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As Magda wandered through the crowded market, she had to push her way past racks of tattered scavenged human clothing, each piece lovingly repaired and reworked by the vendors, but nothing as fine as the items I have stored within my pack, she thought to herself. The fabric was a riot of colors, with silk and cotton and wool all mingling together in a dazzling display of texture and hue. The clothes themselves were a mix of high-fashion and practical, with flowing gowns alongside durable work pants and jackets. Magda had vowed to take pride in her production, and would not dare bring anything she didn’t feel personally satisfied with.


To her left, a vendor was selling a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, gathered from the few remaining gardens that still managed to thrive in the harsh desert environment. The produce was arranged in neat pyramids, with leaves of Sandswirl Greens and bunches of Cactarrots sticking out from beneath the colorful array. Magda's eyes scanned the stalls, taking in the variety of wares on offer. There were vendors selling everything from rare spices to intricately crafted weapons, and even a few offering strange and exotic services not advertised for within their storefronts.


Another nearby vendor was offering a selection of rare and exotic spices, their aromas wafting up to tantalize Magda's senses. She recognized the smell of cinnamon, but alongside it were other scents she had never smelled before - cardamom, perhaps, or turmeric. The vendor's mate sat behind the stall, expertly grinding the spices into fine powders using a stone mortar and pestle as she watched Magda pass by.


Magda finally reached the section of the marketplace where merchants sold fine clothing and accessories among their other trinkets and treasures. A cacophony of voices and colors assaulted her senses yet again as she made her way through the crowds, the sounds of bargaining and laughter filling the air. Magda paused in a quiet alcove between two beat up steel vehicle frames repurposed into vendor stalls and reached into her pack. She pulled out a few pieces of clothing and took a moment to tuck the articles into various pockets and arrange them in a way so that her whole bag seemed to be stitched together from the different fabrics, all of the colors and patterns meshing together to create a lumbering velvety display of shapes and textures as she sauntered down the center pathway with her head held high, her gaze staying straight before her as she avoided eye contact with other passerby.


The traders eyed her carefully, their stares lingering on the pack she carried with a mix of curiosity and desire, each wishing that she would stop at their stalls. Magda knew she had something valuable to offer - designs that would fetch a high price in a world where fashion had always been coveted. Here Magda felt safe and knowledgeable about something in the world, when she was so unsure about everything else. She straightened her spine and lifted her chin just a bit higher, transforming into someone completely different than the shy, mistrustful woman she had been before stepping within the settlement walls.


Art and story by CSPlushies