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>>1045139

Ol’ Gilly gave her a name before long after that, and though the snow melted in the spring, the child stayed. Until the next winter fell, and the next, until she was a woman grown, the man looked after her, teaching her everything he could while respecting her tendency to catch fire near open flame. A shopkeeper in such a town would need cunning, after all, foresight, self-confidence, and ingenuity. And he hadn’t rescued this girl to leave her to a life of poverty when all was said and done.

No, The Cat and Canary would need a new shop keep someday, and he had done nothing short of his best to sculpt the hands that would carry it onward. That is, until the day finally came for her first test…

--

“Now don’t burn her down while I’m gone,” Gilly chuckles, placing the keys in Felicity’s hand with a huge, gnarled fist.

“Yes sir!” she responds with vigor, tail straightening.

“That’s the spirit! Not that ya need to worry much. Ol’ Gilly’s squirreled away 10,000 alms to keep ya till he’s back. His little girl’s gone and made herself a mage, she has, and Ol’ Gilly’s keen to see it hisself, but if ya budget, ye’ll not be high and dry till four months passed.”

With a laugh and a hug, the old man had then been on his way, huge bag slung over his shoulders and a merry tune on his lips as he’d practically skipped for the stables.

All the while, Felicity’s heart had been skipping to its own number as well. Finally, a chance to put everything she’d learned to work, to prove to Gil that he had made the right decision. She had plenty of money, plenty of reserve stock! She was going to greet her adoptive father with a pile of gold when he came back!

However, the best laid plans of mice and men (and cats) can’t account for the whimsy of nobles, it seems. Not two weeks later, she’d woken to find a note on her door in the flowing script of the local magistrate:

“Attention to all places of business:
In the name of Baroness Morgan and her husband Baron Peasley, it is my duty to inform you that war is imminent upon our land. And in as much as is our duty and yours to…”

Etc. Etc. She hardly read the rest of it as she paced down the lines of needless pageantry. What really mattered was the conclusion.

“-an amount totaling no less than a twentieth-fourth of your previously yearly income, in the case of the Cat and Canary, five thousand gold before month’s end.

Sincerely,

The Local Crier”

And like that, all of her plans had gone up in flames, all because some ponce of a baron had decided to pick a war to the east.

[“It’s okay, Felicity. You can salvage this. All you need to do is accrue some new stock and-“]

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>>1045150

As if in answer to her prayers, the bell on the door rang out a clangorous note, a traveler stepping in in a well-worn cloak before laying out his daily finds for appraisal. An unremarkable sword, a battered shield, a few bent, semiprecious arrows, and a ring.

“I’ll take whatever you’ll offer,” he assured her, perhaps a bit too eagerly. “Ring might be magic; it might not. I just need to get out of town… quickly.”

Twenty gold later, and a pile of trash is hers to own, the gentleman already on his way. Now all she had to do was… when did the ring get on her finger.

> Congratulations! Through the power of the ring, you may now communicate with the quest MC directly.
> Write-in

>>1045166
Hi?
Is this thing on?
Can you hear me?

>>1045166
Touch fluffy tail.

>>1045166
Hey, you. I got myself into some trouble here. Can you help me out? Pretty please?

>>1045166
>cat folk is it? Can't be no worse than that bloke with the faulty arrows. Don't tell me you paid a pound for those no good "gob-shots" as he put it. The damned fool sold them to local townsfolk, why do you think he was in such a rush to leave?

>>1045206
this

>>1045166
>>1045226
Might as well support this so the thread can continue.

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>>1045166
>>1045178
>>1045206
>>1045278

“Oh gods…” the moment of surreal fear sets in before the panic. “Oh gods! It’s cursed! IT’S CURSED! IT’S CURSED! IT’S CUR-UR-URSED!”

In a fit of panic, she begins pulling at her finger, trying desperately to undo the damage. However, it’s as unyielding as iron, refusing to budge even a single inch as she rolls around on the floor trying to put all of her weight behind it. Finally, exhausted, panting, and covered in soot from the shop floor, she hesitantly stops to listen while gazing hatefully at her hand.

>>1045226

“What do you mean, you’re the ones in trouble?” she questions.

>>1045244

“Is that why? Oh god! They were just plated with river metal, weren’t they? …. Ugh. Gal taught me better than that…”

Oh god. What if he found out she cursed herself on accident? He’d… He’d…

Her cheeks blister as she imagines how he’d laugh himself silly at her expense. It’d be worse than the time she got pitch stuck in her fur. That meant just one thing in her mind: she had to get rid of this before he found out.

“Come on. We’re going to Lilly’s shop!”

> Write-in

Nooo! don't throw us away! We are useful voices! we can help you making money to help your dad!
WHO IS LILY, btw?

>>1045288
"Hey now! Let's not be too hasty here. I'm sure that, as a highly complex arcane construct, we can assist you somehow.
"Things like appraising other magical items, trying to get into the heads of customers to make them buy stuff, things like that, eh?"

>>1045288
Whoa, whoa, calm yerself. We're not all that bad once you get to know us, that I can promise. We're a bit cheeky, to be sure, but aside from that, we're quite knowledgeable in many things- including marketing and the fine art of sales.

Also, fair to say I'd think we could do more than that for you, should you like, although we're certainly no wizards.

>>1045288
Hey, girl. I think you might need some help making money, right? We can help you. We are smart weird voices, okay?

>>1045288
Sentient magic rings are rare and just as useful, without our help, how are you going to raise the money the baroness demands?

Oh, and as for that trouble bit one of them spilled? Don't worry your head about it- it's not quite that bad. Kinda comfy, actually. For now, though, we'd like to help YOU.

>>1045288
No need to throw us away, we got an offer that will help you out, big time.

>>1045305
I'll support this

>>1045288
Hey throwing away people is rude dont'cha know?
Besides we're cool

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>>1045288 >>1045304
>>1045305 >>1045311
>>1045313 >>1045325
>>1045328 >>1045330
>>1045333 >>1045347

“Right… You know, if I had an alm for every time a ‘nice’ sapient magic item ‘just wanted to help’ then ruined someone’s life… Well, I probably wouldn’t need to worry about bills, would I?”

She fumbles in her pockets while trying to find the key to lock up the shop.

“I don’t know,” she admits as she walks down the street, “but I’ll figure something out. I-“

She only then remembers that she is talking to her hand in public, and that is not considered normal by most people.

“I’m not incompetent!” she whispers. “Despite all evidence to the contrary…”

She was just a blacksmith’s apprentice who couldn’t blacksmith in a city filled with adventurers. She sighs as she soaks that in.

“Listen. If you guys want to help me, I could sell you, right? Someone would want to buy you. Maybe a baroness or something. Wouldn’t that be better? Besides that, what do you even know about making money?”

> Write-in

>>1045393
Bitch, how about WE sell YOU, uh? See how'd like that, be treated like disposable property.

>>1045393
So you are going to try and pawn off the ring that you both firstly can't take off and secondly puts voices in the head of the person wearing it?

That sounds like a wonderful idea! I'd say as good an idea as playing with torches indoors or reading a book in a large body of water.

So while you execute this master plan why don't we chat a bit? We're the voices in the magic ring. What about you? Any important skills or abilities?

>>1045393
Long term over short term value, kiddo. Look, you're on a time limit. You need every possible edge you can get. And us? We're one HELL of an edge.

>>1045408
>>1045420

Oh ease up, will ya. That ain't how you talk to a gal. Besides, technically we ARE disposable property, genius. We're a RING.


Look, gal, howsabout you give us the opportunity to prove it, then? Keep us around for a few days, a week or so, see if we don't help you any. Badgering and jokes aside, I think you'll be surprised. If you aren't or just plain don't like us, feel free to get us off your hands- quite literally. I'm that confident we can help you out.

>>1045423
That does not make the idea any less poor.
And even if we are a ring I dislike being sold and handed off without a chance.

>>1045430
Well, think on it from her perspective. Also we should convince her to GIVE us a chance instead of just yelling and threatening her. That'd just make her want to get rid of us FASTER.

>>1045393
Mostly, I don't think you'll be able to get much for us, except maybe as raw materials and energy to be used in a more tractable piece of magical jewelry.

I'd welcome oblivion if it meant getting away from these idiots.

However, I do believe we can be of more use to you as we are, than being pawned off to a wizard's apprentice.

>>1045430
You don't deserve a chance, otherwise you wouldn't be stuck in a ring that was sold for less than 20 gold.

>>1045439
I didn't threaten her though I suppose you have a point. I may have been too rude
>>1045393
I apologize if my remarks came off as rude though I do advise you to seriously think through your next move
>>1045451
I don't know how we got her to be honest

>>1045393
>So, how much does it cost to have cursed items removed, anyway? Aren't we a net negative right now?
>Seeing as we aren't actively harming you, why not give us a chance to earn enough money to make back that cost first?

>loose cobblestone on the floor over there, watch your step

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>>1045408
>>1045420
>>1045423
>>1045430
>>1045439
>>1045451
>>1045460

“Alright. Alright!” she sighs. “Fair point. I wouldn’t want to be sold either. Just… I want to make sure you aren’t going to explode my brain or something.”

>>1045512

She moves her feet out of the way of the stone in question.

“And thanks.”

But that’s where Lilly came in, her shop already visible past a quick turn at the corner. Granted, judging by the smoke presently rising through her roof, Felicity should probably be more worried about having her actual person exploded by some crazy experiment. Still, she didn’t know of anyone else around here she trusted and who knew magic, and so she simply waltzes up to the front door of the diminuitive mage’s home/shop, not surprised in the least as its kicked open and a wave of purple smoke comes rolling out.

“Ack, ack!” the girl coughs as her pointy hat comes clear of the blast zone. “Too much dragonsbane! Ack, ack! Or was it not enough?”

As the small, horned girl stumbles free of the blast pondering the mysteries of her craft, she clutches onto the first thing she sees, which just so happens to be the hybrid herself.

“Felicity?” she chokes, eyes teary as she looks up at the soot covered cat. “Heheh. You look awful.”

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>>1045602

It takes a while for the spellcaster to begin breathing normally again, longer still for her shop to air itself out enough to allow for human habitation.

“So…” Now with a counter between them, the magelet presses her glasses up on her nose. “How can I help you today?”

“Umm…”

There is a frog staring at Felicity, eyes growing out of places they should not, seeing beyond what mortal eyes should see before Lilly seems to notice and tucks it under the counter.

“Bad Pojo!” she tuts.

“Anyway… I, um, I found a ring today…”

“Ooh! Let me see,” the girl cheers, quickly scuttling around to get a closer peak. “Hmm. Ah! I see!”

“See what?”

“Well, that it’s Dwarven in origin, about 400 years old, and-” She taps the ring with her finger and releases a pulse of energy that pulses through Felicity’s arm. “Definitely, probably cursed.”

“Probably?” the cat girl demands.

“Well, it’s all a matter of perspective, right? One man’s curse is another man’s enchantment. This one might have just been enchanted to be very hard to lose.”

“Wait, what, but what if I want to get rid of it?”

“Oh, I could always just snip off a finger,” the girl offers casually with that predatory smile. “I’ve been dying to try out my new troll serum on someone.”

“Plan B! Plan B!”

“Hm? In that case, you might just have to keep it until I come up with one. It’s barely got access to your brain though, certainly no control over it. I swear though, you’re no fun.”

[“I think I’ll take that over insane.”]

> Write-in

>>1045606
Being insane is just a matter of perspective. Think of it as having advisers in your head. Somewhat knowledgeable ones

>>1045606
>y'know I'm kind of hurt that you would go to such lengths to try to rid yourself of me. We could just turn your brain to mush but we didnt. Why don't we start over. I'm Ruby Macland of the Macland clan. No the name was not a pun, I know it's an emerald on the ring.

>>1045606
Seeing as it will take Lilly some time to come up with a way to remove us, let's get to the business of your business.

We will advise you as best we can, though you should always be wary of our advice since the voices here are either stupid, delusional, think they know something when they don't, and can't tell the difference.

>>1045606
>Hmm, maybe we could market that troll serum. Nothing says guarantee like testing regenerative serums on yourself!

>So are you buying any of her less dangerous stock to sell?

>>1045635
We can't turn her brain to anything.

>>1045606
At any rate, if we're stuck with you, then we'll do our absolute best to help you out in all manner of things sales and promotions.

>>1045653
She doesn't know that, it's called a bluff.

>>1045606
Looks like you're stuck with us for a time. Hopefully we'll be good partners.

>>1045660
Mate, the wizard just said we barely have access to her brain, no control over it. No way we can turn her brain to mush.

>>1045660
And here's an example of one of the stupid ones, trying to threaten you with something you were just told we cannot do.

>>1045606
Even if you don't think our advice is good we are at least a good source of entertainment.
Some of us at least.

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>>1045692
>>1045679
>>1045665
>>1045660
>>1045653
>>1045643
>>1045628

“So, you aren’t dangerous,” she sighs, trying her best to look normal while talking to herself after leaving the shop. “Despite any objections to the contrary. And since I like my fingers… Yeah, I guess we’ll have to work together.”

“Nnnnya~”

With a long stretch, she lets out some of the tension with a yawn. It was too early for any of this.

“But what do you actually know about this town or selling stuff in general? I mean, Gil’s shop is an armor and weapons shop and I, well-” She swishes her tail in front of her meaningfully, mentally noting that she was going to have to brush that soot out later. “I’m a little flammable.”

>>1045652

"And as for Lilly's stuff, it's just... It never works how she plans it too."
> Write-in

>>1045774
It will be uncomfortable, but you can try binding your tail to your leg, keeping it within your clothes, or look through Gil's old aprons and try to fashion a leather sock for your tail so it won't catch any embers.

>>1045774
>"And as for Lilly's stuff, it's just... It never works how she plans it too."
....so were you ACTUALLY planning to have us removed, or are you just trying to trick us into a better negotiating position? Impressive, maybe you can do this shop keep thing after all.

Maybe we can test our range of sight. If it extends from the ring itself, you can stick your hand in a mold and we can identify imperfections or cracks.

>>1045774
So barring your flammability how good are you at smithing?

>>1045774
What sort of stock we working with currently?

Also, anything big happening around town of late? Might be able to figure out demand around here if we know what's happening.

>>1045815
Hey didn't a war start?
Or am I wrong and that's useless info.

>>1045823
Maybe? Not like we can go out and ask someone or read the news ourselves, yeah?

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>>1045847
>>1045823
>>1045815
>>1045808
>>1045791
>>1045785
>>1045774

“It’s not just the tail…” she sighs, looking down to the puff of fur that’s even now peeking out of the top of her shirt. “Theoretically, though, I have the knowledge, just not the experience. Gil… Dad, he taught me everything. Anyway, we’ll discuss the rest inside.”

With a quick turn of her key, the door swings open with that familiar creak. One dead bolt later, and she’s heading toward the back.

“The shop was a little understocked before he left, if I’m being honest, but yeah, if there’s a war on in the east, I can expect a hefty requisition soon. The only problem is that noble armies pay with noble promissory notes, which are basically IOU’s. If we sold everything at current market price down to the shoulder pads, though, maybe we could scrape up 2500 alm. It’d be a start, at least.

“As for why there’s even a war in the first place, well, the people on the east side of the mountains fall outside of the Council’s territories. Add to that that this is considered holy land for them, and… an… Chuu!” As she begins dusting off the stock in the backroom, she catches a nose full of dust. “An’ dey aren’t habby dat we’re heah.”

Pulling a handkerchief out, she blows out her nose, sniffles a couple of times and blows again.

“But that’s about the size of things. It’ll be almost four months for Gil to get back, and even if I sell everything, I’ll run out of money in three. And if I can’t make new goods myself…” Her eyes are watering from the dust, just the dust. “Well, I either have to call him back and hope he comes or find something else to sell.”

> Write-in

>>1045957
Well, then, how good are you with a sword?
Know any adventurers?

It looks like you've got two possible choices:
1. You armor yourself up/shave off your fur, and get to smithing.
2. You (possibly with the help of an adventurer who will receive a share of the profits) go into the dungeon and get materials to sell/money from monster drops.

>>1045989
these insofar seem like the only options.
>>1045957
Any prior experience with combat? If you can't swing a sword any other combat or support role you could be good at?

>>1045957
So you need new stock, but don't have the experience to convert raw material into equipment.

Go buy bargain bin equipment and bad loot from adventurer runs, sharpen/polish them for resale. For the ones that aren't good enough, melt them down and sell as plain resources, at least until you get the hang of things.

Yeah, you're going to have to cover or shave. Your fur or your life. Do people buy catgirl fur?

>>1046007
That seems like a very niche fetish anon

>>1046025
I dunno man, luxurious fur coats are luxurious fur coats, and you can't get much more luxurious than fur from sapient beings.

>>1045957
Hmmmm...perhaps a variation on what >>1045989 suggests. Is it possible that perhaps you could hire some adventurers to collects goods for you? Not all at once of course, simply as you can on occasion. Any loot they get, they give a portion of it to you, you pay in cash, then resell the loot for a net profit.

I think that might work. Opinions?

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>>1046108
>>1046050
>>1046025
>>1046007
>>1046000
>>1045989
>>1045957

“I’m not selling my fur!” she objects, eyes narrowing as she unconsciously grabs her tail. “It’s not worth anything unless the skin comes with it, anyway.

“For the rest of it, you have a point, though. The economy of this town runs on the dungeon and whatever people haul out of it. And whoever gets first dibs on those salvage piles gets the edge in the market. Unfortunately, most of Gil’s contacts just deal in raw materials, and most of the veterans have contracts with specific salesmen across town…

“Still, I might know a couple of likely rookies, but… well, Ben and Kate haven’t even gotten their guild sponsorships settled yet. They needed help paying their joining fees last I asked. And as for me, I’m afraid that unless you have powers you haven’t told me about, I’m not exactly a fighter. I only really know a good piece from a bad and how to talk, not the most formidable skills…”

> Write-in

>>1046108
I believe that could work. We'll probably have to stick to rookies at this junction, but that may just be better in the long term should they work out.

Building the right connections can take you and your business far, if handled right.

>>1046213
We have to start somewhere, and you have to spend money to make money.

Are there limits to how many people in a party can go into the dungeon at a time?
Anything you can think of that can be gathered on the first couple floors that could be a mainstay until the rookies get more experience?

Because it's either that, or it's time to get the razor.

>>1046213
then sponsor their joining fees and get first pick of their newb loot. We gotta start small to practice whatever value adding skills you have anyway.

>>1046213
Exactly how much would it cost for one to join said guild?

>>1046246
That sounds fair to me. In exchange for sponsoring their membership, we get first pick of what they get. If they want any good that we want, we'll sell it to them at a markdown price. Just to keep things palatable on their end.

>>1046213
Well you aren't exactly spoiled for choices right now are you? Listen to >>1046246 he has a good idea. And you might not even have to shave to make it happen!

Maybe some time down the road pick up someone who actually /can/ do smithing work.

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>>1046331
>>1046273
>>1046250
>>1046246
>>1046236
>>1046233
>>1046213

“Well, they’ll certainly be thrilled. That’s a given, and if I throw in a lunch, they’ll almost definitely say yes.”

They were her best friends after all. From about the time any of them learned how to walk, they’d always been together and had each other’s backs. Even if it had taken the better part of a year to convince Ben she was a cat and not a dog back when they first met, they were capable enough where it mattered. All things considered, for only a two thousand alm investment, this might just work.

“First, though, let’s check the claim one of you made.” With a practiced hand, she takes an item off of the shelf, one of Gil’s hand crafted sword, and focuses on it as best she can.

“A sword cannae just be sharp,” Gil had said. “It needs to bend in all the right places and keep that edge till its little more’n a nub. That’s what separates a trusty piece from the trash, lass.”

And as her focus resonates through the sword, her eye picking over its every detail, the voices own attention seems to fall in alongside it.

> Analyzing…
“YAR, THAR BE A FINE PIECE O’ WORK!”
Through to its core, the weapon is of superior make, with scarcely a flaw to be found.

Conversely, there is the other sword, chipped and visibly torqued out of plain by something .

> Analyzing…
“PHI! PHI! I SAY ON YE AND THE BLACK HEARTS OF YAR ANCESTORS!”
Like a jagged maze of twisted and broken metal, the chips and warps on the outside don’t do justice to the carnage within. This thing is ready to snap. All it would take is a light tap to a certain segment, one that almost seems to glow with a glaring light to destroy it.

“So, one is trash, and one is good. That’s pretty obvious. Are you guys getting anything else?”

> Write-in

>>1046472
Practice sharpening the trash. If you ever need to prove your ability to analyze, break the trash weapon in two right in front of the person.

>>1046472
Let's see if we can fix some of that internal crystalline structure, straighten out that molecular mess to something orderly.

Otherwise, we're just getting where exactly you can hit it to cause the sword to break in half. Obviously, while useful, you already have the necessary skill to see what is good and what is bad. We can tell you the why, where, and how.

>>1046472
As far as we can tell, it's dwarven make. The good one is just that, really good.

The trash one seems to have been used in some sort of great feud, as I can estimate, and it's worse than it looks. We can see the exact shatterpoint of the trash sword, too.

>>1046472
We can see all the imperfections.

So far we haven't found any in you though, cutie. <3

>>1046472
You could snap the piece of trash over your knee, it's that bad. Heck, you might not even have to do that, just give it a sharp twist. Looks like we really can see all the little details.

Say, guys, do we know anything about Dwarven runes? I can't remember, but if we did, maybe we could teach her how to do it? You know, if we ever get her to do actual smithing somehow instead of being so skittish about fire.

Wait crap, she can still hear me can't she?

>>1046574
Yes. Yes she can.

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>>1046574
>>1046527
>>1046513
>>1046496

“I’ll file that one away,” she promises, feeling out the breaking point herself as she bends the sword gently in her palms. “And I could always use a bit more practice sharpening.”

After all, just because she couldn’t get near open flames didn’t mean that there weren’t things to be done in a smithy. From sharpening and polishing blades, buffing armor, tooling and riveting leather, chopping wood, and stocking shelves, there was a lot of labor that she put in everyday to take the burden off of her father’s shoulders. Honestly, it was fortunate that her heritage had given her a little extra strength and endurance for her size, or else-

>>1046560

“…” She tries a couple more times to remove the ring from her finger as the color rises in her cheeks. You know, just in case.

Alas, in the end, it proves futile, prompting her to switch topics.

“I… I don’t really know magic,” she says.

That was her fath- That was Gil’s daughter’s specialty, and she very much doubted she could learn something that complicated on her own.

“Anyway, maybe we could find you a magic item to examine,” she muses. “It’d be a huge help if we could offer identifications.”

Anything would be a huge help at this point, she reflects, turning the latch as she exits the shop.

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>>1046735

”Good afternoon,” comes a familiar voice from behind her.

And as she turns around sure enough, he’s there: the neighbor’s cat, Cocoa.

“I’m not crazy,” Felicity assures herself and the voices in her head quietly. “I’m not crazy.”

”But of course you are not,” the cat laughs. ”You simply have better ears than the rest of our two-legged brethren. Now come, Cocoa is a friend. Surely warmer greetings are in order.”

> Write-in

>>1046765
Pet the kitty.

>>1046765
any animals make their way into the dungeon?

>>1046765
No, really, you're not.
Honestly, he may not be a simple cat, you know.

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>>1046823
>>1046801
>>1046774
>>1046765

“It’s not just him though,” Felicity sighs, relenting as she bends down to scratch the pointy eared feline under the chin. “I can hear all of them.”

“Jes, but I am imagining that I am still one of the few that realizes the merits of a pleasant conversation every now and again.” He purrs contentedly for just a moment as the gentle scratches continue before turning his eyes meaningfully toward the girl. “Hmm. But I am thinking you are not speaking to me with that, no? No, Cocoa is hearing of a man with a talking ring and his travels to your shop this morning. Perhaps this is why, yes?”

“I have no idea how you know these things,” Felicity comments.

“Haha!” he laughs. “Cocoa hears because he listens, like how he hears that humans are the one’s doing the yowling today, all over tiny pieces of paper, no?”

“And so many shiny coins,” she adds.

”At least those you can trade for fish. Though speaking of which, did you know that the dumpsters outside Dame Gertrude’s have been quite a mess recently? Seems her mushroom substitute leaves much to be desired from roper tentacle. For one lacking in coin, necessity would breed an obligation, don’t you think?”

“And what do you get out of this?”

“Ha! I get out of this what others throw away! Though if one were feeling generous and perhaps a bit forgetful, an order to go left unattended in an easy to reach spot would be nice.”

[“Always thinking with his stomach…”]

> Write-in

>>1046957
any animals make their way into the dungeon?

>>1046957
Huh. While I guess hearing ever wondering cats voice can be annoying, I feel it can certainly be used to ones advantage.

>>1046957
Still, the animals can tell you what the people around town want or need, and that can mean profits if you can provide them with what they desire.

>>1046957
This could be a massive boon for you, in terms of information. Knowledge is power.

...You could well sell more than just objects...

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>>1047018
>>1047004
>>1046999
>>1046962
>>1046957

[“I’ll have to tell them later that it’s not exactly consistent…”]

Or always helpful. Usually the conversation with your average cat boiled down to, “I am hungry”, “Feed me, half-breed”, or some condescending statement commanding their human owner to pamper them. Even Cocoa wasn’t always one hundred percent on his advice. Still, the voices had a point.

“Cocoa, do you know if there are other animals in the dungeon?”

“Hmm? Well, some braver than I hunt for fish in the lower caverns. Those that actually live there… Well, they keep to their own company, and it’s most likely for the best. More than just their bodies change in places such as that, and I fear the first thing to go are their manners.”

“How do they even get in there? The main entrance is-“

“Felicity?” comes an unexpected female voice from inside the house. “Felicity, dear, is that you I hear? Who are you talking to?”

“Cocoa must go. He has… important matters to attend to.”

And like that, the pointy eared cat is bolting for the hills, rounding a corner just as his frizzy haired matron peaks her head out.

“Are you quite alright?” Lydia asks, massaging the stiffness from her arms as she peers around the otherwise empty street.

Naturally, Felicity can’t even begin to hide the red or her completely lost expression. She just kind of squats there frozen as the older woman comes to her own conclusion.

“Ah, I see,” she says. “Talking with Cocoa, were you?” Felicity flinches, her ears flattening as they blister. “Haha! No need to look embarrassed dear! I do it all the time! You know the best thing about talking to a cat is they don’t talk back.”

“R-Right…”

“I have no idea how he got out of the room, though. Lord knows he could use a good bath when he comes home every night smelling like a dumpster.”

“I, um…”

“Oh, never you mind dear. I’m sure you have plenty of other things to do than to listen to an old woman prattle on, not to mention plenty on your mind with this morning’s impromptu announcement. I trust Old Gilgamesh left you in good standing though, right?”

> Write-in

>>1047202
Might as well let her know that you're going to have to try to make some more money.

>>1047202
Have you ever considered a mohawk? I hear it's all the rage with adventurers these days.

Probably.

>>1047202
Yeah, no reason to at least not mention that you might be having to get clever with your income thanks to said announcement.

>>1047202
Good, but not quite enough for this surprise. Going to need to earn my keep.

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>>1047351
>>1047340
>>1047324
>>1047280
>>1047202

“Mmm…”

She has trouble looking at the older woman. To admit financial difficulties, even if they weren’t her fault… Still, honesty is important.

“Well, money is going to be tight..” she finally manages. “He didn’t plan quite that well…”

“And of course, you don’t want to call him back because of financial troubles…” she sighs, hitting the nail on the head before giving the slumping cat girl a bone crushing hug. “He’ll be proud of you no matter what, you know.”

“I… I know…” But she doesn’t know if she means it.

“Unfortunately, we’re in a pickle ourselves, and I don’t see you as much of a tanner. No, you’re far too lovely for that… but you know, my sister is always looking for someone to model her dresses for her.”

Felicity shudders involuntarily, remembering her previous visits with the ‘enthusiastic’ tailor. Pins, needles, miles of tape, and she didn’t even want to imagine what sort of hellish nightmares lay beyond the corset.

“She’s apparently been expanding her retinue lately,” the oblivious woman continues. “These wonderful little lacy numbers based on a certain arachne’s design templates. They’re absolutely darling.”

“I- Well, I, um… I need to go meet Ben and Kate,” Felicity finally finishes, hardly waiting for a response before fleeing down the street.

“Goodbye dear. Take care.”

--

After the zone of peril has been thoroughly evacuated, it’s just the voices and Felicity wandering through the streets, the latter trying desperately to put the image of frills out of her mind as they walk.

“So… um, was there anything else, you wanted to know?”

> Write-in

>>1047473
.....just how MANY frills are we talking, here? If you don't want to shave your fur, we're going to have to explore your less flammable options, after all.

You any good with art? Paint, pencils, crafts? Having themed "sale" days will help draw in customers looking for specific goods.

>>1047473
Perhaps you can tell us a bit more about this town?

>>1047473
Any boys you like?

...Any girls?

It's important because a healthy work/life balance is essential for success in business and it factors into our plans.

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>>1047530
>>1047488
>>1047473

“I-it’s not the number of frills… It’s where they are… And where regular cloth isn’t…”

As a blacksmith’s apprentice, Felicity had grown up more in shirts and pants than skirts and dresses. Add to that that the only apron she was accustomed to wearing was made of heavy leather, and she wasn’t exactly what you’d call ‘feminine’ by any definition. Just something about showing her back or her thighs in public…

She shudders again.

“I guess I could do drawing, though,” she agrees. “I’ve done enamel work and engravings before.”

And she’d also spent a week trying to figure out how to get white enamel out of her fur. Such was life.

“The only problem is that engravings and enamel usually go on original pieces…” she muses. “Maybe if I got the materials, though, I could take a shot at tinkering with some of Gil’s stuff, raise the sale price if only by a little.”

In the end, that was kind of the nature of the city. Ever since it was founded at the base of The Tower of Twilight, Aldheim had been more or less a hub for explorers and adventurers first and a town second. It’s just that somewhere in there, they realized that they needed farmers to grow them food and houses to sleep in in addition to black smiths and alchemists.

Who built the tower? Why? Those things were still mysteries. Chances are high it was just another eccentric wizard looking to make a landmark before he kicked the bucket, but for whatever reason, the ever-renewing magic of that tower had become an oasis in an otherwise treacherous mountain pass, it’s foundations set on another dungeon altogether known as The Dark Below.

Unlike the magically animated skeletons and automatons above, it was more of an ecosystem than a dungeon, all manner of beasts just gathered there and sustained by a complex web of magical and natural phenomenon that still had the mages scratching their heads. Whatever it really meant, however, it came about, all the people really knew is that its bounty meant life for them and their families.

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>>1047743

“And, no!" she answers forcefully. "What sort of question is that even?”

She had work to do, important work. She nods to herself, resolute in her duties and pushes those thoughts aside as she notices the restaurant is near. In fact, she can already see Ben wolfing down something horrific from here. She swears, if he wound up choking on basilisk scales again. Last time, she had almost had to give him CPR.

The thought alone makes her uncomfortable on so many levels, in fact, maybe too many levels from where the voices are standing, but whatever the case may be, someone was apparently nearby and all-too-willing to capitalize on her moment of inattention. Even as she begins to try to gesticulate away the bad mental images, an undetected pair of hands are already deftly wrapping around her from behind, grabbing things they really shouldn’t in one swift motions as a pair of lips lean dangerously close to her ears.

“How’s my pretty kitty today?”

>>1047752
Ohhh, I'm sensing a whole lot of NOPE about to happen.

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>>1047743
>>1047756

Nope indeed, but QM needs sleep. I'll probably pick this back up tomorrow though, if people are interested.

>>1047752
so much for being ambush protection for her.

>>1047768
Got a twitter for announcements?

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>>1047876
>>1047768

Ah, right, I am a QM with many important things. For those stumbling across me for the first time, my twitter is:
https://twitter.com/bananon_QM

And other stuff I've run can be found here:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=bananon

>>1047752
>Hmm? Oh. Yeah, someone was behind you. Guess we should've mentioned that.

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>>1047976

Be back to writing in a little over an hour.

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>>1047756
>>1047752
>>1047778
>>1048694

“Gah! Let go!”

However, the reaction that follows leaves little in the way of response time: Felicity’s back tensing, arms flexing, and her assailant sailing over her shoulder in one, fluid motion before pounding back first into the pavement in front of her. Naturally, Kate’s smiling face is attached to this ne’er-do-well.

“Haha-hack-hack!” Her attempts to laugh turn into a wheezing cough as she lies there on the ground.

“I told you to stop doing that!” Felicity shouts, her face the reddest it’s been today as she guards her chest from further attacks.

“Come on! You were wide-open,” the red-head laughs. “Besides, you’re adorable when you’re embarrassed.”

“Ugh!” Felicity whines, her tail whipping down to bat Kate in the face. “How did you end up like this?”

“I blame our public education system,” the girl protests.

“Ah geez,” comes Ben’s response, the man approaching tightening his tool belts around his waist as he nears the commotion. “Please tell me, you didn’t break any bones.”

“Hack. Hack. Just a few ribs is all…” the girl groans with false dramatics. “I’m sorry, Ben. You’ll have to go on without me. Hack.”

“On stable cleaning day? Now isn’t that convenient…” he sighs. “Heya, Felicity.”

“Uh… Hey, Ben… I might have something to discuss with you guys before you get going to that, if you don’t mind.”

[“Gods. Is this really a good idea?”]

> Write-in

>>1049832
I give that throw a 9/10, work a bit more with that hip movement.

But yeah, this is your best option. Just give them that offer discussed, and it should be good.

>>1049901
I second this.

>>1049832
It's probably the best option we got

>>1049832
It's either this, or you shave your fur so that you can actually do blacksmith work.

>>1049938
It was stated earlier that she's just overall flammable, not just the fur.

>>1049832
Look, the only downside is that maybe this Kate will get skilled enough to get around your throws after a few dungeon runs.

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>>1049832
>>1049901
>>1049919
>>1049920
>>1049938
>>1049952
>>1050023

“Finally looking to sign up as a dungeon delver, huh?” Kate jokes, dusting herself off as she stands up.

“I like my organs exactly where they are, thank you.”

“But you’d probably at least meet all of the physical requirements, you know,” Ben insists.

“Until she has to put on a helmet,” Kate levels, motioning to Felicity’s tall ears. “Or gets too close to the business end of a torch.”

“I-it’s not like I’m made out of kerosene!” she objects. “I-I’m just… j-just…”

Her mind seems to be betray her as Kate’s fingers begin massaging behind one of her ears in just the right spot.

“J-Just what?” Kate insists with mock innocence.

“Just fluffy!” Felicity finishes, slapping away her hand. “And come on, this is serious!”

“Alright! Alright!” Kate concedes. “Lighten up. We’re all ears.”

--

An hour passes, then another as Felicity fills her friends in on exactly what’s been happening around town and her emergent plans on how to deal with it. She even bothers to mention the extra voices now crowding her head somewhere in there.

“Well… shit,” Kate sighs. “When it rains, it pours, huh?”

“Tell me about it…”

“Things could be worse though,” Ben concludes, running a hand through his short hair. “We’re just a couple of hundred gold shy of having our licenses for the first few levels. Sure, the take won’t be great at first, but if we come into any weapons or armor, we can certainly pass them along to you first.”

“That’s the thing though, Ben,” Felicity interjects. “I’m thinking to make it through this, I’m going to need to expand my wares. I might even need to take to the forge to make ends meet.”

“Oh, honey, no,” Kate objects, putting a hand on Felicity’s. “Just no…”

“Not by yourself at the very least,” Ben agrees.

“I just don’t want to see that cute face burned to a crisp!”

“See, I’ve been thinking about that one,” Ben continues, reaching into a side satchel and pulling out one of his many notepads. “You’re afraid to forge because of your hair, right?”

As Felicity nods, Ben flips to a specific page, splaying out the book on the table so that everyone can see.

“It looks like a bunch of weird shapes,” Felicity admits, not quite understanding the pattern.

“Think of it more like a leather template,” Ben explains, flipping to the next page. “A few stitches and a light metal frame inserted in the seam and…”

“It’s like a hood…” the girl thinks to herself, looking at a depiction of something resembling a modified apron. “And the voices were mentioning something about a tail sheath as well.”

“Add some goggles, and you might be all set,” he finishes, “but fire retardant or no, you shouldn’t be working alone.”

“Then what?” she asks, once again frustrated. “I can’t exactly hire help right now.”

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>>1050341

“But you could ask a friend for a favor,” Ben insists gently. “And I’ll go ahead and tell you I’d be willing.”

“No!” Felicity objects. “I couldn’t ask you to do that…”

“Then you don’t have to ask,” he laughs. “I’ve been meaning to learn how to smith metal anyway.”

“Ugh… You…”

As Felicity shakes her head in defeat, Kate’s simply chuckling. After all, neither of them had ever been able to talk Ben out of something when he’d set his mind to it.

“So, just a thousand between the two of you, will be enough?” Felicity finally clarifies.

“Well, if you can set aside a little more, it’d certainly give us more breathing room,” Kate levels, “but we’ll understand one way or the other.”

[“Decisions, decisions. Also, what else do I even need to do today?”]

> Write-in

>>1050356
Get a little bit of breathing room.
And today, you want the two of them registered, make sure that their equipment is ready (maybe even check your stock for equipment that you can lend them), and maybe see what some of the other merchants in the market may need.

>>1050356
splurge a little to get them a little better armor. Can't go dungeon delving if you're in a splint.

Although if Ben here gets injured, I guess he could still help you out at the forge.

Ask them to take a stray animal from the dungeon home, if it seems....well, if it isn't trying to kill them. We might be able to convince it to look for traps in exchange for food.

>>1050356
I concur with the voices >>1050373 and >>1050382.

And really, that throw WAS pretty solid. Today is a basic groundwork day. You're on a time limit, but don't try to rush it TOO much. I'd definitely maybe flit around the market a bit and see what's in high demand.

>>1050460
>I'd definitely maybe flit around the market a bit and see what's in high demand

A good idea. If you can find what's currently scarce or otherwise saturated, you can have them better know what to look for and what could be left behind if they found to much loot.

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>>1050503
>>1050460
>>1050382
>>1050373
>>1050356

[“Ben’s armor was made by Gil. So, he should be fine there.”]

“I’m guessing you’ll need some new weapons before going down for the first time,” Felicity suggests. “And I don’t think we have any armor stocked that you would use, Kate.”

“Yeah, leathers are easier to move in, not to mention quieter.”

“Hmm. If I set you up with a new shield, a longsword, a short sword, and a dagger, that would be roughly 500 alm. If I throw in 1500 on top of that between you, I’ll be working within the budget I expected anyway.”

“Geeze, I wouldn’t complain,” Kate admits, “but can you manage all of that and be okay?”

“I can or rather, I’ll have to….”

“Best to chart this out,” Ben insists. “Obviously, we can’t ensure perfect finds, but we might be able to get you things that you need. That means either raw goods, though we aren’t exactly miners, or finished weapons.”

“Actually…” Felicity mentions, trying to think of how to phrase this. “I have kind of a specific request in mind right now. Could you possibly find me a cat?”

“A cat?” Kate questions. “I mean, I could probably throw a rock down an alley and-“

“No. First of all, that’s terrible, but second of all, I mean a cat that occupies the lower layers of the dungeon. As I understand it, some of the cats in town fish down there, and they might be able to tell us something because-“

“Because you’re a crazy cat lady,” Kate finishes, hissing as Ben catches her with an elbow to the ribs.

“We’ll see what we can do,” he assures her. “A few nets, some traps, but it might be a little dangerous to bring up a creature that actually lives in the dungeons.”

“How the hell are regular animals getting down there anyway?” Kate adds. “The main entrance is blocked off by the magic barrier thingy.”

“More to the point, the first sustainable lakes in the dungeon are relatively far down.”

“I don’t know,” Felicity admits. “That in itself may be something valuable to find out, but if I could add one more specific request, it seems there might be someone looking to buy roper tentacles.”

“And if there’s fresh water down there, you expect we can hit two birds with one stone,” Ben finishes.

“Exactly.”

“You got it!” Kate agrees. “A little cat and squid wrangling, and we’ll be back before you know it.”

“Just be careful.”

“Aren’t we always?”

“No. No, you are not, but here’s the coin I promised. Stop by for the weapons in the morning before you leave.”

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>>1050927

A few fond farewells, and her friends are off in the declining sun. That just leaves Felicity with an afternoon and a checklist of local stalls to explore. Honestly, along the way, you would hardly suspect that a war was brewing. People seem happy and carefree, doors to countless shops and homes open with people just going about their daily lives.

Hopefully, it would stay like that indefinitely, but as the market stalls open up into the bazaar and the deluge of voices reach a crescendo, other thoughts become more pertinent. She needed to pick and choose carefully what she should buy to keep the shop afloat.

> Current Budget: 8500alm
> Pending Debts:
> Noble Decree: 5000alm at end of month
> Lot Rent: 1500alm at end of month (includes personal upkeep)

Her purse feels tight as she considers everything that rides on it at this exact moment.

Assuming the two of them found the ropers… No, maybe that was thinking too far…

Assuming she could turn around raw materials… Again, she’d have to test the waters…

But from the frantic buzz of today’s market, apparently she isn’t the only one that the news had hit hard. It seems every weapon and armor smith in the city is turning out their wares at a reduced cost right now, likely to pad their pockets and liquidate their stock before the Border Patrol comes in with their IOU’s.

That would naturally be a problem for Felicity herself, if she wasn’t careful. In the best-case scenario, it would lead to a protracted argument regarding the placement of her credits versus their credits which she might not get the better of. In any case, that will have to wait.

> Current market:
> Weapons/Armor: 75% normal price
> All others: Normal price

> Crafting
> ???

“Any suggestions?”

> Write-in

>>1050945
Hrrm. Well, a basic tenet of being a merchant is buying low and selling high, right? Not to mention that, with a war coming up, weapon and armor prices should more than likely make a jump in price as demand for them come a knocking. The same could also be said of healing/medical items and materials.

>>1050945
>Buy the lower tier weapons and armor in bulk. Bargain them hard, maybe 50%, but at high sales volume.
>We use those either for practice, experiments, or for testing mass production upgrades that we could sell to the army.
Equipment isn't locked away by level requirements, right?

>Buy a good stock of food
war always makes supplies hard to come by.

wait, guys. Did we just.....

....did we just give some adventurers a QUEST?

>>1051023
...Wow. I think we did.

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>>1051225
>>1051023
>>1051005
>>1050945

The one good thing about the bazaar was that it typically hosted merchants from outside of town, with the more rooted, specialty shops existing at different corners of the city. What that meant, was that the opportunity to sell came with a certain cost to the seller. And where costs could be minimized, deals could be struck.

As fortune would have it, a certain symbol catches her eye as she’s strolling around the market place, a grey rose surrounded by a cadre of four studded stars, and sure enough, right above that in neat print are the words “Rozencrantz Ironworks”.

A company somewhat in the immediate area, Felicity had heard plenty about them from Gil, usually the old man laughing about the various things he felt they did wrong in their process. However, in general, their name was good as silver among adventurers, good enough to stock on empty shelves, if nothing else.

“Pardon, young miss, may I help you?” probes the mousy man behind the counter, his thick glasses and thin arms giving the impression of a merchant who never had used his wares.

“Perhaps you can and perhaps you can’t,” she responds cryptically. “It all depends on the price point up for discussion. Doesn’t it?”

“Well, my lady, I think you’ll find that my prices are rather fair,” he insists. “For quality works such as these, we’re offering quite the bargain. Why, see for yourself.” He gestures to the blades. “Each has been given the mark of their maker and accorded their specific rank based on quality.”

“Hmm. I suppose,” she says, taking one of their higher rank blades in hand and feeling its balance.

Integrity of the grip, line of the blade, spring, sharpness, and detailing, it’s surprising how much she can tell in an instant, both for good and for bad. It certainly isn’t one of Gil’s, despite the additional pageantry and imprinting. Still, it would be serviceable in a fight.

“Can you tell me anything else?” she whispers, as she turns around.

> Roll 1d100 to help. We’ll take the best of three.
> Also write-in with suggestions

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>1051505
We can certainly take a gander.

Should be easy for you, but on the off chance that something is good here, keep reactions as neutral as possible. He'll more than likely keep the price as high as possible if you look to interested.

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>1051505

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>1051505

>>1051505
>Rozencrantz
Hey if you think your uncle is paying these guys to hang out with you, don't go on any boat trips with them. Just trust us.

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>>1051505
>>1051533
>>1051569
>>1051669
>>1051780

Taking a deep breath, Felicity once again synchronizes her focus with the voices.

> Analyzing…
“YAR! THAR BE A FINE PIECE O’ WORK!”
> The blade is likely worth its price. However, it’s not quite the same quality as one of Gil’s due to being harder and more brittle on the outside. While giving the immediate impression of being a stronger blade, the added brittle nature of the outer layer might lead to additional chipping.

“I see…”

But if Gil had taught her one thing it was that consistency was essential. So, after setting down the other blade, Felicity picks up another from the same batch, once again running it through the same series of tests. However, this time something feels… off.

> Analyzing…
“NAY BEEN THE BEST I SEEN WITH THESE ‘ERE NON-EXISTENT EYES!”
> While being visually similar to the other blades it’s clear that this one isn’t of the same quality. An aggressive fold in the metal was pounded back into place and sanded down, but it’s left the overall mass of the blade somewhat off-center. More curiously, the etching in the guard for the craftsmen seems ‘softer’ than the other, the detail less distinct.

[“Interesting.”]

She does her best to hide her emotions as she works through a number of other blades, moving through the various categories with care. Fortunately, outside of a few in the highest tier, everything seems to be untouched and consistent for its grade. In fact, between the individual blades of the marked smiths, there isn’t much variety at all, which would make sense for a batch method. It also points out to her that all of the blades she’s noticing that have been mismarked are all from the same smith.

[“But how do I proceed from here?”]

> Write-in

>>1052007
Point out the particular smith and ask if they're fakes. They seem....odd. Don't immediately blackmail them into a discount, better to actually be friends with them.

>>1052038
Agreed

>>1052007
Maybe someone's being lazy and passing an apprentice's work off as their own? Could explain the weaker etching.

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>>1052007
>>1052038
>>1052272
>>1052433

To be honest, the man may look like he’s never swung a sword in his life, but he doesn’t look like a thief or a con artist. So, with a sigh, Felicity sorts the swords in question off to the side before returning her attention to the man.

“Pardon, sir, what’s your name?” she asks courteously.

“Ah, Theodore dear,” he says pleasantly. “Are you, perhaps, ready to make a purchase?”

“Not exactly, Theodore…” she says in a softer voice. “If you could just step aside with me for a moment, I don’t want to cause a stir…”

--

“Oh dear! Oh dear!” the man frets, head shaking side-to-side as Felicity finishes explaining the whole, ugly truth to him. “This is terrible! Absolutely horrid!”

“Calm down,” Felicity soothes. “You haven’t done anything wrong yet.”

“B-but I was about to,” he protests. “I… Well, if you hadn’t caught me before I made a sale, I- But how did this happen?”

“How do they curate the orders at Rozencrantz?” she asks. “Do you know?”

“Why, of course,” he says. “It’s a merchant’s duty to know about the things he’s selling, but I assure you that those were handed to me by the stock master himself! Signed, sealed, I have the registrar right here!”

He pulls out a sealed envelope and nervously opens it. Sure enough, its contents check out.

“M-m-maybe they made a mistake, but, well no, that wouldn’t make sense,” he murmurs. “Every smith personally marks their own work, you see. Else you’d have a mess of things sorting them all out, and on top of that, whenever an order comes around, they pull from each individual workshop to make the complete order. I saw each bundle carried out myself.”

“So, something must have happened in the workshop,” the cat girl concludes.

“Why, yes, I imagine it must have,” the small man says, stroking his chin in though. “Truth be told, I likely have my own ideas on the matter. Not good tidings for us, I’m afraid. That is, however, a private matter for our company at this point. You must understand.”

“I do.”

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>>1052520

“Good then. Glad to have that matter sorted. That means we’ll be able to get back to business like civilized people.”

“Of course,” Felicity agrees. “Now what would you want for all of this.”

You’d think the man had just taken a punch to his gut from the surprise.

“A-all?” he questions. “Oh, dear, that’s a fair amount of coin, even at these lowered prices. With impending deadlines being what they are, are you certain?”

“Sound investments start early,” she points out. “And you’ve good steel here, laying aside the pieces we discussed.”

“Naturally.”

“But how fixed is your price?”

“Well, I dare say fairly fixed. You’ll not see a better discount on our steel within the year, I’d wager.”

“Really?”

“Certainly! Iron may not be rarel, but workers don’t run on ash and toil. Our organization takes pride in treating our employees fairly.”

“And your customers…”

“I’d call 75% off on a fair man’s price more than fair!”

“Well, I’m more referring to your plaque,” she says, pointing to the wood board propped on the stall.

“Ah, of course!” he acknowledges, pulling it close to review the article. “Your satisfaction is guaranteed with any product that we sell. If not, you can return it for… twice… your initial investment… Ah, I see what you’re driving at, I think.”

“You have to admit, I did save you from a rather severe pitfall,” she nudges gently, a light in her eyes as the catch grows near.

“Well, certainly-“

“And the sooner you’ve cleared your shipment, the sooner you can put these urgent matters up for review, right? It would only do to put the company first.”

“Of course, but still, err, what are you driving at exactly?”

“Thirty three percent, and I’ll have you heading home within the hour.”

“You she-devil! Do you think I’ve gone mad?!”

So begins a deadly dance of words rather than swords, the little man a proverbial maestro of the art that defined his trade, but his opponent fighting with desperation on her side. As the seconds wear on into minutes, the minutes pooling toward an hour, bottom lines are drawn and redrawn, deals settled and upended, but in the end, they finally reach a conclusion that they both seem satisfied with.

“Fifty percent?” the man probes finally, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow.

“Fifty!” Felicity confirms happily.

“And not a cent less,” the old man assures her, though he cracks a bit of wry grin as they shake on the matter. “You know, it’s been some time since I’ve met a girl with your spirit. A bit of ‘animal instinct’ if you will. Next time I’m about, I dare say I hope we’ll have time for a drink.”

“If you’re buying…”

In the end, they both just share a laugh before another handshake, a promise of delivery come the afternoon in hand.

[“That went rather well, I think.”]

> Stock Gained
> Price Paid: 2000alm for 4000alm

> Write-in

>>1052530
I guess you're used to the cat quips by now. Doubt it's the first time a guy asked you out for a drink, either.

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>>1052603
>>1052530

“Cat quips are something I’m used to. Drinks though…”

Then again, maybe guys had been giving her those looks more often of late. She’d even been on a couple of dates in the past year, but they just never seemed to go anywhere. Then again, maybe those guys were all just kind of scared of getting on Gil’s bad side.

Theodore at least still probably saw her more as a kid, which was nice in its own way. It had been harder and harder lately to know where she really stood on that spectrum, of trying not to be daddy’s girl but falling flat on all things adult. And… And what was she even talking about?

Probably just exhaustion, now that she was thinking about it. She’d slept terribly the night before and been running since the crack of dawn, after all. At least now that the evening was settling in, she didn’t have long to go.

Fortunately, the move crew arrives early with the crates, laying boxes of swords and shields aside to be stocked by her the next day. At the very least, she decides it can wait for tomorrow, opting instead for a sort of terrible meal of dried fish and veggies to seal the end of her evening.

She’d meant to go grocery shopping this morning. She’d meant for a lot of things to happen that had just kind of been shoved by the wayside, but as she slips out of her clothes and into her pajamas, she can at least know that she did her best today. And tomorrow she’d try to do even better.

“I guess you guys can stick… *yawn*… around…” Felicity mumbles tiredly, tucking her hand beneath the pillow. “Just keep it down so I can sleep, will ya?”

So closes the first chapter of her adventure.

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>>1052752

Anyway folks, that's all I got. Hope you had fun, and I guess if there's enough support, I might keep this one going. Just let me know down below. Quest will be up in the archive shortly. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of what I hope for many of you is a long weekend.

>>1052752
IT'S TIME TO PAAAAAARTAAAAAAAY

A REAL GODDAMN FORGE, WITH ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT SMITHING. MY GOD, HOW MANY MASTERS IT TOOK TO GET TO THIS POINT, SO MANY PEOPLE WHO CAN'T TAKE CARE OF A BLADE IF THEIR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.

>>1052752
sleep tight kitter

Thanks for running boss!

>>1052756
I certainly enjoyed it. I look forward for a continuation of it.

Great thread, hope to see more of it.

>>1052756
I'd definitely like to see this continue.

>>1052752
Oh, there's only a few hundred thousand of us or so. I'm sure we can keep the noise to a minimum.

I'd love more shopkeep questing.

>>1052756
I enjoyed the quest. The premince of talking directly to the main character is interesting. I hope I can join in on the next thread.

>>1054086
>The premince of talking directly to the main character is interesting
>premince
>not premise
But anyway if you like quest like this I'd suggest visit tgchan if you can tolerate furries.

>>1054086
>>1054147
Yeah, just about everyone on there uses this method of questing

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>>1052932
>>1053325
>>1053747
>>1053784
>>1053807
>>1054086
>>1054147
>>1054157

Glad to hear you guys had fun, and you're more than welcome to suggest things that you would like to see in the future threads here. As for when the next thread might be, it's a bit of a coin toss right now based off my schedule. I personally have to divide my time between teaching, learning, and another quest I run. Whatever the case, my twitter is the best place to go for quest news and updates.

Most likely for the end of this present week, I will be looking to run more Gorgon Child Quest (probably around Thursday or Friday). For those not familiar, it's a cute, slice of life following the life of a young gorgon and her various adventures.

My shameless self-promotion aside, give it a look if you think it would peak your interest.

>>1055033
Question! How much fur does our girl have exactly? You mentioned some poking out of her shirt, and of course there's her tail and ears.

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>>1057821

In general, Felicity has the ears and tail you would expect for any cat hybrid. She also has a prominent bit of fluff that rests at the divot as her neck meets her chest. This plume quickly thins out but still encroaches on her shoulders slightly. She's otherwise much as you would expect any normal human girl, if a bit more susceptible to belly rubs and scritches behind the ears. Her nails are also rather sharp.

The real problem is that due to her particular base species, all of this fur is luxurious, wispy, fluffy, and terribly, terribly flammable. She had somewhat of a traumatizing incident when she was younger when Gil let her stand close to the forge to watch.

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>>1060168

I think the Norwegian Forest cat might be a good estimate. While not quite up to the task of weathering a horrible winter outdoors as a child, she tends to do well in the cold and in the mountain air. The only problem is that when the summers get hot enough, she tends to change coats, going from her usual white into more of a brindle.

>>1060168
>luxurious
see? There's a market for it.

Maybe not coats, but perhaps a type of yarn. Socks?

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>>1060290

She just doesn't have enough on her at any given time or grow her fur quickly enough to sell it. More to the point, she isn't a weaver, let alone one how knows how to weave cat hair.