As I finish breakfast, I consult the calendar I have on the wall. I sigh heavily as I realize I have a guild job today. They pay well, but there are so many rules. What I can say, where I can work. Hours, mandatory breaks, materials, even the rules about what style I am allowed to cast spells; all of it heavily regulated. Most of all, they have a strict dress code. During orientation the phrase ‘Present a Unified Front’ was endlessly repeated. They stopped just short of branding it onto our skin.

I head to my closet and pull out my guild robes. The garish reds and golds shimmering as I set it on my ironing table. With a wave of my hand, the iron gets to work smoothing out any lingering wrinkles as I pick out my clothes. A simple sleeveless tunic and a pair of tight but not restrictive pants. Just because I have to wear that stuffy robe doesn’t mean I need to be uncomfortable.

When the iron finishes its job, I put the robe on on, trying my hardest to find a comfortable way to drape the thick and stiff fabric over my body. I tie it off with a sash, technically out of uniform but the flow of the robe is too distracting to cast spells otherwise. I grab the circlet I keep on my dresser, my fingers running over the runes I’d carved into it. My mind drifts to the hat box in the corner of my closet as I activate the circlet, willing it to create an illusory copy of the guild’s mandated wide-brimmed, pointed hat. I never understood how these hats became fashionable for wizards; they’re far too unwieldy and prone to being blown away.

I check myself over in the mirror, making sure I’m not forgetting anything. As I head out the door, I grab my staff. It’s probably the only part of the ‘traditional’ wizard outfit that I find helpful. Even beyond using it as a spellcasting focus, it’s great for self defense. I’ve also mastered the art of the standing nap, bracing myself against the staff while pretending to be deep in thought over some arcane calculation.

I climb into the guild-owned carriage, greeting the driver warmly. At least they know how to treat us well. It almost makes the uniform worth it… Almost…