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 Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:19 pm
"Ah, and your friend Rika is also Porcelain?" Akram asks, seeming perhaps faintly worried for a moment. He shrugs it off quickly, though, and laughs a little. "I am hardly a renowned chef back home, but I will do my best for you. Would a midday meal be better for you to come over? Or supper? My schedule is fairly flexible right now, since I am no longer in class."
Lily halfway traces the word back to Setsushi, but the projection drops off with perhaps a faint taste of spinach to it as she becomes distracted by a successful smoke ring from Akram. She straightens in her chair to reach for it, but then sighs as it fades into the air around her fingertips.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:42 am
"Ah, yes." Perhaps Setsushi never did explain -- Rika is a scholar from his homeland who arrived here to help them return home. "Rika hopes that we will be able to return to Gaia, though, and establish trade relations," he says with a smile. And it would be too bad to have to leave all of his new friends behind...
As for the time that would be best for them, Setsushi thinks he will have to check his schedule and let Akram know later. With all his jobs, it's sometimes hard to predict when he will have free time... sweatdrop
Noting Lily's interest in the smoke ring, Setsushi files away a note in his mind to show her some Water tricks another day.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:45 am
The merchant takes his pipe from between his lips and taps it lightly on his opposite palm to shift the smoldering contents a little. "Trade relations between Gaia and your homeland?" Akram smiles genuinely, resting one elbow on the table. Then he takes another long drag of smoke, sighs some of it out through his nose, and then blows another wobbly smoke ring for Lily.
"What sorts of goods would you say your people need, or at least enjoy?"
The kirin girl hurriedly stuffs another wad of spinach into her mouth and attempts to grab this ring, as well.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:33 pm
Uh...
Setsushi is probably not the person to ask, given that he is a mere Knight. But certainly, "Gaian technologies would be much-coveted, I imagine."
Certainly, this world has an abundance of interesting raw materials, but the Empire is a prosperous land, with nary a famine for years... But "Perhaps with the magic and science of this land, the last plagues of disease and spirits could be subdued."
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:49 pm
Apparently finally full, Lily slides off of her chair, and starts to wander away from the table.
Akram turns to glance at her... and decides that it does not look like she is going anywhere particularly quickly, and so remains seated. If she is anything now like she was on the walk over here, the girl will get about five feet before she is distracted by a flower or a blade of grass or something.
"I stay away from the magic here, when I can," Akram replies after a moment. "But I may be able to see about the technology."
"... Is there a lot of magic in your world?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:59 pm
Ah, ah, "Master Akram need not take it on as his personal responsibility." Setsushi didn't mean to sound as if he were requesting... sweatdrop
As he watches Lily wandering as well, he confirms that yes, there is a great deal of magic in the Empire relative to Gaia. ... Well, perhaps not, but it is more constant. "All Named Porcelain have magic -- all above the age of thirteen. But only those who are Lucid or who are trained can produce anything that looks like anything."
Of course, Rika says that magic, telekinesis, even projections are all the same thing for Porcelain...
Setsushi rambles on cluelessly.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:19 pm
The man shrugs and exhales another stream of smoke, off to the side of the table, so he is not blowing it at Setsushi. "If I am not looking to do business, what sort of merchant am I?" And at the Knight's description of the magic in the Porcelain Empire, Akram just nods, perhaps only raising an eyebrow slightly. Gaia already seemed to have a good deal of magic in it already....
Lily returns to the table after a few moments, and goes over to Setsushi, tugging at his sleeve.
"Oh, Lily, don't bother him," Akram tells the girl patiently. "Thank him for the meal he was nice enough to prepare for you." Then glancing up at the Porcelain again, he asks, "Oh, how much do I owe you for the food?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:28 pm
Setsushi supposes, then, that if Akram wishes to get involved, he should ask Rika at their next meal together, whenever that may be.
"The normal price is a hundred gold," Setsushi says of his noodles, "but perhaps something cooked by Master Akram is sufficient payment?" He smiles.
And he smiles to Lily too. Yeees~? What does Lily need? "How can this Setsushi be of use to Miss?" he asks playfully, bending down to be a little bit closer to eye-level with the toddler -- though the distance is still vast.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:34 pm
"One hundred is fine," Akram tells Setsushi, and sets his pipe down on the table to dig out his wallet. The last of what he was smoking burns out after a moment anyway, and the human leaves two hundred-gold coins on the table. "Please, keep the extra. My cooking is likely not all that wonderful."
He stands and taps the pinch of ashes out of the long, narrow pipe and onto a grassless spot near the table, and smudges them with his toe to be sure they are extinguished. And then he leans down as well, smiling patiently and reaching out to tap Lily's shoulder.
"Come on, Lily, let's go home now."
Lily just peers up at Setsushi, her mouth forming a little o-shape for a moment. Then she reaches for his hair....
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:38 pm
Setsushi bows his head briefly. "Master is too generous," he says -- but accepts the payment and tip without a big fuss.
Lily has to go home with Akram now, he tells the little girl. ... And Setsushi's hair is definitely not edible. sweatdrop
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:09 pm
Akram says something to the girl in his native language, as well, and again Lily does not really seem to notice or pay attention. After putting his pipe away, the merchant sighs and picks the young kirin up.
"Call me whenever you know what your schedule is like," he tells the Porcelain, and makes a brief farewell gesture before turning to go.
The girl yelps as Akram lifts her up, and frantically projects characters Setsushi showed her back to him - if mirrored and a little clumsy, like she does not remember how to write them. Still squirming a little (ineffective in the arms of the sturdy human), she fusses a little, though her projection remains only characters, and no emotions. By the time Akram crosses the yard, though, the girl gives up and sighs, wrapping her arms around Akram's neck to hold on, and resting her chin on his shoulder as she pouts backwards at the Porcelain Knight.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:14 pm
Setsushi rises with Akram and bows to him in farewell, sending hopes for their next meeting to be soon after him.
And he waves, just his fingertips daintily curling, at Lily as she departs. And he will see Lily again soon, as well, he promises.
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