Sacramento Antiques fair

[Chambers]

The Sacramento Antiques fair, a frequent gathering of hundreds of vendors peddling almost anything you can imagine from niche lighting options and old furniture to vintage clothing, hand crafted goods and even some old war paraphernalia.

While some Vendors remained, consistent others rotate out meaning there was always new offerings in the treasure hunt. You can spend the day perusing and see barely half of what was on offer.

And that was what this Necromancer had set the day aside for. Dressed in Blue Jeans, Grey shirt and Brown suede jacket he perused the stalls looking for back of the garage oddities and attic anomalies, things usually kept out of sight, hidden, but here might peak his particular interests.

Meandering through the stalls and gazebos, taking it all in, he listened to the hubbub. While gold hadn’t glittered quite as bright to him for some years, the sound of haggling, of determining fair price and value made him feel at ease, these people knowingly or not called back to older systems, less defined systems but more skilful systems, and he liked that.

[October]

Was an antique fair really her thing?

No, not really. But she had a bit of knowledge about them thanks to ex’s over the years. So, why not stop by for old times sake? Who knows, maybe something will catch her eye.

Or not, but it was a good excuse to stop unpacking and get out of the townhouse. Pocketing both her cell and pager, she called an Uber and headed down.

Now this day called for casual and comfortable. Not having to dress up or dress in scrubs was always a welcome thing for her.

Walking the stalls, picking up a few things for a closer look, making small chat, the Acanthus won over vendors with her smile. But it was a familiar face that truly caught her eyes, someone she remembered from the Circle. His name escaped her, but she wasn’t worried, this was among Sleepers, everyone had another name they used. So problem, in her mind, solved!

A hand was held up in greeting as she walked over to him, “Hey! Saw you at that meeting a couple weeks back. How you doing?”

[Chambers]

The Key trees were a great example of why he liked events like this, the only problem being he was struggling to know if they caught his eye because he liked the aesthetic or because the open display of easy access to knowledge seemed mocking.

A small vexation, that he needn’t worry about for long, as a vaguely familiar voice spoke in greeting.

Turning to see the mage whose acquaintance he made last visit to the circle, the one that made him think of a film star. And her poise in such busy, eclectic surroundings did nothing to dispel the misconception.

‘Oh hi.’ Evenly stressed syllables show the hint of a British accent in his speech. Returning the wave, his genial smile falls readily into place. ‘Yes, well thank you. Now the heats broken a little, even better.’ Reaching what he would call BBQ weather. ‘And yourself, keeping well? Settling in, okay?'

[Philip Crosen]

Philip was a miser first and foremost. And, being a miser, was interested in collecting cheap antiques to sell later at mark-up as a side-hobby. Although he wasn`t proud of this fact, and only revealed his gun collection, of which he was particularly proud, and silly computer program and `app-collection` to strangers, usually. So, he arrived in his car, ready to pick up the under-priced come-ups (junk) he was looking for. He was wearing blue jeans, blue-gray running shoes, and a gray shirt, along with his customary backpack for storing water bottles, and potential come- ups. He managed to rummage through a few stands, before settling on an antique brooch with a curious inscription.

He had just completed his appraisal of half the vendors, when he spotted two familiar faces: Chambers and the new lady from the Circle, engaged in conversation. So he walked up to them while trying his best not to interrupt, and greeted them with a warm smile, especially her:

"Hi. Nice to see you guys again. I`m surprised to find you here. Did you get any come- ups yet?"

[October]

Accents were fun in such a way that you always had a conversation starter. Something to keep in the back pocket if things got dull.

“Was it really warm over the summer?” she asks, coming from the east coast, she knew heat there and here were felt differently. “I can’t complain, ok, maybe I can, I hate unpacking.” It was truly the worst and she wishes she had gone with having the company unpack for her. “It never seems to get easier. But that aside, it’s going well.”

Her attention was pull away from him by the appearance of another face. Only familiar from the Circle, but still, familiar.

“Hi!” greets the doctor, “Nice to see you as well.” A glance around, "Surprised in a good way? Or a bad way?” she asks with a hint of mischief in her voice. “I’m just here to escape unpacking. I don’t know much about antiques, but sounded like something fun and different. You?”

[Chambers]

Warm? He couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘It was an unrelenting heatwave of woe, that drove most sane people inside.’ What that said about himself, well mages are rightly abnormal by definition. ‘How do you fare in …’ a moment and a squint to make math happen. Times by 1.8 and add 32. ’90-100-degree weather?’ The cool vibes she gave off made him suspect, it might not phase her much. 'Or has it been like that all over and I'm just not used to it?'

‘On the upside, few better ways to keep the clutter down.’ He should know, it wasn’t that long ago he’d been living out of his pack.

‘Ah yes indeed, fancy running into each other in all this.’ The familiar easy grin in welcome. How many interests did they share? ‘Nothing to take home yet, what about yourself?’ The question was open and clearly free to be refused, after all you can learn a lot about someone by their purchases.

‘Then your in good company, You’d need to be an expect in a hundred or more fields to know what’s going on here, that's part of the fun.’ Gesticulating with one out stretched arm between someone selling knitted clothing, another vintage records, a third that looked like the bric-a-brac shelves of a charity store, or they could all be the same stall it was kind of hard to tell, the way everything ran so snuggly together. ‘But only you know what catches your eye.’

The outstretched hand balling. ‘They call it an antiques fair but I think of it more like a lucky dip market.’ Looking between his companions. ‘Anyone have a heading or is more see where the day takes of kind of feel?’ Now he had company, he was honestly happy with either.

[Winter]

He wandered through the aisles of vendors, taking in the sights and sounds of the Antique Fair. He enjoyed seeing Sleepers embrace the ancient traditions of communal markets and deal-making, it kept the spirit of a much older world alive, an ancient spirit where invasive technology wasn't so pervasive in the cage. Not to say, the rare opportunity to keep the pulse on the city.
He spotted a slew of familiar faces in the crowd. He raised a hand in greeting as he approached.
"Good day. It seems we all had the same idea", though he appeared casually dressed like the other attendees, he couldn't lose a certain air of formality.
"Have you found anything of interest so far?", he asked, you can never tell when the arcane decides to push to the surface.

[Philip Crosen]

"Oh, hi." an easy-going grin and nod as he noticed Winter. Winter and Chambers` question about his findings, aka his brooch, he decided to leave unanswered with a shrug for the time being. "I dunno..."

He was uncomfortable with so much probing around his hobby he was most embarrassed of, but he stood his ground.

"I`d say surprised in a surprised way. Probably good, but I dunno yet. That depends if you`re out to get me." He answered October in a good natured chuckle, but that was meant for all present.

"And nope, no heading here. I just want to go with the flow here. And speaking of experts, what are you experts in? I like to consider myself somewhat of an aficionado when it comes to appraisal of jewelry, and guns. Too bad I`ve not seen antique gun shops yet, here..."

Oops, darn! I let slip I`m into jewelry collection! Oh well. At least they don`t know the extent, yet. He didn`t let his flare of annoyance show, suppressing it outwardly by focusing on his good-natured jibes, if somewhat artificially.

Unpacking? This could be the chance I`m looking for to get to know her better if I play my cards right. Then again, it`s just as likely to get shot dead on arrival... he thought hopefully, before a shimmer of uncertainty takes him, although he didn`t let it show.

"Do you need help unpacking? I`d be glad to swing by later to help."

[October]

She had to chuckle, “Well, that sounds very unpleasant, glad I missed it.” Thinking on the question, “That depends on if there is a humidity that goes with it or if it’s more of a dry heat. One tends to be worse then the other. But if there is no humidity, then pretty good I think.” It was that soupy, heavy air that made it worse. “Again, there are different factors to consider. On the east coast, it isn’t that bad I don’t think, but take an east coaster and place them in a place with both high temps and humidity and they’ll be miserable.” But she’d lived in different places, moved around quite a bit and had experienced both sides of it. “I don’t think you can ever be used to excessive heat.” It just sucked.

Laughing, “That is true, one becomes almost a professional when it comes to packing and unpacking.” Though she still hated it.

Empty hands were held up, “Nope, haven’t bought anything.” It had to be something that really caught her eye for her buy it.

Shrugging, “I’m always happy to let luck, and fate, lead me when browsing.”

Now there was someone she wouldn’t expect to see outside of the Circle.

The raised hand was returned, “Hi.” Had she ever encountered him outside the Circe? Not that she remembered. “Uh, not really, antiques are not really my wheelhouse. You?” reaching into her bag, a water was pulled out and a sip taken.

“Surprised in a surprised way? Have to say, think that is a first. But out to get you? That depends on a few things, I don’t know you well enough to know if it would be worth my time or not. Nothing worse then being out to get someone, getting nothing out of it and having blown god knows how much time. I’m a busy girl.” Now if he wronged her? That would be a whole new issue.
“No expertise here, just out for the day.” Not completely true, she had some expertise, she just didn’t want to share and they didn’t pertain to antiques.

Odd question, but she’ll play along. “You know, I’ve never had anyone offer to help me unpack. It’s not an exciting task, but if you wanted to talk shop, I’d be down.” Shop being Acanthus things and what was going on in the Awakened side of things.

[Chambers]

Listening politely to the talk of weather patterns, and filling in some gaps, never having been to the east coast, it calls something up, the memory of air drier than the blistering sand beneath …

Fortunately, he was saved from that rabbit hole by Winter’s arrival pulling him back from to the moment. A slight shake of the head, to clear the intrusive memory, in time to catch the tail end of her musings ‘Oh, I don’t know about that I’ve met some folk who seem to thrive in what I’d call excessive heat.’ That might just be because his bar for excessive had been fairly low for most of his life.

‘Hey there, indeed it would seem all roads lead to the fair today.’ The welcoming grin slipping back on once again, as if nothing had ever been a miss. ‘Nothing’s baited me enough to buy it yet. What about yourself, keeping an eye out for anything particular?’ It’d be interesting to see if the one-sided sharing policy from the circle carried into life out and about.

Speaking of sharing. ‘I’m not sure they can sell working guns here, I’ve only seen old defunct war stuff so far. But jewellery, there’s a vendor selling rings a few lanes across. I might question the authenticity though, unless he has ready access to a large number of gemstones, but they look nice.’ No judgement here, wear what you want, its all closer to being the same thing than most realise anyway.

Out to get him, who did he think they were? ‘The worst you have to fear from me is some good-natured ribbing, so best watch your back,’ a mock serious tone gives the joke away. ‘But I’ve always got time in the day for it.’ Playing into October’s jest with an affable laugh.

‘Expert is a big word, and not one I’d personally use yet, but … I like things with some history to them, cultural significance is also a good one, otherwise oddities over ornaments.’ Because its never to early to start filling the shelves in the Athenaeum, that I definitely need to get working on.

But speaking of being out to get you, she’s braver than I would be, I wouldn’t want some going through my stuff, way too much sympathy for my liking. Although, it is always good see awakened offering to help each other out.