Given that Essira’s shop was located in the business district of the capital of Elsira the human tamer was quite used to being frequented by upper class citizens. As such she kept her cool, even with the gaze of Idria upon her. The smile on her face was as bright as ever as she moved towards the window displays she had set up and gestured towards both. As much as she might adore her darlings they were here to be sold, even if it was to a distasteful household. Business was business.

“First off, are you thinking male or female?” She asked.

Idria pushed her daughter towards Essira, the young elf woman giving a squeak of surprise. “Go on, Usia, tell Essira what you want.”

Usia slowly walked towards Essira who offered her a bright and comforting smile. The peacock feather clad elf placed an arm on her back. The young elf tensed immediately but seemed to calm down when she looked at the older elf’s face. She gestured with her free hand towards the cage with the males first. Usia looked inside the cage with pure wonder. The little humans inside looked nervously at the prospective owner, her massive face still rather intimidating at a mere inch tall.

Essira made little soothing noises to her darlings as she opened the cage, plucking out the nearest human gently. She held out the little red haired man to Usia with a brilliant smile. “He’s very well behaved, go ahead and hold him.”

The young elf stared at the offering before glancing nervously back to her mother. Idria had lost interest in the entire affair and was instead idly glancing over the cage of females. The look in her blue eyes could only be described as predatory. The councilor made a show of licking her lips while Essira’s attention was elsewhere, opening her mouth wide to give a good view of her silky tongue snaking out slightly. The terrified squeaks she got drew a malicious chuckle from her.

“Are you sure he won’t… bite me?” Usia asked cautiously.

“If he bites you I’ll have failed at my job as a tamer and your mother can close me down.” Essira replied with an easy chuckle.

Seemingly placated by this the Usia cautiously took the tiny human into her hands, her grip tenuous as she held him. “Your mother never let you handle humans?” Essira inquired.

Usia shook her head. “I have, I just needed Mom or Dad to watch me while I did. But I wanna have my own.”

Essira nodded. “They can certainly be a handful. Lot of responsibility but your mommy probably went over that.”

Usia nodded. “Y-Yes. I need to feed them, watch them, and show them who is s-sup-su” The young elf said, the clearly shy woman stuttering in a rather adorable way.

“Superior. Clearly your public speaking tutor has been slacking. Lazy old grey hair.” Idria said, stepping over to the pair.

A frown crossed Essira’s lips at that. She didn’t argue that bit, elves were certain superior to humans however she suspected her idea of showing that and Idria’s were two different things. She kept her opinions to herself and watched Usia handle the tiny human in her hands, the young elf woman lifting him up in both hands and looking at him. After a long while she shook her head and handed him back to Essira.

“No? Ah. Well, I have plenty more. Maybe let’s try a female? Generally much better choice for a first pet.” She said, guiding Usia over to the cage Idria had just been terrorizing.

“I will give you this much, Essira, they at least seem to understand their place. This one here screamed and squirmed all through my fitting, so bothersome. You should really try to expand your business to jewelry.” Idria remarked holding up her ring.

The human tamer looked at the ring set with a very tiny human, the poor man trapped by bindings of harsh metal where a gem might be. He was thin, malnourished really, and had a broken and defeated look on his face. Essira’s heart went out to the poor thing, wishing she could take him in to give all the love and care he needed. As it was however his years were to be spent as a permanent addition to Idria’s jewelry. Many elves that counted humans as their jewelry went to great lengths to keep said humans alive.

Essira kept her smile up. “Your words do me honor, councilor, and I will consider them strongly.” She answered diplomatically.

Idria gave Essira a knowing smile. “So very well spoken. You would have done well in the Citadel.”

Magic was among the many things that held little interest to Essira. A number of her friends were mages but the art itself held little to no appeal to her. She was content with her job and her choices in life. The human tamer noted that the females in her cage looked rather spooked, more so than was normal and she lifted and brow as she reached down and plucked up a little blonde haired woman. She handed her to Usia for her approval. What she didn’t see was over her shoulder the rather deliberate movements of Idria’s tongue over her lips as she leered down at the frightened female.

The tiny human whimpered and wilted away in Usia’s hands, her little heart pounding away in her chest at a hundred miles per hour. Essira frowned as she noticed her obvious fear. It certainly didn’t help matters that Usia brought her very close to her face, her breath warm upon the tiny woman. The shorter elf seemed deep in thought she considered the tiny terrified woman. After a while she finally shook her head and handed her back to Essira.

“Not her either.” She said.

Essira took her back and lightly started running her pinky down the human’s back, kissing at her crown reassuringly as she set her back into the cage. She would need to make sure she was okay after this whole thing was finished. Stress could take years off of a human’s life after all. The human tamer had never seen her act up that way; she was usually so well behaved. Essira turned back to the mother and daughter a finger on her chin.

“Hmm… well, let’s see if we can’t get something more your relative age group. I have a few darlings in the back that might work for you.” Essira suggested, leading both into the back.

Green eyes flickered over the cages set along the sides of the room, the elven woman humming as she considered what might make a good match for Idria’s daughter. She snapped her fingers and ushered them both towards a cage nearby. She picked it up and set it on a chair, giving easy access to Usia. The young elf cocked her head as she looked inside and Idria leaned over to consider the contents.

Inside was a young man physically about Usia’s age, staring up at the trio of massive figures with fear in his eyes. Essira smiled down at him before waving a hand over the cage. Not normally a sale she would make but Idria had deep purses. That and Usia seemed fairly docile as far as she could tell. She might well make a very good owner. At least that was the hope Essira held onto as she took a deep breath.

“This is Karl. His mother and father were both home bred though I ended up selling his father while the mother was bearing him. She died in childbirth sadly. I raised him myself with the help of a couple of my females. He’s a little skittish but-.”

“Him. I want him.”

Usia interrupted Essira mid explanation, her blue eyes sparkling in wonder as she peered into the cage at the tiny human. Idria smirked and flicked the cage, the tiny human crying out as the vibrations caused by that knocked him onto his backside. Essira frowned at her casual meanness but again said nothing as it wouldn’t do to offend a councilor. She was a humanitarian but she wasn’t suicidal.

“Well then you can have him. I trust he’s obedient? Knows the proper order of the world?” Idria asked the human tamer.

Essira nodded. “Very much so. He’s very sweet as well and loving to anyone close to him. Your daughter couldn’t find a better companion. I also taught him both common and elven, so he should have no problem understanding either.”

Idria nodded in approval. “Sounds excellent. Would have been better to just teach him elven though. Honestly the common tongue should die off once the last human is in bondage.”

The human tamer opened the top of the cage and offered her hand to Karl rather than respond to Idria. Usia’s eyes gleamed and she held out her hands, the shy girl's excitement palpable. Essira offered him a little kiss on the crown before showing him to both, not quite giving him to Usia just yet. Idria seemed wholly amused with the entire affair but the human tamer paid her no mind at the moment.

“Karl? Meet Usia, your new owner. Say hello!” She said encouragingly.

The tiny human managed to sit up in her palm and looked at the vastly bigger elf, swallowing hard. “H-Hello, Miss Usia.” He squeaked.

Usia smiled happily as Essira handed him to her, the young elf holding him tightly in her hands. “So polite as well, you really are an artist my dear. How much for him?” Idria said.

Essira smiled sadly as she watched Usia open her hand and start poking at Karl, giggling slightly as she tickled her new pet. Poor Karl was reduced to a laughing fit immediately. She was sad to see him go. It was always sad to see the ones she had bred and raised into adulthood go. That said however she regarded Idria fully now as she pondered over the figures in her head. Youthful ones always sold for more generally speaking and given how pleased Idria seemed she was likely to be rather generous with her coin.

“100 Ducals.” She said.

Idria mulled it over for a moment before shrugging. “Certainly. I’ll have the sum delivered later in the day. My daughter certainly seems happy at least.” She remarked.

Essira smiled widely as both mother and daughter started moving towards the door. “I always aim to please. Do tell your friends!” She called.

When the door finally closed Essira’s shoulders slumped and she headed into the front room, sinking back into one of her plush chairs with a sigh. She massaged at her temples as she came down from the headache being near Idria had given her. If arrogance was personified in anyone it would certainly be her. She looked towards the ceiling before shrugging. She supposed it didn’t matter as it was good money really. 100 Ducals for a human was certainly nothing to balk at. Still hopefully her remaining business would be a good deal less infuriating. Her thoughts turned again to that poor tiny human set into a ring and she shook her head, setting her bare feet flat upon the carpeted floor. It was unlikely as Idria was very much the rule while Essira was the exception.