#zanteron

I met a man named Zanteron; who at first I thought by his bearing a man of high status, only to find that his ear was much more attuned to a rougher kind of mercenary folk.  Not well spoken at all, that man—but then, I got the sense that in many and more cases, eloquent speech did not serve him well enough out in the world.  We came upon the subject of reading, and when I suggested that a man of his profession likely had little time to read atop his other endeavors… well, he took it to mean that I thought him illiterate and walked away from me in the Square right then and there.  That was not the case.  Several days later he came to me while I was speaking to someone else and gave me the very same book that I was reading at the time.  He told me that until I read that book, he had nothing to say to me. It all seemed very odd at the time, but when I returned home that evening I opened the front cover to find writing inside—it was small and cramped, but readable, and I started flipping pages to find that every margin had a note in it.  I could not read it right then—and, truly, I was not done reading the book itself—so I tucked it away next to my bed until I at least finished the story. I have since started in on the annotated version, and I must say that the notes are almost as interesting as the story itself.  Once I have finished with this I will seek him out to return his book, and perhaps finally have a pleasant conversation with the man.  I’ve many questions, after all, for a man who has seen the world.

Speaking more upon men, I met a man who I quickly learned is a man of high status.  His name is Lord Bladerunner.  I believe that he told me his first name, but upon his introduction I must have forgotten it, for I cannot remember   Lord Arandael Bladerunner.  That is his name.  He approached me while I was looking for a pencil—admittedly, so that I could write another thought-piece about a man I had seen lingering around the exchange—and he offered me his.  And while this may sound silly and superstitious, I want to keep his pencil forever as a reminder of how my life turned that day.  For when he learned that I dream of starting a boutique—though I do not think he really knows the reasons why I want to do so beyond my love for sewing and fashion—he began asking all manner of questions pertaining to my plans, and once he had exhausted those, asked that I bring samples of my work to him.

I should have spoken to Rennalyss first, I really should have, but I decided then to seize the moment and gathered up the best examples of my work to show him (including one that I made using one of the sheer drapes from the inside of one of the public buildings which I am certain Renna did not come across innocently; I hope he did not note that one’s source but I was so proud of it that I couldn’t not show it).  That night he offered me a ludicrous amount of money and a paper with his seal on it to show that he was my patron before he sent me on my way to draft a portfolio and a list of materials I might need to outfit a shop. I cannot describe the feeling that one gets when they realize that suddenly their dream is within reach, but it is one that warmed me that day.  This man swept into my life and changed it forever.  He later inquired as to my living conditions, and upon seeing them for himself offered to pay a small stipend for my sister and I to improve them.  Renna refused, and… she is right.  It is not a matter of stubbornness, but pride.  That we have come from living on the streets to an apartment in the Exchange is a feat that I, for one, hold in high regard.  We have money problems, sure, but we make things work, and were it not for our struggles would any of this be worthwhile?

The shop, too; my motivation is not the money.  That is something that I have seen precious little of in my time, and I am a firm believer that money corrupts and warps.  A person with immense wealth is a person of comfort.  No; my motivation lies in the touching of lives.  From the time I was a little girl, wandering around my mother’s tailoring shop and watching her interact with her clients, I realized that the art of fashion is not one that simply puts an attractive piece of cloth upon a person’s body; it is something that puts an attractive piece of confidence in a person’s mind. A woman or a man who is dressed nicely automatically stands straighter, holds their chin higher.  For me to touch the life of anyone like that does not require me to own a shop as my mother did, but to pay her the homage that she deserves as someone who did touch the lives of so many is something that I have always wanted to do.  I know that she would not fault me for taking money to start a shop so long as I make it successful, but I do think she would frown upon my taking charity from anyone at all.  I am a woman of means.  I must earn every success in my life; not just so that it is an accomplishment made worthwhile from the time and effort afforded it, but so that when I have made myself into someone respectable that respect is a direct reflection of what I have given to others.

I have met a lady as well; a friend of Lord Bladrunner’s.  Lady Starsong was a bit different; somehow more gentle and welcoming than the lord, though I think it mostly because he is a man and she seems to know a fair bit more about fashion than he (no offense to men, but many of them must be dressed by women to be dressed properly).  It could also be the fact that she was not wearing armor, and thus simply looked less imposing.  She and I spoke of a commission for Lord Bladerunner’s Gala—I will be making a gown for her, and once the cloth has arrived I will begin in earnest.  It is four days away, now.  The mock-up is done, and I’ve her measurements.  I do hope that she falls in love with the dress I’ve envisioned for her.  I do hope that I can get it done in time.  I’ve quite a bit of sewing to do if I am to have a fitting with her in two days, and have the finished product for her either the day after or the morning of the gala.  Honestly, though; what else is there for me to do with my time?  I will work my fingers off if it means creating something beautiful for someone who is also beautiful.