A Commen Taste In Pie

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae let her take the necklace and touch the dress as she examined the works. She looked them over, and at her words and smile he had his own smile. This was indeed good news for him. "Yes, I thought so. Things are looking up for Mr. Skirae!" he announced, rather loudly as he left the things on the counter. He didn't even have any shame at how he announced that loudly, perhaps due to the light buzz.

"You've helped me quite well, Ra" Darben said to her, as he passed by behind the counter and took a seat...And prepared himself another glass as a sort of celebration. Which perhaps would not not have been the best idea..."Do know that this can all work out just fine...it is good."

 

[Ra'a'mah]

The excitement from Darben was almost contagious as he said things were looking up for him. Watching as he set the dress on the counter next to the necklace, he went and poured himself another drink. She wasn't going to stop him from having it, it wasn't her place, but if he offered her another, she would politely decline.

"Not so much helped as of yet Darben, but I think opened your eyes to greater opportunity than you had before."

Picking up her datapad again, she pressed a few buttons on the screen that pulled up some of the space routes she had programmed in. She offered it to him again to look at.
​
"Those are some of the various connections I have and where I think you would have the best market."

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben drank from the second glass, and shook his head a little after it from the buzz feeling. The brandy, it sure was real nice. The Minister grinned to Ra, nodding. "Indeed you have, Miss Ra. My eyes have been very much opened to all this business" he said in reply. Darben nodded again, connections she mentioned. "Any connections would be good to have" he added. He took a step from his chair, almost stumbled then.

"W...Well then...seems I took one glass too many, who...would have thought" he said, grinning at the glass he had.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

"Always best to know your limits and know when to stop, Mister Skirae."

It was all Ra said on the matter of drinking. At this rate, Ra would be helping him to bed so he could sleep the drink off.

"As for the connections, what I would suggest is allowing me to take some samples. More than a single necklace and dress. The different styles, colors and cuts of the gems as well as the various fabrics. Dyes for that. Do you happen to maybe have a catalog to show anything additional?"

Ever of the business mind, Ra would hopefully be able to keep him on track.

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben was surprised at how well she was keeping to the subject, despite the fact that he was plainly drunk. He should have known his limit today. But he was stupid and decided now was the time for drinking. He put his hand up with a finger as if to say 'hold up' and bent down to under the counter. He had something...something...there it was! Darben came back up and pushed a datapad across the counter.

"On there is all the stuff I can get for my store. Nice and long, plenty of mer...merchandise" he said, having to take a quick breath.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

If the talk of business didn't get his mind clear, then there wasn't much Ra would be able to do to help Darben with his business today. Something seemed to click in his mind though and he followed her suggestion to provide a catalog of items.

"How many of these do you have on hand normally?"

Items that were special order would take a longer time to get to him, to her and then to whoever had bought them. Most people were understanding of this though.
​
[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben shrugged, and started thinking on that. "Well this store isn't too big...a bit here and there" he answered to Ra'a'mah. He wasn't too sure, not right now. All the numbers on products would have been on the catalogue, and sometimes he ordered in stuff to sell using the money and ties he had with being a merchant and Minister of Trade of the CSA. Those ties helped a lot with that. "How...how long do you think?"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

From the way Darben was speaking, he was certainly more suited for something on a smaller scale than what Ra normally dealt with.

"Imagine, Mister Skirae, a ship that is 1000 meters long and between 200 and 600 wide filled with your goods. Consider if you think the market is out there for that much and if you would be able to accommodate such large orders."

This example she picked was one of her smaller ships, not the larger one.

"How long do you think it would take to fulfill such an order?"

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae's eyes no doubt widened. He had imagined big ships...but not that big. Perhaps he was thinking a bit too small here. "Uh...I did not imagine that large..." How long would it take? Perhaps a while no doubt. At the scale he was at now..."Three weeks...at the least." Yes perhaps he was thinking much too small in the scale of this sort of trade.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

"Look at my business in this aspect. I'm your middle person. I take your goods and then see if there is a market for them outside your area. Now that one ship might take care of one world or it could be many. It all depends on if others are interested. Since you offer a few specific things that can only be found on Commenor, I do imagine others would want them."

With the answer on timing, Ra nodded. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. The times where it could take months to fill an order was when it could get irritating. To her and the client on the other side wanting the items.

"That is an acceptable time frame."

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben listened, or at least tried to somewhat as Ra spoke of the deal in another way. She was the middle person, the messenger. The deliverer. He was the supplier. With his position as Minister he could get Ra supplied easily and quickly. "That's good...good...When shall we get started?" He didn't mind when, it had him most excited. Even if he did not appear so, but he was most excited.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

There was a sense of excitement from him, but Darben did his best to keep it hidden.

"Well, first, I need a price range of your items. Yes, I know there are prices in the catalog, but I'm sure you personally get them for less than what you list them at. It's all part of trade. So more or less this is how it works and we both reap the benefits of sales."

She went on to explain the pricing and how she usually ran things as the go between. He may not get as much as he would normally, but with the amount of sale generated, he would make more money.

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae nodded along. "Well...indeed I do. Thanks to my ties and such, I am able to get it all for a bit less...I'll send a list of the price range I get them out once we're done here" he said. It was a sound idea. To him it sounded like perhaps the deal was coming to a close. "So, partner. A sound plan?"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

As Darben agreed to what she was saying, it appeared this first official meeting was getting close to coming to an end. Ra would give him a slight smile that showed full comprehension of what he was saying and nodded before speaking.

"I thought as much, Mister Skirae. Now, I'm going to take copies of your catalog file here and may I also take that dress and necklace? Once you get more wares in that you're wanting to show off, I can take them as well."

If he wanted some form of form of payment, she would give it to him, but she wasn't stealing the two items. Just taking them to show to prospective clients on what they looked like in reality. A photograph helped, but an actual item always did better.

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae nodded. "You can take them if you wish. Think...Think of them as samples" he said. Though he was a little tipsy, so maybe he was not in his right state of mind. He would have at least been hesitant, but now it would seem more of a form of good will. "Make the copy then...would we say our business is...is concluded?" He needed a sit down, and so sat himself down.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

"Not samples so much as examples. There is a difference. Of course, once deals are made, these could be returned or I could keep them to show off to others. The choice would be yours since you are the supplier of the merchandise."

Taking the copy of the catalog, Ra knew things would start working.

"It is."

Watching as Darben took a seat, she wondered if he really had any idea just what was to happen for him.
​
[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

He nodded slowly to her correction. "You can keep them if you wish. If it...helps." He knew after this he would be taking a nap. A plenty long nap. He himself had he been sober he would have been very, very much more professional. But his mind had taken a turn, and now he was drunk.

At that moment, Renla returned and as soon as she saw Darben drunkenly wave she shook her head. "Father!" She rushed over, shaking her head. "I am sorry, ma'am. Father needs to stop drinking" she said, looking down at him as she emphasized. "He was no problem was he?"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Samples were items that could be given away for another person to take and try to see if they liked it and could order it if they did. So to Ra, yes, they were samples since she would be taking them with her. For others she showed them off to, they were examples.

"In time, perhaps more of a selection could be provided if the market for these is welcoming."

His daughter came home as she finished speaking, asked if he had been any problem and that he needs to stop drinking. She had not known of a drinking problem, but if she had, she would have turned down his initial offer.

"No bother at all. Anything I can do, Miss Renla?"

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben grumbled a little as Renla started to take him by the hand and she quietly scolded him. Renla put on a kind smile back to Ra and thought on it, before gesturing to the bottle. It was expensive, but she could care less. Any step to get him to stop drinking would help Renla and the drinking problem Darben had. Then she kept getting Darben to the stairs and sat him at the bottom of them before returning to the counter where Ra was.

"I am sorry he should not...have been drinking" she said, glancing at her father. She'd need to find all the secret compartments that Darben had. "It's not your fault I promise, he knows better."

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Watching the two of them wander off, Ra followed the gesture Renla made and added things up. While Darben was an adult and could choose to drink or not, everybody had weaknesses. This was one of his and he was chained to it as much as a sith was to power. It was something she clearly understood and accepted the answer that was provided by his daughter.

She returned and appologized again. Ra just shook her head and as if she could read the mind of Renla, she pointed to the location where he had picked the drink out from.

"It's an addiction, Miss Renla. Best way to get past it is to keep him busy. So busy he can't think to drink."

There were other ways, but nothing Ra was going to suggest.

[member="Darben Skirae"]