80 Commission

"You find the dresses female Cultivators are required to wear during the tournament unsatisfactory or unsettling?" Yvonne guessed.

"You wouldn't be the first."

"More like sexist," I fumed.

Her eyebrows raised at my answer as well as her lips. I will give her credit, she tried, for about a second before peals of laughter escaped drawing a chuckle from the few people that were working with her or browsing goods.

I wasn't sure if she laughed in agreement, at my audacity, or in surprise that I would answer truthfully. I probably should have been more circumspect, you would think. But when you considered that most of my interactions with people over the past year had been with a couple of Elders and my mentor, my lack of tack and willingness to just blurt out whatever I was thinking was easily explained.

I'd had no reason to filter what I said with Elder Shadow, Elder Tye, or Tarra, so I'd gotten in the habit of plain speaking. I was blunt and to the point, even encouraged to not prevaricate. It wasted time, the time I didn't have. Still, I probably would have tempered my response if I hadn't spoken with Yvonne earlier.

"Well, it is!" I whined responding to her amusement. "You would never see males wearing something so ridiculous or potentially revealing during a fight."

"I don't disagree with you," she laughed, "I'm sure there are women who appreciate the outfit, some even finding it liberating, but I understand why you would feel differently."

"Only women who are exhibitionist," I responded whispered barely trying to hide what I felt about the type of people who would enjoy wearing armor that focused more on fashion than protection. Yvonne's laughter only increased as my face wrinkled up, looking as if I was being forced to smell something foul.

"You may have just made this the best part of the tournament for me," she informed me, as she was quickly grabbed my arm, pulling me behind the counter. "You wouldn't have noticed, but you managed to drive off one of our Sect members. A woman that was listening to our conversation, one that I have had an adversarial relationship with. She finds the robes a bit risqué and enjoys the opportunity to flaunt her endowments.

"She has been known to use the flash of thigh and panties as a means to distract younger Sect members that are still impressed by that kind of thing. It has become her strategy to win matches and favors."

I hadn't noticed anyone listening, and that concerned me. By narrowing the focus of my perception, I was limiting myself, perhaps dangerously. For now, there was nothing I could do about it. If I extended my Qi, I risked sensory overload. It was better to limit my abilities than risk completely opening myself to debilitating pressures.

Still, I had grown too reliant on my perception, trusting in that ability, and ignoring other methods of awareness that any non-cultivator nurtured. The vast population had only functional access to Qi. They had enough control to power arrays that could be used for lights, cooking, cleaning, and limited communication, but nothing like even a newly elevated Body Refinement cultivator could command.

"What kind of armor are you looking for?" Yvonne asked as she ushered me into the back room out of sight and hearing of anyone that might be listening. An array of privacy was activated once she closed the door, the room like many scattered throughout the building allowed Cultivators to have gear tailor-made without allowing other, possibly competitors, to know what you have purchased.

One of the redeeming qualities for this kind of establishment over something like the Cyntyne's Shop in Flowing Water city was centered around confidentiality. Whatever gear I purchased or had custom produced was protected by the smith's cultivator oath. He would not share any information about what I commissioned, the materials used in the making of armor or weapon, or any special features I had required.

"I want something I can wear under the competition dress. Another layer of armor, either leather or light-weight scale. Ideally, it would be something that I would be comfortable replacing my Hanfu with and could be worn as everyday gear," I explained.

"What said you use the Bow and Tessen?" She asked.

"Yes, my fighting style incorporates long-range with melee," I answered, "so I need something that won't interfere when shooting, something that gives support as well as protection when fighting in close quarters. Something form fitting perhaps?" I realized that my request seemed at odds with my problems with the dress. If I was concerned about propriety, or flashing thigh or panties, then a form-hugging leather suit should be the farthest from my mind.

"Although," I mused, "I do need flowing material to be included. I use the material from the sleeves as part of my attack and defense. Without those structures built into the armor, I will need another way to access cloth. Maybe ribbons? Something that I can use to bind or confuse my opponent."

"Something that can be both form-fitting as well as free-flowing," Yvonne asked, clarifying my needs.

"Yes," I agreed, wondering how a Blacksmith could manage to combine those two opposing requests. I had a mental image of myself decked out in skin-tight leather, engraved with embroidered thread that highlighted metal studs and rivets, possibly even bone to reinforce and strengthen the armor.

But that was where my imagination failed, I was unable to envision was a way to add the additional material I made use of when fighting, and was hoping Yvonne would have a solution or could introduce me to a talented Armorsmith that could actualize my ideas.

Drawing out a piece of parchment and some charcoal, Yvonne began sketching. She would occasionally ask for input, and it was in this manner that the armor I was hoping for took shape. Her drawing started out simple, lines that outlined and determined shape.

The basic drawing almost a perfect replica of what I wanted, limited by my inability to understand how to add reams of flowing cloth with the form-fitting construct she had produced. She easily managed to create the skin-tight armor that I described, but then she went further, using that initial concept as her starting point.

Once she was satisfied with my description and had managed to translate that description visually, she asked me to demonstrate my [Tessenjutsu] art. I was able to show her some of my tamer more controlled techniques. The room was large, not large enough for me to execute [Spin and Dive Into the Ocean], but there was enough room for those techniques that didn't have me leaping.

My Bow technique was easily demonstrated. I even went so far as to create and release an arrow made of fog. It was the first time I had done so, and I was pleased to see the effects of this type of arrow. It would do no damage, but unlike the fog bank that I had created when fighting Nero, it would act as an obstruction to vision that confounded my enemy but left me with a clear line of sight.

I made a mental note to discuss the discovery with Elder Shadow if I had time before my first duel. The brackets hadn't been released yet, so I still wasn't sure when I would fight, or how often I would need to compete.

"I have a friend that is talented with spatial arrays, I think he might be intrigued by designing limited spatial devices that can be filled with material. The problem will be stabilizing the array so that the exertion and stress on material from fighting won't cause the design to decay," She explained as she began adding leather pockets to elbows.

The material could be released the same way I was able to swap between Bow and Tessen during a battle, the array's linked and controlled by my Qi. I watched fascinated as she began modifying my initial idea.

She continued that concept of spatial pockets by creating bolsters added to my hips, as well as a belt. The belt would include a spatial array as well, but more importantly, it would be rigged so that the cascading material would flow along the entire circumference of the belt, creating a skirt of fabric. A further improvement would allow me to cut the fabric at any length I found useful, allowing the material to become even more versatile.

Her idea was ingenious, and I loved it. It allowed me to keep the functionality of form-fitting leather, while not sacrificing that advantage my control of material afforded me during fights. She did make a few tweaks to the design, make the top more a bodice and corset, adding higher-tiered beast bones to increase the efficacy and stability of her design.

The belt functionality would allow me to wear the armor every day. I could transform and hide the form-fitting leather leggings with the cloth to mimic a Hanfu skirt.

"If you are satisfied," she said after we have spent an hour tweaking her work, "I can get started on this right away. It will be ready by tomorrow by noon."

"You're going to craft it yourself?" I asked in surprise, thinking that the difficulty in creating something like this would require at least a Journeyman level artisan.

"If we can agree on a price," she answered her earlier humor once again evident. Of course, she thought it funny, why would I assume she wasn't at least Journeyman level?