.” She clenched my jaw and masked her swallow. It went unnoticed. “There are more training opportunities in Dahli if you ever travel there. I should consider it the next time I’m there. I could use muscles like yours.” Aliza softly chuckled.

“So I can pull a few outfits for you to your liking. Since the seasons are changing, I suggest our warmer pieces. If you still want the summer clothes, I can sell them for a discount.”

“That sounds great, thank you. I got 500 gold to spend so I’m open for anything.” She gleefully informed her. The second she said her budget out loud, Taryn and Gale’s face gawked. They raced back to the front and started to grab pieces left and right. When they came back, they had stacks of clothing in their arms. She was completely engulfed by fabrics and leather.

They tried a few tester pieces on her first to see what worked well for her body, one of them being the tan dress she wanted. When she tried it on… it seemed off.

“Something wrong ma’am?”

“No… yes… I mean- I don’t think this dress is for me. But I’m not sure why. It looks perfect on you.”

“Hmmm, I think I know why.” She comes to the mirror next to Aliza. “So I’m a more petite frame. So I want something that will give the illusion of bigger hips. I also love frills and buttons and lace. How does this dress make you feel?”

“Being honest? Like a cupcake.”

Taryn and the other patrons collectively giggled to Aliza’s embarrassment.

“No, no, ma’am it's ok. What you want is something that accentuates your curves. You want skirts with less layers and more length. Paired with the right corset will show off your natural hourglass figure. As far as frills, we can calm those down. And coverage, what is your limit?”

Pondering in the mirror for a moment, “Honestly, I would like to show a little more skin. I’ve worn high necks and turtlenecks most of my life and I want to retire that look.”

Gale seemed to ponder along with Aliza until her eyes lit up.

“Broomhilda’s collection. The blue one. In the window.” Gale suggested

“Oh! The blue would be perfect! Against her neutral skin tone would make her glow!”

Aliza and Gale shared soft smiles giving nonverbal consent to the idea.

“I’ve been wanting to try it since I laid eyes on it. I would love to see how that looks. And if you two can, I would like something red if it’s not too much.”

“Not at all!” Gale and Taryn replied in unison and they went back out to the floor.

They brought out the blue outfit she wanted and a few other pieces with them. Some of the pieces were clothing she needed regardless and didn’t feel the need to try them on. Some pants, everyday shirts and blouses, blue and black pants, and flat boots.

When she tried on the blue number, a big smile grew on her face as she posed and twirled. The fabric was so soft and the pants fit in all the right places. She kept twisting her hips to see the sewn-in skirt move with me. The boots need some breaking in but she can handle that.

Another outfit was a cream off-the-shoulder blouse with satin buttons in front and the sleeves cut off at the elbows. A small brown leather corset that laced the front and back. A brown skirt with a split all the up to her hip with white fabric under it giving it a little modesty and layer. They paired with brown ankle boots but they had no ties. Slip-on shoes they said. The skirt flowed every which way I walked and the shoes were very comfortable despite their height.

The last outfit she tried was a burgundy V-neck blouse with bellowed sleeves. A black lined cotton corset vest with vine designs sewn into it, a flowing black skirt, and lace-up ankle booties. Aliza can imagine with her curly hair and red lipstick she can pull this outfit together. It was both comfortable and sexy making her eyes narrow in lust.

“I love this!” She exclaimed.

“This color looks amazing on you! You’re glowing ma’am.” Gale commented. Aliza smiled brightly at her as a bright rouge grew on Gale's face.

“I just need to hem up the skirt a bit…” Taryn pins the skirt up and marks up the line to sew. “And that should do it! I can have your clothes ready for you in a few hours.” Sorrowed having to return the clothes, she returned to her old clothes and met Taryn and Gale at the front. Taryn finishes jotting down some notes in the ledger and adds up the items. “With everything including tailoring, that would be…300 gold exactly ma’am.”

Without a second thought, Aliza grabbed three bags of 100 gold each and handed them to her. Taryn let out a gasp and looked back at her with twinkles in her eyes.

“Thank you, Taryn. And thank you Gale for helping me.”

“Of course Ma’am!” They said in unison.

Why did I feel so relaxed here? Seamstresses couldn’t give a good godsdamn about you in Icurus. But here…

“I’ll get started on the hemming. Gale, mind taking… I’m sorry I never asked for your name. Forgive me.”

“It’s alright. It’s Aliza,” She answered softly, a small smile curling on the side of her lips.

“Love it! Gale, if you don’t mind taking Aliza to the back to get her hair taken care of.”

“Not a problem. This way.” Gale directed her.

There was a door just down the hallway of the dressing room. This salon sat 10 women comfortably. Some were getting their nails done, a couple were at the washing stations. A few sat around a table conversing with one another, one woman was just finishing up with her client. When they walked in, all eyes darted to Aliza. Their faces seemed more neutral and unbothered than those in the shop. Most just observed her come in and then continued their business as normal. Aliza felt a little more at ease. But those who kept their eyes on her made her shoulders stiffen.

“New client Gale?” one of the stylists spoke. Caramel skin with bright blue eyes and light brown hair. Her voice is high but a little raspy.

“Yes. This is Aliza. She just arrived a few days ago from Icurus.” She introduced.

“Ahh! Nice to see some color around here huh? I heard Icurus only comes in one color. Drab.” A few of the women giggled. Aliza bit her lip holding one back and glanced at the ground. “No need to be shy, hun. Name’s Vanessa by the way. Come have a seat.” She gestures to her. Gale patted her on the back, smiled, and left back to the shop.

As Aliza sat in the chair, her anxiety started to creep up her spine as Vanessa started to untie her ribbon. Her hair back home was deemed “a jungle” and too much for anyone to deal with no matter how much money was thrown at them. What would be the excuse in this new world?

“Alright… Let’s see this mane of yours.” She managed to untie her ribbon and Poof! Outcame inches of long tangled mess of black hair. “Whoa!” She exclaimed and laughed. Aliza buried my face into her hands and tried to breathe.

“I’m sorry. I could find a way to-” She tried rushing out of the chair when Vanessa’s hand held her in place by her shoulder.

“Where do you think you're going? It’s a lot of hair, most wouldn’t be up for this challenge. Lucky for you…I love a challenge.” Her voice purrs and a devious smile smoothes over her face. Aliza didn’t know if she should be scared or fortunate to trust this woman. But from the look on her face, she wasn’t giving her a choice in the matter.

After three hours of detangling, washing, moisturizing, and styling, her hair was beyond her expectations. This curl pattern she had never seen. Big loose luscious curls that stretched to the middle of her back. It bounced and shined and it was so…soft. She recommended a few products of hers and advised a regimen to keep up the maintenance. Her services cost 50 gold, she gave her a bag of 100 for a handsome tip.

“I feel like a new woman! Thank you!” Aliza exclaimed, playing with her hair in the mirror.

“Anytime sweetheart. My chair is always open to you.”

She nodded and smiled brightly. Heading back to the front of the store, the customers and shopkeepers could keep their eyes off her, for good reason now. Smiles grew on their faces, a welcoming change from earlier today.

“Your hair is lovely Aliza!” Taryn exclaimed.

“Thank you very much. I didn’t know it could look this good,” she said, playing with her coils.

“I told you this place will grow on you. Syris looks good on you already.” Aliza smiled and giggled. “It’s going to look even better with your new clothes. Come with me.”

They headed back to the dressing room and tried on the burgundy top and skirt number that now fit her perfectly. She felt… confident and sultry for the first time in her life. Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all. Aliza gave Taryn a hug and a million thank yous. As a courtesy, the store threw in a black coat and jacket free of charge if I donated my old clothes to the unfortunate in the city. Plus, it was a gift for the newcomer of Syris. She gladly said goodbye to those clothes, grabbed her bags, and strutted out the door.

Aliza wasn’t done yet. She went across the square to a makeup store so she could have her red lipstick to tie the outfit together. Plus, she loved makeup and needed to know the quality that Syris could provide. It did not disappoint. With her new look, she gracefully strode back to the tavern.