So You Might be Soulless

5|| Meeting

Diya scanned the outside of the boutique, convinced she'd gotten the wrong address. She double- and even triple- checked it. But nope, it seemed to be the right place.

The building was small, barely more than an oversized broom cupboard, and the name- Hazel's Boutique- was messily scrawled in white on a thin piece of wood. The mannequins in the dusty display were clad in unusual clothes- a mixture of Noble and Commoner designs.

Diya considered leaving, but there would be nowhere else she could get a dress and time was running out. She gripped the strap of her satchel and pushed the door open, sighing in relief as a gush of hot air warmed her cheeks.

"Hello!" A woman with dark blonde hair and bright blue eyes emerged from behind the racks of clothes, "You must be Diya Elsher! My name is Hazel, the owner and designer of this place."

"Nice to meet you Miss Hazel," Diya greeted, finding herself relaxing at the woman's cheerful disposition.

"Oh don't worry about the formalities here," Hazel laughed, waving her hand. A huge pile of boxes stacked up neatly and a chair was dragged out from the dusty corners. "Please, sit!"

"Thank you," Diya sank into the surprisingly soft seat. Her muscles ached from walking the entire journey as Duchess Elsher didn't think she was worth wasting a carriage on.

"So sorry about the mess," Hazel said, pulling out a thick book which had fabric peeking out from the edges, "We recently moved shops, and I've been trying to get set up all week! Carl says I should hire more people, but nowadays it's difficult to know who you can trust."

"That's true," Diya nodded, recalling the article she'd read last week about the worker who ran off with a huge stack of clothes from their workplace, causing the entire business to collapse due to lack of funds.

"So, anyways, what is your Ability?"

Diya tensed, gripping the fabric of her skirt tightly. "I'm... a Necromancer."

"Wonderful!" Hazel scribbled something down and tapped the page twice. Writing peeled off the faded parchment and morphed into a dark shape. Hazel stood and turned, waving her hands and mumbling under her breath, casting glances at Diya every so often.

She's a Fabricator... Diya thought with an impressed nod. Clearly, Hazel had used her skills for something worthwhile.

"Could you please stand?" Hazel asked.

"Uh, yeah sure."

A tape measure uncoiled from its position on the box. It flew towards Diya and dropped from her head to the floor, and then around her waist. Hazel made a note of the measurements, mumbling something about fabric under her breath.

Diya coughed and cleared her throat which felt drier than sandpaper, but nerves held her back from asking for water.

"Ah right!" Hazel faced her again, "I forgot to prepare refreshments! So sorry, my assistant will bring some up for you."

"Oh there's really no need–"

"There is every need! You are a customer, and therefore must be treated with respect."

A warm feeling erupted in Diya's chest and a shadow slithered up from the chair. She stamped it out with an embarrassed smile, but Hazel merely laughed.

Keep your guard up, Diya scolded herself, her expression collapsing into a blank smile. Nobody is nice for nothing.

Hazel noticed the sharp change in the young girl's demeanour, but decided not to comment on it. Years of experience had sharpened her instincts. She knew that the House of Elsher was quite a few miles away, and the fact that there was no carriage meant Diya was forced to walk the entire journey.