Blackwood Grove, Fandom to Baltimore's Anchor Market, Monday Afternoon

[witchoftheflesh]

Okay, so...Adrian's Market jaunt had been pushed back a few days. Mostly because Pam, Rey, and Lydia had all told him that they were coming along with him. Adrian had tried - briefly, and not well - to point out why that was a terrible and dangerous idea, but all of his arguments against had been taken as arguments for and eventually Adrian had bowed to the inevitable and given in.

But they couldn't just go in. They needed a plan and, even more importantly, they needed disguises.

So first, a meeting here to figure out their story and get them all into the proper disguises, and then it was off to the Market.

If he were going anywhere that wasn't crawling with warlocks, Gilgamesh's enforcers, and had a slave pit to boot, Adrian would almost be excited. Sadly, that was exactly what each Market was like and so he was filled with dread instead.

"Do you think that they'll be more willing to listen to reason and stay here today?" he asked Boston.

The cat didn't even deign to reply, just opened one baleful eye long enough to look at him and then closed it again to nap.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Me neither."

[For the aforementioned ladies please!]

Comments

[mustbeawitch]

Lydia wasn't looking at any of that, since if she was a regular shopper here she wouldn't be all that interested and she didn't have time to start a slave revolt tonight besides. "I suppose we shall address the minerals," she said, managing to make 'minerals' sound like the most boring thing on the planet, because they were. She scanned the list one more time and headed for the first person with boring rocks and rock derivatives to sell her.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was paying attention, thanks to watching for threats, empathy powers she unfortunately didn't want to switch off while watching for threats, and just never having seen anything like this before.

Unsurprisingly, she didn't love it.

And since she was probably no help with either minerals or plants, she did give Adrian one of those 'you okay?' eyebrow raises.

[joan_of_bark]

"Drugged by whom?" Pam asked Adrian. "I doubt your relatives fed or watered them. Besides, the lamia has a habit of making people feel quite... connected... to everything else..."

She looked down at the list in her hands. A flick of her eyes, up at the slave pens.

"Though if you're really worried, I can always make sure it's more permanent."

She would not have a problem with that, but she knew Adrian would.

[witchoftheflesh]

"Let's keep the fatalities to a minimum," Adrian said immediately. "You know, what with being in enemy territory and everything." He pointed up to the chain. "That leads directly to Heaven, and Gilgamesh can have legions of soldiers here in seconds."

He gave Rey a small smile. 'Okay' was kind of a stretch, but...even as stressed as he was, this was better than being by himself.

"Let's see what Lydia's got?" Already the vendor was looking nervous.

[mustbeawitch]

Lydia had slapped her list down on the table at a stall selling boring rocks and such and asked the shopkeeper, "What can you provide me off this list? Quickly, now, I haven't all day. There are far more interesting parts of this market, you know."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was surprised at that, and then remembered they were supposed to be in character and turned away from the shopkeeper to murnur, "Oh she's better at this than me."

Things that were not strong suits: shopping and acting.

[joan_of_bark]

"You don't have to play a clone of her," Pam said, softer. "Just project confidence in the way that seems most natural to you."

Her eyes dipped back down at her own list, making mental notes.

[witchoftheflesh]

"She's better at this than me, too," Adrian said with a slightly pained chuckle. "She's not wrong, I definitely wouldn't have tried to haggle."

[mustbeawitch]

"Are you joking?" Lydia was asking the poor shopkeeper. "It's not worth half that!" Lydia hadn't the faintest idea whether it was or wasn't. Her brand of witchcraft didn't make much use of reagents and such. It would have been nice if Boston could have told her if the powder in question was of the fine quality the shopkeeper said it was, but she was going on as if he'd told her it was trash that would need to be filtered before being suitable for use. "I'll pay handwavey number and not a penny more."

And now they were rapidly firing numbers back and forth at each other and arguing about the quality or lack thereof of the goods on offer until Lydia decided this had gone on long enough and declared, "Fine. That's acceptable. Wrap it up and give it to him," with a desultory gesture at Adrian. Obviously Lydia wasn't here to carry the packages. "He'll handle payment."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey, who it could not be stated enough, was not good at this, really tried right here, adding a haughty "so there" type of nod to back her up.

Shut up, okay, she was helping.

[joan_of_bark]

Pam let out a soft huff. "Plants over there, right?" she checked, looking past Lydia and Rey to the indicated spots. "I'll be back in a moment."

And she slipped away, hips swaying.

[witchoftheflesh]

Adrian hurried over to Lydia and took out his money; gold, since he didn't have quintessence, and most of the Market didn't particularly care about American currency. "Oh, ah, yes," he said. "I'll carry that..."

Honestly, he should have worn his regular clothing and just been the ladies' porter or something. A mental note for next time. Perfect disguise, considering the merchant hadn't even looked at him, instead glaring at Lydia in a mix of hostility, grudging respect, and a little fear.

"Wait, you got that much for--" Nope! Right! Shutting up! Let Lydia work her magic. (He was pretty sure the merchant was the one bleeding for it though.)

[mustbeawitch]

Lydia was lightly fanning herself with her portion of the list and looking rather smug.

"Next time will you please listen to me when I tell you I know what I am doing? We still need a few things, by the by, but I believe that chap over there may be able to provide." And by then hopefully Dr. Isley would have completed her mission and security would still not have noticed them. Lydia hoped.

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't think we doubted you," Rey said with a glance around. "There's just a lot going on."

Things that she was going to keep worrying about until they left.

[joan_of_bark]

Pam's pheromone control was not what it had been in the days before she'd been depowered. Not remotely. She doubted she could swindle free herbs and plants out of the... woman? Man?

Ah. Man. Behind the counter.

"Hello," she greeted.

His eyes were immediately on her.

Good, she thought, as she leaned over. I've still got it.

"I'm looking for..."