I am an author who admits that they are unstable in updates, who knows full well that they are scatter brained, low on time and even lower on luck. So why do I keep trying anyway?
I have noticed that the total of Recettear stories since I began this has expanded. When I started this, I was the first of my kind. Then I was told another had sprung up. Now I see five Recettear stories. It's nice to see, however, it is also rather saddening. Why? Because it's been almost four years since I began this. Yes, I was, and still am, extremely slow on the update when things come up. Losing my data countless times, and even losing my old machine...but like I said...why do I still try?
Because, like it or lump it, the stories still cook on the back-burners of my head's stove-top.
That, and in the way of Recettear at least, it seems that it is up to me to push this boundary and travel into the lands uncharted. Oh well~.
Lets hope I still have the gas for it.
Do I really need to say I don't own anything having to do with Recettear? I don't even own the game anymore. I used to, but then my old computer died, and I dislike playing Recettear through steam, and loath to admit I have lost all information on my previous purchase.
Well, I played it already, and it was money well worth spent while it lasted. I still have the game in my head.
That's all that matters. XD~ Finalage.
+RT+
Chapter Seven: Beginnings
+LSRA+
As Recette filled out her papers for registration, she was suddenly struck by an inspiration that made her pause in filling out the form. At her side, the coordinator hovered a little anxiously. Her pause was cause for worry. He could never tell with this merchant. Recette had exploded unto the scene a scant few months earlier with a tiny little backwater shop out of her shabby little home.
A barely out of childhood girl with a ditsy demeanor and an infectious smile, an anxious fairy bobbing around her head. Anyone could tell the fairy was holding the reigns here. Anyone with half a brain would look to the fairy and not the poster girl...and yet. In a single month th girl had expanded her shop until it was expansive, well groomed and stocked, bursting with customers who would claim loyalty and even attempt to pull others in.
You'd think something illicit and indecent was going on, but there was nothing but the girl. A girl who, behind that counter, transformed from an air-headed frolicking buffoon into a level-headed, sure paced and fox-worthy manner. She was quick, clever and fair, but rigid. She would haggle, but she would not be fooled. She knew the value of everything she sold, and knew how to pawn it well.
Underneath the admittedly infectious smile and unassuming face lay a powerfully calculating mind. The fairy was the side show. The fairy could not control of manage the girl. She had taken the lessons from the race bred and trained to handle business and then discarded them. Built her own rules from the ashes.
"Co-ordinator."
"Yes ma'am?"
She turned to look at him with a curious look on her face. She waved the half-completed form in front of his face.
"Would I need to fill a different form out if I decided that the amount of four adventurers does not suit my taste, or is this form still valid? I see nothing that says it should not be, but I want to make sure."
He blinked.
"What number of adventurers would you rather hire, if not four?"
"Five"
He blinked at her smile, as he felt more than saw the looks of the adventurers around them in the room. The interest in them had been palpable before...but now it was butter knife to solid ice worthy. He felt his previous dislike of Recette dissolve just as much as the interest had increased.
Oh she can INDEED have vision. I suspect a Big Bash copy off?
"That same form will suffice. I assume you are going to use the same format Big Bash does...?"
"No."
Another blink. Of course. Vision. Recettear had always done things differently. He just never realized that this in itself was an act of visionary brilliance. Only now, as it would provide him with money, did he realize just how it was...and he had accused her of having none at all.
I take it back.
He gestured to the room at large, indicating her to take her pick, as she had reached the end of the form, where the signatures of the adventurer's in question were needed as well as hers. Recette's brain pulled the image in her mind.
One Scout, no doubt who that is!
"Charme!"
She pointed to Charme, watching the thieves face split into a grin as she tossed the knife that had stopped it's path up and down in the past few minutes. She rose to her feet and walked towards them as it landed, point down, into the table, her smile having not faded one bit.
Two Vanguards, I don't need to keep any more suspense, if I do, Louie will explode into little Louie pieces.
"Louie and Nagi."
She pointed the two out with a smile at the look on Louie's face. Once his name was called, he could not resist exploding from his seat with a resounding "YESSS!" and a pump of the air before grabbing his belongings and extricating himself from the table he was situated at, leaving his arm-wrestling opponent stunned and Edan laughing fit to burst a Kidney. Nagi was calmer, simply getting up from her floor seat with a smile and a cursory look about before moving towards Recette, almost as if, even with such a short distance to walk, she was unsure if it was the right direction.
Recette however, frowned. This is where it got harder. Her face hitched itself back from a frown into a less degraded look of discontent.
One Support...no problems there, but what about my last choice...but worry about that later...
"Calliou?"
The boy looked up at her questioning tone, before picking up his book in the palm of his left hand and snapping it shut thus. He got up with a regality and walked over, nodding...but he could not hide the gleam in his eyes. Recette's mouth slipped back into a frown. The room's atmosphere had intensified, but only among those Recette knew. Those who had never seen before had degraded into polite curiosity. It was already plain, four out of five team-mates in, that this Merchant was not going to ask for cards. She was simply going to chose from those she already knew.
Rear Guard...but who?
She had said five, and she was torn by it. She did not want to endanger all of her friends, but she knew they all wanted to go. She especially lingered on Arma and Tielle, who both would fulfill the job she was looking for...no offense to Edan...but who...to choose?
Her frown thinned as her mouth turned even lower...finally having enough of it, she grit her teeth behind her closed lips and spoke her choice.
"...Ahh..."
"Yes Miss?"
"Tielle."
+-1-+
The shop's windows glistened in the setting sun as Recette moved to the door and flipped the sign to "Closed", moving back past the crowd of five people near fer after taking the precaution to lock the door. She moved to behind her counter, and with a waggling finger, indicated she should be followed by her friends. Tear fixed a look of warning at Charme, but Charme was not the first person to cross the barrier between store and counter, Tielle was.
Truth be told, the others were slightly nervous. Recette had become more and more reserved as she received their signatures and the scroll had been taken from her. She informed them they would be leaving in the late afternoon, and instructed them to meet her at her shop.
She also instructed them to leave their own personal gear at home; never mind that they had bought much of it from her own shop. They did not protest this. Recette's face and money up-front silenced them. She looked very much in business. She had a game face that intimidated, ever so slightly.
Tielle had been in Recette's house before, and though she had never ventured into he basement per se, she had some small armor against the growing fear her party was experiencing.
Louie took a cautionary glance over the counter as Nagi walked next behind Tielle. He saw the stool that usually housed Recette's behind, a rather simple affair. He expected something fancier. He had seen the throne that was behind Big Bash once...he ignored the open space that Recette had made by her counter by pushing a display table out of the way and vaulted the counter, landing on his feet in a show of bravado to over come the atmosphere.
Charme and Calliou walked by the space indicated together. Recette nodded and pulled a candle from it's holder, shaking her sleeve to cover her other hand before transferring the wax stick there. By this solitary candle, Recette opened a door and walked down a winding staircase into the darkness, only pausing when she was out of easy sight.
"Down here, come on guys."
Calliou wouldn't admit it, but at this point, he was getting slight goose bumps. That dark, winding staircase had swallowed the girl whole. e cast a look at the others, who looked more or less equally apprehensive. He focused on Tear.
"Shouldn't you go after your counter jockey, you know, make sure she doesn't...err...steal anything?"
Tear fixed him with a look of slight amusement, though disgust was the main emotion on her small, pale face. Her wings shone slightly in the dim light as she bobbed up and down. Her voice was crisp however, and cutting. Ever since becoming a full partner to Recette, she found she was more protective over her, and it showed in her willingness to put an end to a charade they both knew they were playing.
"Oh please. You just don't want to be the first down the steps. Besides, you know as well as I do that this is Recette's shop. Not mine. I am her employee and partner, not the other way around. You know this. Stop pretending and get down there. I have other people I'm supposed to keep and eye on..."
She pointedly shot a glance at a bored looking Charme, who cracked a cheshire-like grin at her before sobering up.
"Oh keep your skirt on. Do I look like I would steal from innocent little Recette? Girl's got more to worry from a starving Louie than me."
Louie snapped at this comment, opening his mouth angrily as his temper rose faster than his sense. He did not get a chance to retort however, for Charme was grinning again.
"Chill Lou. I was making a point, not attacking yah. Hell, I'LL go first."
She followed Louie's example and jumped the counter, admittedly with more elegance, and took to the steps with little hesitation. Louie fell in right after her, and Tielle with Nagi hurried not to be left behind. Calliou did not waste any breath on a cliché' "Wait for me!" but he did hastily follow the party down as Tear floated in the rear.
The basement of Recettear was quite unlike what most would expect. Instead of dark and dank piles of stock or rich masses of wares in piles, the basement was much like the shop above, almost as if the staircase had taken them right back where they had started from. It was disorienting, and the only clue to the contrary was the fact that there were no windows or door out.
That and the sheer amount of stock on display. Tear could not help the small gasp that escaped her.
Unlike above ground where stock was categorized in artful patterns to catch the eye, showing a little of everything in the front to draw customers in and having a show throughout the rest of the shop of just about everything, this place was grouped by a set system. Hats here, clothes there, foot items there, weaponry here...but it was a full display, not just a few items of each.
What was worse was the fact that the further down you went, the more valuable it all seemed to get. She pulled Louie back. He paused at her touch from bending to examine a dagger he had never seen before.
"Louie, remember the stuff I gave you last time?"
He nodded, and then saw her point to a bag on a table near them. He went to the bag as Recette motioned to Charme. Louie took a look inside. There was the weird looking hat again, th Ishtoril, acting as a kind of half pillow for the Holy Sword. The Amber Shield was winking in what he identified as a friendly way. However...it was covering a suit of armor.
He almost dropped it, his hands were shaking so much. It was a beautiful suit of armor the color of bone. He swallowed hard and tried to speak, but something was stuck in his throat. Unde the armor was a bracelet of similar color with one winking green gem in the middle of it. He looked around to see Recette was near him again, motioning to Tielle. He put out a hand to stop her, since his mouth still seemed to be having trouble working.
"I-Recette...I...I can't...wear this...I mean...it's...I'll make sure I return it pronto...err..."
She tilted her head to the side a little as if confused, though she knew perfectly what he meant as he gestured ineffectually to the suit of armor.
"Why Louie? Its yours. Do you remember the Guardian Armor I sold you?"
Louie nodded dumbly, though the word "sold" was, in his mind, very loosely spoken. He knew she had undercut the cost of that armor severely, in fact, it was so undercut, as soon as he walked out the store with his find, he tried inspecting it for flaws. When he found none, he went to Big Bash and tried to ask the merchant at the counter for an appraisal...but he did not know what it was. He called his senior counter jockey. SHE didn't know what it was. Together they called the shift manager. HE ALSO did not know what it was. Fed up, the three of them managed to get a hold of Alouette's father. He was not happy to be called, but his manner changed once he saw the merchandise.
He informed Louie that it was exactly what Recette told him it was, a Guardian Armor, though Louie was mum on where he got it when asked. He tried to buy it from him for 60,000 pix, but Louie declined. He was then offered 70,000, but again Louie declined and decided to thank him and leave...only to pant, eyes wide, outside. Louie was not dumb, despite popular opinion. He knew that merchants loved to buy at half or less price at Big Bash. It meant that this suit of armor was worth at least 120,000pix, and would be sold for probably 145,000 or more... when he took a minute to do the math.
Recette had sold it to him for about the cost of two ham sandwiches... Eight. Thousand. That was practically a GIFT. He brought his mind crashing back to earth and the present on her next sentence as she indicated the suit of armor.
"I took it in for some repairs and fused it up for you. That is your Guardian Armor Louie, only now it's called a Battle Suit...that IS your armor Louie."
NOW he felt like fainting. His hands shook worse than ever as Recette smiled and left him to show Tielle her stuff. Louie felt like if she had touched him, he would have fell over...how much was this thing worth...? HE OWNED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT A HOUSE BUT WAS PROBABLY WORTH AS MUCH AS ONE. Holyhellhecouldnotbelieveitandhewasgoingnutshemustbedreamingohhellohhellohell...
"Hi."
"AGGGGRH THE KOBOLDS ARE AFTER MY CHEESE!"
Louie wildly spun around with his sword in hand and almost took off Charme's head; if not for her quick and elegant jump backwards that is. She put a hand on her hip and gave him a haughty look, which he returned with a sheepish one.
"Err...sorry Charme...I'm just kinda...spooked."
"I can see that."
She cast an appraising eye over the sword and armor. She was no merchant but she had seen her fair share of treasure...obviously. She grinned wickedly and said loud enough to carry something she knew would make Louie faint, but she decided part-way that she wanted to mess with Recette too...so she would make HER be the one to faint Louie.
"Hey Lou."
"Uhm...I'm sorry for that slice just now Charme, I wasn't thinking."
"Its k...you know that armor?"
"Yeah?"
"It's prob worth about 300k pix."
Recette, as Charme predicted, piped up just in time, her crash course merchant snapping into effect without even thinking.
"Actually it's salable at about 460,000 to 490,000 pix...oh, Louie! No, don't faint! Aww...at least he fell on top of the scarves...Charme...you did that on purpose didn't you..."
Charme only grinned without shame in Recette's direction. Yes. Yes she did. Her own hands caressed the edge of her new "GhostBlade" she decided that she might as well ask since Louie had had his own shock.
"How much for most of my stuff Recette?"
"Barrier plate, about 330k, Ghostblade, also about 330k, same Armband as Louie, Fortuna Armband, about 123k, TrailBlazers, about 70k..."
Charme fingered her new ring, letting it catch in the light. She prompted Recette, since she seemed hesitant.
"...and?"
Her answer was a whisper.
"Soul Ring...and it's not because of the relative value...but it's effect. It's worth about 220k...but it will protect you if you are about to die. If I can't get to you in time...and you are about to die...it will activate and heal you to full strength again...but it's a one time use. It will break after that...guaranteed."
Charme stopped fingering the ring lovingly and regarded it with more reverence. This thing was basically her life-line if things got sticky. Knowing where they were going...it was gonna get sticky. She was the fastest of the team picked. Recette had kept her well equipped and armored, but not ad heavily as the others. It did not take a genius to figure out what Recette wanted her to do...it was not, as Recette had told the director, a copy off the stiff and childish:" Oh just protect me and walk with me." Of Alouette. It was more along the lines of a Thief pack, something she could respect.
Charme, the lightest and quickest, was the scout, meanwhile a heavier armed Louie and...most likely Nagi...were the front guards. They protected Calliou, who was a slow, weak defensively mage, but who had devastating attack. Tielle was rear guard. Her range and power, as well as good eyes made her ideal for that...
This meant that Recette would be just like the usual merchant, ready to pull anyone in the barrier if they got too low, ready to heal them and carry all the items they picked up...wait.
No.
She could not be planning...
Charme grabbed Recette's retreating shoulder in a vice grip. She could bet the merchant was wincing. Charme did not much care. She pulled Recette in close and hissed in her ear.
"You don't plan on staying behind the barrier do you. You want to be outside. That's your plan? To run around unprotected picking up everything and healing anyone when they get too far away? Are you insane?"
Recette didn't answer her. Charme let her go after spinning her around to be facing her. She tried to return to her usual casual, careless air, but having Recette face her with such a defiant look made her fail, hard.
"Well, are you?"
"I'm not crazy! ...and I don't want to answer your other question..."
Her uncomfortable look was telling enough. Charme felt a little guilty, but she did not like this plan. Not. At. All. She had heard what had happened between her and Louie when they had gone off to save Arma. She was afraid Recette was getting a bit overconfident...and despite her jokes, she really did not want to see Recette hurt. Not one bit. It was the adventurer's job to risk their lives...not the merchant's.
Recette had always done it differently...but this time she was not sure if different was the way to go. There was safety in th expression of not fixing something that was not broken...and Recette was walking towards something very un-broken with something very much like a wrench and hammer.
+-E-+
"Hmm? Yes. Charme was right."
I looked at her, incredulous. A merchant planning on actually going into the fray with her adventurer's against the worst dungeon that had then currently been in existence? Standing alongside them? She stopped me there.
"No, not along-side them, not quite. They had their jobs, I was simply running after them picking up the stuff the monsters dropped after being beaten, and checking up on them personally if they needed any healing. I was not meant to take any hits directly from monsters."
She was not meant to she says. She seems to pick up my point as my eyes shift to her rapier, and before I can speak, she answers me.
"I did get whacked around some, yeah, but that wasn't part of the plan...it just happened. I'm still alive aren't I?"
Something made me want to say "Barely" but I stopped myself. Those eyes were so warm in reflected memories. There was absolutely no trace of that shy sadness and hard edges in her face now...but slowly it all came back, and she was once again "Recette the disgraced shopkeeper turned bard for me." and not "Recette, brilliant if ditsy and lovable child merchant."
I felt for her, I really did. I reached into my bag and pulled out the Hourglass I had obtained form her. Her eyes which had dulled form the return of her usual manner, brightened again slightly.
"Oh, you brought it with you. It's beautiful isn't it?"
Yeah. It was. Even slightly discolored from god knows what, it's sand was brilliantly sea-green, and sparkling. However, there was one thing that struck me as odd when I brought it home, something that I had not noticed before, or indeed paid much mind.
It was almost completely full of sand.
How can it be an hourglass if it's almost full? I pointed this point out to her and a small, mysterious smile played briefly on her face before it was gone.
"Hehe. Don't worry about that, but keep it safe, and keep bringing it with you as I tell you this story. I have a feeling you'll get your answer that way, through action, not words."
Again she had stumped me. Couldn't she just tell me? Didn't she know?
"Of course I know. I just have a feeling you need to see it to believe it. Bring it tomorrow, and if I'm not done with the story yet, the days after that too. You can tell people you have it and where you got it if you like...but don't sell it. I gave it to you as a gift, and you might have to give it to someone else as a gift before we say goodbye."
I looked at the hourglass. It was pretty. Simple as that. I was instantly reminded of her saying Louie was of the same mind about a particular rock he had shown her...I placed it back in my bag and looked out the windows.
It was, once more, dark and dreary outside. I turned back to see the shopkeeper smiling sadly before she got up from her seat and whisked my empty plate from underneath me. I had hardly noticed this time, when she had placed it in front of me. She had not paused in her story. I must have eaten it, I have a taste of something in my mouth, pleasant, but inidentifiable...it's been too long gone.
As I get up, I suddenly make a decision that I won't tell anyone where I got this hourglass full of sand from. Recette is a little too strange, and I doubt she could handle normal customers anymore...something about her is just too melancholy. I wonder what else she has to tell me...what is it that made her like this... from the happy, plucky girl that I can sometimes still see in her eyes as she talks.
What's worse is it's almost a certainty to me that the happy girl is still there. She's being caged up inside, and it's eating her up. I don't know how I can tell...but I can't shake the thought, not even as she leads me to the door with a small smile and picks off some of my hair from my shoulder, where I did not even realize it was resting.
It was a small act of kindness that made me want to hug her, but the next moment she was gone, and I had already walked over the threshold. I was staring at a locked door. Recettear was closed. I looked up to see the sign, slightly aged from the weather and, like the rest of the place, discolored from some indeterminable damage. It was a beautifully made sign, and I wonder where she got it from.
Maybe I'll ask her next time.
It swings slightly in the wind as I walk off into the night. I had only a bed at the inn to look forwards too, and the story...once the morning came.
+~X~+
When I first spell-checked this chapter, I received a rather large shock. It told me I had no errors. At all. I was flabbergasted. I? Without the ever present typo? Madness! Yet, Fanfiction told me the truth. I had a few, and there is something wrong with the spell-checker I used. Ehh. However, I did have a rather small amount. It's sad that I have typed this at all however. I fully expect no one to review. Even if they do, I expect to see no old faces. I have taken too long to update. Far, far, far too long~. Oh well. If anything, at least this is proof the story is not dead. In the same ways that "A lizard does not die until the sun sets."
Good day for now~ Finalage.