This Little Piggy Went To Market ~ OPEN

[colleen]

Just take a left,
Then another left,
and a right,
there, right there.

Ah his humble abode, his home away from home, his summer chateau cast among the delicate rivers and sheltered by the valleys. There nestled in a long alcove stood the only thing that kept dear Sidney's life interesting enough to keep living, The Market. It bustled with the odd person, waiting eagerly for the merchants to remove the protective barriers and sell their wares. Sidney walked slowly to his stall at the end at the end of the alcove, the 'runts' stall. He was new, not the newest by far, but he enjoyed the stall he had been given. Stalls at the end often missed out on business because those who sold varied wares lined the middle section, by the time the consumer reached the end they either had no need for his trinkets or they had nothing left to barter.

He disappeared from the main hustle and bustle, relocating to the inside of his stall. He flicked on a flashlight, something he only used to briefly check his wares. Batteries were a thing of the past, they were not scarce but Sid had decided early on not to rely on things that could no longer be produced. This of course was a complete contradiction with what he sold. Sidney specialized in the unusual, things of a world past. He was a merchant of varied objects, with the odd bit of food or tools hidden amongst the trinkets. He dealt with that which many left behind, the books, photo albums, and the memories. If you wanted something unique and specific, Sid was your man.

Sid quickly surveyed his items making sure nothing had been stolen. A bell chimed from outside, a signal to open your shops. Many places were already open by the time Sid had removed the wooden panels, but they were those with a team of owners. They had the ability to be open all day and night. The market itself was a nightly event, as most individuals scouted for their wares during daylight hours. Sid preferred it this way, he wasn't in a position to accurately defend himself from those that lurked during the night, and he was after all, only human.

Coughing, Sid nit picked throughout his wares shifting things around, removing things that he didn't feel like selling that day. He hid the things that were unnecessary and placed out some of his new finds, the old textbook (Introduction to Biology), slight charred photographs of children and couples and small knickknacks that Grandmother would keep. Sid pulled a final item from his coat pockets and laughed, he had forgotten about this picture. He moved to the back of his stall, covered with a plum covered fabric and various pictures of scantily clothed or outright naked women. With a pin plucked from an old canister he placed this new image of a brunette happily laying in front of a fire in her underwear, probably a boudoir photograph for a husband or something. It was humor for the passer-by, and someone all you needed was a little laugh.

Chatter filled the alcove, merchants to customers or to one another.
Sidney chose to recline in his chair, watching the people scurries from stall to stall.
He yawned.
It was going to be a long night.

[collapsingimage]

Kai stretched his arms out in a cat-like fashion and crouched down to tie his shoes. The black laces were rotting away manifestly, and the soles had been worn down right to the heel. It was pitiable to even consider them shoes, to say the very least, but at least he had them. It wasn’t exactly that he desperately needed them anyways, or at least, that was Kai’s feeble excuse. It was only a bother when he had to walk long distances, when the ground below him was dank and grubby. He glanced ahead and into the vast maze that made up the underground tunnels. They were illuminated only by the synthetic lights, things that he had to grow to get used to. The young man started off for the Market, a place that he had not always visited with such comfort. It always used to frighten him, visiting that place. It was a place that you went to in order to obtain supplies and even sometimes things of a darker sort, but so many reminders were integrated within it that took him back to the old times.

Places like that always had him replaying memories. Kai longed to play a piano once again (to even see a piano would be a great blessing); he yearned to return to the past, even if it was only for a couple hours. But the thing that he wanted to see most of all was the sunlight. He had always been wishing to catch one last glimpse of it. Kai wasn’t a scout, though. He rarely would travel to the surface in his lifetime, if at all. Maybe this nightmare was merely a dream, that’s what he used to say; he had constantly craved for this to be true, especially when the end of his first life arrived. And sometimes Kai still did wish for that, to go back and enjoy life fully, the way it used to be. It didn’t help his situation that his family was always affluent, so he was used to more refined living. He had to grow to tolerate different lifestyles now. Yes, it was true that he could never go back, and he could never remember with the fear of being left behind in this new age.

Kai stopped walking as he came upon the Market. For a moment, he just sat there and marveled at the spirit. The weak were left behind while the strong survived. That was one of the few things that he felt could glow – the people’s spirits. With a soft grin settling on his face, he made his way around all of the stalls, browsing for several minutes at a time, thinking very delicately about what he wanted. He stopped at a particular stand, finding the selection of items rather curious. An algebra book? He chuckled softly, recalling what it was like to take algebra. Of course, at the time, he had always hated math. Kai didn’t know what exactly he would give away to be taught again. It was such a luxury that he hadn’t even known.

He spotted something that piqued his interest even more, though. It was a small trinket, and a quite interesting one at that. Kai pointed to it and looked up at the man he assumed to be running the stand. “Um, excuse me. What are you asking for this one?”

[Melinda]

Finally her trip was over, she would never travel that long again. Her lower and upper back hurt, along with her ass. Traveling for a week was not a fun way to live, specially with a creepy old man who couldn't hear. Ayra hated repeating herself, yet the old man was half deaf and she was glad to be rid of him. Here in Labonita she was given her own room, small but better then anything she had before. She was to be a civilian here, and even had responsibility's to take up all her spare time. With a slight sigh, Ayra grabbed her shoulder bag and walked out of her room. Leaving Labonita territory Ayra smiled, she would find this market and buy a stall. She had some supplies with her, but would make some more later tonight if she had the energy.

Turning the corner toward the black market, Ayra glanced around at the stalls and people around her. Her eye's picked up on a table of food, a few had cloths and others mixtures of odd things. Moving toward a herb stall, she could tell it was run by a vampire. Ayra had seen them before, but they always interested her. Something about living forever, she wasn't able to do that with even her gift. Moving on she bought a table and began to set up her stuff, though she didn't have to much on her. Deciding to keep the drugs away, she placed her bandages on the table along with plenty of needles and thread. Also lotion for burns, cuts and even rashes. Smiling Ayra finished adding her items, a voice from the stall across from her caught her attention. Two men were talking about some trinket, but the man behind the stall was familiar. Ayra was sure her face went white for a moment, how could someone from the old gang be here! Glancing away, she pretended he was not there. It was a long time ago, he might not recognize her anyway.

[colleen]

Sidney was curled up in his wooden deck chair, his legs bent underneath him and his head propped up with his hand. He watched those that peered at his wares, some lingered too long at his booth. He waited until they looked at him, and he flashed them a grin, just a small reminder that yes he was watching, and you should put that Swiss Army Knife back in your pocket. He questioned what sort of people he was dealing with, those who seemed to think this was a place for looting and stealing.

He yawned again, bored with tonight's crowd. Sid let his gaze wander across the alcove, he watched a man stand and stare at each and every stall. A first-timer obviously, gobsmacked by all the trinkets and baubles this community had collected. He was a nuisance, standing at a stall for a couple of minutes while the shop keep chattered away to actual paying customers. Sid bit his lip and clasped his hands together stretching them out in front of him. He breathed deep and sighed watching this man mosey on up to his wares.

He poked and prodded, with Sid watching his eye flutter from object to object. The older people, the ones who could remember the time before always lingered around, their heart presumably aching for times long past. He smiled the kid pointed to a keychain, a small little token from a holiday to a far off place. A little plastic pyramid dangled from a clunky worn key ring. At one time, one could imaging that plastic letters, spelling Tutankhamun or Egypt, had once accompanied it or Egypt, but those since had broken off. Sid stood from his seat, thrusting one hand into his pocket, the other way left to freely move about as he talked. "Ah Egypt, what a lovely place. Never did go there in the time I had, fascinating sculpture though, although they're probably smashed to bits now." He chuckled, waving his hand gesturing to the other stalls.

"It's obvious that my things are not your everyday thing, and thus their price tag is extra ordinary, however …" Sidney gestured behind him, there was a small table beneath his 'art' wall littered with unused cigarettes and small bits of food. "I am a connoisseur of the finer things in life, smokes, cheap thrill and of course fine art." He smiled, the words dripping with salesmanship and a hint of that voice that parents tell the children to stay away from. Sidney smiled again at this fellow, letting his gaze wander to the people behind him, some viewing his wares others …

Familiar faces. That wasn't something that happened often for him. He furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to recall where he had seen her before. Her hair was dark, and he had known many a good brunette. There was this one who could fit her whole hand … it wasn't important, he needed to know who this one was. She had bought a booth, meaning she wasn't a regular merchant but she could have been new. Maybe she was a previous supplier of his, nah he had no need for the rolls of bandages or the lotions. He was hardly a medicinal person, even before the planet's downfall. If Sidney got sick he worked at it, if he was "sick" he called around to see who had what.

Come to think of it, he though perhaps he felt a little "sick".
Most doctors dabbled in what they shouldn't, money's good so why not, right?
He flashed her a smiled and a quick wave, acknowledging her as the new merchant.

[collapsingimage]

The man greeted Kai with quite a salesman’s pitch, and it was actually quite impressive. He smiled, and was slightly persuaded by his words. Kai’s eyes glistened as he observed all of the man’s wares, convinced that he had to buy something. Had he known that such a wide variety was offered here, he would’ve come by sooner. The charm that he’d been evaluating was quite inimitable in appearance, yet it held its own little charm at the same time. After a few agonizing moments of debate, his hunger to buy something became manifest. Kai dug around in his pockets, fishing out a small gold locket that he’d kept from before the ruin. It was intricately designed, and a picture of a seemingly sweet girl was preciously stored on the inside.

“Ah, what exactly could something like this get me? I do not have a lot of valuable items to trade with, but I do have money. If you’ll accept it, of course.” He chuckled, quite nervously; Kai was slightly oblivious to the fact that he could possibly be setting himself up for scam. It must’ve been a bother, having to deal with such an ignorant and uneducated customer. The boy sighed inwardly, taking in the man’s appearance. His eyes ensnared Kai’s attention for a moment, and he curiously glanced behind to see what the merchant had been staring at himself. After being unable to directly identify the subject, Kai returned his focus to the merchandise that remained on the table.

[Melinda]

The buzz of the market was all around them, people could be herd at other stalls. People were bargaining prices, yelling, and there was even children. Most likely homeless, they looked quite skinny and filthy. Ayra glanced over at the stall across from her, he was now looking at her without a clue. He didn't know who she was yet, maybe she could ask for another stall. If they didn't have to go near each other, it would make things easier for her. Glancing down at her small table, Ayra thought about another solution. She could benefit from knowing a local, you could never be to careful these days. Before Ayra could make up her mind she heard shouting, and leaned on her stall bending forward to see what was going on. From what she could see, two men were fighting over something. Must be a thief. She would bring all her stuff back with her to Labonita, she wouldn't take the chance of it being stolen.

[colleen]

Miscreants, lower life sewers rats who knew nothing more than the wise man's motto: kill or be killed. Sidney watched the pair, a shop keep and a sewer rat shouting at one another. The rat probably swiped something off the table, and if it was edible shoved it in his mouth as quick as possible before the merchant noticed. Sidney chastised the street rat from the comforts of his mind, although he empathized with him. There were parts of him that remembered the thieving and the 'rat hood' of his youth.

He hadn't asked to me a member, but those that ask for it seldom last. No Sidney was recruited on the spot, jumped, beaten, and broken. Bruises formed and fractures healed, but his loyalty had been solidified, that and a crippling addiction soon made the tunnel to the exit collapse. They became his livelihood, and those years became a haze. To quote Robin Hood and Little John, "Runnin' through the forest / Jumpin' fences, dodgin' trees / An' tryin' to get away". Sidney remembered little of the physicality of the people he ran with, but the people were still there in waves of personality and flesh tone.

Attention flicked back to the customer, ah there was his bargaining chip. Gold, oval, probably an inch and a half in length; pity the chain wasn't original. Sid tilted his head to the side, focusing on the trinket. He leaned on his table and reached up to examine the locket. Flipping it over to the front Sidney found a modest but intricate floral design. The back had a faded maker's mark, which if it wasn't Chanel or Tiffany's it meant little to most. The girl on the inside, young could be a child, but it wasn't important to Sidney. He glanced briefly at the woman behind the customer then back to his objective.

"Late 1800, early 1900s locket, most likely an heirloom as the chain is worn and not original." Sidney smiled running his fingers along his mandible. A simple decision, did he swindle like a pro or educate the young grasshopper? Pausing, mainly for effect Sidney tapped the locket, "It's got charm, but Jesus Christ even I couldn't." He gazed apologetically at the kid, "Look kid, any one of these assholes would have gladly taken your locket and ran, but I -" Sidney laughed, taking with his hands to the 'assholes' who gratefully shot back some inappropriate gestures.

"You'd get a lot more, and the fact is that you with your ratty shoes, need something more than faded memories." Sid waited, watched for reactions and sensing that perhaps this man had become put off by Sid's objection to the trade, and opted to reassure him with apologetic grin.

"Trust me kid, I'm doing you a favor."

[Melinda]

The buzz around the market place slowed down once again, the looter ran off not being killed. Hopefully he had learned his lesson, and would not return to bother someone else. She had to deal with plenty of his kind, mostly back in the day of her gang life. Being a woman in a gang was not an easy thing to do, treading lightly was something she did on a daily bases then. Between the men trying to steal her shit and the ones drooling over her, she had to be careful and learned to defend herself quickly. Around here seemed to be less dangerous, but still Ayra didn't let her guard down for a moment. Though she could hold her own these days, with the help of her magic of course.

Across from her Sid was still talking about his items for sale, and the person in front of him seemed to be listening. She wondered how long it had been, they hadn't seen one another for awhile. She tried to remember more about the man, she had been his dealer but of what she was unsure of. They were always able to make a fair deal to both of them, but after the apocalypse she hadn't seen anyone from the old gang. She had changed so much sense then, now her magic flowed through her changing the way she saw life. Humans had a single flare in them, something so simple to exterminate. She could use Sid as a trading partner, but if things went sour she could always get rid of him.