Event | Landfall | Bresilyk | Markutte

[ironwood]

Characters: Any and all!
Date: December 3 - 11, 2013
Location: Markutte, Bresilyk (landfall)
Situation: Tu Vishan makes landfall at the winterbound republic of Bresilyk!
Warnings/Rating: Please include warnings in comment subject lines

OOC Post | Approved Items | Special Gifts
Aihsohlow | Phorezton | Markutte | Countryside

The commerce town of the tried. Temperatures within the dome are kept at a lofty 18C (62F) year round and the population of Markutte dresses less in furs and more in linens obtained through trade. Their long hair is frequently shorn short in the current fashion and they are, on the whole, less hardy than their kin in Phorezton and Aihsohlow, but even more friendly as they are currently in the throes of the Harvest Haul, a festival that concludes their rare growing seasons and agricultural bounties.

Trade. That's the foundation of Markutte and there are three town squares that are home to transient stalls and merchandise from the country and all surviving areas of Konryu. Many kedan have made their way here and occupy the occasional stall space, selling their wares and exchanging gifts with the citizens as they grasp the nature of the festival underway. Once again, visitors that make the trek here are expected to donate a gift that will be regifted at random, earning access and a stamp of their tin visa that resembles the oblong crystal coin used as currency in this realm.

Police are on the lookout for financial crimes here and will demand visas of any they suspect to be committed fraud, short-selling merchants, or thieving in any way, shape, or form. There are three vistas, one in each market square, upon which heralds stand and announce the crimes and punishments noted of the previous day. Minor theft is common and the punishment is a brand upon the criminal's neck; major theft results in a loss of a finger for each item stolen; fraud here is punishable by death, but only twice will there be an announcement of an execution during the landfall.

The auctions here are quite lively and characters can expect a minor bidding war to obtain their items, but each item is in pristine condition and provided to them wrapped within a thin set of furs as a thanks for their purchase.

Customs | Settlement | Auctions | Harvest Haul | Other

Comments

[everylittlegirl]

Luke? [Hayley can't help it. Annabeth is too easy to rile and the Californian knows too little about the demigod to be respectful about boundaries. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the easiest way to learn about someone is to rile them.]

[sophos]

[Something in her snaps a little with the name. Annabeth knows that Hayley knows Luke is a sore spot (Percy doesn't keep secrets), and it's not the first time the other girl's tried to push her buttons.]

[But between the sword being here and thinking of Damasen, with Tartarus still as fresh as it is in her head, the fact that Hayley brought up Luke again is something she just has absolutely no patience for right now. Her tone is harsh and curt, her expression darkening a bit in a glare.] Did you actually want something from me, or are you just trying to be a jerk again?

[everylittlegirl]

I was asking! [She defends quickly. Except they both know that's only half true. Annabeth is starting to see through Hayley's attempts and that means it's time to scale it back. She can't help it that the demigod is annoying, although she silently also respects the girl for actually standing up for herself and holding her own among all the guys.

Hayley sighs and discards the sarcasm from her tone. Take 2.] I'm sorry. I just- the sword looks really cool and I'm trying to.. get along with you, I guess? Obviously I'm not very good at it, but I didn't really have friends where I'm from and so it's not something I ever learned very well.

[She did have friends. Shallow friendships, mainly, but friends none the less. She knows how to make them, if she's trying. With Annabeth, though, it's harder because Hayley has no real reason to get along outside of trying to be better friends with the other demigods.]

[sophos]

You were asking to get a rise out of me. I don't understand your fascination with trying to piss me off, but I don't want to keep dealing with it.

[She doesn't exactly acknowledge the apology, but she does fall quiet in studying the other girl's face, body posture. She puts up walls, just like Annabeth herself does.] You already know Luke isn't - isn't - [she exhales.] a good conversation topic. [Understatement.]

[It's the irritation that lets her say what she does next. It's not like she's usually good with friends or people either. Hayley knows they were in Tartarus anyway.] I got the sword in hell. Luke had nothing to do with it.

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley managed not to roll her eyes at Annabeth's declaration, even holding her tongue about Luke. When the other girl finishes speaking, she stares for a moment, trying to calculate precisely what she should be saying.]

I don't get why he's such an issue. Is it because you miss him or you hate him? [In this interaction, Hayley fails at boundaries. Again.]

And that's.. cool, that you survived. It's genuinely impressive. Don't let anyone take that away from you.

[sophos]

[Annabeth scowls, because Luke might be more of her past than her present, but it - he - still hurts sometimes. And as Tartarus so happily reminded her, Annabeth still blames herself in ways for his death. It's all still too recent, that it's starting to feel like too much painful conversation right now.] Did it ever occur to you that maybe I know a little more about him than you do, that there are parts of my life I'm not willing to gossip about like some random TV show just because you're curious?

[The answer is probably both, really. She hates him and she misses him. Probably always will, with that pinch of guilt. Some of that flashes in her face, because she's too tired to keep it off.]

[She tugs the sword a little closer again.] I wasn't going to.

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley's eyes narrow in slightly demeaning skepticism.] Because stuck on the back of a turtle together fighting a giant war is totally the same as gossiping Jerry Springer style. I don't know why I never thought about it before. I mean, we're basically a TV show, right? You must be the star.

[As hard as she tries in a general sense, Hayley lacks the specific motivation to really get along with Annabeth when the girl is nothing but obnoxious most of the time.]

[sophos]

[Something almost like hurt flashes in her eyes, and Annabeth stiffens right after, her grip on the drakon bone sword slowly inching towards almost knuckle white. Anger replaces it.]

I watched him die. [...she spits that out with more vitriol than she means to (and it's a lot), and she doesn't quite realize what she's said until after the fact. So she hardens even more over it.] Please oh please forgive me if he's not something I like to talk about to kill time between fighting for my life and everyone else's here. [A beat, then she adds with the same level of spitfire:] But you'd be surprised what ends up constituting reality TV, because hey, gods have to get their entertainment somewhere, right?

[Annnnd she's about 800% percent done and ready to walk away at this point.]

[Also giant war, aha that's funny, thanks for reminding her about the war back home, too! :'D]

[everylittlegirl]

[Hayley cringes very slightly. She knows she went too far and Annabeth's anger isn't the kind she wants this time. It hurts her to feel it. Shallow anger is fun, but real hurt isn't something the girl strives for. While Annabeth yells, she's quiet. Then she waits another beat after the demigod is done to reply.]

I'm sorry. [She is, even if the words aren't entirely heartfelt.] I'll.. give you some space, okay?

[And then, slowly, she turns and begins to move away. Hayley allows plenty of time for Annabeth to reply if she wants to, or to stop her, but will otherwise walk away and leave the girl in peace.]

[sophos]

[None of it goes unnoticed - the cringing, the way the apology is actually something sort of genuine. But she doesn't say anything to stop Hayley from walking away. Annabeth can feel her anger still simmering, and she doesn't want to let it get worse with another lash out. It's more selfish than for Hayley's sake, because it already feels like too much; she doesn't want to add any more.]

[So she just gathers up her things, neatly but quickly, then stands up to head off herself, in the opposite direction.]