The Noblest Art Is That Of Making Others Happy (D1 EE Desert Open)

[Al-Haddar]

Nasim raised his eyebrows at the question and looked around carefully. "It seems like they must have come up from near Ivindi lands. Almost a guarantee there will be something, though they'll be keeping the best stock locked up until it's sold. Likely to private connections. Ivory is always a big seller."

Al-Haddar cautiously backpedaled:

"Oh yeah, such precious items are out of my league."

And that's why you stay a half-a-copper peddler.

"Gold, ivory, emerald... They attract the really dangerous like flies around a rotten fruit, especially in business quantities. I was more thinking about the more subtle stuff, like a new delicacy or cloth that has the potential to become the next fade among nobility, and in which it would be wise to invest right now."

[Tarset Kishan]

Qasim nodded "Indeed I do, their trading caravan doesn't always have much worth considering but they travel far and wide so they occasionally pick up curiosities."

She guessed there was some sort of merchant's pride involved in the comments, but it didn't really matter to her. "How many languages do you know then?"

[Qasim al-Basiri]

Qasim shrugged "less than I'd like, more than most. About four I can speak fluently Ra'shari, Senpet, Invindi, and of course my native tongue of Mekhem. I know a few key phrases in yodotai and Rokugani but couldn't get by there if I needed."He said sipping his drink again

"Being able to talk to people in their own tongue tends to make negotiations easie."

[Tarset Kishan]

"I imagine," Tarset noted. She paused and glanced once again to the singer before nodding her chin toward Raya. "So if you speak Ra'Shari well, what's she singing about?"

[Nasim ibn Jalil]

Al-Haddar cautiously backpedaled:

"Oh yeah, such precious items are out of my league."

And that's why you stay a half-a-copper peddler.

"Gold, ivory, emerald... They attract the really dangerous like flies around a rotten fruit, especially in business quantities. I was more thinking about the more subtle stuff, like a new delicacy or cloth that has the potential to become the next fade among nobility, and in which it would be wise to invest right now."

Nasim shrugged at that. "Being a go-between, I occasionally get requests like that. But not often, they don't trust me with the really expensive stuff yet. As for new delicacies," Nasim paused and rubbed at his jawline in thought. "Nothing really comes to mind, but I don't really have a merchant's eye for that sort of thing I admit." He shrugged with a self-deprecating smile.

[Qasim al-Basiri]

"I imagine," Tarset noted. She paused and glanced once again to the singer before nodding her chin toward Raya. "So if you speak Ra'Shari well, what's she singing about?"

Qasim smirked swirling the liquid in his cup and taking a sip "I could tell you, or you could ask her yourself. I have little doubt our Ra'Shari songbird would love to tell you what she's singing about. From the way you've been stealing glances at her all evening I imagine you wouldn't mind the telling."

[Tarset Kishan]

Tarset gave a quiet grunt. "Perhaps. I would not interrupt her this evening, but I imagine the caravan will be at the city for more nights. Perhaps tomorrow..."

She fell silent a moment, musing as she drank more beer, until she realized her skin was empty with a frown. "Mph. Or, perhaps I should just learn more languages. It's not as if I don't have the time. It's always just been something to do later for me. You learned them in your schooling?"

[Qasim al-Basiri]

Qasim chuckled lightly and extended a hand "come let me refresh your beer, a lady should never have an empty glass. As for languages well I learned a bit in schooling but I spent more time myself learning what I needed to know. Despite my appearance I am a bit of a self made man. Fate just saw fit to hand me a different set of base skills to hone."

[Tarset Kishan]

"Self taught? Does that mean you just hired your own language tutors? Or, did you read and learn on your own? I suppose I've never been much for learning, so it's strange to think about." She handed over her beer skin as she spoke, not one to turn down an honest offer.

[Al-Haddar]

Nasim shrugged at that. "Being a go-between, I occasionally get requests like that. But not often, they don't trust me with the really expensive stuff yet. As for new delicacies," Nasim paused and rubbed at his jawline in thought. "Nothing really comes to mind, but I don't really have a merchant's eye for that sort of thing I admit." He shrugged with a self-deprecating smile.

"Well, if you've got money to invest and want my opinion... With the Khadi sudden interest in archery, I wouldn't be surprised if a style imitating the clothes of professional archers went all the rage. Maybe something with a quiver-looking bag, or with patches of clothes reminding of archery protections. Could even be mixed with some foreign looking elements if a Moto archer or some other foreigner with a distinctive style was to show off in their little contest."