Posted by Civilian Jezem (Upstanding Citizen) in Curiosity Killed the Cat (But Satisfaction Brought it Back) (Tag Thyr)

Posted by Civilian Thyr Th’arialat (Resident) in Curiosity Killed the Cat (But Satisfaction Brought it Back) (Tag Thyr)

Posted by Civilian Jezem (Upstanding Citizen) in Curiosity Killed the Cat (But Satisfaction Brought it Back) (Tag Thyr)
Posted by… suppressed (22) by the Post Ghost! 👻
On a perfectly normal (and boring day) the chime above the door went off as a young caitian stepped into Shivan’s blacksmith shop. She seemed young by the confident way she held herself and the youthful exuberance behind her quick and energetic movements. She had dark brown fur and bright violet tiger markings, perhaps a type of long-lasting fur dye or tattoo. “Hulloooooo,” The caitain yelled into the empty shop at outside volume, “Anybody arouuund? I got weapons I need to seeeeeeeell!”

She carried a dark cargo bag that was slung across her back, most likely holding the weapons she sought to sell.

M’rahja Ko

Coming from the workshop at the back of the shop, Shivan scowled. “Shut it before I- I mean, Welcome,” he said, swiftly adjusting his attitude as he approached the counter. “What’re you hoping to sell?” He asked, eying the duffel bag. “Set ‘em here, and we’ll take a look.” He didn’t seem to pay much attention to M’rahja, not at first. He was only worried about keeping this.... fantastic shop going.

~ Thyr

“Guns. Knives. A gun knife? Is that what you call a gun with a bladed bit on it? Anyways, I got loads!” The caitian tossed the duffel onto the table and didn’t flinch at the cacophony of metal parts clanking and sliding against each other. She unzipped the bag in one motion and dumped the out the contents in the next. A dozen or so weapons tumbled out of the bag. All Klingon make and all illegal in Federation space. There were daggers with nasty serrated blades, a few had dried blood on them. There were phasers that had been illegally modified and there was one assault-type phaser with a bayonet on the end. “So, what can I get for this junk?” She asked.

M’rahja Ko

“Nothing. I don’t deal in that anymore.” Shivan said. Something caught his eye, was that…? No. He couldn’t. It was illegal and Eryn would take everything away if she found out. Maybe he should call Jezem? “Where’d you get all that junk?”

~ Thyr

“What do you meaaan nothing?!” The caitian whined in a high-pitched voice before falling into a spectacular pout, “I found it laying around and since no one was around I figured I could self ‘em and make a buck. What about the blades? Can’t you take those and sell them?” She pointed to one of the blades dried in blood and after noticing that detail quickly added, “Some hunters must have grown tired of ‘em and tossed ‘em.” Which she supposed was true. Those guys were pretty. . . dead tired.

M’rahja Ko

Shivan plucked a three pointed dagger out of the pile and gave it a hard look. “I’ve had… Unfortunate experiences with one of these.” He said. He looked over the pile. It took all his willpower to say no. “Look, I can’t. I’ll get arrested if I take these. Lose the shop.”

~ Thyr

The caitian’s eyes went wide, “Arrested? For a couple weapons? Jeez, isn’t that a bit dramatic?” She was scowling now. First she got stiffed her shipment, harming her small and perfectly valid business, and now she can’t recoup any loss by selling the weapons of the goons that jumped her? “Then where can I sell this junk? Surely there’s someone who will buy ‘em off of me because I need something.”

M’rahja Ko

“No one on this rock deals in that, I can tell you that.” Shivan had checked, thoroughly. No one corners his market. Even the market he’s not allowed to have. “You’d do best to get rid of those someplace they won’t be tied to you.”

~ Thyr

“Uuugggh!” The caitian kicked the table and began to shove everything back into her duffel. “This place is dumb. Stupid rules. Stupid regulations. Getting in the way of honest hard work.” Once everything was safely zipped back up in her duffel and settled on her back she glared at Shivan, “Thanks for nothing, loser. Federation ass-licking loser.” And with those lovely parting words she stormed out of the shop.

M’rahja Ko

Shivan had to go upstairs and punch his dummy. Stupid Caitian. Stupid rock, stupid rules. He was no Federation brown-noser of any kind. He hated this place. He had to report the Caitian to Eryn. He went back to the counter and grabbed his comm device.

~ Thyr

Jezem was out with his “friends” when the call came. He excused himself with a smile and walked a ways off before answering, “What is it? I was in the middle of something.”

Jezem

“I just had some Caitian woman offer me a bag full of illegals.” Shivan said into the comm, stepping back into the workshop. “Mostly Klingon weapons, but plenty of others.” He described her to Jezem. “I’m gonna call Eryn too, so don’t worry, but I decided to call you first.”

~ Thyr

“Okay?” Jezem said, processing the information. “I’m assuming that since you called me first there’s something you’re not sure of? Because I’m not going to call you a good boy for doing what you promised Eryn you said you’d do.” Who just drops a bag of illegals onto a civilian blacksmith? This woman and that last guy to ask Shivan for an illegal weapon. Did the andorian have a huge sign ‘bring me illegal crap!’ over his head or something?

Jezem

“I know that,” Shivan snapped. “We had that conversation last time.” What, was the universe trying to temp him? It was so much harder when it kept plopping itself right on his counter. “There is something I wasn’t sure of.”

~ Thyr

“Something you’re not sure of,” Jezem repeated. Then, “Arlight, I’m on my way over. Do you know where your Caitian was headed?” Jezem didn’t even bother saying goodbye to his “friends”. If he had to he’ll write them some canned apology later but they weren’t worth wasting time on at this moment. Jezem hopped on the first transport he could find and headed to Shivan’s shop.

Jezem

“No, she stormed out as soon as I said no. Called me a Federation ass licking loser, too,” growled Shivan. He waited right at the door outside for Jezem to show up. “It was really strange. A bag full of Klingon weaponry, all illegal. Some still bloody.”

~ Thyr

After laughing at the insult the caitian had thrown at Shivan he answered, “I hate to say it but you’re right. That is strange.” While Jezem was all for letting Eryn sort these things out what was the harm in doing his own investigation? There was nothing else to do. “I’m almost there.” In a minute the transport landed outside the shop.

Jezem

Shivan greeted him once he stepped out of the transport. “You gonna look for her? She didn’t give a name or anything. Then again, I haven’t seen that many caitians on this stupid rock, so spotting her can’t be that hard.”

~ Thyr

“You’re the one who talked with her,” Jezem pointed out, “What did she look like?” He laid a mental map of the area out on his head. A lone woman on foot with a bag full of weapons. Assuming Shivan called him right after the encounter meant she couldn’t have gone far. “Isn’t there a pawn shop not too far from here? Let’s try there first.” If they’re lucky then their target would be swiftly picked up by authorities and Shivan could rest easier.

Jezem

“I described him over the comm,” Shivan said, and then impatiently described her again. “The pawn shop is… Three streets over.” He locked the door to the shop and put a “we stepped away!” sign on the door. “Want me to show you where?”

~ Thyr

“No, I remember the way. Let’s go.” Jezem lead the way through the streets, keeping an eye out for their unusual looking Caitian. The pawn shop wasn’t far and took only a few minutes on foot to reach. Once inside, Jezem scanned the interior and noted the owner. The Tellarite seemed to be fuming behind his counter. Jezem stepped forward, “Excuse me, we’re looking for a Caitian girl with purple tiger stripes?”

“Her! Are you friends with her? I run an honest business, you hear!” The man shouted, hands gesticulating wildly.

Jezem

“Friends?” Shivan scoffed. “Hardly. She tried to unload her load at my place before coming here.” He said. “Did she mention where she was going? Or did you see which direction she went?”

~ Thyr

The man seemed to calm a bit, and finally recognized Shivan, “Ah, you’re that blacksmith. . . so she tired to talk to you too, huh? She didn’t say but when she came in she was complaining about being hungry.”

Jezem stepped in, “Thanks, we all ready called colony security but wanted to make sure she didn’t hurt anyone before they could get here. Glad you’re okay. Let’s go Thyr,” Jezem motioned for them to leave. Outside Jezem paused to think again, “With a bag like that she couldn’t hope to enter any restaurant. What’s the nearest street food vendor near here?”

Jezem

“Back the other way, about half a mile. There’s a square with street food vendors.” This planet sure did love its squares. Shivan started heading that direction. “If she’s eating, that might slow her down enough for us to find her.”

~ Thyr

“If we’re lucky. Let’s go,” Of course the square was crowded this time of day. Flush with shoppers, tourists and locals enjoying their free time. Jezem scanned the crowds but saw no one matching the description of their Caitian either in line for a food stand or sitting down at a bench to eat.

He heard a couple arguing over missing food while their child cried beside them.

Jezem

Ugh. Shivan hated children. Especially crying ones. He pointed the couple out to Jezem though he was sure he’d already heard them, then headed over to them. “Have you seen a Caitian woman with pink tiger stripes?”

~ Thyr