[Mini-Mingle] A Shopping Trip

[henchgal]

Given that those who're staying at the ADI housing are getting a clothing allowance, Meredith has taken it upon herself to organize a shopping trip to the Marshalls at Gloucester Crossing. The store is full of surprising deals, and a wide enough variety of clothing that people of all genders might find something interesting. There's even some of the new fall selections in stock already.

While Meredith's been sure to grab those who obviously need a little help, and those who'll obviously enjoy the chance to get out of ADI territory, everyone's welcome to come along for the trip.

(ooc: feel free to tag around with one another as well as me, this is just a fun way to introduce our characters to one another)

Comments

Mercy Graves | OC

[graveyounglady]

"What about ten?" Mercy holds the shirt with a price tag that very clearly reads $29.99 on it up to the perplexed-looking store clerk.

"That-that's not- I'm sorry, that's not on sale right now."

"Oh, come on," the young woman wheedles, flashing a smile and a wink. "How about this? I'll throw in some of this dried basil I got." She pulls out a small leather pouch from her haversack, setting that on the counter. "It's been blessed by the Spring Tide, sure as you like."

The clerk stares at her, and just... continues staring. Mercy does not back down, just shakes the bag of herbs lightly. Someone may want to save this poor person.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[Aelwyn always finds it funny watching people from Fallinel or Highcourt deal with these Solisian stores.]

You know, if you want to rob them, you can just whip out a knife. You have money, yes?

[graveyounglady]

I ain't robbing! [Mercy flashes an apologetic smile at the clerk.] We just gotta come to a right agreement about a price, don't we? No harm in a little back and forth.

[The clerk looks to Aelwyn, apparently viewing her as some sort of salvation.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

That's... not really how it's done here, sorry to say. It was a bit of a struggle for me to figure it out the first time too.

Do you actually lack the funds, or are you just haggling to be thrifty?

[She can respect the latter, even if she's rich and doesn't understand why people would ever be poor.]

[graveyounglady]

I got money... not much of it, but there's some. You gotta stretch a thing like that out, though, don't you?

[A few customers in the line behind her start making annoyed sounds, and Mercy steps away from the counter, still holding onto the shirt.]

I wasn't gonna say it in front of that seller, but their tailor here ain't much as they're paying them for if these are their prices. [She shows the shirt to Aelwyn, lowering her voice as she explains.] Seams is crooked here, and you got threads coming off. It ain't hard to hide or even fix, but $29? That's too high.

[She has no concept of whether that's too high. This place doesn't run on the marks she's used to, and something like this should cost a few marks at most given the quality.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

Is it? I wouldn't know, I'm rich. But yes, that is pretty shoddy craftsmanship... Still, haggling's not so much something that can be done in shops like these. Clerk doesn't set the price, as far as I know, the ones who own the shop do. Perhaps you can improve it and sell it at a higher price, if you're worried about losing money over it?

[Poor people... What do they eat.]

If you want me to pay for it, I can. Just to give the poor clerk a break more than anything else.

[She flashes a winning smile at the clerk and shoots her a wink.]

[graveyounglady]

[Mercy huffs.]

I can pay for it, but I wanna meet the owner. If they're the ones who set the prices.

[She looks to the woman at the till.]

Can we see the owner?

[The clerk is clearly trying not to make a face, but assures that she'll call for a manager.]

We can get this sorted out with them, right?

[aelwyn_aberration]

I mean... maybe? If they don't budge, you can threaten to make a bunch of online posts about them, even if you don't quite know how to do that yet. That'll get them to let it go and maybe adjust their prices. [Well, one out of two of those being true isn't bad on the whole honesty front.

She tried her best for you, clerk. Anything further is on you and your manager. Not to mention that despite herself, she finds this whole interaction almost endearing in how stubborn this girl is being.]

Fair warning, you're probably not going to be able to do this at a lot of stores.

[graveyounglady]

[Online posts... For a moment, Mercy stares blankly at the other woman, trying to process that, picturing setting up stakes one after another. Maybe you could do that outside and hang a banner across them announcing this place has a shoddy tailor in residence? No, wait!]

Online! [She snaps her fingers.] I remember online. That's the... the phones they gave us? [Mercy pulls out her smartphone from her haversack and holds it out to Aelwyn.] We use this for that, right?

And if it works, why couldn't we do it everywhere? If they're merchants, they should see about getting better goods into the shop if they wanna sell at that kinda price. Mr. Faolin always had the best quality goods when he was peddling 'round the Abbey, or he went home with empty pockets and a full cart.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She chuckles lightly.]

Yes, that's what those are for. You'll get used to it. Took me a while the first time too.

And yeah, I get that but... that's your world with your economy and the value of your money versus this money. It's a bit different here. It's different where I'm from too, but not by too much in this way. [It's mainly different for her because she can no longer buy whatever she wants and put it on her father's bank account that he's too much of a luddite to figure out.]

Most people just want these transactions over and out, I suppose? I'm not saying you're wrong, just pointing out the social expectation.

[henchgal]

Meredith swoops in like a three-legged owl on wings of purpose, come to the rescue.

"The prices here are set, there's really no room to haggle, unfortunately." Her tone is placating, and she offers a toothy smile to both the clerk and to Mercy.

[graveyounglady]

"No room to haggle?" Mercy tilts her head in confusion. "My Mama told me there's always room to haggle." She glances back at the clerk. "We just gotta find what you want, don't we"--she looks at the nametag--"Ms. Susan? Reckon I got some mighty fine ointments with me. One's even got peppermint. Good for aching joint."

[henchgal]

"They only accept money as payment, here--though I need to talk to you about that ointment for bad joints when we get home. I'll definitely need some of that as days go by."

While that's intended in part as a distraction, that ointment does sound really nice, given the givens.

[graveyounglady]

That is distracting. Mercy pouts a bit at Meredith before stepping out of line and away from the counter. The look of relief on Susan's face speaks volumes. Mercy's fairly certain she could have bargained the woman down, but if someone needs healing, that's more important, and she can find a shirt that doesn't cost as much on the tag. She's not even especially sure if that's a lot of money for something like this.

"I can set you with the ointments, ma'am," she says, lowering her voice, "but the quality on this tailoring... I don't know. Don't seems like it deserves full price when you got threads hanging off in places and it's thin as a frog's egg.

[henchgal]

"It's not sewn by hand. It's machine done--all this clothing is. You're not going to find much of the quality you're used to, here."

Her tone of voice is apologetic. She realizes how weird this is probably for Mercy, and she's not wrong about the quality.

[graveyounglady]

Mercy stares at her for a long moment, trying to process how a machine could tailor clothes. "Like... a printing press?" That's the fanciest machine Mercy knows of, and at least this has completely sidetracked her from accosting the clerk. She holds up the shirt and puzzles over it. Maybe you could... well, if you had something like one of the die cutters the kitchen uses, you could cut out the shape of a shirt with a press. But how would you stitch it together?

[henchgal]

Meredith pulls out her phone, thumbing at the screen for a moment, and then offers it to Mercy, playing this video.

"Little more advanced than a printing press."

[graveyounglady]

This is thrilling! Mercy's lips part slightly as she watches the little screen light up with different images that look real enough to jump off the device and at her. She half-jumps when the needle going through is demonstrated, half-expecting it to poke out of the phone and stick her.

The video comes to and end, and Mercy holds onto the phone before offering it back. "How do I get a sewing machine? I can make everyone clothes!" She can make some people clothes... provided she has the material. She's not a tailor, but she certainly knows the basics and can stitch herself a simple dress or shirt, even breeches for when they're working more!

[henchgal]

"Save your paychecks--you can definitely get a good used sewing machine online. I'll help you, if you'd like, finding a decently-priced one."

You know, this might turn out alright.

"It'll take a while, though."

[heavenchained]

Misguided and displaced though Mercy is, Toji likes the way she thinks.

Still, he has to laugh at the audacity.

"What's the Spring Tide? Something where you come from?" he remembers hearing something about that, maybe when he'd first arrived ... Does he know this woman? Eh, doesn't matter. He pushes a couple bills up onto the counter at the clerk, who seems all too grateful for his stepping in.

As much as Toji loves money, he loves someone being in his debt even more.

[graveyounglady]

Oh, it's... it's him. Toji's appearance has Mercy's eyes widening slightly before she glances down at the money he's setting out. The clerk happily takes it, bags the shirt and motions the pair away after offering Toji his change.

"Ah... thank you. You didn't- I was gonna haggle that." But she's blushing slightly, flicking her eyes up and him and feeling just a little foolish. He'd asked, though, about the Spring Tide. "I do haggling at the market for the order," she explains. "That's what the Spring Tide is. I'm training to be a cleric. I never been to a market like this. They got so many clothes, but half of it looks like it's been made by apprentices sewing their first seams. I ain't a tailor, sir, but I got a better hand for sewing than some of this."

[heavenchained]

"Most places have fixed prices on whatever they're selling." his words trail off a bit, and he tacks on: "At least, that's the case in Japan."

She's definitely from another walk of life entirely.

He almost asks what a cleric is, but decides to leave it be; sounds like some kind of organization or maybe a cult. He sniffs.

"Does haggling actually work where you come from? Might as well just steal."

[graveyounglady]

"Stealing's wrong." She says it with a straight face. You can't steal from the dead, after all. It's not like they have any opinions on their property once they're in a coffin.

"And haggling does work with folk who know what they're doing." She shoots a frown over at the clerk. "It's rewarding, as well, sir. Means you and them come to an arrangement that's mutually agreeable." There's a somewhat practiced air to the way she says that, accent sharpening up to something a little more prim. Ms. Tawnie had been a good merchant and one who'd helped her learn her haggling skills, as well.

[heavenchained]

Ah, one of those.

He can tell that he and Mercy aren't going to get along so easy if they keep talking, especially about this ... What to do, what to say?

"You sound proud of what you do." he says, and his smile is slight, "I hope you get somewhere to flaunt those haggling skills of yours. Y'know, in between all the work to be done here."

[graveyounglady]

Oh...

Her cheeks heat up again, and she glances away with the tiniest smile. She never could resist a handsome boy flattering her. Sort of? It's a little like Ciaran's encouragement. And this rough and tumble young man reminds her a bit of him already.

"I hope so too, sir. But you're right. We got plenty of work ahead of us from what I hear tell. Um... they said we could work in different departments? I was thinking I could help out with supplies. Maybe they're let me get my haggling done there?"