42nd of Ash, 120 AS
The Alchemist had delivered on his promise. The following morning Lyra had gone by to visit Jacun, and the man had practically shoved the parcel of thread and vials into her arms before pushing her out the door.
"Oh on now, go." He said, almost throwing Lyra out in his haste, "Go get your dress made. When you have it done you must stop by and show me. I am simply dying to see what you will be wearing."
Thinking on it now Lyra still grimaced. The wrapped package of threads was still in her bag, which hung over her shoulder. From the Alchemist shop, Lyra had made her way straight to the entertainment district of the Plaza, to the place where the seamstress shop was supposed to be. She had only heard its name, Edelma's Finery, but what she had heard seemed to suggest that the clothing that came from there was of the highest quality. It made Lyra curious to see, though she got the sense that she should start being more mindful of spending her limited currency. She passed several shops that looked to sell clothing in some form or another. A large storefront with big windows that had dresses, gowns, and whatnot on full display, an open shopfront, not two buildings down sold an odd mix of leather and finer armor. After what felt like hours Lyra finally came upon the sign she was looking for. It was painted green and had some sort of bird on the front with a large tail fanned out in all directions.
The shop itself was located on the main street of the Plaza, next to any number of extravagantly decorated shops and stores that had criers calling out for people to come and shop there. Edelma's Finery had none of that. Its storefront was simple. The windows on either side of the door displayed only a modest dress in each, and there was very little traffic in or out. Frowning slightly Lyra stepped forward, opening the door and entering the little shop. The inside was much the same as the outside. There were only a handful of customers there, and just a few items of clothing on display on the floor and walls. One long counter was in the back, and a door leads down a long hallway which contained many doors.
Is this the correct place...? Lyra thought, looking around confused. It was not what she had expected.
"Are you here for a fitting?" A soft voice near her left shoulder made Lyra jump slightly, clutching at the strap of her back as her head swung around to stare at the young woman who had spoken. She smiled apologetically, closing the little side door she had come from, "Sorry, I did not mean to startle you."
"It is nothing, little one." Lyra said quickly, still staring at the woman. They stood there for a time, looking between one another until the other woman shifted uncomfortably.
"Are you... here to be fitted for a dress?"
"I... yes, I think so." Lyra blinked, looking around the shop once more, "This is Edelma's Finery, is it not?"
"It is, my lady." The woman said with a slight bow, "My name is Lisa. I will be happy to assist you."
"Just call me Lyra."
Lisa smiled, bowing again, "Lyra, then how can I help you today?"
Shifting the strap on her shoulder the old elf motioned at the clothes on display, a frown creasing her lips, "I came today to pick a dress for a ball I will be attending several days from now. I would have thought there would be a greater selection than... this, given your reputation."
"I..." Lisa looked confused for a moment, but then seemed to grasp the implication and laughed. This earned her a stronger frown from Lyra, but she quickly waved it off, "I am sorry, you must not be familiar with our shop. The items on display are not for sale, they are just some examples of works we have done in the past."
This time Lyra was confused, and she raised an eyebrow, "You do not sell any of the wares you have on display?"
"No, Miss Lyra." the woman shook her head, still smiling, "Everything we make is custom for each customer. No two items are the same. We do not keep much stock, so what you see is what our customers donate back to us when they are done with them. That is how we show what our shop can offer you." With that she motioned for Lyra to follow, and they began heading toward the back where the counter was, "We create everything here in the shop. Our apprentices work night and day to prepare the garments, and we journeyman and above come to add the finishing touches."
They passed behind the counter, moving down the hallway before stepping into one of the rooms along its length. The room was just big enough for 3 people to stand shoulder to shoulder together. On the wall was a full-length mirror, and on hooks was a variety of strips of cloth and tape on which numbers were scrawled in neat handwriting. As they entered Lisa closed the door, flipping the sign on its outside to 'occupied'.
"To begin, let's get your measurements." before she could protest Lisa had her moving. Hands up, hands down, bent over, arms to the side, neck up. The only sound was that of the measuring tape being whipped like some sort of weapon of artistic destruction, and the clerk's soft humming. When they had finished Lyra thought that was the end, but unfortunately, it had only just begun. Lisa then had Lyra remove all of her clothing, and began the cycle anew. The old elf had never in her life, before or after her imprisonment, been examined so thoroughly, and she felt a bit... put off with the entire process. When the last number was recorded, and she was allowed to dress again Lyra's mood was nearly completely foul.
"You have a nice figure." Lisa said absently, looking over the numbers on her paper, "There is a lot we can do with this. Have you thought about what sort of design you want?"
Lyra felt as if her head was spinning, but managed to say, "Something that is... fitted I suppose." She paused, unsure exactly what it was she wanted now that she was presented with the choice. She had intended to browse the shop's contents, and select a dress that suited her purpose and has details added. Now though she found she could not voice exactly what she desired.
As if picking up on her client's hesitation Lisa started down a list of questions, "Will you be dancing in this dress, or will you be sitting and standing only? Will you need to wear them for a long time? Will food be served? Do you plan to use this dress just for this event, or for other occasions as well?" The list went on and on, and for each and every one Lyra tried to work up a suitable answer. Whether or not her answers were lacking, Lisa made no obvious signs as to either case. Looking down her long list she tapped her chin several times as if in thought.
"So, something fitting but breathable, and lets you walk and move rather freely. I would suggest either a short train or none at all. We can use a fabric that stretches over the shoulders and arms to give greater flexibility, and then use a fitted sleeve to keep it secure. Low neck, or high..." she paused in thought, looking sideways at Lyra, "Perhaps a modest look. The tight look will do more than enough to accent the right places, and the main features are the legs." Her eyes flicked up to Lyra's, "Can you wear heals?"
Caught off guard Lyra blinked and said, "I can, but I prefer no heal or short heels."
"So emphasis on mobility. Then perhaps we can..." Lisa continued to talk to herself, and Lyra simply let her. The elf was already well beyond her comfort zone. Instead, she reached into her pack, pulling out the parcel and a sheet of paper which she had scribbled on previously. When there was a break in the mumbling Lyra extended both to Lisa, look accepted them curiously.
"I do have a special request for this item." Lyra said, pointing at the paper. Lisa was looking at it now, eyes widening slightly as she took in the design, "I would like this design placed on the dress itself. In the parcel, you will find the threads you should use for them, as well as two small low-grade aetherite shards."
At the mention of dragonshards Lisa flinched, holding the package away from her as if afraid it would explode. Smiling, Lyra shook her head, "Worry you note, they are perfectly safe. I would like them fitted into the schema at these points here, and here." she pointed to two places on the drawing, and Lisa eyed them closer.
"This design... did you create it yourself?" Lisa asked, looking at Lyra curiously.
Lyra nodded, resting her hands on her hips, "Yes, it is a schema of my own design. Do you think it can be incorporated, or do I need to adjust the design somehow?"
Lisa's brow furrowed, and she looked at the drawing once more. She traced several lines, biting her lower lip as she considered a time before shaking her head, "No, I think this will work fine. Is it alright if the design is shifted or stretched slightly?"
"So long as you do not break or change the paths or connections, it will still work fine." Lyra said with a shrug.
Lisa looked at the design for several minutes longer, finally seeming to come to a decision.
"Yes," she said with a nod, looking at Lyra, "We can create this. It will cost extra, but since you provided the materials I see no reason why it cannot be done."
At this Lyra smiled, slipping her bag back on her shoulder, "Excellent. As I said the ball is in several days. How fast can you have this prepared and fitted?"
"Two days." Lisa said after some mental calculations, "You can come back then for a final fitting, but everything should be ready at that time."
"That will be fine then." Motioning at the door Lyra said, "If there is nothing else, I have other tasks to be about."
"Oh yes, of course." Lisa said quickly, opening the door for Lisa. She walked Lyra to the front, waving at her as Lyra made her way out and down the street. Lisa looked back down at the design, a hint of excitement in her eyes as she imagined the finished piece. She wondered if Edelma herself would like to have a hand in the finished product.
"Who was that?" a voice behind her made Lisa jump.
"A customer," Lisa said, turning quickly to see the proprietor standing behind her. Edelma was an older woman, lines of age beginning to show under slightly greying hair, but she held just as much beauty as she always had. Curious, she extended her hand, accepting the drawing from Lisa. As she looked at it Edelma's eyebrows raised, and a smile quirked her lips.
"What was that woman's name?" she asked, looking at Lisa.
"Lyra."
"No surname?" the older woman asked, surprise lacing her voice.
Lisa shook her head, "No, just Lyra."
"Lyra..." The name was an odd one, and felt foreign to Edelma's tongue. She looked back down at the schema, recognizing it as a glyph right away. "I will handle this request personally. Lisa, tell the apprentices they will be working through the night."
"Yes, my lady."
"And Lisa." the younger woman paused, and Edelma caught her eye, "Do not say anything about this to anyone else."
"Yes, my lady."
