With My Trusty Shovel! (Player 1/open)

[Player 1]

"Right now mostly a lot of fish, bugs, and anything else I can find that's interesting and worth trading. I've gotta finish setting up the place the dragon guy got for me first though. That's just stuff I've found or traded for though, who knows what else I can sell out of there." It grinned. Oh the future, such wonderful, and hopefully bright times.

"Just getting the space is the first step, y'know? So long as you got that you can go anywhere with it." This is the basic facts of life. Once you take your first step, all other things will follow. "What're you doing with your place anyways?" it said as it stretched with its arms up, holding its shovel above its head as it does.

[Abram Dabra]

"Ehhhh bugs ain't much used to me kid. Fish could be good though. People trade well for food. And other services."

He said with what was an unsettling giggle to most. Whether it would unsettle the kid or not didn't matter. He wasn't even thinking about that.

"You know. This and that. I'm kind of a jack of all trades. I like to keep my options open. But I have a wide range of skills."

He said with a not at all modest tone to his voice.

[Player 1]

"Hey, that's kind of like me!" Player 1 slips its shovel back into its rope loop, the loop holding all its other tools as well; The bug net, a fishing rod, a hatchet, even a watering can. "I got like, all my badges. Well, there's a few I missed, but pretty much all of them!" Player 1 was more than a little proud, as it pulled a sash up through the collar on its raincoat to show off some of its badges. "Though I bet you have a lot of badges too!" It laughs.

"Bugs are totally awesome though, more people should trade in them! I mean, beetles are the coolest thing ever." Totally. Nod nod nod.

[Abram Dabra]

"I will have to disagree with you there shorty."

But he liked the spunk. Cute kid. And if they wanted bugs than that was cool. He could get the good shit! Totally about taking advantage of this situation.

"I like dealing in junk and salvage. Things I can make in to useful tools."

[Player 1]

"Weeell! If you need someone to sell your stuff, I can definitely do that! I mean, a shop can always use a supplier!" Player One knows how to bargain. 5 fish a week? Pah. Player One could pull that in after an hour. Probably less. Childs play.

Sucker.

[Abram Dabra]

"Maybe we can work something out. What are you looking for wages?"

Cause nothing was free. And he doubted that this kid was looking to do it just because they were bored. And if they were doing it for that than Clyde didn't want the kid's help. That would lead to a flaky employee.

"And do you even know how to sell shit kid?"

[Player 1]

"Of course! Well, right now money isn't worth anything, so you have to trade up! Like a bass isn't worth a whole lot because they're really common and easy to catch, so that's a small goods item. Tuna on the other hand, tuna's crazy rare now! Like, you can't really get tuna unless someone has a boat and is super lucky! That's a hard trade! But if you don't undercut on the baseline price if you're buying, then you won't make any money on the resell. And you have to price for the time and rarity put into getting the thing, cause your time is worth money too, especially if you got it yourself! And maybe things are really in demand, so you can boost the price because they really want it! Aaaaaand... And really, you're offering a wage? I was talking like, a supply deal, but wages! Oh man... I wasn't expecting that, hahaha!"

The little person taps their foot on the ground, hmming. HMMMMM...

"I have no idea what to ask for a wage! That's rough. I mean, I have my tent in the woods and lots of fish and some veggies and a shop already..." It sits there, thinking on things. Hmmm... HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

hmm

[Abram Dabra]

The kid didn't know what they wanted for a wage? Under the mask The Punk split into a grin that only slave owners in the South had known. Not that he thought he could get away with slavery... indentured servitude maybe... Not the kid probably, but maybe the kid could help with that.

He paced around until he was behind the kid. Their backs to each other as they other as they both thought.

"HMMMMMMMMM."

Hmmmm.

"Alright, no wage. Instead I take a cut of what you make. If currency of some sort becomes valuable again then I will take payment in that. Failing that I will talk useful salvage and indentured laborers."

He spun around to clasp the kid on the shoulder, looking up at the sky.

"Because let me tell you kid. I have a dream, something that this world needs. Something that will be formed with or without us for a gap like this does not stay empty for long. I want to build a Pirate City!

Think of it. Everything for sale, nothing is to taboo, kept in line with strict enforcement and forced labor for those who violate our rules."

Those who couldn't be forced to work would obviously be killed.

"But a safe haven from the gangs and the thugs. A true neutral zone that is enforced rather than just lines on the map. It is my dream."

And wenches and whores. Plenty of those to go with a pirate city!

[Player 1]

Huh, that all made sense to player 1. Well, mostly. "That's really cool! Yeah, there isn't really a whole lot of centered tra- Wait... Wasn't I the one getting the wage before?"

Very confusing.

[Abram Dabra]

"Well yeah, which is why we are working out how much I need to take. Because I'm going to be providing you with a store front and housing and even wares to sell! So then shouldn't I get a cut of that? Think of it as you are working on commission!"

And totally not being taken advantage of.