|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Jul 30, 2010 21:12:09 GMT -5
4:00 AM was a strange time for most people to wake up, but Toris liked it. Or rather, he grew to like it. At first, he spent most of his mornings half asleep, struggling to stay awake as he performed the necessary tasks to get the stand ready for business. As time passed, he started going to bed earlier so he could enjoy the quiet mornings before the ships started coming in. He got to know the people who worked in the stands that sold the fresh fruits and vegetables he used in his cooking, occasionally bringing them something to eat if he finished setting up early or during his breaks. Many of them would put his usual order aside for him on days he overslept.
Days like this. Toris couldn't believe he'd managed to sleep until 6:30. He hurried to get dressed, pulling his hair back without bothering to brush it as he ran out of the house. The market was different at this hour. People were walking about, getting their days started. Toris sighed as he made his way around, picking up his groceries. There wasn't any reason to hurry. He was already late.
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Jul 31, 2010 2:07:19 GMT -5
In such a large place, it's easy to get lost. Yao was currently wondering if he was. Trying to navigate around the market was something he was still getting use too. It seemed like the market was changing around all day to him. He certainly wasn't liking how he could never get a good trade here. At his hometown, he could talk to a shop keeper for less than 5 minutes and get exactly what he wanted. But this place wasn't home and the things here were so different.
The thought occured to him to just ask someone which stalls were the best to buy from, but who knows if the people here were trustworthy. He definitely wasn't going to get anything done on his own though. Yao scanned the crowd, hesitant on the idea, but decided to give it a shot. If it didn't work, then at least he would know. "Excuse me!" he called to a brown-haired young man not too far from him.
"Could you do me a small favor? I will pay you back ten-fold if I can."
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Aug 1, 2010 3:00:59 GMT -5
Toris looked up at the man, a bit startled that he was being spoken to. He was used to the early morning crowd, the people who didn't speak much as they went about their business. But this man seemed harmless enough and it would have been rude to ignore him. He shifted the bags from one hand to the other.
"I'd be happy to help you, sir," he said, smiling at him. Toris wondered what the man meant by "favor." He really hoped the other didn't mean a favor that involved money, since he was talking about repayment, but he did want to help if he could.
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Aug 1, 2010 7:51:30 GMT -5
Yao secretly praised himself for finding such a goodnatured person. Unless it was someone who was simply a good actor. He'd met enough of those type of people for a lifetime. But if the man was as nice as he seemed, Yao could probably get more than just directions to a stall that actually had quality food. Maybe he could even get a few coins out of this guy. All in good time though.
"Good, good!" he mused, "It is a very small request." Yao felt a bit rusty at the language they used in this region. There were times when he used the wrong language entirely. So far the helpful man looked like he understood what he had said. "Which stalls would you reccommend for fresh produce?"
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Aug 5, 2010 11:05:59 GMT -5
Oh! That was easy enough. Toris smiled at the man, motioning for him to follow. "There are a number of places where you can get excellent produce. Most of it is very fresh. The people who sell it grow it themselves."
He led the man down the same path he had just taken, pointing out what could be purchased from each stall. The vendors waved at them as they passed their stalls, hoping for more business. Toris led the man to the one at the end of the row, looking over the fruit that was displayed. "What exactly are you looking for?
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Aug 6, 2010 9:59:28 GMT -5
Yao was surprised at how easily the man pointed all the places out. Even more so when the stall owners waved so goodnaturedly to the man. He must've been a well-known local. He had always known the business to require calculating coldness, but the man didn't seem to have any of those attributes. Yet the stalls he showed Yao certainly looked like they had great worth.
"Much thanks for your help." he said with a distracted look. His eyes peered at every stall, as if searching for something. But he quickly focused again when the man asked for what he was looking for.
"I..." he hesistated. "...am looking for a very certain, eh, vegetable. The stalls here don't quite seem to have what I am looking for though." He scanned the nearby stalls again with a quick eye before turning back to the man with a smile.
"I am grateful nevertheless. If you ever are in need of... items not of the norm, ask around the docks for the merchant, China." And then, with a small bow, he said, "I'll make a special discount, just for you."
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Aug 25, 2010 17:24:20 GMT -5
Toris had never really been good at calculating coldness. His face was too honest and he had never been good at hiding what he was thinking. To his knowledge, the stall owners had never tried to cheat him and it would never occur to him that they would. When the merchant bowed to him, he awkwardly tried to bow in return.
"Thank you for the offer," he said, smiling at the man. Chances were that he wouldn't be able to afford whatever it was that he sold, but he was grateful nonetheless. "But what vegetable were you looking for? I'm sure someone around here must have it." And if they didn't, chances were that they would know someone that did. He would do his best to help China find what he wanted.
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Aug 25, 2010 18:27:25 GMT -5
Yao felt a bit disappointed when the man didn't seem to show any interest in his wares. Maybe he just wasn't the type to buy into that kind of thing. Too pure, perhaps? Either way, when the man tried to bow back, a bit of a smile leaked out onto Yao's face. He wasn't expecting the man to try and help him further though. Taking a moment to word his answer, he frowned, deep in thought, before saying,
"ah.... I believe you would call it here.... Dragon beans. They are something grown a lot in my home country." The translation was rough, but it was the best he could do for something he'd never seen being sold over-seas.
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Aug 25, 2010 20:42:14 GMT -5
To be honest, Toris wasn't really sure what it was that China sold. He was very tempted to ask (he couldn't help but be a little curious), but he didn't want to get the merchant's hopes up, as he didn't have very much money to spend on things for himself.
"Dragon beans?" He'd never heard of such a thing. "What are they used for?" If he knew that, he might be able to locate someone who would know where they were sold. They sounded kind of.. strange, though. And dangerous. Or maybe he was just imagining things again.
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Aug 26, 2010 19:31:05 GMT -5
Yao smiled. He had thought as much. Not only were they uncommon here, it seemed as if they were practically unheard of. "Dragon beans..." he said, with a pause for dramatic effect, "...are used mostly as a side dish. Nothing too fancy about them." he said with a chuckle. It was too bad that people overseas were missing out on such a nice dish.
He still hadn't quite given up on selling something to the man though. If he thought he had even the slightest chance to make a sale, he would do it. "But, the juice of a Dragon bean can be used for a very special elixir." He quickly scanned the crowds around him, a suspicious glint in his eyes. Then, he bent down close to the man's ear, and whispered, "...an elixer of eternal youth."
((the dragon beans are real- but I'm going on a major tangent with the elixer. XD))
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Aug 26, 2010 20:46:39 GMT -5
A simple side dish? What a silly name for something so ordinary. Toris was going to ask if they had another name when China started speaking again, leaning close so he could whisper in his ear. His eyes went wide as the merchant described the special elixir.
"Eternal youth?" How strange. Why would China assume he'd be interested in eternal youth? Being nineteen forever didn't interest him at all. Toris was too young for anyone to take seriously, too young (and inexperienced) for anyone to consider hiring him for a real job. It was all very irritating for him and he had no desire to prolong the experience. Perhaps China would have better luck selling his elixir to old and worn men or those vain women who wanted to pretend they hadn't yet hit their forties. Toris smiled at the man as he pulled away.
"I don't think I'd enjoy living forever."
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Aug 27, 2010 22:14:27 GMT -5
Yao was actually a bit surprized when it didn't work. This man.... well, his tatics certainly didn't work on him and it in fact backfired a little. The twang of envy of his youth proved that. He could barely remember when he was young enough to not care about age. Yet the youngsters these days didn't know how lucky they were and how they would regret not living it up once it was gone. A hint of jealousy appeared on his face before he straightened up. No point in moping over things long gone. He still considered himself far from being old, after all!
"No? Shame, then." he noted and smiled lightly, "But you believe it could be true?" If so, then adding Dragon Beans to his trade might be slightly profitable. Even if the immortality was a lie. "You are sure there is no one here with it in stock, yes?" he asked, to be certain.
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Sept 2, 2010 14:39:59 GMT -5
Toris hadn't even stopped to consider whether or not eternal youth was even possible. He had just accepted the man's words as truth. But now that he was being questioned, he wasn't sure if he was being teased or not.
"I-I don't know…? Maybe…" But who would want to live forever? Perhaps China did. The other looked kind of annoyed when Toris said he wasn't interested in the elixir. He hadn't meant to say anything offensive. He just had no interest in staying young. "Is there another name for them?"
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Sept 3, 2010 23:11:45 GMT -5
Yao had an inkling that he was possibly confusing the poor man, and he considered backing up a little. The brown-haired young man was most likely a normal person who, on a regular day, wouldn't be interested at all in Yao's sales. It made him wonder if the guy even knew about corrupt business. He might. You could never tell with the innocent-faced ones.
"Another name?" he really didn't know any other languages except two and even then it would be a stretch. The only other name was the original chinese.... "LongDoh." he enunciated. The words felt a bit foreign to him, as it had been a while since he spoke proper Chinese.
"It is alright if there are none here- I don't expect much here in a Western market."
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Sept 10, 2010 12:13:38 GMT -5
"LongDoh. Hm…" Well, he knew that somewhere in the market, there was an old woman who specialized in foreign foods. Maybe she had some, or at least knew where to find it. Toris smiled at the other man, motioning for him to follow.
Toris hadn't ever spoken to the old woman himself, but one of the women who sold him produce in the mornings knew her well. He asked her where the other woman could be found and led China to the place. "This is the last place that might possibly have some. If she doesn't have any, I don't know where you'd be able to find them. I'm sorry."
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Sept 11, 2010 18:50:10 GMT -5
Yao followed the man, unable to hold back a feeling of hope. He looked like a smart guy despite his appearance and Yao wanted to trust him. When they reached the stall, Yao gave it a quick scan and sighed in disappointment. While the produce there was indeed not what you would find everyday, there was no sign of the thing he was looking for. He was about to turn around to tell the young man so when something caught his eye. Underneath an odd mound of berries, there was a tail of something that resembled the Dragon's bean.
He carefully picked it out of the pile and his jaw nearly dropped when he managed to get it out whole. It was small and probably not at it's best state, but it was a Dragon bean. A large grin on his face, he bought it on the spot. Dropping a few silver coins into the old lady's hand (more than what the one bean was worth really, but Yao overlooked it in his excitement) he turned to the young man and bowed in gratitude. "I truly owe you much. You name it, and it's yours!"
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Sept 22, 2010 13:18:21 GMT -5
Toris was thrilled that he was able to help the merchant was able to find what he was looking for. After the first couple of failures, he was starting to lose hope. When he heard China's offer, his eyes went wide with surprise. "N-no, it's all right!"
There was so much he could have asked for, but it didn't seem right. It wasn't as though he'd saved the man's life or anything. He just helped him find a bean, and he was happy to do it. Matters relating to money and gifts from strangers made him very uncomfortable. He had a tendency to feel indebted afterwards and more often than not, he would refuse such offers. "Thank you for the offer, but really, I'm just happy I could help you."
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Sept 22, 2010 20:32:16 GMT -5
((Do you think we're about near the end?))
"Are you sure?" he asked, with worry displayed on his face. It meant that he'd be able to save his things to make an actual profit, but at the same time it left a bad taste in his mouth to have a debt unpaid. As little as it may be. He shifted his bag with the bean inside to a safer place on his belt and tied it securely as he could. Which probably wasn't very, so he left one hand resting on it. If it took this much trouble to find such a small bean, it would definitely be a inconvenience if he lost it to some street rat.
"You are a kind man." he said, and he meant it. "Most would take my offer. Good Karma will definitely come your way eventually." It was only superstitions, but Yao was a man who believed in them very much. The man seemed to deserve it, too.
"I never caught your name..."
|
|
|
Post by lietuvosmesos on Sept 30, 2010 10:08:13 GMT -5
((i think so :|a ))
China didn't have anything to worry about. Toris didn't consider this an unpaid debt. He just wanted to help his new acquaintance find what he'd been looking for.
Toris had heard the word "karma" before, but he had no idea what it meant, so he just smiled politely. "Oh, my name is Toris, sir… Um…" A few of the regulars at his food stall had started calling him Lithuania, a name given to him by one of the pirate captains that often came around, but he never answered to it. It was all too formal for someone like him. But China seemed to be a formal sort of person so… "But some people around here call me Lithuania?" He laughed sheepishly, covering his face with his hand. "Toris. My name is Toris."
|
|
Yao Wang
Posting Automaton
-ARUARUARUARU-
Posts: 104
|
Post by Yao Wang on Sept 30, 2010 22:48:47 GMT -5
"Well then, It was very nice to meet you, Toris." Yao answered. He would've liked to use the other name Toris gave him, as it seemed like it was a code name, but it was quite obvious that Yao would not have been able to pronounce it without butchering it. For such a regal code name, it felt like a shame to him if he messed it up.
His eyes glanced at the sun in the sky and he was startled by how much time they had spent tracking down his bean. The morning was already half gone. Astonished at how he had lost track of all time, he realized that he would have to get back to his ship soon.
"Hope we will meet again!" Yao called and he slipped into the crowd to get back to his ship. One hand securely fastened around his bag of beans, of course.
|
|