Doing business (Kale & open)

[Jack Lexington]

JACK LEXINGTON

If I said that the previous night had been rough it would be a total understatement. This morning I could barely roll out of bed thanks to a guy whose name I didn't get before he decided to punch me and get us both involved into a large pub brawl that ended in the peace keepers breaking it up.

Lazily I open the one eye that still opens all the way and stare up at the spider webs on the ceiling. The other is swollen shut from one well placed hit. For a moment I watch a loney, tiny spider dangle from it before I make an attempt to roll out of bed.
"Damnit." I curse under my breath when my bare feet touch the cold wooden floor boards. I'm hurting all over. But today is not a good day to stay in bed because I have to go and deliver all those horses and cows that we brought over to district 11 from our home.

"Time to go." Sam reminds me when he knocks loudly for the third time now.
"I know. I'm coming." I holler back at him and get up.
The picture that greets me in the mirror is a disgrace and once more reminds me why I should have gone straight back to bed. Faith will hate me for what I've done and my mother will never let me hear the end of it.

With my jacket slung across my shoulder I step out of the bar/bed and breakfast and blink against the bright sunshine. "Today will be a good day." i tell myself.

Half an hour later Sam and I arrive at the local auction hall and put the horses into the animals in area in the back. Then we go and hand in the paper work, register and have them all weighed and measured. Then we sit and wait.
I earn a few odd glances from Sam but I'm not in the mood to explain myself.

Slowly a crowd fills the bleachers and one guy in particular catches my eye. He looks incredibly familiar.

[Tom Hiddelston...jk it's kale.]

Devon Creighton-

It had been hard for Dev. He was growing up now and had to make more decisions on his own. He remembered seeing his brother once, and that was not the best of circumstances. He tried to get that out of his mind. He wanted to focus on his task at hand. He heard about something happening and knew he wanted to be involved.

He headed toward center of the town, lazily at first but increasing his stride as he got closer. When he finally got to the square h saw it was a auction. It was a new thing for him, but at same time he grasped the idea of it. He loved the idea of people betting on things and the increase of it was superb. He saw the place filling up and attempted to blend in with the crowd. But at the same time he knew he would never blend in, he always stuck out like a sore thumb.

He looked at the guys in charge, that's when he noticed him. It didn't hit him right then and there. Dev stared at him for a second thinking to himself. He knew he knew him from somewhere and his mind raced to think of it.
(ooc it late, i tired, i suck at dev right now.... if you want me to add me I can, just wanted to give you something.)

[Jack Lexington]

It takes me quite long to figure out where I've seen him before and all the while my gaze is fixed on the young guy across the warehouse that now serves as auction hall. People are getting in my view but then it finally hits me. He looks just like my friend Devroux. For a moment my mind starts racing: Devroux. I haven't seen him for a few months now. Is he okay? Did he find his son Colton? Did the authorities get him? But most of all...could this be a relative?
I wreck my brain to figure out whether he ever told me about a brother....or could this be his son? But the kid is way too old to be his son.

Suddenly the crowd falls silent giving away the arrival of the major of this little town that I don't even know the name of. He's old and grey and is probably the only one in this district with a round belly.

I keep to the back today. Not only because the auction itself is not my business but also because I look pretty pathetic. Can't walk straight and my right eye is swollen shut and has changed to a deep shade of purple. That's not how I want people to see me like. So i draw my stetson deeper into my eyes but decide to make my way over to the guy who sparked my interest.

I push through the crowd to reach him but loose sight of him for a moment.

[solo]

E56717 B33500 810300 4F0000

Gonna kick off my shoes and run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet 
Goin' back to the well, gonna visit old friends
Where the blacktop ends

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There's a quiet jingle in my pocket today, where there isn't usually. A few coins clicking softly together, reminding me that they are there. My boots don't make any sound on the cobblestone streets, my steps muffled against the concrete. I braided my hair today, right down
My back, just to my waist. It's almost warm enough to go without a jacket, but not yet. Mum almost had to wrestle me into one today. I let my hands rest in my pockets, rubbing the coins together between my fingers.

I turn a corner, and the town square lies in front of me, people and markets and stalls creating one crazy scene. Smoke rises from chimneys, and about a hundred smells fill the air. Sweet fruit, freshly-baked bread, smoked meat, and some I can't even name. People are shouting, bargaining and chatting at every corner. Children run in between legs and feet, chasing after each other and playing with a few toys. The only thing that's not exactly interesting is the color: everyone is in browns and blacks and grays and blues, unable to afford anything else. The Peacekeepers stand out in their shiny white uniforms, each one stationed at a street leaving the square.

I make my way through the crowd, ducking and weaving around people, careful not to get in anyone's way. I'm heading towards the butcher's, a tiny stall in one corner of the square. There's a long table and a stove out in the open, smoke billowing out of the top. The butcher is bent over, eyeing the meat that's probably cooking inside, his big fingers gripping the handle of the door. 

Seeing as he's busy, I let my eyes wander over the various meats on the table: ham, chicken, pork, beef, bacon, steak, anything you could imagine. But I can't afford much of it. I look up to see the man shutting the door and pulling himself up, brushing his greasy fingers on his blackened apron.

"Can I get ten slices of ham?" I ask with a smile, gesturing towards the meat. He nods and cuts up the pieces for me, lays them on a square of brown paper, and wraps them up with steady hands. I toss the money onto the table, and he brushes it into his hand. With a nod of thanks, I take the small package and turn on my heel, heading back into the hustle and bustle.

I have some extra money, but I don't want to spend it just yet. It's not every day I get to go to the market, and I'd like to do some looking around.

The first think that catches my eyes is a nearby pen, full of about half a dozen chickens. There's what looks to be a small corral next to it, with a couple horses inside. I raise my eyebrows in surprise, and my own curiosity forces me to head that way. As I get closer, I can see a platform next to the pen, and a couple sits where people are waiting. With a glance at the sign on the pen, I figure it out. 

It's an auction. The sign reads:

Bidding starts at 2:30 PM

Nothing else. Of course, I don't have enough money to take part in the bidding, but I'm still interested in the livestock. Soon I'm right next to the corral, elbows on the fence, chin resting in my hands.

I click my tongue softly against the roof of my mouth, wondering if I can get the horse's attention. Sure enough, one of the smaller ones slowly turns and comes toward me. He's completely black, but his nose his chestnut brown. I hold out my hand and let him smell it, his breath warming my fingertips. Cautiously, I move my hand up to his nose and let it rest there, then start giving him a couple of strokes.

As I do, I turn my head to look at the gathering crowd. One boy catches my attention: he's about my age, but that's not why I'm interested. He's got several bruises, and one of his eyes are swollen shut. My curiosity kicks in again, and I watch him, my hand still petting the horse.

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[Sunrise Rainier D2 // [Thundy]]

Jack, please don't post OOC comments in an IC thread unless they're accompanied by an actual post.

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[Jack Lexington]

Just when I'm about to push my way through to the guy who looks just like my friend I more or less run into a girl. This place is so crowded with people eager to see the only thing that happened her in months that it's almost impossible not to bump into anybody. Out of all the people here I much prefer this blonde girl in her twenties to all the sweaty middle aged farmers with their unshaved chins and yellow teeth. District 11 is definetly poorer than my home of ten.

Her big eyes are mustering me, which makes me think she's already picked up on the fact that I'm not from here. Or is it the black eye and swollen jaw that caught her eye? A little embarassed I mutter an apology. "Sorry bout that, mam." At least I can show some manners if I already look like a hillbilly.

She's standing close to the horses that are waiting their turn to be auctioned.
The first auction is starting and people are eagerly raising their hands as long as the prices are very low but as soon as a decent price is reached most people fall quiet.
The girl has her hand on one of the mares so I whisper. "Don't take this one. That paint over there is a really good buy. She's good for breeding."

[solo]

E56717 B33500 810300 4F0000

Gonna kick off my shoes and run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet 
Goin' back to the well, gonna visit old friends
Where the blacktop ends

[/i][/size][/font][/right]

As I watch him, he seems to have spotted something, or someone, that's caught his interest. He begins making his way through the crowd, and for a couple seconds, I take my eyes off him and look back at the horse, clicking my tongue again. It paws the ground with a hoof, as if impatient to get away from all the people. I grin,  amused by his actions.

Suddenly, someone else has run into me, knocking me off the fence. I land on my feet, but I'm a bit surprised, and it takes me a while to see who it was. The boy I was watching only seconds ago. He looks worse up close, but I try to ignore the fact. You can't judge people by their looks, I'm a perfect example of that.

"Sorry about that, mam." He mumbles, apparently embarrassed since he's not making eye contact. I've never been called mam before, so this is a first. "Don't worry 'bout it." I say with a smile. "And don't go 'round callin' me mam, Caritta's my name."

He glances up, and spots the horse near the fence, then says in a hushed voice, "Don't take this one. That paint over there is a really good buy. She's good for breeding." Looking up, I can see the one he's pointed out, and nod acknowledgment.

"You don't have to worry 'bout me buyin' anything." I say. "I'm just here to see the horses, that's all. I couldn't ever afford one. She probably costs the same as it would take to feed my family for a year."

[Jack Lexington]

I'm too close to her to be comfortable and the pushing and shoving of the crowd moves us like the waves of the ocean. I can feel not only her eyes but also her breath on my mistreated skin. To anybody out here including this young woman I must look like your average hooligan. Nobody would believe that I hardly ever get into a fight, so I shove my fists into my pockets before I briefly meet the gaze of her big eyes.
"Sorry bout that. No mam then."
For a very brief moment I offer her a smile and say. "Jack."

She clerifies that she's not here to buy but just to watch the horses, which is understandable.
"Yeah, she'll cost a pretty penny. 600 is my guess but let's see what the buyer will oay."
I turn my head to watch the current auction and push the brim of my hat up a little so I can actually see something.
"It's the big event here, isn't it?" I wonder still keeping my voice low.

[solo]

E56717 B33500 810300 4F0000

Gonna kick off my shoes and run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet 
Goin' back to the well, gonna visit old friends
Where the blacktop ends

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He apologizes and agrees to call me by my name, but he still seems a little too respectful for my liking. Of course, I don't like being disrespected, no one does, but I don't want people going around as if I've got a ton of authority, because I don't. I probably have the least say in a lot of things here.

His name his Jack. I roll the name around in my mind, testing it, getting a good feel for it. I decide I like it. Sweet and simple, easy to remember, possibly the exact opposite of mine.

"Yeah, she'll cost a pretty penny. Six hundred is my guess but let's see what the buyer will say." He says, referring back to the paint. I nod in agreement, then turn myself around and hop onto the fence, so I'm sitting on the top and my feet are resting on the plank just below.

"It's the big event here, isn't it?" He says, keeping a hushed voice that I still don't understand. Is he nervous to talk to me?

Shrugging it off, I nod again. "That's one way to put it. The only thing more 'exciting' than this is the reaping." I pause, glancing down at him, and curiosity convinces me to ask, "You're not from around here, are you? You seem to know a lot about horses, and I don't know anyone who even knows the different breeds. I only know from books."

[Jack Lexington]

The way she looks at me with such keen interested eyes and an open expression tells me that she's quite self assure and interested in meeting new people, even if they are beat up and most likely mean trouble.

She hops on the fence and leaves me to look at her back so I stand next to her and lean my elbows on the fence facing the auction now as well.
The first horse gets sold for way too little but that's really not my concern. All I have to do is bring the money home, which might be the most difficult task of this journey.

The girl proceeds to talk about the reaping as a big event, which it is unfortunately. I just don't like to think of it that way since Noreen's reaping. In my mind it's the most dreadful day of the year...like for most others. Maybe this girl is eager to talk to me because she's recognised me from the TV broadcasts of last years reaping...as I've been told the capitol showed a picture of me when Noreen talked about our babies at the interviews, which I mostly missed because I was too busy trying to stay alive or drunk for that matter.

The announcement that horse number two has been sold for over 400 snaps me out of my thoughts and brings me back to the girl next to me.
"No, I'm not from here. I'm from district 10...a wrangler. I brought theses horses to your district."
I search her face for a reaction. A lot of people were envious of higher districts and didn't particularily like us.
"So you read books on horses?" That idea strikes me as odd since I know everthing I know from hands on work.

[solo]

E56717 B33500 810300 4F0000

Gonna kick off my shoes and run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet 
Goin' back to the well, gonna visit old friends
Where the blacktop ends

[/i][/size][/font][/right]

Jack turns to lean his elbows on the fence, facing the same way as me, and we sit in silence as the first horse is auctioned off. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the pricing of horses, so I can't know for sure if it was a good price or not. I'm beginning to wonder if he's going to answer my question, but I don't have to wonder for long.

"No, I'm not from here. I'm from district 10...a wrangler." he says. That would make sense. District 10, livestock, right? "I brought these horses to your district." I raise my eyebrows in response, surprised. He brought them here? I didn't know traveling was allowed between districts. Maybe he just had a special job or something that allowed him to travel.

"So you read books on horses?" he asks, apparently eager to change the subject.

I shrug, swinging my feet in front of me. "Well, yes and no. My family has a lot of books, but they're not just on horses specifically. They're more fictional. Like Black Beauty." I glance down at him, curios to see what he'll think of this. We're looked sown on in District 11 because we read. People think that it's a waste of time, but I've just proved that it's not. I know something most people here don't. Unfortunately, knowledge isn't considered power everywhere you go. "Do you read very much?"

[Jack Lexington]

"Never heard of it." I smirk because that's a lie. Every kid knows that book in district 10. I'm pretty sure it's the same here. "But I don't like it. They turned it into a play at school and guess who played the horses behind?" That is almost embarassing so I'm quick to add. "I was 10."

She asks me whether I read a lot when the second horse is put on display. "Old mare." I tell the girl next to me. "Anybody bidding more than 400 would be a fool." To my surprise the auction starts and shoots up to 500 right away which almost makes me laugh out loud.
With curiousity I watch the old horse sell for 650 and shake my head before I turn my attention on the girl next to me again.
"No, I don't read a whole lot. I don't have any time but my friend reads all these books about natural healing. She wants to become a healer. What about you? What do you do for a living?"
I size her up but am not even sure that she's working yet. She's actually one of the prettier girls in this district. A lot of them I find too thin or too pale but she looks quite pretty.

[solo]

E56717 B33500 810300 4F0000

Gonna kick off my shoes and run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet 
Goin' back to the well, gonna visit old friends
Where the blacktop ends

[/i][/size][/font][/right]

"Never heard of it." he says with a smirk. I'm curious to know why he finds it so amusing, but he's moving on before I can say anything. "But I don't like it. They turned it into a play at school and guess who played the horses behind?" I don't even pay attention to the fact that he said he never heard of it and yet did a play based on the book. I give a good-natured laugh anyways. So what if he seems a little strange? He's got a good sense of humor. "I was 10." he adds quickly, as if that will make it better. I grin and roll my eyes, letting him know I'm just taking it as a good joke.

He doesn't answer my question about reading immediately, but watches as another horse is brought up for the auction. "Old mare." he comments. "Anybody bidding more than 400 would be a fool." We watch as the horse is sold for over 600, which seems a little ironic. Obviously, Jack can't believe what he's seeing, as he's shaking his head in disapproval. I can understand why they's put her at such a high price, though. She's strong, or at least seems to be, and doesn't look as old as she really is. District 11 doesn't seem to have a lot of experience with livestock.

"No, I don't read a whole lot." he says, apparently just remembering what I've asked him. "I don't have any time, but my friend reads all these books about natural healing. She wants to become a healer. What about you? What do you do for a living?"

"I work in the orchards." I say immediately. "Kind of boring, considering just about everyone else works their, too. My Mum's got a better job. She works as one of the medics, you know, 'cause we have a lot of tracker jacker hives."

[Jack Lexington]

The orchards stretch to the horizon in this district. We've passed them on our way in but they didn't seem to be in bloom. Nothing was growing at this time of the year. No apples, pears, cherries.

"Really? What do you do in the winter then? I didn't see anything growing on our way here...winter wheat?"
This actually caught my interest. How can a whole district be unemployed during the cold season. "Do you grow stuff in green houses here?" I turn to face her because she's suddenly more interesting than the horse auctions.

Her mom's job makes me smirk because right now I must look like I could use her mother. The fact that my face is red and green and my eye swollen comes back to my mind and puts a nice shade of red all over my face.
"Tracker jackers..jikes." I wince. I've only ever come across them once.

"Looks like I could have used your mom last night." I hold up my poorly self bandaged hand where the peace keeper whacked me with his club.
"I swear I usually don't get into fights." Why I am trying to justify my deeds I'm not sure. I guess I'm simply embarassed.
Biting my lip from the inside I turn back to watch the auction.