|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:16 pm
Quote: It was already late in the evening but the merchant seemed unfazed by the passing of time. He sat, poised and elegant, watching the world around him. He didn’t seem bored but he sat, fingers laced atop the table; below it, he kept his toe tapping to some silent tune in his head. He was tall, by human standards, though while sitting down he didn’t seem particularly threatening. If you didn’t look at his face. He had graceful features--sharp and refined. His chin and nose tapered to a point, giving him an air of sophistication, but that, combined with his slitted eyes and pointed teeth, there was something undeniably predatory about him. He watched with a hungry gaze and a mischievous, nearly sinister smile. His ears were pointed and were prominent despite being tucked behind his vibrant, multi-colored hair. The most intrusive feature that indicated there was something not human about him were the curling horns protruding from his temples and the oil-slick black scales that brushed his cheeks and forehead. He was well dressed, in a fashion obviously otherworldly, and seemed to enjoy dressing himself up in glistening gemstones. His tables were somehow both simple and overwhelming; each table was draped with a dark purple tablecloth, all with extravagant embroidery in different designs. Scattered neatly atop the tables were an array of items that seemed to carry some magical weight to them. He did not seem intimidated in the slightest and, upon noticing that the barrier surrounding him rippled to allow his visitor to pass, he smiled. He did not rise to meet them nor adjust his position in the slightest. He followed them with his fierce eyes and greeted, in a silky voice, “Welcome.” Thorite came back to that strange barrier, heart racing with anticipation and fear. Especially as he looked at just who was behind the booth. The man made his heart pound right in his throat. Everything about this situation screamed at him to run, but he found himself rooted to the spot, clutching his thermos with the wisp in it. The merchant's eyes pierced right through him. "H-hi," he said breathlessly, gesturing with the thermos, "You, uh... want the wisp thingies, yeah?" There was no question about it. This man was definitely alien. But he had no idea if he could even try to think about fighting it. Not when he was almost certain there was something enchanting about this place.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:08 pm
“I do want the ‘wisp thingies’,” the man answered patiently, if not eagerly. His smile never faltered, but he was looking at Thorite expectantly. Naturally, he’d looked him over and tried to determine if he had a wisp even before he’d spoken, so when Thorite gestured to the thermos, he’d immediately fixated on it. He couldn’t see through the thermos, but he seemed to trust that it was there and redirected his attention to Thorite’s face. “Come closer, I won’t bite. I’m just here to get what’s mine. And I’m willing to make you a very lucrative deal if you’ve brought me one to barter with.” He was trying to read Thorite, but something about the man’s demeanor just seemed off. The merchant shifted in his seat, and though his smile was still in place, he squinted a bit. “You look a bit shaken. You aren’t scared of me, are you?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:57 pm
Come closer? Not a chance in hell, bub, Thorite thought to himself, only barely keeping himself from taking a step back. His hair stood on end as the... thing called him out on being scared. "No," he managed to force himself to say, rolling his eyes, "Merely... exercising caution. There's clearly something afoot here, and I'd rather be sure I'm not about to die. You seem to be on the level—for now." Taking a step forward, he opened the thermos and dumped the wisp out, showing it to the merchant before resealing it. "Now you know I have what you want for sure. Why don't you show me what you're trying to sell before I make a deal, huh? If you've got nothing I want, I could easily just walk away with this thing." He was pretty sure he was playing with fire, here, but he needed to come off less like some scared four-year-old and more like someone who was almost an adult who could handle himself. This was no time for letting himself seem vulnerable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 2:25 pm
The merchant laughed, richly almost. It was as if Thorite had told him a good joke and he loved it. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll want to do that. Those wisps are going to start becoming troublesome if they’re not all back together, and they’ll wind up giving you a hard time. But I like that bravery, very handsome. There’s something to be said of a man willing to assert himself.” The merchant seemed to deliberately bat his eyelashes at the man, but it was so slight that it could have easily been a trick of the yes. “But! There’s no point in playing hard to get. I’ve got tables of good, just waiting to go to a good home. Exercise all the caution you want, but I don’t know how good your eyesight is from there.” He gestured to his tables. “You’re welcome to pick up and examine anything you like. It would be easier to tell you of my wares if I knew what you liked. Tell me about yourself, won’t you? I’ll make some suggestions.” He began by gesturing to a few things. “I have jewelry, I have weapons. I have artifacts, and ceremonial wear, and trinkets of all shapes and sizes. I will help you find the perfect prize, if you only give me a bit of direction.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 1:26 am
Thorite took a deep breath to calm himself and moved forward, looking over all the items. Nothing really caught his eye initially and he frowned, thinking. "I don't suppose," he asked quietly as he stepped closer again, glancing around as he dropped his voice, "You might be able to tell me—just in case—what would I need to do, to not be an Agent of Chaos anymore? No more magic deals? Not that I'm not content where I am right now, but it's always good to have an exit plan.... If not, I'm always on the lookout for a good camera?" He dumped the wisp out again, shoving it towards the merchant. The sooner he was done with this, the better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:49 am
He paused. “Oh! Oh, well, I’m not really the expert on ‘Chaos’ things, dear. The camera is certainly more in my line of expertise.” He moved swiftly, scooping up the wisps as he withdrew an extremely ornate chalice that could have easily doubled as an extravagant candy dish, complete with stem and lid. The crystal bowl was cut with many facets that all perfectly seemed to capture and accentuate the light inside. Atop of the clear crystal, an ornate silver lid encrusted with what looked to be a giant diamond in the center. It had a large silver stem and a beautiful, sturdy base with a few more gemstones embedded within it. A few wisps danced around inside already, and seemed eager to be joined by Thorite’s as well. “Hearsay is that if you’re desperate for help, your starseed calls out to an ancient Guardian, the Keeper of the Cosmos. Oh, but any Royal is certainly strong enough to burn out that Chaos. You must have one, at least. I can’t imagine Earth has this much life without a Princess roaming around. I think, at least. But if you want more information, you should start there.” The merchant moved a few things on the table next to him and then leaned beneath it to withdraw a small box. It was thin wood and nothing particularly extravagant, but he twisted it around in his hands for a moment to examine it before he opened it. Inside, packaged very carefully, was something that looked like a high end, digital camera, although the design was unique enough that it was obvious that it wasn’t from Earth. It was aged, a little worn, but the merchant held it up for inspection. “The finest Mauvian technology,” he began. “I don’t know if you’ll have any luck hooking it up to Earth contraptions, but I know you’ve got a few Mauvians around here. I’m sure one of them would just love to help you out. It’s rechargeable, it won’t run out of battery. Or, at least, it hasn’t yet this century. I’m not much for repairs, but.” He shrugged. “I’ve never met a Guardian Cat who could say no to a technological breakdown. Not that I’ve had one with this, I’m just thinking long term. I’m afraid it doesn’t have any pictures on it already. Is this what you had in mind?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:32 pm
Thorite's eyes blew wide open at the sight of the camera as it was brought out. It wasn't any brand he recognized, but he soon heard the reason why—the weird alien cats had invented this, and clearly some long time ago. Much longer ago then the simple Earth camera had been. "Yeah," he breathed out in a whisper, looking it over without touching it. "It looks... Perfect." Glancing at the merchant with a small amount of unease, he gently took the camera from the merchant and hefted it in his hands. It was small enough to carry around with him all the time, and according the merchant, never needed to be charged. He'd probably have a hell of a time finding adapters for connecting this thing up to anything to save his pictures, though. "Thank you," he said, pausing briefly, "For the camera... And for pointing me in the right direction for information." Now he just had to pray nobody overheard that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
