An odd piece of jewelry

[Nadia]

Nadia walks into one of the quieter jewelry shops, silently apologizing for having her weapon out (she didn't trust anything else as a guide).She pulls her sunglasses off, trying not to seem rude, before tapping the staff of her weapon against the ground, sending a wave of faint golden light out to cover the floor like water. The light returns to its source after a few moments, giving the human girl a mental floormap. She walks over to the counter, sidestepping to avoid a particularly loose floorboard, and waits patiently for some assistance.

[AdventWings]

"My, my. No need to be so apprehensive, miss."

A clear voice chimed from the doorway behind the counter, where a lithe feline biped stepped through with odd trinkets hanging from her arms and neck. It was not often Kisha had customers, but most were the same face from the mines trying to sell her small lumps of stone. Not that she minded them, but it would be better she had buying customers.

"So, what can I do for you?"

((OOC Note: Welcome to the Bazaar! Any OOC questions you have can be PMed through to this account.))

[Nadia]

Nadia bows some, making what little eye contact she could with the two sightless orbs nestled in her skull "My apologies, ma'am... " She rests her scythe against her shoulder, turning the blade so that it was less obvious, hoping that it wouldn't be too threatening.

"I noticed you had several unique pieces here, and I was wondering if you could possibly make one for me.. " She pulls out a small, folded slip of paper, on it was a design for an armband, "It was my mother's.. and the original was taken and melted down to pay for repairs to the orphanage in my hometown.. "

She hands the design over, it was a single serpentine dragon, as slender as one's little finger, meant to wrap around the upper arm one and a half times, halfway between the elbow and shoulder. The piece was held in place by a pair of thin chains, the eyes were meant to serve as settings for small stones, and the entire dragon was made of small sections, slid like beads onto a semi-flexible wire of some form. The metals were not listed, nor were the stones for the eyes.

"It was meant to be gold, with silver claws, rubies in the eyes and, a copper core, but I don't know if I would be able to afford it.. I think another metal with gold or silver plating would be alright for the time being.."

[AdventWings]

The tiger-striped feline eyed the design layout carefully, picking up the details and reconstructing it in her mind. Indeed, it was a highy unsual design using metals that woudl not normally go with each other. Although she was not entirely proficient in the arts of metallurgy not alchemy, she knew this could be done... for a price.

"My my, that's certainly a very unique design..." She murmured, glancing from the maiden with the ominous polearm to the armlet design on the counter, "Although I'm not too certain if you will be able to afford this all in one payment. Let me run this through a price check..."

Flipping out a tome from one of her drawers, Kisha thumbed through the pages while her left hand jotted down notes on the material, handiwork and cost of the necessary designs and skills. Keeping the handwriting strictly in Feline Script, the merchantess returned to her customer after tallying up the cost and time.

"Well~ If you're not looking to replicate its very looks, I think I could manage a close-enough replica of that armlet, dear. For plated gold an' silver with an iron core, it would cost you a good 345 gold pieces. If you want genuine ruby for the eyes, oh... that'll be another 75 pieces to the total cost. Which brings us to a total of 420 gold pieces for the entire thing. If you're more keen on just getting the look, I reckoned the rubies could be replaced with some agates which would bring the price down to only 395 pieces totall..."

She knew it was a very odd request, one that was sure to give her more than a few headaches along the way. Still, business is business. She wasn't doing anything wrong, anyway.

"Also," She interjected before the customer had chance to reply, "I will take me at least three days to finish the armband of yours, if you want me to make it. I'll give you an order slip for you to claim it later. Is that fine with you, miss?"

[Nadia]

Nadia smiles warmly at the offer; it was a great price, as the appraisal for the original piece was far higher in her hometown.. She reaches into a small coin purse and begins rolling coins in her fingers, distinguishing the different denominations by slight variations in the texture and design. Never once does she glance down at the coins as she lays them out in small, easily counted stacks.

"There.. that should be.." She thinks for a moment, recounting the coins mentally and quickly replacing a coin to get an exact value, "Four hundred twenty in gold pieces.." She pulls the straps on the purse and puts it away before gently grasping her polearm, as if making sure it was still there and in one piece.

"If you don't mind.. could you read the form out loud after you give it to me? In case something happens to it, I'd like to be able to replicate as much of it as I can from memory" This was a facade, she couldn't read written text unless the person writing had pressed down firmly enough with his or her pen to leave an impression in the paper. If she couldn't read it by touch, her verbal memory would have to serve as a backup.

[AdventWings]

Ahh, so she's a blind little miss... Kisha mused as the customer counted out the coins. Still, a customer's a customer. Don't be so rude, you kitty.

"Not a problem, miss." She purred, reading out the statement on the paper slip. "Order Slip, The Aquamarine jewelry shop. Item number zero-five-three-three-dash-seven nine. Receive date, fifth day of the seventh full moon."

Glancing up from the piece of paper in her hand, the tiger-striped lady gently placed it in Nadia's hand. The charm bracelets on her wrist tapped against the blind maiden's hand as the feline merchantess withdrew them, formally composing herself once more.

"Fifth day of the seventh full moon. That's three days from now, miss. You can come in later than that and just hand that over to whoever will be tending the counter. They'll know where to find your order."

There, that's a good kitty, Kisha

[Nadia]

Meep! Ich bin nach Deutschland gefliegt... Es tut mir Leid!

Nadia smiles and puts the slip away, wondering what she should do until the piece was done.. "Thank you very much miss.." She bows deeply before tapping her staff once more to get an idea of what was around her, walking slowly out of the shop in hopes of some pastime to wash the days by and bring her closer to having her mother's armband, or at least something nearly identical to it.

What I really need is a job.. some method of gaining money here.. maybe then I can get this in a more pure form..

[AdventWings]

Alright... And now to get to work...

"Malga, tend the cashier for me, will you?" Kisha spoke up as she casually strode to the back of the shop. A rather rotund cat peeped out from the workshop, a band of silver wrapped around his left pinky. "I've got an order to make in three days."

"Fine by you." Malga responded cooly, watching his lithe business partner disappear into her workshop with a piece of paper in her hand.

And for two days and nights, Malga never saw the feline merchant leave her tiny little workshop...

[Nadia]

A characteristic tap on the ground from her scythe announced the blind human's entrance to the small shop. She walks slowly and deliberately to the counter, and pulls the folded paper out of her coat.. opening it and running her thumb across the writing, the small indentations in the paper bringing the exact information back to the forefront of her mind.. A male cat was standing behind the counter, and, so far as she knew, didn't notice her come in. Her soft voice broke the now still air,
"Excuse me.."

[AdventWings]

Malga slowly looked up from the place behind the counter, a small silver pendant in his hand and a hilarious-looking spyglass wrapped between his eyelids. It did not take long to realize it was the blind girl who had ordered the strange-looking armband be made.

"Oh, it's you." Malga smiled as she approached the counter, the faint tap tap tap of her scythe the only other noise in the quiet shop. "One moment, please."

It took only a few seconds of looking through the drawers on the wall for the feline merchant to procure the customer's orders.

"Here you are, miss." He beamed, gently placing the dragon-shaped armband on the counter. " That would be 420 gold pieces-"

"She already paid for the item, Malga." Kisha yawned as she reappeared from her tiny workshop in the back, smiling sleepily like a child who had just been woken from her slumber. "I take it this is satisfactory, miss?"

[Nadia]

Nadia smiles warmly, picking the gold dragon up and gently running her fingers along its back, a few sparks jumping from her finger to the gold.. "Yes.. this is perfect.... Thank you very much.."
She toys with the latches on the chains for a few seconds before swiftly placing it on her left arm.. "If I ever do get the money to pay for an exact remake... I'll be sure to come back here... Until then, I wish you both good health and good business" She bows, her scythe leaning dangerously close to a fragile display, but missing it as she returns to a standing position and leaves, stepping around a woman who had just wandered in.

[AdventWings]

"And a good day to you too, Miss."

Kisha smiled back before heading to her workshop, pausing only once to glance back at the blind girl leaving her shop.

For a moment, the tired feline jeweller thought she saw someone familiar in her. Someone she had known back in the Neko community in Northern Akashima. Someone close...

"Nah, couldn't be. My mind's playing tricks on me again."

With a nonchalant shrug, she retired to her tiny little room for a good day's sleep.Working non-stop had did her in, but it felt rather good...

Malga glanced at the two departing figures, wondering what it was all about. Shrugging in defeat, he sat down on a small chair and waited patiently as if nothing really happened.

((Transaction Complete.

Nadia loses 420 GP in return for a custom-made armband with gold and silver-plated iron core designed to look like a dragon. Eyes inlaid with small ruby gems.

Nadia receives 100 EXP for good IC interactions.))