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 Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:07 am
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, 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.”
As a collector himself, he knew a valuable hoard when he saw one.
But he wasn’t there to take anything from Almadel’s collection, but rather to add to it.
“I’m not sure if anyone would be truly interested in trading for this, but I wouldn’t be upset if you used it as such,” Surtur explained as he carefully pulled a small, black flute from his subspace. It was a sleek design, and apparently had been made with Almadel in mind, because it was clearly meant to match his aesthetic.
“Do you mind?” he prompted, holding up the flute before bringing it to his lips to demonstrate. He didn’t want to start making a lot of noise without permission. It was only after making sure he had Almadel’s blessing that he started a soft, haunting melody. It sounded almost like birds in the trees of a windswept rainforest.
When he finished, he took out a clean cloth from his subspace, along with some water and a pipe cleaner so he could work on cleaning up the flute before handing it over. He wanted to give Almadel his instrument, not his germs.
“It’s a traditional design from Surtur that I modified a bit to give it a richer tone. Ah, but you don’t have to play it, although I’d be happy to teach you if you’d like,” he said, clearly proud of what he’d made and was eager to hand it over once it was cleaned.
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:08 pm
As soon as Almadel recognized Surtur, his eyes lit up and he sat up straighter to greet him. He was a professional, but the more time he spent on Earth, the more he realized that he probably could have just spread himself out across one of these tables and made just as much business. Maybe more. “Surtur,” he greeted, well after the Senshi had finished speaking. “You’ve come all this way not to trade, but to give me a gift? That’s incredibly generous of you.” Who was he to resist presents? That was just in poor taste and would have been terrible manners. Especially after that thoughtful performance. “Handmade?” He reached to accept it when offered, and turned it over in his hands to inspect the instrument. “It’s lovely. May I ask what inspired you to make this for me, or do you often lavish others with such tokens?”
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Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 7:58 am
Surtur was visibly proud when showered with praise for his flute, which he grinned with excitement about.
“Of course it’s handmade. I wouldn’t think of anything less to add to your collection, whether you decide to trade it or not. I won’t be offended either way,” he promised.
“You inspired me, of course. It had been quite a while since I’d seen anyone or anything resembling the dragons I’ve been missing back home. You undoubtedly know how handsome you are, by any culture’s standards. And I’ve enjoyed our conversations, no matter how brief, in the past,” he explained, a hand casually on his hip as he easily ignored everything spread out on the tables in front of him to give his full attention to the man behind it.
“But if you must know, once upon a time I was able to lavish others with such tokens, yes. But the universe has grown small and lonely. I feel like I’m still only just getting my feet underneath me.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2023 11:08 pm
“Why would I trade this? It’s unique, one of a kind. Inspired by me. No, I’ll treasure it. I’ll put it in my private collection.” He admired the flute for a moment longer before his attention returned to Surtur. “It sounds like you’ve suffered a great deal of loss in your years. I appreciate you humoring my questions. I don’t mind if you tell me there are things you don’t wish to answer. My curiosity is irrelevant in the face of your comfort.” That was just good business practices, anyway. He intended to be considerate, for more reasons than just because he was being given gifts. “Your praise is well-spoken and kind. But I’m sure you’re aware of your own appearance? I can’t imagine you don’t have a number of people already fawning over you, here. Shall I pull out a chair for you? Business is slow right now, perhaps we can just sit and talk for a bit. We can trade company.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2023 7:14 pm
“Trading company sounds like a good deal to me,” Surtur agreed with an enthusiastic and cheerful grin. He waited for permission to move closer, but once a chair was ready for him, he made himself comfortable with one arm over the back.
“I am aware that I am still working on getting back to peak health. A year here has done wonders in terms of nutrition, but I can’t say I’ve met any who have been fawning over me,” he said with a casual shrug of his shoulder.
“I don’t mind. I treasure those who have been in my life and returned to the cauldron before me,” he said as he rested a hand over his heart. “Just as I treasure the new people I meet, and old relations that have been discovered and our understanding of each other rebuilt.”
He didn’t sound like he was upset to talk about his past, although for Almadel’s sake, he kept the comments vague. They were trading company, not stories that would dampen the mood. Although in sharing his own stories, as vague as they were, he hoped Almadel knew he was welcome to share as well.
“I would be very interested in seeing your private collection sometime,” he admitted after he was unable to shake the curiosity that made his eyes sparkle. “I have my own collections. I can’t remember if I offered to let you see once I have the Chaos situation handled on my world, but you are more than welcome. Your curiosity is welcome as well. I feel no discomfort in answering any questions you have,” he promised with another smile.
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Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2023 2:17 pm
“Oh,” Almadel mused. His tail occasionally flicked while he listened, but there was something lazy about it, something comfortable. “You’re precious. The way you look, the way you talk? The people of Earth must not know what they’re missing. You have an effortless charm.” “ Very easy to talk to, also. It’s such a shame that I only get around here for business. I’d like to take some time to just enjoy this world. I feel like I’m always running around when I’m not tending my booth. Maybe things will work in my favor and I’ll get a vacation. Have I given you a business card before? Don’t leave here without one. They’re special, but I’ll explain that later. Have you made any progress with the Chaos on your world, or…?” It was a bit of an open ended question; he seemed fascinated with the idea of Chaos consuming a world, no matter how dreadful such a thing was.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2023 5:44 pm
“Gained a bit of my power back,” he hummed thoughtfully. The grin was still on his face, but the enthusiasm had subsided a little. Not because he was any less enthusiastic about talking to Almadel, but because there was so much to do, so much to figure out.
“I don’t suppose anyone else has talked about their worlds being taken over by Chaos, have they? If not, I’m willing to share my experience. There was one Senshi. Alastor. He reached out to a large number of us to try and subdue the Chaos on his world. He was successful, and from what I understand it flourishes once again. But it was a tough battle. The Chaos was strong and could dig into the hearts and minds of everyone. The past seemed to have been haunting Alastor as well.”
But if he was lucky, they would be able to help clear his world of everything that was plaguing it, and one day he might be able to start restoring it.
“I do hope you’ll get a vacation, though. It sounds like you rarely do anything but work.”
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Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2023 5:03 pm
“I get a bit of information, here and there.” As far as he was concerned, there was no such thing as too much information, and with everyone’s experiences being so different, he was all too eager to hear Surtur’s account as well. Everything was filed away, useful for another day, perhaps. If he recognized any names or stories, he said nothing, and only nodded along. “I like listening to you talk, though. You have a nice voice. I’m only sorry that the subject of interest isn’t a pleasant one. I’m glad to hear that you were able to come together and save that world–a whole world? Maybe I’ll visit some time. You’ll let me come visit Surtur when you manage to take it back, won’t you? Maybe I could take a vacation there, hm?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2023 8:11 am
“Oh, you’d love it there,” Surtur insisted, obviously very proud of his world. “There’s never been anything else like it that I’ve seen. Once you’ve seen it, if you’ve seen anything more beautiful, I would love to know where so I can see as well. Just imagine the steep, tall mountains all around you, covered in lush vegetation. Mist -- the kind not tainted by Chaos -- rises slowly up over the valleys, filling them like pools. The dragons loved to play in those clouds. They would breach them and dive back under as if it was water.”
Surtur obviously had no problem with sharing things about his World. Whether Almadel was being secretive or just discrete, it was fine with Surtur. Some people didn’t like to reveal too much information. Because knowledge was power, and he understood how important that was for someone who seemed to be working on his own.
“You like being a merchant?” he hummed curiously as he leaned against the chair, but wasn’t shy about being close to the other man. “Is it the items and locations or the people you meet? Or everything? I can only imagine how many amazing places you’ve been. I’m a little jealous. Maybe after your vacation I could join you on one of your adventures?” he grinned, although it was clear that he was leaving an opening for Almadel to decline.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2023 6:27 am
Almadel seemed comfortable, both with Surtur’s stories and his closeness. “Oh, perhaps we might arrange for something of the sort.” He leaned back in his seat and smiled as he looked up at Surtur from his relaxed position. “I do love being a merchant, but it’s hard to say what I like most. ‘Everything’ describes it well, for the most part. And yet, it doesn’t do it justice.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Obviously, it’s a job. It comes with difficulties. There are unlikable people, unlikable objects, unlikable places. I have to deal with angry customers, hostile worlds, cursed objects. I’ve been thinking I should get a bodyguard but,” he hummed again, and his shrug seemed to imply that he was finished with that thought. Whatever had kept him from doing so was without explanation. “I like the way you talk about your world, though. It sounds beautiful. I think Senshi are inherently biased for their worlds, one way or another. I wonder if I can find something from Surtur in my collection back home. Or, perhaps, remnants of it on other worlds. I’ll keep my eye out while I travel though, how’s that? If I find anything interesting, I’ll bring it to you. You’ll have to tell me all about it. I hope you can fix your world up soon, though. I’ll have to dream of it in the meantime.”
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2023 9:31 am
“Oh, a bodyguard?” Surtur repeated with interest. “You’ll have to let me know when you put out the applications. I don’t know if I’d be able to take on the responsibility full time. I’ve got someone here that I would like to make amends with. It would be unfair to disappear.”
His sense of adventure was strong and the idea of traveling again to different worlds and seeing all kinds of people and places appealed to him.
But he couldn’t leave Tyr. Even though he doubted Tyr would ever come to terms with everything that happened to him -- Surtur didn’t think it was fair for anyone to expect him to -- having someone there to work through things was important.
“I am absolutely biased for my world,” he admitted with a laugh, obviously charmed by Almadel and his honey sweet words. It didn’t matter to Surtur how sincere they were. He decided to believe they were.
“You can dream of my world, and I’ll dream of the next time we meet. I can give the base of those horns a proper massage. My dragons loved it. A good tail massage, too,” he offered, completely serious for the most part. Maybe he added a wink in case Almadel needed a hint that he was interested in him more than just him being dragonlike.
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:55 pm
Almadel blinked with something like mischievous interest. “Oh, I rather like that idea. I’ll have to bring my nice oils, I could use a good massage. There are parts of me that haven’t been touched in ages.” He rested his hand on his shoulder and pressed his fingers into what he seemed to imply was a very knotted shoulder. He sighed and massaged for a moment before he rolled his shoulders and relaxed. “I think you’d make a very nice bodyguard. Very nice to look at, at least. And very nice to talk to. If I’m ever serious about it, I’ll have to come find you. Even if it’s just for a trip or two, here and there. I wouldn’t dream of taking you from your obligations, I know how Senshi life is.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:13 am
“You’re not secretly a Senshi too, are you? Leading a double life as a merchant? Maybe with a starseed locked away, unable to be awakened?” he half teased, but it made him wonder about some of the things he’d been told about the problems they had on Earth. And elsewhere.
But that wasn’t any of his business. He could only go on hearsay and if things came up where he would be more involved, he would do his best to assist. Until then, he was doing his best to keep a low profile while on Earth.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure all those knots are worked out. Although you seem like you could use some help with them now. I can give you a preview of my skills,” he offered with another grin, although there was nothing teasing about it. He was making a sincere offer.
“Although I’m sure you have plenty of people making advances. I don’t blame them. You’re very charming, yourself. Both with your words and mannerisms.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 6:45 pm
Almadel laughed, not quite dismissively, but without much investment in the idea. It was difficult to tell if he was being truthful or performative, but he seemed to find great amusement in the suggestion all the same. Him, a Senshi? He couldn’t laugh too much, not when Surtur was being so friendly. “I like the attention, thank you for noticing. If you’d like to give me a preview, I won’t say no.” If he was to be offered a free service, how could he complain? He was safe here, anyway. There was little to lose. He sat up in his chair and made himself comfortable. “You say such sweet things to me. It strokes the ego. If I didn’t have reasons already to return to Earth, I’d convince myself to pop in just to listen to you. Do you know many Senshi like you’ve described? I am sorry to say that of all the secrets I have, that is not among them. Being a Senshi is so much obligation and work. I doubt I could travel as I do if a whole world was depending on me. I rather like my freedom. If I was ever meant to be a Senshi, it was not made known to me. So, here I am.” He smiled sweetly. “But a simple merchant.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2023 5:36 pm
He wouldn’t say no? Then of course Surtur was going to get up and take a spot behind where Almadel was sitting, especially since he was making himself comfortable. His hands were placed lightly on his shoulders at first, testing out where best to start.
“Oh, you must get a lot of people underestimating you if you’ve got them convinced that you’re just a simple merchant. You’re clearly more than that,” Surtur hummed as he figured out the best place to start working his fingers into the knots.
“It’s okay. You can be a simple merchant if that makes things easier,” he promised with a grin.
“I do know of one such Senshi, actually. Although he’s not a merchant,” Surtur shared after a moment, wanting to make sure he had the information he’d been given sorted out to the best of his abilities.
“His name is Caedus. Was supposed to be Sailor Velenia, but the Moon Kingdom refused to send a Mauvian to awaken him while his world was under siege. Not my doing, by the way,” he added, just in case that needed to be clarified.
“Apparently he’d been locked away in the Dark Kingdom’s Rift for hundreds of years, escaped, lead an invasion, failed, returned to the world his people had created since their original world was dying, and then brought back a group to try to take revenge on the Dark Kingdom, only to fail again because he was betrayed by those he brought with him -- who also betrayed the Senshi and Knights who intended on helping them -- and is now hiding somewhere around Destiny City.”
He hoped he got most of the details right. He would have to clarify with Ganymede and Valhalla for more details.
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