By the river in the garment district, there are a number of really excellent wholesale clothmakers who, given the right incentives, will deal with individuals rather than factories and big fabric stores. Or what pass for factories and big fabric stores in Baedal. It didn't take long for Penelope to find out that the right incentive is, often enough, a pretty face belonging to a loyal customer. Which she very much is.

So on a nice day, after a train ride and a not unpleasant stroll, she takes a detour by the riverside before going to do some business. A nice not-at-all human-looking Xenian promised to give her a deal on a particularly gorgeous flowy silk-like fabric that he (she? it??) had been overproduced recently, and which Penelope had not inquired to the origins of. You have to choose your battles, when you're stuck in a weird alien melting-pot world, trying to get by. There's no room to worry about bio-friendliness when half your day is spent just trying not to unintentionally poison yourself on alien food your human stomach can't digest.

Thankfully, donuts in Baedal are still just donuts, so Penelope has a relaxing stroll along the river with a donut, a cup of coffee, and a cigarette. It helps keep her mind off of whether or not Angus bothered to wait before she left the street before he took off for Ilde's house. Damn traitorous bastard cat. The absolute balls.