Though she had her doubts over the potential experience gain from such a dreadfully simple mission, she couldn't really complain about the extra weight on her wallet. Not that Alisa needed this much money any more than she needed this experience, but she built up her fortune mostly on small missions such as these... And in the end she couldn't really complain about the low effort profit. Indeed the only real effort was dealing with this heat, enough to confine the tall woman under the shaded overhangs as much as possible.
She'd already picked out her next mission, working for the odd card in the deck...
This time though, Dex asked to meet her not in his office, but the nearby coffee shop. But if Alisa hoped for a second she actually be able to speak to the man absent a thick column of smoke between them, such thoughs faded the moment she looked out the window. Guess this was that kind of coffee shop... Alisa sighed: Before swining the door open and making her way through the tables to the lone man on the far corner, Alisa took a deep breath - the last whiff of fresh air she'd get in a long while - and braced herself for what came next.
As she moved closer, Alisa couldn't help keep a hand in front of her mouth... Isn't there some law about smoking in closed spaces? If not, there really should be... After all she had to walk quite a few steps before clearly seeing the same man she'd seen outside through the window. Alisa didn't even ask Lumen to follow her, but the Lampent took initiative and actually tolerated this envoiroment far better than the sculptress did... Understandably, considering her nature as a living candle. She, just like her client, seemed far more adapted to this envoiroment, as the latter noticed the sculptress before she could get close enough to make out his shape:
"As I peer through the smoke, I can't shake the feeling I've seen this person before. Though it takes me a good while..."
"I wonder why...", mumbled Alisa, inbetween her totally-not-forced coughing
"I eventually get a clear enough look to remember her name, Alisa Vollan. She came here for the request I put up, no doubt."
Genius. This guy should be a detective.
Oh wait...
In the end, the sculptress knew better than to point out his inconsistencies, for he had many. Nutty or not, Dex remained a paying client, and Alisa a professional mage. Thus, she and Lumen both took a seat, with the sculptress ordering her partner something sweet, settling for a nice fruity juice to keep her entertained. And thus she found out Dex wanted her for something as simple as an introduction to detective work, or, as he called it, "The art of deduction"... Alisa was sure she'd heard that somewhere before, but not one to get hung up on the details, she instead crossed her arms over the table and inquired:
"Uhm... Shouldn't you have hired me for this before we went off... You know... Setting up fake murders?"