The Market

[travelagency]

Who: Merchants, Reporters, and You
What: Open Market
When: M9 D13
Where: The center of town, near the resort
Notes & Warnings: Here is how the market works...

The marketplace is a large open air affair in the middle of town, with a couple of dozen vendors out supplying wares. For the most part they're local crafstmen and farmers; it is post harvest time now, and the last of the fresh vegetables are being sold off before it gets really cold (various tubers, fruits, roots, wheat, etc). There are also cooks with a variety of foods, so everything smells pretty good. There are even pierogi and sausages along side more unusual fusion foods like deep fried gagh on a stick.

Unfortunately, it's raining and while it's not a drenching rain, if you're not used to the rain an umbrella probably wouldn't go amiss.

There are a few odd stands, though. External stands, brought in by merchants that don't want to permanently reside here but are happy to do some sales for the resort. Sure they have to earn in the planetary currency, but they can buy a few unique items from here to take back with them before they go. That makes the trade worth it for them, and Blackstaff needs all the external trade it can get (even if the outside vendors doing the trading are a little dubious and are probably breaking the law just by being here during the quarantine).

In the meantime, with Blackstaff's cooperation Upsher and Doff have set up a booth in the middle of the market. Imports receive additional pay for going inside and answering their questions, and Jeffers is very adamant that imports should participate. It may help out their current situation by showing the universe what widely varying worlds are represented by the resort and attaching real faces and voices to the people of Quadratus.

Comments

[vengeance_driven]

Well, you were military. Of course you did.

But it's embarrassing. [He fusses with his fingerless gloves.] For a man that has wanted what I've wanted, anyway. Is probably okay for others. And like I say, it doesn't seem like anything you'd be interested in.

[thumbsdown]

[He just shrugs.]

Not gonna make you talk about anything you don't wanna. Just saying I don't mind.

[He doesn't want Niko to feel awkward around him, either. He's the only real friend he has around here.]

[vengeance_driven]

[After a moment, he puts his arm around his shoulders (knowing Boone would tense), gives him a quick hug to his side, and drops it away.]

Well. I knew some ladies that were good in bed, but also terrible people.

[thumbsdown]

[The hug is unexpected, and for a moment he's not sure what to say. He blinks, then looks up at Niko.]

Terrible how?

[vengeance_driven]

Ah... one idealized assholes. Kept saying that they were "misunderstood", no matter how terrible the things they did. You really have to stand up to that sort of thing, you know? Even if you like them, tell them that they screwed up. You can love someone even if they screwed up, but you shouldn't think it's totally okay. She'd defend people for it, and make her own excuses for them.

Then this other one. She just called me names and hit me when she got drunk. Bragged about how pretty she was. The worst was this heiress. She just talked about herself and how I was a low class forgettable guy. Maybe sex with her was so good just because I knew I could do anything and not only would she like it because she needed something to brag about, but she wouldn't even remember which one I was.

The good ones... Much quieter. But I liked being around the ladies a lot more.

[thumbsdown]

[Boone doesn't think he'd have liked to even talk to any of those women, let alone sleep with them. He frowns to himself as they walk.]

Why'd you stick around if they talked to you like that?

[Just for the sex? Or did he not think he could do better?]

[vengeance_driven]

They were the ones that were interested.

And that is the embarrassing part- that I want the affection more than I care about how they treat me the rest of the time. [Or at least he can pretend it's affection, anyway.]

[thumbsdown]

Doesn't sound much like affection to me.

[Niko likely already knows that, though- or else he probably wouldn't be embarrassed.]

You deserve better than that, y'know.

[He gets the feeling Niko doesn't think so, but Boone does.]

[vengeance_driven]

[He doesn't believe it, of course. After all of the things he's done, why would he believe it? But they are words he's never heard before- he's insisted he deserves to be treated well, but he's also been told defending his pride isn't worth the grief it causes.]

[He glances at Boone, his hard face about as gentle looking as it can get. He's a good friend, maybe just what he needed.]

It is at least a very nice dream. I don't know that I have it in me to look for the real thing again.

[thumbsdown]

Yeah... me neither.

[He knows Carla would have wanted him to move on and be happy, but it's not that easy. He just hasn't wanted to, and besides that he knows better than to think it would work out for him. He got close to Carla, and she died. He can't let that happen again. He's quiet until they reach the bar, and heads over to buy them drinks first. He looks back at Niko.]

Vodka?

[vengeance_driven]

Continued here