Pain. Hate. Envy. Those are the ABCs of me. (bygones) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-07-17 19:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !partner thread, annie cresta, jonathan murphy |
Who: Annie and Murphy
What: Random run in
When: 17 July
Where: Farmer’s Market
Warnings: Low
Status: Partner Thread | Complete
Honestly, summer tended to not be the best of time for Annie. Four years later and she was still on edge, even as her life was falling into place and things were actually okay. Having met all her deadlines at the studio and now just needing to wait to hear back from different directors on if there needed to be changes, or issues from costuming, the 23 year old had a bit more time to sell at different Farmer Markets, which she did prefer in its own way.
Of course, being summer, that meant that more people were out and at them as well. Which wasn’t always good. It was good for sales. It wasn’t so good when trying to get around, or dealing with certain anxieties from memories that existed within the back of her mind, no matter how well things were going.
Which was how Annie had ended up having to reset up her table after she had startled and knocked things over. It was embarrassing, but people went on about their business, going to different tables as she knelt before the table and started to pick things up again. Slow, steady breathing. That was what she needed.
She was definitely going swimming once this was over though.
The Farmer’s Market wasn’t really Murphy’s scene, but he’d been let off from work early and had a few hours to kill. He could have gone back to the Ranch, but as much as there was to do out there, Murphy still preferred being in the city, surrounded by people.
The Farmer’s Market wasn’t bad either. He had a bit of cash in his pocket, and while he wasn’t exactly looking for something to get for Neal and his new baby, he thought if he happened to catch sight of something he might buy it. If it wasn’t too expensive.
He hadn’t been far when the girl at her table had inexplicably knocked over all her things, and he watched her for a couple of moments. When it became clear that no one else was going to help her, Murphy headed over. Without a word, he squatted down in front of the table and started to help her pick up some of the jewelry that had fallen.
Annie was used to doing things on her own. Even though she was considered the ‘fragile’ one from Panem, she could make due and she didn’t exactly like asking for help because she didn’t feel like being a burden. So picking up her own table because she had thought she’d seen a ghost? Well, it wasn’t so big. It was said that people were nicer in California than elsewhere, but really? People were caught up in their own lives and you had the nice people and the ones who couldn’t be bothered to care no matter where you went. It was simply life.
So she really hadn’t expected anyone to stop by and help her pick things up. Aware of her surroundings (she was always aware of her surroundings, especially in the summer), Annie blinked and looked to see who it was that was helping her. Vaguely familiar. Valarnet? That was usually the reason she would have some vague sense of who someone was without being certain.
“Thank you…”
Murphy shrugged as he placed another piece on the table. He wasn’t a nice guy, and he wasn’t doing this for nice reasons. He just couldn’t stand watching something quite so pathetic. Not because he cared or anything. “No problem,” he said. “I just got sick of watching you do it by yourself.”
He grabbed another bracelet that caught his eye. It was fairly well made, though he’d never wear anything like it himself. “You make all these yourself?” he asked, turning it over in his hand before he put it away as well.
Annie nodded some. There wasn’t much to say to that, everyone had their own motives for why they did the things they did. If it was just being sick of watching her do it herself, well… he could have moved on and gone about his business at different tables. She wasn’t going to point that out, though.
Then he asked about the bracelet and she nodded.
“I do.” She found it soothing. The designing, the construction, all of it. She was able to just focus on something, especially when she would otherwise spiral. It was why summer tended to be a very busy time for her in terms of making different pieces that could last her months depending on sales.
As it seemed everything was picked up, Annie stood up and looked at the table to start re-organizing everything.
He could have just left, but then it would probably nag at him for a while that he hadn’t done anything. Not because of any sense of conscience. Just… because.
Now that everything was picked up, Murphy stood up and looked over the table. Really, some of these pieces were fairly well done. At some point, Murphy had liked to make things and had spent some time with crafts. Nothing quite like this, mostly bad wood carvings, but the memories still came to him as he glanced over the girl’s work. But that had been a long time ago, before his mother had died. “They’re nice,” he said. “Do people actually buy them?”
Annie gave a small smile as she nodded, still working on the displays. They would obviously be different now than they’d been before the initial panic that had happened which had led to her table being knocked over, but who knew. Perhaps the new set up would attract customers. She’d already sold a good number that day before everything had happened so she would have needed to consolidate eventually anyway.
“Thank you. And yes, people do buy them.”
Even as she now did jewelry for movie studios, none of them had been released, so she was still anonymous in that regard, and as she didn’t really advertise her name on the table, it wasn’t like that would influence people. At least she doubted it would if it ever became known to a wider public than those who already knew her.
“Make much off it, or just pocket change?” Murphy asked. Maybe he could get back into making things again if he could actually profit off of it. Then again, he hadn’t done any wood carving in two years. He doubted he could make anything that people would actually buy.
“It depends on the week, and it’s not my main source of income… at least, selling at farmer’s markets. I also make jewelry for a movie studio. So while I still make jewelry as a living, it’s just a different atmosphere I guess.” She was doing what she loved. There was the stress of studios and movie premieres and things of that nature she wasn’t really looking forward to and she did prefer the smaller feel of farmer’s markets, but it certainly was no way to make a living. Especially in California with the high expense for living.
“Movies, huh? That sounds like a big deal,” Murphy said, more impressed than he let on. Given their proximity to LA, he assumed that they were big name movies and not independent ones. He looked back at the bracelet he’d noticed before. “I’ll take this one,” he said, grabbing for the bracelet he’d noticed earlier. He still didn’t think he’d ever wear it, but he did like it, so why not?
“A friend of mine was doing costumes for them so she brought me in, so I was lucky. But it’s nice being able to do something I enjoy.” Sometimes it was a matter of who you knew. Annie certainly never would have considered herself talented enough to even put in a portfolio otherwise. And then she was getting a sale and she nodded, giving him a price. Discounted since he had helped her clean up but no need to say as much.
Murphy’s lips twitched downward for a second. He’d been half hoping for a ‘oh no, for your help it’s yours for free,’ but he was also enough of a realist to know that that hadn’t been likely in the first place.
“Luck’s just as important as anything else,” Murphy said, pulling out his wallet and handing over his money. His dad had told Murphy that success was 20% hard work and 80% luck. The problem was, Murphy had rotten luck. So did his dad. He took the bracelet and put it in his pocket.
“That is very true.” Like it or not, that was the way life went. And sometimes people had horrible things happen to them for no reason whatsoever. Or they trusted the wrong person. But that was also life and it left it’s scars on you. It was just getting up and going about your life as well you could. “Thank you again for the help.”
“It wasn’t a problem,” Murphy said, shrugging. It really hadn’t been that hard, and Murphy would have been more surprised that people hadn’t stopped to help out if he wasn’t already so disillusioned by human nature. “Just try not to knock everything over again.”
A flicker of a smile as she nodded. After all, there were reasons for that, but it wasn’t something she was going to get into with someone who didn’t know her past. Which meant all of two people would actually understand if she referenced it. Or if she’d seen Snow, that would be four people who would know. “I’ll do my best not to. I hope you have a nice day.”
“Yeah, you too,” Murphy said, turning to walk away. He got a few steps before he turned around. “And I hope your luck with this jewelry thing keeps holding out,” he added as an afterthought.