Jola's Stationary Supplies

[Aesha]

Situated, perfectly, in the learning quarter of Abestat, Jola’s Stationary Supplies kept the student populace of the city stocked with quills, inks, and more. The building itself had been built near the Academy of Lore, since it’s students were most likely to make use of the merchandise. It was only a small little construction, consisting of the main shop area and a small back room Jola used as an office of sorts.

The shop was typically accompanied by vines creeping up the stone was, as were many of the buildings in the area. A window box that had been painted a bright, cheerful yellow colour sat under the one glass frame in the building’s structure. In summer, Jola usually planted an array of pansies in all the colours of the rainbow. Over the door, a wooden sing was hung, that swung faintly every time a zephyr went past. It depicted a neatly drawn feather quill, accompanied by a pot of ink. The door to the shop had been wedged open with a spare piece of cut off wood, making it easy for customers to step inside.

The interior of the shop was fairly small - it didn’t take a lot of room to store sheets of paper - and the walls were lined with shelves containing stationary supplies, such as those that the sign outside had depicted. Behind the counter, Jola herself stood, waiting to serve anyone who had use of her stock. Jola was of human appearance though a smidgen of elven blood rested in her veins. She had long, ginger coloured hair that had been tied back into a ponytail, and a smattering of similarly coloured freckles that adorned her nose. Her eyes were a piercing green colour. Jola was in her late twenties, and had been running her own business for only a few eras.

She greeted each new customer with a smile.

“Serale, welcome. What can I get for you?”

As she spoke, Jola pointed to a wooden board that had been affixed to the nearby wall, containing a basic pricelist of the goods she sold.

[u]Pricelist[u]

Ink

For a two ounce pot:
Black - 10 crowns
Blue - 10 crowns
Red - 30 crowns

For a five ounce pot:
Black - 25 crowns
Blue - 25 crowns
Red - 70 crowns

Quills

Plain wooden quill stand - 10 crowns
Silver stand - 25 crowns
Gold stand - 50 crowns

Plain Quill - 3 crowns
Gold Plated Tip - 25 crowns

Paper Products

Per Sheet:
Papyrus - 1 crowns
Parchment - 2 crowns
Paper - 4 crowns

Per 100 page book:
Papyrus - 100 crowns
Parchment - 200 crowns
Paper - 400 crowns

Other Supplies

Charcoal - 5 silvers per stick
Sealing Wax, Red - 20 crowns per stick

[Agaenos Phidion]

Timestamp:
Early Brightening, Srennia, 17th of Melora,
Winter, Telath is in the Age of Darkening,
Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era III in the Tyrannical Mageocracy of Julos "The Mad"
Ten Eras Post-Fractum.
Paradigm: Emperor Valerian supports Empress Audrey de Lylles as the rightful contender to the Throne.

It might just be yet another opportunity for him to learn a new skill. A new, versatile skill - one that demanded both its learner and master to be shrewd, persuasive, and sometimes, downright forceful - though that was probably something Agaenos would hate, and probably not resort to at all. Secretly, he had been considering this option for a while. For him, extra income was definitely an attraction - but moreso, it might very well be his part to help the citizens of Abestat, and, who knows - it may even help him establish his place in the faction which he had proposed to create, the Hoplites of Abestat. Was that not two birds with one stone?

Or rather, two advantages with one decision? And so far, he could not see why he should not - having to shout and slam his fist upon a table did not seem to be one prospect of being a politician.

Aye - he had decided to try his hand upon learning Politics, and dabble his hand within the political situation of the Empire, however much it was a mess at the moment.

Though, how could he learn without some ample supplies of stationaries?

Having entered the Abestat Adventurer Academy. This shop was conveniently near the Academy of Lore, which, though not his next destination, was close enough to it anyway. A small wind, no stronger than a zephyr, flitted past, swaying the wooden sign slightly, with the typical quill and ink depicted clearly upon the sign. Needless to say, this was Jola's Stationary Supplies within the Academy grounds. Sheets of paper, papyrus and parchments were stacked neatly in the stall, with pots of ink and stands of quills being their company. Agaenos might be needing some refill for his ink soon too.

Striding in, he was greeted by Jola.

"Serale," he began, a smile clearly arching upon his face, whilst he looked quickly at the price list, and his mind was rapid in making a decision. He only needed ten pieces of parchment - and he did not need the luxury of paper. "I would like ten pieces of parchment please... As well as a two-ounce pot of blue ink?"

Quickly conjuring the sum with his somewhat-used mental arithmetic, he perceived it to be thirty Crowns in total, and began counting the notes out.

[Lyria Foamswift]

Lyria stepped into the store, running the somewhat short list of things that she needed to buy through her head. At the top of that list were writing supplies and stationary, as she couldn’t possibly keep using Raura’s supplies. It should have been a simple trip, but being Lyria, she couldn’t help but be tempted by the sheer variety of items that were offered for sale.

Ink choice, first. Blue or black… The red was enough of a splurge that she didn’t even consider it. Perhaps both, just for some…emphasis. I could write mostly in black, and have important terms in blue, perhaps… Next she considered the quill stands, tapping a finger to her lips as she admired them. As flashy and shiny as the gold and silver ones were, she certainly didn’t have a need for them… although they would look quite spiffy sitting on her table. She decided on a plain stand and an equally plain quill, just so they would match.

Now her last decision… Lyria winced slightly at the expense of the books, she would have to use them well and write small and neatly. Still, she had to admit that she wasn’t sure why there was such a great price range. She glanced up at the woman, probably Jola, and smiled. “Serale, miss… I was wondering, what are the differences between the three types of… writing surfaces? Is there anything special I should know about them?”

[Aesha]

Agaenos

Jola replied to the soldier's greeting with a smile, and nodded at the precise request he put to her whilst brushing a whisp of red hair out of her face.

"Certainly sir, that will be thirty crowns in total." She could tell that Agaenos had already worked out the sum of money, judging by the way he reached for his crowns, but she told him regardless. Whilst he counted out the money she fetched the goods he desired.

Reaching up onto to a high shelf, Jola brought down a wadge of parchment and carefully counted out ten sheets, which she placed on the counter, before replacing the remainder of the pile back where she had got it from. Finally, she hopped around the counter and grabbed a small pot of blue - at least, what presumably was blue, in the pot it was impossible to tell it apart from black - ink, and placed it beside the paper as she waited for payment.

Lyria

"Oh, well..." Jola didn't seem too surprised at the question, it was something she had certainly been asked before in the pass. In fact, she actually took two a sheet of each of the three different types of document and laid them out on the counter for Lyria to see. She pointed to the first one, a rough looking, almost material-like piece of paper.

"This one is papryus. It's strong, but the texture makes it difficult to write on. It's also the easiet of the three to produce."

Moving on, the next on the counter was a piece of parchment, which had a yellowy hue.

"That's a piece of parchment. It differs from papryus in that, whilst papyrus is made from pith of trees, parchment is actually made from the skins of animals, though it gives it a better texture to write on."

She moved on to the third of the three pieces, the paper. It was thinner than the other two, had had an almost perfectly smooth surface, and no yellow tinge.

"That's paper, though it's expensive to make and generally only used for special occasions or the upper classes, or sometimes for printing books. It's made... oooh, well, I know water's involved somehow."

She shrugged in an apologetic manner at being unable to remember the details, and then gestured to the three sheets in front of her.

"Take a closer look if you like."

[Lyria Foamswift]

Lyria smiled at the woman’s helpfulness. “Thanks so much! I’ll just… check these out now…” She ran her fingers lightly over the sheet of papyrus, frowning as she realized what the storeclerk had said was quite true. Although cheap, it was rough and would probably lead to some messy handwriting. The parchment was smoother, even if not as smooth and perfect as the paper. But she only intended to write notes, so she didn’t need something as perfect as paper. Parchment it is! she decided, and turned back to the storeclerk to show that she was ready.

“Okay! I think that I’m ready…” She paused as she tried to remember all the items that she needed. “I’d like a five ounce pot of black ink and a two ounce pot of blue ink, a plain wooden quill stand and quill, and… a 100 page parchment book.” Lyria whipped out her money pouch, counting out coins. “That’s…” 113, 35… 148? “148 crowns, is that right?” She placed the money on the counter.

[Agaenos Phidion]

The air was rather pungent with the cloaking smell of parchments. Nodding slightly to the shopkeeper, the Corporal had already found the correct amount. Slipping it somewhat clumsily between his index and middle fingers, he brought his glance up upon Jola to see her fetching the supplies which he requested.

Working on heights - not a prospect that the Corporal really envied, though, with that store of papyrus, parchments and paper... It was rather needed...

Counting ten, the shopkeeper proceeded to swiftly transfer the location of a pot of - presumably - blue ink, the Human's favourite colour for writing, before placing it somewhat decoratively beside the sheets of parchments, awaiting his payement.

She did not have to wait long.

Handing the currencies over, he wasted no time at all in gathering up the parchments and ink. A quill he had, so he did not need to worry about that. Waving a hearty "Serale!", he departed the store.

... To contemplate upon that new subject, and path in his life, which he had been deciding upon...

[Aesha]

Lyria

Jola waited patiently whilst Lyria made her choice of writing surface, then immediately leaped to attention as the half-Theyri reeled off the supplies she was needing. Her red-coloured ponytail whipped around her shoulders as she stood on tip toe to reach the very top shelves where the books of paper where stored. Once everything was gathered, she placed it on the counter, then looked at the crown Lyria had put down in payment.

"Oh, um, terribly sorry. The parchment books cost 200 crowns. Did you want Papyrus, or was it a miscalculation?"

[Lyria Foamswift]

“Whoops, so sorry!” Lyria blushed, realizing she’d been off by 100 crowns. She hoped the woman didn’t think she was trying to cheat her of her money. Hurriedly, she took out the extra crowns and placed them on the counter. “Er… that’s… 248 crowns, right?” She shrugged helplessly in apology; mental mathematics wasn’t one her strong points.

[Aesha]

Jola smiled, not at all bothered by Lyria's miscalculation.

"Yes, 248 crowns will do nicely."

She pulled down the pad of parchment from the shelf and placed it on the desk next to the half-Theyri's other purchases, ready to be taken away. After a quick, deft count of the money Lyria had put on the counter, Jola gave another smile and a nod to confirm that this time she had left the right amount of money for the goods.

"That's all in order. If you need anything else at all, just pop by again."