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Learning the black market from Jasmine
The memory starts with Iris and Jasmine holding hands, looking out a window in Iris’s apartment together, as police lights fade into the distance. Iris is calming down, having been terrified for a moment, but it wasn’t them- the police had come to take someone from a nearby building. Still, if they had broken into her place…
This was no good anymore, Iris tells Jasmine. She has too much junk she’s stolen, she has to sell some of it off. Jasmine asks why she hasn’t yet, and Iris seems surprised- How and where would she sell it? Jasmine gives her a weird look, and asks her if she doesn’t know about the market.
The next morning, they leave her apartment, both carrying backpacks full of the things Iris has stolen- precious gems, strange computer parts, a famous painting- and taking them to a strange building. They’re both in inconspicuous clothes and disguises, Iris keeping her hair under a hat, but she’s still on edge, with police cars parked in front of it. Jasmine tells her it’s all right- Those guys are customers, too.
The building is the black market- a permanent fixture for it. Once the cops were too corrupt to do anything about it, there was no longer any point in operating stealthily with those normal dealers, and it just made sense to set up shop there. It made it convenient for everyone, and inside, there are strict rules in place- the shopkeepers are the law there. Anyone who tried to cause a problem could look forward to getting shot, cops and criminals are equal and can’t protest any goods brought in, and all sales are final.
Jasmine teaches her the secret phrases to get in, and how to talk to the shopkeepers properly. It’s simple call-and-response codes, but it works, and makes sure only the initiated can get in, which Iris supposes she is now. More importantly, Jasmine has to teach her how to haggle- Iris gets totally ripped off at first, but by the end, she’s making good (rather insane) amounts of money from unloading everything.
She keeps the first diamond she stole, though.
The memory starts with Iris and Jasmine holding hands, looking out a window in Iris’s apartment together, as police lights fade into the distance. Iris is calming down, having been terrified for a moment, but it wasn’t them- the police had come to take someone from a nearby building. Still, if they had broken into her place…
This was no good anymore, Iris tells Jasmine. She has too much junk she’s stolen, she has to sell some of it off. Jasmine asks why she hasn’t yet, and Iris seems surprised- How and where would she sell it? Jasmine gives her a weird look, and asks her if she doesn’t know about the market.
The next morning, they leave her apartment, both carrying backpacks full of the things Iris has stolen- precious gems, strange computer parts, a famous painting- and taking them to a strange building. They’re both in inconspicuous clothes and disguises, Iris keeping her hair under a hat, but she’s still on edge, with police cars parked in front of it. Jasmine tells her it’s all right- Those guys are customers, too.
The building is the black market- a permanent fixture for it. Once the cops were too corrupt to do anything about it, there was no longer any point in operating stealthily with those normal dealers, and it just made sense to set up shop there. It made it convenient for everyone, and inside, there are strict rules in place- the shopkeepers are the law there. Anyone who tried to cause a problem could look forward to getting shot, cops and criminals are equal and can’t protest any goods brought in, and all sales are final.
Jasmine teaches her the secret phrases to get in, and how to talk to the shopkeepers properly. It’s simple call-and-response codes, but it works, and makes sure only the initiated can get in, which Iris supposes she is now. More importantly, Jasmine has to teach her how to haggle- Iris gets totally ripped off at first, but by the end, she’s making good (rather insane) amounts of money from unloading everything.
She keeps the first diamond she stole, though.