Aminala makes her way through the market, carrying an empty wicker basket that she swings back and forth idly while she looks at the assortment of goods. Aminala always enjoys her day off each week. It feels good to get out of the palace and have some free time to herself.
Rabe follows nearby Aminala, at her side rather than the respectful small step behind. The marketplace is no odd sight to her, not that she comes to it very often, but she enjoys the change of scenery greatly.
Aminala looks over to Rabe and smiles widely, her tail curing around itself while she slows and begins to look at some homemade earthenware in one merchants booth. Aminala looks about at the different pots and bowls careful to not break anything. To everyone around her, she is nothing more than an annoying kid.
Rabe chuckles a little softly, looking herself at a vendor selling different types of fruit. The vendor chatters on to her, the usual sale pitch dribble, and she ends up purchasing a fruit is fairly pear-shaped.
Aminala leaves the vendor and makes her way over to Rabe. "Heya whatcha get," she inquires wanting to strike up a conversion. These handmaidens are always too low key. Some of them need to loosen but a bit more.
Rabe looks over to Aminala, smiling a little. She almost forgets she's the Queen in that outfit. "Oh well..I don't know what he called it, but it looks alright," she says, showing the fruit to Aminala.
Aminala smiles and nods. "I always enjoy coming here. So many things from so many different places," Aminala says with a twinkle in her eye. She turns and enters another booth, this one selling a variety of imported trinkets.
And, off to one side--- voices rise in argument. "No, no. That's not a combust reader. No! Of course I've seen one b'for, ijut--- It's square. And this doesn't even have an view panel," gripes a scummy-looking, tallish cheetah towards a even dirtier wares merchant. "No, zees vill werk," responds the nonplussed merchant. The cheetah puffs up angrily, "What kind of scam are you tryin' ter pull here? I see burnt marks all through it anyway--- and this isn't what I'm looking for...!"
Rabe turns her eyes to the argument momentarily, then moves over to Aminala, "Looks like somethings about to happen.."
Aminala hmms lightly looking up from a wood hand carving. Her eyes dart across the market and finally rest upon a leopard and a cheetah arguing over some peice of junk. "Oh yes... Naboo's finest," she grumbles.
The cheetah eventually just tosses the item into the heap of other things. Of course, predictably, something else breaks. "You vill pay for zees!" "Pay for it!? If you'd given me the correct item in the first place---" "You VILL pay for zeees!" interuppts the merchant.
Aminala places the carving back on a shelf and makes her way over to the argument. Perhaps she can help settle this petty squabble. "Afternoon gentlemen, I noticed your raising quite a ruckas. Mind if I ask what your disturbing the peace over," she asks her tail twitching, hands behind her back.
"You vill pay for zees," the merchant repeats. "I will not, barely touched it," argues the other, only casting the female a sideways glance before continuing with the argument. "I didn't disturb nuffin. His junk didn't work before it broke." "You vill pay for zees!" "Do you speak english?"
Aminala takes a deep breath and steps closer. "Excuse me sir, how much is that," she asks indicating to the part the two are arguing over, with a furry finger.
The merchant has to blink. He doesn't care who pays it. "It eez Six-ity creedits," "I guess that's a no to my question...." a pause. "Sixty? You must be out of your mind! For a combust box may-be, but for the reader? Ha! And that isn't even the part you claim it is---"
Aminala reaches into a coin pouch she has attached to her belt and pulls out sixty credits. She places them before the merchant. "There you are sir, sixty credits," she says with a smile.
The merchant accepts it. And plops the broken machine into Jax's paw. "No-- I, hey," he manages to say in confusion to the lioness and merchant, his steam from the argument suddenly... built to nothing. Just who does she think she is...? To pay a stranger's... he pockets the item. He'll fix it. "Or did you want it."
Aminala smiles and shakes her head. "No it's yours," is her only reply as she exits the merchants booth and returns to where Rabe is standing at the furit stand. She smiles to Rabe. "If all of everyones problems were that easy to solve, being in change would be all too easy," she says with a smile looking at the fruit. "You going to eat that all?"
Rabe chuckles, "No...you can have some, if you like."
"How much for that roll of ion magnet wire?" "Go 'way." "No, really."
Aminala grins. "Chef Louie messed up on breakfast, and I didn't have the heart to send it back, so I just kinda... anyhow, I'm starved." She holds out a hand waiting to receive that Rabe is willing to give her.
And from the background? "TWENTY? It's hardly worth twenty." "Nine-een?" "Try four. Look, it's scuffed." "Twenny." "You just said Nineteen!" "Don' like youse."
Rabe takes out a small pocket-type knife, cutting the fruit in half, giving part of it to Aminala, smiling, "Sometimes his mind wanders away from the food, doesn't it?"
Aminala takes the furit and bites into it carefull to not get any juice on her attire. She finishes her mouthful before speaking. "Somethimes... that's putting it nicely Rabe." Aminala tries to tune out the agument over some other peice of junk.
Rabe bites into her half, chewing slowly as she looks back to the arguers. She smiles lightly, "Seems like this is going to be a rather interesting day..."
Aminala rolls her eyes and takes another bite. She chews on it slowly enjoying the sweet tarty taste. "Every day is an interesting day for me. I don't belive I have had one that hasn't been for the last two years."
"Spot-hide! What do you consider your own pelt to be! And sixteen's my final offer." "Sv'nteen." "Fine. But if I find a problem with it, the constaple will be on -your- hide--- whatever type you've decided it is." "Eeez not in'trest'd in ya scampz," "I'll give you that and--- where's my change? You can't expect eighteen---" "Zat is seventeen you gave." "No, I need a credit." "No, eez not."
Rabe smiles knowingly, having seen a majority of those "interesting" days, along with the other handmaids. "I don't know how you hold up under all of it."
Aminala shakes her head and looks back towards the participants in the duel of junk. "Some times I amaze myself, Rabe," Aminala says finishing her half with one final large bite. She chews on it slowly and swallows. "That's not bad. I should ask for some of those to be on our menu tonight. Today is Tuesday, that means it's Louie's turn to do the dinner, and that means," she gulps wondering what the chef will serve up for dinner. Usally the meal had the word 'suprise' in it somewhere. "I really should get a new chef. Ar'mon is good, but he only does lunch and occassionally breakfast."
Rabe is still finishing her half, smiling, "Might be a good idea...before everyone migrates out for food."
Aminala smiles. "I'll make sure I do that first thing we get back." Aminala looks to her chronometer. "What time should we be getting back? It's a few minutes till noon."
Jax is apparently a banter-magnet. "How much for those... fruit...things?" "They're not things, these are appleberry--" "I don't care. How much?" "Don't 'care'!" huffs the indignant fruit-seller.
Aminala nods to Rabe. "Stay here for a bit Rabe. I have an invidual to talk too." Aminala leaves Rabe and steps over to Jax tapping him on the shoulder with a finger. "Cuse me sir."
Jax pivots about, too-long tail aiding in his balance. He about takes off her hand accidentily with the sharp wire. "Hmmm?" gaze having been way up, expecting perhaps--- it drops to her. Without recognition, really. "Yeah?"
Aminala jerks her hand back and takes a step back to keep her distance from the wire. "Pardon me sir,
but your being awful noisy. While this is a public place, I think your voice is disturbing others. It would be very polite and curtious if you would lower it," she says being tactfull and polite. Just two things she knows all too well.
Jax blinks at her as if she grew another head. "Would lower wut? Oh, be quiet?" he can't help but snicker inwardly at the little 'peasant girl' who is asking him to tone it town. "Just gettin' things done quick,---- does anyone around here look disturbed ter you? B'sides, They don't take you serious 'nless you're stern, girlie," he shrugs, rolling the stray end of wire back up, and almost cutting himself. He doesnt' appear to notice the near-wounding.
Aminala remains looking up at the cheetah. "Well sir, your disturbing me. I was nice enough to get you that part. Would you please return the favor by being kinder to others and not argue with them so much." Aminala is almost treating the cheetah like a mother scolding a child.
Rabe looks on this with a slight look of bemusement and horror. Aminala is quite capable of handling herself, she knows...but a nagging protective sense rises likewise. She moves over near Aminala, saying lightly, "Aminala...they have to argue..it's part of haggling over the price.."
It's all he can do not to burst out laughing at her tone. "Oh, disturbing you, am I." Ohhh, so that's where she's from. She's the idiot who paid for the part. "Aye, a broken combuster that'll take months of tinkering to get to work even moderately efficiently. Yea, you were generous. Argue? I don't argue. I get the best price. Yea! Listen to yer---" oh, wait. He does a blinking double-take.
Aminala takes a step back and turns to Rabe giving her a look of, 'yer suppost to call me something else but Aminala look'. She turns and looks up to the cheetah half wondering if he is from this planet or not and what he is about to do next.
Aminala grins a bit. "That probably came out wrong. My name is Nala. Rabe here is quite the joker, she likes to stick Ami on the front for fun. Besides what would a queen be doing out here," she says smileing, hoping that will do the trick.
Jax wrinkles his nose. He's not stupid, he makes connections, kind of. "Errhm hmmm." Where is that name.... ahhh, yes, royalty kind of thing. "Animala, that's... what, a racial slur? You must have cruel parents. Ohhhh! Aminala. Right. The queen. They named yer after her? Spots, I thought hero-worship with de slave names was bad in Tatooine-- Excuse me, eh? I gotta get back to arg---hagg'lin." He turns away from her, not a very polite thing to do. And proceeds to be just about as noisy as he was. "Mmmm, four of those, how much?... They stay long in airlock?" "Six weeks." "Weeks? My antifreeze doesn't last that long." "Try another brand of antifreeze," "But if you think those are worth full price... spots, that's false advert."
Rabe covers her mouth with a hand, chuckling lightly with Aminala's joke. She doesn't say anything more, a small voice in the back of her mind telling her she's going to get it later.
Aminala turns and lets out a deep sigh of relief. She doesn't look in Rabe's direction, she just tries to remain calm and contiues her shopping moving down to another booth this one selling fabric. One roll looks to mimic that of the handmaidens sunset tye dye gowns. Aminala pokes at it and seaches around for any marked price before asking.
Rabe moves on to another vendor, not expecting Aminala to say anything to her. She chides herself in her mind, yet her face speaks nothing of it...except to one who might know it better than others. She looks towards a vendor selling trinkets, unvaluable little things, but pretty none the less.
Jax eventually gets an even better price for the items... of course. After completely annoying the merchant. But he got what he wanted. And strolls to lean against part of a wall, taste one... managing to get a bit on the white shirtfront. Of course, it matches just fine with the many other stains, so it's not so bad, except to be sticky.
The owner of the store waddles over, his neck surrounded by more gold chains than you can count. "Hello there young one, looking for something?" Aminala nods and points to the fabric. "How much is this," she asks. The merchant looks at it and laughs his belly shaking. "Far more than I think you can afford." He points to some rough looking pain colored cloth. "I think this would be more in your price range," he announces pointing to some fabric. "Looks can be deciving, sir," Aminala replies remaining next to the fabric. "Huh," the merchant replies. "What did you say?" "I said you don't judge a book by it's cover," Aminala replies accidentally letting her voice rise up.
The merchant's face curls down in anger. "Didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders," he says adding in, "peasant." "I only give respect to those who diserve it," Aminala replies her voice a bit more commanding. The other customers in the shop all turn to look and a few even leave. The merchant see's this and steps forward his eyes buring in anger. "Why I outta put you in your place you little big mouthed urchin."
Jax chuckles pointedly from where he slouches. Point made. He watches the encounter in definite amusement. And, suddenly frowning, gets a closer look at the wire casing. Hey, he -was- ripped off....
... this stuff's worth more than what he paid... he sure ripped that merchant off...! Satisfaction gleams in his gray eyes.
Aminala backs up from the advancing merchant, frightened. She accidentally trips on her own feet and falls to the ground, her basket bouncing down to ground and rolling onto one side. The merchant can only laugh and point. "Your parents shoulda taught you how to walk rather than how to mouth off."
Other customers in the store laugh too and point. If it was not for Aminala's fur you could see that her face was burning red with anger.
Rabe looks over when she hears the laugh, noticing exactly WHO he's laughing at. Rabe sighs and begins to make her way over, loyalty to the Queen speaking more than her common sense to stay out of it. She pushes her way through the forming crowd, coming up to where Aminala and the merchant are. "What's going on here?" she questions, looking to the merchant.
Aminala tries to get up but the merchant only pushes her back down with a foot. "Down girl, down. Your not about to get up untill you learn a little respect," he kicks at her side, not too hard, and keeps one arm pinned to the ground with a foot. Aminala looks franically around wondering where Rabe could be. She smiles as she notices Rabe.
Jax decides to wander over and distract.... after watching a little longer. "Hey gurth--- hows the wife? And didja get my tarp covers yet, or did ya want to pay me back for those repairs on yer skooter-thing another way?" He asks loudly from one side, picking up a bit of red-orange cloth, and 'accidentily' dripping orange juice on it. "Oh, gee, wait. Maybe you can pay me with this.... or maybe you're busy? I'll just put this back---" he whistles.
The merchant looks to Rabe. "Is she your sister or something," he says pointing to the pinned Aminala. It is true, many of the handmaidens look much like the queen so that they can take her place.
Rabe nods lightly, smiling a little at the merchant. Charm never harmed anything. She answers, "That's right...you'll have to excuse her, she sometimes let's her mouth get the best of her." She bends down near Aminala.
The merchant looks over to Jax and raises an eyebrow. "Do I know you? Hey you better pay for messing that up!" The merchant points to the fabic that Jax soiled with juice.
Aminala turns back to Rabe. "You better teach your sister here a few manners." He releases his foot away from Aminala's arm and makes his way over to Jax, his anger growing. First some little twirp mouths off to him, and now his merchandise is getting ruined.
Jax looks offended, "After all I did for you? Aww, no respect. I tell yer, loans cause amnesia," he remarks to a leopard nearby, who blinks at him, but agrees. The rest of the orange disappears into the cheetah's mouth, and he wipes fingers on his shirtfront. "And it's the same color anyway. Orange on orange."
Aminala gets up slowly giving Rabe a look of 'thank you'. She bends over and picks up her basket, trying to put a smile back on her face. Today has been interesting... very interesting.
Rabe dusts off her outfit, smiling a little herself. Well, at least being a handmaiden isn't boring.
spoof cocks his head. "I don't know you, but you better pay for that fabric, or I'll just take it outta tail," he says making a fist with his huge stubby fingers. A gold ring or two is on each finger, most having a few jewels on it.
The merchant cocks his head. "I don't know you, but you better pay for that fabric, or I'll just take it outta tail," he says making a fist with his huge stubby fingers. A gold ring or two is on each finger, most having a few jewels on it.
Jax wooops, with a cocky grin, "Gee, that's my cue, isn't it---- I see. What's it worth? A few credits?" he comments, licking a bit of stickiness from his thumb, and then shifting the wire bundle to the other paw. He'll use it as a weapon if he has to. He won't show a laser in the marketplace-- that's bad. He knows from experience.
Aminala leans over to Rabe and whispers. "Thanks." She gives one of Rabe's hands a squeez and decides
no to remeber Rabe's little mistake. They both have made them today. Aminala turns and looks to the merchant wishing that she could just instantly put on her gown and headpeice and put the jerk in his place.
The merchant crosses his arms across his chest. "It's two hundered credits a meter. And you my friend owe me two hundred credits." He rolls out the fabric and the juice stain can be seen in several spots as it has soaken through.
Rabe smiles lightly, returning softly, "It's the least I could do." She turns her eyes back to the merchant likewise, watching him talk to the cheetah male. A touch concerned, she asks Aminala, "Shouldn't we help him?.."
Aminala looks to the cheetah and back to Rabe. "What should we do," she whispers. "I only have seventy credits left." A pesant carrying any more would be absurd.
Rabe bites her lower lips, then smiles just a touch, replying lowly, "Well...we could always try sweet talk."
She grins almost viciously, "What male can resist that from a pair of young lionesses?"
Aminala nods. "I haven't been the best at language skills today. You lead, and I'll back you up," she whispers back.
Jax bursts out laughing. Two hundred credits? He doesn't have that on him. He's running out of options. "You're kidding! Gee...." He doesn't have a lot of options here, does he. "But look at all this? This wasn't all me. And it's the same -color-. I'll give you half that. And that'd be a good deal for the stuff if it -was- in mint condition."
The merchant becomes even more angry. "This fabric is very special. It is tied directly with the royals. This fabic is worth every credit to the woman that wears it. This cannot be sold with it's soiled. Pay up now. Or I'll singal the police and you can stand before the queen as guilty man."
Rabe takes a deep breath, trying to mentally word this. She makes her way towards the merchant for a second time, smiling a little at Jax before she tries to catch the merchant's attention, "I couldn't help but overhearing...how much did you say the fabric sold for?"
Jax likes distractions. He likes them very much. More than he likes providing them. He blinks towards the maiden, though.
The merchant turns and looks down at the young lioness. "It's two hundred credits," he says, the words comming out slowly so that Rabe can understand. "Two... hun...dred."
Aminala comes up behind Rabe remaining slient, but trying to give support through her own presence. She waits slowly for what Rabe will do next, a bit upset about the terrible treatment they are both getting from this jerk off merchant.
Rabe doesn't seem to plan much in her head. A wee bit implusive is this girl. But her brows do go up in a look of wonderment, "Oh? I would have thought such a fine type of fabric would have been more." Her smiles a touch, a suttle little smile, trying to pull off a charming look, "You must be a generous man...though I can tell that by your face."
Jax can't help but... STARE. Is she trying to jack UP the price that'll get beaten from his tail if he can't bring it -down-? This is perpostrous!
The merchant nods. "I am generous. This fabric should be twice the price, but I sell it low so that it pleases everyone. I like having happy customers." He smiles a bit with the remark that Rabe has made about his face.
Rabe smiles, "And a fine job you do of it too, sir." She looks to Jax, then back to the merchant, "I often say you can tell a lot about a person by the way he treats others."
Jax tries not to sputter. He'll probably run. He's pretty fast. Yes. That's it. What is she -doing?-
The merchant nods. "Yes. A wise man once said, You influance more through one action than a thousand words." He smiles. "Your quite the smart one. You must have gotten your sister's share."
Rabe laughs, "Why thank you! My mother always said I was very bright. She always taught me to be friendly too and forgive others when they did something wrong...shows true strength of character, you know, and brings the respect of many." She grins again, a warm one, "But I'm sure a man like you knows all about the credits of forgiveness."
Jax ponders if now would be a good time to duck out. But this -is- interesting. And he likes her. She's pretty. Yeah, he's superficial, what'd you expect. He fingers the wire slightly, mind going briefly on how he'll pay both THIS and the poll to land for gas at his next stop.
The merchant nods slowly putting a finger to his chin and looking over to Jax though the corner of his eye. "Well I do have a freind who cleans high end fabric. Gotten a few stains out I thought he never could." The merchant turns to Jax. "Tell you what, give me twenty creidts for the cleaning of the fabric, and I'll forget this happened."
Rabe smiles brightly but says nothing, turning her gaze to Jax.
Jax just about falls down. He's getting out of this -without- bruises??? "All right by me," he agrees. And digs out the payment. He does have twenty on him... though he'll still scrape the bottom of the barrel... like always, to get offplanet. Maybe the merchant isn't so bad? Hmmm. "If'n ya ever need passage offplanet er freight, give me a holo, eh?" he offers, including a somewhat dusty personal card of his freight survices along with the payment. Maybe he can get the money back 'honestly'. Good merchant goods are always great to have aboard as a cover for something else he might carry.
The merchant takes the card and money and puts it in one pocket. He reaches into another and pulls out a peice of candy and hands it to Rabe. "On the weekends I could use some help. Drop by some time. I pay more than fair wages." He smiles, and picks up the roll taking it into a back room to be cleaned at a later date. A few customers who had stopped shopping to watch return to their business.
Jax backs off, and promptly forgets about it. At least outwardly. He's spotted another junk seller. And
appears to be going that way now, ears perked.
Rabe lets out a long sigh, the looks at the candy, grinning. She turns to Aminala, smiling, "Wow, I got a candy out of the deal to boot. Not bad."
Aminala smiles a bit and puts a hand on Sabe's shoulder. "Good job. Come on lets get headed back," she motions to the palace with a jerk of her head.
THE END