"It's cheap!"

"A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition." - James Cash Penney [Indie fandomless OC blog] M!A status - None. Please check the about page.

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

He cringed a little at the poke. At least, he didn’t freak out but the question…didn’t make him feel better either. Now he had to tell the other what was wrong with him..sort of.

“….I…can’t eat in front of strangers…what if they’ll think I’m disgusting? I cannot…allow that to happen. “

[marchandxse-blog]

“You’re not disgusting at all. You should see my dad eating a boar whole... Now THAT’S disgusting. Don’t worry about that, my friend. You can eat this apple without fearing me judging you... I like watching people eat, in all honesty. Being the peddler that I am, it’s kind of a honor to my family’s food...”

He gently patted his shoulder to reassure him.

[marchandxse-blog]

"Who are you? You seem to be very familiar..." Zeni said with inquiring eyes.

Off to check on the income of the day, Oskar did not expect anybody to approach his stand, especially since he had just closed it.

However, a thing he did expect less - is to look familiar in the other male’s eyes. Did he? Had they met somewhere?

His lavender eyes watched closely the redhaired young man. He seemed to come from the bourgeoisie, or perhaps even higher, with such stylish and well-made clothing. Oskar was from the lower classes, and was wondering how a noble’s life could organize itself.

“…Do I?” He answered, with a slight tilt of his head, raising an eyebrow, with a quite surprised expression. He did not recall having seen him anywhere - but he had a lingering impression of deja-vu himself.

“I’m… I’m Oskar Wimberley.” He answered, his cheeks flushing a little from the rather unusual manner of proceeding the conversation: “W-Who… Would you happen to be, g-good sir?”

[shslbanker]

As if the situation wasn’t stressing enough, more peasants appeared. Good thing they had gone away, otherwise he wouldn’t be afraid to take his rapier out of the sheath.

Looking at the other, Zeni listened closely what he had to say. Get rich through hard work… Nonsense. Few are the ones who actually managed to do it. Lies are told about it to make the proletariat work more and nonstop, only making their employers and the bankers richer. Anyway, he would need a place to stay.

“The thing I want is to get out of this place as soon as possible. If you can show me the way out of this land, I would be grateful.”

[marchandxse-blog]

“E-Erm...” Oskar began to feel a little uneasy. He had to listen to this nobleman... He thought. He climbed on the cart and invited Zeni to sit next to him. Twiddling his thumbs, he hoped no more of these annoying people would show up.

“I-I am g-going to g-guide y-you to m-my town... Y-You’ll m-meet... M-My father and mother. T-They’re really... K-Kind!” He stated, beginning to trip on his words, his cheeks flushing a little.

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

Joshua immediately picked an apple. At first he wanted the banana but…it was yellow. He hates bright colors. They made him feel weird and uncomfortable. However, something was off. As he began eating he..turned away from the other? 

Was he…embarrassed of eating in front of a stranger? That was both cute and odd…he really needed to chill.

[marchandxse-blog]

Seeing Joshua eat made Oskar begin feeling some hunger as well, and did not hesitate to grab an orange, peel it quickly and eat it as they wandered through the forest. The air seemed to get warmer, a nice thing.

He noticed how Joshua had turned away, and was wondering if he wasn’t choking on his food. Gently poking him, he tilted his head to the side.

“Are you... Okay?”

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

If he thought about it, he did feel rather hungry. But…oh boy, he tended to be rather..picky when it came to food. Which was rather ironic, seeing how he almost ate a poisonous mushroom earlier on.

“ Yes,….sure but….I may not eat it…I’m picky when it comes to food…..I’m sorry Senpai…please forgive me! “

[marchandxse-blog]

“Don’t worry, Grandpa Pumpkin’s vegetables and fruits are the best around! Do you have fruits, or vegetables you like? Take your pick, there are many things!”

As for the fruits, there were apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, in such large quantities! He could feed a whole town. As for vegetables, carrots, aspargus, eggplants, and the famous, enormous pumpkins from Grandpa Pumpkin.

“I’m sure you’ll find something that makes you happy in that... Right?”

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“…Senpai is a Japanese honorific and….you use that towards people…you admire greatly. “

He explained, a bright blush appearing on his face. Maybe, this place wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe he could just learn how to use a sword! Which was rather generic for a ‘hero’ to do but who cares?

[marchandxse-blog]

“O-Oh, I-I see... T-Then, I-I’m glad to be your ‘Sen-pie’!” He exclaimed, hugging him again: “A-Anyways, let’s keep on moving forward. We should get to the city in about 20 minutes... If we don’t encounter other critters on our way.”

As the duo advanced through the forest by cart, the forest thickened, the trees began to take on a wilder shape. The sun’s rays attempted to pierce through the trees, rendering the scenery more pleasing for the eyes. Small rabbits and squirrels seemed to enjoy their time without minding too much the cart’s presence. All seemed so peaceful...

That’s when Oskar looked again at Joshua.

“Are you hungry? I have some fruits and vegetables in the back of my carriage I can share.”

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

Did that monster just..poof away after being defeated? That…was rather calming to him. Maybe he could see this as some kind of rpg game? Joshua took a deep breath, nodding.

“ Y-yes, I’m okay….you were s cool! Show me…how to be as cool as you…senpai. “

[marchandxse-blog]

“Sen... Pie? What is a Senpie?” He tilted his head, wondering what kind of bizarre saying this could possibly be as he placed the bow back where he picked it up, showing a light blush.

“T-That’s just something I d-do often, protecting people I escort to town... I’m g-glad you like my work though. I’m glad a-all of these years of physical training haven’t been wasted. Anyways, let’s resume.”

He invited Blizzard to continue marching forward to the capital city.

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

If this would be a video game, this would count as a random encounter. Which would be great if he wasn’t so sure that this random encounter would end in a painful death! Was he supposed to grab a weapon too? He had no idea!

Instead he just hid himself behind the other, hoping that whatever was hiding in the bushes would be relatively harmless.

[marchandxse-blog]

What hid in the bushes suddenly revealed itself: An avian, most certainly, looking like an ostrich, but with a toucan’s beak with several sharp teeth within. The beack was of a green color. Its body was entirely made of pink, with huge blue eyes and large wings, and several multicolored feathers on its head. 

It seemed beautiful, but once it emitted an ear-splitting screech at the two, the threat confirmed itself as Oskar quickly grabbed arrow after arrow to shoot at the bird with an excellent accuracy. After several shots, the outlandish bird collapsed and vanished out of thin air in a cloud of a cotton-candy color.

“A-Are you okay?” He lowered his bow, turning around.

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

As nice as the scenery was, he really didn’t had the nerves to focus on it. He was far too uncomfortable with everything. And he might be able to meet a queen?! 

“ Oh no,…I-I can’t talk to a queen…I’m not…worthy enough to talk to one. “

Not worthy enough? Hmm…maybe the other would be able to make the other feel like a protagonist inside a video game. That might boost his confidence.

[marchandxse-blog]

“D-Don’t worry about that. The queen Désirée has a soul as wonderful as her beauty. She is able to express her thoughts and opinions and possesses such an amazing knowledge...! She is also very close from the citizens and foreigners. I am sure she will help you.”

Then, Oskar heard a small rustling within the bushes, and indicated Blizzard to go to a halt.

“Excuse me a moment, I think I heard something.” He looked behind him and pulled out his prized bow and quiver, full of arrows, readying himself for any bad occurence.

[marchandxse-blog]

"Who are you? You seem to be very familiar..." Zeni said with inquiring eyes.

Off to check on the income of the day, Oskar did not expect anybody to approach his stand, especially since he had just closed it.

However, a thing he did expect less - is to look familiar in the other male’s eyes. Did he? Had they met somewhere?

His lavender eyes watched closely the redhaired young man. He seemed to come from the bourgeoisie, or perhaps even higher, with such stylish and well-made clothing. Oskar was from the lower classes, and was wondering how a noble’s life could organize itself.

“…Do I?” He answered, with a slight tilt of his head, raising an eyebrow, with a quite surprised expression. He did not recall having seen him anywhere - but he had a lingering impression of deja-vu himself.

“I’m… I’m Oskar Wimberley.” He answered, his cheeks flushing a little from the rather unusual manner of proceeding the conversation: “W-Who… Would you happen to be, g-good sir?”

[shslbanker]

If the peddler was unfamiliar with the terms Zeni had just said, the banker was much more with those terms the male had stated. He was certainly not in Fernrocks some minutes ago. He was going home when he entered a store and then… Zeni couldn’t remember. What is going on right now?

The only thing that seemed familiar to him was the other’s name. He had really heard the name Oskar Wimberley previously, of this he was sure. He didn’t know from when he knew such a peasant, although he had to admit the boy was quite handsome. Not to mention… His eyes are lavender. Just like Akira’s.

{¥} “Japan. I came from Japan. And I really don’t have the slightest idea of what is this… Fernrocks… What is this place? Why am I here?”

[marchandxse-blog]

“I-I don’t know?” Oskar was himself confused about the sudden influx of strangers who did not recall how or when they did end up here. Their conversation was interrupted when someone yelled at the peddler:

“Oooooi, Oskar~! Talking with the bourgeois? Tryin’ to get rich? Don’t get too envious! They’re so obsessed with their money he might not even give you a single cent!”

Oskar recognized them as sons of Edward’s blacksmithing fellows. He didn’t appreciate their way of thinking much as he released a deep sigh, looking down at the paved road.

“S-Sorry, they’re kind of irritating. O-Of course my dream is to be one day, succesful like the bourgeoisie... But through hard work, and not trying to trick my way out. It may be the longest path but... It’s much, much safer.”

Then, realizing he was off-topic, he shook his head.

“A-Anyways, we’re going away from the point!” He stated as he noticed the sun slowly setting: “I-I should head home... If I engage in the forest at night, it’ll be much less safe... W-Would you like to join me, s-sir? The means of transport might n-not be really convenient for a n-nobleman like you... But that would be a shame to stay here without knowing where you are and how you are going to host yourself, right...?”

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

Oh god, he didn’t know any of the places he just mentioned. What if he would never find his way home? What if he would never see his sister or his parents ever again? No, he couldn’t let that happen! But alas for now his nervousness grew even stronger. Hopefully, he wasn’t going to start crying anytime soon.

“ I-I don’t…like it here. Everything makes me feel….uncomfortable….I wanna go home. “

[marchandxse-blog]

The ever-so-slowly growing uneasiness in the other boy was shared by the peddler, and he had an almost automatic reaction to hug the boy closer from him as Blizzard advanced through the forest, carrying the two around on the large cart. The forest’s trees were nothing like one would usually see. It seemed like a fantastic, magical place from Roleplay Games.

“Y-You will go home. And if we d-don’t find the answers in the library, we will ask the Queen herself... S-She might know.”

[protectorsoftheclocks-deactivat]

“Maybe. It would be quite an experience to meet her.” The clockmaker chuckled before looking out of the window. It had been a while since his workload was so light so it was only fair that he took this opportunity to travel. Plus, if he was able to get even more business on his travels, that only added as a bonus.

[marchandxse-blog]

The peddler greatly enjoyed the ever-changing scenery of the forest on this day of spring. After several minutes of travelling, finally the scenery lit up to reveal the gigantic capital city of Castlevault. What could strike one’s sight the most was the wondrous quantity of large houses, most of them inhabited by bourgeois, scattered all over the city. Nobody seemed too poor. Everybody seemed to live reasonably, and the roads were hardly paved. This bizarre mix between modern and old gave Fernrocks all of its charm.

“Here we are, good sir! Fernrocks, the capital city.” Oskar chanted, before pointing to the castle from afar, shining in radiance and standing out over all houses: “We will be heading to the marketplace. Today is going to be a hard day of work for me... Since I am a peddler. I hope you don’t mind if you join me in this?”

[protectorsoftheclocks-deactivat]

“That would be very much appreciated.” Albert smiled politely before joining him inside the carriage. It probably wouldn’t hurt to sell some clocks, after all it would be interesting to see what the currency was in this Universe. He kept hold of the cane as he sat down and looked over at Oskar, “So, what is the capital like exactly?”

[marchandxse-blog]

“It is very large, with all the bourgoisie concentrated here. This is also the city of residence for the Queen. Her castle is grandiose and magnificent, just like its inhabitant.” He indicated Blizzard to keep going in direction of the capital city, and not head back as he was about to do.

“She very often leaves the castle to meet the citizens in person. Perhaps we will get the luck to see her.”

[protectorsoftheclocks-deactivat]

“Albert Melferdil, clockmaker.” He bowed his head a little in response. The surname was made up, but it made for a good cover. Anyway, it wasn’t a COMPLETE lie. He was a Melferdil after all. “I’ve been travelling in order to look for business, but so far I haven’t been very successful. Would this Sleekstall you speak of be a good place for the clock business at all?” 

[marchandxse-blog]

Oskar’s lips curved into a smile. Sleekstall was definitely not a place where one would find clockmakers. “Not really... It’s a heaven for blacksmiths, but I haven’t seen a glimpse of a clockmaker around. Normally they’re commonly found in the capital, Castlevault...” He climbed back on the carriage and left a place in case Albert wanted to join: “Perhaps I could guide you there?” His politeness resonated within his soft, deep voice, as Blizzard was impatiently waiting to make a move again.

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

All of this was highly confusing..and very unsettling. The fact that he seemed to be far away from home was a very scary thought. His sister wasn’t here so looks like that he had to deal with something as..bizarre as this on his own. Oh boy, this wouldn’t go well.

Joshua did sit next to the other…very closely. Mostly because Oskar became his new source of comfort now. Sort of. He didn’t trust him just yet but at least he seemed to be nice.

“….Well, I live in….Japan…but I was born…in France..I don’t really think that..knowing that would help you though. “

[marchandxse-blog]

As soon as Joshua was comfortably seated next to him, he indicated the horse to resume advancing forward, in the direction of the capital city. The woods seemed very dense, and somewhat threatening, but Oskar would probably bring a sufficient source of comfort.

Feeling a sort of extra weight against his shoulders, the peddler turned around to see how the boy had snuggled up to him. A light blush tinting his cheeks, he did understand though how worried one would be to be far away from their home, so he simply accepted the contact and slowly shook his head at the mentioned names.

“I do not know any of these places... I know Castlevault has a great library, and within this library, an huge map of the world is available. Perhaps this could help us indicate the country you come from...”

[protectorsoftheclocks-deactivat]

Albert adjusted his grip on the cane in his hand and smiled sheepishly, “I’m afraid I might be. It does seem to be a terrible habit of mine, these days.” In truth, the clockmaker decided to wander through one of the many portals within his mansion and just happened to appear in this very spot.

“Would you be able to tell me where I am? I’m afraid I’m not familiar to these parts.” He asked, approaching the young man and his horse carefully. He didn’t want to startle the horse too much, or the young man for that matter. His appearance was probably suspicious enough as is, with the rather worn suit, bright red hair and light grey eyes. He wasn’t exactly the most normal looking man.

[marchandxse-blog]

The other boy’s features did not seem to impress the man this much. In all honesty, he had alerady seen much more outlandish clothing and impressions, and he directly thought of the legendary seven exorcists, sealed deep in crystal within the highly religious city of Clearborn. Oskar stepped off the carriage and began walking in direction of the boy.

“You are currently in the Faydrift Woodlands, about half a mile away from Sleekstall.” He answered, not exactly knowing if the other man was a foreigner or someone from the nation. The horse, well-tamed, did not mind Albert’s presence, although she did tilt her head around to get a better view of the stranger.

“The name is Oskar Wimberley, vegetable peddler.” He introduced himself. “Who would you happen to be, good sir?”

[marchandxse-blog]

"Who are you? You seem to be very familiar..." Zeni said with inquiring eyes.

Off to check on the income of the day, Oskar did not expect anybody to approach his stand, especially since he had just closed it.

However, a thing he did expect less - is to look familiar in the other male’s eyes. Did he? Had they met somewhere?

His lavender eyes watched closely the redhaired young man. He seemed to come from the bourgeoisie, or perhaps even higher, with such stylish and well-made clothing. Oskar was from the lower classes, and was wondering how a noble’s life could organize itself.

“…Do I?” He answered, with a slight tilt of his head, raising an eyebrow, with a quite surprised expression. He did not recall having seen him anywhere - but he had a lingering impression of deja-vu himself.

“I’m… I’m Oskar Wimberley.” He answered, his cheeks flushing a little from the rather unusual manner of proceeding the conversation: “W-Who… Would you happen to be, g-good sir?”

[shslbanker]

The scent of peasantry in the other was more than evident. The place he was working, the location where they were at… Everything seemed to be quite strange. Doesn’t it seems like he had come back to a past time, another point in the flux of ages, like an ancient kingdom. He wasn’t very sure of that, but Zeni felt something strange with all this.

{¥} “I’m Zeni Shirogane, the glorious Super High School Level Banker, majestic leader of the Ganemon Bank itself. Peasant, please, inform me of my whereabouts. This place seems to be quite… Strange.”

[marchandxse-blog]

Upon hearing the redhaired boy’s introduction, he had to face multiple terms he was not aware of. “Super High School Level... Banker? Ganemon Bank...?” He seemed highly confused by all of these terms. Perhaps this was something nobles did? He wasn’t aware of all they could do, so he did not look this surprised.

“...You are in Ambergrave. Kingdom of Fernrocks... H-How can I help you, goo sir? Where do you happen to come from?” He asked these questions, a smile appearing back on his face, the name making him ring a bell or two, but he wasn’t sure where they could have exactly met. He did not feel uneasy, unlike what most people of his class would feel like upon meeting a man with such nobility. Rather he remained very calm.

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

“JESUS CHRIST, DON’T EAT THAT, IT’LL KILL YOU!” (To anyone)

@marchandxe

Joshua immediately dropped the food and just freaked out a little. He was a rather..sensitive boy so freaking him out was a very easy thing to do.

“ O-oh no,….I’m sorry…I won’t eat it…I’m so sorry…for worrying you. “

[sonderiiiism-deactivated2022010]

Fortunately, it actually seemed to work. Sure, he was still a little scared but he seemed to be a lot calmer now than before. Joshua looked up at him feeling a bit nervous now. He had no idea what was going on.

“….No, I’m not…..I…never heard of…Fernrocks before. “

And now he was talking in his usual, monotone and slow tone. His speech wouldn’t be that slow if he wouldn’t always pause in between words. 

[marchandxse-blog]

Oskar lightly bit his lower lip as he finally got confirmation the boy was a foreigner. He wasn’t the first, but Oskar had not heard much of the neighbouring realms. He had never stepped outside his native one.

“D-Don’t worry.” His hand went down and took the other’s, as he began walking in direction of his large carriage, Blizzard patiently waiting for her owner. “I will guide you to Castlevault, the capital... I have a childhood acquaintance who will most probably host us. Since I am a vegetable peddler, I could as well feed you if you are hungry.” He stated, glad the overall mood seemed to have settled down back to a certain level of calmness.

“So, where do you come from...?” He asked, climbing on the cart and lending a hand to Joshua so he could sit next to him.