A few days ago, I met Driakos at the Skara Brae tailor shop.  We chatted about the latest in Britannian haute couture.  We agreed that Baxter Green was becoming all the rage.  I said that I wished I could find a green cloth that was darker than Baxter Green.

Driakos said, "Wait right here." and was gone for a while.  Then Moira, a 'close friend' of Driakos's, met me and gave me a few colors of Fancy Dresses.  They were all pretty good colors... but the dark green still eluded me.

Moira said, "Have you checked other tailors?  If Baxter has this green... that means that another tailor has it in bolts somewhere."  The thought of an entire bolt of Baxter Green made me drool... but then I said, "I doubt it.  I have been to *all* the tailors I can get to via the moongates ... and none of them have dark green."

Moira left.  A while later, Driakos came back... with three bolts of the darkest dark green I had ever seen!  He said he had gone all the way to the Lost Lands to get it.  I asked who he bought it from.  "Monroe was his name," he said. Monroe Green was born.

I made a dress out of Monroe Green.  It was fabulous.  I complained that I looked too Fancy in my Fancy Dress to be going adventuring.

Driakos had me follow him to the blacksmith's shop next door to Baxter's... and introduced me to the Joys of Colored Armor.  I bought a gold chain tunic and gold chain pants... and tried them on.  It was too much.  I bought a pair of silver chain pants, but they were entirely too shiny. Lastly, I bought a pair of black chain pants, and they were good.  I bought some Ring Arms and gloves, to give my outfit a little texture.

I wore my sandals, because boots are too clunky.  What I really want are some brown soft-leather boots that come half-way up my calf, and tie up the front with another skinny piece of brown leather that ends in a bow on the top... but I can't find any of those.

We went back to the tailor shop.  I liked my new outfit... but it was still missing things.  I said, "I know!  I need a baldric."  Janey had always worn a Baldric back in Leinster (unless she was wearing her Light Blue outfit... because they didn't have Light Blue baldrics to match).  Driakos ran to the bank... and brought an entire backpack *full* of different colors of baldrics.

I tried a couple on.  The Gold one looked nice - it matched my tunic.  But then I remembered...  I had three whole bolts of Monroe Green!

I made myself a baldric out of Monroe Green.  Everyone in the tailor shop (even Baxter and Mariah) Oooohed and Aaaahhed over my new outfit.  It was still missing something though... so that's when I made myself a cloak out of the same material.

My outfit was complete.  Sort of.  I still didn't have a cowl.  I asked Driakos where to get a gold cowl.  He told me I could find one in the Armoury inside Lord British's castle.  I said, "Okay... I'm going to go get one before Hearding shows up."

I hopped the moongate to Britain... and held my nose as I walked past the bank to the Castle.  As I walked over the drawbridge, I saw a sign that said, "Audience By Appointment Only."  I wondered who one would make an appointment with... and I wondered if The Big Man was good about keeping his appointments.  Maybe I should make one.  But then... what would I say to him?

I got turned around... and couldn't find the armory.  I ended up in the throne room again.  The Big Man still wasn't home.  This time, I didn't turn around and leave right away.  I thought I might leave something for him.  A little present for when he returned.  I rummaged through my backpack, to see if there was anything that would be fitting to give to a King.

I had a lap harp... but I supposed he had minstrels to play him music whenever he wanted.  I had some gold coins... about two hundred of them... but I figured he has enough of those on his own.  Look at his house, for crying out loud!  (and they tell *us* the housing problem is bad?  I wonder how long he has to be away before *his* house decays)  I had a Baxter Green Fancy Dress.  While it was lovely, I didn't think it would look very good on him.  I had a sewing kit... but in all the pictures I have seen of him, he is wearing armor, not clothes.  And then I had some horse food.  Pears and apples.

I thought maybe Lord British would be hungry after his Quest to the Bottom of the Ocean.  They don't grow fruit down there.  Maybe he would have a Vitamin C Deficiency, and would really *need* an apple.  My father always told me to eat my fruits and veggies so that I wouldn't get scurvy.  The last thing we as citizens need is a sick and malnutritioned (and therefore grumpy) Lord British.  An Apple.  What a great present!

I tried to put the apple on his chair, so that he wouldn't have to go very far, but it kept falling off.  I chose a new apple (can't give Lord British a bruised apple) ... and put it on the ground in front of his chair.

As I walked away, I emoted *giggle* even though nobody was there.  :>

I went back to Skara, because Hearding was calling me.  I left without my gorget, because I couldn't find the armoury.  When I found him, Hearding said he really liked my new look.

He and I went hunting outside of Yew that night.  While we were standing at the Yew Moongate, waiting for Davian, a semi-kewlio walked up.  He said, "janey, i have been playing for over a year now, and that is the best outfit ive ever seen!!11"  Semi-Kewlio Number Two said, "Ya, thats a really kool outfit"  ... then Kewlio #1 says, "hey wait a min - i saw her 1st!!" I was laughing my behind off.

After hunting, Hearding said, "I wonder how your new look would look on me."  I said, "I bet it would look good.  Want to try it on?"  So I put on a death robe, and let him try on my new duds.  I saw Hearding in his undies.  I emoted *giggle* again.

Once he was dressed in my new outfit, he looked absolutely dashing!  I told him that we *must* get him a similar outfit.  So we ran all over Skara Brae and picked him out some new armor.  I paid.  He said, "I look rich!  But the funny thing is... I'm broke!"  Yeah... that's because he lets me take all the loot when we go hunting.  No wonder he's broke.

When it came time to do the cape and baldric, I told him that he could pick any color other than Green... because I am wearing Green... and we couldn't look like the Bobbsie Twins, because that would be silly.  So I dyed him a beautiful blood red - almost maroon - to use on his cloak and baldric.

Then I told him about my problem earlier finding the armoury in the castle. He said he would show me where it was... so we went there and bought gorgets.  He said, "I need a hat.  Let's go back to Skara and try on hats." So we did.  I couldn't find a hat that looked good on me... because Monroe Green is impossible to dye.  I decided to forgo the hat.  Since Hearding had his very own Janey Red Dye Tub, it was easy for him.  He wears one of those French Beret looking hats.

I have been thinking that after I move to the Rocky Mountain Shard, I will have a shop called Best Dressed Britannian.  I will sell bags of outfits, because otherwise some mo-ron will buy an orange shirt and green pants and think that because they bought them from the same vendor that they must match.  :>

I wish my hair hung outside the back of my cloak.  It itches my neck.

    - Janey the Newbie & Budding Donna Karan of Lake Superior