A Humble Celebration

by **Naiya** on November 28th, 2014, 7:11 pm

29th Day of Fall, 514 AV

The day dawned bright and with only the mild chill of early fall to chill exposed skin. Rue had woken and made a quick breakfast for herself and her siblings, warm grains cooked in milk and drizzled very lightly with honey. With a few murmured greetings and well wishes, her family celebration ended, the splurge of honey being the most she could really expect.

Her birthday did not come often, so despite having been shopping only a few days before she donned her purple dress -- a testament to her celebratory mood -- and went out towards the bustle of the shop lined wheel of the city.

It was Bautlimes brew that finally caught her attention, a gallon of drink could easily be shared with her and her friends. All the same she hovered outside the shop, unsure of her decision and mildly lost in her memories of the last time she had been in the shop.

She shook her head. There wasn't any sort of celebration she would like to be a part of in there. No she much preferred the idea of wandering the market, or even just finding a bite to eat from somewhere a little less busy.

She moved away from the bar, ducking around two Drykas who were speaking animatedly over the back of a large black horse.

Perhaps she would visit the Hunter's Rest, and look at the cats. The dogs too, usually there was fun to be had there.

by **Naiya** on April 7th, 2015, 12:28 am

It was when she making her way through the ruby district that something caught her eye.

An iron kettle.

It was not so simple as that, though. It was of a good size, perhaps large enough to serve five or six people at a time. The metal work was beautiful as well, with the raised forms of horses galloping across the widest part of the kettle. The raised iron forms were smooth, catching the light where the textures were raised off the iron.

The handle was set with small common stones, no precious gems, but quartz of differing colors and some kind of stone with a blue-green hue that complimented the dark cast of the iron. There were even large river stones set in the base. They looked like the rocks that were often heated in the fire in winter to warm a bath.

Speaking simply, it was a beautifully crafted kettle. She had to have it.

It would be alright to buy her self such a thing. It would have a purpose, and it was pretty.

Surely that made it an acceptable birthday present?

She gestured to the shopkeeper, catching her attention.

Beautiful, skilled she signed to her, speaking as she continued, "This one, it is perfect."

The woman smiled, greeting her and offering thanks for Rue's compliment. "This is the only one, it is my son's work, he finds the stones while we travel, my husband, he casts them in the iron."

Rue nodded, it was obviously the work of skilled hands. "Will they make more of them? They must not be long for your shelves."

The woman shook her head. "Perhaps they will. unsure, hesitance my son, he still seeks a calling, and if his mind sways there will not be more. My husband can not spend his days foraging for rocks and plants and abandon his work here, casting iron and shaping clay."

"I do hope they persist, it is a lovely kettle, and I would love to see matching cups." The exchanging of pleasantries concluded, Rue made as though to pick up the kettle, and the woman dipped her head in acquiescence.

Rue picked up the kettle, examining closer the inset stones and the colors of the gems.

"How much are you looking to sell this for?" She finally asked, setting the kettlle back in it's place.

Grader noteThe stones on the Kettle are common quartz in clear, rose, and harlequin, as well as Venus fluorite, (converting at a loaf of bread coming in at two-three coppers) I'd guess the value of small set stones like these would be about 2 GM max. The other stones referenced are medium sized smooth flat rocks. Like you'd find in a river or in the grass. Literally the kind you might trip over. The value of them coming to maybe 2 coppers because they are set into the kettle. The value of an Iron kettle on the price list is 8 SM. I imagine the crafting involved here would raise the value, perhaps 2 GM for the iron work on the kettle.

2 GM + 2 CM + 2 GM + 8 SM rounded up = 5 GM for the Pretty teapot

Please let me know if this seems unreasonable

by **Naiya** on April 30th, 2015, 3:26 pm

"We are looking to receive twenty gold Mizas for the kettle." The woman's response was firm, unapologetic. Rue on the other hand was mildly shocked to hear such a high amount. Sure, it was pretty, but no one in their right mind would pay so much for a kettle.

"I'm sorry, I can't afford that, perhaps you would be willing to negotiate on the price?" Rue was hesitant, she was not often on this side of a negotiation, her experience in such things being on the side of the seller. It did, however, make her aware of the woman's mindset in such a situation.

"The investment of time in effort in this, surely, is worth what we ask?" The woman replied, no hint of a willingness to lower the price in her tone or in the shaping of her hands.

"I understand, ma'am, but surely these stones are common enough, and with a son to find them for your husband, was there really so much time lost in the process?" Her question was gentle, serious in her inquiry so as to not prove offensive in her mildly pointed question. Looking at the stones once more, Rue contented herself with the thought that such gems were certainly common enough in the path of the traveling city. Pretty didn't mean rare.

"It is the skill and care required to set the stones that takes time and effort, would you question the craftsmanship too?" She had grown mildly angry, although perhaps falsely so, but Rue could not tell.

"I meant no offense." Rue responded, apology shaping her body, followed by a wave of regret. "It is a beautiful item, and well crafted indeed, but I can not give you what you ask for it. I hope you might find someone who can." If the woman would not negotiate the price, Rue would leave. By her guess the kettle was worth no more than ten gold Mizas. Twice that was exorbitant, and Rue would not fall for it. Leaving was the only way to tell the woman that.

She turned to do just that, thanking the woman for her time with a quick sign before seeking out the wares of the next pavilion. She had spent enough already on clothing, and the knife for Shahar. Those things together had been less than the price the woman asked for the kettle. It seemed entirely unreasonable!

by **Naiya** on April 30th, 2015, 4:07 pm

"Miss, wait!" The woman's voice rose above the sounds of the city, and after a moment Rue realized it was the woman who would not haggle for the kettle. Rue turned to face her, making her way back towards the pavilion. The woman spoke a gain, mild reluctance in the shape of her body. "Perhaps we could lower the price some, in hopes that you might remember our kindness and return?"

It was not so subtle, but an offer that Rue didn't feel the need to refuse, a lower price in return for coming back to the shop in the future. It was hardly a choice for Rue, with objects on display that appealed strongly to the young girl in her, she likely would have returned regardless.

"I suppose that would be fair," Rue responded, understanding the offer the woman made, "Would you take eight gold Mizas for the kettle?" She hit a low offer right off, hoping that such a low bid to begin with would allow her to agree for a more reasonable price.

"For that we may as well just give it away, no, eight will not do. Perhaps seventeen would cover the expense." The woman responded in turn with a high offer, hardly realistic after their conversation about the price, but made in the interest of profiting on the sale.

If Rue had been the shopkeeper, she would have done the same thing, bidding far higher than what she wanted to make for the product, so that their settlement would still be fair to the shop.

All the same, Rue would not be roped into such a high price. For a few silver Mizas she could buy a kettle from anyone, to spend almost twenty five times that amount was not worth even the prettiest of kettles.

"Perhaps ten, then, would suit us both better?" Rue inquired, having reached what she imagined the price of the kettle should be.

by **Naiya** on April 30th, 2015, 4:17 pm

"No, no, no. I will not take less than twelve gold Mizas. The time, work, and skill surely warrant that much." The woman had become firm once more, her air of willingness to negotiate had vanished, leaving impatience in its wake.

"Not even a single Miza less?" Rue asked, hoping that perhaps the tired woman would acquiesce just to be rid of her. The shopkeeper shook her head with an air of finality. "Twelve it is, then. I'll take it." Rue told her, removing the Mizas from the pouch at her belt.

More than happy with herself, Rue took iron kettle from its display, exchanging it for her Mizas, and continued on her way, more than happy to have found such a wonderfully decorative kettle to make her tea with.

Maybe next time she would find some matching cups.

ledger :

by **Ssezzkero** on June 8th, 2015, 6:37 pm

Grades

Rue/Naiya Dawnwhisper

XP:

Lores:

Purchse: -12 gm for decorative iron kettle

Notes: Don't forget to edit your post in the request forum as 'Graded'. PM me if you have any questions or concerns.

Closed A Humble Celebration