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 Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:02 am
The other geian jumped at that thunderous voice, looked to the merchant, looked back to the 'Prentice, and backed away. It wasn't that he'd frightened the larger man away, so much as he hadn't the time for this mess. The merchant had been annoyingly insistent anyway. Said trader, jumpy at the sudden LOUD himself, turned the moment it happened. Eyes narrowed, and he drew himself up when he realized that it was, in fact, only a teenage boy. "There is no call for slander, surely! And no excuse to drive off my customers at all, young sir! If you have a complaint to lodge, we can settle this like civilized folk." "OH I VERY MUCH DOUBT THAT. I'M CALLING YOU OUT FOR A SWINDLER AND A MISER WITH YOUR STOCK; THIS SHODDY WEAVING COULD'VE GOTTEN ME KILLED." His volume decreased the closer Harakan drew, no longer needing to shout over so much crowd. Nothing of the storm in his face abated, though. A minor regret for dragging an unfamiliar visitor along for a spectacle crossed his mind, but soon vanished under the overcast of his outrage. "I've a mind to tie this rotten twine in a noose to demonstrate its worthlessness!" From his pack, he grabbed both snapped ends of rope and began dragging them out. The staff he leaned towards Rex, and in a much better modulated tone, spoke his way. "D'you mind holding onto this for me? I can't help but feel as though I'd do something I'd come to regret later on." Sure, he'd enjoy staving the cheating b*****d's head in, but that had unfortunate consequences...
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Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:56 pm
The merchant's nostrils flared. He was starting to get really irritated. "Look pal, I sell quality rope here, I buy only quality rope, take a look at the ropes yourself." He gestured grandly as if he were at court. Rex accepted the staff from Hara. He held it firmly, probably a good idea to let the calm one have the giant stick. Now seeing as how Rex had come from a sea town, he knew a ridiculous amount about rope and knots and finding problems before they meant your entire catch of fish. He poked through the proffered rope. Rex held his breath because the merchant was not particularly floral in scent. Dude could take a shower once in a while. Most of the rope looked good but one near the back that matched the design of the sad split end that Hara looked like he was going to strangle the man with, had a wear hole that smelled like rot. "The rope got wet at one point, making places of weakness." His Daddy would be so proud. He had not wasted so much time teaching his son for nothing. "Uh um I uh well, thats not my fault that the storage shed got a leak in a few places, the rope looked sound! Not me!"
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:05 am
"Oh indeed? And I suppose my pack and I, whom YOU ASSURED ME would hold my master at the same time, proved just too much weight for your QUALITY ROPE?" Though defiance may have been a good social move, Harakan was having none of it. Rather than wasting his breath shouting the entire time, he'd instead bark out words at the top of his lungs for emphasis. Useful? Perhaps not so much, but it made him feel better. More useful than throttling the skinny sot, in any case. A blink, a pause to breathe, and Rex was there, examining the stock with a keen eye. The grin his loud new friend shot him hadn't totally swapped gears, so it came out a bit toothier than intended. Abruptly, the geian lad leaned in, more level in his tone, but clearly enunciating every syllable. "You sold that floss to me for full marked price. It snapped when I was a mere halfway down the cliff-face eyeballed at fifty paces high. That, sir, is worse than useless; it's a cursed risk to my life and livelihood. A full refund seems enough to me, atop the public's newfound awareness of your sloppy storage in our temperate weather." Here, a fist shot up and pulled the older male down by the front of his shirt. "Otherwise, I can think of so many other ways to go about this. A visit to the town hall to file a formal writ of censure from the Surveyors, perhaps? My master would sign off on it without delay. We do not appreciate critical equipment failure due to supplier negligence, sir." The trader looked back, forth and back again, trying to think of a way out of this situation. It wasn't the first time he'd been brought such complaints, but it was the most serious yet. Were this a more private setting, he might have had other options. But here? Now, in public? His choices had narrowed to trying to find a graceful way out of this, or doubling down on his own defense...
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 1:03 pm
People were indeed starting to gawk at the free spectacle. The merchant ground his teeth, and spat, thankfully not at anyone. He grumbled and went to his coin, counting out what the boy had paid for the rope. He remembered that day, sadly. Oh how events could weave around like a snake to bite you in the arse. However there were enough people, plus that infernal town chatter box and her gaggle of insipid friends were lapping up every word that Hara said. Not needing to wonder if they had heard correctly, since the boy was shreiking it to the bloody, four winds. He handed the brat his coin and tried not to bite his tongue so hard it bled. In business sometimes you had to be the minnow and not the shark. Sad day. Meanwhile, Rex was standing smugly by, knowing he had helped..in his own small way. His parents would be proud. He looked at the sky and wondered when his Mother would be back. He probably still had a little time. "Do you maybe want to find some food? I forgot to eat." He got that from his Mom, Dad never had this problem. Mom would get her nose stuck in a book for hours on end, where Rex would explore and forget. Though at home, he knew which trees one could steal fruit from and which were poisonous. Here, he was lucky to find a tree at all. Though some of the smells wafting on the wind seemed delectable. He was ever driven by his stomach, at least when he remembered to pay attention to it.
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 2:09 pm
Harakan kept an eye on the greasy man, making dead sure the count was correct. The 'prentice surveyor didn't trust him nearly as far as he could throw him, which given an active lifestyle and wide build, was probably pretty far. Frankly, he'd already trusted his life on the man's word, and that had not held up. Why trust his coin? The guild-sanction threat was about the limit of his arsenal, and tricky to make stick, but things hadn't gone that far. That said, once every piece was refunded, the shorter youth was wise enough not to push it further. He probably could, but making enemies wasn't on the schedule. Rather coldly, the green head of hair dipped in a nod. "Thank you, sir. I'm glad you've recovered some measure of honesty. I hope you've a pleasant day ahead." Turning on his heel, the brown boy began down the street, a bit swept up in the moment and assuming Rex would follow. Those deep breaths kept coming, regular and steady, slowly clearing the irritation from his brow like clouds blowing away. Within thirty paces, he turned a smile to Rex, if he'd followed. "Aye. Maintaining that sort of anger is hungry work, even if you don't bring it to violence. There's a spot over yonder that sells fried... er. Not sure what they are, really, but they're good. Pretty sure it's a sort of sealife, but I've been told it's not a fish."
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