• Closed • The Augustin Experience (for Faith)

[Pepper]

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22 of Saun, 718
Rharne

There was a new place in the city. Augustin's it was called. Pepper had heard about some non-local buying a fairly big shop in the Glass Quarter and getting a lot of fairly involved renovations done. Then they found out out it was to be a luxury clothing place, and the mood at Sarah's Silks had turned strange. Of course Sarah's wasn't the only good boutique in town, but the newcomer was someone famous, and with money and connections too. Someone called Faith. The name sounded familiar, but Peppercouldn't recall where she'd heard it before. So she had gone home and asked her aunt about it.

Saryu had known all about Augustin's boutique and about Faith too. Faith and her family had arrived to Rharne from Scalvoris, and had bought a lovely lakeside home too. There was more to it too, but Saryu was determined to check out Augustin's Boutique for herself, and she invited Pepper along. Pepper happily agreed, glad for the outing and for a chance to perhaps meet someone famous. She was curious about what sort of clothes there would be as well, her work at Sarah's had made her appreciate good clothes a lot more than she'd appreciated them in the village.

So the 22nd morning of Saun saw Pepper and her Aunt Saryu push open the doors to Augustin's at around the 10th bell. A bell tinkled, the sound loud but not at all unpleasant, and they stepped into a foyer that gave off a strong aura of luxury and elegance. Peper's uncle and aunt were planning to attend the next MIstral Ball to be held at the Farrow estate, and Saryu was hoping to find something she'd love to wear and perhaps even flaunt in that setting. Considering that many of the city's elite would be sure to attend, it wasn't as shallow a wish as it perhaps sounded. Pepper herself was just going to observe the whole process, and perhaps learn some more about high fashion dress design. She wouldn't be allowed to attend the Ball till she turned fiifteen next season, but it'd be nice to see the kinds of things that were available here, and get an idea of how much buying an entirely new dress would cost her, if she did mean to attend the ball in the next season.

[Faith Augustin]

Augustin's

Faith had to admit, she was pleased with how things were looking. The shop was beautiful, it had just the air of beautiful, exclusive and wealthy that she was looking for. Hana and Tiori were both very pleasant women who seemed to be keen to learn. They'd been welcomed in Rharne and, being close to another new storefront - this one a confectioners - was a useful thing. Soon, and as quickly as was possible, Faith intended to build up her own reputation but until then, a few new businesses together would be more likely to draw customers. Natural curiosity might be ignored for one new shop, but two? No, that was a good thing.

As the bell above the door tinkled, Pepper and her aunt walked into a very nicely appointed shop. There was a young human woman behind the counter and she smiled in greeting. She stood at about five foot ten and had long brown hair and deep brown eyes. "Hello," she said with a smile. "Welcome to Augustin's. I'm Tiori, how may I help you this trial?"

As they looked around the room, there was another female who was just putting the finishing touches to a dress on a mannequin. It was extraordinary, in so much as not only was the cut and quality exquisite but the fabric shimmered and seemed to change colour as they looked at it. The woman who was putting the finishing touches to it seemed to be in her late teens, maybe early twenties but probably not. She was short, not quite five foot four and she had very pale skin and jet black hair. It was her eyes which were most unusual, though, as she glanced up at them and smiled from her position kneeling next to the dress and fussing with the hem and they saw that her eyes were a pale silver tinged with a deep ruby red.

Her clothing was well made and flattering and she had matching tattoos on her wrists, delicate lace-like bracelets and the same around her throat. At her chest was the tip of what seemed to be a willow tree, although most of it was hidden by her clothing and her fingernails were strangely patterned and black. The receptionist, Tiori, continued to speak. "Would you like to have a browse, or would you require something specific?" She was a friendly and welcoming receptionist, there was no doubting it. "Or are you here to see the owner, Faith?" Tiori gestured to the short girl who was putting the colour-changing dress straight, who smiled and stood up.

"Hello," she said, her voice quiet and soft and her smile genuine. "I'm Faith. Welcome to Augustin's." As always she was more than happy to help and she did her very best to ensure that the customer left feeling pleased. Of course, there were some which you just couldn't please no matter how hard you tried and Faith had, over time, learned that the hard way. Thankfully, this woman wasn't like that and so she was more than content to be of assistance. They left, having purchased what they wanted and chatted a little, and Faith got back to putting straight the gown she'd been working on when they got in the shop.

[Faith Augustin]

The rest of the morning passed that way, people coming in, having a chat, looking around. Some bought things off the rail, others talked about the bespoke services available and Faith was as polite and eager to help with the first as the last. Whether they were buying a pair of socks or an entire new wardrobe, it made no difference to her. They had a busy morning and she was pleased, more than pleased with the beginning of this business. It was going to be good, she knew. She was determined. Nothing else would do and that was that. As she and Hana sat together eating the lunch which Faith had brought for them, too, although one of them was always out on the shop floor - to-trial that was Tiori's turn, Hana looked at her and asked. "So, tell me how this works, then? The whole business that is charity?" She looked around and had to admit that this place, with its best of everything feel was not something which reeked of charity. Faith smiled.

"Consider. The fundamental purpose of charity is to improve the lives of people, yes?" Hana nodded. "In order to do that, there must be services, goods, education available. Those all require funding. I could start up a collection point, but most of the people who walked in here this morning, they'd walk straight past such a place. If they came, they'd give a few silvers if that." It was not in any way accusatory, it was simply how it was. "Whereas, they come here and this place? Oh, it's beautiful. It's exquisite and it's exclusive. If there is one thing that people will pay a premium for, it's exclusive." Faith knew this, without a doubt. Hana looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "So, you make a business which will make maximum profit and then use that profit for charity?"

Faith nodded her head. It was a simple enough concept, she thought. Hana's face maintained an expression of concentration as she considered it. "It's very clever," she said and Faith smiled. "Not really. But what it does is it allows people to feel like buying their expensive clothing, here, or excellent meal on Scalvoris, it allows them to feel like doing that has done good. That builds up the idea that, the feeling I suppose, of doing good. By handing over money. I think it makes people more likely to then hand over money when asked for it, too." Hana looked at the diminutive human woman in front of her, barely out of her teens and yet having achieved so much already and she smiled. "I can't argue with any of it." There was no doubt, it all made sense. Faith gave a rather sassy grin, though, as she pointed out. "But in order to achieve what we need and want to achieve, we have to sell things. We won't do that sitting around and eating. Come on." Hana swiped the last of the sandwiches Faith had made and got back to her work while Faith went out to the front of store in order to take over from Tiori.

[Faith Augustin]

As she sat in the back room later that afternoon and started looking over the books, making sure that the ledgers were up to date for the trial's trading, Faith considered that she very much enjoyed this part of running a business. This time where she was getting to know her employees, where she and they questioned and considered. There had been a woman who had come in this afternoon and she'd had some very clear ideas about what she wanted. Unfortunately, they didn't suit her at all and, whilst Faith knew that, Tiori too, the woman did not. She wanted some bespoke pieces and what she was asking for would make her look not unlike a pair of toddlers fighting in a pillowcase as far as Faith was concerned. Tiori had started to try and persuade her out of it, but at a shake of the head from Faith, she'd stopped.

Faith had then presented all the options to the woman, given her things to try on in order to ascertain the best fit for her, but also allowing her to see other options, things which fitted her figure, colouring and shape better as far as Faith was concerned. After all that, the woman had stuck with her original idea and she was happy with it and so Faith began the designing process. Once she had the basic outline, she could consider the individual requirements. She'd need to make the fabric, as the customer wanted an entirely bespoke piece. Faith was fine with that, she enjoyed making textiles and, though it was something she was relatively new at, she found that she really enjoyed it. Hana was a very good teacher, too and Faith was learning a lot from her.

This dress was going to be a challenge because Faith very much wanted to make sure that the client got what she asked for, felt good and looked good in the outfit. Those three things seemed to be at odds, but Faith had worked as a seamstress previously. In Rynmere when she was owned by Tristan Venora she had worked in a tailors shop there and they had paid half the wages for her which they did for any other member of staff - and of course, they had paid them to Tristan to recompense him for the loss of time of his slave. Faith felt her back straighten at the injustice of it and she recalled that time, and the way she had been treated by her fellow workers and her manager. As she sat and finished up the design, she felt a rare flash of irritation at those who had treated her that way, an unusual moment for her but then it was gone again. They were working in the system and it was the system which was at fault; the system which she would change.

She would change it, she did not doubt. Could not doubt.

There was no room for doubt, after all.

Once she had the design done, Faith looked down at it and she nodded. This would be fine, she was sure. Handing it over to Hana, in the back room of the shop which would change Rharne in the way that Cally's had changed Scalvoris, Faith's lips lifted in a smile. "Will you help me make the fabrics for this?" Hana examined it and nodded. "Of course, but satin is a much more usual accent for edging," Faith's expression told Hana that yes, Faith knew that and yes, she'd told the client that. But it was what it was and they were doing what they were doing. Hana handed it back and in unison, the two women spoke exactly the same words. "The customer is always right?"

[Aegis]

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Thread Review

Faith

• Skill Points -
• Renown -
• Skill Knowledges
  1. Design: Fashion: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
  2. Design: Fashion: Different fabrics behave differently
  3. Design: Fashion: Ensure that you give alternatives
  4. Design: Fashion: Check every detail
  5. Design: Fashion: Satin is a common accessory / edging
  6. Textile Production: An integral part of the design process
  7. Textile Production: The best way to ensure a bespoke outfit is with bespoke fabric
  8. Textile Production: Bespoke abilities need to be considered at a production level.
• Non-Skill Knowledges
  1. N/A
• Items and Other Rewards
  1. N/A

Pepper

• Skill Points - 0
• Renown - 0
• Skill Knowledges
  1. N/A
• Non-Skill Knowledges
  1. N/A
• Items and Other Rewards
  1. N/A

Final Notes

As this thread was abandoned by Pepper, I have awarded her nothing.

It was quite nice to see Faith doing Faith things, and by this I mean, being the pleasant, intelligent (slightly conniving but in a nice way), polite way. And as much as you might've apologized in the request, I particularly enjoy job threads and technical threads alike. Well done!

If you have any questions, please PM me. Also please add the provided stamp to your review request found here and please update your CS with all of this information.

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