It all begun during the first days of November. With the steady approach of the holidays at the end of the year Esperia had been preparing herself for a rather special event, in the end it would be the first time she would spend the holiday season in the company of Liana, and as a result she wanted to provide the girl with a pleasant surprise on that day. Of course, a surprise wouldn't be a surprise if she had told her about what she was planning, so instead, Esperia had told Liana she was going to deal with some 'business' today, and in a way she had been quite correct in that statement.

She had indeed been planning some business, with a certain gentleman known as Fernando. Fernando was a fashion designer she had previously the pleasure of working together with, and on this particular day, she had decided to pay him a visit if there had been anything else that he could possibly need help with. Of course, Agni was more than eager to accompany her on the trip, the Growlithe wagging his tail excitedly as the girl made her way along the district that housed the various stores and shops within the city.

Fortunately for her Fernando’s boutique was quite easy to find, its fashionable design and flashy colors easily drawing in her attention, and upon arriving at the doorway she heralded her arrival with a soft “Fernando, it’s me Esperia~” The girl’s voice stirred a motion from further down the boutique where she saw the man eagerly working among the assortment of exotic silk she had helped him acquire! “Esperia, my dear! Welcome~ welcome~ what can I do for you today?”

The man smiled invitingly at her, seemingly having not forgotten the help she had provided last time she had visited his store. Of course, the Growlithe in her company coaxed another reaction out of the man who clapped his hands together with a smile. “What a delightful little friend you brought along this time~ It’s a Growlithe, isn’t it?”

The term made Esperia blink in confusion as she gazed down at Agni, who barked happily at the man in response. Was that what Agni was? A Growlithe? She did previously assume that he was something a bit more special than an ordinary dog, but what in the world was a Growlithe?

Noticing her confusion the man chuckled heartily at her and explained in an excited tone. “I guess you never heard about them before~ Growlithe are a unique type of magicalexiststure that exist in Fiore.” Wait, a magical creature?! “So they aren’t normal dogs?”

The man laughed in amusement while he shook his head lightly in return to her statement. “Gracious me~ They are much more precious than them! While Growlithe are a canine, they are magical in nature, they are often renown for their fiery protective nature over their partner, and those who grow an especially powerful bond with their partner tend to even ‘evolve’ into something even more amazing. That what we call an Arcanine.”

The words astonished Esperia who turned to look at Agni with a look of awe on her face. It appeared her companion was much more special than she had initially assumed him to be!

WC: 547/1000

“So you’re saying that Agni is going to turn into a big Agni someday?” The man chuckled softly at the way Esperia described the process of evolution, but at least she seemingly caught the gist of it all. “Something along those lines, albeit I never have seen an Arcanine in person myself… Anyways, what brings you to my humble store?”

Oh right! With all this talk about Agni, she had totally forgotten about the important reason for her visit. A moment passed as Esperia turned to look at Fernando and finally answered his inquiry. “I umm… was looking for work.”

The man smiled calmly, a hand raised to his chin while he pondered softly. “Any particular reason? You don’t seem like the type who would be satisfied with a life as a tailor.” The girl nodded her head lightly, fidgeting lightly as she whispered just loud enough for him to hear it. “It’s to be able to give a girl a present...”

The words caused Fernando’s cheeks to flush up with a hint of excitement and liveliness as he clapped his hands together in approval. “Mai o mai~ You’re planning to give your girlfriend a present?” The term girlfriend caused Esperia’s cheeks to turn from a light blush into a scarlet color as she protested out loud. “She’s not my girlfriend!” Although, the denial of the statement did leave a bit of an odd sensation in her chest as she continued. “She’s a very dear friend of mine, and this is the first time in five years that we’ll be spending the holidays together, so I would like to give her a fun time.”

The man nodded his head in agreement a few times before he gave her a thumbs-up of approval. “I can stand behind such a noble reason! Fine, Esperia Von Eisenberg, you’re hired!”

The girl clapped her hands happily together in response and smiled brightly as she felt pleased at the fact Fernando had accepted her request. The man walked over toward some of the fabrics as he started explaining.

“In the tailoring industry there is a magical tool people call the ‘Golden Scissor’, it’s a rare tool that is supposed to enhance whatever fabric it touches. However, due to its rarity, it’s very difficult to find, and also quite pricey.” That made sense, a tool of such value would likely have a lot of people trying to obtain it. “However, I heard from a trustworthy source that a merchant coming to the market today is in possession of a Golden Scissor. I would like for you to convince them to sell it to me.”

That seemed like a difficult yet somewhat interesting challenge! Not only would she have to compete against the other people who would be trying to buy the fabric, but she’d also need to work on convincing the merchant to sell the golden scissor to her instead of the other customers!

“I understand~ Do you mind if I visit the market already to see if I can find any means to convince this merchant to sell the tool to us?” Fernando nodded his head in approval while handing her a large pouch filled with coins and answered her with a smile and a pat on her shoulder.

“That type of initiative-taking is what I like about you! Go ahead and return with good news.”

And with those words, and a playful little salute from herself Esperia left the boutique!

WC: 575
Total WC: 1122/1000

Fortunately Fernando’s boutique wasn’t that far from the market of Baska, and yet to her surprise it was already quite crowded! People were setting up stands, some were scouting the competition and here and there were even people trying to get some early purchases in!

It didn’t take long for her to find the merchant Fernando had heard about, a tall and rather beautiful lady was discussing a matter with a man dressed in a business suit, and as she overheard their conversation she learned one interesting detail: She was indeed in possession of the golden scissor. However, a rather curious obstacle showcased itself, in the sense that the lady wouldn’t sell the tool to just ‘anyone’. That was evident, as the businessman was trying to convince her with the large pouch of coins he carried with him, but with little to no success.

If a businessman like he couldn’t do it, then what chance would a girl like she have? However, giving up right there would have been a choice unsuited for her! Not to mention, even if she was standing sideways away from the arguing businessman she found the merchant lady’s eyes gazing straight at her.

“What’s the matter young lady, are you here to search for anything in particular? Or could it be that you’re more interested in… the one doing the selling?”

Her cheeks flushing up slightly the flustered reaction of the girl caused the merchant to laugh briefly in response to her teasing jest. “I’m joking~ And ignore the loudmouthed gentleman to your side, he is just grumpy I’m unwilling to sell this tool to him.”

The gesture toward the golden scissor confirmed her earlier thoughts, and yet she had to be give it a try! “Why are you not willing to sell it?” The woman smiled as she leaned over toward her, raising a finger and wagging it playfully. “Because this scissor has a very special meaning to me. Why, are you interested in buying it?”

The girl nodded her head gently in response, making the merchant chuckle heartily as she nodded her head in response. “I thought so~ but you don’t look like a merchant to me. So tell me, girl, what would you end up using this for?”

Her cheeks flushed up briefly as she gestured for the lady to get closer, and after whispering the answer into her ear the merchant burst out into a laughing fit. “HAHAHAHA! Really? You’re going to give it to Fernando for that?!”

The businessman looked at her in confusion while Esperia felt herself fidgeting on the spot, resisting the urge to run away right there and then. “I like your way of thinking girl. Fine, I’ll sell it to you, at a discount even BUT: promise me that you’ll show me those two dresses you and your friend will be wearing.”

Wait what?! She actually agreed to sell it to her at a discount?! “B-But why?” The flustered stutter as she did the exchange made the merchant lady grin while she leaned to Esperia’s cheek and whispered temptingly into her ear. “Because I like cute things, and cute girls rank on the top for me~”

A sudden smooch of her cheek was enough to make Esperia bolt out of the marketplace while Agni chased behind her, leaving the Merchant to wave happily at her “Make sure to keep your promise! I’ll wait for you at the inn! once Fernando finishes the dresses!”

WC: 572
Total WC: 1694/1000

Panting as she returned at Fernando’s boutique with the scissor Esperia’s flustered state was easily noticed by Fernando, and so was the fact she had returned with much more money than usually! The man blinked at her in confusion while he gently grasped a hold of the pouch she had handed him over. “What happened Esperia? Not only did you return but she dropped a quarter of the price! T-This is unheard of!”

The girl lowered her gaze, fidgeting slightly as she mumbled under her breath. “The merchant lady was a lesbian… and wants you to use those scissors to make me and my friend a cute dress for her to see us in...”

The response caused Fernando to start laughing hysterically, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Oh gods, it seems I send you into a different type of battlefield today my dear… But don’t worry! You worked really hard for me, and I do have some left-over fabric from the batch you purchased for me…. How about you two visit me next week?”

Fernando’s words caused Esperia’s eyes to widen in surprise, asking in a slightly hesitant tone. “You’re sure? I mean--- those dresses usually cost a lot...” But Fernando shook his head lightly, a hand raised to pet her head while he ruffled her hair lightly.

“Nonsense, a real designer would be delighted to have a cute girl try one of his dresses, and I’m sure your friend will be just as cute!” There was no denying that Liana had a rather cute and appealing factor to her and if Fernando was willing to tailor those dresses for them… then who was she to complain or decline the offer?

“Sure! I’ll visit with Lia next week!” However, before she could leave Fernando inquired with a hint of curiosity. “However, before you go I’ll need to know the three sizes of each of you. This way I can prepare the initial design for when you visit.” A soft hum was followed as she said two pairs of numbers, causing Fernando to blink in confusion. “How do you know her sizes---”

But all the girl did was chuckle and reply with a playful “I have some ‘hands-on’ experience~”

And with those words, the duo left the boutique, not only having been paid for a job well-done but also received an offer for a pair of dresses! And to think this all happened because a merchant flirted with her… Life certainly could be strange at times…

Not that she would complain, yet for some reason she felt her gaze drifting sideways to Agni, crouching down before the Growlithe. “So you’re a Growlithe hmm?” The magical beast barked softly while playfully licking her cheek, stirring a little chuckle from Esperia who rose back onto her feet and shook her head lightly. She’ll solve the mystery about that ‘evolution’ thing, another time. For now it was time to return to Liana and enjoy the rest of the day alongside her! Perhaps she could even suggest for her to have some delicious food together again.

WC: 513
Total WC: 2207/1000