Re: [Day 2 - Early Afternoon] Bid Event: My First Market
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 10:51 pm
Volunteering to help a child make their first set of sales? This should be an interesting experience, both for himself and his charge. Looking around the group for who might need help, he has a little interview with each of the children until he finds one of the youngest, just barely eight. The little boys face was drawn tightly, perhaps a bit thin. His clothes were nice, but they were clearly not in the current style. Perhaps his family was a bit down on their luck. Crouching down to his level, Hikari smiled and offered him a hand after looking to his nametag.
"It is nice to meet you, Ichiro-san. I am Asako Hikari, but you can call me ojisan if you want." He lifts a hand to lightly touch on the mon of his haori, a finger tracing over each of the symbols. "I am from the Phoenix Clan, but I'm sure you could recognize that..but if you look here at this symbol of the open hand...this means that I trained with the Ide, from the Unicorn. I have been many places, but now I am here to help you, because Yasuki Umiko-sama said that you might need someone to help you with selling some things."
The little boy gave a slow nod and held up a small sack of items. Some old, but well made wooden toys that were obviously well loved, as well as a collection of coins of various ancient denominations. "These are my treasures, ojisan. My mama and papa said that when I go to school, I can't take them. I'll be too big for toys and the coins I have to get are new koku so our lord bosslady has lotsa money."
This brings a chuckle out of Hikari who nods. "It can be hard, leaving things that we know behind. But it looks like you loved these things very much. When I had to leave things behind when I left to learn from the Unicorn, I gave them to people who I thought might be able to use them. That way, even though I was gone, they knew that I wasn't leaving them behind, I was just introducing them to new friends."
Ichiro smiled a bit and nodded. "Are you good at selling stuff, ojisan?" Hikari chuckled. "I hope so, Ichiro-san, or otherwise /my/ lord bossman is going to be cross with me. But, let's go set up so we can get a good spot before everyone else, eh?" And with that, he scoops up the slight child and places him on his shoulders, carrying the little Crab out into the space proper, decorum be damned.
-----
"First, Ichiro-san, we should look for other people who have things to sell. I have an idea for how we should set up our little booth. You have nice things, but we can always use more. Let's see what we can find...ah, like this here," he says, picking up a few small trinkets on a good deal, mostly shiny baubles, but a few cast steel toys and a nice lacquered chopstick set in a magnetically sealed box. "One important thing to learn about when making sales of all sorts: never lie about your product. If you lie and someone finds out, then they tell other people, who tell other people, and then all of a sudden you have no more customers. No one wants to be lied to unless they are a very odd customer." Ichiro nodded a bit, seeming to understand this simple point. They wandered about the market a bit more, getting a few more odds and ends before Hikari slipped his charge a few coins to pay and off they went over to the stall.
"Hm. This won't do. We need something a bit more...attractive...to draw attention. Alright Ichiro-san!" Hikari squatted down so the child could dismount his shoulders and then he nodded. "Do you know what gacha games are?" Ichiro nodded quickly, a wide smile on his face. "Yes, ojisan! I love putting the tokens in the machine and getting the little prize! Sometimes I even with the big one! Last year, I won the grand prize from the Rainbow Arcade from one of the machines...a hundred tokens to play whatever games I wanted!" Hikari laughed and nodded. "And I bet you spent many little coins in those machines trying to win the prize, hm?" Ichiro nodded and then seemed to come to a sudden realization. "You think they'll do it here too?! But we don't have a machine!"
"Ah, but we are smart and resourceful samurai, Ichiro-san! We must use our heads. Do you remember old stories about pirates and buried treasure? Hiding their riches in the sand so they can keep it from their enemies and come get it later?" A series of rapid nods. "I'll look for a few wooden crates, Ichiro-san. How about you go down to the beach with this bucket and fill it with sand and come back. We can bury your treasures and the treasures we bought, bury them, and then we let people take a little shovel and play a gacha game of their own, eh?"
Handing over the bucket and the shovel, Hikari watched as Ichiro ran off to the beach to grab some sand. After every return trip, Hikari helped him bury trinkets in little quadrants of sand contained in the crates and then label them with small plastic pirate flags and little fishtank shipwrecks. "That'll do, I think...now, we just have to let people know we're open for business...let's get you head and shoulders above the competition again!" He scoops up Ichiro onto his shoulders again and clears his throat.
"Come one, come all! Dig for buried treasure of Captain Ichiro-san in the shipwreck cove!" Ichiro gave his best, "ARR!" in his small voice, growing more confident as the pair began to draw in bemused customers, eager to see what was going on. Small children not yet set up for the market, parents, and others besides who came to support the young samurai wandered through the space, giving small handfuls of coins to Ichiro to deposit in the payment box as Hikari bounced around, lending his voice to the task.
Once one of the customers to the pirate gacha dug up the token prize that corresponded to the lacquered chopstick set, Ichiro was handed a small party popper by Hikari, who fired it off, yipping with joy and congratulations to the player, a slightly older woman who kindly bowed to the pair of salesmen, who returned it. "Thank you for coming to Captain Ichiro's, obasaaaaan!"
Ichiro gave a giggle and spun around happily, shaking the payment box and listening to the rattle. Hikari smiled and nodded, looking out as the crowd began to disperse a bit, their sand boxes finally empty of prizes. "Well, Ichiro-san, that was a job well done...but I think you have one more sale to make!" The boy stopped spinning for a minute, tilting his head and walking over to Hikari, who had crouched once more. The Phoenix pulled the small set of antique coins from under the stall set up, turning them over in his hands.
"I think I want to buy these, if you will sell them. These coins are very old, and I know some people that might like them. What is your price for them?" Ichiro seemed a bit stunned that his friendly teacher would offer to buy them, but he recovered and lifted his hand to his chin, mimicking the familiar merchant pose that he had seen others strike up. "How about...one whole koku, ojisan?" Hikari gave an appraising, 'hmmm' as he looked over the coins once more. "I think that is too cheap, Ichiro-san. How about three?" Ichiro gasped and started, "But they're not worth that mu-," before Hikari raised a hand to stop him. "Maybe not to some, but I think so. You are being an honest merchant, Ichiro-san and I think that honesty should be rewarded." Reaching into his haori, he produced three koku, still a bit shiny, but worn about the edges from many transactions. "Besides...one koku is too small a treasure for Captain Ichiro, don't you think?"
The small Crab burst into a fit of giggles and nodded, taking the koku and putting them in his personal pouch. "Thank you, ojisan!" He leaned over and wrapped his arms around the Phoenix in a sudden hug, which Hikari lightly returned. "You are welcome, Ichiro-san...but I think it is time to return to your parents so you can tell them how well you did!" The pair rose and walked back over to Ichiro's parents, who listened intently as the lad explained the events of the market.
"You have a smart son, Yasuki-sans. I hope his career is as bright as the stars." And with that, Hikari bows and turns to take his leave.
======
Rolls here!
Day 2 - My First Market! (Build) Engineering/Intelligence TN 15. Voiding for +1k0 [Skill rank]. +1 from baby Crab assistance. | 4k3+1 ⇒ 26 (TN: 15) || Building the pirate cove! Emphasis and raise earned.
Day 2 - My First Market! (Market) - Courtier(Gossip)/Awa TN 15, Void for +1k1, +2 from assist and Status, 3 Called Raises. | 8k5+2 ⇒ 44 (TN: 30) || Marketing! 4 Value points earned.
Day 2 - My First Market! (Buying) - Investigation(Search)/Awa TN 15, Void for +1k1, +2 from assist and Status, 2 called raises, 1 free raise. | 6k5+2 ⇒ 40 (TN: 25) || Buying! 5 Value points earned!
Day 2 - My First Market! (Selling) - Commerce/Perception TN 15, Void for +1k1, +2 from assist and Status, 2 called raises, 1 free raise. | 7k4+2 ⇒ 36 (TN: 25) || Selling! 4 Coin points earned, 9 Value points converted!
13 Coin points earned, 4 Bid Points earned!
"It is nice to meet you, Ichiro-san. I am Asako Hikari, but you can call me ojisan if you want." He lifts a hand to lightly touch on the mon of his haori, a finger tracing over each of the symbols. "I am from the Phoenix Clan, but I'm sure you could recognize that..but if you look here at this symbol of the open hand...this means that I trained with the Ide, from the Unicorn. I have been many places, but now I am here to help you, because Yasuki Umiko-sama said that you might need someone to help you with selling some things."
The little boy gave a slow nod and held up a small sack of items. Some old, but well made wooden toys that were obviously well loved, as well as a collection of coins of various ancient denominations. "These are my treasures, ojisan. My mama and papa said that when I go to school, I can't take them. I'll be too big for toys and the coins I have to get are new koku so our lord bosslady has lotsa money."
This brings a chuckle out of Hikari who nods. "It can be hard, leaving things that we know behind. But it looks like you loved these things very much. When I had to leave things behind when I left to learn from the Unicorn, I gave them to people who I thought might be able to use them. That way, even though I was gone, they knew that I wasn't leaving them behind, I was just introducing them to new friends."
Ichiro smiled a bit and nodded. "Are you good at selling stuff, ojisan?" Hikari chuckled. "I hope so, Ichiro-san, or otherwise /my/ lord bossman is going to be cross with me. But, let's go set up so we can get a good spot before everyone else, eh?" And with that, he scoops up the slight child and places him on his shoulders, carrying the little Crab out into the space proper, decorum be damned.
-----
"First, Ichiro-san, we should look for other people who have things to sell. I have an idea for how we should set up our little booth. You have nice things, but we can always use more. Let's see what we can find...ah, like this here," he says, picking up a few small trinkets on a good deal, mostly shiny baubles, but a few cast steel toys and a nice lacquered chopstick set in a magnetically sealed box. "One important thing to learn about when making sales of all sorts: never lie about your product. If you lie and someone finds out, then they tell other people, who tell other people, and then all of a sudden you have no more customers. No one wants to be lied to unless they are a very odd customer." Ichiro nodded a bit, seeming to understand this simple point. They wandered about the market a bit more, getting a few more odds and ends before Hikari slipped his charge a few coins to pay and off they went over to the stall.
"Hm. This won't do. We need something a bit more...attractive...to draw attention. Alright Ichiro-san!" Hikari squatted down so the child could dismount his shoulders and then he nodded. "Do you know what gacha games are?" Ichiro nodded quickly, a wide smile on his face. "Yes, ojisan! I love putting the tokens in the machine and getting the little prize! Sometimes I even with the big one! Last year, I won the grand prize from the Rainbow Arcade from one of the machines...a hundred tokens to play whatever games I wanted!" Hikari laughed and nodded. "And I bet you spent many little coins in those machines trying to win the prize, hm?" Ichiro nodded and then seemed to come to a sudden realization. "You think they'll do it here too?! But we don't have a machine!"
"Ah, but we are smart and resourceful samurai, Ichiro-san! We must use our heads. Do you remember old stories about pirates and buried treasure? Hiding their riches in the sand so they can keep it from their enemies and come get it later?" A series of rapid nods. "I'll look for a few wooden crates, Ichiro-san. How about you go down to the beach with this bucket and fill it with sand and come back. We can bury your treasures and the treasures we bought, bury them, and then we let people take a little shovel and play a gacha game of their own, eh?"
Handing over the bucket and the shovel, Hikari watched as Ichiro ran off to the beach to grab some sand. After every return trip, Hikari helped him bury trinkets in little quadrants of sand contained in the crates and then label them with small plastic pirate flags and little fishtank shipwrecks. "That'll do, I think...now, we just have to let people know we're open for business...let's get you head and shoulders above the competition again!" He scoops up Ichiro onto his shoulders again and clears his throat.
"Come one, come all! Dig for buried treasure of Captain Ichiro-san in the shipwreck cove!" Ichiro gave his best, "ARR!" in his small voice, growing more confident as the pair began to draw in bemused customers, eager to see what was going on. Small children not yet set up for the market, parents, and others besides who came to support the young samurai wandered through the space, giving small handfuls of coins to Ichiro to deposit in the payment box as Hikari bounced around, lending his voice to the task.
Once one of the customers to the pirate gacha dug up the token prize that corresponded to the lacquered chopstick set, Ichiro was handed a small party popper by Hikari, who fired it off, yipping with joy and congratulations to the player, a slightly older woman who kindly bowed to the pair of salesmen, who returned it. "Thank you for coming to Captain Ichiro's, obasaaaaan!"
Ichiro gave a giggle and spun around happily, shaking the payment box and listening to the rattle. Hikari smiled and nodded, looking out as the crowd began to disperse a bit, their sand boxes finally empty of prizes. "Well, Ichiro-san, that was a job well done...but I think you have one more sale to make!" The boy stopped spinning for a minute, tilting his head and walking over to Hikari, who had crouched once more. The Phoenix pulled the small set of antique coins from under the stall set up, turning them over in his hands.
"I think I want to buy these, if you will sell them. These coins are very old, and I know some people that might like them. What is your price for them?" Ichiro seemed a bit stunned that his friendly teacher would offer to buy them, but he recovered and lifted his hand to his chin, mimicking the familiar merchant pose that he had seen others strike up. "How about...one whole koku, ojisan?" Hikari gave an appraising, 'hmmm' as he looked over the coins once more. "I think that is too cheap, Ichiro-san. How about three?" Ichiro gasped and started, "But they're not worth that mu-," before Hikari raised a hand to stop him. "Maybe not to some, but I think so. You are being an honest merchant, Ichiro-san and I think that honesty should be rewarded." Reaching into his haori, he produced three koku, still a bit shiny, but worn about the edges from many transactions. "Besides...one koku is too small a treasure for Captain Ichiro, don't you think?"
The small Crab burst into a fit of giggles and nodded, taking the koku and putting them in his personal pouch. "Thank you, ojisan!" He leaned over and wrapped his arms around the Phoenix in a sudden hug, which Hikari lightly returned. "You are welcome, Ichiro-san...but I think it is time to return to your parents so you can tell them how well you did!" The pair rose and walked back over to Ichiro's parents, who listened intently as the lad explained the events of the market.
"You have a smart son, Yasuki-sans. I hope his career is as bright as the stars." And with that, Hikari bows and turns to take his leave.
======
Rolls here!
Day 2 - My First Market! (Build) Engineering/Intelligence TN 15. Voiding for +1k0 [Skill rank]. +1 from baby Crab assistance. | 4k3+1 ⇒ 26 (TN: 15) || Building the pirate cove! Emphasis and raise earned.
Day 2 - My First Market! (Market) - Courtier(Gossip)/Awa TN 15, Void for +1k1, +2 from assist and Status, 3 Called Raises. | 8k5+2 ⇒ 44 (TN: 30) || Marketing! 4 Value points earned.
Day 2 - My First Market! (Buying) - Investigation(Search)/Awa TN 15, Void for +1k1, +2 from assist and Status, 2 called raises, 1 free raise. | 6k5+2 ⇒ 40 (TN: 25) || Buying! 5 Value points earned!
Day 2 - My First Market! (Selling) - Commerce/Perception TN 15, Void for +1k1, +2 from assist and Status, 2 called raises, 1 free raise. | 7k4+2 ⇒ 36 (TN: 25) || Selling! 4 Coin points earned, 9 Value points converted!
13 Coin points earned, 4 Bid Points earned!
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