A Penny Stolen Is A Penny Earned <Ba Sing Se, EK>

[shuzu]

Shu-zu twiddled with his fingers silently behind his counter. He picked up the Air tile and looked down at his game, the shop was really slow today. His eyes glanced back and forth, he supposed that he should take inventory and close up soon. He stood up from his small stool, walked over to the door, and shielded his eyes from the setting sun. From the outside, if you squinted, you could just see the great wall of Ba-Seng-Se. It really was a magnificent city, but he was worried that if he had started his business there, eventually it would draw unneeded attention. That was why he was in this small outpost town, safely away from the city so as not to draw attention, but there were enough customers. He wandered back into his store, and silently started counting up the tent cloth, the tea-pots, the machetes, etc…

He finished up without a problem, and returned behind the counter in case anybody wanted to buy something in this late hour. After playing his game for about an hour, though, he figured he would finally close up shop. So, he stepped out to his door and picked up the small sign that said, “Makura Sundries is now closed, sorry.” Just as he was about to lay the sign in the door, he had a slight feeling that somebody was coming, so he merely kept the sign and returned to his counter. Eyes watching the door, he fidgeted, wondering if his feeling was correct.

[raisa]

Raisa was alone tonight, her sisters and mother searching desperately for jobs in the city while she took a few of their more pricey things to be sold. She had been pointed in the direction a small shop outside the city walls to do her barganing and when she was ready to give up her search for this shop she laid eyes upon it only a few yards ahead. She feet were sore in her dancing sandals, the only ones she had brought from Omashu, and her nice silk Kimono was beginning to show signs of wear.
The lights still shown dimmly in the shops windows as she neared, the setting sun casting it mostly in shadow. She entered quietly, a bit uneasy and heavy hearted at the deed she was about to commit, pawning off their things seemed like such a betrayal to her fathers spirit, but there was hardly anything they could do about it.
"Hello, sir," Raisa said to the lanky man sitting behind the counter. He looked rather plain, she thought, with such simple clothes and a rediculous apron. She shook her head trying to get such thoughts away, she was still all to used to her tea house back in Omashu, besides though she was still fairly dressed up in her dance clothes, the hem of her Kimono was dusted with dirt and several patches of embroidery were beginning to unravel with its excessive use since she had no plainer robe to wear. "I was told I might be able to sell some things here, is that so?" she asked as politely as she could, a little uneasy with the clerk, something about him sent little shivers up her spin and Raisa was not normally one to be shaken, generally her hot head prevented that.

[shuzu]

Shu-zu glanced up at the girl that just entered his store. He had been correct, somebody was about to come in. "Hello, how might I help you this evening?" He couldn't help but be troubled when she mentioned that she wanted to sell something, for he was selling things that cost him nothing. That meant that he was getting %100 profit, but if he started buying things and then selling them, then he wouldn't make nearly as much money.

He allowed himself to study this girl, she was wearing a fancy kimono, even if it was in disrepair. Why would such a well dressed person want to pawn off their things? The kimono was very dirty, so he figured she must have been living in the street. The only conclusion was that she was a noble, or a successful shop owner that had lost it all. So he replied, "Just who told you that? I usually don't buy things from my customers..." Then, thinking again, he added, "But if you'll let me take a look at them, I might be able to make an exception."

[erlang]

As the first stars started to show in the sky, bar a few buildings away was making a row. It wasn’t very large compared to some of the more well known dives but was big enough to accommodate the shop owners winding down from the weary day. A patron had started drinking early and was plastered out of his mind by the time the sun had set. In an inebriated attempt to show off his masculinity he had decided to start a fight with a man who was quietly drinking rice wine by the entrance.

It was the quiet man who had just shoved the drunk through the bars half door.

“Erlang, try not to kill him, it‘s bad for business,” chuckled a patron, nobody in the bar was surprised at the outcome. The quiet man that the drunk had tried to intimidate was one of the nine Tiger Generals who often frequented the establishment during his sojourns in the city.

Erlang ran a hand through his hair and sighed to himself. The drunks attempt to swing at him had missed by a mile and left him imperfect position for Erlang to shove him through the door way where he was now sprawled on the ground.

“Ugh.. sorry for the inconvenience,” he shrugged while grabbing his heavily wrapped blade from the wall and stepping through the doorway.

[raisa]

Raisa listened anxiously, hoping she hadn't walked all the way out here for nothing, but smiled lightly when the man said he would take a look at her things.
"Could we sit and go through them, my feet are rather tired and I have a bit of a walk back home," she looked at him questionanly, her arms getting weary with the burden of her things, hoping the man would reply quickly.

[shuzu]

Shu-zu merely nodded, he was feeling generous today. He shifted his weight onto his left foot, pivoted, and grabbed the spare stool from behind his desk. Gripping the dry oak, he brought it to the front of the counter and set it down. He smiled gently to her and made a small gesture for her to sit. He silently wondered why he was feeling so generous; he supposed it was just because she looked so desperate. He retreated back behind his counter and sat himself on his stool.

His ears perked up as he heard some commotion from outside, a few buildings over. He sighed, it was that bar again. Every night, without fail, a few patrons in that bar would get completely smashed and cause a lot of trouble. All he could hear from his shop, however, was the flapping of the doors, and a few people shouting. Must’ve been a fight, he thought. He allowed himself to focus back on the girl. “So, just place the things on the counter and I can take a look at them.”

[raisa]

Raisa smiled as the man offered her a stole and politely accepted it, placing her bag softly on her lap. She didn't wait for the man to take his own seat before she started taking things from the bag. The majority of what she laid on the counter were glass make-up bottles with delicate golden stoppers, but they were accompanied by a few other things including a delicate bone hairbrush with golden guilding along the handle and a finely crafted metal painted lilly that had been given to here by her former fiancee. She spaced the items neatly so the man could examine them better, but she waited to see what these things amounted to before she took out anything else.
"My sisters and I were dancers in Omashu, some of the finest around, but we haven't been fairing so well in Ba Sing Se," she said, a soft sad chuckle following her words before she fell into silence waiting for the mans estimate.

[erlang]

Erlang felt let down in a way, he had figured a guy of that size had a better head of alcohol and would have been able to take another swing at him. He didn’t like the attention it would bring but he couldn’t deny it would be therapeutic to loosen some teeth. Unfortunately the guy seemed perfectly intent on staying on the ground and making a gurgling sound to himself, not even a big enough scene to draw any guards.

For a moment he considered getting more drinks to amuse himself but something caught his eye. To his left two passer byes had slowed to glance at the drunk. Between them he saw the black stripes and white fur of a Stinky Weasel coming around the corner. Erlang was fully aware that that there was only one such weasel in Ba Sing Se. Knowing who it’s owner was, Erlang began to look for a means of escape before it got close enough to recognize him, the only immediate location was a shop that had yet to close. Without much thought he swiftly slipped inside.
Erlang of the Tiger Cavalry was hiding from his girlfriend.

[shuzu]

Shu-zu stared politely down at the artifacts, for they were worth something. A few glass bottles with what looked to be gold stoppers, and a bone hairbrush. He picked up each, examined them carefully, and mentally priced them. He did need to pose one question, however, so he asked, “Could you tell me just what type of bone this hairbrush is made out of? It seems like Ostrich-Horse bone, but there is another quality on it that I can’t pin down…”

Then, out of nowhere, a man that looked a few years older than himself came through the door of the shop. He seemed like a military man, but judging by his clothes, he was from a unit that Shu-zu wasn’t familiar with. But, if he was going to buy something, Shu-zu was fine with that, although, it seemed as if he was hiding from someone. So, he spoke up, “Um... sir? Is there something you need?”

[raisa]

Raisa opened her mouth to answer, the brush was actual made from Platopus-bear, but she was stopped when a large man entered the shop in a hurry. Raisa was rather unfamiliar with the area and their uniforms, but she could tell he was no mere peaseant. She was a bit mad that the man barged in on her business and that the shopkeeper had so easily turned his attention to him, but she tried to remind herself that he couldn't have possibly known that she was there and that a stranger really wouldn't be out to make her day any worse than it already was. With that in mind she tried very hard not to scowl at the man as he stood by the door, but she couldn't really bring herself to smile either. She stayed silent as the shopkeeper waited the mans answer while she wished he would simply turn around and go back to whereever it was he had come from.

[erlang]

Erlang was secretly relieved he had not worn his armor because even among military personnel the armor of the cavalry was quite unique and would probably put these two on edge not to mention it would have drawn more attention than his heavily wrapped spear. He had after all come to Ba Sing Se to rehabilitate an arrow wound and the spirit incident. These stories had upset Mine and here he was ducking into shops to avoid her ministrations.

Erlang was unable to think of an decent answer immediately. The muscles in his jaw clenched and unclenched as he searched his mind for a answer. “Um.. Greetings sir… maam.. I‘m trying to avoid a…” he paused as he searched his mind for an adequate term, “…hostile situation. If you allow me to lay low for a few minutes I can make compensations.” From the sash at his waist he produced a pair of oblong coins.

[shuzu]

Shu-zu wasn’t sure what to make of the man, as he gently set down the valuable item. Then, as he responded, he was just a few inches away from kicking him out of the store, until he saw that golden glint in the stranger’s hand. Well, if he was going to pay, Shu-zu figured he could let him stay for a little while. “You may stay, but in return, as you have already suggested, it’ll cost you two gold pieces.” Then, turning from the stranger back to the, what he assumed to be, poor girl, he sat back down and examined the rest of the items.

He examined the items, tallied the total in his head, and came to a conclusion. It would cost him around 25 gold pieces in order to buy all of these things. He silently considered just how generous he was feeling today, and if 25 gold pieces was in that range. Then, he sat on his stool and thought for a moment. I know, I’ll say an absurdly low price, and when she argues the point, we’ll settle around 15 or 20 pieces instead! Giving himself a mental pat on the back, he proposed his offer. “Well, this stuff may look of value; some of it is just junk. I will buy them from you for 10 gold pieces.”

[raisa]

Raisa turned back to the man, pain filled her heart to hear her valued possesions refered to as junk. 10 gold pieces?! It was outrageous, just half the stuff should have been worth more, but she tried to gain a calm composure.
"Ten is really too low, sir, the brush alone is worth that, it's real gold embedded in that," she looked at the man and offered a her price, "40 pieces would be more like it," she said looking over her items with a sigh, "but I'm sure you would never pay that, I'll take 30 for all of them," she looked at the man, she knew even this was a high price, she tried to remind herself that they held no sentimental value for him, "25 maybe,"

She couldn't completely ignore the other man in the store and looked over her shoulder at him. He wasn't bad looking, but she reallly didn't have time for men, not that any man would had have a poor dancer. She turned back to the shopkeeper and waited, her heart breaking to sell her precious things for so little. The money would hardly put food in hers and her sisters bellies for a week. Looking at the fine items she longed deeply to return to her life back in Omashu, now that she found how low she could fall she relized how high she had been.

[erlang]

Erlang found a computable position against the wall, subconsciously his position was one where his view of the doorway was clear but the view of anyone entering was obscured by some sort of cloth finery. For a moment he wondered what it was but figured it was little more than a dirty rug. His eyes roamed around the room while trying to politely ignore the conversation.

The shop wasn’t what he would call top notch but it was definitely better than some of the cavalry’s suppliers. Since the cavalry did not declare allegiance to the earth king or army authorities (they instead were solely governed by their respective Tiger Generals), they were not privy to the armories or supplies that the military did. Instead they often had to supply themselves with weapons, and rations from less than reputable folk. And of course supplies and gold acquired from the Fire Nation troops they crushed.

His attention was suddenly brought back when the girl looked at him. For a brief moment he looked back at her but he soon averted his eyes, women still made him nervous and self-conscious.. Plus Mine had a sixth sense for finding out if he was hanging out with girls.

[shuzu]

Shu-zu inwardly smirked, for his plan was working. Looking down at the small glass bottles, the hairbrush, and a few other odds and ends, he picked up thirty gold pieces out of his coin-bag, which was sitting at the counter. He set down the thirty gold pieces on the counter, and, with a swift movement, took away fifteen of them, leaving fifteen left on the counter. “Fine, I will offer you fifteen for the lot, but I will not budge from that price.” He was bluffing. He would go as high as twenty, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He was going to save as much money as he could in this deal.

He then got a fair bit distracted when the military man that had entered the store hid behind one of the fire nation tent-cloths that had been dyed a light shade of green to hide its true nature. He was insanely curious as to what he was hiding from, and, analyzing the situation further, he was worried that there might be Fire Nation soldiers he was hiding from. If this man brought Fire Nation soldiers into his shop, it would be a dangerous situation indeed. So, he finally had to ask, “Um, sir? If you don’t mind me asking, just who is it that you are hiding from?”