Learning to Dance Again

Writers: Eimi, Suzee
Date Posted: 6th September 2017

Characters: Sophque, Devren, Gastel
Description: Sophque gets a good deal and then some...
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 8

Sophque

Sophque hummed as she walked down from the Hold toward the area where
the traders were located. She'd planned this trip for seven day's and
she was finally ready to make her purchase. If course she didn't know
exactly what would be available but all she knew was that her daughter
wanted a pink dress and Turn Over was coming so she was going to make
her a new dress.

Sophine was in a growth spurt so Sophque had taken her measurements
and made the pattern. She knew exactly how much fabric she needed so
she was smiling as she pushed through the door into the shop.

"Sophque!" Devren smiled as he finished wiping the top of his counter.
Cutting cloth always left tiny little threads that if not managed
could build up and blow everywhere! "How are you this fine morning?
What can I interest you in?"

"Good afternoon Devren," she smiled. "Sophine would like a pink dress
for Turn Over. So I'd like to find something pretty for her."

"Well, isn't that a coincidence. I just happen to have a few shades
of that particular color available." He slid around the end of the
counter and waved her towards the back shelf full of bolts of cloth in
a rainbow of hues. "Let's start with the type of fabric. Any
particular type of cloth you're looking for?"

"Oh this is pretty," she went to a pale shell pink that almost glowed.
"I don't want anything fancy for a little girl but I'll add some
ribbons and eyelet to make it seem fancy," she smiled. With her
talents as a seamstress she could make even a poor piece of cloth seem
better than it was.

"If you like this one, I might have one in the back that is almost
this exact shade. It is a little bit more fancy, but," he said,
pointing both fingers in the air for emphasis, "the blue version of it
has been _very_ popular among the mothers making dresses for their
little girls this Turn. I got it for a great deal just yesterday, so
you can get it at a great price. Would you like to see it?"

"Oh yes," she smiled. "That would be lovely, thank you."

"Great. Let me just get my new assistant to pull it for you. Gastel!
Hey Gastel!" he called over his shoulder towards the open door.

A young boy of about thirteen Turns poked his head around the corner.
"Yeah, Devren?"

"Get me that pink bolt we bought off 'the Destination' yesterday, will you?"

"Bolt? Like for screwing stuff together?" Gastel asked, utter
confusion crossing his face as he tried to remember.

"No, bolt, as in bolt of fabric. Like all these are bolts," Devren
said with a wave around the store. "The bolt of pink cloth we bought
off 'The Destination' when we were down at the dock. Get it for me
please."

"Ok," Gastel turned in the doorway and without moving scanned the back
room from that vantage. "Where is it?"

Devren turned his green eyes to Sophque and smiled apologetically.
"Just one moment, please," he said before turning to gently push the
boy out of the doorway and into the other room.

After a few loud whispers and just a hint of something getting knocked
over, the trader emerged once more with the bolt in his hands. "Got
it," he said, holding it up triumphantly. "You'll have to excuse
Gastel. He's the son of my late wife's cousin. His father asked me
to take him under my wing. He only got here last seven day and he has
a lot to learn still. I'm just hoping he learns it before I turn
completely grey," Devren said with a smile and a point to the wavy
soft brown hair that showed only a hint of silver as yet.

"You're very kind to take him in," she smiled. She stretched back and
forth making a show of checking his hair and shook her head. "Nope, I
don't see anything looking like silver there."

"I must have pulled them out over the course of the last few days," he
said with a shrug and a smile. "But yes, I am very kind."

He laid held out the cloth for her to feel. "This cloth was made on
the looms of Master Tintefel. He's a fine craftsman from Opal Cove."

"Oh," she said when she saw the light sheen. "It is very lovely." She
sighed and shook her head. "Master Tintefel's fabric is probably a
little out of my price range though."

"Like I said, I got a great deal on it. This fabric is only marked 15
percent higher than that one. So I'll tell you what. If you buy this
fabric, I'll knock it down to ten, and I'll throw in two yards of
ribbon for free." Devren gave her a hopeful grin as he pointed over
his shoulder towards the spools of ribbon behind the counter.
"Because you said I'm kind."

"Really?" She tilted her head and smiled. "Thank you Devren," she
paused for a moment looking into his eyes. Then she blinked, "Sophine
will be very happy. I was also looking for something for myself, but I
don't need anything this fine."

"Oh?" Devren leaned an elbow on the counter, his expression
unchanging. "What might you need, Sophque?"

"I was thinking a pale blue or aqua. Do you have anything like that?"

"I do," Devren nodded. "So why don't you tell me what kind of music
you like to dance to, and I will see what I have."

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped . "I love music but rarely
dance," she shrugged. "Do you like to dance?"

"Not so much," he admitted with a chuckle of his own. "Well, I like
it well enough, but I don't have the feet for dancing. But, it's the
socially acceptable way to signal to a woman that you'd like to get to
know her better."

She smiled but then her eyes widened with surprise. She hadn't been
expecting a comment like that and she flushed slightly. "Well I... ,"
she stammered. Then she took a moment to compose herself. Her parents
had been after her to keep her options open and be receptive to
overtures from eligible men. She couldn't explain that her heart
wasn't completely healed and so far, he'd been quite nice to her. So
she smiled. "Yes it is," she said softly.

"Oh no," Devren said and sucked the air in through his teeth as he ran
a nervous hand through his hair. "See, I went and made you feel
uncomfortable."

"No," she said quickly so he wouldn't feel bad. "I just wasn't
expecting.." She sighed feeling like she was failing. "My husband was
lost at sea before Sophine was born. She's just been my world since."

"Of course, I understand, you're not ready..." he said with a small
smile. After all, he had lost his wife, too. He was ready to start
looking for another partner again, but that didn't mean Sophque was.

"Thank you," she said with a sincere smile. All the conversations
she'd had with her parents and brothers came back to her and she
tilted her head. "Maybe it's time for me to learn to dance again."

Last updated on the November 27th 2017

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Learning to Dance Again