Private This Crixie went to Market [Crix and Sarn]

[Crix Meriet]

The Royal Markets of Eiattu 6
In the Shadow of the Royal Palace
Mid Afternoon
With Sarn Ardeskian

The air was hot and sticky. Perhaps that was Crix's fault ... well not entirely his fault this was a city built on a swamp planet and some humidity was therefore to be expected but it was Crix's fault that they were in the markets at noon. The idea had been to come to the markets in the morning but Crix was not a morning person. He had not woken much before noon, well actually again that was not strictly true Cinna had tried to wake him at a reasonable hour of the morning, shortly after they had landed but all he had got was a pillow thrown at him and an angry growl from his hung over charge.

"The next time it will be the water glass" he distinctly remembered threatening before he thumped back down against the mattress. Sleep was hard to come by for Cris so when he could get it he had to maximise it.

Even when he had woken up he had taken no great care to rush. Truthfully he had not wanted to be out of bed but everyone was so excited about these markets so he had to force himself. Heaven forfends they should go alone and simply leave him to wallow. No, he had to go but they could not make him come quickly. He spent a considerable time in the refresher in protest. There was some necessity to it as well though. The hot water running over him was soothing, it cleared the fog from his brain too, helped him at least make a pretence that he was functioning as something near sentient.

There had been less delay with dressing mostly because Cinna was too efficient for the process to be dragged out. That had led him to this market. Clad in light clothing. eminently suitable for the swampy climate and yet still it clung to him as he fanned himself beneath the hood that kept the sun from his eyes and hide the tired state of his face. He could feel his wallet draining. He could only hope that Sarn's supplies were not too expensive and that they would yield some worthwhile profit. Between the staff costs and the ship repairs Crix's accounts were not tallying.

If things did not change in the coming months he would need to reduce himself and his lifestyle ... or go cap in hand to his brother. He did not relish the prospect.

In fact, a penniless death was preferable.

Sui was up ahead urging them on and clearly being held back by the fact that Crix was with them and in no mood to hurry. Crix could anticipate that she had no doubt waited some time to be able to head off on her own and was probably not keen on waiting around. They probably all had places they wanted to go and they were holding each other back. Finally, he could take the sensation of holding a leash restraining an energetic dog no longer. It was stressing him out.

"Sarn and I have things to do, I am sure each of you has things you want to do, go do them freely just be back at the ship in a few hours ready to leave" He said as if he were head of some school trip. At least if he cast them off alone he wouldn't feel obligated to pay for their finds.

With a forced smile, he turned to Sarn "You are stuck with me"

 

[Sarn Ardeskian]

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Thankfully, like Sarn, the market had changed quite a bit in the last fifteen years, so there would be no need for him to continue with his ruse of not being familiar with the destination or of not knowing where things were, because, well, he legitimately wasn't and didn't. With the exception of the opulent main entrance, with its towering, hand-carved statues, and the equally ostentatious palace itself - which loomed large over the proceedings - every other ornate building, silken tent, and expansive, bauble-filled stall appeared new to him.​

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Taking a moment to bring up an overlay that only he could see with his enhancement, the Kuati began his search for the goods they'd be procuring, that is, if the prices were right. In an affluent setting such as this, one had to be careful not to get played. These vendors knew that the majority of their patrons had disposable income in spades, therefore, they could easily charge double, if not triple, and not flick a tail. Fortunately, Crix's crew had an expert among them, one who could and more than likely would haggle her way to an ideal price.​

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"I'll call when we're ready to make a deal," Sarn would inform Sui just before she bolted for a stand, which was littered with glittering cooking tech.​

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"There's no place I'd rather be, sir," he would then address his boss, with a wry smile, as he motioned for the man to take the lead.​

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Falling into step just behind Crix, Sarn was pleased that he had had the good sense to keep his own attire light, loose, and limited. Had he not, he'd probably be a useless puddle by now, having melted from the mix of high humidity and body heat. And while the crowd was thin enough to navigate with ease, it was still a sizable, lively mass, one that occasionally caused them to come to a full stop, just long enough to peruse a table or two before moving on.​

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[Crix Meriet]

There had been a tie when Crix would have delighted in a place like this. burned through a small economy's worth of credits without flitting an eye and left with a hold piled high with all manner of delights exotic and familiar. Now he was barely scraping by financially as he tried in vain to keep the fires burning bright. He could no longer afford to simply snatch up whatever he desired and care nothing for the price. It was not just that though, even had he the money he could no longer see the joy in buying things. Nothing was pretty to him any longer. Nothing was fun.

It was all just papier-mâché now.

Hollow set dressing for a life no longer worth living.

The others were dispatched, Suri leaving with a promise that she would in due course return, just as soon as a deal was ready and Sarn called her. She would be their trump card, swooping in after Cris had been 'Played for a fool' after which he could act offended and secure an even lower price. It would not be hard for Cris to play that part, he was touchy and easily aggrieved. Truth be told he felt aggrieved now. Life aggrieved him.

"Don't lie" he said as Sarn claimed to have no desire to be anywhere else but stuck at his side. At least he called him sir. That was some improvement at least. Cris knew that he was not good company though and Sarn had been given a glimpse into the fact that Cris was no longer the gilded cauldron of limitless generosity he had once been. Sarn could not hope for much more than his wage and if truth be told that was dubious too if nothing changed soon.

Through the crowd, they moved Cris shadowed by his taller guard, a hand occasionally reaching out to push away one who got too close. He counted on Sarn to keep away thieves and any other who would do him harm, though in a way Cris wanted someone to come along and put him out of his misery. The great mass of the crowd ground to a brief halt leaving them by a stall selling pottery, not standard vases though, there was something surreal about the sculptures and the veins of other matter weaved into them.

"Toby would have liked those," he remarked mournfully before they were again on the move. He didn't really expect any reply from Sarn beyond directions as they reached a crossroads, he hadn't even really been talking to him ... simply speaking Toby's name out into the world again as if to keep him from being something that was entirely past. There was no order to the market really. Anything could be next to anything else with a few marked exceptions like the butcher. The first of their fruit stalls though was tucked between a droid parts stall and a weaver. Cris pulled back his hood slightly and cast his eyes over the offerings trying to remember which fruits were the most attractive in this particular stock.

 

[Sarn Ardeskian]

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While the market had changed in a number of ways, at its very core, it had managed to maintain its truly eclectic nature. From the wares that were being sold to those who were selling them, the sheer diversity of it all was something to behold. This was no more evident than in the colorful mix of merchants who sat before them now.​

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To the left there was a chittering trio of compact, armor-clad Utai who were not only hawking their latest mechanical creations, but the ongoing maintenance and, quite possibly, repair services a client would need to consider as well. Apparently, only a fool would walk away without procuring "The complete package!" or so they kept on stating, loudly and in unison, in their native tongue and basic, until one of their browbeaten customers gave in and forked over the additional funds.​

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In stark contrast to this controlled chaos, a serene-looking, multi-limbed Codru-Ji sat to the right, toiling away on her archaic-looking loom. Not paying much attention to anyone, including those who stood within the ornate, handmade tent she used to house her delicate designs, the artist appeared to be in the zone, unfazed by the sights and sounds that delighted or - depending on your mood - assaulted the senses of most others.​

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As for the stand that would grab and hold their attention - an upscale stall manned by a hefty, baritone-voiced Waluna and her amphibious, Koboh attendants - it radiated with a pleasing disposition, one that was both inviting and invigorating. While lively in its coloring, with its spectacular array of fresh fruits and vegetables on full display, it would be the perfect pairing of tropical and rustic scents that would call to those who attempted to pass by.​

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"Welcome, gentlemen," the robust merchant would state, upon making eye contact, as she simultaneously bagged a shopper's purchase and redirected one of her many assistants, ushering them towards Cris and Sarn. "Turgle will be happy to assist you."​

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[Crix Meriet]

The market roared noisily around him and boxed him in. His mind could not long hold a thought and it distressed him slightly. He used to deal well with crowds but since Toby's death, he had lost his gregarious edge. He had become somewhat more like Toby now, withdrawn and reserved.

Would things be different if he had found reservation earlier in life? Would they be better?

Cris stayed as close as he could to Sarn as hands and their more exotic equivalents were thrust at him. As the varied merchants hawked their wares. He looked to his left at the armoured aliens selling mechanised goods and found himself glad that he was not in the market for such. He was in no state to be dealing with their particular tactic and he did not have the funds to spend lavishly.
The loom stood out to Cris as he cast his wary gaze right. A blip in the cacophony of noise. It was so tranquil it was as if he were looking through a window to another world. A world he wished he could be in. What he would give to be so unfazed. Yet he carried with him so many troubles. So much pain.

It was a relief , though only a partial one to finally come before the stall where he would be milked dry of credits. His eyes scanned the colourful offerings and he looked to Sarn. He would do the talking at first. Cris was only here to pay for everything. He gave only a passing glance to the amphibian attendant who would assist them. He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact and the hood pulled back to look over the fruit was pulled forward again.

 

[Sarn Ardeskian]

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Sarn hadn't expected to take the lead, but with his boss being in one of his mildly surly and entirely standoffish moods, it left him little say in the matter. One glance was all he needed to take to understand that the man had no intention of participating in the proceedings beyond footing the bill. The wheeling and dealing was being left up to him, but from the looks of it, it was going to be a relatively easy transaction since Koboh weren't exactly known for their haggling skills. The Waluna, on the other hand, would've been a tough nut to crack, but her underling? Well...

"Turgle, is it? Pleased to meet you," he began, with the flash of a bright smile, as he took a step closer to the much smaller worker, taking care not to come off as a looming threat. As soon as they were just a foot or so apart, Sarn swept aside his trench and crouched beside the nearest display. They were now eye to eye. "I'm looking to acquire a good number of these, you know...," he would start, as he carefully plucked up a carton of blumfruit, "for the right price."​

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Without missing a beat, Sarn would proceed to pop a few of the ripened red berries into his mouth. While sampling the goods without asking was typically frowned upon, the Kuatian wouldn't have done so without the Waluna vendor in visual range. From the info he was bringing up on his cybernetic implant, it was customary to do exactly that. It showed he had every intention of following through with a transaction, even if it ended up being on the smaller side, if the price wasn't as favorable as he would like it to be.​

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"Safe to assume there's a bulk discount?" he asked once his mouth was clear of the sweet treat. "We'd like to start with twenty-five gross," he tossed out, rather nonchalantly, as if credits were no object.​

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