[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/MKK5m0sX/Kid-s-Hat-2.png[/img]

[b]Level:[/b] [color=8258fa]4 (18 -> 21/40)[/color]
[b]Location:[/b] [color=8258fa]Lumbridge - Malo Mart -> Adventurer’s Guild[/color]
[b]Word Count:[/b] [color=8258fa]1389 (+3 EXP)[/color]
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Well, that was certainly surprising; finding out that Malo had put out a search and rescue warrant for his business rival under the written guise of clientele. Unsurprising was the way in which he attempted to write off any perceived sentimental notions on his part, pretending to practicality by "maintaining competition," which only served to make his half truth all the less convincing to anyone who thought about it. Seriously, didn't business competitors usually, like, try to control, subvert, or stamp out their competition through any and all means, often going so far as to implant their own corporate agents into powerful positions of government office to gain advantageous leverage on the free market with no regard for how their actions and influence ultimately degrade society as a whole? Be that as it may, it was admittedly nice to see a case where they help each other out for once; that they could continue to compete in more civil, mutually respectful fashion, and even treat each other more like potential partners than sworn enemies. Perhaps, there was some hope for ethical practice to find its place in a capitalistic system… (Pffft… HAHA HA HA HA HA-…)

Speaking of good business, the child shopkeeper was quick to conclude theirs, fulfilling his end of the deal, handing out the promised reward solely to Hat Kid with seemingly casual disregard for her compatriots. Having re-obtained the first (or technically third) of many Time Pieces, she momentarily suspended herself in her usual celebratory animation before acknowledging the imbalance of requital, but her teammates left the store before she could properly address that with them, Michael requesting that she pick up a bottle of the healing milk that Tressa just partook of. She looked from the swinging doors back to Malo, tacitly putting in the order with casual nod, allowing for context to take care of the rest.

While her face didn’t show it, she was astonished at the price point for a single bottle of milk: [b]100 rupees[/b]. The given explanation didn’t help, for apparently, the bottle itself made up ninety percent of the cost, with a refill of its contents being worth merely ten. Rather than try to cut a deal with Malo, as she attempted to do with Pyro Man back at Hammerhead, she figured now that she had the means to pay for it that she would instead prefer that to doing him any more favors today. Besides, cheapness wasn’t in her character, certainly not so much that she would subscribe to the idea that improving or preserving one’s health wasn’t worth paying for. Some things were just valuable enough to justify the expense, even if the degree of such tended to be exploitative. Though, if she was going to pay [i]that much[/i] for the jar itself, she would make especially sure to get her money’s worth out of it, using it for future refills, storage, or whatever. She’d be fine offering a drink to whoever needed it, but [i]she[/i] would be keeping the bottle.

With her transaction complete, Hat Kid took the milk and what was left of the monetary reward in her free hand and exited the store, richer than when she arrived, but poorer than before she left. Their timing could hardly have been better, for Linkle and the Courier, joined by some unfamiliar faces, returned from their chosen quests around that time to meet them outside. Kid stashed away the Time Piece she was cradling into her inventory before anyone else got too close to be curious enough to ask her more questions about it. It was just as everyone else started trading stories of their exploits that Hat Kid heard something on 6’s radio that made her head perk up attentively. Talk of “mysterious hourglasses” trending set off a few silent alarms in her mind. The report suggested that numerous people had already come to possess a few, which wasn’t good news to her no matter how she cut it. Either those people had [i]no idea[/i] what they were dealing with, or they knew (or found out) [i]exactly[/i] what they were doing and made a point of acquiring them. Regardless, there was little she could do about it at present, and they certainly weren’t going anywhere, so she would have no choice but to table this concern for when they set course for the ‘Sleepless City’... wherever [i]that[/i] was.

As Bowser’s crew was making their way back in, the group once again dispersed for the meantime; some heading for the Guild Hall, others to finish their errands. Hat Kid, having taken care of her business already, followed with her team behind the former for little other reason than because she had nowhere better to be at the moment. This being her first time to set foot in the hall since arriving, she hadn’t until now been introduced to the Guildmarm or Guildmaster, the latter of whom could almost be mistaken for MoM (the Master of Masters) by appearances if not for the more colorful accent, mannerisms and overall character. This was also the first for her hearing about ‘ranks’ and such, as he informed them that they had collectively achieved one satisfactory enough to go after what could only be the region’s big bad, going by the description. He recommended, of course, that they make no hurry to take it on, and out of the string of nigh impenetrable slang that made up his suggestions, she could pick out and agree with one: grubbing (and possibly resting) before the hunt.

While the chefs started bringing in the first round of food, Kid stuck around Michael to see what his payment to the loot boxes yielded, returning the kindly Nopon’s smile in passing while they waited--said smile contorting into a ‘3’ shape with the head pat. Half of the rewards from the first box were mostly garbage, as far as she was concerned (unless she later felt the itch for graffiti vandalism at the expense of the depicted subjects…), but the skull cap did stand out to her. She inspected it briefly to see if it could provide her with an ability, or if it would just act as a flair for one of her existing hats. Either would be fine with her, but she wanted to wait a moment to give whoever else might want it a chance before claiming final dibs. The only other unclaimed item from the other two boxes of use or interest to her was [i]specifically[/i] for her: a new color palette. Being as no one could rightfully contest her for it, she collected it, examined it for a moment, and stowed it away for possible application later.

After sorting through the loot, she took a seat at the dinner table and helped herself to a serving of the two sweeter delicacies, the tang yuan and jelly, taking however big a portion of each she could manage without getting greedy with them. She would rather not get sick on it later, after all, and remembering halfway through her second dish the Koopa King’s haul from earlier, this made the second time today that she would be fed out of Bowser’s hand, a fact she would be sure not to remind him of lest she end up having to cover one of [i]his[/i] bills one day. She was neither intent on, nor in her means to grab any checks for royalty.

Speaking of payments, she tried to strategically seat herself next to Michael and/or Franklin to give back what she owed them, pausing some ways into her meal to pull out the bag of rupees, set it down on the table between her and either of them, and sliding it over, relinquishing to them what was left of the funds before taking her spoon back in hand to resume eating. Sure, they may have been fine without it, but it wouldn’t sit well with her to have their help cutting her quest time and labor in half only for them to come back from it empty-handed. She understood a little too well what it was like to help someone out who then didn’t want to give her what she was owed, which she had mentioned to Michael earlier. Besides, she already spent what would have been her share of it anyway.