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 Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:02 am
Merchant Prompt 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, even as he leaned forward and laced his fingers 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 table was somehow both simple and overwhelming; it was draped in a dark purple tablecloth, with extravagant embroidery in different designs. Scattered neatly atop the table was 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 when his visitor entered, 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.”
Rakovanite had already specifically gone out of his way to hunt for the Merchant's requested Item of the Year. He wasn't personally a collector, felt no attraction toward strange trinkets or baubles himself, and cared absolutely nothing for anything that could be harvested from space. In general, he was simply Not Interested. ...It just happened that he had someone to please, and this someone was an insatiable hoarder who snatched up literally anything of even the vaguest curiosity.
Which was definitely not a trait Rakovanite condoned at all, and he should probably be doing more to impede it, rather than encourage it.
But it was for Basyl, and even Rakovanite had difficulties refusing someone he felt such an attraction to. Dealing with the space trader was not the same as Basyl's collection of weird stop signs, or broken mirror artifacts, nor his hoard of bindered shiny cards or the ever-growing mobile of star charms dangling from their headboard (with a newly added violet charm from this year's festivities). Rakovanite told himself that this in particular was just once a year, so a unique opportunity to give his fiance something genuinely special that Narcissus likely wouldn't be able to find on his own. Probably. Just probably, because Rakovanite was still a little unclear about whatever could just be hiding in Mirrorspace for Narcissus to find. But that was mostly irrelevant. Surely if Almadel had it here, it wouldn't come popping out of a mirror.
He approached through the Merchant's bubble-like barrier, and had come to expect pretty much exactly what he found beyond it: a tall, scaled man, watching with predatory eyes and smiling a sharp-toothed smile.
And that vague nagging in the back of his mind that he definitely shouldn't and didn't trust this man, no matter if Rakovanite was willing to barter with him.
He was not very adept at introductions or pleasantries, and the General definitely shouldn't ask questions he didn't think he'd like the answer to, but as Rakovanite produced the large, brown 'fruit' pod from his subspace pocket and presented it on the table before the merchant, he still had to ask, voice quiet and low and somehow demanding, "What is it." Because it had been kind of a dangerous hassle to obtain, and it was marginally disconcerting how often 'dangerous things' just happened to be on Almadel's list of exotic curios.
Just twice, Rakovanite supposed. But twice was enough.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2023 10:42 pm
There were few, if any, who could arrive at Alamadel’s table with such a presence that they cause him alarm or discomfort, but Rakovanite–despite his power and indifferent arrival–did not seem to fit such a role. He smiled, regardless of Rakovanite’s low and demanding voice, and seemed eager to strike up a conversation. Especially if that meant making an exchange. “You seem like the sort of fellow who won’t be impressed when I give you the answer,” the Merchant answered, but he had no intention of keeping such a thing secret. “An object of great culinary desire for one such as myself. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to acquire. You’ve got quite the impressive specimen, though. I haven’t seen one that large in a while. And it seems like it’s in impeccable condition. May I?” he asked, and offered a hand to inspect it. “Just a quick once-over. I won’t swindle you. You already know my arrangements, I’m prepared to make a worthwhile trade for this. Are you in the market for anything special or shall we just see what we can find?”
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2023 10:20 am
As much as Rakovanite wished this man would stop telling him what kind of person he 'seemed' to be, Almadel wasn't exactly wrong. Although, 'not impressed' was a kinder descriptor than most would apply. 'An object of great culinary desire-' That happened to ooze a burning acid when rotten and hatched a massive aggressive insect when left to ripen. It probably should come as no huge surprise that this alien would be accustomed to- and probably prefer- a different cuisine than what Earth had to offer, but Rakovanite couldn't help the vaguest little quirk of his lip in disgust.
He waved dismissively for Almadel to take the pod. It wasn't like Rakovanite had any use for it regardless of any alleged quality. He was happy to let the point drop, and his focus slid sidelong down the merchant's table.
"I am... unsure," he admitted softly. "Do you remember-" And he had no idea why Almadel would, since Rakovanite expected most humans probably ranked in similar novelty to most other humans. There wasn't anything inherently special about either he or Narcissus. "-there was another boy- a man- with me when we met last year? He is scrawny and stammery. Purple hair. Wearing black. And he was angry with you."
Rakovanite was sure they had met more than once, but didn't know what might have happened to reference from any of those other encounters. "I believe he has traded with you before then, and I had hoped..."
He cut off, brows furrowing slightly, because he didn't really know what he hoped. He hoped this practically-stranger would know better the sorts of things Narcissus liked and sought more than Rakovanite did? They had only been together three years. "...I am not very versed in gift-giving," he murmured. "It is not something I generally do."
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:41 pm
Almadel accepted the pod with a brief word of thanks; it disappeared from sight quickly. Rakovanite was far more interesting right now, anyway. Such tenderness! Such sweetness! Almadel observed the way his face shifted, like he had to search for the right words. “I remember,” Almadel reassured. He was good with names and faces for the most part. Even better with finding the perfect item for someone, he thought. “Rest assured, my friend. What you lack in gift-giving expertise, I will make up for with mine. He must be important to you. And, if we’re being honest, I was actually hoping to see him again this year. Hold on, I have this put aside.” He must have trusted Rakovanite, because when he stood, he turned his back completely to him and left him alone at the table with all of his wares while he traveled to one of the tables behind him and pulled out a sealed trunk. His body obscured much of what was in there, and he closed and locked it again before he returned. In his hands, a single book. To most, it probably appeared as a nondescript book–simple in construct and decor, but Almadel had seen what he supposed Rakovanite would notice immediately: on the cover, beautiful, embroidered flowers. Someone had spent immense time and skill to make a gradient of soft, muted purple and magenta. It matched the flowers on Narci’s tunic to perfection. The pages of the book were silver, and Almadel made quite a show of sliding a nail gently between two pages so Rakovanite could see that it wasn’t stuck. And then, he held it as if he were to open it–and couldn’t. “I’m afraid to break the spine,” he explained. “The book won’t open for me. Go ahead, try it. You can see that the pages aren’t stuck together, but it won’t open. I suspect it’s enchanted. I had hoped your friend might be the secret to it.” He handed it over in open offering so Rakovanite could test it himself.
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Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:50 am
Rakovanite wasn't entirely sure how he felt about this alien who consistently brought dangerous and troublesome monsters to their planet being interested in seeing his Narcissus- but it distinctly trended negative. ...Though he couldn't place why. Almadel had never been anything but pleasant, Basyl had liked him at one point (though that might be up in the air now- unclear), and Rakovanite didn't have any jealousy issues; he was happy if Basyl was happy.
Rakovanite did not have jealousy issues.
...Toward most people.
A noncommittal hum slipped out of him in answer as Almadel turned to rifle through his belongings for whatever he was looking for. Rakovanite's stare was completely unabashed as he studied the other man while his back was turned. It was unreasonable that this alien was allowed to come and go as he pleased, bringing whatever the strife-of-the-year was with him. How had no one done anything. But Rakovanite was here, having brought exactly what Almadel asked for and offering no argument about it. Hm.
He was still staring and didn't try to hide it as Almadel turned back to him, but his gaze flicked briefly down toward the object then back up.
"...A book."
It was more normal of an object than Rakovanite might have expected to see from among Almadel's wares, but he'd have to be entirely blind not to recognize the resemblance between the embroidered pattern on the book's cover and his own lover's fuku. He kept his hands completely to himself, lax at his side, until the book was extended toward him. It looked and felt like an entirely normal book. Literally no one who hadn't seen Narcissus would think anything different.
He slid two gloved fingers along the lip of where the cover extended over the pages. If it took more force than opening any regular tome, then Rakovanite had to expect it was not meant for his eyes. It didn't budge, and in fact felt more akin to a solid bookend meant to model an actual book, rather than being one. ...But the pages were real, implying that something was inside. His hand fell away, after achieving virtually nothing.
"Where did it come from."
There were precious few things either of them had access to of their former selves. Generally entirely unproblematic. Rakovanite was hardly a hoarder, and anything Niðavellir had had, he didn't need. Or a Mauvian could replicate it if it was interesting enough.
But Basyl was a hoarder, and to his detriment, the only Mauvian he had consistent access to was Gremlin. Anything past Narcissus might have had was as good as gone.
Supposedly.
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