Net Fetchin' <Foggy Swamp, Earth Kingdom>

[choji]

If there is one thing that will get Kulap the Spirit Talker is jewerly she had a fasination with it since she was very small and was constatly putting on her mother's neckleaces and bangles and play "dress up". It continued as she got older and had her ears peierced (several times) as well as her nosed periced (when she became a full fledge shaman). She had alsorts of rings, studs, necklaces, bangles and braclets, and dozens upon dozens of earries of every kind. Which she locks up in the backroom's water oak chest. And she is continuing her massive collection.

Proof, by her reckless and impulsive shopping she looked around the vendor's cart and pick up some choice jade and gold earrings, a few studs she even found a gorgeous malacite and silver necklace which she bought with joy.

"We should try an' stick together. It's easy to get lost." She turned and glanced at him as the vendor placed at "no refunds" sign out front.

"Oh hi Dan-dan..sorry that I ran off." She was about to give him the purse when she realized that the purse was empty.
OH NO....Dan-dan is gonna lay eggs if he finds out that I spent it all!! Errr lie through your teeth and act casual Though Kulap quickly as she hid the purse and the jewery that she percased.
"So about that net." said Kulap nervourly.

[dandan]

"Yeah," Dan-dan agreed, "We should try an' find a thatcher as soon as we can." He took little notice of his wife's guilty behavior, as he was largely more concerned about everyone around them. The simple fisherman figured his wife was the least of his worries when there could be trouble makers around any corner.

With a hand placed on her lower back he started down the streets. Dan-dan was a relatively tall man, and his height generally dissuaded many people from starting problems with him. But it did little to lessen the amount of looks they recieved as they made their way through the crowd. People gave the two outlanders plenty of space, which seemed both rude and convenient as it made it easier to navigate.

Eventually the pair came across a store wth a sign saying that they sold fishing supplies. "This looks like a good place," Dan-dan said after struggling a few moments to read the characters on the sign. He walked in ahead of Kulap and took his hat off. "Hello!" he said in a friendly manner to the shopkeep, folding his leaf hat and slipping it into his poncho.

The man who owned the store seemed like a middle-aged man with a greying goatee and the same pale green clothing as everyone else in this town. "Can I help you?" he asked, sounding none-too-enthused about his newest customers.

"Yep, you can," Dan-dan smiled, having seen a few fishing nets hanging on the walls. "I need a fishin' net. One that's twice my height wide, and round. And with real tiny stitchin'." The man looked at him rather skeptically.

"Do you have the money to pay for a net like that?" the shopkeep asked. "I don't accept toadstools as a form of payment..."

Dan-dan laughed, taking no offense to the slight jab at his people. "No, we got Earth Kingdom money," he assured him, "Kulap, cn you hand me the purse?"

[choji]

Kulap guilt has been dissolving her stoic demenor quickly as Dan-dan looked around for a thatcher to make a net for him. Kulap had her head low and her eyes inverted to the ground. She was feeling the weight of her misdeed and it was very heavey burden,

Kulap was still very glum as they entered the thatcher's hut. She heard the conversation between her consort and the thatcher. Though Dan-dan didn't take any offesense in the jab. Kulap did and glared at the thatcher with sharp eyes. However despite her momentary spike of spunk, her mood dropped again when Dan-dan asked:
Kulap, cn you hand me the purse?"

Kulap tremebled for a moment before a few tears crept through her eyes.
"I-imma sorry, Dan-dan...it's my fault. I couldn't help myself. I spent all the money at the Jewery cart. I'm sorry that I lied and didn't tell you right away." The tears became a torrent as her guilt ate through. She handed him the empty purse sobbing.

[dandan]

Dan-dan's smile lasted only a few seconds longer as Kulap confessed to spending their money. He reached out a hand to grab the empty pouch, and as he padded down the cloth to assure himself that she wasn't kidding. Even as his wife started to well up with tears, he was still coming to terms with exactly what she had done.

"But..." the fisherman started to say, his brow furrowed slightly as he considered the circumstances, "Kulap... this wasn't our money. It belonged to the village." Still looking at the empty pounch in one hand, he rubbed his forhead with the other. He was truly struggling to grasp the concept that his wife had basically stolen from the village and left them penniless.

Dan-dan glanced at his wife. For some reason, the sadness in her expression that would have moved him near to tears any other day was eclipsed by his sheer disappointment in her lapse of judgement.

"If you don't have any money, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the shopkeep interrupted. Dan-dan looked his way for a moment, and the man folded his arms over his chest. For a moment the swamp fishermen continued to stare at him with that same upset look on his face while his mind turned over the situation.

"Can we give ya the jewels she bought as payment?" Dan-dan asked, suddenly thinking that this whole problem could still be resolved.

"No," the shopkeep replied quickly, a frown also crossing his features. "It's real money or no net."

"Not even if it's worth more?"

"No substitute payments..." the man stated stubbornly.

Dan-dan looked away from him and back at Kulap. He was growing extremely frustrated, and he could tell that this man was not going to budge on his stance, even if he offered to give him double the net's worth in jewelry. "Come on," he said at last, taking Kulap by the hand and starting toward the door. "We're getting the money back."

[choji]

Kulap had two options. Threaten the thatcher or go back and tried to fix the problem. Since the former wasn't going to work and she was already in the coon-dog house she wasn't going to make things worse. She felt her earrings and her bangles as well as the beads hanging from her leg bands.

"Dan-dan, I am sorry, please...forgive me...let me fix this." She didn't say anything else nor even kiss Dan-dan's cheek. She turn and ran out the door before Dan-dan even told her to go and get the money back. Her guilt continued to pound on her like a mallet as she ran down the stright down the streets. She looked for the jewery cart and she found it on the otherside of the road.

"Back again." The jewler said non-chalantly while grooming his mustouche.
"Look I need to return some stuff." She stated as she took out the things she bought.
"Sorry no refunds." The man countered not even looking at Kulap. But Kulap wasn't through yet.
"Fine I'll sell ya then!" The jewler looked at Kulap's desprate face and laughed.
"With the stuff you bought from me?" Kulap shook her head and threw down her bangles, her nose ring, earrings as well as the beaded cord with the large hunk of jade on the end. The man lifted his eyesbrows and said.
"Junk.." Kulap frowned, tears began to form again.
"Junk? Yew didn't even look at this stuff! First these bangels are from my mama, grandad told me they came from Gaoling, and the earrings are gold and pure silver, with agate and ameysthe. And this is a shamanic talismen!" Kulap shouted as she showed the beaded cord.
"Shamanic talisman? Really? You're a witch doctor?" Kulap frowned, "Shaman, yes but thats not the tha point. This is a life cord, most shamans have it as source of protection, not only are they're rare, but from what I heard. Most shamans don't make these anymore. This was my great-grandmama's before she gave it to grandad." The jewler looked at the the beaded cord, The beads wear made of agate, porcelin and bone. The jade was smooth and carved into a teardrop shape. The jewler wasn't too impressed but this was a rarity. Talismens are common when faked, but the age and the slight wear from use, showed him that his was no faked producted. It was antique and probably worth a good gold piece to a collector in Gaoling or Omashu. Still he jewler wasn't going to pay that much for it.

"Hmmm since it's real..I'll give you two silvers and copper piece." Kulap wasn't ignorant at all, she new a game when she saw one. (considering she ran a few herself)
"Nuh-uh, Don't try to play me, that alone is worth at least ten gold, and everything else twenty gold." The jewler frowned. This was a smart native, harder to play.
"Hmmm it's old, and worn...five silvers and a copper, for the rest. ten silvers." Kulap thumped her staff.
"Don't you rob me! It's thirdy gold!" The jewler fought back.
"It's twenty silvers! Final offer!" Kulap frowned. She was already in deep shi* now. Dan-dan should be right behind her. Probably frowning at this. She was so frustrated and unhappy. What was she going to do now?

[dandan]

The moment Kulap darted ahead of him, Dan-dan almost lost his cool. "Kulap!" he called after her, his voice unusually stern. "Get back-!" he started to say, but stopped himself from making a scene. Instead he simply exhaled deeply and cast a glance at the store owner, who quickly found interest in the cieling as the fisherman's eyes focused on him. "Hold that net," Dan-dan said simply and gestured to one of the nets on the wall. The man shrugged in response, and then the swamp-dweller was out the door.

Dan-dan was doing all he could to keep himself relaxed, but still he was walking with urgency as he made his way through the streets in search of his wife. She'd allready shown how quickly she could make bad decisions. Spirits, she was out of his sight for less than a minute last time and she'd wasted their entire budget on a few trinkets! Whether she really wanted to set things right or not, Dan-dan wasn't sure he trusted in her ability to do so responsibly.

He soon caught sight of her, though, and luckily enough it seemed like she was still trying to haggle with the merchant. Picking up his stride, Dan-dan came right up behind her and turned her to face him. "What're you doin'?" he asked urgently, his tone and expression showing clearly how frustrated he was becoming.

"Hey, hey, buddy," came a sudden interruption from across the table where the jeweler was reaching to tap Dan-dan on the arm, "The lady and I were doing business." The fisherman stared daggers at the smaller merchant, and for the moment he forgot entirely about how unhappy he was with Kulap. Instead he decided that this rat had equal, if not greater blame in this situation than his wife. He was a slick salesman taking advantage of her fascination with shiny things.

"My wife is not doin' any more business with you," Dan-dan stated, leaning on the table and looming a bit over the jeweler. The man shrank back slightly, but he still wore a look of annoyance. "You're dealin' with me now... Now where's the money she gave for the jewels?"

[choji]

Kulap paced before she started her fight up with jewler.
"Ok gimme at least ten gold for the talismen and twenty silvers for everything el-" Kulap was ready to hit it home but a very frustrated and angry husband interupted her deal making.
"What're you doin'?" Kulap looked into the eyes of her lifemate and became very nervous. She had never seen Dan-dan so upset. All of her confidence drained out her quickly.
"Uhh uhh...I'm t-t-rying to g-g-et the mon-" But her trembly words where ignored as the jewler tried to get her attention back. And Dan-dan like a catgator on a drowing tapir-elk rounded on him.
"My wife is not doin' any more business with you, you're dealin' with me now... Now where's the money she gave for the jewels?"
Dan-dan demanded as Kulap shrank back both in shame and fear. The jewler was deciding that these swamp-savages are far to much trouble and was getting bored of trying to rip off Kulap.

"The money is locked away, now will you please get off my cart..." He added as he tried to sweep up Kulap jewerly.
"HEY! I ain't through with yew! Those ain't yours yet mister!" Kulap shouted annoyed

[dandan]

Like a striking snake, Dan-dan slammed his hdand down on the man's hand as he made a grab for Kulap's belongings. There was a thud on the table as he clamped his left hand down on the man's wrist and held it tightly in its place. With a bit of a squeeze, Dan-dan forced the man to release his hold on the necklace and bangles that his wife had offered to trade.

"That ain't yours," the fisherman said angrily. The jeweler brought his other hand over in an attempt to pry Dan-dan's hand off his. There was a moment where he started to yank his hand free, but the swamp-dweller quickly released his oar in his right hand, pulled a stream of water out of the pouch on his hip, and then splashed a glob of it against the man's hands. With a quick exhalation and a little focus, Dan-dan froze both of the man's hands to the table nd then extracted his own.

"Hey!" the man protested, trying to pry his hands free. "Let me go! HELP!" He started shouting out to the people around them, but Dan-dan paid him no heed. Instead he simply picked up the pouch of items that Kulap had purchased earlier and placed them near the jeweler's hands.

"These are yours," Dan-dan said to the man, and then leaned across the table and padded down the front of his chest. Despite the man's protests and occasionally shouts for help, he eventually located a money purse hanging from his neck and yanked it free. After taking a moment to count out the same amount of gold pieces they'd started with, Dan-dan said finally, "And this belongs to Us."

With that he pocketed the money, left the rest on the table, and picked up his oar. He was ready to get the net and leave. This whole day had left a bad taste in his mouth.

[choji]

Kulap face was the color of sour milk. Everything was falling apart so face. And to see Dan-dan act this was really starting to frighten the spirit talker. She watch Dan-dan freeze the jewler's hands to the table. She frowned feeling sick. But the little voice in her head chided. It's alll your fault, yer stupid and reckless actions got you into this mess, and look what happended.

Kulap heard a snap and Dan-dan took the good as he shoved back the jewels to the man. And took the money. Kulap was slient through this whole ordeal but she spoke up.
"Dan-dan mah instincts tell me this is gonna end badly I wus fixing things on my own!! I'm sorry please-" But she stop talking. She gripped her staff and tried to make this less painful as it was but it wasn't working and it got worse when the jewler shouted:
"THEIF! HELP! THEIF!!" Kulap froze as gaurds and the Village athority came trampling in. The look mencing and Kulap was too shaken and shame-face to cause a ruckus. The immediatly grabbed her and Dan-dan. The grip was strong and almost bruising on Kulap. Fear plunged through her like hot knife.

"HEY HEY! WE DIDN'T DO NUTHIN!! LET GO! DAN-DAN HEEELP!" Kulap screamed and struggled as she and Dan-dan we're both in grip of the law,
"Those two! Stole from me! They have my gold! Watch out for the woman though! She's a witch!" Kulap looked pleadingly at Dan-dan feeling her guilt maul her again.
She was scared, it was apparent in her eyes.

[dandan]

Dan-dan was not happy, to say the least, when he turned to leave the jeweler and was met with the sight of four armed men heading their way. He stopped walking and held his hands up and to his sides in a gesture of peace. Despite the crooked salesman yelling about them being thieves, he still held on to the hope that these men would hear them out before doing anything rash.

"Sir, that man tried to-Hey!" his words were cut short as a spear was suddenly leveled toward his face by one of the policemen.

"Drop the money and the weapon," another of the men ordered. Dan-dan frowned, but still he obeyed and let the oar fall to the ground.

"This money's ours," he said, holding the pouch up for the man to see. Dan-dan was trying to be as respectful to the authority figures as he could, but a moment later he saw that the other two men weren't being quite so gentle with Kulap. "Hey-HEY!" he shouted instinctually, "Let'er go! She ain't doin' anything!"

A sudden jab to the guy with the butt of a spear caught him off-guard and he stumbled back a step. An officer stepped in beside him and kicked the back of his knees in. Dan-dan fell to his knees and felt his hand yanked behind his back. The money pouch was wrenched from his grip while the man continued to spout orders about not struggling.

All the while, the jeweler was still making outrageous claims about being assaulted. Dan-dan tried to tell the officers what happened by raising his voice over the jeweler's but each time he tried he was met with more threats to stay silent. After a chaotic few moments, the officers seemed to decide that this honest businessman had sold some jewelry to the swamp dwellers, who had then come back trying to return tarnished goods and then stole double what they originally payed.

Dan-dan had given up trying to argue with the merchants and instead spent most of his time shouting at the men restraining Kulap not to hurt her. Eventually, the couple from the swamp had their hands bound with wooden blocks behind their backs and were marched down the street at spearpoint.

They were told that they would face justice, but Dan-dan was hopeful that once they got to plead their case that everything would be set right.

[choji]

Kulap her face down looking shame-faced and frighten. The men occasionly pushed her down the road, and two men had their weapons one was looking at the staff playing with the bones on it. Kulap shouted out: "Hey yew! Don't touch those! Those are power charms, ye'll mess up tha energy around it!" The gaurd frowned tapped her head it with.
"Hush witch I can do whatever the hell I want with it.." Kulap moaned as she and Dan-dan were shoved into the same holding cell. She notice the other convics who all started staring at them.
One with dark skin and a shaved head remarked.
"Ooooh Lookit them...you don't see those everyday. Check out the girl with those knockers!" Kulap cheeks burned with emmarsment and she sat in a corner with Dan-dan.

Slience past between them, except for a few cat calls. Kulap didn't say anything. Until she started sobbing agian.
"I'm s-s-s-orry *hic* It's all my fault D-d-d-an-dan. I'm s-s-s-uch an Idiot if only I have been be so im-implusive I we wouldn't be in this mess *hic* I jest want you to know that I apologize for everything...I jest want to fix it...*sob*" Kulap sobbed over and over until she started coughing.
"I love ya Dan-dan...didn't me fer this to happen."

[dandan]

All the while being marched into a holding cell, Dan-dan's hopes for a peaceful resolution to this entire situation were slowly shrinking away. Any attempts to start up dialogues with the men leading them to the jail were met with harsh remarks and orders to stay quiet. When at last he and Kulap were deposited into a stone-walled enclosure, the guards told them that their prosecutor would stop by in a little while to determine the punishment for their crime.

That left the two swamp-dwellers together in the same room as a handful of other convicts. Despite the fact that they were surrounded by shady characters, Kulap seemed unable to hold her composure any longer and broke down into tears. Dan-dan was still quite upset with her, but given the change of circumstances the fisherman realized that staying angry wouldn't help them out of this. Ordinarily he would simply let her stew in her own sadness in order to teach her a lesson about stealing from the tribe, but it seemed like she'd already had enough misery to learn her lesson.

With a sigh, Dan-dan released any lingering anger he held toward Kulap's actions and replaced those feelings with his usual optimism. Scooting closer to Kulap and sitting against the wall with her, Dan-dan placed a hand around her shoulder and rubbed his hand soothingly along her arm.

"Sh-sh-shhh... Easy now," he said in as soft a voice as he could. "I know ya didn't mean to hurt anyone." Dan-dan leaned in closer, kissing his wife on top of her head. "It's okay.... I accept yer apology. Now let's jus' stay calm and try to work this out with these people."

[choji]

Kulap sobbed as Dan-dan tried to comfort her. She shook a little and listened to Dan-dan's words.

"It's okay.... I accept yer apology. Now let's jus' stay calm and try to work this out with these people."

Kulap started to hiccup. A sign that she was overstressed, She was slient for a while as she continued to hiccup. Then she said something,
"I dunno Dan *hic* These folk don't seem to *hic* be fair. We didn't do noth*hic*in' and here they are makin' us like criminals *hic* hic*." She continued to hiccup before finally stopping, she stood up and stretched a bit.
"We can stand here and wait our pushiment or....we can bust out." She said the last part quietly as she folded her back into a Warrior II pose and then Triangle pose. After doing a few more yoga stretches, Kulap paced around the compound she seem to return to her wild-eyed personality as she walked around thinking.

[dandan]

"Whoah, whoah, now..." Dan-dan said, getting to his feet as well. He patted the air with his hands as he approached his wife and tried to stop her pacing. "Yer goin' off on a wild thought again," he told her, grasping her by the hips lightly. "This is just what'choo were sayin' you weren't gonna do no more."

The fisherman glanced around them and he took note of a few shady-looking convicts in their chamber eyeballing them. Dan-dan started back toward the corner where they were sitting before and slumped back down against the wall. Patting the ground beside him, he beckoned for Kulap to sit down as well.

"Let's just wait to speak with whoever's in charge here. If they still won't let us out and give us our money back fair and square, then we can start raisin' some heck." Dan-dan offered a comforting smile, hoping at least that the thought of smacking some guards around would placate his wife for the time being.

[choji]

Kulap like the idea of busting out but she also liked the idea of raising heck. With her husband's hands on her wide hips. She had sudden thought about home. But Dan-dan walked back to his spot and she sat down.

After an hour of them sitting in various positions and Kulap taking a nap on Dan-dan shoulder. The bars were rattled and Kulap popped awake. She wiped the drool from her lips and saw a skinny, ratty looking man that would be Chin offical. Kulap walked over to the bars.
"Whatta ya *yawn* want." Kulap yawned loudly. The Chin offical said in a crusty voice.
"So you and your....ermmm partner have been accused with theift. You and your partner would be around a jury to decide your punishment. Kulap blinked. "What! We didn't do nothin' That jewler guy ripped us off! I was jest gettin' mah money back!" Kulap went into detail about what happened but the offical looked bored. "Are you done?" Kulap blinked wishing she could curse him.