Let us not be Kind

[Epitaph]

The ignominy of buying equipment in such basic metals as iron and steel stung bitterly, but Raspien did not have a choice. He only had two hundred gold pieces and no weapons. Still, he was Raspien Evirus, and he deserved to be treated as such. Thus, he passed by all the shops on the periphery of the Bazaar, even if they sold well constructed steel weapons because the shopkeepers were not dressed well enough to appease his vanity.

Eventually, Raspien found a shop that met his qualifications. He entered with a wry smile, pushed his way past other customers waiting in line with likely larger orders and placed his two hundred gold coins down upon the counter.

"I would like to know what metals you would sell bastard swords and claymores in for around this price," Raspien said. "I don't like to waste time, so just a quote would be nice."

[Moonlit Raven]

More than a little flustered with how the days was going Elena hurriedly wrote down the specifications the man at the counter was rattling off for a weapon he wanted made. Behind him a handful of people also waited, she was marginally surprised that they waited peacefully in line.

"Of course sir, I'll take the specifications to the..." Elena trailed off as she glanced at the opening door and watched the man barrel past her other customers. Dark mutters and a protesting word or three rose up behind him, one of the men in line broke his place and left the shop. Sending the man an unimpressed and disapproving look, Elena ignored him for the moment.

"As I was saying I'll take the specifications to the shop blacksmith and he'll have your weapon ready in three days. The rest of your payment will be due then, have a good day." Once the her customer left his spot at the counter Elena turned to look at the man and ran a critical look over him from head to foot.

"You are not bleeding, you’re not dirty which suggests you are not on the run. If you must know two hundred coins can get you a steel claymore or bastard sword. Now if you wish to order, back of the line. You'll have only a few minutes wait." Smoothing down a wrinkle in the red silk she wore Elena greeted her next customer with a friendly smile.

[Epitaph]

Raspien was furious with the way that the merchant had treated him. He balled up his fists, and while he wanted to say something, he couldn't manage to think of anything that could adequately express how insulted he was.

Normal people might have walked out of the store after the way he was treated, but Raspien was not normal people. Instead, he went to the back of the line, and tapped the person directly in front of him on the shoulder.

"You like prevalida swords?" Raspien asked.

The man, somewhat surprised by the question, still answered. "Yeah," he said. "But I'm getting my son a masterwork weapon in steel for his 15th birthday, what do you think..."

Raspien pretended to mull over the question briefly before he answered. "I think he'd rather have a father who isn't an amputee," Raspien said.

The man stuttered.

"Yes," Raspien said, preempting the man's next question.

It took less than two minutes before Raspien was back at the front of the line.

"Can I be served now?" he asked.

[Moonlit Raven]

I watched, dumbfound and annoyed as hell, as the rude man chased my customers out one by one. I tapped nails that had lengthened and sharpened in annoyance and the tenuous control I had over my temper on the counter, chipping out large slivers with each tap.

"That, that was completely unbelievable! I have never seen a person so lacking in social grace and courtesy before. You wished to purchase a claymore or a bastard sword? It will take two days to forge one and will cost 150 gold for a steel sword, sir." I glanced towards the back room door where I knew my two guardians normally passed the day and wondered if I would have to call them out.

[Epitaph]

Raspien smirked arrogantly. "You should have served me initially," he replied coldly.

He didn't like the idea of paying 150 pieces of gold for a steel weapon. It was one thing to be forced to suffer the indignities of coming to the Bazaar without money, but it was another case to be spoken rudely to by a common bazaar merchant.

"You might want to only charge me 100 pieces of gold," Raspien insisted. "And call off your guards. I see no point in killing them."

[Godhand]

((I was asked to do this by Raven.))

Bazaar work was a bit ignominous but it beat doing legwork up and down Corone paying people off. Plus he owed the broad a favor so this was as good a time as any to square things up. Godhand swaggered up behind the would-be noble and rested his arm on the man's shoulder.

"That's funny. You're funny. You're a funny guy."

It wasn't too long afterwards that Raspien was bouncing across the cobblestones like a rock skipping on water.

It was light work and it payed well if you could get it.

[Moonlit Raven]

Unable to help myself I smiled as the man was 'escorted' out of my shop. Hey, I should put a plaque on the wall that says rudeness and violence will be met with immediate ejection from this shop. Yeah, that will work. I thought with more than a little sarcasm. I leaned out the door in time to see my now former customer pick himself up from the street.

"When you decide to play nicely and have a better attitude, do come back. I'll be happy to help you then." I smiled sweetly at the man before tossing the pouch of his gold out at him and slamming my shop door shut.



Transaction complete.