trans_9 | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Daja's forge was looking a little worse for wear, after the Nightmare King's attack - the roof was a little singed in places, and some of her furniture has a few cracks from when they fell over from the tremors. But on the whole, she'd been lucky. The building still stood. Her tools had, for the most part, survived. And she'd been able to clean up most of the mess.

She made an effort to clean up the place even more, however. She had a customer coming - and while Daja was sure that Nura would understand that the place could not be in the very best shape, Daja could at least make the effort to make her forge as comfortable and welcoming as possible.

So Daja straightened the wooden furniture - and made a note to craft some more durable tables and chairs from metal in the future - and carefully laid out a few precious biscuits that she'd manage to acquire.

Hesitating, Daja debated - should she prepare some tea? From her trade with Sheik, she had precious few tea leaves. But, as her Trader heritage had instilled in her, building up good relationships with buyers was vital. However scare, the value of the tea was nothing compared to the value of an excellent relationship with a customer, who may buy again.

Decided, Daja began to boil some water - she would ask Nura if she would like some tea when she arrived. If Nura declined, nothing was lost, and if she accepted, then a solid foundation for negotiations was in place.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is a few minutes later when Nura finally walks into the forge, hair tied back, and a kind disposition that is ever present when meeting with friends - though if Daja knows that Nura considers her a friend is unknown.

"Hey, ho, Daja. I received your message on the comm. I zoomed over here as fast as I could." She then notices the tea leaves. "Oh, are you making a fresh pot of tea?"

While Daja is always polite, she does take some time to truly let down her barriers and warm up to people. As long as you giver her time to get to know you, Daja could become a good friend.

"Yes, would you like some? I have some biscuits as well," Daja said, gesturing to the plate laid out on the table. "They're not much, but they are the best I could find."

Daja thought wistfully of the excellent food of her people. Somehow, she was going to have to find a way to acquire some good food to serve at negotiations. The lack of quality food was definitely irking Daja's Trader sensibilities.

Nura nods eagerly. They smell delicious. "Yes, please!" she plucked one from the tray and nibbled on a corner. It immediately exploded in crumbs all over her, but the plantsuit quickly took care of them.

Daja tried to hide a smile. Nura obviously didn't mind that the biscuits weren't exactly the highest quality. "I dread to think what you would be like if you came face to face with a good feast," Daja said with a little impishness.

The water had finished heating, so Daja poured two cups of tea for both her and Nura. She placed one cup before Nura, and sat down at the table with her own.

"I would probably praise the host over a thousand niks," Nura giggles, wiping off the excess crumbs. She takes a seat across from Daja, accepting the cup of tea.

"Mm, smells good." She takes long a sip, savoring the warm taste of the liquid. It has been a while since she's had tea, after that coffee with Matt, she is eager to drink something different.

"Tastes good as well."

Daja giggled a little herself - it was hard not too, when Nura was so clearly enjoying herself. "I'm glad you like it," she said, amused.

Taking a sip from her own tea, Daja smiled at Nura. "Now that we have reasonably good food and drink, we should get to business. Is there anything in particular that you'd like to trade?"

[[ooc: I can't remember if I told you this, but if not: Daja's used to bartering, so she'll expect Nura to do the same. Buyer always starting off way too low, and the seller always starting way too high, that sort of thing. Doesn't mean Nura has to barter, but Daja will try and barter and find it off if Nura doesn't XD]]

Nura sets down her tea and thinks. Bartering...yes...she has bartered before. Well, if you can call sizing up daily chores with her teammates 'bartering'. She would trade old, romantic holo-novs with Tinya in exchange for loading the dishes in the kitchen.

"The only material possession from home that I have is my wedding ring..." she puts her hand over her ring. "...and I don't think I really want to offer my ring up in exchange for the bracers."

She crosses one leg over the other. "I am quite proficient at combat, though...if that would be of any interest."

"I wouldn't ask for your wedding ring," Daja assured her.

But combat...that was interesting. Daja was skilled with the staff herself, but she was woefully out of practice. "Perhaps you could teach me your style of fighting," she said calmly.

Of course, Daja didn't expect that Nura would agree to this. To learn an entire fighting style would be far too high a price.

Nura had been trained under the Precommandos, as well as Karate Kid. Her fighting abilities are superb in that they make up for her non-physical innate ability of precogging. She was evan able to best her teachers, though they would never admit to it...

"Yes. I could give you three lessons on the basics." That will surely be enough to pay for the bracers.

Daja raised an eyebrow. "Only three? I fear you are understating my skills as a blacksmith. My work is worth far more than three,"

She sipped from her cup of tea, considering Nura. Daja could tell that Nura wasn't as experienced at bartering - normally the kind of customer who would make Daja very rich. But, Daja had taken a liking to the other woman - and if Nura got a good price today, she would be more likely to return later. And Daja would very much like to trade with Nura again. She decided she would go easy on Nura.

"Four lessons, and some friendly sparring sessions. I am skilled with the staff myself, and I could use the practice," Daja said, smiling.

Nura laughs.

"Four training sessions will tire you out too quickly. Of course the added friendly sparring is a given, but perhaps I can make it two agility training sessions with a defense lesson added - one of which you can utilize at any time with a melee weapon such as your staff."

"I only spend all day hammering on metals on the forge," Daja said dryly - although the glint in her eye suggested that Daja was clearly not offended. "Not to mention practicing my staff-work. If I tired quickly, I would get nothing done."

"Two agility and two defence," Daja said, before taking a sip of her tea.

That is more than fair. Daja is going easy on her. "Alright. That sounds about right." She extends her hand with friendly smile. "Deal?"

Daja extended her own deal, and smiled. "Deal. Now, if you can just hand me your designs, I can get started as soon as possible. It should only take two weeks at the most."

Taking a biscuit for her help, Daja gestured to what was left. "Now. How about we finish these off?"

Nura nods, pulling out the folded up old piece of paper with the bracer drawings and handing it over to Daja. "That sounds reasonable, and unless my precogging foresees any dangers ahead, there is no rush. Either way." She clasps her hands in her lap.

She looks to platter, and nods with an impish smile. "We can't let such good, normal-looking food go to waste." She plucks a biscuit from the tray and starts to nibble at it.

"It's amazing the kind of abilities people have here," Daja said, taking the piece of paper. "Nico had to study for years to learn how to scry the future. And yet...didn't you say that all of your people are 'pregocs?' There are so many amazing things I have learned since coming here. I only wish our own worlds didn't have to disappear for all of us to meet."

Daja laughed, and took another biscuit for herself. "That is very true."

Nura nods. "Yes. Every single Naltorian - but there is the possibility of an outlier appearing in the generations to come." Who knows? That outlier might not even be full Naltorian.

She takes another nibble at her biscuit. "I agree that it would have been much nicer to meet everyone on the ship if there had not been our worlds at the cost."

"Outlier?" Daka asked, wondering about this unfamiliar term.

"Hopefully, one day we'll be able to return home but can still visit the people we've met on the ship," Daja said.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only