The Happy Mask Salesman perused the streets of Castle City, seemingly unaffected by the torrential downpour the sky provided. He carried his pack with a heavy wool blanket over it to keep the water from damaging the merchandise beneath.
He had, quite early on in his career, discovered that the best time to shop in the city was on such days when everyone preferred the warmth and dryness of the indoors. All except the desperate merchants who would lower their prices to encourage buyers.
He was well known among the community of fellow salesmen, though none knew his real name. They all knew him as Happy; short for Happy Mask Salesman.
"Hey, Happy!" One of his most frequent stops was the vegetable market. The shop owner payed many visits to his shop and occasionally bought masks for her children. "The usual?" She asked, pulling a well used basket out from behind the shaky wooden counter.
"You bet." He gave her an extra big smile. He handed her a few rupees and took the basket. "Thank you, Leela." He bowed his head in a farewell greeting.
He walked along the road, headed back to his shop when he noticed shouting and cheering from a tavern. I wonder what's to celebrate? he thought to himself. He entered the tavern and found a dark, unoccupied corner in the back. Here, he stood and watched. A strange-looking woman posed that the land's beloved princess was weak and ill-suited to rule. She argued that the girl was kidnapped far too frequently. Happy found this amusing. The commotion that followed was even more amusing.
MichiCommander