"I guess anyone who's sellin' anything has to be good at putting folks at ease," Cricket muses. There's probably a big difference between selling moonshine and selling hand-tailored clothing, but Cricket has found some key behaviors that help him, and he can see how some of them are reflected in Alex's warm, upbeat approach.

"Especially if you have to have 'em stand still and be measured." He smiles a little, leaning forward to study the fabric he pulls out. "Oh! No, linen is perfect! It'll be nicer when the weather gets hot."

He reaches out to touch the light green thoughtfully, smile widening. "I like that. That's awful pretty, and I bet Loki will like it, too. Ain't nothin' wrong with the blue, but there's one that's kind of violet over there, d'you think that'd be okay? Or one of the stripey ones?"