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All Magic Comes At A Price; Just another day with Serendipity.
Topic Started: Nov 8 2017, 02:28 AM (121 Views)
Kyo
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"You can't do this every time you bring us somewhere new." Kaeto spoke out loud to the empty shop as he frowned at an enormous leather-bound ledger, running his fingers down the columns. "I know you're trying to give me something to occupy my time, but I just finished organizing everything from the last jump."

He paused as if to listen to some silent voice, and then looked up with a frown. "No, I really don't think it's necessary. Amir will find it and bring it here, and then we'll hold on to it until whoever it's meant for comes to find it. It's a fine system. And if you go shifting us into some dank, cobwebby tunnel somewhere, how will we ever get any custom?" Adjusting his glasses, he shook his head and turned his attention back to the ledger. "I miss computers. And the internet. I don't see why we couldn't have stayed there a while longer - well, no, I understand we were no longer needed, but Amir and Aria were happy. And I liked it. The internet - and movies! I'll miss movies," he added wistfully.

The unheard voice spoke again. Kaeto rubbed his forehead and sighed irritably. "Yes, I know we have some in stock. I know everything we have in stock. And do you know what we don't have in stock?" The silence of the shop was his only answer. "Yes, that's right. We haven't got a television, or anything to play them on, or electricity. So the movies are actually just useless discs of information we can't access. Thank you for that. Very helpful."

A shelf collapsed across the room. Dismayed, Kaeto shut the ledger and hurried across the store to right it. "Well, there's no need to throw a tantrum over it! Good grief..." As he knelt to pick up the scattered items that had fallen from the shelf - thankfully, none of them were particularly fragile - he heard the bell above Serendipity's door chime. It figured.

"Welcome to Serendipity! If I can assist you in any way, please don't hesitate to ask, but feel free to look around," he called out blindly, reaching under the bottom shelf along the wall for an orb that had rolled beneath it. He felt around with his fingertips, thankful that he cleaned regularly. "I'll just be a moment..."
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Cori
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The footsteps of the person who entered the store were barely audible on the creaky wooden floor. Ashath had pinched his nose when he'd entered the shop, expecting to sneeze--the outer facade of the store was rather dingy, and it was only fair to assume that the inside would match. However, after a few moments he lowered his hand. The inside was surprisingly well-maintained. Ashath scoffed. 'Pity they don't care about their outward appearance,' he thought smugly.

He began slowly pacing down the aisles, glancing at the merchandise with mild interest. Nothing so far seemed very valuable, or interesting, or...

In truth, he wasn't even sure why he was in here. He rarely did any shopping proper, let alone shopping for baubles and tchotchkes. He had been scoping out a potential pickpocketing target, but when the man began to grow suspicious that he was being followed Ashath decided to duck into a shop--and his feet found their way to this one. He frowned slightly as he eyed some of the items on the shelves. He wasn't even sure what some of them were...
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Kyo
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Aha! A smooth, round surface met his questing fingers, and Kaeto wiggled them until the ball rolled into his palm. He withdrew it and rubbed it on his sleeve, erasing the nonexistent motes of dust that might have infected it during its brief sojourn. The sphere was made of a strange, iridescent metal, surprisingly light in the hand. Rising to his feet, Kaeto replaced it in its original position, and then went down the shelf and adjusted a few more of the items for good measure.

With that task accomplished, he fussily brushed off the knees of his pants. Jerratian garb was strange to him still, but it was all the closet would spit out for him here. A snow-white shirt with loose sleeves was covered by a black vest trimmed in silver thread, and his pants and boots were black as well. With his silver hair, pale skin, and the slender, wire-framed glasses he wore, the overall effect was severe. "My apologies for the wait," he said stiffly, bringing himself back up to his full height. "My name is Kaeto. Are you looking for anything in particular, or simply browsing?"
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Cori
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Ashath had been watching the shopkeeper for a good minute or so, crooking his eyebrows. What was that phrase about dogs and their owners? Something about dogs resembling their owners, or owners resembling their dogs. Maybe the saying was true for shops and shopkeepers, too, because the man that Ashath was looking down his nose at was at LEAST as curious as the rest of the place. "I'm not...looking for anything." His gaze lingered on a nearby bookshelf. There was a title in Emiran, another one in Rastysian...he couldn't tell for certain, but it was safe to assume that there were other languages on the shelf as well. "You have quite an...eclectic assortment of goods here," he remarked. "What sort of shop is this supposed to be?"
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Kyo
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It wasn't the first time Kaeto had heard that question, and it was unlikely to be the last. Fortunately, he had an answer prepared for just such an occasion. It came out smoothly in his light tenor, making him sound far more comfortable with the line of questioning than he felt. Frankly, answering questions about Serendipity made him queasy. "Serendipity is a curiosity shop," he replied evenly, cracking a thin and practiced smile that didn't quite touch his icy eyes. He adjusted his glasses again. "We carry a wide variety of items to appeal to even the most discerning customer, many of them from far-off places or with interesting provenance." Pausing for a moment, he tilted his head to one side with a far-off look in his eyes. They widened slightly as his gaze snapped back to Ashath. "Unless I am very much mistaken, you didn't mean to walk into this particular shop on this particular day, but something drew you here regardless. Am I correct?"
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Cori
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Ashath's eyes narrowed with suspicion, like a hawk appraising a mouse climbing into its nest. "My business is none of your business, proprietor," he said. His tone was polite, but his lip was beginning to curl. "Though I can appreciate your attempt to up-sale to me."

His gaze drifted back to the bookshelf, where the language on one particular spine seemed to jump out at him. He blinked, forgetting about looking intimidating for a moment as his hand drifted towards it. The cover was unremarkable. The book itself was in good condition, but it had clearly seen its share of use. It was the language on the title that stood out--neither Rastysian, nor Emiran. It wasn't even Jerratian. But he could still read it. He opened the book to a random page, scanning the words on the paper. His eyes widened. It seemed, for the moment, that he had forgotten Kaeto was there. He flipped to another page, skimming that too. And another.
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Kyo
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It wasn't unusual for customers to be remarkably rude - in some places it was actually expected of them - but it still stung. Kaeto retreated behind the counter, opening his ledger again. There was a new page there, because of course there would have to be. Otherwise, Serendipity wouldn't have bothered to bring in this impolite person. "Let me know if you require any assistance," he said, keeping his tone polite. Even if customers were rude, he had to remain professional. There was no sense in upsetting the shop. Besides, the man had clearly found whatever it was he wasn't looking for.
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Cori
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Kaeto was only allowed a moment of peace before Ashath was back in his face. The book thudded on the counter between them--not forcefully, but enough to get Kaeto's attention. Ashath was glowering at him. "Where," he hissed, "did you get this?!" His fingers pressed forcefully against the cover. "Is this some manner of joke? Who are you?"
Edited by Cori, Nov 8 2017, 04:59 AM.
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Kyo
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Inhaling deeply through his nose, Kaeto prayed for patience. He wasn't sure if anyone was listening, or if any of the gods he'd previously prayed to could even hear him in this place, or who the gods of this place were exactly anyway, but it was the spirit of the thing that mattered. Slowly, he closed the ledger, hiding the pages from view, and folded his hands on top of it. The book, he noted, was in remarkably good condition for its age, which meant that it had probably found its way onto the shelf without assistance. Lost things did that sometimes. "In reverse order: as I said before, my name is Kaeto. I am the caretaker of Serendipity." He didn't call himself the proprietor. That would imply that he owned the shop. It was really the other way around. "As for whether this is a joke, if it is, the humor in it is unfortunately beyond my understanding, and I am given to understand that if you explain a joke it stops being funny. Now, as for that book...may I?" he asked, indicating the book in question and holding out his hand.
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Cori
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Though Ashath was still glaring at Kaeto with his jaw clenched, his touch was surprisingly delicate as he slid the book over to him. It was a mundane-looking text, in all honesty--the cover was a simply designed picture of a set of phials, implying something related to alchemy. The words within were small and numerous. All in all, a very dry-looking read. The only thing remarkable about it was the language it was written in.
"Do you have any idea what this is?" Ashath growled. "Or how old it is?"
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Kyo
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"It is a book of alchemy from the Tivash period of this region," Kaeto answered automatically as he picked up the book. He didn't bother to thumb through the pages; the information he wanted couldn't be found between the covers. "Serendipity acquired it some time ago. The exact date cannot be calculated. Its original provenance is unknown. Its last owner is unknown." Even though his gaze was directed at the book, his eyes were far away, and his voice sounded mechanical - as if he were reading off a list of facts. "It is written in Tivanti and was bound in Vadara. It contains information on the preparation and usage of various alchemical substances, including..."

Suddenly, he seemed to snap back to himself. Setting the book on the counter, he straightened his spine and looked back at Ashath. "My apologies. It seems much of the information you desire is not accessible to me at this time. It is possible we don't have it on file. That happens, on occasion."
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Cori
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"So you're telling me that you can't tell me where you got it? Or who sold it to you, or anything?" Ashath still looked rather angry, but his tone of voice was slipping down to something quieter--something like disappointment. "You can't tell me anything? Is it privileged information? I can pay you for it." Coins were always useful for greasing hands and loosening lips.
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Kyo
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Kaeto sighed and picked up the book again. This time, he closed his eyes, delving deeper into the well of information at Serendipity's heart. Unfortunately, there was little there he hadn't already guessed. He set the book down again, resting his fingertips on the counter on either side of it. "It wasn't purchased by the shop. It came to us through...other channels," he said without looking at Ashath, after a long and pregnant pause. That made it sound as if it were stolen, so he clarified: "Sometimes, when an item is lost, or when certain events occur, that item will find its way here to Serendipity - often because eventually Serendipity will take it to whomever is meant to have it. In this case, I believe, the person this book is meant for is you. That's why I asked what brought you to the shop. Some people enter the shop deliberately. Others simply find themselves here. The latter class of customer tends to be the one looking for specific items, whether they know that they're looking for anything or not."
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Cori
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Ashath picked up the book again, studying it. "Don't even know anything about alchemy," he grumbled. He refused to look in Kaeto's direction for a minute, but finally his eyes drifted upwards. "...well," he said begrudgingly, "I suppose I am the best person to have it regardless. It belongs in safe-keeping, not in the hands of some kind of...kind of...looter." He scoffed and looked down at the book again, muttering under his breath about 'some kind of glorified magical lost-and-found room'.
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Kyo
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There were ways and means of convincing people, but now really wasn't the time, and anyway Kaeto wasn't entirely certain that he wanted to convince this person of his honestly. Serendipity, on the other hand, was easily offended, especially when it was already in a bad mood. The floor rumbled ominously, and Kaeto coughed politely into his hand. "Now, now. There's no need to be testy," he said, aiming his voice somewhere in the vicinity of the ceiling. "I'm certain he doesn't mean it that way."
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Cori
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Ashath was staring suspiciously at Kaeto again. Talking to yourself was one thing--Ashath did it all the time. Nothing strange about it. Talking to a store, though...

"...Right then." He cleared his throat and his cool, polite tone of voice snapped right back into place, along with his disinterested stare. "If I am meant to have it, as you say," he quipped, "Then I guess I'll take it. Depending on how much you intend to ask for it, of course. Don't think I'll be swayed to pay more just because you're trying to convince me I 'need' it."
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Kyo
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Having pacified Serendipity - for the moment, at least - Kaeto turned back to Ashath. He considered the other man for a long moment, thinking about what he saw before him and what he'd seen in the ledger. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision. "Your dagger," he said, tilting his head to indicate the approximate position of the hidden blade Ashath carried. "The book, in exchange for your dagger."
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Cori
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"My..." His hand went to the blade's resting place, covering it defensively. "How did you--" His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Kaeto. The more he looked at the man, the more off he seemed. The way he had talked while holding the book. How did he know about his dagger? Wait. The way he talked...

Something was off with the way Kaeto talked. Ashath glanced towards his dagger, then back to the shopkeeper. He took a moment to mentally translate his next sentence into Rastysian, instead of Jerratian. "What's special about this old knife?" he asked. His Rastysian was not nearly as fluent as his Jerratian, but the words were accurate enough. He studied Kaeto's face intently as he waited for the man's reaction.
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Kyo
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The switch in languages didn't even register on Kaeto's face, but when he replied it was in Rastysian, too. "Nothing in particular, except that you don't want to give it to me," he said with a shrug. His thin lips formed sounds that never appeared in the air. He nodded toward the book. "It's a relatively low price, all things considered. You can get another dagger. You won't find another of those in good condition."
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Cori
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The shopkeeper's logic matched Ashath's thoughts--he could get another dagger. A better one, even. But he was hard-pressed to part ways with anything he had decided was an 'heirloom', no matter how fancy or plain it actually was. But the thing that was taking the center stage in his mind now was his increasing curiosity about the store, and what kind of magical properties it had. Why were there no rumors of this place? Surely anything as strange as a store that finds lost things and a shopkeeper who could speak any language without speaking it would have come up at some point. Maybe he would ask Hattie about it later. Unless...

"Tell me something, before I agree," he said, slipping back into Jerratian. "This place...why does no one know about it? Will I forget about it when I leave? Are people only permitted to visit it once?"
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Kyo
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Kaeto looked around at the shop, his eyes wandering the familiar pathways of shelves. "As far as I'm aware, people don't forget about it. We have, on occasion, had repeat customers." A few memorable ones, even, he thought to himself as he rested one hand on his ledger. "I can't really tell you more than that. I never leave Serendipity, so I have no idea what people know or don't know about it. I don't even know what it looks like from the outside."
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Cori
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Things were clicking into place now--at least, a little bit. If the mystery of Serendipity was a puzzle, Ashath was mashing pieces into the spaces where they looked like they would fit and who would mind a little gap or a mushed corner here and there?

"...well, it's very unassuming. At least at the moment," he said. He hesitated, then placed the dagger, sheath and all, onto the counter. "You...you can have the dagger. It's old, so..." He pushed it across the counter.
Edited by Cori, Nov 9 2017, 10:37 AM.
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Kyo
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Plucking the dagger from the counter, Kaeto inspected it closely. His long, delicate fingers wandered expertly over its surfaces, testing the balance of it and the sharpness of the blade. Satisfied, he placed the dagger down on the counter and set the sheath on top of the book of alchemy, which he slid toward Ashath. "It's an excellent trade. Thank you for your custom," he added with an odd little bow. "Please feel free to stop by again in the future. We buy, as well as selling, and if I am not mistaken you are the sort of man who occasionally finds a need to rid himself of various...acquisitions."
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Cori
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A gleam of interest appeared in the thief's eyes. That knowledge alone was worth the old dagger, and then some. "I'll take it into consideration." He tucked the book away into one of the many hiding places on his person. Despite the object's size and shape, he was able to conceal it with little fuss. He turned to leave, then paused and looked back. "And...I apologize, for my previous outburst," he said. "My name is Ashath. If you're ever in need of my services, there's an apothecary in the Craftsman's Quarter, run by a nervous wreck named Maric. Any message you get to him will get back to me."

He turned again, taking a few steps towards the door, then another pause. Another glace back at the counter. "...Thank you, Kaeto."
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Kyo
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So the man - Ashath - was capable of good manners after all. Instantly mollified, Kaeto managed some semblance of a genuine smile. It was somehow more awkward than the one he'd pasted on his face previously in the conversation. "You're welcome."

He watched Ashath leave, then picked up the dagger. "Yes, I know it wasn't high on the priority list, but there was no way I was going to ask him for what you wanted. He'd never have paid it. Perhaps at a later date...? Well, there's no guarantee we'll see him again." Patting the ledger with his free hand, Kaeto walked around the counter. It was time to find somewhere to display the new item. And then perhaps he should dust once more, just in case.
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