[center][h2][color=C4A484]Beato[/color], [b]Berit[/b], and [color=Plum]Nerea[/color][/h2] The Supply Trio[/center][hr] “Is this… solution really as good as you say it is?” [color=C4A484]“‘Course! I’d swear it on my mam's achin’ back!”[/color] Beato pulled the man close, away from his wife’s grip. [color=C4A484]“Ya know, I also got an extremely effective aphrodisiac, if you’re interested…”[/color] “How much?” The man leaned in, close enough so that his wife couldn’t hear. [color=C4A484]“Weeeeeeeeell, I’m down to my last two bottles, so that’ll run ya a hundred an’ fifty goldmark for the whole lot.”[/color] The two weren’t quite dressed like commoners, they had a few silk pieces here and there. The woman wore a hair accessory as well. Traders, or maybe a high ranking guild artisan? Beato sneaked a glance at the man’s hands. A little rough, with some calluses. Definitely an artisan. Those were nice hands… The man shook his head. “One-fifty is highway robbery. I could find something like this at any old apothecary. One hundred.” [color=C4A484]“A hundred????”[/color] Beato sneered. [color=C4A484]“An’ you’re the one complainin’ about robbery. I haven’t sold one of these oils for less than one-forty today! These’re the last two! I’ll bring it down to one-forty-five.”[/color] “One-twenty.” [color=C4A484]“One-forty, an’ I’ll throw in a couple of these stomach relievers as a bonus.”[/color] “Stomach relievers? Those could be water and salt, I could make those myself. One-thirty for all of them.” [color=C4A484]“One-forty, the stomach relievers, an’ this nice wooden carving of a bear.”[/color] It was a long shot, but the man could have an eye for art… “That [i]is[/i] a nice bear…” The man picked it up and looked it over. “One-thirty-eight for everything.” [color=C4A484]“Sold!”[/color] Beato picked up the items and placed them into a small box. The man handed her the total, then picked up the box and left. Sweet success! Being an effective merchant was all about [i]context[/i]. At the start of the day? Those aphrodisiacs were going for twenty, sometimes thirty. People were attracted by nice, full-lookin’ crates, but if the price was too high they’d scarper. Gotta start ‘em low, get a crowd, then hook ‘em in with the extra stuff. The stomach relievers were worth maybe five gold each, the bear carving was (at most) three. And yet here she was, making over 150 percent market price. Nobody left the house thinking, “Yeah, I’m gonna pick up some medicine, maybe some lube, and a tiny art piece.” No! It was her role as a merchant to be the intrepid shopper’s guide to all the things they didn’t know they wanted–and Beato had a damn good sense of direction. Gotta read the people, judge ‘em from head to toe. “Check out what they’re wearin’, what they’re sayin’, how they’re walkin’, how they’re talkin’, and everythin’ in between. Get their energy right an’ you could sell just about anythin’!” That’s what her mam had always said–and Beato followed that maxim to a T. She gave her makeshift stand another look. Nearly sold out. [color=C4A484]“Daaaaamn, I’m on fire today! Sun’s not even up 60 degrees!”[/color] She’d started the day with a collection of pelts, potions, jerky, carvings, weapons, and assorted trinkets. The potions, pelts, carvings, and jerky were all gone. She could dump the weapons at a forge, maybe get some cash for their steel, and the trinkets… Well, there was always next time. A shadow fell over the woman's wares, a shape filling the spot the couple had vacated. When Beato looked up at the broad figure balancing a sack over their shoulder and a hay bale under their arm, she found a familiar face. [b]"Stock looks like it's runnin' low,"[/b] Berit said, her eyes roving over the boxes of goods with mock interest. She even rubbed at her chin with her forefinger and thumb to sell the act. It wasn't but a few seconds later when her emerald eyes flicked up to Beato's face and she grinned, producing a single shiny gold mark. [b]"Well, what can I get with this?"[/b] Beato grabbed a spool of twine. [color=C4A484]“Five centimeters off this string.”[/color] [b]"What about the friends and family discount?!"[/b] [color=C4A484]“Twelve centimeters. And this carving of a dragon I made myself.”[/color] Beato held it up. It looked more like a disemboweled chicken. Berit stared at the carving for a moment before bursting into a short fit of laughter. [b]"All right, now that's a steal,"[/b] she snorted, actually making the trade and swapping the figure for the coin - though she left the twine. [b]"When'd you even have time to make this?"[/b] [color=C4A484]“Ah, ya know… Just pickin’ up some hobbies!”[/color] Beato shrugged. [color=C4A484]“I’ve tried paintin’ an’ swinmin’ and dancin’ and shit, but carvin’ seems like the most productive of the bunch. ‘Course, I’m not very good right now, but ya bet your wyvern’s ass I’ll be on display in the finest galleries in the whole world in a couple months!”[/color] She laughed and began to load up her now-empty boxes. [b]"Speakin' of wyvern asses, I can tell just who you used as your model for this one. Looks just like him,"[/b] Berit said, giving the clearly-a-chicken sculpture a closer look. She sent Beato a wide grin before gesturing to the stall. [b]"You need help with this?"[/b] [color=C4A484]“Nah, I’ll be fine. I’m gonna pack up here, then dump the steel at a smithy, ‘kay?”[/color] Beato tossed the last of her unsold wares into her handcart, then took down her sign. [color=C4A484]“Where we meetin’ up?”[/color] [b]"I left 'Rea back toward that big road leading to the market square. Split up, she went lookin' for the people food so near there’s probably where we'll find each other again."[/b] [color=C4A484]“‘Right, I’ll be there in a jiffy.”[/color] The merchant girl spun on her heel and took off at a breakneck pace, nearly crashing into several shoppers nearby. The cart’s wheels clattered with total abandon as she sped off into the crowd. The people that she almost mowed down sent nasty looks after her, as well as the companion she'd left behind, but a well placed glare of her own had them hurrying on their way. And so Berit left her friend to take care of the last of her wares before catching up. The wyvern rider traced the path she'd walked to get there, pushing through the bustling crowd and looking for a familiar head of silver hair. Drakesfoot... It had been a while since Berit had been here, but the city was just as lively as she remembered - if not more so. And now on one of the company's days off she was in the heart of it, doing what she always did whenever they were close enough to a big town like this: buying shit. Between herself, Nerea, and Beato they would restock everything from weapons, to clothing, to food and utensils. Feed for the Hawks’ horses is what she was currently lugging around. It wasn't always that Nohr's plains were enough to fill those things' stomachs. She'd gone to a stable on the far side of town, and even got the bags for a decent price. Perhaps her regular shopping companions' bartering skills were finally rubbing off on her. Still, the trip was far from over. Finally catching a glimpse of her target, Berit made a beeline for her. The dark knight had wandered to a shopping strip lined with produce and raw goods merchants. [color=Plum]“Corn isn’t multicolored like that. It’s usually a gross yellow hue— never red, black, and whatever that is. I think you ought to find the fellow who sold you the seeds for this crop, sir. And if I may add, take their head as payment too.”[/color] Nerea spat out her harsh words to the young grain farmer, the blonde man with sun scarred skin and piercing blue eyes matched her confident stare with a toothy white smile spread from ear to ear. “Not t’ worried about it m’lady. It’s fuckin’ corn, color don’t mean much t’ the folk who need to fill their stomach with some cheap ‘nd filling grub.” The farmer’s expression remained warm, his reddened cheeks making the bright and wholesome visage all the more overpowering. To Nerea it was sickening, the thoughtless positivity for such a [i]strange[/i] variation of common Nohrian brain was beyond belief. Her eyes squinted and rolled in their sockets before meeting the friendly sapphires staring straight at her. [color=Plum]“Right then, I guess some of the barbarians that aren’t too picky would give this mysterious [i]corn[/i] a try. What say you, Ber?”[/color] The small, dark clad girl veered her eyes up to the towering tan-skinned figure who had come up to stand beside her. Her ash colored eyebrow arched and Nerea’s head dipped to the side as an expectant expression overtook her face. Berit leaned in, eyeing the corn that Nerea found so suspect. It definitely was not the kind they ate in Nohrian high society, but she'd seen its type before. Local grain. Perfectly edible. She looked at the young peddler and held her free hand out, flicking a few fingers in a [i]give it here[/i] motion. He slapped the colorful cob into her waiting palm and Berit brought it up to her nose. [b]"It's good. Smells nutty, almost."[/b] She took the cob between her teeth and bit a chunk out of it. [b]"Mm, yeah I can work with this. Take it all, 'Rea."[/b] Nerea’s eyes widened in absolute disbelief as Berit chomped her teeth right into the hard kerneled uncooked corn. Her golden hues remained glued to her, as a slow gasp quietly hissed from her throat. She tensed up like a stiff cat. [color=Plum]“D-did you just eat that corn raw? Ber, you’re going to get sick!”[/color] The ash-haired Nohrian asked before flaring her nostrils and snapping her sights right back to the blonde country boy. His smile drooped just slightly - no food seller wanted to hear someone mention the word "sick" right next to their stall - and he raised his hands up in defense. "No, no gettin' sick 'ere! It's fresh 'n clean, promise," he said. [b]"Eh, I'll be fine. If not, I'll just go see Sanji."[/b] Berit shrugged. [color=Plum]“We will take it all, I suppose. Utilize the coin we have graced your meager pockets with to purchase proper grain— if not for your customers’ sake.”[/color] Nerea sighed before reaching down to the large leather pouch attached to the band at her thigh. Her black tipped fingers sifted into the tanned material and fiddled about before plucking out a small stack of coin and offering it out toward the merchant. “Uhh.. this isn’t enough coin t’ purchase all of the corn I have?” The blonde haired countryman narrowed his eyes, his warm expression growing colder by the moment as his lips flattened together and a low grumble roared from his throat. All the while, Nerea kept the small handful of coin extended out within her hand, eye contact maintained with the sun-scarred man. He shifted uncomfortably. Once more he opened his mouth, likely to repeat what he'd just said, but a chuckle from the pale woman's companion cut him off. [b]"Best give her what she wants,"[/b] Berit said, wondering if this counted as a shake down. “But-” [color=Plum]“Actually, I’m feeling quite generous today.”[/color] Nerea quickly chimed out to cut the poor corn seller off mid-sentence. Her hands raised up towards the sky and a small huff escaped her lips as she stretched out her meager stature. After a little pop resounded from her back she dropped a hand down to the larger black suede purse strung across her torso. Jingling could be heard inside as a larger handful of the coin pieces are clenched in the small palm and extend out snappily towards the blonde man. [color=Plum]“Is that enough? If you ask for more I’ll make a scene— and I do very much enjoy doing so.”[/color] Nerea offered an eerie smile to the man, tight-lipped and eyes squinted into thin slits. “Sure...” He responded in a defeated tone. His smile and optimism were gone. Berit would have probably felt bad about it but they did have a whole hungry mercenary company to feed. While he worked on getting the boxes shut and ready for moving, speeding up when he noticed Nerea’s intense stare still settled on him, Berit nudged the small woman in the shoulder. [b]“Found Beato, she’ll be along soon. Once we get everythin’ loaded and ready to take back, we’ll have the rest of the day to do somethin’ fun.”[/b] [color=Plum]“Right, I just need to see if I can swing by a goldsmith on the way back— probably won’t find anything but perhaps something interesting will catch my eye.”[/color] Nerea pressed her lips together and blew a long bout and drawn-out burst of raspberries between them. But she’d then beam a smile as she turned away from the hardworking farmer man, aiming it at Berit before making her way back to the towering armored woman’s side. [b]"Lookin' for anythin' specific?"[/b] her companion asked, quirking a curious brow. [color=Plum]“I believe it is called an evasion ring, or something of that sort. But I’ve never come across one in the number of towns I’ve been through— figure it’d be worth a stroll though. Perhaps I’ll see something else that catches my attention?”[/color] Berit opened her mouth again, but before she could say anything more, a storm hit. A veritable crack of thunder impacted the two as Beato ran, or rather, [i]rolled[/i] onto the scene. Both Berit and Nerea practically dived out of the way as the cart screeched past the two, crashing to a stop at the stand and sending a few ears of corn flying into the distance. [color=C4A484]“Heeeeeeeelllooooooo, ladies! Need a ride?”[/color] Beato flicked her hat in greetings. The shopkeeper sighed and pinched his brow before beginning to load corn onto the cart. [b]"Perfect timing!"[/b] Berit recovered quickly after being nearly run over, as much as Beato [i]could[/i] run her over. She dumped the animal feed into the cart, giving the young man loading crates a heavy pat on the back as she did before she came around to the front where their merchant waited. [b]"We're finishin' up shoppin' to move on to more shoppin'."[/b] [color=C4A484]“Wonderful! Let’s run these back real quick. I got some kebabs with my name on ‘em!”[/color][hr][center] [sub]collab between [@stone][@Haha][@Agunimon][/sub][/center]