[ all rita ever wants is to feel important, so when she's told that the moment she arrives, it's a satisfying welcoming that spread a pleasant warmth of fulfillment through all of her body. unfortunately, that brief shine of joy is only temporarily gifted once she's faced with the reality of her newly assigned home.

picking at the wool dress she'd been given, trying to fight the uncomfortable, itch of it against her skin, her nose scrunches at the fishy smell that seems to cling heavily around her, though that may have something to do with the jars of pickled herring shoved in her arms as an apparent gift before she could very insistently deny them. now she's burdened with far more jars than even a stomach like hers would be able to handle. ]

Excuse me! You there! Yoohoo! [ trying her best to cradle the jars against the crook of one arm, the ginger-haired woman gives a wave of her other attempting to catch the closest chance of attention from a passerby, her smile beaming with the brightness of her teeth. ] Might I interest you in some of the finest fish found south of — [ her words hang for a moment, lips pursing with the loss of her smile as she shakes her head, dropping the false exaggerated sell. ] Just ... please take these things off my hands. You'd think they were trying to feed a bear with all of this. And could you please tell me there's a hair dryer somewhere in this quaint little Amish village or, at the very least, a brush?

[ the concept of the race seemed harmless, for all the short time that she believed it was a mere betting pool in which she'd linger on the side lines. actual participation had not been what she'd signed up for.

and yet, there she is, tiptoeing around a puddle of mud as she tries to give a wave of her hands to motion her goat to move, all the while that it stands there, standing at her with non-blinking eyes. ]

Oh, come on! Don't you see that both of our credibility is on the line here? Do you want to face ridicule from all your little goat buddies? Just imagine you're Mickey Rooney in The Big Wheel, aiming for the Indianapolis 500. Put yourself in the role, goggles strapped on and foot on the pedal and — [ she groans, plucking a small piece of a held carrot and tossing it further along the path. ] Let's go! Mush! Hike!

[ and yet, the goat merely stares, unmoving save for a subtle tilt of its head. ]

Fine! Like I care! [ she drops her arms to her side, tossing the remainder of the carrot carelessly to the side. ] I've won awards, you know. I was a Golden Globe nominee. I don't need this mediocre mud slop victory anyway!

[ considering that solvunn didn't have much to offer in the way of decently fashionable attire — not to rita's standards anyway, outside of decent costume choices for an outdoor production of oklahoma! — the shopping stalls at oleuni square have proven to be a most appreciated change, enough on offer that doesn't make her look like a poor farmer's wife.

with a silkier maroon dress pressed to her front, rita steps in front of the stall's offered mirror to determine if the choice is ultimately worth spending the little coin she has. except the moment her eyes fall upon her own reflection, rather than looking to the dress, she focuses her attention on her face — a little more worn, tired, lacking the makeup typically set in place to perfect the tone and colors of an actress' face.

suddenly, the panic starts to swell within her chest, jaw going tense with worry at the perception of every other pair of eyes in this marketplace and what they might see when they look at her. the anxiety of it doesn't remain within her however, as the skin of her cheek begins to droop like melting wax, dragging down heavy towards her chin. rita's grip of the dress loosens as it falls to the group, her own body nearly following as she crouches down with bent knees, huddled forward with her hand pressing tightly against her disfigured cheek.

when she can sense someone starting to hover over her nearby, she merely gives a well-practiced laugh, not looking up, her voice aiming for casual and relaxed but barely masking her trepidation. ] Oh, don't — don't mind me! Stupid coin rolled under the cart. Just my darnedest luck.

( i'm open to trying out different settings and scenarios, especially with those outside of solvunn! feel free to pm me about trying something else or just toss up a setup and i can roll with it. just as a note, i have quite a few family obligations this weekend so i might be a bit slow at first, but i'm eager to throw rita into any and all shenanigans ♥ )