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.”
Christabel was so excited to finally area at the area where the trader was located. She was thankful that her friend Silistra who showed her the way. Otherwise she probably never would have found this place. As soon as they arrived she noticed her friend had gone of on her own somewhere. Which was okay with her. She knew they each had their own trading to do, and maybe doing it privately was the right method.
She looked at the table with complete wonder. It looked so beautifully setup and she couldn't even begin to imagine what wonder she might be able to trade for. She noticed the trader had their hands atop the table like they were ready for whoever might approach them. He looked really pleasant in her eyes, so she didn't think twice about approaching the table.
She quickly held her pod tightly in her hand, and walked towards the traders' table. "Hello there!" she said kindly with a bright smile before adding, "Um I'd love to trade this pod if I could! Please and thank you!" She said holding out her arms with the pod in her hands. She hoped her greeting wasn't rude or anything, since she had never traded anything before in her life. She hoped this was the way trading was done.
[quote="The Space Cauldron']
Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2023 8:03 am
“Oh, you have such nice manners. Yes, let me take a look at that, if you please.” He reached to inspect the pod, and as he turned it over in his hands he nodded approvingly. His tail danced enthusiastically as it hung off of the chair, though this might have been excitement as much as it was some habit he’d come to develop. To him, it seemed no different than tapping a toe.
“This is a nice sample. I hope you didn’t have to go through too much to get it? I’ll trade accordingly for it. Your outfit is very–festive, yes? There’s an Earth celebration here at the end of the year, you must be very popular during it. Oh, well, I shouldn’t assume. I know all people and places are different. Are you looking for anything in particular to trade for, or shall I see if I can find something to surprise you?”
Christabel was happy to hear that the trader called her polite. Her parents would be extremely proud. She always wanted to be respectful of anyone she was just meeting. She had always been taught to be kind and polite to everyone she met, and she was glad that the trader noticed. She thanked him for his kind words, and watched as he inspected the pod. Part of her wondered what exactly he was looking for in the pod, but as she heard his words she got excited. She was so happy he liked it! "Well only a little bit of trouble, but I'm glad it was worth it! Oh thank you very much! Yes, Christmas! That is actually my favorite holiday. I definitely know how to celebrate it but I love to celebrate it year-round as you might be able to tell," she said with a laugh as she twirled around in her outfit. After her twirl finished she thought for a moment, and honestly she was happy with whatever the trader might offer her. She was excited to take part in this unique event.
Christabel smiled. "Well I'm always open to surprises. I'm sure whatever you find will be great! So thank you in advance!" She said with a twinkle in her eye. She was truly so excited to see what the trader might offer her, that you could see the excitement on her face.
The Space Cauldron
Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:35 pm
“I’ve never really gotten to experience a Crhistmas, myself. Sometimes I’m in town but it’s so cold,” he sighed. “I’ve heard good things, though. And I’m so of seasonal events. Maybe I’ll have to try to stop by one of these years. Spreading Christmas cheer, hm.”
He hummed to himself thoughtfully, and for someone who claimed to never have experienced a Christmas, he still seemed to know exactly what he was looking for. Even before he’d finished digging around in the box next to him, the fragrant smell of pine. There was something crisp about it, like the aroma carried on a cool winter day.
From his collection, he withdrew a small wand, less than half a foot, with what looked like a star shaped tree topper at the tip. He wiggled it around a bit, and as he did so, the star began to glow.
Two ribbons were wrapped around the wand, and at the end, golden bells jingled. It was a soft, jingling sound.
From the star, little snowflakes manifested, but melted quickly in the summer heat. “Oh, this is cute. Do you want to try it?” he asked, ready to pass it over if she was interested.
Christabel couldn't believe the trader had never experiecenced Christmas before. She couldn't help but respond immeditely - "Yes you definitely should. I know it can be cold but I promise you won't regret it! The lights and the joy everywhere - well its contagious and such a joyous sight!" Just thinking about it made her smile.
She watched as he pulled something from his collection and as she saw what he pulled out. Her eyes lit-up like a Christmas tree!
"Yes, yes please!" she said as she quickly grabbed the wand. She admired the ribbions, the jingley bells, and the sound it made was beautiful! She tried waving it around and saw from the star that looked like a tree topper came snowflakes!
She couldn't believe it and even if they melted quickly she was insanely happy. This was literally the most perfect item - she couldn't have made a wish for anything better!
She hugged the item to her chest as tightly as she could. "Thank you thank you so much!" she said happily before responding, "Could I keep it?" She really hoped tghe answer was yes since se didn't want to let this item go. It could help her spread so much Christmas joy!
The Space Cauldron
sorry this took me a bit.
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2023 6:12 pm
Oh, with a response like that, of course Almadel would believe that the joy was contagious–she was but one person and he could feel it radiating from her strongly.
“Of course, of course. A trade is a trade, and if your holiday is keen to spread joy, I think it would be cruel to deny you your own. I like that it makes you so happy. It lets me know that it’s in good hands. I’m a collector, first and foremost, but being a merchant affords me the luxury to pick and choose what I’d like to bring home. So I’m glad to put something worthwhile into the hands of someone who loves it. And you’re offering me a fine trade, anyway–I’m quite grateful to have that pod in exchange. It’s a good deal for the both of us, I think.”
Christabel was so happy when she heard she could keep it. She did a massive jump in the air. "Thank you so much! I promise I'll use it to spread so much joy! I hope the pod can bring you joy as well!" she said with a smile. After that, she held the item in a tight hug and realized she wanted to start spreading joy right away.
So with that, she raced off, but before she did, she turned around. With a big, bright smile, she waved and said, "Thank you again! And early Merry Christmas!" She gave her new item a wave and raced off to find the next person she could bring joy to. She was determined to spread as much happiness as possible. She knew that even the smallest act of kindness could have a huge impact on someone's day. She was driven by her mission to spread joy and make the world a better place.
