"What if...it's not a specific thing but more so being prepared for anything? Is there a pain-killer that works for everything? Because I was reading that there can be a lot of factors that go into which one to use which sounds confusing and somewhat counterintuitive." What if you took the wrong one? What if you took too many because you thought it wasn't working but it was the wrong one and it was never going to work in the first place?
saaliha takes a deep breath in, then out – not of any frustration, but due to the anxiety practically radiating off the other that she fears will overtake her, too, if she doesn't take a breath. "well, i personally keep around ibuprofen, like advil or our pharmacy's generic brand that's... probably eighty cents cheaper. it tends to work for pretty much anything - it's just slightly better for some issues than others. either way, it's not going to hurt you." she offers a soft smile, hopefully reassuring. "and if that doesn't work for your particular pain, you can always buy something else later."
"Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting you but I - there are so many pain killers around these days, I have no idea what I'm supposed to get." Fraser rambled, eyeing the options before looking over at the woman. He had met her before, briefly he was sure of it, but this was the first ( of probably many ) trips with him questioning just what he was supposed to do.
"not at all," she smiles at the now somewhat familiar man, who's nearly always equipped with a dozen more questions than the average customer. not that she minds with today's slowness. "i guess it depends on what issue you're trying to target. i mean, they all can treat general issues, but advil, for example, is better for muscle aches than tylenol. where's the pain?" saaliha's head tilts, looking to the man who outwardly seems like he'd likely benefit from some lexapro or prozac more than anything else, but she knows well that sometimes, the unseen pain can be the worst.
drizella partially listened to what saaliah was saying, the other half of her distracted re-reading the labels on the products she had pulled off the shelves. ❛ if you so much as scratch your arm, i don't want you coming within ten feet of me. this is a brunello cucinelli cashmere sweater, saal.❜ dropping her shoulders, nodding her head, she waved her hand to usher the girl towards her. switching the subject, her attitude switching with it, drizella gestured to the array of products with a manicured hand and a tinge of a smile on her lips. ❛ now speaking of taking care of yourself... you've got morning and evening skincare. i was just gonna pull you sample sizes but i ended up just grabbing full bottles because i'm just that confident it'll work for you.❜ that and she didn't need her new project running out of products and not telling her. what good was she as an experiment if that happened ??
saaliha doesn't know what brunello cucinelli is, but it certainly sounds too expensive for her tastes, given a clumsiness that constantly has her mending and replacing garments. "i'll keep your sweater blood-free, i promise." a smile slips upon her lips as she fights to supress a laugh at the attachment driz has to her clothing. eyes widen at the full sized bottles drizella presents to her, looking between the products and her friend. "drizella, you really didn't need to do that... but thank you." she'd offer to pay her back, but... well, there's no way her salary can realistically cover it at the moment. "but i trust your skincare expertise more than... well, anyone." certainly, not her shitty doctor of a father. "so, how do i... is there any special technique to putting them on?"
her father certainly would've scolded her for daring to be out this late, but saaliha knows the facts – restrictive as it may be, evermore is generally quite safe – and so, she continues at her pace, almost leisurely despite the hour. rather than jumping, her head simply turns at the sound of rustling to find the source of the noise, which seems to be someone and not the raccoon she was half suspecting it to be. she squints, taking a step forth, and... oh. he sees her too. "... hello. are you all right?"
drizella's face slowly fell as understanding washed over her, mouth closing as she somewhat relaxed her face, allowing her lips to be brought back together before pressing them into a fine line. ❛ — oh, ❜ the brunette replied, nostrils flaring as she pushed a gust of air through them, continuing to look at the other's figure as concern melted more into judgement. her eyes lingered on the fabric, nearly missing saal's words as she spoke, not even trying to mask the scoff that came from her upon being offered some handmaid peasant-wear. ❛ no need, ❜ dismissed the socialite with a wave of her hand, turning around as a visible chill made her shiver at the very IDEA of being seen in something like that. her mother would have her head. this woman was much like her sister, and if she knew anything about anastatia and her persistence to look like a bag of rags were... this would be more challenging than she thought. ❛ if i were to ever been seen in something like that, i'd hope you'd call the police because clearly i am being held and tortured against my will. ❜ drizella said pointedly, as if it was obvious, before glancing over her shoulder. ❛ — you can't just take someone else's trash and put it on your BODY, saaliah. what if they had bed bugs ?? or... some kind of vile disease contagious through closing ?? your lack of self regard is incredible. truly. ❜
ouch. really, this kind of talk shouldn't be surprising coming from drizella, but... well, if saaliha felt this way about someone, she'd at least try to act nice. not that she can imagine feeling this passionately about clothes, of all things.
her eyes widen as drizella goes on about wanting her to call the police if she ever wore something like the garments saal currently has on, slowly nodding. she doesn't know what to say to this, really.
"it's – she was going to donate them, but she knew i sewed so offered them to me. i obviously washed them before working with the fabric. i promise there aren't any bed bugs." sure, she isn't as high-class as driz – or even close to it – but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about basic hygiene. "i know it's not... your style, but i take care of myself, driz. i promise."
closed starter: @ragdcll !!
location: until sunrise
drizella wasn't necessarily a good person, but she wasn't a totally heartless, conniving, ruthless, intolerable bitch ALL of the time. sometimes, charity work did the heart good, and saaliah needed all the help the socialite could offer. drizella had gone out of her way — how noble of her — to put together a skin care kit, having sent a text to the other to swing by and come grab it. it wasn't much, basic products, but nicer ones ( with even nicer price tags ) than the other was no doubt used to using. hearing the chime of the door as it opened, drizella turned, and whatever excuse for a smile that had been on her lips immediately dropping upon seeing the other, gasping in horror. ❛ — oh.... my god. saal. were you attacked ?? what... what happened to your clothes ?? ❜
"oh, drizella, hi!" saal offers an enthusiastic wave, smile forming across her lips... until she notices the horror on her friend's face. "is something –" oh. it's... her? saaliha looks down to her own form, searching for anything that seems amiss, maybe some cut she got earlier and didn't notice, but –
her clothes are the issue? her brow furrows, lips pressing together in a display of confusion she doesn't bother hiding. "i... no, i'm fine?" just because her clothes aren't as expensive as drizella's don't mean they aren't well made, as she certainly prides herself on her craftsmanship. "i made them from the fabric of some clothes my neighbor was just going to throw out... and i'd make some for you, too, but i'm guessing it's not your style." she did want to somehow pay driz back for her skincare gift, but maybe offering some handmade apparel isn't the right route to go. "... but i'm okay, don't worry." a laugh escapes her lips, a touch awkward, but what else does someone do when asked if they were attacked when just wearing a new piece of clothing?
SAALIHA FINKELSTEIN is based off SALLY from THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. saahlia is a 25 year old human, pharmacist, and uses she/her pronouns. she has no powers & is written by ALEX
After a lifetime of being treated as breakable with massively restricted freedom, Saaliha values her independence above nearly anything else and does her best to make the most of her life… Even if she is still trapped in Evermore. Still, having the whole town to explore is a thousand times better than the restrictive life she had growing up, so she can’t complain too much, even if she'll always dream of traveling the world - or going all the way to space.
Saaliha is quick-witted even in stressful situations, intelligent, creative, and, at times, drawn to fantastical thinking despite her down-to-earth presentation. She’s kind, but she certainly won’t let anyone take her gentleness as weakness, standing up for what she believes to be right despite consequences. Combined with an impulsivity that occasionally leads to acting before thinking, at times, she can end up in dangerous situations - but she’s clever enough to claw herself out of them.
HEADCANONS:
She loves to sew! In her downtime, she designs both elaborate dresses and costumes as well as more functional clothing, enjoying having a creative pursuit to balance out her pharmaceutical work. When not in her work uniform, a lot of her clothing is actually self made!
She enjoys playing around with her appearance - dyeing her hair, painting her nails, experimenting with makeup, and doing so has made her feel more comfortable in skin that once made her experience a great deal of dysmorphia. She still feels it sometimes, but for the most part, she’s learned to embrace herself.
She often has nightmares involving being trapped - sometimes not even literally back in her childhood home, but in a box or coffin, unable to get out no matter how much she screams.
Saaliha has always been drawn to various methods of escapism - writing stories, drawing, and playing video games that can transport her into another world entirely. Even with access to a larger world, she still finds herself indulging in her old past times at 2am.
As a pharmacist, she’s analytical and very scientifically minded… but she still can’t help but feel drawn to the occult despite lacking concrete evidence. She’s entranced by the idea of magic and the supernatural, even if she won’t readily admit it.
She’s got a lengthy bucket list filled with goals that she started writing down as a child, and while she’s completed quite a few, others have to wait until she can escape the bounds of Evermore. Regardless, she’s determined to live every day she has to the fullest.
She also makes a habit of regularly volunteering, helping causes near to her heart such as children and adolescents’ mental health.
Saaliha still regularly attends physical therapy, and she’s become a big fan of yoga and swimming - low impact exercises for the win!
