Quest Thread: N/A It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon in Castle Town. The clouds smiled invitingly for all to come witness them, and the sun embraced those who were willing. The marketplace was bustling and full of life, too. Children laughed excitedly as they grabbed and touched whatever shiny, appealing object they saw, much to the displeasure of their mothers. Groups of middle class-looking Hylians rushed from vendor to vendor as if their rupees were burning a hole in their pockets, and even less wealthy looking Hylians and other races were about. Shopkeepers cried out about their insanely discounted prices, or how for this week only they had this incredibly rare luxurious item you couldn't find elsewhere. It was a day where class and race did not matter, the only thing that mattered was capitalism. All were full of merriment and joy on this wondrous capitalist day. Well, most all, anyway. . . Iron and steel clanked together as a tall, armor-clad Hylian sunk into a bench, their arms lazily flopping to the side as their head sunk back. Crowds walked left and right past her, seemingly paying her no mind as if it were something perfectly normal to see. She was bored, oh so bored. For most, this event would be a time of great fun. It was a special marketplace event, where shops have insanely special deals. Many foreign shops from other towns and locations even came and set up shop for this week-long event, bringing products your typical citizen of Castle Town wouldn't find for sale. It was a time of great joy and fun for all involved, and the spread of wealth was incredibly high. So, why did this Hylian girl not seem to be having the fun she supposedly should be? She was stuck on patrol duty. This Hylian girl was none other than Bell, a member of the prestigious and respected Hyrule Castle Guard. At least, that's what she'd like to believe it was. After taking some disapproved actions by her superiors, Bell was put on reserve duty at Castle Town as punishment. Part of this punishment included being restricted to simple jobs. The mission she was given now was patrol duty for the marketplace festival taking place. It was oh, so boring, too. It wasn't like she didn't want to do it, of course. With such a high supply of goods, each Hylian probably carried more Rupees than normal. As such, coupled with the large, booming crowds, it was a prime picking place for thievery. She had already apprehended more than a handful of thieves since the start of the festival, and that number would likely rise as the days went on. It was just. . . so, so boring. Outside of the occasional thief or dispute between shopkeeper and customer, or customer and customer, there was almost nothing going on. Most of her time was spent idly walking around, keeping an eye out for any wrongdoings. Even with that, however, due to the sheer influx of people, it was quite hard to keep track of everything that was going on, so thefts had undoubtedly slipped by her. Slowly lifting her arms up, Bell pushed herself to her feet, her armor sinking downward slightly as she stood. Regardless of if she was bored or not, sitting around doing nothing would be even more mind-numbing. She would just have to grin and bear it for now. She set off along the crowd, starting her patrol back up.
Ah, commerce! There was nothing quite so indicative of a civilized society than the cries of competing merchants as they presented their wares to the world, Judith mused to herself as she strolled through the busy marketplace, occasionally stopping to admire particularly fine pieces of handiwork. Bargaining was a true test of Wisdom, and Mother Nayru smiled upon those who could turn a profit. It was a lesson she had learned at an early age: Under the guidance of the Cult of Nayru, her father had risen from the depths of poverty by carving out a fortune in real estate, and Nayru had rewarded him for his hard work. His dealings had brought him wealth, security, and most importantly, peace, allowing him to move past his wife's untimely death and provide a more promising future for his children. Judith was eternally grateful for the Cult's intervention in her life, and that she had been blessed with the opportunity to join their hallowed ranks. It was heartening to see so many children about... Hopefully they too would learn the value of money today. Of course, even as she extolled the virtues of capitalism, Judith herself refrained from making any impulsive purchases. The path of the priestess demanded a certain abstinence from material goods, after all. Already, several enterprising cobblers had underestimated her religious convictions, attempting to sell her various pairs of shoes of dubious quality, and each time she had rebuffed them. Church coffers were not to be squandered on frivolous luxuries like footwear! Still, perhaps she could find some items worth her rupees. Castle Town was famed as a place of enlightenment, and the week-long festivities had drawn many merchants from abroad. Between the numerous wizards who resided in the capital and the myriad of foreign cultures represented among the shops, there might well be a magical artifact or tome of obscure lore for sale. At the very least, she knew that there was one stall that deserved her patronage; she'd heard that some of her fellow Sisters had set up a stand to raise funds for the Cult. She had yet to locate this elusive stall, however, and was beginning to wonder if she should ask for directions. Keeping one discerning eye open for anything of interest while she searched with the other, Judith spotted a weary-looking guardswoman clad in armour heading toward her. While Judith was glad that the city watch had taken steps to monitor the event, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor woman, who undoubtedly wanted to partake in the festivities rather than police them. A show of appreciation for her adherence to her duties was in order, she thought. As the woman drew closer, Judith bowed her head. "Good day to you, milady. May Mother Nayru's blessings be upon you. On behalf of Castle Town, I thank you for your efforts in keeping the marketplace safe for everyone." It wasn't much, but Judith hoped her words would give the guardswoman a sense of recognition, if not a respite from her obligations. One act of kindness went a long way...
"Excuse me." sprouted a voice from down on the ground. Pooky turned his head. Where was that noise coming from? He cocked his head sideways, then turned on his feet. He wasn't familiar with this area. "Down here." Pooky tilted his head down. There on the ground sat his favorite person, Meryem. She was squatted down on her carpet, waiting for potential clients. She was wondering how Pooky hadn't seen her, the imp wasn't any taller than her even when she was sitting. "Pooky, I'm the blind one, not you. I need to ask you what the weather is like. How is the w-e-a-t-h-e-r, Pooky?" Pooky stared blankly for a moment. Then, as if knowing the answer all along, he answered. "Sun is high, sky is blue, grass is green. Pooky say it be good day for the money-making. Da-dah-deh! Money is also green." He frantically observed while jumping up and down. "Very good Pooky! But remember, Pooky; green Rupees are the least valuable, we want lots of the other colors." Pooky looked down at the ground. He twisted his heel in the dusty street. He thoughtfully looked back up and replied. "Pooky not sure what color is. Is Pooky colorblind?" "No, oh dear no Pooky! You can see colors better than anyone! It's that funny thing that makes objects look different. Like the Rupee! See how the Rupee is like the grass? That's a color. (I really hope he can actually see colors I need him to be my eyes.) " The day wore itself out, Meryem unable to tell on her own quite where the sun was. She knew it was now or never, if she didn't get some money her day would be wasted. She thought quickly of a way to get the public's attention. Ah, that would do it! If fortunes weren't going to work today, she could just play at being a panhandler. That would work for a blind person, right? She got Pooky into position as she gathered herself up. Pooky blew on his trumpet, squeezing out a few silly notes. Meryem laid out a small basin on her carpet. She quickly moaned in pain, clutching at her stomach. Passersby turned their heads all at once to the spectacle. Pooky wasn't sure what to do and kept tooting as she wailed out loud. "I have hungered for five days! I am blind and there is no work for me! Please spare some rupees for a poor maid!" Someone immediately came over. His face was red from both the sun and his disgust. "What nerve you have! Saying you are blind to rob the people of their hard earned money! Guards!! Arrest her at once!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. He must have had a blind mother or something because he was angrier than Meryem had ever seen anyone and that was really saying something. Meryem wrapped Pooky in his robes and made a run for it with as many of her possessions as she could bag up at once.
