Undercity Development Section

The Backbone of All Progress

[Y/n] knew there were a plethora of sorts of aesthetic knowledge and, although one could possess a multitude of them, it was impossible to retain it all. She was an architect and for that her aesthetic skills on building design and material composition were undoubtedly sharp. Her aesthetic sense on fashion and/or her knowledge on social etiquette on the other hand...

Mel would never know how glad [y/n] was for her freeing her busy councilwoman schedule up only to help the girl pick an appropriate attire for the fundraiser ball.

[Y/n] stood in front of a mirror, a beautiful obsidian gown with golden details at the hem draped over her body. She felt a bit insecure with the side slit that went up the middle of her thigh and the low neckline that left her collarbone much too exposed, but Mel had assured her a little allure would be beneficial for her image. On her feet, a pair of golden mid-heeled sandals.

 She looked up at the clock at her dorm wall, it was almost 8. She felt a knot in her stomach as the anxiety that had been building up since Jayce informed her of the ball neared overflowing. She breathed deeply, trying to remember her last exchange with Mel.

"And... try these on now." Mel handed [y/n] a pair of mid-heeled golden ankle strap sandals. "You know how to walk in these, right?"

"I've worn heels before, but it's been a while." [Y/n] answered while slipping them on. "I might just be a little out of practice... But these aren't too high."

"Remember, these events are all about poise." Mel weighed in as she analyzed [y/n] complete outfit. "The patrons need to see that the Architect behind HexTech is as unwavering and elegant as her designs."

"I'll have to watch my mouth then." [Y/n] exhaled, examining the back of her dress in the mirror and noting the neckline dipped a bit behind as well.

"When in doubt, follow Jayce along." Mel endorsed. "He may not be the epitome of sophistication, but he and Viktor already have good experience in dealing with patrons."

[Y/n] huffed at the mention of the latter. Mel lifted an eyebrow at her.

"You know... you could use the opportunity to seize more than patronage tomorrow night... "

It was [y/n] turn to look quizzically at Mel. The Councilwoman shot back a knowing look, making the girl sigh as she got the message.

"And I'm sure this outfit will help you with both... " Mel spoke again, winking. 

To be honest, [y/n] had already contemplated the idea. Maybe a more... relaxed setting could help with easing the tension between them enough to at least hold a conversation with Viktor. She had to show the patrons they were a solid team, that there were no cracks on their team. 

A knock at the door snapped her out of her trance. She hurried to open it only to find a very debonair-looking Jayce behind it. His eyes scanned [y/n] from head to toe and he whistled.

"Leave it to Mel to turn you into an actual human being." He snarked, causing the girl to roll her eyes. She tried peeking behind Jayce's large frame, looking for Viktor but was disappointed upon noticing her visitor had come alone. Jayce smirked. "Mel and Viktor are waiting for us at the event hall, they're prepping the patrons for you."

"They're hyping me up so the disappointment hit harder afterwards huh... " She commented ironically. "Yeah, that doesn't make me nervous at all."

Jayce chuckled, holding out his arm to [y/n] who gratefully took it - the contact would help ground her and somewhat ease her nerves a bit while they headed to the fundraiser.