A soft hum escaped her lips as she looked over the wares of one of the merchants, idly musing if an alternative was to actually order a rare weapon rather than getting one crafted. While this certainly would be cheaper, it had the downside that it was not specifically made for her, so she would have to weight the pros and cons of each option carefully.
"Miss Lycoris!"
A boyish voice called for her attention, causing the purple-haired lass to turn toward the source of the shout with a hint of curiosity visible upon her face. A cursory glance upon the stranger suggested the young boy was, in fact, a delivery boy, something that was made evident when he handed her a letter that was enclosed in an overly fancy pink envelope that made her groan while smiling weakly. "Let me guess, Fernando sends his regards?"
The boy nodded his head with a sheepish grin while giving her a little salute as he darted off toward his next delivery while she started reading the letter.
"Dear Lycoris,
I hope you have been doing well. Thanks to those rare materials you helped me obtain I have successfully completed my special collection, and let me tell you... it is absolutely fabulous! However, I am in a bit of a pinch and will need your help finding some models to put on those pretty clothes. Can you please visit me at my atelier so that I can tell you the details?
By the way, I have prepared a rather nice sum of Jewels for your time and effort should you desire to help me out.
Best regards,
Fernando."
Now that was a first, to think she would get a letter requesting her help for a job, it made her feel a little bit proud and the mentioning of a rather nice payment in exchange for her work only intensified her desire to help the man even more! They said Jewels didn't make for a happy life, but they certainly helped make life a bit easier! And so she prepared to go to the Atelier...
WC: 507/1600 (20% WC reduction from 2000 words)