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RESPITE MARKETPLACE - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Bracvar looks across the offered glasswares of a fellow merchant, a few stalls down from his own empty stall, examining the work and consistency of a large beaker closely. While he's not interested in anything off the shelf, the crab does need to find a glassmaker for his poor generator, which Jennica had mercilessly assaulted. He nods, carefully setting it back into the cloth bed it was displayed on, grinning at the merchant. "Aye, this work is excellent fer sure. I'll get a tooler teh measure up what I need and make an order in a couple days, if'n certain parties don't brain up a solution."
Narrator: A rogue, white cat skitters down the street on swift, skipping legs, humming happily to herself. "Mmhmmmhhhhmhmhmh~ Fish fish fish, fishy fishy fish~" Teis hums. She strides past Bracvar, her mind not really seeming to understand why the usual fish merchant isn't in his stall. . .Not until she reaches Bracvar's usual fish stall, glancing around, finding it devoid of a salesman! And of fishy features! Teis does a double take now, looking back down the street to Bracvar. Cupping her hands to her mouth, she takes in a deep breath, letting it out with a rude bellow down the street, "HEEEEEY MIIIIISSSTERRR FIIIIIIIISH MAAAAN!" She calls. She isn't intending to be rude, she's just. . .Excited. She bops up and down on the spot with a smile on her face.
Bracvar looks toward the shout after a moment, chuckling and waving to Teis before he nods to the glasswares merchant and heads toward his stall, and a very bouncy potential customer. He doesn't reply until he's scuttled up next to his stall, his grin visible only in his one good eye. "Aye, good day to yeh miss! How can I help yeh today?"
Teis continues bouncing up and down on the spot for the entirety of Bracvar's journey. And then continues once the crab is there! Teis' smile grows into a happy grin, exclaiming, "Fiiish!" with expected enthusiasm, throwing her hands up in the air to celebrate! Woo!
Bracvar blinks, chuckling at her energy. "Oh, aye, of course. Er... Well, I don't have any out fer a reason."
Teis' bouncing stops. The hands hang in the air. "Explain." Teis neutrally, simply, questions.
Bracvar laughs at the display, shaking his head slightly. "Well, the cold generator in my cart got er... vandalized. Unintentionally, apparently. Most of the ice has melted already." He gestures toward his cart, which is sitting on a muddy patch of ground from the water dripping across the entire front quarter.
Teis' grin now slowly fades into a neutral expression. The hands continue to hang. "Uh-huh. . ." Teis leads Bracvar on to continue explaining, waiting in anticipation to hear where fish come into the story.
Bracvar scratches the back of his head, unhappy to have to disappoint the cat. "Ah. Well, the ice keeps the fish from rotting." He scuttles over toward the cart, gesturing Teis to follow. "I don't know how fresh any of what's left might be. Haven't wanted teh check today, honestly."
Teis' hands now drop fully. At first, Teis stands there in disbelief, her mouth pursing open slightly in shock. Then, it proceeds into anger. "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Teis stamps the ground with a foot, her tail flaring and her hands balling into fists and thrashing downwards twice. "Who! Who sabotaged my favourite fish merchant!?" Teis demandingly questions. "I will find them! And turn them into an ice block! For the fish!"
Bracvar is startled a bit by the display, humming. He thinks back to that fateful morning, expression souring a bit. "Well, someone from the marketplace, but it's already being dealt with." He chuckles lightly, looking to Teis. "Appreciate the offer though, might've taken yeh up on it if'n yeh were here when it happened."
Teis now actually follows Bracvar to his cart. "Razzzleffraazzleeemuffinsgonnamuffinupthemuffin. . ." Teis mutters to herself under her breath. "Where does Teis get fish for lunch then. Teis hungry!" Teis pouts.
Bracvar chuckles, turning to his cart. "Well... Let's see if any of my stock's still good, I did pack 'er down with blankets to keep the cold in." He lifts the corner of his tarp, then shifts three layers of blankets back. The remaining bed of ice revealed is sad, only a foot thick at the highest point. The fish packed into it are still preserved, however, prompting the crab to nod when the normal smell of fish is released.
Teis is sad while she looks over the evaporated devastation. So many fish. . . Teis' eyes suddenly light up though when she spots and smells the preserved fish! "Yes!" Teis clasps her hands together infront just below her chin. "Fish! Fish fish!" Teis sings.
Bracvar laughs at the impromptu song, nodding. "Aye, still alright fer now, probably the last day fer them though. Not many folks round here selling ice. Which I mean none are." He sighs lightly, quickly tallying how much money he could've made on what's left.
Teis's expression fades back to neutral, leaving her standing there with clasped hands. Then, with deadpan demeanour, "I sell ice." She replies. Completely seriously. Her eyes look as if she's staring at the meaning of life itself.
Bracvar looks to Teis with a bit of surprise, smiling after a moment. "Really now? Well that is quite fortunate! Didn't know yeh were selling anything at all, miss."
Teis: "Sure. I call it Teis' nice ice." Teis' head snaps to Bracvar, grinning widely - She thinks she's hilarious. Then, she folds her clasped hands outward infront of her, stretching her arms out and cracking her knuckles, letting her exposed soft paw parts hang for a moment as she stretches. Then, she lets her hands be free of one another. "Now, say the magic words. 'Nice Ice, Teis.'" Teis turns her attention to the cart. And yes, she still thinks she's hilarious.
Bracvar offers a token chuckle, though he's unsure if she's just having a joke at his expense now. "Aye, if'n yeh could get me some ice, yeh could have yer pick of fish fer free. Within reason, o'course."
Teis' outstretched palms point to the opening in the cart. Annnnnnnd. . .! Nothing happens. Teis stands there for several moments, before slooooowwwlllly turning her head to Bracvar with a slight frown. "Say. The magic. Words." Teis insists.
Bracvar looks between Teis and the cart, shrugging. "Oh. Alright, er... Nice ice, Teis."
Teis smiles again, turning back to focus on the cart. "Why thank you." She kindly and happily replies. With that, Teis offers up an arcane incantation, followed by a movement of her hands. And then! From the sea of nothingness! A ray shoots out from Teis' palms. Both of them, even! They are purple coloured beams, though when they hit the back of the cart, the purple spreads out upon impact and becomes a cool transparent blue/white ice. "IIIIIIIIICE!!!!" Teis calls out as she continues. . .With reckless enthusiasm.
Bracvar blinks in surprise, watching the display of casual power. He looks from the ice to Teis, shaking his head slightly. "Well, that er... Was more than expected... And..." There's a pop and crackle of wood, the expanding block of ice pushing out at the sides of his cart, though it holds firm for the time being. "Hm."
Teis piles on the ice. Annnd. . .Then stops. When she thinks it's appropriate to, anyway. With a grin, she turns to face Bracvar. "Tadaa!" Teis flourishes. Of course, she's inaccessibly buried her soon-to-be fish under a slab of ice. Whoops.
Bracvar looks at the ice, nodding. "Aye, tadah. So ye'hll collect yer fish at the end of the week, then? Least I don' have to worry about them until then, I s'pose."
Teis surprised pikachu face. "What? No. Fish now, please!" She reaches out a hand to Bracvar with a hopeful and childlike glee in her eyes.
Bracvar gives Teis a bit of a look, sighing as he taps on the ice. "Well... It's good and cold but... Might not be as solid since yeh made it so fast." He stretches his legs until his waist is nearly even with the top edge of the cart wall. He taps the ice a few more times before drawing his right arm back and drilling the block with a carapaced fist. On a second hit, a crack spikes out through the surface with a loud snap.
Teis lowers her hand as she watches Bracvar do his work. "Hm. Note to self. Physical ability capable of splitting ice I generate." Teis nods to herself, then speaks up, "That or you're just really strong, Mister."
Bracvar chuckles, shrugging. "P'rhaps a bit." He drives the fist into the ice once more, crumbling his targeted spot and freeing the morsels below it. "But I also have a few decades experience with ice, know my way through it from the top an' bottom."
Teis: "Hm. Experience with naturally occurring ice leads to experience with unnaturally occurring ice." Teis hums to herself. "Must look into how ice magic mirrors real magic. I mean real ice. I mean natural ice. They're both real ice. I mean, you're not smashing face ice, after all. . ." Teis rambles.
Bracvar laughs, nodding. "Aye, yer ice formed fast, though. Fast forming ice is weak. Also, punched the thinnest spot."
Teis: "Hm. Hm hm." Teis thinks to herself. "So, layer the ice? Ugh, wish my evocation professor taught me that. And my physics teacher!" Teis exclaims.
Bracvar nods, pulling Black Seabass from under the broken ice, returning to his normal standing height to wrap them in newspapers for Teis. "Aye, always more teh learn. Still an impressive display, bein' honest. Didn't know there were any powerful mages in Respite."
Teis mocks shy embarrassment, turning away from Bracvar with half-lidded eyes, one foot crossed behind the other and a sappy wave of the hand. "Oh you." Teis replies, able to maintain the demeanour for approximate one more second before breaking out into a playful giggle. She reaches her paws out for the fish!
Bracvar hands the fish over to Teis, chuckling. "Here yeh go, many thanks fer the refresh of ice, Teis. Quite helpful!" He looks back to his cart, sighing lightly. "Just gotta get the generator fixed an' I won' have teh worry about it any more."
Teis happily takes the fish, hugging it close to her chest fluff. "Thank you!" Teis begins purring "Well. Hopefully you fix generator. And if not, talk to Teis. Teis happy to give more ice." Teis grins.
Bracvar grins, nodding. "Aye, I'll make sure teh keep yeh in mind."
Teis nods, grinning. She's happy to have gotten a free fish, though something inside of her simply won't let her take it for nothing. Bracvar is a hard working crab! Ice or no ice, Teis must pay! As she happily walks off, purring, she fishes a paw in her pocket for the coin she'd ordinarily pay, leaving it on the inside of Bracvar's stall on her way past.