Jan 30 06:42:51 109 PA - A Quick Jaunt With a Merchant and Peddler
From Chronicles
Jan 30 06:42:51 109 PA.
CITY GATES
Fizzlesnoot is wandering outside the city, just past the tiny patch of merchants that have set up shop out here rather than inside the city. He scavenges along the edges of the road picking up small bits of debris, most being tossed aside soon after picking them up. A few bits of stone and wood get tucked away in his bag. He's easy to spot in the bright orange coat, though today the plastic bag over top of it all is not required for a change, though the cold has not allowed removal of the bright orange coat.
Gabriel emerges from points unknown, somewhere in the northwest. He's loaded down today with two very large military duffels, a heavy combat pack and metal briefcase. The weather doesn't look as if it's troubling him too much, with his hood pulled up to protect his head. The various merchants are ignored, and he makes good time along the pedestrian traffic. There's a hesitation... and he breaks off his drive south to move toward the bright orange Fizzlesnoot.
Fizzlesnoot is in the middle of inspecting a pile of trash dumped along the side of the road when Gabriel comes over, getting close enough to notice while he pokes through it with a long thin stick so not to get any nastiness on him. "Hello Gabriel. Loaded down today," noting the extra gear being carried by the man, "Off to work?"
"Sure am," Gabriel confirms the obvious with a smile. "Lose something in the trash?"
Fizzlesnoot chuckles as it is probably a sight watching him poke through trash, "No, not really. I'm looking for stuff to make some more trinkets and stuff with. It's amazing the things people throw out that I can use. Plastic, wood, metal, stone. It all comes in handy, and is just the perfect price. Free."
"Ah, I see," the human says, pausing but not entirely sure if he should drop his gear to talk, or continue on his way and not bother his friend. "Can you get things, cheap? Not just scavenged stuff, but genuine items?" Gabriel jerks to the side to avoid a man running out of the city. "How much're you charging for crucifixes these days?"
Fizzlesnoot perks up at the mention of crucifixs. "Funny you should ask about that. That's kind of part of why I am out scavenging. I can make a basic wooden cross for a few credits, but I was planning on engraving and carving them into something really nice to own. My hope is get fifty to a hundred credits for them, but that depends on the market. Right now the market is ok if you're buying supplies, I mean, there are some good deals out there, but nothing to write home about or anything. I would wait if you're planning on selling anything though. I'd wait a month before selling anything big."
Gabriel nods along, listening. "How about holy water in the form of a grenade? How much do you want for a simple, unadorned cross? I could make my own, I'm sure. But sometimes nature says that it wouldn't work the same." Then, "Can you get more standard gear?" A finger is waved into the pile at what may - or may not - be a half-broken and discarded pocket watch. "Might be something."
Fizzlesnoot looks down moving a bit of something that may have been food at one time, whatever it was, it's gross, but to his excitement, there is an interesting sparkle as the morning light glints off the slime that coats the cracked glass face. "Oooo, yeah. Good eye." Unafraid of the slime he snatches it up and wipes it off with a kerchief pulled from a pocket. "Well, if you're buying vampire killing stuff, I know a guy who has a tent inside the city. Sells all kinds of water weapons and stuff. They're also pretty cheap when it comes to weapons," inspecting and wiping off the broken watch as he talks.
"Better than standard rates?" Gabriel asks. "Because I really am short on cash. But what about the normal stuff. What if I wanted to find a fusion block on the cheap?" The man shrugs, and looks at his bags once more as rain starts to pound harder. "I could use three large fusion blocks, an extra crucifix, a half-dozen vials of grenade-type holy water vials, just to start with. I don't suppose you could get a discount?" He sounds hopeful, but his eyes say that he isn't expecting it to happen.
Fizzlesnoot thinks about his requests tucking the broken watch into a pocket on his coat, "Well, I will certainly come along and give it a try. I can't promise anything though, some people are just stubborn. If I can, being I know what all this is for, I would be willing to help acquire the needed items. I don't have much in the way of finances either, but hell, between the both of us, I suppose we could get everything on your shopping list."
Gabriel waggles a finger. Not an easy thing to do considering that most of the fingers are taken up holding handles. "No shopping list. Not one guy. Little pieces from everywhere, no one takes an interest in one man with a shopping cart. If you can't do it, I completely understand. It's tough to find things cheap around her, considering how the Black Market makes everything available at cost, more-or-less."
Fizzlesnoot smiles with a nod to his concerns, "Oh, that’s easy enough. There are plenty of places I've seen taking advantage of the anti-vampire craze going on right now. People are scared out here knowing there is a club that is very open about all that. Let's go shopping then." Tossing the thin stick into the pile of trash now that its purpose is fulfilled. "I think the blocks you're going to have to check out at the big weapon places. That kind of thing is harder to find out in the street. The rest, no problem."
"Sounds good," the old soldier says with a hopeful tone. Perhaps unsure as if he's supposed to be following the short D-Bee somewhere or not. "I wouldn't really call it a 'craze' though. A 'craze' would be if there were no real threat, but people were buying up anyway. Here, where everyone knows there's a legitimate threat?" Gabriel offers the best shrug he can, considering the weight in his hands. "It's just common sense. Anyway, I need things that I can use at range. Throw, shoot, whatever. I'd never survive in hand-to-hand combat with a vampire. The blocks... are a special purpose."
Fizzlesnoot leads the way towards the small market here outside the city, it ain't much, but it's close. "While we're here, we should have a look-see out here. Might find those blocks you want. Have you talked to any of your other mercenary friends about any of this? Jaxain seemed to be all interested in this stuff. He might have some more money to get what's needed."
"Actually, I haven't seen Jaxain in quite a while, and I don't know why he'd be interested in fusion blocks. As far as mercenary friends? I really don't have any. I don't really fit in with that whole crowd," he smirks. Gabriel asks quietly, "Are you saying that Jaxain has been through here and already purchased a few blocks? Because if he has, I won't need to buy any myself."
Fizzlesnoot continues waddling past a few of the makeshift booths and tents of sales people trying to peddle things like rats on a stick or other disgusting delicacies of the poor entering the city. "No, I haven't seen him in quite awhile either actually. But I do remember talking to him about it quite a way back. I hope nothing bad has happened to him. I was just thinking he might have a few credits to throw into the pot. We'll find what your looking for, just the price might not be so right."
Gabriel nods, following his temporary personal merchant guide, but looking like his guide's Sherpa. "Yeah, I barely have anything left to sell. I hope it's worth it. I could really use Jaxain, if I could ever find him." There's a chuckle as they pass one of the rat-kabob stands. "Hey! I love that stuff. I've eaten just about everything that flies, walks, swims or crawls, and rat is one of the better meals. Even raw." He continues on, waiting for instruction - and sounding like he really did what he just says that he's done.
Fizzlesnoot looks back up to the man with a very agreeing smile, "Oh yeah, quite a tasty treat. Easier to catch too." The little D-bee leads Gabriel between two tents, giving a friendly smile and tip of his hat to the peddlers in either tent, bringing the duo to a small pickup truck where an unkempt heavy man sits on the tailgate. "Here, this guy has some stuff I think." As the odd couple approaches the rough looking fat man stands spitting to the side of his truck, the tar spat staining the ground.
Spitting people are nothing new to a man of Gabriel's age and occupation. "Hello," is a polite offering. Sometimes the strangest looking people are the ones with the best stuff. "My friend says that you peddle some decent goods at decent prices. Can you tell me what you might have on hand?"
The wide man pops open the side of the cap covering the bed of his pickup, "Take a look if ya like." Stepping aside but remaining close, maybe a bit too close being he hasn't showered since Lincoln was in office by the aroma.
Fizz sets his bag down and uses the tire and grabbing onto the side of the truck to lift himself up awkwardly to see inside, the truck lilting to the side his weight is on. He's a heavy little guy for being only four feet tall.
Inside is an assortment of odds and ends scattered about somewhat organized in boxes that are within easy reach to search through. "Anything particular yall lookin fer?"
"Thanks," Gabriel says to the man with a nod. He follows Fizzlesnoot over to the truck and starts to look - not touch, but look. "Right now? Balloons or glass vials thin enough that they'd break open fairly readily. A few gallons of holy water, if you have it on hand. If you have any specialties - any kind - I'd be interested." He can't completely see as his D-Bee companion is partially blocking his view.
Most of the stuff is just plain junk, but there is a box of some usable electronics like radios and a scanner or two. All used of course. Behind the box is an interesting item, looks like a shotgun at first glance, but it is quickly noticed that it is not a normal shotgun, there's a plastic tube connected to it just under the stock, it's also comprised of some sort of ceramic material. Where the other end of the tube is, who knows, somewhere under the pile of junk maybe.
Fizz rummages awkwardly through a box with one hand, in a way, disrupting whatever organization this guy had in here, as he removes things from one box to place in the one next to it to be sure nothing is missed. The overweight peddler keeping a close eye on the short little D-bee. The unshy D-bee pulling out a small battery powered hand-held spotlight from the bottom of a box and putting it into Gabe's chest, well more the gut than chest, still rummaging, "Here, hold this." He directs to Gabe, while, "How much you looking for the light?" is directed towards the merchant. "Mind if I climb inside, this is really awkward." The man quickly answering, "No. What you willin to trade?"
Finally, Gabriel needs to relinquish his bags to the ground, in order to hold the spotlight for his friend. Taking a shot in the dark about what it might be intended for, he offers, "I already have two lamps that will be integral. I don't need a special spotlight, Fizzlesnoot. I've got shadows covered, though I guess there's room for a miner's light. Not going to strap something to my chest." He leans in slightly, pushing things aside - very neatly, an obvious difference between customers. The plastic tube really doesn't garner any interest. "Ah.. do you not have the glass and balloons, or am I just missing them?"
The peddler moves around to the other side of the truck, waving Gabriel to follow. Opening the other side of the cap for him to look in, "An don' let the creepy guy look through this side, I don't want him breakin nuthin. This is my breakables." The boxes containing an assortment of differing vials and bottles that could potentially be breakable grenades. "You looking for stuff for vampires?" he asks curiously of Gabriel.
Fizz takes some offense to what the man says about him, well not really, with a good-natured objection, "Hey! I haven't broken anything yet. I'll pay for it if I break it." Then answering Gabe, "Thought it could be handy for the shadow of a cross thing, big spotlight, makes big cross. I hear they don't like that kinda stuff. If you got it covered though."
The peddler gets a smile, "Got it, and.. not going after vampires, but I'm just really thinking that these days I want to be ready to protect myself. Techno-wizardy's just too expensive, so I thought to myself, 'Hey, balloons, vials and water are good.' Already got silver bullets and all. You have anything like a miner's lamp that might cast a little shadow?" Gabriel then looks across to where Fizzlesnoot is making a mess of things. "Yeah, I know. But like I said, I'm just not sure where I'd plug it on my body. Chest's going to be full, and I don't want to take up my hands with it." Going over the vials again, he asks, "Okay. Well, how much do you want for some balloons, some vials and holy water?" He makes a glance at his watch, which involves lifting up the sleeves of his greatcoat and inner jacket.
The peddler nods and moves in to rummage through a box that Fizz has completely filled with other items that were in the other box next to it. "Here, lemme in there." Talking to Fizz and unshy about giving the little guy a slight bump to knock him off the side of his truck, not so much that he falls or anything. The little guy is easily able to stay on his feet. From inside the box he pulls out a small light attached to an elastic headband, "This whatcha lookin fer?"
"Yeah. Put something across it to make a cross, and you got a see-and-shoot weapon. Not bad." Gabriel is starting to move away, asking, "How much do you want for it?" Apparently he's either given up on waiting for prices on the other goods, or he just doesn't have time to wait.
The peddler flips it back and forth in his hand a bit, "I dunno, ten credits sound good to you? Fer twenty, I'll throw in some rubber balloons and a couple of those old bottles there."
Fizz counteroffers. "I'll trade ya some syringes for em, brand new and unused disposable. How's that sound?"
Gabriel looks at the lamp. "Ten credits, if it works, sure. Or even if it works but needs a battery. For twenty, the rest sounds fair, sure." He looks to Fizzlesnoot, waiting to see what happens. Though he does comment, "I do need to be on my way though, so I don't have much time to barter."
Fizzlesnoot doesn't have the chance to say anything more, credits speak louder than trade to this guy, "Done. Pick out a couple a bottles you want." The little D-bee sighs, "No problem, I'll keep an eye out for any other good deals to be had."
"Sorry to take the wind out of your sails, Fizzlesnoot, but I gotta be going," Gabriel says apologetically. He takes a bag of balloons and a half-dozen thin-walled bottles from out of the merchant's baskets. The miner's lamp is examined, as it seems to be in working order, he shovels over twenty credits. "Thanks, friend. I'll be back when I have some more time." A few short steps take him to his bags, which are promptly lifted. A small chuckle precedes his departure. "Take care, Fizzlesnoot. Good luck with the bargaining - try not to crawl all over his stuff." Then with a wink and a nod, just like Santa, he's quickly gone.
