Setting Up Shop, So To Speak: Part One (solo)

[Nari]

11th day of Fall, 510AV Nari stretched, sitting up in her bed and taking a look around her new home. To be fair, she had been living in this house since the turn of the season, but it still felt new to her. If one added in the fact that she had spent most of her time here recovering- sleeping, eating, and generally doing nothing strenuous- she really hadn’t made it a home yet. Just four walls she slept within- plus furniture, a washtub, and hearth, if those were considered important. Unfortunately, her stores of dried fruit, herbs, and flowers had been mostly used up before she made the move, and she had left her tools and favorite work clothes at h--- errr, her mother’s house. Not home; not anymore. It had taken 30 or so years since she first became an adult to get a place of her own, but she had finally taken that first step toward asserting her independence. It felt good, in a way. If only Nari didn’t feel so lost about what she wanted to do now, it would be perfect. It was well past time to redefine who she was, at least, and Nari knew exactly how to do that: a fresh start. She had a hundred gold mizas in her possession, which was more than enough to get the items she needed to start making perfumes again. Whether she ultimately decided to stay here in Mura or go abroad didn’t matter as long as she had the things she needed- she could take them with her. So, it was time to commence The Plan: Day One: Heading off to the shops to restock some basic supplies Day Two: A day trip outside the city walls to gather provisions from the bountiful White Isle soil Day Three: Beginning the process for her first batch of perfume It wasn’t a bad plan, considering she wasn’t the most goal-oriented person, but she shouldn’t get ahead of herself either. She had to take it one step at a time. That’s how the most daunting of tasks were completed, even ones as ordinary as starting a life on one’s own and figuring out where it would take them. Nari threw her legs off the side of the bed, grabbing a bit of leather and pulling her hair back into its usual knot. She donned her favorite green dress, her only dress now, and slid her feet into her sandals. Her covers, she would normally ignore, but she pulled them up into a semblance of tidiness instead and surveyed the room around her. Bare, but clean. It would be cluttered and full of the smells of dried herbs and petals soon enough. She couldn’t wait. Mizas in pocket, she opened up the door on her new life... …and fell flat on her face as she tripped over her own two feet. So much for dancing. No matter what Vyalomn said, not everyone was meant to glide and twirl. She needed to learn the fine art of walking first, or so it seemed.

[Nari]

A spicy scent hung on the air as Nari strolled along the main street of the shopping quarter. Her fingers trailed along a length of blue fabric she didn’t need, skimming the silky surface lightly. She sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she would be spending an entire day looking at things she wouldn’t buy. Even the things she was purchasing were going to be strictly business related, and their sheer number was going to force her to make multiple trips to and from her home, carrying- and sometimes dragging- her new purchases there. The muscles she didn’t have were already groaning in protest, slight twinges she could feel under her skin. The day, at least, was cool for this time of year, so she wasn’t quite as worried about dust and sweat as she normally would be. “So be it,” she mumbled to herself, straightening her shoulders. “I am young and able-bodied, and I can take care of myself, even in this.” A brave speech- and one that was completely insincere. If she was trying to fool herself, it wasn’t working.

[Nari]

The first shop Nari entered with purpose was a general tool shop. Everything here was shiny and new, and she almost forgot her reluctance to spend more than necessary. If she would have accidentally walked into a clothing store first, she would have been doomed. As it was, she spent the better part of a bell choosing the perfect backpack and rucksack- finding the ones with the best stitching and most padded interiors, as well as a shiny spade and two buckets with sturdy handles. Nari being the only customer for the moment, the shop’s owner- a long-limbed Konti with short white hair and turquoise eyes- began following her around and keeping track of every item she so much as touched. With each selection, the lissome woman would take the object and place it on her desk until they were all laid out in a row. “Are you quite certain you have all you need?” she asked, smiling in a way that was more voracious than friendly. “Of course,” Nari replied, hiding her impatience. She had a long day ahead of her, and it did not bode well if even her first transaction did not go swiftly. “How much do I owe you?” The Konti woman shrugged, feigning indifference, and touched each item in turn. “The packs are six gold miza and the tools are eight. In all, fourteen gold mizas.” She looked calmly smug, the corners of her mouth not even twitching, but her eyes alight with the thrill of an easy conquest. Nari shook her head regretfully, copying a gesture she’d seen her mother make, though it felt awkward coming from her own body. “I’ve seen these same items at half this price,” she protested. “I wanted to get them all in one place, where I could be sure of their workmanship, but I cannot if you are going to overcharge me so. I’ll pay eight gold mizas,” she bargained carefully. This was a dangerous game, and one in which she had no experience. She only hoped her bluff held some sway. “Eight gold mizas wouldn’t even cover the expenses of creating them, let alone what I paid to buy them from their makers,” the woman grumbled, dramatic in her exasperation. Her arms waved expansively toward the walls and back to the table. “Give me ten or be gone. It is barely enough to keep my shop open, but I will not see my wares overlooked for some cheap imitation farther down the street. This is my final offer, child, so take it- or don’t complain to me when your purchases tear or break a few days from now.” Nari nodded, a tentative smile tugging at her mouth. She wouldn’t push her luck, not today. “A fair deal, and one I am more than happy to accept,” she agreed, pulling out the aforementioned amount and lying it in the shopkeeper’s palm. She stuffed her purchases into each bucket and continued on her way, already feeling better than the loss of ten mizas warranted.

[Nari]

The next shop, and the next, and the next were the same until Nari had her first load of tools to take back to her house. By that time, she was sweating and her stomach was churning in response to the delicious smells down near the inns. It was time for a midday meal, and her body wasn’t going to let her overlook it. A set of bowls, 30 glass bottles, a knife, and one outfit completed her morning’s purchases, while her pockets were considerably more empty. “Not bad for half a day’s work,” she mused when she finally hefted her bundles onto her table, where she left them in a pile. She was panting and her hair was glued to her head in stringy, wet strands, but she had made it. It was an accomplishment, however small, to be in charge of her own life, and it felt good. Out of her extremely limited stores, she grabbed a cool meat pie, one that would go bad soon if she didn’t eat it anyway, an apple, and her water skin. She gulped the water down first, cooling her hot, dry throat. Her meal she ate more slowly, savoring each bite before licking the crumbs and juice from her fingers. It tasted delicious after the morning’s work and heat. She finally dusted herself off thoroughly, and swung the strap of her water skin over her shoulder. It needed refilling, and she could use water during this next trek to the center of Mura.

[Nari]

This trip of purchases took Nari to different parts of the street, down alleys and lanes off the main pathways. It was here that she found a shop specializing in the magical and educational; and it was here that she bought her pride and joy: a mortar and pestle. It was smooth and white, without a blemish on it, begging to be used. She also grabbed a blank book and five candles. Juggling these items with careful hands, Nari stumbled to another shop and bought herself some insect repellant and two pounds of soap. She didn’t even argue the prices, though she assumed she was probably being cheated. It was better to get her items and be on her way, she argued with herself, than to save a few mizas and be forced to come back in the morning because she did not get everything she needed. She was already spending more time in the shopping district than she had previously planned. The waste of time was too much of a burden to risk. Finally, she tracked down a brewer at a lively but not busy inn and purchased five gallons of ale, three gallons safflower oil, and enough fresh food for the next few days- and ended up begging the use of a cart to get her things back to her home. She paid a silver miza for the service, of course, and by then, it was well worth the cost. Dusk was falling on Mura, and she did not want to be caught alone and trying to manage more items than one person could even carry on their own. Common sense and sheer tenacity won out as far as her door, but once she was inside, her mind was only on one thing: sleep. She dropped her purchases inside the room wherever they would fit, and tugged off her clothing on her way to her bed. Not even dinner was tempting enough to keep her awake; she snuggled into her blanket and knew nothing else until morning.

[Alice]

Nari Experience: 2 Organization, 2 Observation, 1 Bargaining Lores: Being on One’s Own, Focusing on Important Tasks, Encouraging Oneself, Keeping One’s Expenses Low, Pausing at the Right Time, An Extensive Shopping Trip, Overwhelming Exhaustion Comments Nice thread. It was interesting to watch Nari trying to stand on her own feet and create a business all by herself. I’m looking forward to what she will do in the future! Please be aware, though, that Mura is more of a small town than a city. You will most likely know the shops, inns, restaurants and its owners if you grew up around them. (Plus, there is only one inn anyway.) Apart from that, good work. Awarding xp to this was a bit difficult, but please talk to me if you feel something is missing or wrong.