Demari just shrugged "It would ruin my families reputation if I didn't bring the price down" He said with a smile, "But your probably right the storm probably added to it"

When she asked him to walk with her he just nodded. He was heading that way anyway and he had planned of accompanying her a ways anyway.

"I don't generally get home till the rain starts really, Usually we don't do as well in the market" He added.

OOC: Its okay

Velvela led her camel to the roads. Throughout the marketplace, vendors were preparing to leave. It pleased her to be able to get everything done quickly. She hadn't expected to do as well as she did at the market. At the last second, she paused in front of a stall on her way to the roads. She looked at the baubles and jewelry displayed. "I've always loved these..." she touched one of the beaded necklaces with a hanging polished stone in the center.

She looked at the vendor, "How much?" The vendor named her price and Velvela frowned. "How about 7 instead? The rock is well cut and polished, but it is common." It was the same amount she had basically saved on the meat due to Demari's haggling. After only a few moments of pause, the vendor agreed. Velvela handed over the coins in return for the necklace. The beads were painted wood, but well carved with spirals and swirls. The center piece was a nicely polished stone of green with a few red flecks striated through it. She pocketed the necklace and grinned happily at her purchase.

"Alright, we ought to get to the road. I shan't be distracted by any more shiny bits." She laughed and led her camel along.

Demari merely laguhed and shook his head a bit, "That's what merchants do best" He said hefting his basket on his hip a bit as he walked.

He looked up at the sky again, the growing clouds just made him nervous, but it had pretty much the same effect on every one else living in the cliffs. Each new rain brought more worry of collapsing pathways. Which meant more excavation and building through the next dry season.

Trailing after the stooped shop keeper Lusalma wondered when he would arrive at his vaulted destination! Rolling her eyes at the slow shuffling pace Lusalma looked around, wondering what ELSE was in those mysterious and numerous boxes...
Spotting an opulent box among all the ratty cases Lusalma looked towards the slowly moving back of the stall owner as his head swung back and forth across the back isle boxes, searching for the right one.
Tiptoeing quietly towards the opulent box Lusalma stared. Encased in gold with onyx, rubies and emerald Lusalma wondered what was in it. Not wanting to touch it, and ruin it as her foster parents would say, Lusalma looked around. Spying the handle of a nearby staff Lusalma picked the staff up and holding it horizontal poked at the catch on the box. The box shifted from the force of the push but otherwise showed no signs of moving. Even more curious Lusalma was gearing up to shove the box with the staff when the liver spotted hand of the stall owner came down on her shoulder like the hand of doom and the annoyed, scratchy old voice stated, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, that box is VERY expensive...I thought you were here to get those knives off my hands? Or are you really just a thieving urchin?" Lusalma started guiltily and stared up in apology. Mumbling those apologies under her breath she than winced and said them louder at the glowering scowl of the stall owner seemed to strengthen. Pausing she looked up hesitantly and still seeing the annoyed countenance looked down and stated sullenly, "Yeah, I'm here for the knives...." Taking one last longing glance the enigma twinkling innocently in the corner of the shadowed stall Lusalma heard a rumble of thunder. Glancing towards the opening she grimaced in distaste of the coming storm and the work on the cliffs it heralded with her family. Turning her back to the box she than followed the stall owner to a specific box. This box was small, narrow, and altogether incongruous. Unlike it's contents. As the stall owner picked it up and blew across the top a storm of dust flew into Lusalma's face. Coughing at the irritant Lusalma glanced with annoyance at the old man and blushed with furious embarrassment at his unrepentant grin. The stall owners malicious grin widened as he stated gleefully, "This here box holds the knives your dear departed father dropped off to me some 13 years ago. He paid me to hold it for his daughter," Here his glance slid up and down Lusalma's length appraiseinly and then continued, "He said I'd know her by her sun streaked red hair and her fair skin, despite her living on the cliffs, so taking into account your accent, and your insatable curiousty," Muttering under his breath he added, "Just like the father, went after the same thing too, ugh," He raised his voice and continued, " I am 95% sure that your his daughter, but before I give you the knives show me your fathers keepsake. After all I don't want to curse an innocent girl with these here knives..." Looking at her expectantly Lusalma grimaced and relucently loosened the top drawstrings of her blouse and pulled out a charm, hanging at the end of a silvery blue metal chain hooked around her neck. Studying the moving rainbow of colors inside the blood red frame of metal for several moments the stall owner nodded in satisfaction and held the black, incongruous box out for Lusalma to take. Reaching out Lusalma grabbed hold and tugged, but before the stall owner let go he fixed his rummy eyes on Lusalma and warned, "Your father paid me too much to care for this box, with his life and gold. So I might as well tell you. These here knives are cursed, don't use them. Don't use them unless you want to be haunted and tormented for the rest of your life." Nodding in satisfaction at his cryptic warning the old stall owner nodded his head decisively and turned towards the front of the store, heading towards whence he first came. Leaving Lusalma to stare uneasily at the forbidding box now sitting in her hands, waiting for her to open her Pandora's Box.

Velvela fell quiet as she walked over the treacherous roads of the cliff face. They looked okay- but there was no telling when or if one would give out. In a way- each day to the market was an adventure. She loved it- the chance of it all.

She led her camel slowly, carefully- walking beside Demari on the pathways. "What do you do during the rains?" she asked suddenly curious. "We usually just sit around waiting. Sometimes we plant seeds in the greenhouse, but other than that, there is nothing to do but wait. When my brother still lived at home he and I would play games. But, since he got married there isn't a whole lot to do. it's down right boring."

Demari shrugged "We have camels...so it's a bit hectic when it all starts up. The rain frightens the younger ones, so we spend a good deal of the first half just dealing with that." He sighed a bit "Then of course there's fun ordeal of dragging up the muddy pathways to the top so we can clean out the stables."
The he laguhed and grinned at Velvela "You fruit growers got the easy life when everything goes well at least"

He chewed his lip a little, the harsh rays of the sun had long ago made this a bad habit of his. He adjusted the basket again "Have you noticed...There's been a lot more strange looking people around?" He asked.

"Ahh... I can imagine. The camels must be frantic when the rains start." She nods slightly, knitting her brow. "We have to be careful ourselves to make sure none of the plants rot from too much rain so we have to go out in the rains and dig irrigation or cover the plants sometimes. Its not so bad- just hard. And we don't have to do it every year- it really depends on the rains and how the roads are washing out."

She scratches her camel on the neck idly as she walks. "I have noticed that there are more strangers lately. Some of them are so pale- like they've never seen the sun." She shakes her head. "It's odd. I remember how rare strangers were even just a couple of years ago- but now-" she frowns before continuing, "Now it is much more commonplace. This last season especially."

Demari nodded a bit "When I was small it was just the occasional Albino...but they stayed wrapped up away from the sun" He said, "I just puts me a little on edge, where are they coming from y'know...and how many more are on their way?"

He shook his head a bit his messy curls bouncing a bit and looked up the sides of the cliffs. People were walking around cleaning out their homes in preparation for the rains, dusting out old rugs before it got to wet to do so, pulling in furniture they'd had outside in the sun.

"Maybe my worries are unfounded..." He muttered "They seem to be getting on well enough, and some leave right after the market is over."

Wandering randomly around the dissolving market Lusalma lugged her bag of supplies and her case of knives for miles, in circles. Stopping under a shady outcropping of rock Lusalma ignored the gathering storm heads and stared unblinkingly at the box. There was an internal war going on inside her. 'Should I open them to see? Should I leave them be? Should I throw them away....nah!....but what should I do? If I show these to my foster parents they'll confiscate them as too dangerous and then sell them off to the side for more money, probably....'
While staring down at the box Lusalma ignored the warning signs of wind swirling around her feet, the ominous grumble in the distance, and the wet, heavy feel of the air.
((PS: I'm going to be gone for 2 days, in the country with no reception))

Velvela shakes her head, "No, there are more than I have ever seen. it makes me think they are here for a reason. Though I don't know what that reason could possibly be. This is a hard place to live if you're not used to it." She falls silent for a short time. her eyebrows knit into a pensive look as she leads her camel. "I wonder why there are so many lately. I can't imagine they want to take our land from us. Maybe they're just curious."

She turned to look at Demari and shrugged. "I dunno really. I know that I feel curious about the outside the more of them I see. I mean, what sort of places do you think they come from? it must be so different from here judging by their looks. Maybe they are pale because there is no sun or something." She laughed and shrugged again. "I really have no idea. I've heard some of the stories people tell, but they seem so- well- unfathomable that I think they're just pulling my leg."

"Why do you they're here? Curiosity? Or some great big purpose?" She tilted her head slightly as she did, her coppery, curly hair falling over her shoulder slightly.

"Maybe they are some sort of mole people" He ventured with a sort of smile that said he was half joking. "Or....y'know...maybe they found some way to live in the marshes? I imagine it would be difficult to live there too...and..a lot of them seem to adapt really easily."

Demari looked back at the market a bit and sighed "I really hope they aren't trying to take our land though...there's really not much to take..." He said softly "If they took that where would we be?"

He stopped frowning as a piece of fruit tumbled from his basket, He paused and Knelt down to pick it up putting it back in.

Taking another swing of alcohol, Rad nodded intently as the parents of Velvela spoke about his most recent repair work.

The mechanic stood at a height that was under average for a man in his late 20's. Nicely tanned skin was accompanied with dark freckles, which heavily sprinkled on the top of his round nose, along with his shoulders. His loosely-fit shirt revealed his small feminine shoulders, and hugged his pudgy middle.

Pulling up the fabric's collar over one shoulder, the tinker spoke in his raspy tone.

"I mean, i'm glad you two are content with my work but if there are ANY problems in the future, you know where to find me." he flashed a pearly grin.

Velvela paused to help Demari with his fallen fruit. She smiled as he grabbed it first and straightened herself out, resting a hand on the neck of her camel. A gust of wind caught her hair and she hid her eyes in the camel's neck to keep the dust from them.

When it passed, she turned back to Demari. "I hate when that happens. At least it didn't go over the edge. once, I lost a whole basket of fruit over the side of the trail. The binding broke on the harness here and there was nothing I could do." She sighed and shrugged.

She rubbed the side of her face, her thoughts returning to their previous conversation. "You know, I think if strangers tried to take our land, they would find a fight they were not expecting. We know this place and its hazards in a way that outsideers just can't." Velvela tugged on the reigns of her camel, urging it forward along the path as another gust of wind blew through the trails.

((OOC: Hey chomp can you pretty pretty please not use that color for you speech? I can't see it at all without highlighting it.))

Demari nodded as he took the fruit from her "Thank god our camels are sure footed I don't know what I'd do if one of them went over the edge" He laguhed softly.

He sighed readjusting the basket, keeping an eye on it as he walked now, "but your definitely right, I doubt they'd find taking over this place to go so easy. I doubt they'll try though.."

"Still" He continued glaring down at the basket of fruit as if that would keep it from rolling around "it wouldn't be very pretty"

Velvela shrugs, letting the subject go- though it lingers in the back of her mind, haunting her. She turns the subject to other things, chatting amiably about this and that- nothing of great importance. She leads her camel gently thought the passes. The wind picks up every now and again as she leads her animal, walking with Demari.

It is not long before she arrives home. She looks at Demari, "Ah! I'm sorry...I didn't mean for you to walk me all the way here." She laughs brightly, rubbing her cheek. "Hmmm...since you're here- would you mind helping me take my supplies inside?" She moves her came to the front of her house, leading it to a small stable connected to the house, but not part of it. Behind her house is a small greenhouse- made of glass and metal and looking a bit out of place. There is a trail upward from her house that leads to the top of the cliffs, and presumably to the orchards.

She brings her camel into the stable, leading it toward a communal stall where a couple other camels currently reside. She unlatches the harness, setting all the baskets on the ground before she leads the camel into the stall with the other camels. She is stronger than she looks, able to lift the laden grain basket with ease. There is a basket full of various fruits, combined into a single container, two baskets full of grains and one basket full of meat. "I'll bet my mother has some fresh bread and jam if you'd like some." She picks up the two grain baskets,wrapping her arms around them and pressing them to her hips with ease.

Demari smiled and bobbed his head a bit "I think I deserve a bit of bread and Jam for helping out" He said with a smile.
As he picked up some of the baskets and followed her out heading for the house he spotted a rather round looking man standing near her house "Velvela?" He asked "Isn't that the tinker over there?"

Demari was shuffling now due to the weight from the stuff he'd picked up, he was strong, but wasn't to used to carrying things around so much.

As Rad turned to leave, he heard a conversation buzzing from behind the green home. One voice sounded familiar, so he decided to walk back and to the greenhouse.
He peered in, smiling at the sight of Velvela.

"I didn't know you were here," he softly said as he slipped his way in, adjusting the bag's sling over his shoulder.
"I was just talking to your parents."

Velvela carried her baskets out of the stables. She looked at Demari, then toward where he indicated. "Why yes, I do believe it is. I didn't realize that he was coming out today." She laughed, "Seems you found him today after all."

As the Tinker walked over to the pair, Velvela adjusted her baskets. It wasn't far from the stables to the house, they were connected sort of- you just had to walk around from one entrance to another. Velvela smiled at his as he spoke. "I didn't realize you were coming out today. Did something go wrong with the greenhouse while I was at the market?" She shifted the baskets in her arms against her hips.

The wind picked up again and Velvela ducked her face to hide her light brown eyes from the dust. "Why don't we get inside? The wind is really kicking up. I think I'll be washing the dust from my eyes for a week as it is." She laughed brightly, leading the two men to the house.

The house itself, isn't overly large, the cliff faces don't lend themselves well to large houses. It was a sort of long narrow house. The main room was the obvious gathering room, the kitchen was off to the right with a large iron and stone stove and ovens. On the stove was a large pot used for making preserves and jams. There were shelves built into the walls that were lined with jars. On the left side was a small hall that most likely led to the other rooms of the house. The gathering room was cozy, with simple furniture covered in colorful cloth and pillows. The rugs on the floor were similarly colorful.

Velvela's parents were sitting on one of the couches. Her father was peeling fruit into a large basket and her mother was slicing the fruit from that basket into another. Velvela gave her father a kiss on the cheek followed by her mother. "I brought a friend home." She tilted her head over to Demari. "You didn't tell me that the tinker would be here."

"Welcome home dear. Go on and put the baskets in the kitchen," her mother said. her father chuckled warmly and shrugged. "A friend eh?" He looked Demari up and down as if inspecting him for approval for far larger things than either Demari or Velvela had in mind at this point.

"Feel free to have a seat, I'll rustle us up some bread and jams." She placed her baskets in the kitchen area on a large table. Her parents went about greeting Demari. her father promptly started asking him all sort of probing questions until Velvela shot him a look from the kitchen. She emptied her pockets of coins into a large jar that was already about half full. She stowed the jar away in its place.

She grabbed several jars of jam and a large loaf of bread from the bread box, bringing it over into the gathering room.


((OOC: Velvela and Demari aren't in the greenhouse, they were just leaving the stables heading to the house.))

Demari followed Velvela into the house setting the baskets down where she'd set hers and greeting her parents with polite introductions.
When her father had began giving him the third degree he was a bit flustered but answered the questions as best as he could.
He shook his head a bit and smiled "I think your father likes me or something" He said shakeing his head a bit.
Not really seeing much he'd be helpfull with he smiled a bit and waved to Velvela "I'll be back in a moment, I'm gonna go try and get that man to fix the thing I bought"

Lusalma ignored the coming storm, at least till a particularly ominous rumble of thunder danced down the market street. Glancing quickly, and guiltily, up from the mesmerizing container Lusalma looked up and down the street to find both deserted. Sweat dropping at her oblivious preoccupation with the box she tucked it inside her shirt, up against her ribs. Setting out towards the end of the market, and the rode heading up the cliffs, Lusalma wondered when her foster family would find her or when they would deign to start looking for her...if neither she would have to climb the rode on her own. Seeing a robe stall being quickly dismantled up to her right Lusalma quickly counted her left over coin. Seeing she had barely enough she jogged towards the disintegrating stall and asked for a water proof cloak. After several minutes of fierce haggling a new, red, waterproof cloak was hers...as well as an extra scarf that the owner said came with the cloak...for some weird reason. Shaking off the bizarreness of a freebie Lusalma countined treking down the road. Feeling the first peppering drops of rain Lusalma quickly donned the cloak and setting her first step on the cliff road started her trek to the top, or near the top, hugging the inner edge of the road.

Velvela chuckled and shrugged. "Oh, I'm not sure that he likes you in particular- I think it is more of the fact that you are a boy nearish my own age. I suspect he's trying to marry me off." She chuckled and shrugged, "If I had known it would bring you into his line of sight I would have been more careful about bringing you in." She smirked, nodding as Demari went to talk to the Tinker.

She pulled the kerchief from her hair, letting it loose now that she was inside. Her bronze colored hair fell into her face in unkempt curls and a fair amount of frizz. The ends (the part that most likely saw the most sun) were bleached out into a brighter copper color. She rolled her kerchief into a thin strip and tied it around her hair near the base of her neck, using it as a hair wrap to hold her mass of hair out of her face.

She pulled a moderately fresh loaf of bread from the breadbox. From the jam catch (a lined hole dug into the floor, then covered to keep things cool) she pulled several different jars of jam- some already opened and half gone, other almost gone and some almost full. She also pulled a small bit of butter from the catch- it was stored in a bowl of cool water to keep it fresh and cool, but also soft.

She brought everything to the common area and set them on the low set table along with a cutting board and a knife for the loaf of bread. "Help yourselves. I am going to start dinner as well- I was thinking barley stew and fresh flat bread." She lofted her brows at her mother who was just finishing up cutting the fruit her father had finished peeling. Her mother nodded, "That's fine Vivi," she said, calling her daughter by her pet name. "I am going to start this last batch of preserves."

Velvela went back to the kitchen and started pouring the grains from her baskets into large ceramic containers in the kitchen. She poured different grains and flours into different containers with practice movement- obviously she knew her way around this kitchen. Then she started packing away the dried meats into lined baskets. She kept several portions out on the stone counter as she reached into other baskets that contained various tubers and vegetables. She went to work, and her mother went to work behind her, pouring the peeled, cut fruit into the large pot on the stove.

Demari walked off with a quiet smile on his face. Fishing around in his sash a bit he pulled out the small pocket watch hurrying towards the Tinker, the chain clinked around in his hand a bit as he walked off.
"Sir! Sir!" Demari called as he trotted over to Rad and rested a hand on his shoulder "Sir...I er...I hope you don't mind me bothering you...I was just wondering if ...You could take a look at something for me.." He said holding out his hand a little to show him the watch.
He watched the man for his response with eager eyes, Demari was incredibly curious and desperately wanted to know what sort of trinket he'd picked up in the market.

Rad looked up and took the watch looking it over, turning it around in his hand a little "Tch... this" He muttered boredly. "This won't take anytime to fix, I just...we'll have to head down to my house, all my tools for little things are there" He took a small sip from his whiskey flask.

ooc;; i'm too busy with school, guys. i can't continue. chagera can take over rad.

((OOC: D: Kay I'll just make him an NPC or something and edit my post))

Velvela frowns, "Ah, should I not make enough for the two of you then?" pauses in her works, wiping her hands on a cloth and setting her peeling knife aside as she heads to the open common room. "Of course, you'll probably be wanting to get home before the storms starts."

She smiles, "We have more than enough for the both of you to stay of course." She looked to Rad, "Don't you have your tools with you from fixing the greenhouse? Or do you use different tools for that?" She tilts her head to one side, honest curiosity on her face. "Maybe we have some things around here that can be improvised into tools? I'd love to see it working." She blinks at the gadget for a moment, "What is it anyway? Does it do calculations? Like an abacus or something? There are numbers on it." She leans forward, half excited. "I do enjoy calculations. I can do them in my head."

((OOC: Hey Lusalma, want to somehow get involved with us? Maybe you could get caught int he storm near V's house or something and just be looking for some shelter? Don't want to press, I just want you to have the chance to interact and get involved in the fun.))