Sasan’s wings fluttered madly as he darted around his shop. A headdress sat to his left, draped in dazzling feathers. Dirty bandages wrapped his tanned fingers, a hazard of the trade, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

If that jewel falls off one more time, I’m going to scrap the whole thing. The outfit really doesn’t need a tiara anyway… Gah, it really does look so much better with it, though!

Rubbing tired hands over an equally tired face, the Ascent took a quick glance out the window. It was still pre-dawn, but the sun would be here soon enough, and with it came the awaiting crowd. He was still dreadfully behind. At the rate he was going, his deadline would come and pass. Again. With a frustrated groan, he reached for the phone. If this was going to happen, he was going to need help, and he was going to need it now.

Sleep-tousled hair feel into Ellysia’s eyes as she shuffled her way toward Sasan’s shop, her cow-shaped slippers leaving little heart imprints in the snow. Sasan had called her in a panic. His latest collection was already late, crazy weather the leading factor, making shipments impossible to deliver. Breath turning into wisps of bland white, she knocked on the shop's back door, grumbling as the cold seeped into her and the wind whipped her hair in a dizzying array of black and red.

I swear to the gods above, if he wasn’t my best friend, I’d fry his butt, making me wade through the snow to sew a few buttons on.

Squinting against the bright interior light, she brushed past Sasan’s flustered form. His speech blurred together, nerves having obviously gotten the better of the dragon-scaled man.

“Sasan…” Her eye twitched as he rambled on about late fabrics, broken-hearted customers, and the absolute end of his career. “Sasan, I swear to the heavens, if you don’t shut up and show me where to start, I’m going to turn your hair pink the next time you come into the salon!” Teal eyes blinked at Ellysia, her sharp tone catching the Ascent off guard, but really, what did he expect? It was two in the bleeding morning!

It had felt like an eternity, but he had done it. The collection was complete! Sasan’s wings flapped merrily as Ellysia sat on a stool behind the counter, yawning.

“Do you need anything else, Sas’? I’m tired and I wanna grab a nap before I have to open the salon. Gods know what would happen if I left those girls unattended.”

Humming under his breath, he shook his head. She could definitely go and catch some shut eye, considering how much work she’d just done to help him get this collection out. It was funny when he thought about it. No one would have guessed that they would be such good friends, with their first encounter being her snarking about him and Seb coming from wealth and not earning their place in the market.

It had taken some time and effort on his part, but he’d finally cracked that hard exterior and gotten her to actually accept him as a worthy designer, not to mention a friend. And he couldn’t have been happier. With a friend like Ellysia, you really didn’t have to worry about mean-spirited people. She seemed to suck all the zeal right out of them and spit it back in their faces — very amusing to watch it happen.

“I’ve got it from here, Ells. Thanks for all your help. I couldn’t’ve gotten it all done without you! Go get yourself some rest. Knowing your staff, they’ll try t’do a pixie cut and end up giving someone a mohawk!”

Laughing through a yawn, the red-and-black haired woman waved as she dragged her cow-covered feet out the back door. Hopefully no one would bother her on her way home. It really wasn’t safe to annoy that girl when she was lacking sleep…



It took all of Sasan’s effort to keep his wings from beating like a hummingbird’s when he met his customers. “Welcome, one and all! Today, I have the pleasure of bringing you an entirely new collection of my own creation.

“From all across the lands of Kalin and beyond, you can hear stories of grand, impossible creatures. Beasts known for the pure brutality some cause, and the miracles others create. I invite you all to delve into this lore! These items each embody a different tale, and all will be available for the rest of the year!”