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- #181
Re: A Thief's Oasis (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru
While Ilias proved unable to completely drop his look of hesitation, he did find some partial success in lowering it for the time being, and gave Xara a solemn nod--along with a somewhat unexpected hug--before agreeing to her plan. The normally reserved handyman's bold reaction triggered an expectedly awkward moment as raised brows or otherwise surprised reactions sprung forth from just about everyone else in the group. While some might sense the unspoken dynamic between the two, it was certainly odd to see it actually expressed, especially from the more stoic one's end. Only Nadim seemed unfazed by as much, exhibiting a knowing smirk in response.
"Oh, alright... fair enough," said the crimson-haired thief, raising his hands and backing away a step or two. "I'll stay and help put the stand up with Ilias, then. You ladies have fun, alright? Don't take too long."
"R, Right, me too," Yasmin added in short order, as if to hide the obvious fact that she would go wherever Nadim did, if only to keep an eye on her smooth-talking beau. Ilias couldn't help but make a slight face, enough so for the 'princess' of the group to not notice. While the redhead and his sturdy frame could no doubt be of use, the former noblewoman likely wouldn't boast the same degree of usefulness... or even willingness to be useful. Though she was still a relatively new member of the group, Xara could easily tell as much by the slight shifts in the tallest one's expression--not that figuring out Yasmin's immediate motivations was challenging in any sense of the word.
In its own way, Xara's plan worked out; Ilias, Nadim and Yasmin would stay behind to work on the stand for their shop, while the bunnygirl herself, along with Safiya and Rabi, would do the scouting. Having dodged any immediate protests, she would set off with the other two blondes to the shopping districts below, in full disguise. Even Rabi opted to borrow a cloak, perhaps to hide his identity from anyone who might notice him, but more likely for protection. Such attire wasn't particularly uncommon in Jadiram or even in Deun itself; if anything, it was the norm. While a full-body covering might have seemed counterproductive against heat for someone unfamiliar with desert life, it was actually safer to have it than not, as such garments provided adequate protection against the deadliest enemies--the sun and the sand. Otherwise, even the darkest traveler could still receive painful burns and have their skin blasted by the harsh sands at even the slightest gust.
For Xara, however, it was a convenient way to hide her less human features. Those who knew of her nature, especially the older folk, had not taken kindly to her in the past. In fact, it was only this group who had... but when considering the leader's rather progressive views, along the relatively diverse backgrounds possessed by its other members, it did make some sort of sense as to why.
But now it was time to make a living. One that didn't involve stealing, which could easily land Xara in jail with a single bad move. Or... perhaps the girl's future endeavors COULD be considered stealing by some, depending on the specifics of what the she had in mind. Xara, Safiya, and Rabi moved out into the main streets where much of the shopping took place. The weather was fair today, not particularly blistering (though quite hot nonetheless) with tame winds, at least for the time being, making it perfect conditions for picking out groceries, trinkets, and the like. Whatever a shopper might fancy... or find themselves lured into by a very skilled peddler.
And there were a few working on this street that the trio could easily take notice of. The first, a rather well-dressed Deunic woman with a headscarf and uncharacteristically light and healthy skin, had roped a group of girls--and, oddly enough, two guys--into her area, allowing them to sample some supposed 'youth-restoring' cream that she was selling in strategically tiny jars.
"Made from the Dalienan plant of the western valleys of Ayon, this cream helps lock in and retain moisture for your skin, making it far less susceptible to damage from dryness and the harsh sands. Apply it anywhere, really; those cracked spots around elbows, shoulders, legs... even just trace amounts can essentially be renewed with a few drops of water. So after just one application, simply washing oneself can renew its effects after several days," explained the saleswoman, as her customers marveled at how smooth and cool the substance itself was, feeling it upon each others' skin. "Would you like to sample some too, sir?" she then directed towards one of the men, who only seemed to be there as an accessory to one of the prettier girls in the group.
"As fun as that sounds, I can't say it proper for a man to be applying such ah... makeup," said the man hesitantly. "I'll pass."
"Fair enough! Though, I wouldn't exactly call it makeup. I'd call it skin care--which is certainly suitable for everyone regardless of gender," replied the peddler. "It's not as if other people will notice any foreign substance on your face. Only the smoothness and good health it somehow bears after just a few applications of the cream," she would then add before turning to the others. "In the long run, it could really save you some money, as the ability to lock in moisture is more efficient than having to constantly wash with water you could otherwise save for drinking!"
Then, as it turned out, it was time to make her final pitch. The group of customers, now having been fully roped in, had a choice; to buy, or not to. After all of the sampling and gentle persuasion, it was the moment of truth for the shopkeeper.
"Hmmmm," mused one girl aloud, one of the prettiest ones from what Xara could make out of them with a concentrated peek. "Alright, I'll have two jars of it."
After the initial layer of ice was broken, the buyer's friends soon joined in with requests of their own. Somehow unable to resist, the atmosphere of openness and social agreement caused the number of units sold to jump...
The jars were 25 gold each--not a cheap price by any means, even for someone with the money to spare--but these girls were buying them as if they were more important than water. With eight people in the group, that was at least a cool 200 gold, without the threat of being arrested at that. It brought to question how much it actually cost for the well-dressed woman to acquire this so-called Dalienan cream.
But she wasn't the only one making bank, it seemed.
Not a block down, a few separate small crowds had gathered. One seemed to be putting on more of a show than a strict sale per se, where a young, beautiful, chestnut-haired woman was moving her hips to a rhythm played by her troupe. Even the nearby guards weren't opposed to the spectacle of relative indecency that was being put on, as a sort of dance normally reserved for the palaces of water barons was now here, out in the public. Instead, they too would be drawn in by it, opting for the role of awestruck witness over moral enforcer.
Another cluster was gathered around what appeared to be a water salesman of slight build. He didn't have any outspoken sales pitches or fancy lines; if anything, he was on the quiet end, spending most of his time directing his two large assistants to help various buyers load jugs of water onto their wagons or dromedaries. To Xara's knowledge, while water merchants often had it good, there was usually enough competition that crowds like this one wouldn't be commonplace... not without some sort of bonus or amazing price.
And finally, at the very end of the strip with a sizeable crowd of its own, was a rather impressive cutting display. The man here was wielding two shamshirs, curved swords of unmistakably Deunic origin, weaving their movements together in a way that looked much like a dance--but far deadlier, as one of his assistants would toss various objects in the air for him to cut while continuing to spin and twirl about. Not all of these objects were soft things like fruits and meat, either; others looked to be made of harder materials like wood and even stone... but all of them fell to the ground with clean cuts through them. While he was given a wide berth to ply his trade, many were still interested. A glance at the inventory behind him showed not only weapons for an aspiring guard or soldier, but every day cutlery as well; knives for the kitchen and for practical use.
Of these three, Xara could opt to take a closer look at the one she fancied most, or she could continue moving to see if anyone else in the area had exhibited good business sense.
While Ilias proved unable to completely drop his look of hesitation, he did find some partial success in lowering it for the time being, and gave Xara a solemn nod--along with a somewhat unexpected hug--before agreeing to her plan. The normally reserved handyman's bold reaction triggered an expectedly awkward moment as raised brows or otherwise surprised reactions sprung forth from just about everyone else in the group. While some might sense the unspoken dynamic between the two, it was certainly odd to see it actually expressed, especially from the more stoic one's end. Only Nadim seemed unfazed by as much, exhibiting a knowing smirk in response.
"Oh, alright... fair enough," said the crimson-haired thief, raising his hands and backing away a step or two. "I'll stay and help put the stand up with Ilias, then. You ladies have fun, alright? Don't take too long."
"R, Right, me too," Yasmin added in short order, as if to hide the obvious fact that she would go wherever Nadim did, if only to keep an eye on her smooth-talking beau. Ilias couldn't help but make a slight face, enough so for the 'princess' of the group to not notice. While the redhead and his sturdy frame could no doubt be of use, the former noblewoman likely wouldn't boast the same degree of usefulness... or even willingness to be useful. Though she was still a relatively new member of the group, Xara could easily tell as much by the slight shifts in the tallest one's expression--not that figuring out Yasmin's immediate motivations was challenging in any sense of the word.
In its own way, Xara's plan worked out; Ilias, Nadim and Yasmin would stay behind to work on the stand for their shop, while the bunnygirl herself, along with Safiya and Rabi, would do the scouting. Having dodged any immediate protests, she would set off with the other two blondes to the shopping districts below, in full disguise. Even Rabi opted to borrow a cloak, perhaps to hide his identity from anyone who might notice him, but more likely for protection. Such attire wasn't particularly uncommon in Jadiram or even in Deun itself; if anything, it was the norm. While a full-body covering might have seemed counterproductive against heat for someone unfamiliar with desert life, it was actually safer to have it than not, as such garments provided adequate protection against the deadliest enemies--the sun and the sand. Otherwise, even the darkest traveler could still receive painful burns and have their skin blasted by the harsh sands at even the slightest gust.
For Xara, however, it was a convenient way to hide her less human features. Those who knew of her nature, especially the older folk, had not taken kindly to her in the past. In fact, it was only this group who had... but when considering the leader's rather progressive views, along the relatively diverse backgrounds possessed by its other members, it did make some sort of sense as to why.
But now it was time to make a living. One that didn't involve stealing, which could easily land Xara in jail with a single bad move. Or... perhaps the girl's future endeavors COULD be considered stealing by some, depending on the specifics of what the she had in mind. Xara, Safiya, and Rabi moved out into the main streets where much of the shopping took place. The weather was fair today, not particularly blistering (though quite hot nonetheless) with tame winds, at least for the time being, making it perfect conditions for picking out groceries, trinkets, and the like. Whatever a shopper might fancy... or find themselves lured into by a very skilled peddler.
And there were a few working on this street that the trio could easily take notice of. The first, a rather well-dressed Deunic woman with a headscarf and uncharacteristically light and healthy skin, had roped a group of girls--and, oddly enough, two guys--into her area, allowing them to sample some supposed 'youth-restoring' cream that she was selling in strategically tiny jars.
"Made from the Dalienan plant of the western valleys of Ayon, this cream helps lock in and retain moisture for your skin, making it far less susceptible to damage from dryness and the harsh sands. Apply it anywhere, really; those cracked spots around elbows, shoulders, legs... even just trace amounts can essentially be renewed with a few drops of water. So after just one application, simply washing oneself can renew its effects after several days," explained the saleswoman, as her customers marveled at how smooth and cool the substance itself was, feeling it upon each others' skin. "Would you like to sample some too, sir?" she then directed towards one of the men, who only seemed to be there as an accessory to one of the prettier girls in the group.
"As fun as that sounds, I can't say it proper for a man to be applying such ah... makeup," said the man hesitantly. "I'll pass."
"Fair enough! Though, I wouldn't exactly call it makeup. I'd call it skin care--which is certainly suitable for everyone regardless of gender," replied the peddler. "It's not as if other people will notice any foreign substance on your face. Only the smoothness and good health it somehow bears after just a few applications of the cream," she would then add before turning to the others. "In the long run, it could really save you some money, as the ability to lock in moisture is more efficient than having to constantly wash with water you could otherwise save for drinking!"
Then, as it turned out, it was time to make her final pitch. The group of customers, now having been fully roped in, had a choice; to buy, or not to. After all of the sampling and gentle persuasion, it was the moment of truth for the shopkeeper.
"Hmmmm," mused one girl aloud, one of the prettiest ones from what Xara could make out of them with a concentrated peek. "Alright, I'll have two jars of it."
After the initial layer of ice was broken, the buyer's friends soon joined in with requests of their own. Somehow unable to resist, the atmosphere of openness and social agreement caused the number of units sold to jump...
The jars were 25 gold each--not a cheap price by any means, even for someone with the money to spare--but these girls were buying them as if they were more important than water. With eight people in the group, that was at least a cool 200 gold, without the threat of being arrested at that. It brought to question how much it actually cost for the well-dressed woman to acquire this so-called Dalienan cream.
But she wasn't the only one making bank, it seemed.
Not a block down, a few separate small crowds had gathered. One seemed to be putting on more of a show than a strict sale per se, where a young, beautiful, chestnut-haired woman was moving her hips to a rhythm played by her troupe. Even the nearby guards weren't opposed to the spectacle of relative indecency that was being put on, as a sort of dance normally reserved for the palaces of water barons was now here, out in the public. Instead, they too would be drawn in by it, opting for the role of awestruck witness over moral enforcer.
Another cluster was gathered around what appeared to be a water salesman of slight build. He didn't have any outspoken sales pitches or fancy lines; if anything, he was on the quiet end, spending most of his time directing his two large assistants to help various buyers load jugs of water onto their wagons or dromedaries. To Xara's knowledge, while water merchants often had it good, there was usually enough competition that crowds like this one wouldn't be commonplace... not without some sort of bonus or amazing price.
And finally, at the very end of the strip with a sizeable crowd of its own, was a rather impressive cutting display. The man here was wielding two shamshirs, curved swords of unmistakably Deunic origin, weaving their movements together in a way that looked much like a dance--but far deadlier, as one of his assistants would toss various objects in the air for him to cut while continuing to spin and twirl about. Not all of these objects were soft things like fruits and meat, either; others looked to be made of harder materials like wood and even stone... but all of them fell to the ground with clean cuts through them. While he was given a wide berth to ply his trade, many were still interested. A glance at the inventory behind him showed not only weapons for an aspiring guard or soldier, but every day cutlery as well; knives for the kitchen and for practical use.
Of these three, Xara could opt to take a closer look at the one she fancied most, or she could continue moving to see if anyone else in the area had exhibited good business sense.