compnetwork | Help wanted

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Help wanted

*The video feed turns on, but instead of showing the person speaking, it shows a table filled with items, and more piled up around and behind it, and on stacks of boxes... clearly, far too much for the part of the room it's been stored in. Of what's visible, there are lamps, stained glass, hair clips and pins and what look like they could be chopsticks, and carved, beaded, and braided jewelry, wind catchers and chimes and all sorts of pretty things.*

*Judging by that sigh they let out, whoever it is holding the watch away from them, pointing it toward the items, seems a little nervous.*

I'm hardly much good with figuring out how to start, so I'll get right to the point. Is anyone interested in helping me sell these?

I've already a job during the day, and spend much of my time after that making more items, but I've almost finished making the arrangements for a shop in one of the markets from which to sell them... and I'd need someone to mind it for me. To keep it all organized, and actually... sell the things, and let me know what I need to make more of, if I haven't made more yet, and... things of that sort.

I've set money aside to pay for someone to mind the shop, but if it helps any... if you'd like something from among the wares yourself, I'm certain we can come to an agreement.

Please, let me know if you're interested!

((ooc: tossed up a small discussion on Plurk here, too. To sum, Virgo's the obvious district to put it in, but if there's other ideas, why not, right? And he can take requests, if people want something custom. Especially if they want to help him with the shop. Plus, hiring multiple people could easily be a thing; it's a chance for extra CR, especially with overlapping shifts and giving each other breaks or days off or something, right?))

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Wow, those look really nice! :)

I have experience running a shop, but really more as a part-time thing.  I could help out, just not all the time?

Thank you! I don't really have experience with selling things in a store yet, so any help would be appreciated.

Okay! In that case, shall we meet somewhere to hash out the details in person?

If you would like to, I don't see why not? I know some places with very good ice cream, if you would like to meet there?

Ooo, I haven't had ice cream in a while!  Sure thing!

...oh, right, my name's Kotoha.  What's yours?

My name is Avitus.

*there's a little pause, and then her COMP receives a little data -- he just sent her the location of a cafe somewhere in Hinoto-Ri*

Would this place do for you?

Yeah, it should be fine! Let's see...I think I can get there in fifteen minutes?

Then I shall meet you there. I shan't be difficult to find; I've blue skin and large black wings.

Edited 2013-06-04 11:51 (UTC)

Okay! I'll be the girl riding in on the giant moth.

Kotoha shuts off the COMP with that baffling statement.

----------

True to her words, fifteen minutes later she swoops down on the cafe, riding on the back of a massive six-winged moth. As she swings down onto the ground, the moth vanishes into a ball held in her hand in a torrent of light.

Looking around, she quickly spots Avitus and walks over with a wave hello.

"Hi!"

He hasn't been inside the little cafe long; he's still at the counter, looking at the offerings... or he was, until everyone's attention went to the windows, and he followed suit. Now he's inside at the counter, giving her a wide-eyed look. That really hadn't been what he'd been expecting. Not that he knew what he'd been expecting... just that that wasn't exactly it.

He gives her a little smile and a wave back as she approaches, though. "Hello. Kotoha, I presume?" Who else could she be?

Kotoha smiles and sweeps into a grossly overdone bow, straightening up with a little hop.

"Yeah. You're Avitus, then? Nice to meet you!"

With that, she sweeps her gaze across the various flavors and zeroes in on one in particular before addressing the counterman.

"Can I have a large mint chocolate chip in a dish, please?"

Order made, she turns back to Avitus.

"Not that there was much room for doubt on either side, of course!"

"Of course." He looks back to the counter too. "And I'll have... chocolate ganache with the fudge sauce, please. In a dish for me as well."

And he's sneakily stepped over to the register beside him, so she can't get there first, as he ordered, and pulled his card out from what's surely a coinpurse of some kind, in his sash... he's paying for both of theirs while they're dished up.

Even if she had noticed him sneaking over (she hadn't), Kotoha had still paused a bit when reaching for her cashcard - it's hard to go from buying literally whatever you want, whenever you want, to actually having a budget again. So she's fine with Avitus paying.

"Oh, thank you!"

A slightly nervous chuckle.

"I'm, uh...still not quite used to having to budget things again."

"I'm starting to get used to it. I mean, it's not as though I need much here, personally... but I'm used to having a much larger budget for my work."

He took his ice cream and waited for her to take hers, before finding them a nice seat by the windows. "...Admittedly, that's... part of why I'm so nervous about this shop. I think I have most of it figured out, but I'm certain I've overlooked something. I've never done anything quite like this before. So I would greatly appreciate what help I can get."

Kotoha savors her first spoonful of ice cream as she thinks that over.

"Honestly, most of my work as the manager of Join Avenue was advertising and soliciting new shopkeepers...but I picked up a few things. You've got a storefront, right?"

"A store... what?" He paused there, looking at her. "I have a place I'm considering for it... two of them, actually. But I need to decide on which, and clean it up, move things in... I could set up the front of it for display then... or is that... not what you meant?"

Modern terms for things like this? What are those?

"A storefront is essentially the place you're basing your business out of, yes. I can help with the moving-in aspects of it, at least."

A pause to consider.

"You might want to consider getting some flyers made up and distributed around the city, so more people than just us Visitors know about the shop."

He blinked, spoon halfway to his mouth. "Oh... oh. Yes, I should do that."

He set the spoon back down, distracted for the moment, thinking hard on it now. "I've been so caught up in figuring out the how, I've no idea what to call it, either."

Kotoha nods thoughtfully.

"...how about 'Art Under Glass'?"

"...Under glass? But it isn't... it's stained glass and lamps and jewelry and things like that, mostly."

He was quiet for a second as he had another bite of his ice cream, playing with the chocolate sauce with his spoon. "What about... ah...." Another pause, ideas still not quite coming. "Well, what about a name that plays off of the Human Citadel, or Nosgoth, or--"

He was about to say something else, but closed his mouth again, some thought stopping him dead right there. "On second thought, I ought not to. If anyone else from Nosgoth were to show up... I don't know that I'd want to advertize my presence, or where I'm from. Or what I am." He made a bit of a face at that.

Kotoha shrugs a little, savoring a spoonful of her ice cream. Once she's finished, she offers another suggestion.

"Glass Heart?"

"It's funny to me, because this would be easier back home. Most of the shops in the Citadel merely had pictures of things to illustrate what they were; most didn't have the words themselves, or even names to shops like the ones here do. Were I to do this back home, the sign for it there would probably be a bit of stained glass, or... a painting of a brush, hanging out from the top of the--"

Oh.

He pulled his pencil and a small sketchbook from somewhere under the table (did his robes have pockets after all?) and opened it up to a blank page, where he started sketching, quickly, a heart shape interrupted by some words overlapping one of the sides.

"Stained Glass Heart may work quite well... I could have exactly that for a sign above the front, outside, and light it from behind.... Oh, that would be so pretty while it's dark out, too!"

Ideas, Kotoha. You're giving him some.

Kotoha will just enjoy her minty goodness until he gets all the ideas down on paper.

You made all of those? They look really pretty!

Anyway, I'd be happy to help you!

Edited 2013-06-04 20:53 (UTC)

Thank you.... I'd appreciate it!

*he's turning the camera around so he can see who he's talking to-- and oh hey lookie that, Atoli. He's a blue bird-person!*

I still need to figure out the last details confirm a few other things... and there's cleaning the space and setting it up, getting everything there and displaying it, figuring out the... thing where people pay with those cards, and--

*He shuts up. He knows he's babbling; he's a bit nervous about it all, and excited*

I'm certain I could use help with some of that, too. I'm thinking perhaps within a week or two, even, if you'd be available then, and... interested in that as well? I've... never done anything quite like this before. At home, I've always simply given these sorts of things to people as gifts, or as part of what's built for the Citadel. Or repaired for it. And here, some of the little stores have bought some of the things i've made, which gave me the idea to do this... but that's hardly the same.

*biting the inside of his lip a little again, giving her a bit of a smile* I hope this works out.

"Don't worry about it too much, okay? Everything about it is going to be great!"

"I hope so."

He tries looking a bit more cheerful, re-folding his wings behind him. "I don't... suppose you have any experience with this sort of thing yourself?" Because, as stated, he pretty much has none.

"A little bit. A friend of mine from home would probably be better at it, but I think I want to give it a try."

"I suppose we'll both learn something from this, then, won't we." Quit being nervous, quit being-- eh, he's excited, he can't help it.

"I'm Avitus... and you are?"

"Atoli! It's nice to meet you."

A look crosses her face, since this seems to be an opportunity...

"And there's actually something I'd like to ask you, now that I think of it. Do you mind?"

"Of course... what would that be?" Just looking at her, tucking his wings in behind him again; they're not wanting to behave very well, feathers a little floofed.

Humans get goosebumps; what does one call it when it happens to a bird-creature?

"It's a commission! ...sort of."

She did notice the wings, but out of politeness elects not to bring it up.

"Caroline asked me for a statuette of a bird a couple of months ago, and I think one that was custom-made would be really nice."

"Oh... yes, of course! What sort of bird ought it be? Tell me about what it is you'd like!" Yay, new topic he's much less nervous about than the excitement of opening a store!

This, he can do. This was what he did at home, taking requests for things. Architectural plans, stained glass, things to add to the library's museum-ish wings, paintings for the administrative building's halls.... You know, stuff.

"Well, I was thinking it should be mostly blue and green... and a brambling!"

Those are her favorite. Never mind that bramblings don't come in green/blue.

[Naminé's just going to make a small surprised noise at the sheer volume of trinkets he has amassed.]

*oh, hey there!* ....hi....

*yep, he made all that stuff. Birdy's been busy!*

[She makes another noise of incredulity before focusing back on him.]

Hi. You're really amazing. Did you still need help?

*She just said he was-- uh-- ...yeah, his cheeks are getting decidedly purple now, thank you, Namine!*

I um... I would appreciate it, yes...?

I can work part time in your shop! I love making art myself so this will be a wonderful chance to get inspired by all your creations.

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