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His Personal Assistant was peeved, then again they normally were when it came to Quinn and the all important ‘Schedule’. But hey, Quinn was more interested in this mysterious merchant and he wares than any typical dance. Besides he did at least do some elbow rubbing when he was looking through the silent auction items. It’s not like he was completely writing off the evening. That and he appeased his PA by telling them that it was an impromptu meeting with Seung that couldn’t be delayed… true enough. Kind of.

“‘Khajiit has wares, if you have coin’.” Quinn muttered to his fellow knight, coworker, and friend. It was meant to ease the tension as they approached the area where the merchant was said to have set up a table. It was in the middle of nowhere, the city shining in the background. Honestly it was suspicious as ******** but for Quinn, hope sprung eternal. If this merchant had something to help repair what was unrepeatable by earthly ways, he wanted to know. He needed to know.

He paused for a moment when he didn’t see anything on the top of the hill where the Rumors and whispers directed him. Quinn absently tugged on his suit cuff before putting his hand back in his pocket and using the worry stone for its intended purpose. After a second, and a glance at Seung, Quinn approached the top of the hill.

Worse that could happen they would be at the top of the hill with a great view of the city.

The best?

Now that was yet to be seen.

Quinn glanced over at Seung. He kind of dragged his friend along partially because he had been gone for so long, partially because the presence of Seung helped keep him focused on the here and now, but mostly because his friend could kick some serious a**. Quinn had not had the chance, outside of physically working out to maintain his health, to train. He was woefully out of shape if it came to a fight. He honestly wasn’t sure if he would be more of a danger to himself if he were to become a Knight and have to fight or not. “You can,” he mentioned quietly, moving to block the view of his friend from anyone in the direction of the city. “Hav doesn’t really have any pockets,” And Quinn had much more expensive items on him just as he was right now. The pressed suit itself was worth a pretty penny, not including the cuff links, watch, wallet, or other accoutrement of a businessman.

“You can use my cufflinks if you want, or the watch. Not sure exactly what the merchant takes in payment, just the whispers that he had things that were beyond imagination,” Quinn offered to his friend. If this merchant really did have something that could possibly snap his father out of his, sadly rather accurate, conspiracy theory web of madness or help heal his mother’s broken spine then if he was asked for everything he owned, Quinn would gladly offer it up.

Well now that's embarrassing. They had been caught dillydallying and that was never a good look. With a 'oops' face at Seung, Quinn quickly traversed the last of the distance, rapidly approaching the merchant's table. "I do apologize. My colleague and I were just discussing what we could offer in trade." Quinn's mossy green eyes took in the merchant, lingering for only a moment on the horns. So the whispers were true, He mentally noted.

"Truthfully I have a few things of great monetary value," He paused for a second while taking in the other figure. "But you don't strike me as a person who is terribly interested in Earthly money. Am I right?" He hopped he was wrong honestly because Quinn hadn't brought much that was sentimental, or that had other intangible value, outside of the little worry stone he had picked up from his wonder. He hesitated for a moment before pulling it out and holding it out, "I do have this however. It has more history behind it then many of my worldly possessions." The stone was really only like three centimeters in size and the darkness hid the flakes and micas that made up the red stone. Its only real visible characteristic was its perfectly smooth and polished surface with a slight concave dip in one side.

“Oh, well don’t worry too much about what you can give me. I mean no offense, but I might be a better judge of what has value. Things are a bit different off of Earth, I can make use of many things. But you are correct! I have no need for Earthen currency. I prefer to skip that part and get right to the good part.”

Which, right now, seemed to be two treasures.

“That’s a lovely stone,” he noted, taking a few seconds to examine it properly.Then, he accepted the book and ran his fingers gently over the cover. “And this is pretty, too. I might be able to find a good home for it.”

He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“Well, let’s see what I can dig up for you boys. You,” he looked at Venice thoughtfully, “Look like the sort who might enjoy a little dress up. What about this?”

He fished around for a moment before pulling out a beautiful masquerade mask; it was made of red leather and was encrusted with a few pretty gemstones. Soft, black plumes adorned it. The symbol of Ganymede had been worked into the details. He held it up for a moment and then said, “Well, it matches you. These used to be all the rage. Though, I suppose they don’t really have big parties anymore.”

Obviously a source of disappointment. He sighed and laid it on the table for examination. “And…Well, let’s see.”

He pursed his lips and looked at Quinn. He seemed like he might have had a bit of a difficult time picking something out for him; he hummed and reached beneath his table, pulling out a box. He didn’t seem to have found what he was looking for so began to remove objects to get to the bottom–including a stack of photos. They were bound loosely with a string and were all different sizes. Some were older than others, but the most interesting one might have been the one on the very top of the pile–featuring a young boy that looked very much like Quinn. The photograph was smaller than the others and seemed like it had been tucked away in a wallet for a long time; the edges were worn and there were a few small wrinkles.

The Merchant might not have noticed the similarities; though the pictures were in plain sight, he was still fishing around in his box.

He wasn't surprised his offering had been accepted, it could contain many things, and he didn't think his ancestor would mind what he'd just given up. Venice himself, currently, couldn't read it so there was no use to it. If it contained information, or somehting else important, maybe someone else out in the cosmos would get their hands on it and be able to actually read it and put it to use somehow.

"The only thing I ask...is that if someone can read the books contents...they use whatever is in there - somehow." Hopefully for good, he was wishful thinking perhaps, but he would like to see the item put to some use after all this time of sitting around doing nothing but collecting dust. "I don't know what it is, or what use it might or might gnot be, but I'd like to see it do something other than sit and continue to collect dust - if that's possible." Could someone out there still be able to read the language in which it's pages were filled?

When the mask came out of wherever the merchant had things tored, likely so no one tried to take things, he was shocked to note that it seemed to also be from Ganymede. How he'd gotten sometghing from there he didn't know, and he didn't ask, but he accepted it with a smile. "Thank you." Even if it did nothing, other than look pretty, he was happy with it.

It was a piece of Ganymede and he could use it, somehow.

"Quinn?" He questioned, wondering what the other was looking at that had him seeming...off?

The merchant had smiled pleasantly while Venice made his request, but he hadn’t missed how Quinn’s eyes seemed to have settled on the picture. Even before he asked, he was following his gaze. Venice seemed to have been easy enough to please; their trade was practically completed. He still hadn’t settled on what to get his companion.

He nodded, a simple indication that it was fine for him to pick up the pictures.

“Is there something written on the back? I know you humans like to do that. I keep my notes cataloged elsewhere, you know. For record keeping purposes. But I don’t have enough photographs that I can make something of them, mostly. He looks like you, a bit, doesn’t he? …Are you missing family?”

The merchant’s curiosity had spiked, but he didn’t want to interrupt the two more than he already had. Sometimes you heard more by listening instead of asking, and it was just in his nature to be curious.

Both had points. It was very likely that there was at least a date written on the back… maybe a name, number, and location too! Really anything that could help would be nice. Quinn absently shook his head at the merchant’s question even as he flipped the small picture around. “No siblings or close cousins.” He fell silent when he spotted the faded scrawled letters.

MJ - 2021

Was MJ the kid’s initials? Was it the place? The time… like Mid-June? Nothing really made sense but that year. That year was disconcerting. “Venus-” He paused for a second, mulling over the consequences of what he was about to ask, “How old do you think this kid is in the picture?” Quinn wasn’t great at figuring out the ages of kids but he would say the boy in the picture was no older than four or five. He passed the photo to his companion and asked the merchant, “Do you have any information on that picture? Where did it come from? Who traded it or why? Anything really?”

He had come here looking for answers but Quinn suspected he was going to be leaving with a lot more questions than answers. His original quest was for his parents sake, now, if what he suspected had any merit, his quest would have to be more for his own sake. That and for the boy’s sake.

((I did the math, the kid in the picture would likely be 4. Birthday should be around December and they would currently be 5 so feel free to totally screw up what age you think the kid is XD I know I personally can never tell so XD ))

"I'm ure to wyou we age fast." He said nodding to the alien. "I'm almost worried to ask how old you are." If the oother would even answer. He was figuring it would be some very large number, something hard to understand and wrap their minds around. To live so long...how boring it might seem to them...but they were stuck here and not able to travel the cosmos. So maybe it wouldn't be so boring.

"Mayube four...or five Quinn. Why?" He asked, wondering about what his friend was thinking. What had Quinn asking that, he hadn't seen what had been written on the back of the photo. What was his friend thinking?

Listening to the alien he found it very strange to think the other would buy so man y things here, storage units and such. Compared to what the other traded, the stuff here on Earth seemed boring and yet he was buying lots of things from here. What must those throughout the cosmos think of their stuff? The transcended knight almost cringed at the thought....