392/Bia needs fashion help

Function: CargoSQLQuery::run
Query: SELECT `cargo\_\_Characters`.`\_pageID` AS `cargo\_backlink\_page\_id\_Characters`,`\_pageName` AS `\_pageName` FROM `cargo\_\_Characters` WHERE ID=x ORDER BY `cargo\_\_Characters`.`\_pageID`,`\_pageName` LIMIT 100

**Merari (109) has posed:**
Merari has a rather modest stall by Champoor standards. Which is not to say that it is small, so much that it is not ostentatious in appearance nor obscene. No nude stall girls to attract customers, the stand is wood instead of solid gold, etc. Even the merchant manning the stall completely fails to stand out. Just a regular mortal merchant and what might be an assistant or slave in the back. Yet in spite of this (and, to a much lesser degree, because of this) he still has a reputation in the city. Most of the reputation is simply for being an excellent artisan of clothing.

**Bia (59) has posed:**
A buff jacket drops on the counter as Bia arrives a little suddenly. She's well-known locally for her arena fights, of course, but the jacket looks a little too savaged for that kind of thing. She herself, though, only as a scant few bandages. She shrugs a little, looking away as if the state of the coat said everything.

**Merari (109) has posed:**
The merchant leans over and begins examining the damaged apparal. The small frown, which seems to be his default expression, deepens with his examination. "This is garbage," he complains in the native dialect of all merchants: gross exageration. "A woman like you should wear something nicer," adds the judgemental man, though this might /technically/ be a compliment, as he gives a vague indication towards/glance at Bia herself with a jerk of his face. "Also, you should find something besides a tyrant lizard for a sparring partner."

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"It's my garbage.", Bia says, folding her arms. "Besides, you want some finery getting wrecked like that? I don't want to make some poor weaver weep, right?" A slight pause. "I wish I had a tyrant lizard to fight, this was just about half of the Black Mambas trying to cut me a new one... every gang in this town, I swear, 'shadow' this or 'night' that... can barely keep them all straight."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
"I'm not saying you should fight in a silk gown," Merari retorts. "But the dye is cheap and the threadwork is mediocre at best." He wiggles the bare tip of one finger along the joint of the sleeve to the torso and tugs a loose thread out by way of demonstrating his point.

    The next part earns her a second glance from him, albeit a brief one. "Black Mambas, eh? What'd you do to tick em off?"

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"The hide helps keep my limbs on, yeah? It does its job.", Bia retorts, and rubs her neck. "Anyway, they were trying to rob a merchant's food shipment and I told them no. Guess they were pretty hungry. They got away with some-" She gets a look on her face that says more 'she let them get away with some'. "- but they're not going to be hoarding, at least. And I got some as payment. Already gave it away, though."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
"I suppose so," is his reluctant agreement with Bia's assessment of her jacket. "This shouldn't take me too long, as long as I have the proper thread." He lets go of her garment and glances over at the elderly man in the back. "Azaz, get my tools." As the man carries that out Merari begins looking behind the counter through his supplies for something in particular.

    "Going to have a hard time fighting on an empty stomach. Attitude only gets you so far."

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"I make enough money on fights, I'm not going to be starving.", Bia replies, though she touches her stomach self-consciously as if she's been neglecting. Something of an open book, she seems like. "Anyway, I can't grow shit, so it's all I can do is just try and keep things from not falling apart." She looks over, leaning on the counter. "Wait, was that sound of you caring?"

**Merari (109) has posed:**
Merari makes a noise that vaguely conveys success, or perhaps "ah-ha" and pokes his head back up from behind the counter. He does this to find the fighter leaning towards him, a view that draws a slow blink from him. Azaz returns at that moment, stepping out of the workshop in the back and into plain view, showing the crude iron slave collar on his neck and a basket of tools in one age-lined hand.

    "This may be hard to grasp," the tailor says evenly, and with a hint of slowness as if not trying to rush her thinking, "but dead people make for lousy customers." A brief nod to Azaz is then given as the basket is accepted from him.

**Bia (59) has posed:**
Bia hmphs, standing up straight. "I'm not going to fall over for a bunch of rowdies who haven't fought anybody who swings back before.", she comments. "I was champion for a reason, yeah?"... even though she seems to have given up on competing for it these days.

**Merari (109) has posed:**
A noncommital grunt is the only answer he gives to her initial remark, but he doesn't exactly look convinced. Of course, he is busy starting on the repairs already, threading something through a needle and tying it off with practiced ease. "Champion, huh? Of where?"

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"Huh? Champoor? In the ring? Over at the Cruciatum?", Bia replies with some surprise. "I mean, it's been a little while since I had the title. And you'll always get naysayers, but none with enough conviction to face me in the ring and win. I let it go, though. World's gotten a little bigger than just Champoor to me."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
Merari begins sewing up one of the tears in the buff jacket with neat little stitches. "Uh-huh." He seems to at least recognize the Cruciatum, even if he shows no other sign of recognition or emotional reaction. Her last statement elicits another brief question. "How so?"

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"Eh, I mean, once I was at the top here... I don't know. I realized there was more I could do. I was always sold as a hero in the ring, but it wasn't... exactly so, yeah? Not at first, anyway.", Bia admits. "And there's a lot more to test my skills against out there, a lot more to learn. Kind of realized how little I knew, even at the top."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
"Never really figured out how that was supposed to work, myself," he remarks at the hero of the ring bit. "Two people fight eachother for fun or profit, and winning makes someone a hero?" He clearly has no appreciation for the fine art of gladitorial combat! "People generally don't associate fighting with learning. You sure you're in the right business?"

**Bia (59) has posed:**
Leaning against the counter, Bia shrugs with a slight roll of her eyes. "Well, you know, merchants who arrange fights, they like to sell everything with a little story to keep folks hooked for the next fight.", she says frankly. "And sometimes the villains win, which gets people to cheer for the hero to rise back up... but..." A slight pause. "And fighting is a process of constantly learning! I mean, I've never been some dojo mouse trying to understand how to fight through my scroll or by watching my navel, but if you don't learn from fights... you won't win them."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
A small nod from Merari indicates he is listening despite his attention being upon the garment he is sewing up. "That sounds stupid." Definitely no appreciation for theater. "I suppose so." At least he is more open to the learning thing. "I've yet to see a navel with wisdom in it." His bland tone makes it next to impossible to tell how serious his comment is. "So what have you learned from your fights, besides how little you know?"

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"Eh, it can distract people. Or inspire them. Depending on how the story's told, yeah?" Bia shakes her head slightly. "Anyway, tell that to the Immaculates. All that body purification and exercise and ancient techniques don't do much if you haven't gotten in a proper fight before. And... well.." She seems to ponder for a moment. "... you get to know people. How they react in a fight tells you a lot about them. A good fight can really help somebody who needs it... or crush somebody, whether or not they need it. Can give somebody inspiration to get stronger, or humble those who need it." She pauses. "And it's not always easy being the judge of that."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
Once he's finished sewing up one of the slashes he tests his handiwork, poking and prodding the material and seeing how well it holds together. The tailor works in silence for the moment, letting Bia tell her story.

    "You can help people by fighting them?" He sounds dubious, yet there is a glimmer of interest in the question, noticable only because of how little emotion he shows the rest of the time he speaks.

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"Well, sometimes it helps inspire them by showing them what they could be... or how far they've fallen, yeah? I..." Bia looks away slightly. "You fight enough people, it's like looking into their heart, it's-" She pauses. "- hard to explain if you haven't-" Leaning on the counter, she just looks a little frustrated, like words are failing her.

**Merari (109) has posed:**
In spite of himself, Merari glances up from his work when she trails off. He's curious what she has to say, so he waits patiently for her to verbalize things. The next gash is started on before he finally ventures, "Sometimes people don't see reason until you beat them senseless?"

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"Well. Hopefully you don't have to do too much hurt before they wise up.", Bia replies. "I've got enough control to win a fight without that, most days. Most fighters aren't good enough to make me get serious anymore, anyway." She sighs deeply at that. "But I s'pose that's part of what I'm looking for, too."

**Merari (109) has posed:**
"Being better than everyone one else sounds like a terrible burden." Back to his usual emotions along with a side helping of sarcasm. Satisfied with the current stitches for the holes Bia's jacket suffered he moves on to reinforcing the threadwork for shoulder seam he complained about earlier.

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"I'm not better, I'm just... doing what I can with what I've been given.", Bia replies simply, falling quiet with a frown as she rubs a temple, turning away.

**Merari (109) has posed:**
After a couple moments of her silence he speaks. "I think this is the part where I'm supposed to offer a piece of advice. Or at least sympathy." This is followed by the soft but noticable thud of her buff jacket hitting the top of the counter. "But I'm just a tailor, so you'll have to work out these feelings of guilt for being stronger than everybody else on your own." He then quotes her the price for the service.

**Bia (59) has posed:**
"Not guilt.", Bia replies simply, before unslinging her change purse and setting down the silver. "Just never sure how the future will turn out, is all." She takes up the jacket, half-shouldering it in her fashion. "Take it easy, yeah?"