Open A Search for a Buyer

[Aron De Soto]

Aron smiled at her. This was too easy. "The red lamp is so people can find my business. It's not often that there are shops on such a small boat." he explained as he opened the hatch to the downstairs and climbed easily down the ladder. He neglected to mention the reason for the light being red. Red lights had been used for centuries to denote slavery and whores, and silently advertised his wares without breaking any sort of law. He had to be careful after all, slavery was illegal in Zeltiva. But what he was doing was seen as so far out of the normal for slavery he hoped it wouldn't be noticed. He was making a comfortable living off of it, after all. Once downstairs he put a kettle over a small cooking fire vented through the upper deck. It would make it seem like one end of the ship was beginning to catch, but it was the only way he could cook. It was dangerous, but he'd made every effort to ensure that the fire was set in a stone fireplace near the kitchen and was kept small. This prevented him from cooking anything ostentatious, but it was worth the risk. He smiled to himself and brought down a tiny tin box of tea leaves, setting it to the side on the mantle. "The gem is called lapis lazuli. Not a particularly expensive piece, but beautiful nonetheless. Someday I hope to be able to afford diamonds and sapphires, but that day is a long time coming yet." Aron told her. He brought out a small plate of biscuits and poured tea for the both of them, taking it over to a small, dark wooden table and seating himself on the couch there. "I do apologize for the size, the shop doubles as my home. I cannot afford rent on a real shop here."

[Leith]

She didn’t particularly like how enclosed it was within the boat so when he sat down she took a seat closest to the way out. “Sometimes its not about the total value of the stuff you use to make something with, but what the individual who wishes to have it for themselves is willing to pay to get it. I think it was very pretty and I bet whatever you make with it will make it stand out even more.”

She wasn’t saying that just to impress him, she was being honest, it was truly what she thought. For all that her eyes held many secrets and her wariness of him, she was also quite open. She held back of course, all the important things he’d not see, but in everything else he’d catch no falsehoods.|
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[Aron De Soto]

Aron smiled at the compliment and poured her a cup of tea, settling it on a steel tray in front of her. He took his own mug and sat next to her, feeling with the heel of his foot for the capture collar he knew to be there. He was like a snake, settled and ready to strike. "Right you are, that is the jeweler's business. Knowing how to make something beautiful. Gold wire, I should think, or silver." he said. "I have many small gems, nothing of particular rare or valuable quality, but it is the man or woman wearing it that makes it truly beautiful." He settled back against the couch, looking over at Leith. "I have a good business here, but the portents as of late have worried me. I saw a crow fly over my ship this morning...to the Svefra, this means bad luck. Crows to us symbolize death, something not belonging near to the sea." he said. "It is akin to the sighting of an albatross, which means grand luck. Perhaps this is a sign I should move from Zeltiva." he told her. He was making small talk, planning in his head how to get the collar from below the couch to his hand. It would have to be a swift movement. She couldn't get up the ladder very quickly by his estimation, the hatch was closed and it would take precious seconds to open the latch. His trap was ready, but not yet sprung. He enjoyed the moments beforehand. "So, why come to Zeltiva? Tell me of yourself. You don't have the look of a native, and I would have noticed had a striking young thing such as yourself arrived in the port." Aron commented.

[Leith]

His sudden nearness made her uncomfortable so she moved, but didn’t sit back down again. So he had seen her fly over his boat, but she supposed he wasn’t able to tell her from a common crow. “It was a raven and neither they or crows are bad luck. Its like telling people a woman is bad luck on ships, when really its not, its just peoples excuses for not controlling themselves. Its just silly, besides, believing something so strongly is the reason things happen, not because of some poor animal minding its own business.”

So there.

When he wanted to know about her she shrugged “If I don’t want to be noticed, I’m not. Its really that simple, so I’m really not surprised you never noticed me. Getting noticed by people who are intentionally looking for certain kinds of people is never a good thing, ever. As for why I’m here, that’s a secret and I certainly am not gunna tell a stranger why I live anywhere, thats inviting trouble. If I go missing I have people who will come looking, thats all thats important.”

She had been hurt, it would be very clear she had learned the hard way about attracting unwanted attention. A lesson she had taken to heart and why she was keeping out of his reach. On top of it all he’d not catch her lying, while it wasn’t the whole truth, it wasn’t a lie either. She knew that it was important to establish impressions, especially when it came to some older man trying to smooth her feathers. He was good at it, she liked his praise at telling her she would have been someone he’d notice, but she wanted to make sure he knew that if he tried anything trouble would come from it. She didn’t like how his eyes looked hungry, like a cat stalking a sparrow, she wasn’t some common bird and was wise to his stalking.|
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[Aron De Soto]

Aron chuckled. "Don't talk to strangers and all that? I can understand why; though this city is fairly safe. It is a place of learning or so I'm told, free from the normal warlike lusts many men lend themselves to." he said, reclining against the couch. If she felt uncomfortable, he would have to ease that discomfort. "Kelvic, hm?" He smiled. "Otherwise how would you have known what I saw, or even if I was telling the truth? You must have been that raven." He sipped his tea, casually looking at her with a sort of soft amusement in his eyes. She was avoiding him. Aron had been raised around women, he knew how to interpret their bodies quite easily. Where other men labeled most women a mystery, Aron knew. She was considering escape, or at the very least flirting with the concept. He looked a bit wounded. "Do I make you so uncomfortable? I invite you into my home, where you could easily steal or slide a knife betwixt my ribs, and you're the one edging toward the hatch like a nervous filly. I'd no more hurt you than the dear friend you saw me seeing off this afternoon."

[Leith]

She wanted to tell him that no place that has humans is ‘safe’ however she knew that would have been rude. She eyed him when he’d figured out she was a Kelvic “Yes, I was and if you think I bring bad luck or any of my kin, well...we don’t.”

She relaxed some and looked over her shoulder at the hatch, she hadn’t really been ‘planning’ on leaving, just making sure that if he tried to trap her she could get out of reach fast. Kaska would have been rather angry at simply seeing her get in the situation she was in, but she supposed he’d be proud of her for dealing with it as she was. She looked back at him “I don’t know you well to trust you, even in your nest, especially in your nest. Technically I shouldn’t have come down here with you, but I figured you wanted company so...”

She was a bit torn, she didn’t want him to think her rude, but at the same time she didn’t want to get in a position where she was far from the door either. She also didn’t want to sit next to him, it was a tough decision, risk getting trapped or offend someone who was seemingly nice. “Is it okay if I stand? Even if I wasn’t careful, its hard being in an enclosed space, not being able to see the sky is rather intimidating. I don’t want you to think its just cuz of you, really, I’m like this with everyone.”|
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[Aron De Soto]

Aron frowned, feigning being offended by her attitude. "I suppose that's just as well. Birds must feel uncomfortable without a view of the sky, but on deck it does get rather windy." he pointed out, pushing the plate of biscuits toward her. He jokingly took one and bit into it, chewing and swallowing. "While my cooking isn't excellent, it's not poisoned." he chuckled merrily. "To tell you the truth I just saw the only friend I had in this city off to a new life in the mountains with a glassblower. I'm a bit lonely, Beron was a good man and I will miss him terribly, and Wind Reach is far out of my budget to go on a casual trip to see him. It's likely he and I will never cross paths again. Forgive me, I just thought you could ease my pain, a pretty girl like yourself is always pleasant company." Aron said quietly, looking down into the tea in his mug. "Especially since I am very alone here." He saw how little she wished to offend him. If he wanted to lure her in, he was going to have to play the part of the injured party. He was quite skilled at getting people to do what he wanted. Acting the part of an attractive, middle-aged man mourning at the loss of a best friend he might never see again was an easy role. He cleared his throat and looked up at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with my sorrows. If you wish to leave, go ahead." he told her sadly, his eyes soft and hurt. Inside, he was burning with frustration, willing her to come closer and give him the comfort he needed.

[Leith]

It was really that which pulled her in some, though all she did was move to the same seat as him and sit on the edge watching him. She wasn’t used to getting or giving physical contact, it was a human convention that she hadn’t yet grasped or practiced. Certainly she’d do so if asked, though she’d probably ask questions about why, but she’d do it if it meant a lot to him. “Losing friends does make one pretty lonely, but I bet you have tons of people you know, is it normal for someone who makes people stuff to want to share company like this with someone who wanted something from them? I never saw many people in the markets getting all friendly...though I never really watched too long, the food and other stuff was more interesting. I guess I still have a lot to learn about humans, but...if you really want me as a friend I suppose I could add you to my collection. Especially since you make pretty stuff and thats always useful.”

She could seem so wise and yet be so odd, but she had a charm to her that was unique and bright. He’d know she had a good heart, something naturally would lead her to trouble, unless she had someone willing to look out for her and teach her things. She had a good grasp of it already, but one could never have too many people to learn from. Her innocence could also be attributed to the fact she was an animal first in certain respect and a ‘human’ second.|
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[Aron De Soto]

Aron looked over at her. "I just make them things. They pick what they like, pay me and leave. Not many...none of them stay with me to speak. Beron wore some of my best work, as you saw in the streets; he always had time to sit with me and speak for a little while." he said. He set down his mug and took her hand in his, his hands warm and soft. "Is it too much to ask for a few hours of company? I could show you my work." He seemed to brighten a little bit at the prospect. "I saw how much you admired the amethyst, I know you'd like to see some of my other pieces. Come, it will make me feel better." he stood and let go of her hand, walking into the workshop and leaving the door open. "It's a bit cramped in here but not at all bad. Come and see." he urged. He had a few pieces displayed on the workbench. Some elegant silver wire twisted into a wrist bangle, a necklace with a soft smattering of tiny crystals across its length, an unusual but quite pleasing-looking ring made from the head of an old fork. Gems lay in a box that had many small compartments. There were amethysts ranging from small shards to the size of a thumb, tiny bits of pearl and quartz, tiger eye and hematite. Aron withdrew the topaz and the lazuli, nestling the topaz in with its fellows and the lazuli in with a bunch of similiarly coloured fragments. Off to the side, two iron rings lay nestled against the box. They were simple black iron, though padded with leather and cotton. They were set into chains that led to great iron rings that settled in the back corner of the work room. Unusually, the chains could stretch from stem to stern without making much strain. "Would you like to try one of the pieces on?" he offered.

[Leith]

It was an effort for her to let him touch her hand, she tensed, but didn’t fight him. It wasn’t unpleasant and he didn’t make any other moves to touch anywhere else so she eventually relaxed some. “If he showed off some of your pieces, does this mean you need someone new to show off your stuff now? Maybe I can do that... I could use some work and maybe you can teach me how to make pretty things too? This way you can have company and someone to work for you and stuff. I do like learning new things.”

She followed after him easily enough and looked at everything from the doorway, it was rather cramped and the iron and leather collars intimidated her. “I like bracelets best, but I don’t have a ring in my collection yet, maybe a ring would be better. Can I try on a ring?”

One might think she’d offer to try on a necklace, but that would show her throat and also put her in a vulnerable position, neither of which she was inclined to do. So she offered her hand watching him quietly, she stayed still and didn’t seem impatient at all. In fact aside from her wariness she didn’t fidget much or push him into rushing. She gave him her full attention and didn’t try and distract him at all, she didn’t even chatter a lot either.|
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