I opened my door to reveal the spangly dressed adventurer from earlier that day.

  “Do you mind if I come in?”

  In my flummoxed state I reflexively stood aside, “Sure.”

  She glided in. Full of confidence unlike my uncertain self. I’d been trying to go with the flow since losing my memories, but I really wished I had them in that moment.

  “By the way,” I asked as I closed the door, “how did you get up here? I didn’t think adventurers were generally allowed in this section of the building?”

  She raised a hand to veil her chuckle, “I’m an assassin. If I let a little thing like that stop me, I wouldn’t be very good at my job now, would I?”

  What does someone even say to that? Particularly after letting them in your room! Personally, I chose blind panic with a side of screaming. Or at least I tried to.

  Before I’d let out much more than a peep, she had me pressed against the door with a hand over my mouth.

  “What are you doing? You’re going to get me caught.” She hissed. “Why are you so panicked anyway? You’re the one who suggested this.”

  My ever-widening eyes only seemed to frustrate her.

  Just as I was afraid my pounding heart was going to burst from my chest, an owl pecked at the window. That hadn’t been there a moment before, and weren't owls supposed to be skittish?

  “Ugh, now you’ve gone and gotten Kete involved. If I let you free and open the window, can you not freak out and let him know that everything’s consensual?”

  My eyebrows rocketing into my hair was apparently not the answer she was looking for as she stepped back throwing her hands in the air.

  “OK, I give up! I don’t know what’s wrong with you. It’s like you just forgot I existed.”

  “Well, uh, sorry I kinda did. I have no memory of anything from before earlier this week. Somethin’ about a strained historical aspect.”

  “Oh.” She seemed to deflate. “Fuck. That sucks.”

  Another peck at the window.

  “Damn, better get that before Kete... Actually, I have no idea what Kete could do to me, but I'd really rather not find out.” Sliding open the window jamb she let the owl in along with a gust of chilly evening air. “Sorry about that buddy. Could you let Kete know we had something arranged but I didn’t know about the whole lost his memories thing?” She suddenly looked at me, “Kete did know you lost your memories, right?”

  “Yeah, he did.”

  The owl rotated its neck to look at me.

  “Yeah, that’s what happened. Thanks for checking. What I don’t actually know is what we had arranged?”

  “I was coming to you about a new outfit, left a concept sketch and everything. I’d asked if there was somewhere a little more private than that big open workshop where we could do the measurements, and you’d said I could either get them to you or come to your room one night, and I should just give you a heads up beforehand.”

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  I struggled not to face palm. “Maybe lead with that next time. Not your...” I suddenly remembered there was an etiquette around classes, and hers was surely one of the private ones. “Never mind. I’m going to go get a measuring tape, your concept and something to take notes on, then we can talk this through.” Turning to the owl, “Thanks for your help, but I think I’ve got it from here. Sorry I haven’t caught your name yet. Actually, either of yours.”

  “He’s Bonji, I’m Ha-Na, and if I'd been working, I wouldn't have stopped to chat.”

  ***

  A few minutes later, with my arms laden with measuring tapes, material swatches, and the charcoal sketch of the cuirass/bodice, I opened my door and nearly dropped it all. Bonji was gone, and the window closed, but my attention was occupied with Ha-Na who was standing in a slip, her spangly dress neatly folded on the bed beside her.

  “Well don’t just stand there! Come in and close the door!”

  I jumped to comply. Swiftly shutting the door and moving to begin getting her measurements, starting with the err... safer areas.

  “So, your concept seemed like a cross between a leather cuirass and a tightly fitted bodice, does that sound right? Could you remind me of your requirements?”

  “Sure thing. Basically, I need armour for adventuring but I’ve got a variant of the assassin class and some skills that require what I wear to be suitable for blending in in high society. Don’t worry, the guildmaster has a record, but I’d appreciate you not spreading it around beyond that.”

  To her credit, once the door was closed, she seemed entirely calm about the situation. For all my attempts at professionalism - hindered somewhat by where my dwarven stature naturally left my eye level - I was struggling to keep my composure during the close contact. Still, she was presenting an interesting problem to solve.

  “So, are you looking for something that can be worn as a visible bodice with a dress or something more like an armoured corset designed to sit beneath another outfit? In the latter case I’m assuming you would want it more breathable than a normal corset for adventuring? What I could see of your design didn’t look like a lower layer of a set of robes but that might be workable with the right materials.” I took a breath, “Honestly, I’m working mostly by instinct here and concepts are coming back as I’m talking about them. Most of what I’m picturing as formal clothes are long-sleeved robes like the guildmaster wears, but I don’t know what’s current or local.”

  “If this is you working on instinct, those are some damn good instincts. Most clans of the empire stick to robes, although the popular type, cut and colour vary from clan to clan and season to season. Something like a hanfu or kimono would be iconic enough to work for my purposes, but I wouldn’t relish fighting in either and I’d ideally like something I can put on myself."

  "I noticed your concept featured a front busk."

  "Exactly. Thankfully the style in Silvervein is dresses with bodices, usually adorned lavishly with jewellery; I was trying to draw from that for my design. I know it’s not ideal for armour, but the skills make it worth it. Breathability is a concern but I won't be tightlacing it, so no need for reinforced eyelets. Ideally something more supportive than constrictive.”

  “So, something like a cuirass and pteruges or perhaps leather leggings for under the dress?”

  I kept working methodically taking measurements, distracted by the outfit coming together in my mind.

  “I have no idea what pteruges are.”

  “Like a skirt of leather strips, usually not that long but we can adjust as needed. Maybe dye the whole thing black so it looks like one long outfit rather than two separate pieces?”

  “Hmm, maybe. It sounds interesting, more like a fashion piece than formal wear but it could work. Think we could include in some silver highlights?”

  “Sure! Though there are cost implications. Actually, if we’re going silver, could we manage some silvered steel for the same look but better properties? Maybe even work in some mail chausses?”

  “If those are what I think they are we might be pushing it. But...”

  And so I passed several hours of the evening pleasantly, planning out my first big project since losing my memories. Just to be safe, I checked in with the guildmaster the next morning to make sure everything was above board. Wouldn't do to accidentally help someone kill a noble. Then again, after my last attempt at sewing, perhaps promising an elaborate outfit for an assassin who knew where I slept wasn’t much wiser.

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