Market Day 2/18/22

[Anatketani]

Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
Durro waits at the top of the Gungnir's boarding ramp, wearing his 'street clothes' along with his bag (his Jedi Robes going through the ship's cleaners). He told Hadaza ten minutes, and that was nearly fifteen minutes ago. He checks his chrono and considers either calling her, or leaving without her. Though the latter idea is discarded even before it finishes forming.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Hadaza emerges from the refresher having finally gotten all the salt out of her hair. "Jammen!", she curses. "I'm late!"

She grabs casual clothes, and hurries to meet Durro. Ingenting å gjøre for det nå, she thinks as she runs through the ship, long, soppy curls dripping down her back.

Meeting him with a smile, she pops a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'm so sorry! It got away from me", she says, ringing out her hair. "I won't ask if you are ready, because you have probably been waiting here for half an hour."

She stops her rambling long enough to notice that he's not in his usual attire, which causes her to pull her train of thought up short and blink rapidly. "You, um, I've ... never ... wow", she stammers.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
Durro glances down at himself and smiles, turning to the ramp in a haste to leave.

"Yes, well my robes were in need of a cleaning." He says. "I had my home-spun ones from Lanus, but I thought a change of pace might be interesting."

As they exit the ship and the ramp begins to raise he makes his way towards the market center.

"I have a short list of things I'd like to acquire. First and most important; lunch. Anything particular you're in the mood for?"
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Drippy, rushed, and a bit gobsmacked, Haj's can't quite comprehend what Durro is asking her. "Lunch? Me?"

She takes a centering breath to get back in her body, since she's not certain that some of her isn't still back in her quarters. "I'm not currently craving anything, nor am I sure that anything I'm craving would be available to me regardless. What about you? You must be starving. " She slips her arm into the crook of Durro's elbow and walks comfortably beside him. "You missed out on a pretty spectacular cupcakes. The Professor really outdid himself with that recipe."
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
(((I tried to find a reference image for what he is wearing, but despite a clear image in my head I could not find one online to match.)))
(((Picture Han Solo but with a forest-green vest (no gunbelt) and a Star Wars-y trench coat.)))

"I'm sure he did, though I'm not really in the mood for cupcakes." he says simply. "I need some real food."

He grins at her and asks;

"Remember my advice? Now we live it. Step One: Eat the food."

They continue on towards the market, already visible not too far from the spaceport.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
"I don't know that I'll never not be in the mood for cupcakes. Of all the things I would have imagined about myself, having a sweet tooth was not one that ever crossed my mind.," she says with a laugh.

Closing her eyes and turning her face up to the sun, trusting Durro to lead her safely though the crowd for just a moment, she takes a deep breath and smiles. She can't quite find it in herself to think about food right now.

"Step 1. Right. So I guess we start with 'animal or vegetable'? That will narrow our search considerably. The other question would be 'familiar or exotic'? I could go for something unusual. I've had entirely too much "usual" lately and when are we going to get this opportunity again for a while?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"Exactly my line of thinking. Exotic it is, then."

The enter the market and are buffeted by the sights and sounds of a thriving economy. Colorful stalls of all shapes and sizes line the street, the back and forth of haggling echoing across the space; the smells of various kinds of food cooking mixed with the aromas of wares and those purchasing them. A soft breeze blows through the thoroughfare, bringing new sounds and smells their way, it is almost overwhelming the overload of information available to the senses.

Durro leads them towards the most concentrated area of food smells, where several large tables are set up in the middle of the broad street, food stalls and small shacks lining the street on either side. The signs are in a variety of languages, but most of them have a translation in Sy Bisti and their pictures and icons give a good idea of what is on offer.

"Something exotic..." Durro mutters to himself, looking around. So many options, and only so much room in his stomach. (And money in his pocket.)
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
She smells something spicy being grilled and starts to veer over to one of the stalls, lightly pulling Durro in the process. She can see by the pics that the kiosk serves some sort of peppers, but can't quite make out more than that.

"Ok, a language lesson for a language lesson. What does this say?", she says, pointing to the Sy Bisti on the sign.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"It's an offer I'd considered, when I realized you don't speak Sy Bisti yet." He says. "Unfortunately we learned to speak it, not read it. A shortcoming we should soon rectify."

He steps forward and asks the shopkeeper a question. Her answer is short, but sounds polite. Durro asks another question, another short polite answer. At the third question the shopkeeper points to what is clearly a menu board and says something in a slightly less polite tone. Durro nods and bows, muttering as he returns to Hadaza;

"Ube nosuku oluhle wena, inhlanzi endala edla lubi."

"Seems they serve a variety of dishes; local food, alien spices. I cannot read the menu board so anything we order would be a shot in the dark."
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Haj laughs, "I don't know what you just said, but I gather it wasn't particularly diplomatic."

She peers over the offerings, trying to find the source of that wonderful krydret duft. "I think I found it," she murmurs. Louder, she says to Durro, "What does your nose tell you? Here?" She pulls back from the counter and turns to look at him. "Or somewhere else?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"It wasn't entirely rude." He says with a smile. "Here's as good a place as any, I suppose."

He looks over the menu again. Fortunately, there are icons.

"Those noodles look good. Let me know what you want and I'll pass on the message."
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
She pokes her nose over the grill once more, the rumble in her  stomach harmonizing with the sizzling ingredients. She points to a picture of what she hopes is rice topped with grilled vegetables. "That one, spicy. And something to drink."
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
Durro places his order with a fat, jovial man in a grease-spattered chef's jacket. He orders his noodles and Hadaza's rice. While the chef does his work, the woman comes back to collect payment. There is a heated discussion between her and Durro, which gets a little animated. Finally, Durro hands over a few Republic credits and the woman calls out something to the chef.

While they wait, the woman pours them each a drink; a creamy tan-colored liquid that bubbles as if boiling. Little balls of... something bob in the frothing liquid.

"Your drink." Durro says, handing a cup to Hadaza. Holding out his cup he says with a grin; "To eating the food!"
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
She takes the strange drink from Durro. "To eating the food", she says, matching his grin and tapping her own cup to his.

Having faith in the man in front of her, she takes a pull from the cup … and promptly coughs when the concoction hits her palate. The little pearls are so strange on her tongue, popping to release a concordant flavor which enhance the entire experience.  Her eyes light up in wonder. "If this is the appetizer, I can't wait to taste the rest"

She flushes a little at the unintended double entendre in her words.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
Durro's cheeks are flushed as well, but whether from the drink or something else is unknown. A frothy mustache clings to his upper lip and the drink gradually begins to slow its bubbling.

A few tantalizing minutes later, the chef hands them their bowls. Durro makes an indescribable face. Shock? Horror? Confusion? All three? His noodles are writhing, and quite lively at that. The Chef, his voice loud and deep enough to vibrate the bones names their dishes in Sy Bisti as he hands them over. To Durro, he hands a trio of gelatinous bulbs that practically glow a very neon light-blue.

"Amasaka ayinki enza isoso emnandi. Jabulela!" His booming laughter at Durro's face making his jowels flap and his belly shake as he walks back to the grill.

"They're... moving." Durro says slowly, a grin splitting his face. "This should be interesting."
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Hadaza blanches as she peers in her bowl to see if the rice is wiggling. Sure enough, the small white grains are squirming. "Gudene Nedenfor, please tell me that this is an optical illusion that's a result of  something in the drink," she tells him as she puts her utensil in the vessel, poking at what might be a delicious meal, if she can get past the idea that it might crawl out to get away from its fate.

"To eating the food," she says, dedicating herself to her chosen course of action, and takes a bite. Delight fills her senses. Spicy, creamy, and oh, so decadent, all apprehension melts away and she dives in for a second bite.

"I approve", she says with a very visible look of  gastric pleasure. "How's yours?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
Durro has squeezed one of the neon-blue sacs over his dish, drenching some of the writhing worms in sticky blue liquid.

"Very good; a bit sweeter than I anticipated."

He holds out another of the sacs.

"'The ink sacs make good sauce' he told me. If you want to try some."
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
She eyes the azure goo on Durro's dish warily. "I think that's just one step too far into exotic for me. Are you sure that's what he said? Because it looked to me like he was having some fun at our expense."

She takes another bite before she forgets how good it really is and loses her nerve watching a pepper creep along across the top of the dish.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"Your loss." He shrugs and pops the sac over his own dish.

They finish their meal in relative silence; the street is crowded and every table taken, forcing them to eat standing up, doing their best to stay out of peoples' way. After returning their bowls to the woman, they continue their wanderings into the rest of the market area.

"So, anything you're interested in looking at first? As I said, I have a list but since you need a translator we should stick together."
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
"Work before play. There are definitely things I'd want to investigate, but let's get your list so we are sure that we have funds enough for what you need. If we still feel like poking after that, given energy levels, funds, and whatever we ate not deciding to kill us from the inside, we can. What's are you looking for?" She curls into his personal space so she can get a gander at what he's searching for
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
He taps the side of his head knowingly.

"Mental list; but what I'm looking for are curiosities. For example, a copy of the Holy Text of the Sisters of the Angel. A man reading it is heresy, after all. A sword, maybe; preferably made from the same stuff as my weapon tubes. I know from my visions that the material can be worked. Nothing urgent, so if you need something, clothes for instance, we should focus on that first."

He points out three or four stalls in a row that sell almost exclusively clothes.

"That seems a good place to start." He starts walking that direction.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
She looks where he's pointing and is immediately entranced by something that looks soft and flowy. "No. No." she says. "You have a woman. Let's get your book first. Though," she looks dubiously at him, "what makes you think you could get a sword made of that material?"

Sotto voce, she adds, "And what makes you think its a good idea? I mean, you said that material was dangerous."
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"I'm not sure I can, and you have mentioned your need for more than just our Edgelords uniform."

As he heads towards the stalls he continues;

"That material is dangerous. I'm just hoping its more dangerous to the Swarm than it is to us. At the very least; I'd like to learn about it."

They arrive at the stall and Durro immediately picks up a wide brimmed hat. He places it on his head and gives Hadaza a roguish grin.

"What do you think? Goes with the outfit?"

The shopkeeper, and older woman, comes gliding out from behind the counter babbling in Sy Bisti.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
"I think the feathers throw off the look you think you're trying to achieve", she laughs. "Here." She grabs something that looks more like a fedora and swaps out one he's got on with the soft brown fabric. "Try this one."

She steps back to take in the whole image. This is most definitely not the man who she saw in the medbay so many months ago. There's an edge to him that he didn't have then, and a softening.  "Yes ... that works", she says as she turns to find the fabric that caught her eye.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
Durro grins, noticeably not putting the hat back. He engages with the shopkeeper, a long conversation in Sy Bisti during which she tries to show him many articles of clothing; mostly men's clothing but some woman's clothing too.

Something she says makes him cough and sputter in surprise, his cheeks turning bright red for a moment before returning to a more natural color, though was still some pink there for sure. The woman sounds apologetic, she turns and smiles warmly at Hadaza, before heading into the back room of the stall.

Durro clears his throat and walks over to a table with several leather and cloth pouches of various sizes; perfect for a utility belt.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Communication is challenging, but between finger gestures, show and tell, and a lot of mistakes, the ladies finally find some outfits that are the right, size, shape, fabric, and color to give the Zabrak fashion victim enough options to satisfy her. She just has to hope that she will be able to find a way to pay it all back.

She follows the shopkeeper back to the opening of the stall, stopping just behind Durro's shoulder. She's sure he knows she's back there, but she touches him anyway to alert him of her proximity.

"Find anything for yourself?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"Well the hat, for one thing." He says with a laugh. "I also found a belt and some pouches here that may prove useful. Stylish, too. What about you, find what you need?"

He gathers his findings and goes to find the elderly shopkeeper, who is standing behind a table and smiling at them.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
She smiles sheepishly at the conglomeration of fabrics in their myriad colors and textures, and then up at Durro but doesn't say anything.

"I can put some back …", she says, hoping he will say no before she actually takes anything off the counter
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"No, no need." He says, adding the belt, pouches, and hat to the pile. He starts a rapid back and forth with the shopkeeper, whose sharp eye and sure voice betray she is far more than a frail old woman.

The conversation is rapid, and the woman has to slow down and repeat herself a few times so Durro can keep up. By the tone of voice, and the woman's smile, it is clear he is making jokes as well as haggling the price.

Finally, with a sly smile, the woman conceeds with a statement that makes Durro's cheeks flush briefly. He mutters something and hands over a palmful of credits, receiving some of the local currency back in exchange. The woman helps place their purchases in a sturdy bag woven from a thick paper-like material, and they return to the main thoroughfare and continue on through the market.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
"So what was that all about, Master Thel-Tanis?" she asks, poking him lightly in the ribs and grins up impishly at him. "Whatever that last comment was that she made had you absolutely scarlet."

She watches with amusement as his ears start to turn a faint shade of pink under his new hat.

To give him a moment to collect himself, she stands up on her toes, looking around the market for a stall that specializes in weapons. That sword Durro wants has her concerned, but less so in his hands than in the hands of someone unsuspecting. And it could prove useful to the crew later on, if for no other reason than as another piece of that material to study.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"She gave us her special couples' price." He mutters. "Even though I told her... nevermind, it doesn't matter."

After a moment of silence he cocks his head and listens.

"I think I hear someone loudly promoting books for sale. This way, we'll..." He stops and laughs, walking over to a mannequin and gesturing to it.

"This might be nice if we hit the beach again!"

On the mannequin is a very small bikini. The stall is crammed with sun hats, eyewear, and other items for use in the sun and surf.

Laughing again, he goes further into the stall, to see what other trouble he can find.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
"Jeg tror det var noe i det tullet," she comments softly, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Durro," she says following after him, somewhat bewildered. "What has you in such high spirits? Have you been smuggling cupcakes in those pockets and not sharing?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
"We're out of space, away from Dark Side nexuses, and on an alien world where I know nothing but the common tongue, and even then not fluently. This is exactly what I was telling you about and exactly what I've been missing!"

He looks around at all of the beachy merchandise.

"Well, unless we want beachwear I doubt there's much for us here. C'mon, you're not a little tempted?" He raises an eyebrow at her.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Hadaza turns crimson right up to her curls, which are now completely out of control due to the repeated pass of fabric over her head.

"Only just. I'm more of a sweet water fan. Now if there were a lake or stream close by ...", she reaches out to gently caress an iridescent, deep purple, 2 piece suit that she knows would flatter both her color and her frame.

Pulling her hand back quickly, she prompts a change of venue by saying, "Didn't you say something about a book seller's stall?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
With a conniving grin on his face Durro takes purple suit to the shopkeeper. The haggle is short, and Durro returns quickly, stuffing it in his bag along with a broad woven sunhat.

"Special Offer." He says with a grin. "Now we can go find that bookstall!"

And find it they do; hard to miss when the seller has the loudest announcer on the street drawing attention. Less a stall and more an enclosed tent, the inside is cool and dark, lit only by low-lights that illuminate enough to read, but not enough to distract. The air is thick and smells of old paper and musty bindings, dust motes hanging in the air and stirring as they walk in. The space is crowded by shelves, and the shelves are crammed with books of all size, age, and topic. The shop owner is an elderly gentleman with thick glasses reading from a well-worn tome when they enter. Durro glides over to him and speaks softly in Sy Bisti, leaving Hadaza to peruse the wares for a moment.
@Haj
Haj — 02/18/2022
Haj wanders the shop, only half looking at the tables and their contents. She's not able to read most of them anyway. And there's other things occupying her mind anyway.

She can't believe today. She can't believe ... any of it. She feels like she's caught in some weird hallucination. She keeps waiting to wake up and find herself back in the medbay shaking off some awful catholicon the nurses administered.

Looking over at Durro and the shopkeeper deep in hushed conversation, she's seeing him as though for the first time. This father of her heart ... he's more complex than she imagined. And she's not sure how she feels about that.

She picks up a book, any book, and thumbs the pages, biding her time til he finishes his transaction.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/18/2022
She has to wait a while before Durro comes back with a pair of books and finds her itching to run from the tent and likely down the street.

"Sorry I took so long. Turns out he does not have a copy of the Holy Text of the Sisters of the Angel and I doubt I'll find one here. Apparently, they're not well liked."
@Haj
Haj — 02/19/2022
"They don't have one? Or they don't want to get in trouble with the Sisters by selling it to a man?", she turns around to look at the shopkeeper with a look that says 'I think you just sold my friend a line'

"So what did you find?"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/19/2022
"I didn't get the impression he was lying." Durro says. "Through normal means or the Force. The Sisters are seen as harbingers of doom; like the pirate you and Tesara rescued with The Professor, that is the common view. People can't understand why someone would help other people for free, especially when their suffering is self-inflicted."

They exit the tent into the blinding sunlight; shielding their eyes from the harsh glare and waiting for their eyes to adjust.

"What I did find was some traveler's guides for this area. They're in Sy Bisti, but maybe The Professor or Handyman can translate. I'm not sure their age or accuracy, but every bit of information helps, right?"

As they start walking, Durro sniffs the air.

"Do you smell that? Tea!" He picks up the pace, following his nose.
@Haj
Haj — 02/19/2022
She's rooted to the spot as she watches him speed off; her head is spinning. This impetuous creature is as far from her steady Venerable Jedi as one person could possibly be. She laughs as she hurries to catch him, enjoying the freedom that sunshine and fresh air brings them and hopes that Astra, Tesara, and especially Ben are experiencing the same joy that she, and apparently Durro, are.

"Hey," she calls out. "I want some more of the kind with the bubbles in it"
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/19/2022
"We'll see what we can find!" He agrees.

The day continues much the same way; Durro's manic energy dragging them from one shop to the next. After changing more credits at the tea shop, they both tried several exotic and unfamiliar teas; some of which they liked and a few that were repulsive. Durro purchased a selection, including a large bag of 'calming tea' as well as a new teacup ("I've been looking for a replacement!"), and they moved on.

Next was a curio shop, where Durro found and purchased a seemingly worthless knick-knack of a lizard-like pet sitting on its hind legs and waving, constantly. He also found a dagger made of "Chaos Metal", but upon further (Force-based) inspection, it turned out to be fake. In fact, Durro had no luck finding any chaos metal, despite spending the entire rest of the day perusing the market. (Purchasing other knick-knacks and curios along the way.) He did talk to almost every shopkeeper, some of them at length, translating where and when needed for Hadaza.

Finally, as the sun is setting and the shops are mostly closed, they leave their final stop; Durro carrying a pair of ornate and fully functional swords (unlike the display-only pieces at many other shops). He sighs and takes in the rapidly cooling evening air.

"Well, this was certainly an experience." He says contentedly. "What about you, did you have fun?"
@Haj
Haj — 02/19/2022
Haj's arms are laden with her her own treasures - scarves both for herself and the sterile, metallic walls of her quarters, a stuffed  rabbit she named Rancor Pateesa that she can't believe she found way out here (though it does appear to have been previously, if gently, loved at some earlier point in its life), and a pair of daggers so that she can replace Gungnir's kitchen knife.

She also found a full deck of Centran Sabacc cards. She knows she told Tesara that she would put them away for a while. She wants to see the whole deck, not just the 4 that she pulled from the stars, and what Tesara doesn't know won't hurt her.

As they approach Gungnir, she steps ahead of him on the ramp and turns to face him. On the incline, she is just about his height. She can't believe she didn't know that he was this tall, or that his eyes were so deep.

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did at the beach. You frightened me, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry."

She looks him steadily in the eye. " Thank you for today, Durro. It was wonderful. And so are you." She leans close and kisses him on the cheek. Her curls tickle his nose. It's not the peck he usually receives from her. There's meaning here - appreciation, affection, more? He's not sure and neither is she.

Face flushed, she turns to enter the ship with her parcels, leaving the Jedi to follow.
@Durro Thel-Tanis
Durro Thel-Tanis — 02/19/2022
He knows there is no hiding the flush of his cheeks this time. He just hopes to all the Force that no one else is back yet. Head spinning and at a loss for words, all he can do is watch her board the ship and vanish inside. Gathering his wits from where they seemed to scatter around him, he too boards the ship and heads for his quarters, smiling broadly.

Maybe he will sleep well tonight.
/end