feels like we're dreaming, we're tripping and reeling

You ever talk with someone, and you're pretty sure you're both speaking the same language, but there's a translation failure on at least one side? Or at least a failure to comprehend?

[10:26] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hi. i bought some [store name] skins some time last year for 100L. are those still available? if so, where? im at the mainstore now, and im looking for the [specific] skin, but cant seem to find it here. if its not here, is it still available to get somewhere?

So the lynchpin of this whole conversation is, it's Aprille now. Back in January, this skin store had a huge retirement sale, because they were rebranding. So everything under the old name was deeply discounted, and not moved over when the store changed names, store styles, and sims. (To that end, yeah, I'm wondering what store she's standing in, too, because...the designer DID change sims, too.)

[10:27] mxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: the [store name] skins were retired
[10:27] Ixxxxx Bxxxxxx: Nope, they were all put away when the [new store name] build moved on Jan 1st, if super lucky and polite, if you leave [the skin maker] a Notecard she might be able to help
[10:27] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: what? how long time ago is that?
[10:28] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: oh... i havent been able to be online due to private issues :/
[10:30] Emilly Orr: Which is a shame, but yeah, sale's long over. So your best bet is to ask the maker. She might still have them in inventory.

Because she seemed to have blown right by the first suggestion to ask the maker directly.

[10:32] mxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: they retired around Feb I think or Jan
[10:32] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i do hope that. because [specific skin name] is too light and [specific other skin name] is too dark. and since i need to save my lil over 8.300L for 2 months.. well i need to cheap but yet good looking skins for my catwa/belleza

Right, but...does she not get we're not the people to ask?

[10:34] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: cheap = below 400L for head/body appliers and with no-brows option incl with the price

And while it's definitely tricky to find skins with appliers for L$400 or below, it's not impossible.

[10:40] Emilly Orr: Right...and...while that's a great budgeting measure, the skins are still not in the store. Notecard. [The designer].
[10:41] Sxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Ya, she sent out multiple notices about skins retiring, and left the store up for a few months.

She did. It was a several-month-long sale, which started, I believe, around October and went until the end of January.

[10:46] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yesterday it was the 1st time i was able to come online in 2020 due to private life
[10:46] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: so i really had no clues about anything in sl since dec 2019 :/
[10:46] Emilly Orr: We get it. It's hard. Pull the group profile up, you'll see [the designer]'s name, click that, write out a notecard with what you'd like, send it to her.

I mean, am I not being clear?

[10:46] Ixxxxx Bxxxxxx: [The designer] helped someone get an old matching [store name] skin for her alt last week, she's a pretty nice person if you ask nicely and explain
[10:47] Emilly Orr: Exactly.

I think she finally got it after that, because chat turned to more normal things for a skin store, and life went on. But sheesh.