Open [The Seaside Market] Seasonal Shopping

[Nellie Hawkins]

.15th bell.
.1st of fall, 514av.

Nellie glowered at the throng of people and clutched her pack tightly. She loathed trips to the market. Aside from the remarkable waste of a good lowtide that could be otherwise spent hunting clams, there were far too many people for comfort. All too easily, she could find herself separated from her satchel and the few measly coins she had brought for her purchases.

"'Ere, need a boat, girl?" The toothless grin that popped into view belonged to a wrinkled, dirt-smudged specter of a man. His eagerness was almost indecent, and his leer was decidedly so as he made no attempt at discretion. Nellie felt filthier for having been viewed, and clutched her pack to her in a vain attempt to hide behind it.

Abruptly, the man stepped in far too close for comfort, and survival instincts she no longer even acknowledged kicked in to gear as Nellie flinched away instinctively, shaking her head. Had it been high tide, or even close to it, she might have needed a reliable boatman to ferry her from one stilted stall to the next.

But this one would not have gained her fare even if it hadn't been low tide already.

"Its lowtide, petcher. I'll walk." Despite the words, her steps quickened to nearly a run as she dodged to the nearest set of steps and made quick work of climbing them. The cackle that rang out at her hasty departure sent chills down her back, and she wove her way between citizens already viewing the vendor's wares in an effort to remove herself from sight.

Close quarters, however, posed another challenge, and more than one person was inconvenienced by her forceful presence. As several of those around her grumbled and pushed back against her intrusion, someone retaliated with a well-placed elbow which, to Nellie's pained chagrin, landed rather pointedly on her chest.

"Ow, 'ey! Watch it! Move off, ya petchin'..." another rough shove from behind cut off her complaint and landed her against a dark-haired woman.

"Didn't mean it; rough crowd today, no harm, 'ey?" She rushed to get the apology out; this jockeying for best position had to stop sometime. One hand rubbing the rather sore spot left by pointy-elbow, she plastered a good-natured smile on her face and hoped that this latest encounter would just accept the words and move on. One war-wound per shopping trip was absolutely her limit.

[Shakune]

"So how about it?"

The black-eyed half-breed folded her arms and stood in a slouchy fashion. She chewed - on something, rather like a cow with cud - and waited for her companion's reply.

The fat man rubbed one his chins, spat to the left side of himself, and shook a podgy hand to the woman opposite him. "Look, I can get a kid to do the same job for half the price you're aski-"

Shakune's arms threw out and upwards in an act of desperation and exasperation. "A kid!" A judgemental finger shot towards the vendor, who seemed a little surprised at the courier's outburst of passion, "you hire a kid and the poor old woman will starve for a week whilst the kid rolls around fat and happy. Do you want to kill an old woman?"

It had been approximately ten days since one of Shakune's closest neighbours, a woman named Marjorie who was as old as time itself, had fallen and damaged her bird-like ankle. The ancient woman was as hard as nails, having spent her endless life roaming the streets of Sunberth, and did not take well to suddenly being an invalid. When Shakune - out of the pure, selflessness of her heart - had visited her that morning, Marjorie had begrudgingly given the half-breed three gold mizas to buy bread, tomatoes, potatoes, and some sort of meat from her favourite market stall vendor, Lennie.

When she had told him of Majorie's accident, Lennie was really quite distressed, and Shakune had seen his concern as a chance to make a profit out of this sorry situation. Whilst he was busy wiping away a stray tear with his club-like hands, Shakune had casually suggested how worried she was that Marjorie would not be able to get her weekly ration of food - which she had been buying from Lennie's stall for at least fifteen years - because of her injury. The fat man had, as Shakune predicted he would, offered to give Marjorie a collection of her usual purchases, free of charge ("out of the goodness of m'own heart, y'see."). The half-breed had subsequently presented herself, as a courier, to deliver the food package to Majorie, at the bargain price of two gold mizas.

Lennie heaved a great sigh, his many chins wobbling as he did. "Fine! For dear old Marjorie. I'll do her some bread, olives, tomatoes, bit'a lamb, and..."

"Potatoes?" Suggested the courier hopefully.

The wide man clapped his great hands together. "Ah, yes. Majorie always loves my potatoes." With an emotional sniff, Lennie passed the box of foodstuffs - and most importantly, the two gold coins - to Shakune's keen open hands. "You send 'er my love, and hope she enjoys the lamb."

Shakune nodded earnestly. "I will, Lennie, don't you worry." She slid those two precious coins into her pocket, and smiled at the tinny jingle of them landing atop the three that Marjorie had given her earlier.

Five gold mizas and it's still early...

She was so busy celebrating her successful scheming that Shakune barely felt someone knock into the back of her. "Ah, no worries." A broad smile pulled at her lips, and the courier twisted around to see whom she was talking to, "It's like walkin' amongst a bunch of drunks, in't it?"

[Nellie Hawkins]

Nellie smiled at the stranger, relieved that there didn't appear to be any more unpleasantness in the near future. "Drunks would be an improvement, in some cases," she agreed, resisting the urge to turn and search for the creepy boatman below. Instead, she inspected the stall she'd landed in front of; various vegetables were on display, some looking rather wilted and sad in their shallow boxes. Nellie grimaced with distaste at a sorry collection of carrots: their pointy ends had gone just a bit soft, and the orange flesh was turning brown with age. She knew without seeing his friendly girth who the vendor was; Lennie was kind, with a big heart not usually found in a merchant in Sunberth, but his quality was definitely suspect.

Still, there was no reason to be insulting if this was where the woman chose to shop, and she schooled her face into polite lines before attempting further small talk.

"Doing some, ah, grocery shopping?" Her arm waved vaguely in the direction of the carrots. Nellie tilted her head, considering, before offering a bit of tentative advice. "Lennie's a good sort, fair for the most part, but you can get better scrap from that Vantha over there," she pointed, discreetly. "'E talks a bit, but he's a Vantha." A shrug indicated that a bit of chatter was to be expected when dealing with the Vantha; they were, after all, renowned story-tellers.

Since that was all the helpful advice she had to offer, Nellie fell silent, studying the other woman. Lean and tanned, the stranger was a strange combination of Sunberth's typical hardness and an unusual friendliness. Nellie found herself wondering if the friendly demeanor was an act meant to lure in victims for - she didn't know what. Thievery? She clutched her satchel tighter, just in case, and searched the opaque blackness of the other woman's eyes for any hint of threatening intent.

Of course, should the other woman decide to rob her blind, there would be little Nellie could do to defend herself. The press of bodies surrounding the market stall would hinder the other woman's escape, but Nellie knew that no one would offer assistance if her satchel were snatched up, and she doubted her own ability to muscle it away from a determined attacker.

Nellie really hated shopping.

[Shakune]

Shakune let out a harsh, barking laugh that made a small boy nearby jump and blink in surprise. She appreciated good humour, and the woman's dry comment about drunks had certainly tickled the half-breed's funny bone. "Drunks would mean there is ale somewhere nearby, too." If there one thing that Shakune appreciated more than a good joke, it was a good pint.

To the other woman's question, she scoffed and waved a dismissing hand. "Gods no!" She dipped her voice lowly, just enough so the large Lennie behind her wouldn't overhear, "the only time I've seen a thing sadder than that there carrot is when this fella was too pissed to get it up." She grinned and chuckled at the not-too-distant memory; completely unaware that genitals and sex were far from acceptable topics to be discussed with a stranger. "e shouted at that little thing for an entire bell, before he started to cry. But I appreciate the tip all the same." Whether or not the 'tip' was what the other woman had told her, or perhaps something more sordid, was not clear.

As quietness descended on the two women, Shakune also observed her conversational partner. One couldn't be too careful in Sunberth, and even light-hearted Shakune knew that it smart to give whomever she was speaking to the once-over. A tick or so later - her attention span was that of a gnat - she thrust a hand towards the other woman in a gesture of friendliness and trust. "I'm Shakune, by the way." She had, as ever, decided that it was better to blunder through life as an optimist, rather than be the constant suspicious sort, "ain't seen you around much before. You live here?"

oocSo sorry about the horrible delay! RL is so busy right now, and inspiration has not been my friend for the past few weeks.

[Nellie Hawkins]

It was an unusual feeling, being trapped by conversation, but the other woman had managed to make her feel that way with just a few words. A conspiratorial tone, lowered as though they were sharing a secret, and then the awkwardness. Nellie flushed at the woman's words, unused to hearing stories like that while going about her daily business. She'd overheard that and worse in the taverns while selling her fish, or on the docks, but that was different. It was almost expected in those places and she was able to ignore it.

But this woman had met her with it out of nowhere, head on, so to speak, and seemed to think nothing of it.

Nellie was confused, grasping for the appropriate response. When the dark-eyed stranger laughed, she managed a weak chuckle of her own, not wanting to offend or anger the other. The ensuing silence was met with grateful relief, while it lasted, and then the woman thrust her hand out in belated greeting.

It was an automatic greeting, and habit had Nellie extending her hand as well, grasping the other woman's hand and shaking lightly before considering the disadvantage it put her at. As soon as she was able, she withdrew her hand, placing it once again protectively near her satchel. "Nellie," she offered her name, nodding at the woman's question, "I don't get around the city much, though - mostly here and the docks. Mostly just the docks, if I can help it."

Inching away from the sorry offerings at Lennie's stall and the crowd that seemed so eager to purchase it, Nellie eyed Shakune curiously. She'd said she wasn't shopping here, so what was she doing? Social call? From the disparaging carrot comments the other woman had made, Nellie didn't think it likely. Competitor? The encounter hadn't seemed like one between rivals. Maybe it was a social call after all. Maybe Lennie was the man with the problem that Shakune had been talking about? The thought made her cheeks flare and suddenly she was glad of the people quickly stepping up to hide the large man from view.

In a bid to take the unpleasant image from her mind, she turned her attention back to Shakune. "So, um. Are you from the 'berth, then, too?" As far as conversation went, it was sorry, and Nellie knew it. As a distraction, though, it was working. Nellie felt sure that the woman was not from Sunberth; she seemed to quick to laugh, to quick to share, to have been brought up in the harsh and chaotic city.

oocNo worries - welcome back!

[Shakune]

Shakune could not help but smirk. The other woman was clearly uncomfortable, and though it saddened the half-breed to think that she was the source of this, she marvelled that someone so apparently delicate seemed to survive the harsh city of Sunberth. It made her think of a butterfly living in a forest made of sharp edges and points.

Yet the woman shook her hand, which Shakune had not expected. The half-breed was not offended; she knew all too well that she was not to everyone's taste. She was brash, loud, and direct. Some others - mostly women, she found - thought her as an insult to all of the senses. Again she noticed how Nellie's hand snapped protectively back to her satchel, and once again Shakune wondered why some women insisted in bringing such precious belongings with them on their outings. All of her money was stored away in her pocket or nestled between her breasts. If someone was to mug her, Shakune wanted to make sure she would enjoy it.

"Naw, I'm from the desert." The explanation was accompanied by a shrug, but something other than her heritage had caught Shakune's attention. She eyed the other woman keenly, nodding in interest. "You say you spend time at the docks. You a sailor?" Her black eyes scanned Nellie, doubting that the other woman was apt at the brutish life at sea. Then again, the same could be said about herself. "Y'don't look like one. But then, neither do I." Again she laughed, almost unnecessarily. Her comment was hardly amusing, and yet it clearly deserved a bark or two from Shakune.


oocSorry for the delay again! The usual excuse... RL and such.

[Jashkataal]

“Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen. A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever; a happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.” ― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

 

Nellie Hawkins

Experience

• Deduction +1
• Observation +2
• Socialization +3

Lores

• Shopping in Sunberth a crowed affair.
• Lennie: the vendor
• A woman with black eyes
• Shakune: market shopper
• Shakune: from the desert

Well done.

 

Shakune

Experience

• Observation +2
• Persuasion +1
• Socialization +3

Lores

• Shopping in Sunberth
• Lennie: the vendor
• Nellie: market shopper
• The Vantha stall, better produce.

Well done.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to send a PM. Please remember to delete your grade request. The pleasure was all mine.

Regards,
~Jashkataal