Submission (#8259) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Character
Word Count: 1006
Adult Elnin Present: Lumia [ELN122], Luna [ELN2901]
Regional Affinity: Silveil
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Mizuki [ELN3022]
[Noble] Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Far From Home (Home Region: Ealei)

One could say Mizuki’s ambitions were great. While she aspired to open her own relaxation resort when she was older, this didn’t mean she would be satisfied once that goal was achieved. She wished to hone her own skills, learning as much as she could, whether this be creating fine trinkets and accessories that would be second to none, or crafting herbal ointments for both health and relaxation, to even learning about the process of creating beautiful fireworks displays as a form of entertainment. She intended to learn as much as she could, as being self-sufficient required one to be knowledgeable in many things, even if they may be skills considered less important by others.

And so, it was with this thought she was now in Silveil. While she generally preferred the bright blue skies of Ealei, one could not deny that the eternal city of night had its own charms. The beautiful starry sky above that seemed to shift and shimmer, with a gradient of colors that emulated a living galaxy would never fail to draw her in, and the bountiful bioluminescence of Starlake was as captivating as ever, showcasing a duality of the starscape in both land and sea.

While she could spend the whole time stargazing, this wasn’t what she came here to do. She had heard of a renown seamstress living in Silveil city who crafted the most exquisite clothing using refined textiles, and not only were the clothes a sight to behold, but they were extremely comfortable to wear too. While one would need to make clothing eye-catching in order to draw in patrons, if they were uncomfortable to wear, that meant nothing. After all, as she herself aspired to promote both beauty and relaxation with her resort, anything less than perfect wouldn’t do.

That said, considering this seamstress strived to provide nothing less than the best in terms of both quality and design, that meant her patrons tended more towards the wealthy. It was unlikely she would take on a young apprentice for no reason, and Mizuki had no intention of offering a deal that only she would benefit from.

By chance, when she had attended the opera house during one of her previous trips, one of the performers had completely captivated her with their beautiful dancing. Seeing the flowing fabric shimmer and sparkle with each twirl and leap had made Mizuki’s eyes widen with awe, and it felt like she was the only one in the room, witnessing such a beautiful and private performance. She was sure everyone in the theatre hall felt the same, as at the end of the performance, they all leaped to their feet in thunderous applause.

It was then that she decided that she HAD to speak to the dancer. While others marvelled at the beauty of the performance and likely the performer herself, Mizuki herself couldn’t take her eyes off the clothes, the way they seemed to float and dance with each movement. But surely meeting a dancer of such renown wouldn’t be easy, and so the undine diligently saved up as much money as she could from her trinket sales in order to purchase a VIP seat in hopes of meeting the dancer, and even prepared a small gift of a beautiful hair piece, skin ointment, and letter detailing her request to meet.

To her luck, the dancer had accepted the meeting, and she had learned that her name was Lumia. Her beauty was absolutely stunning, and Mizuki couldn’t help but marvel all the more so up close. Her radiant yellow eyes seemed to reflect the golden baubles that adorned her ear fluff, each movement of her dress letting out a soft jingle as the glimmering coins at the hem of her dress clinked together. Even the fabric of her dress and sleeves seemed to billow and flow, sheer enough to show a hint of the skin it covered, yet thick enough to still be modest yet tasteful. Upon closer inspection, it seemed there were even various sequins sewn in, matching the glimmer of the starlit suffusion that emanated off her.

“Captivated by my clothes, are you?”

Mizuki couldn’t help but fluster when she was caught staring.

“Well, I can’t say I blame you. My granddaughter’s skill is second to none when it comes to fashionable apparel, though I’m sure she’ll beg to differ.”

G-granddaughter??

Mizuki’s head snapped up in shock.

“Oh, don’t look at me that way. I’m still young and spry myself you know!”

At this, Mizuki flustered again.

“M-my apologies ma’am! I was just surprised that this remarkable seamstress was related to you, and-”

Lumia tutted her.

“None of this ‘ma’am’ nonsense. Please call me Lumia. So, you wish to have a meeting with her?”

The undine nodded her head vigorously.

Smiling, Lumia picked up the trinket and ointment that Mizuki had given her.

“I say, both you and Luna have quite the eye for quality. This hair piece, the luster on it is quite beautiful. Nacre, I presume? And this ointment…” Lumia twisted open the lid and gave a light sniff, before scooping up a small amount to apply to the back of her hand. “A hint of jasmine, some peach, vanilla, and… pearl?”

Mizuki was amazed that the elnin was able to discern the material and ingredients that went into both with just a simple glance. There was no doubt the seamstress had picked up her eye for detail from her.

After the two chatted for a bit, she was now on her way to meet the seamstress Luna, and as Lumia had suspected, the two had hit it off quite well. Luna was more than happy to share various tips and tricks for sewing, ranging from making sure to only source the best quality material, and never compromising by cutting corners. In a way, she supposed it wasn’t too much different from how she made her trinkets or ointments, and was happy to not only learn something new, but to make a new friend as well.