apocalypsehowcomm | [Mini-Mingle] A Shopping Trip

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.]

[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?

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.

[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.

[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.

[Mercy frowns in confusion.]

Really? But... what's the point in having a market if you don't like haggling? That's half the fun of being a merchant, way I hear it from the ones I know.

[Before she can get much further, a man wearing a headset arrives. The clerk points him over to Mercy and Aelwyn, and he introduces himself as Dave, the Manager. Mercy glances over at Aelwyn.]

I'm thinking it don't make sense to have this shirt at full price. I can see defects in it. You oughta come down or I'll... post online?

[This is how she's supposed to do it instead, right, Aelwyn?]

[As the man approaches, Aelwyn will mutter to Mercy as an aside.] While that's true, I would assume, those places are owned by the person at the front of the store. These ones it's more... if something's too expensive, people won't buy it, so the stores'll have to downgrade the price.

[Seeing Mercy look to her, Aelwyn smiles sweetly at the manager.]

Are you aware that your clothing – that you are charging full price for – is made with shoddy craftsmanship, sir? My dear friend here came here to shop, not be robbed, and we could tell almost immediately that you were overpricing this item by at least eighty percent. [That's right, yeah? Who knows.

She shoots a subtle wink at Mercy.]

I don't want to make this harder than it needs to be, but I am quite intertwined with certain people in the fashion community who have the platform to make such an egregious display of waste and greed public. Either improve your tailoring or lower your prices, and there won't be any need for that would there?

[You asked for haggling, Aelwyn heard blackmail.]

[Dave looks momentarily taken aback before he turns his attention to the shirt Mercy is holding, asking to see it.]

It's the seams here, sir. And you see the stitching on that button at the back? You got loose threads needing trimming. All the other ones on the rack looked like they had almost the exact same problems. It's a right shame you're getting sold shoddy wares from your suppliers, but it ain't right passing that on.

[He looks... frustrated as he hems and haws and eventually offers a 30% discount.]

Huh... [Now it's Mercy's turn to wink at Aelwyn. She thinks she understands this part, at least. Now they're getting to the haggling!] That's a funny way to pronounce 80? You ever heard it that way?

[She shoots a smirk back at Mercy in response. Oh, she likes this girl.]

Might be some kind of regional slang...? Because I believe I was very clear.

[Aelwyn leans forward shooting Dave a somewhat sinister smile.] We're not being unreasonable here. I'm sure it wasn't your decision to overprice these goods, but the fact is, everyone here knows now that this shop is scamming them. Whether they plan on making something out of it, that's their choice. But can you imagine the amount of people who will come in here demanding the same thing if we were to make this entire thing a city-wide story. Eighty percent, David, and we'll be out of your hair. We can pretend this all never happened.

Deal?

[Well, she's been in this world for all of a week and she's already commited a worse crime than mass murder: making life harder for retail workers. The difference is she absolutely knows that's what she's doing, as opposed to Mercy, who still doesn't seem to get it much.]

[Dave huffs and puffs as Mercy smiles confidently at him. She and this girl make a half-decent team when it comes to haggling, don't they? Aelwyn seems to know more about the words to choose because the man eventually tries to offer a 50% discount.]

Hmm... 70% was it? [The man just... gives up at that point. Mercy can see the fight go out of him, the resignation creep in and that doesn't seem right. It's no the playful sort of resigned she's used to seeing from Faolin or even the mild irritation she's seen on Tawnie when dealing with a particularly skilled haggler at the Abbey. It seems to be exhaustion, defeat. Her brows furrow as the man repeats '70%' while staring into the middle distance.

Dave gestures them to another till and rings the shirt up, applying a 70% discount. Some of the wind has gone out of Mercy's sails, though. This seems... less right somehow. Still, she keeps her smile, and glances over at Aelwyn to make sure it's all right.]

That weren't so hard now. You can be sure, we'll keep this to ourselves, sir. But you make sure your suppliers been told they need to shape up. We might be back sometime for something else. [Dave's expression is blank as he offers that they have a BOGO on shoes next week... whatever that is. They step away from the counter with her purchase in a shiny white bag.]

He don't seem like he was enjoying that much. [The words are muttered to Aelwyn as they step away.] You don't think we drove too hard a bargain, right?

[The difference here is that Aelwyn knows full well that she's being an asshole, and entered the situation in a futile attempt to be the voice of reason before she decided to give up and make people miserable instead. Cruelty is what comes naturally to her, anyway, why pretend to be a better person when you can get the same result by kicking someone while they're down.]

Thank you ever so much for your cooperation. [She gives him a small smirk, looks at the clerk and blows her a kiss. Sorry for betraying you, lady, it was just the girlboss thing to do.

Then she and Mercy are walking away and Mercy asks her that question and Aelwyn can't help but be surprised.] People don't tend to enjoy losing. Why? Feeling guilty?

No... I mean... maybe a little? I was expecting him to put up more of a fight. Weren't you? That ain't someone who takes pride in his business or wares. But he's got this whole big shop. He should be proud and ready to haggle with what he's managed to build up.

[She frowns slightly.]

We can use the internet to say good things about his service, too, can't we?

[Maybe that will help to ease her guilt.]

This just felt too easy. Maybe we're too good together. You're real clever with your words, miss.

[Ah. New to late-stage capitalism? Okay.] Well, if you'll remember, I did try to tell you, you know. He's not used to haggling because that's not really how modern society functions, at least not with like, clothing stores or whatever. You can do that kind of thing in a marketplace probably? But not so much in branded stores like that.

I think he's just trying to make ends meet and survive. There's few children who would put their hands up and say they want to run a clothing store where they buy cheap clothing from cheap suppliers and sell it on. I doubt he was even the owner at the head of the chain, because if he was he'd be a bit less exhausted and a bit more frightened, I imagine. You'll find that most people are so exhausted by their miserable boring lives that they'll take any shortcut to see whatever monotonous task is in their way brought to a swift close. [Just look at her. Her shortcut was to become evil and destroy her life to escape that boredom and she turned out... well, like this.]

But yes, we can do that if you want. Or we can choose a target that's a little less easy next time. [She's only a little hurt.] Regardless, I'll take that as a compliment, I suppose.

Oh, I didn't mean to- No. No, you were brilliant! I mean it kindly when I say you're clever with words. I got my talents some places, and I can do a riddle now and again, but you seemed like you knew what you were talking about and doing. I'm right impressed! Just... I don't want Mr. Dave going home sad.

Why's he working a trade that makes him miserable? Seems like they got plenty of other things he could be doing. If he's been apprenticed for selling, there are other things to sell.

Ah! Thank you, I try my best. Haggling isn't something I've had any practice or use for, but it is fun to engage in that kind of thing from time to time. I think you did quite well for a newcomer to this type of society. It takes a lot of getting used to, believe me.

I think... ultimately he probably doesn't feel like he has much of a choice? That's my guess, anyway. I don't know his life's story, or even this world's, I just know that often we are forced into roles we don't necessarily want and told that that's our lot in life. [She shrugs.] But he might enjoy his work, and I could be completely wrong and speaking from the position of someone with a lot of wealth. Regardless I don't think we ruined his day due to one possibly unpleasant interaction. If he goes home miserable, I imagine it'll be for reasons outside of our control.

[That part she does genuinely believe. Nobody who works retail is happy, she's gone to retail stores with her father and watched him make the workers more miserable than should be humanly possible. It's just one stick on a pyre, not a match.

Or maybe she's just telling herself that. Like all the other small cruelties she's slipped in over the years.]

Hmm... it must be hard for you being here, then? I ain't used to having much, but if you're a fancy lady, they ain't gonna have the things you're used to. You need any help with figuring out your chores at home, you let me know. My Order's meant to be one for service to good folk in need. I'm still learning the healing arts, and if you don't got no need of that, expect I can do something else.

I wanna make sure I thank you proper-like for helping me out there, miss.

[Her eyes widen in surprise, genuinely taken aback.

...the idea of someone pointing out that something – anything could even potentially be hard for her or could take an emotional toll on her... It's not inaccurate to say that she's fairly sure nobody has ever actually said that to her. Even if she's entirely wrong about this being harder for her, it's... weirdly touching? But she is the lucky one. Or she was for all of her life. How difficult could it even be to be stuffed full of praise and reward for every little thing she did and know that it'll never be taken away from her so long as she watches her baby sister starve.

Good folk... what a joke.]

...I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it's harder for me to not be as privileged as I was a year and a half ago. It's not like we're living like beggars here. Honestly, I'm just eager to get away from... all that. You know how families are I'm sure. [Hopefully, because she's not elaborating.]

And really, um, it was nothing. No debt of gratitude necessary. [There's a beat of silence as her practicality catches up to her imposter syndrome.] Although, honestly I might take you up on that chores offer. I'm used to using magic, it's a pain in the ass living without it.

Edited 2021-08-06 06:53 (UTC)

Hah... I got a big brother. I know how they can be.

[Mercy's smile turns wry. She feels an ache in her heart, missing her kin, but it's better this way. If she's meant to be turning away from Brother Earth and toward the Spring Tide, distance is the easiest way to avoid falling into old habits.]

And I can only imagine for folk who been stripped outta their magic. My healing don't seem harmed none by it, but the Brothers and Sisters at the temple tell me plants have got their own magic to them.

What sort of spelling did you leave behind?

Younger sister on my end. She hates my guts. [Or she did. Should. Whatever. That bridge was extended for a version of herself that she killed and it was shattered the moment Aelwyn was fixed.

She turns an eye toward her, furrowing her brow and smiling slightly.]

You call it spelling? That's cute.

I'm a wizard. The prodigy of Hudol, my school. Magic is limitless for a wizard so long as she keeps studying. But the convenient part was that I didn't really have to learn how to cook or clean because I could just summon all of that or wave a hand and it would all be clean.

[She frowns, her lips tightening.] Naturally, it's all still available but it feeds these nightmare demons or whatever they're called.

[Privately, Mercy thinks that little sisters say things they don't always mean. She doesn't know Aelwyn or her sister well enough to judge it, though.]

The Entities. [Mercy nods as they step out of the store and into the bright, late-morning sunshine.] What do you make of them? We got gods where I'm from and some of them are meaner than others. But they ain't just... all bad. Seems like folk here got the rotten end of the stick on that count.

[Hard to misread attempted sorocide, or the way Adaine took delight in her humiliation and pain when she first lost her spot.

Not that Aelwyn can really blame her. It just makes the later kindness and sympathy all the more perplexing.]

I don't really put much stock in the divine. But anything with that amount of power is at least inclined to be an insufferable cock, if not evil.

Do you think they've been misrepresented? [A bit of a naive prospect, but it's not impossible.]

I couldn't rightly say. Where I'm from, there are some folk who think the god me and mine worship is evil. [A pause.] Used to worship. They hear he's a god for death, though, and get all sorts of fool notions into their heads about what that means without letting a body explain. They set their minds one way, and that's it.

It don't matter we ain't running around murdering folk in his name like some might do for their gods. It's enough for them to know he's something they're scared of, and they put up their hackles.

Gods of Death get a bad wrap, to be honest. Most of the time, they're just presiding over a natural process.

[She frowns, scratching her chin.]

...It's not like a god needs to be evil for their flock to commit attrocities in it's name. I knew a pathetic old man who believed that anyone who worshiped his corn god was good, and anyone who didn't follow or believe in said god was evil, and deserved to burn in hell. So he hand-picked stupid teenage boys, indocrinated them and set them upon the world to murder anyone that didn't fit that limited criteria.

Last I heard, they're all burning in the nine hells together.

[That response has Mercy nodding a little. Good. Aelwyn gets it. So many people don't when she's tried to explain to them in the abbey.]

That's an unfortunate fate, but I expect it's the kind of thing some folk earn themselves. I ain't the kind to judge on most things, but... but murder in the name of your god don't sit right. Seen too much of that from some. Fanatics...

[She glances around surreptitiously, even though it's sort of pointless in a place like this. It's not home. It's not the abbey. No one's going to come yell at her for having a loose tongue. Aelwyn seems like someone she can trust.]

The last abbot at the abbey where I grew up weren't a good man, he was just using the Blind Mother's good name for his own ends. Had folk following him on it, too, thinking he spoke for her. We got a better abbot at Evergreen now. Better, anyway. He don't much like me, though. It's part of why I decided to leave and take up schooling at another temple.

[Mini-Mingle] A Shopping Trip

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congrats mercy you very accidentally pushed one of her trauma buttons

she's here to blunder into these things

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