Newly Broke Heroine!

Ch. 19: Glitz, Glamour, And Eccentrics

"Greg, stop staring. She's gonna catch on fire, with you catching glances of the fiery vixen brighter red than my fur," Bonnie teased from the other side of the carriage. Upon departing the apartment, they'd hired a driver to get them to Jake's estate. It was within walking distance, but the fare was relatively cheap. Fiona played along and sent a leering smile toward Greg, who sat cross-legged and was trying to focus on his notes, rather than paying attention to her.

"I'm not staring. My eyes are strained, from the amount of red in that dress," he retorted. The carriage bobbed lightly along the street, and Fiona noticed a few others headed in the direction of the guild hall. Which was to say, the adventurer's guild, and the large established meeting area they used on occasion for events like this. Fiona gazed at the twilight sky with the indigo colors giving way to a near-black sky, with pinpricks of light. A pink moon was up above, and the slightly larger white moon starting to rise past the horizon. She struggled to remember the names: Luna, and Palena, she recalled. Luna at least sounded familiar, from Earth.

Bonnie waved to get her attention, and smiled. "Greg won't say it, but he's right, it's glamorous, dear. It suits you."

"I mean, it's not that glamorous–" But then, Bonnie leaned in closer, brow furrowed, and her eyes lit up with excitement as she traced a sleeve–the gold embroidered thread, specifically.

"Girl, who did you steal that from? I recognize the enchantment work! That's seamstress Melanie! She does all sorts of high-end work, how'd you get one of her dresses?" Bonnie asked while leaning in. "It's protected against tearing, staining, poor hygiene, and most importantly, spills from snacks."

Fiona narrowed her eyes and gave that kitsune troublemaker a good glare, even as she shot her a smug look. "I'm careful with snacks."

"With a willow bough like you, I don't know how you hide those snacks. You must have the metabolism of a hummingbird," Bonnie grinned. "Try not to raid all the river shellfish, please? I do love how they roast them up and stuff them, and not need to go to the ocean to get fresh shrimp."

"But they're soooo good! If I'm not eating them, I'm doing the world a disservice!" Fiona asserted, and brushed her hair behind her ear again. "And those fancy sausage sandwiches! I call them in advance, they're mine! All mine!"

"Bonnie, are you allowed to...I don't know, magic away certain food items, so that others may have a fair shot at them?" Greg asked with a hint of ire.

"Sure. Buy me dinner, and I'll steal whatever snacks you need," Bonnie teased. It was telling that Greg cleared his throat just then, and tried to hide his face from her by pretending to look out the window. Bonnie focused her gaze back on Fiona. "Alright, where'd you get this one, though?"

"A thrift store called Jaycees! I don't think even the lady at the place knew what she had! Neither did I, until the dress sort of accommodated my form. It was just off, a little bit. It was also quite a bit more flirtatious and bold. Too bold for even me," Fiona laughed, and Bonnie leaned in, with a wily smile. "The neckline would have given Greg a nosebleed."

"That doesn't happen," he retorted, even as he tried not to laugh.

Bonnie still looked amazed. "Fiona, I don't think you realize how much of a steal that was! Please tell me this wasn't from a super sketch place, that told you it fell off the back of a cart. Wait, hang on, you said it was Jaycees? I know the place, it's a little mom and dad place," she stated after snapping her fingers. "Sometimes, I think you are just blessed with fortune, Fiona!"

"I mean, it was there. Everyone else saw it, no one bought it. The granny that ran the place, Nami? She just dropped the price another ten percent to entice me. I couldn't pass it up!'" Fiona beamed. They were crossing the stone bridge over the Therla River that meandered through the city–several canals could be seen connecting to varying points, since it made shipping bulk far easier, and the moons reflected in the wake of the gentle current. "So, here I am!"