1st chocolate - I'm never good with Intros!

[resistetmords]

🧙 WHO: Belgium and you (yes you!)
⚔️️ WHAT: Intro / network post
🕒 WHEN: Early February
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot
⚠️ WARNINGS: None



Fresh off the boat – 1

Hm, what should I do first.

[She pondered to herself, looking around outside the complementary hotel. While she was certainly not quite as lost as she had first been after pulling herself out of the lake this was still a brand new city she had found herself in. Idly she popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth, she was going to have to hold back; a difficult task considering the stress of being ripped into a different reality! Silently Belgium considered her options for a moment longer before spotting another person.

Well may as well start networking!]

Hello over there! [She waved at the other person, calling out and walking towards them, a friendly, almost cat-like grin, on her face.]

Do you mind if I ask you some questions?

Network Post [Video]: un: Chasseur – 2

Good afternoon everyone! Many of you don’t know me, but my name is Belgium and I just arrived not that long ago.

[Her face is smiling and kind, though she looks a tad bit confused with her hair slightly ruffled. The was a rather lazy lion laying next to her as well that let out a rather large yawn.]

I was wondering if anyone could possibly tell me how alchemy is supposed to work. I know what it is, but it isn’t quite the alchemy that I’m familiar with back home. [At that she looks a bit sheepish.] Any and all help and advice would be very much appreciated.

Shopping! – 3

[After spending the last few days getting herself settled in, and earning a bit of money off on the side, Belgium decided to upgrade her lifestyle a little. No matter where you went, cities usually most of everything you could ever want or need. And newer places always held even newer experiences and things to try. That said the woman was currently attempting to find items that were more familiar with her, flour, herbs, fruit, and vegetables. While she was quite grateful to the resources given to her for free from her place of residence, she still wanted to make things herself (and in truth she thought that she could do it better).

Currently her dress shoes clicked along the road as she walked along, several overly full bags hung from either of her arms as she walked between shop to shop. She was stronger than she looked, but those said bags of hers looked quite heavy even if she wasn’t breaking a sweat and seemed to only be growing in energy.]

Wildcard

[Feel free to hit me up with whatever else you might be able to come up with!

Comments

[intrapid]

Eh...

[ If she doesn't have any money, then what good is it going out and just window shopping? There can't be much he can ask of her either if she's just got here, short of the chocolate that comes in her room but he's not going to hold his breath that's lasted. ]

What do you have to offer? Even if it's just an IOU, I can spot you some money.

[resistetmords]

Visiting shops doesn't require money.

[That was for later when she has a better grasp on this place's economy and what their general markets look like.]

How about some chocolate then, to go along with escorting a lady?

[Even cool boys must like chocolate right?]

[intrapid]

Hm...

[ He's drinking hot chocolate; it isn't a hard guess to say that Karma has a sweet tooth.

He holds out a hand. ]

Payment upfront.

[ That's a yes. ]

[resistetmords]

Quite a demanding one aren't you.

[But sure, she'll reach into her bag and pull out a piece of chocolate, individually wrapped with a company logo on it.]

Well that's fine with me.

[intrapid]

It's the best way to get what I want.

[ Just short of taking it for himself, but it's not like he can mug Belgium and loot her of all her chocolates, so asking is good enough. He takes the square and holds it up, draining the last of his drink through his straw.

Famous enough logo he might recognize? ]

[resistetmords]

[Potentially, it's labeled "Neuhaus". So yes, it's super famous, but it may not be entirely recognizable to anyone not wholly familiar with Belgian chocolates. That said, they are super expensive.]

Do take care, being too demanding can also break a deal. And make sure you enjoy that chocolate.

[For the moment she would wait for him to finish up before they head out. He is supposed to be her guide after all.]

[intrapid]

As if anybody would dare to break a deal made with me. I'll make them pay~

[ Super famous means Karma's eyes light up with recognition at the logo, though. It's not like he goes around eating Belgium chocolates all the time, but his parents travel and are well off, so it wouldn't do not to get a taste of all the world has to offer.

It's just going to melt if he keeps it in his pocket for later, so he goes ahead and unwraps the chocolate to eat, crumpling up the wrapper and shoving it in his straw so he can overhead toss it and the cup into an open trashcan while he passes without the trash flying everywhere.

Payment received, let's go. The first place he shows her is the armourer, because if you're going to spend money on clothes, it'd better be useful. ]

[resistetmords]

That's less of a deal and more of a threat.

[Ah well, whatever he seemed to like it. Of course that isn't just chocolate, it's chocolate. Smooth, creamy and slightly bitter. Filled with buttercream and leave cocoa on your fingers that you can't resist licking chocolate.

It's good.

She'll follow behind him though, taking note of the streets and other shops along the way. The general mood of the crowds around them and so on. Ah, but an armorer though. She was hoping for somewhere with more cute things, but this works as well! And also lends a bit of credence to this place's potential focus on martial prowess.]

Hm, an armor smith? How many are there in the city besides this one?

[Or does he know? What is the market competition like she wonders. Now she's starting to feel like her brother....]

[intrapid]

[ Me eating my sad American Hershey's chocolate while tagging this thread bc I have nothing else ):

There are plenty of shops along the way, a lot of them sporting cute clothing in the window displays but tend to be geared towards winterwear with the current weather conditions. The armourer at least is warm inside, with a hearth at the back of the room used to smithing in house, and Karma is glad to be indoors again, peering at his reflection at a shining breastplate hung on the wall. ]

Aside from this one, I've looked at three others. But this one—

[ "This one won't swindle you out of your money, lass," the shopkeeper cuts in, wiping his hands off on a rag as he approaches them. "Our armor is built to last, unlike Conaway's across town. If you buy something dirt cheap, you get what you pay for!" ]

[resistetmords]

[Sad face, tosses some Godiva ur way ;3;

She takes it all in, including prices on windows and the amount of people that seemed to be going in them. The place certainly has the city life vibe to it! She takes a look around at the armor on offer. It's been a fair amount of time since she's last had to wear anything like this.

Truth be told her current uniform would be just as fine as any of this. And less expensive as well. Not that she would need any of it... probably. Ah, but the owner, she presumes, is approaching them. She glances from her guide to the man with a smile.]

Perhaps, I'm not all that familiar with armor though. What makes yours so special sir?

[She sounded innocent and curious as she questioned the man. It was a small fib.]

[intrapid]

[ thank u_u

The man's eyes sparkles in the way one does when spotting a naive young women who he can pull prices over without her knowing any better. So much for not swindling her out of her nonexistent money.

"Why don't you take a look at some of my wares?" he asks, open and jovial and beckoning the two of them over to the walls where he hangs some full sets of armor on display. "The layered chainmail allows for maneuverability otherwise restricted by plate armor, and if you take a close look at these gauntlets, you can see alchemist circles etched right into them for easy casting. Now, this is just a secret between you and me, but no other armourer in town uses metal imbued with sprite dust, and no other armor will continue to gleam no matter how much you put it through!" ]

[resistetmords]

[umu

Ah yes, there he goes. If there was one thing she learned from her brother, it was how to read people. He was certainly going full on salesman on her though. She kept up her cat-like smile as she followed him around the store, looking them over. He was showing her some of his most expensive stuff she reckoned.

The flashiest items that would have otherwise caught, and cost, a first time buyer. She does still listen to him though! Granted that everything he says was focused more on the accessories of the armor than the armor itself. She was super interested in the alchemy circles though!

Perhaps she could ask around about them later....]

Really? No other shop? Why is that sir?

[She sounds genuinely curious.]

[intrapid]

[ "Why, it has never crossed their minds! The fools may use the purest metal, but without a little sprite dust, they all literally pale in comparison to my armor."

The man seems so proud of himself, Karma can't help but burst out laughing. ]

Are you sure you should be telling us? It's like a secret ingredient of a famous dish, isn't it? We could run straight to your competitors and divulge your secret!

[ "Wha— You wouldn't dare!" Karma would dare. He's already turned to walk out the door, when the man grabs for his wrist. "Hold on a second, lad! If you keep my secret, I will offer you and the lass any one item from my shop! Uh- Anything under the price of 10,000 gold." ]

[resistetmords]

Something tells me you aren't the only one who thought of it.

[Still that just sounds more like the guy was working on raising the prices of his wares. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Now she really did wonder how the other shops in the area differ.

She watches the sudden exchange with some interest. 10,000 gold though? Belgium was currently wondering just what sort of exchange rate the place's currency is when compared to back home. That was certainly no small amount of money as near as she could tell.

It seemed as though she had a bit of homework to do.]

Now now, there's no need for that. I don't think I would have any need for armor.

[She laughs, though if she was her brother she would have robbed the man blind.]

I think we'll just be on our way instead sir.

[intrapid]

Give me the gauntlets and I'll keep my mouth shut.

[ Unlike Belgium, Karma isn't one to walk away when an opportunity presents itself. What's to gain by being modest? Never mind the fact that he isn't even an alchemist and the gauntlets would be wasted on him. ]

[resistetmords]

[She gives Karma a small frown in response. Well they guy was offering, she still thought the guy was overreacting here. But hey he could do what he wanted.]

Right then, we'll be off now I think.

[intrapid]

[ Boooooooooooo

Fine, they're leaving. Karma looks a bit put off, but he doesn't complain any more. He will take his very tiny victory at leaving the shopkeeper looking slightly nervous, as if he isn't sure the two will keep their mouths shut without the bribe. ]

...You looked like you were interested in that stuff. How come you didn't take it?

[resistetmords]

Ah, I was. The quality of the armor, the prices and the general traffic of the store all had me interested!

[Her previous frown had been replaced with a smile like a cat's at his question. Sure she could gleam as much from the general network and information hubs. But half the fun of window shopping was seeing how things looked on the ground level!

Now she wondered what the local grocers and bakers looked like.]

I was able to learn more than I knew previously in any case.

[intrapid]

Then you should've taken the gauntlets.

[ Her response doesn't make sense! If she's interested and it's offered, take it. Learning more is a given: she came in knowing nothing, so of course she's going to learn more than she knew previously. She shouldn't be satisfied with that much. ]

[resistetmords]

I wasn't interested in the gauntlets themselves so much what they might be worth.

[She was super duper satisfied with that much. Especially if she was going to have to make a living here. And a comfortable one at that, judging on what little she knows about this world's economics so far.]

Now about actual clothing.

[intrapid]

That was sort of clothing!

[ But fine, actual clothing shops it is. Karma is evidently less enthusiastic about this, but he makes good on the request and shows her the different shops around the city— stores on the lower price range that focus on normal everyday wear toting durability, higher-end stores with fancy dresses and suits and robes meant for special occasions or for the rich whose everyday is a special occasion, and here and there in between. ]

[resistetmords]

No, no, cute dresses, stylish pants, and slick shoes!

[Clothing cool boy! But hey he caved at least! She's going to happily flit between stores, ogling at everything and anything. Like she said she can't really buy anything yet, and some of the stuff seemed rather overpriced. But she was at least having fun and learning the layout of the city while also getting a basic gist of how its economy worked!]

Oh! I bet that one would look great on you!

[Pointing to a super-stylish, leather coat.]

[intrapid]

[ Karma makes a bit of a face, part amusement, part doubt, part "I'm a cool boy, what would I do with a leather coat"

...it's very nice and super stylish, though... ]

Ehh, maybe when it's not raining so much. I thought we were looking for stuff for you? I've got better things to spend my money on- you can't tempt me!

[resistetmords]

[It's incredibly stylish, like whoa. Perfect for a cool boy!]

We weren't buying anything, just browsing and seeing where everything is.

[intrapid]

If you find something you like, it's likely to be gone by the time you have the money for it. Miss I-passed-up-a-free-gauntlet-because-it-wasn't-"real clothes"-even-though-I-could-have-sold-it-if-I-really-didn't-want-it.

[ It was! such a waste!! ]