Shoe Shopping

[Elijah_Morendale]

At this point, Elijah was confused. Where exactly was he supposed to go to find what he was searching for?

He had been in several shops that he figured would have the item he wanted, but they didn't, and in three or four cases, he nearly left with something entirely different, but he had to stay focused.

Daddy needs a new pair of kicks.

After window-shopping for another hour or so, he decided to enter one particular shop. The door opened with a heavy creak, allowing the musty air to enter his nostrils. His eyes darted from object to object. There was definitely some strange stuff contained within these four walls, but would they have what he wanted the most? There was only way to find out.

Sticking his head in the doorway, Elijah said, "Hello? Anyone here?"

[AdventWings]

"Welcome, sir. How may I help you?"

From behind the counter, a young lady rose to her feet and carefully placed a set of studded leather tunic onto a nearby table.

Miri beamed as she paused at the counter, ready to take her new customer's orders.

"What will it be for today, sir? Some leather bracers or a new belt?"

[Elijah_Morendale]

Elijah fully entered the shop, carefully shutting the door behind him. He flashed a quick smile at the shop girl before continuing to casually glance at all of the different items the shop had in stock. "Hi, actually, I was wondering I'd be able to get a new pair of sneakers, but not just any ordinary pair. Specifically, I'm looking for a pair of canvas hi-tops, either black or red, I don't care."

He made his way over to a small collection of daggers. There were several with small jewels encrusted in the handles in some pretty intricate patters. He'd have to remember this place if and when he lost his own dagger, or if it broke or something.

"But here's the catch. I'd like a pair that, in the sole of the right shoe, there's a small blade made of iron--maybe three inches long, tops. It would be spring-loaded, and a tap on the side of the shoe would release it." He paused. "You know, just in case of emergencies. I think 'shoe blade' is the proper term for it?"

Elijah looked at the shop girl, fully prepared to give her puppy eyes should her answer not be a positive one.

[AdventWings]

"Oh, I see."

A strange request indeed...

Miri murmured as she watched her customer move around the room, already sizing his feet with her keen eyes and taking mental notes about the way he walked. There was nothing worse than having shoes that you cannot wear.

"Yes, I believe I can have your hi-top shoes ready by the day after tomorrow, sir. As for the price, it would cost a total of 45 gold pieces. I will need you to make a 20 gold-pieces deposit pay in advance, sir, and you can pay the rest when you come to receive them."

Grabbing an odd-shaped wooden plank out from behind the counter, Miri approached Elijah and placed the board on the floor.

"If the conditions are fine, I would need to take measurements of your feet and I will give you a contact slip. The shoes will be ready by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. Is that fine, sir?"

[Elijah_Morendale]

Elijah tossed the proposition around in his head for a few seconds. The wait seemed a bit long, but he did ask for the blade to be installed. His current pair of hi-tops had lasted seven years, so what was another couple of days?

He fished around in his jacket, producing a small leather wallet. He opened it up and counted out twenty gold pieces, handing them over to Miri. He untied one of his shoes, effortlessly slipping it off with a light kick, then placed his foot on the plank for measurements.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Elijah had a hard time concealing his joy at the thought of breaking in a new pair of shoes.

[Elijah_Morendale]

Miri had done her work, handed him the contact slip, and sent him on his way. As he rejoined the massive, sporadic traffic patterns of the sentient beings wandering the city, Elijah took a look back at the shop. His wandering had led him there, but he had not the slightest clue where "there" was.

"Leatherworks Shop. I'll have to remember this, in case I need a new jacket."

"I seriously hope that you're not relying on me to remind you how to get back here..."

Elijah quietly and politely told the voice in his head to go "eff" itself.

--*--*--

It had been two days. The excitement had driven Elijah to the point of insanity, not unlike the kind that a young child experiences at the candy store when their parent is slow to hand them a few gold coins for some goodies.

It was roughly mid-afternoon. He spent the entire day cooped up in his room at a local inn, but it was high time for him to get his new shoes. With a grin, he bolted out of his chair, sending it crashing onto the wooden floor with a sickening thud. He grabbed the contact slip off of the dresser, threw open the door, hopped down the stairs, and stumbled into the street, almost faceplanting on the cobblestone street. He jogged across town, weaving in between the masses that populated the city effortlessly, until he arrived at the Leatherworks Shop.

Elijah took a few seconds to try and hide his joy, and calmly opened the door to the shop. "Hello? I'm here to pick up my shoes."

[AdventWings]

Miri had just received the shoes from the blacksmith across the road minutes prior to her customer's entrance and was just about to see off the man who helped her. Hearing the young adventurer enter, she hurried to the front desk with the sturdy pair of footwear in her hands.

"Here you are, sir!" She said, placing the shoes onto the weather-worn counter top and taking the piece of paper from him, "I believe you will absolutely love them."

Watching her customer admire the wares for a moment, she finally spoke up in her charming clear vioce.

"That will be the remaining 25 pieces, sir."

[Elijah_Morendale]

Elijah slowly lifted the pair of black hi-tops off of the counter with a great amount of care, as if they'd shatter like fine china if he were to drop them on the ground. He carefully inspected the new footwear. The fabric was a light canvas, the toe and soles were a hard, white rubber, and the laces were in perfect condition. In his eyes, the perfect pair of shoes. A satisfied smile found its way across his face. Not his ordinary smile that had a hint of sadness in it, but an all out, teeth bearing, ear-to-ear grin not unlike the ones that "the voice" always greeted him with in his dreams.

"My God, Elijah... Calm down, it's only a pair of shoes. Put 'em on, pay the girl, then move on with your life."

What did the voice know about the joys of a new pair of kicks? Although, Elijah had to admit that the voice gave him the idea of the blade hidden in the shoe. That reminds me... He quickly shed his old, dirty, worn out pair of shoes, just as quickly putting the new pair on and tying the laces. He took a few steps around the shop, jumped in place, and even did a small jig. Yep, these kicks definitely pass the test. It was then he remembered about the iron blade hidden inside the right shoe. He tapped the insole against his calf, which caused the blade to swing out the cloud-white toe.

"Sweet!" He knelt down to slide it back in, taking special care not to cut himself. He stood up and looked at Miri, and quickly opened up his wallet to hand over the remaining gold he owed her. "I gotta' say that this is some excellent craftsmanship. I really appreciate what you've done for me!"

"Dammit, it's only a pair of freakin' shoes! Ugh! Sometimes you make me sick!"

Ignoring the voice, he picked up his old shoes off the floor, bid Miri farewell, and was out the door.

[AdventWings]

"Thank you for your purchase! Come again if you need anything!"

Miri smiled as she watch another satisfied customer leave, placing the payment into a security box and putting it back in its safe place. That was one thing she loved about working at the Bazaar. Happy customers were happy people.

"I think we did good today." She mused, turning to her business associate who normally worked across the street. Looking up from the sheets of leather he was nailing holes into, he merely grinned in response.

"Looks like I'll be needing you more here than over at your blacksmith, Mr. Jiro. If you are willing to, anyway."

((Transaction Completed!

Elijah_Morendale loses 45 GP in exchange for leather hi-top shoes with a built-in toe-knife. He also recieves 100 EXP for good IC interaction.))