It's becoming late in the evening and the skyline is starting to darken. Sunset, when the traffics mix and what night life and nocturnal life begins to come out. Some shops close, others open. Some never close.
Tonight's sunset is particularly spectacular, the early day showers having brought a brilliance to the surrounding lands that can only come with the passage of water across the ground. A cooling breeze has picked up, comforting after the day's heat. Closer, we focus towards a small business in the area...
Michael idles in his shop, smiling at the last rays of sun, doing a little dusting as he prepares to lock the doors and windows for the night.
A particularly loud crowd of passers by crowd the street, bringing the smell of wines and the rapid fire of laughter to each of their own species.
Michael checks his shop a last time, then leans in the open doorway before he locks it.
One of the merrymakers, an Odoxi, flicks his ears as he notes the shop. The deer, a scholar mage by his robes, motions to the group he needs to get something.
Michael smiles and stands, cocking his head at the figure.
Tavos walks up with a minor sway in his hooves, though he says quite clearly, "I need something special for my lady."
Michael gets a little more alert, something magically amiss is about.
Michael stands back from the doorway and motions for him to enter.
Michael says, "Ah...Gift for lady..."
A nose with a pair of whiskers pokes up above the windowsill to the very far right. Watching eagerly the customer and shopkeeper. Anticipation wiggles his whiskers wildly.
Michael says, "Come, look...Your lady like...stuff?"
Michael obviously struggles with the language somewhat.
Tavos nods with some exaggeration, "Yes indeed. Mayhap a necklace or something else."
As they're busy, dark brown fur pulls itself over the windowsill and drops somewhere behind the wares table with barely a thumf of sound.
Tavos is mildly drunk, and a bit of a snobbish scholar mage apprentice normally anyhow, but that doesn't explain why he feels so bold and confident right now.
He? She? You're not sure underneath all that dirt. Perhaps a she, though she acts more like a he. Or is it a he that looks more like a she? We'll stick with he. A youth of undiscernable age, filthy with dirts and grime and full of energies.
A young ferret of sorts, long in the middle with short ever moving stubby legs and stubby arms. His eyes hit fairly close to his nose and it seems to wrinkle and wiggle frequently. Call him Scilly.
Michael furrows his brow and looks at Tavos. "Ah...neck-tie? yes...here...
Michael gets a small wooden box and shows it to Tavos, pulling out some of the fancier silver work, showing it off so it sparkles in the setting sunlight.
Tavos frowns, "Necktie? Timothy showed me pictures of one of those before, no thanks. Oh, that's your word for necklace. I do so wish non-colonists would learn the language right. Though I'll admit, you do do good work."
Tavos examines the necklace some more and nods, "Not bad. Do you have anything else?"
Scilly lifts his head above the table, feet away. He draws a little 'mark' in the air, enough to set some of his fur on edge before ducking beneath the table again. Aversion spell, perhaps? Prickish through the night air.
Michael peeks over Tavos' shoulder at Scilly. "Do you need help, sir?" He asks with the air of a much rehearsed phrase.
Michael turns to Tavos. "Excuse me."
Scilly freezes where he was before stuffing his handful, something sparkling, into the front of his vest and flying beneath the table towards the window way.
Michael furrows his brow and makes a gesture...
Tavos snorts, "Now see here, I came to buy something from your shop, the least you could do is give me some attention! Shopkeep, look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Some of Tavos's friends outside the shop, who know he's a little snobbish, wonder what's gotten into him?
Michael gestures and the door and windows close.
Michael bobs his head. "Sorry...Theif..."
Michael mutters, "Katursi runi-lan."
Scilly stops just short of the... what, now closed window? He looks surprised a moment then leaps toward the cover of the tables again. His little short arms become another set of legs as he runs.
Michael hurries over from behind the counter after Scilly. "Stop!"
Scilly looks out from beneath the table then races to be behind the counter now. If that shop keeper's not here, then he will be.
Michael steps over to the opening at the counter. "Theif. You drop stuff, leave, or I punish you."
Michael looks rather calm, for the meaning of his words are not.
Tavos finally sees the thief and snorts, "Shall I take care of him?" and blinks, wondering what could have POSSIBLY have made him say that?
Michael says, "No, my shop, problem. I thank you anyway."
Scilly skids to a halt now then frowns. In that same flow of fur he pulls up onto the counter then springs up to catch a rafter above. Lithe little bugger, he is.
Michael sighs and looks up.
Michael ducks into the back room for a short moment.
Michael returns and stops just inside the room, quickly stringing a bow and nocking an arrow.
Michael says, "I need ask you again?"
Tavos is frowning again, and rubs his antlers idly as he tries to figure out why he's acting this way. Obviously not the brightest of apprentices.
Scilly crouches then scoots along that rafter then turns to watch that entranceway for the moment. "Dunder... buggerin me who gits caught...eh?" He squeaks then he starts babbling, "I wern't doin no harm. Ya wounna shoot a kid now, woul ya? I be only barely befer me double digits an jus makin me way." He looks towards Tavos, "Don' let 'im be doin it sir!"
Michael says, "You are theif."
Michael says, "Theifs grow old fast."
Tavos shakes his head and it clears and he mutters, "We can call the guard and let them take care of the smelly thing."
Michael says, "You need money, I give you money. You will not take stuff."
Scilly squeaks some more, "Ya coulna.. me poor little spit o'a sister woul' starve.. iffin she ain't. It's such a small sparkle, ya couldna miss it.... ya' wha?"
Michael doesn't look to be comprehending much of what' being said.
Michael's arrow is still drawn and trained on Scilly.
Scilly pulls the duff off the top of his head and tries not to squeak, "I ain' stupid. Wi'that arrow up like that, ya coul' stuff me quicker'n water on a duck iffin I come down."
Michael says, "You come down your way. Or my way."
Scilly frowns, "promise nae t'be shootin?"
Michael says, "I promise."
Michael hopes he heard that right...
Tavos, typical clueless rich boy, states, "Well, then why don't your parents take care of you and your sister? There's no reason for a ugggh young lad as you to become a thief."
Scilly grabs the rafter with his forepaws and swings down in a somersault of fur. He manages to land on his feet then dusts his paws off. With a snort he says, "fer those wi'parents. Wi'out it don' work that way."
Michael says, "Um, I don't understand you."
Michael puts down the bow and leans it against the wall. Keeping an eye on Scilly, he rummages in some drawers behind the counter.
Tavos hmmfs, "An orphan? Surely the city council could find some family to take you in?"
Scilly pokes his tongue out and says, "He wants fer me to run fer my parents for help. That only works if ya gots parents. I don't, nore's my sister."
Michael peers at Scilly, trying to understand, after a long while nods, but not too confidently.
Michael says, "I help..."
Scilly crosses his arms, beligerantly, "Right. They's said they'd split us up. Put me up in some ol' goat's home. Ya know what they's like?"
Michael says, "Old goats?"
Michael says, "yes."
Michael says, "Their milk is not good."
Tavos blinks and is almost tempted to agree with the smelly rat on that count.
Scilly turns to watch Michael now, not quite fully trusting or understanding this strange person now.
Scilly blinks then laughs, "An they's got nannyin on their mind an won't listen worth a waterrat's tail end."
Michael says, "Um...yes."
Michael says, "Come here, small. I will not hurt you."
Michael beckons.
Scilly wrinkles up his nose and still with his arms crossed he trundles over. His eyes keep poking in other directions, watching for something not being quite right.
Michael says, "We trade? Yes?"
Scilly says, "I ain't got stuff ta trade.. I'm onna dos orphuns."
Outside the shop, some of Tavos's friends are calling to him, telling him that they'll meet at the tavern. This just adds to the Odoxi's annoyance.
Michael sets some things up on the counter; huge biscuit (at least to Scilly, it's huge), and a pouch. "These for what you stealed."
Tavos had always heard stories about this odd looking shop keeper, but never realized he was addled.
Scilly says, "huh? Whyfor?"
Michael says, "For food, silly."
Michael reaches to scuff Scilly's hair.
Tavos starts tapping one hoof on the floor impatiently.
Scilly says, "But..butbutbut..."
Michael says, "I have a...Br'zar...Um...Person, here..."
Michael says, "You make a decision."
Scilly looks at the biscuit then at the pouch a half moment. One side of his whiskers quirks up in a half thought then he stuffs his paw into his vest front. A single jewel, probably the only he took, is pulled from beneath.
Michael says, "Is that ALL?"
Michael looks at Scilly hard.
Scilly nods his head, "I don' lie."
Michael says, "Good...and you should not steal. Ask."
Michael says, "Now, go."
Michael looks up to tavos, slipping the jewel under the counter. "I am very very sorry, kind sir."
Tavos snorts, "Just let him go? He'll steal from someone else you know."
Scilly gives a bit of a look at the stranger, as though he's out of his mind, grabs up the pouch and biscuit and runs for the doorway.
Michael says, "I hope not...He has only hope. Can I give less?"
Michael says, "How can I help you?"
Tavos hmmmfs and turns around to watch the rat run and concentrates, making a few odd gestures and mumbles. The rat's fur takes on a visible glow in the evening shadows, and he snorts, "That'll keep him from stealing for a night or two till it wears off. And to think everyone laughed when my spell to make my fur shinier backfired. "
Michael takes a few moments, stumbling over the long, complex words, but finally smiles a little.
Tavos whirls around and nods, "Yes, lets get this over with. What other necklaces do you have?"
Michael says, "You are looking for something...spa....spacious?"
Tavos says, "Spacious? No, that last necklace was big enough. I just wanted to see what else you had."
Michael hmmms...
Michael sorts through that box on the counter, pulling out a silver chain, with smaller chains hanging off it, diamonds at the ends. "This?"
Tavos's eyes widen and he nods, but says, "That'll do. How much?"
Scilly trues...
Michael says, "Um..."
Michael thinks, "It is worth 250 silver rounds."
Tavos snorts like the buck he is, "Ridiculous. 100 at the very most."
Michael makes a slightly strained face. "You can have it for 200...These are big...sparkly clear rocks."
Tavos frowns, "150 to be generous."
Michael says, "Your lady is worth 150 silvers?"
Tavos snorts, "She's worth a lot more than that, but your necklace is only worth 150."
Michael rubs his forehead. "170"
Tavos hmmmfs, "I have 8 golds on me. That's 160 silvers worth. Deal?"
Michael thinks. "Yes, deal..."
Michael hands over the necklace.
Tavos hands Michael the coins and takes the necklace and examines it, "You wouldn't happen to have a pouch to put it in?"
Michael says, "yesyes..."
Michael pulls out a well made, but simple leather pouch from beneath the counter.
Michael examines the gold for a moment, putting it in his beltpouch.
Tavos takes the pouch and puts the necklace in it and hurries out the door, "I can't believe this took so long. Hopefully the necklace with calm Cherise. What a weird jeweler."
Michael says, "Thank you, come again..."
Michael smiles, standing and going to (finally), close the front door...