Gainful Employment [Backdate, Open]

[nomorecowbell]

Who: Nanami, OPEN
Where: Locations Over Aquares Ixen
When: Pre- visit to the Sage
What: Nanami looks for spending money and something to do.
Warnings: None.

Nanami had done some thinking after the trip home. So, she couldn't get out of this, and she couldn't do anything about being a Hero and in charge of making sure her world didn't get consumed. She knew how to fight, but fighting was risky, and there were Jobs that let her do other things, from the back.

But she also wanted some spending money, and something to do besides worry about how the hell they were going to win against an ancient devourer of worlds, so she decided to try something normal: look for a part-time job.

Then again, Nanami had never actually worked, or had to worry about money before Crystallis. She was rich, and her family made sure that their children never lacked for the status symbols of wealth. Living as a student was a bit of an education. So was trying to find a position as a teenager with a set of skills none too useful for many jobs.

"Excuse me, are you hiring?"

Comments

[has_been_faking]

Ed might have been working the counter of his alchemy shop, but he was writing diligently in a journal when Nanami approached. He seems surprised by the question, and blinks at her for a moment.

"Um, well, actually, I might be. I could get a lot more done in the lab with a part-timer helping in the store. Admittedly there's probably a learning curve to this place that might be a little steep compared to other shops, though. Do you know anything about alchemy? Or maybe have any sales experience?"

[umslay]

New dampers installed, check. Armor upgraded, check. The reworked mecha was looking good. There was some scrap metal left over, as usual, and they pipes had been bent enough that their stiffness had reduced. Engineers everyone would recognize that this could not be used in important applications. Like giant robots of death.

As before, Ales had taken the scrap to design several puzzles consisting of looping metal parts. The objective of these were to take all the pieces apart without the use of brute force. He hired a local human to help carry the Teensie-sized booth to the commercial district, where he set up a display with all the gadgets lines up in rows.

"Hiring?" He had expected Nanami to buy one of his cheap trinkets, not ask if he wanted to start a business. "That wouldn't be a bad idea. This is more of a side project of mine, but if I had more help, I could turn it into a lucrative venture..."

He could be a merchant again. Like old times.

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud looked up from his work, wiping his brow while the other hand held onto the pitchfork. The cooler air was rolling in but the work was still hard, and true to form he'd been given a few double shifts after running off to the chocobo forest again and failing to return with a golden one for the ranch. Behind him Zack trilled happily as he ran around, one of the ranch black chocobos among those chasing him before he lifted off and soared over the barn. The bird was really enjoying showing off.

But that was something Cloud was used to by now and he only afforded the birds a quick glance to check on them before answering Nanami. "Well, we're always happy to take on new ranch hands. Every little bit helps." Especially when the Heroes had to run off to do something, or worse turned to Crystal.

[nomorecowbell]

"No, not really," Nanami said. "I was just a student back home. I was good at talking to people, though."

And manipulating fellow students, but you don't say that to adults.

[nomorecowbell]

"Do enough people buy mecha? Besides Heroes, I mean."

Mecha and power armor was not an area that Nanami knew anything about, outside of fiction.

[nomorecowbell]

Cloud might notice that most animals do not like Nanami. Nanami herself looks pretty nervous about the barn. "Isn't there something I can do that's..."

It is silly to admit that the chocobos make her nervous. Who is afraid of chocobos? No one normal, that's who.

[umslay]

"No, not unless they fight with one. And that's rare." All the mecha pilots he knew were Heroes. Some Heran pilots might exist, but he hadn't seen one yet.

"The work I do is for myself. This," he gestured at the display of puzzles, "is for the public. The money's for me, of course."

[nomorecowbell]

"What exactly are they?" Nanami said, trying to examine one. While puzzles like this existed in her world, they weren't exactly her thing.

[umslay]

"Brainteasers!" Ales offered cheerfully. "The goal is to take them apart without cutting any of the metal loops!"

He held up one of the easier puzzles meant for children: comprised of three pieces bent into odd shapes, it was handed over to Nanami. "Try this one for starters."

[nomorecowbell]

Nanami started to work at it. "People buy these? What happens when they beat one?"

[umslay]

"Then they get a new one," Ales said casually. "Or they can put it back together. It's an added challenge."

[has_been_faking]

This particular adult would consider that a plus for this job.

"Ah, I see. So this would be your first job ever? Hmmm..."

He might have to think that over.

"People usually come in here with something specific in mind, or are totally clueless. Usually not too many in between. Your job is to find out what they want and sell them as much of it as you can. Keep 'em happy, so they come back and tell other people about this place too. Sounds easy, but in this line of work, it can be tricky. The key is knowing the merchandise forwards and backwards, which will take some study. If you're willing to do all of that..."

He shrugs. He knows it sounds a little intimidating.

"Then I can give you a shot."

[scriptrix]

She must be desperate if she's at Fairy Tail HQ, but Levy doesn't mind entertaining the request.

"Usually people hire us for stuff," Levy responds, tilting her head curiously to the side.

"But if you want a job, I guess we could use someone to keep the guild hall clean. Or maybe a bartender, if you know anything about mixing drinks."

[neverfirstclass]

She's not the first person he's meet who seems a bit skittish around the birds, and he supposed anyone from a world that didn't have them might find them a bit odd. That's why he's tried to speak as positively about them to people as he can.

"Most everything here involves the birds or physical labor in one way or another. I guess you can see if the old man needs help with any of the paperwork and finances, but ranch hand work is what most people do here." He glanced over his shoulder at the field behind him. "They can get a bit excited sometimes, but they're smart creatures. And most of them are gentle enough."

[nomorecowbell]

"But how do they know what they want?" Nanami said.

[nomorecowbell]

"They can't be that expensive then," Nanami said.

[nomorecowbell]

"I'm not even old enough to have drinks yet," Nanami said. She also didn't know much about cleaning. Wasn't that what staff was for?

Oh, right.

[nomorecowbell]

"But they're huge, with those feet and everything..." Sure, they might be smart, but that just meant they could make you think they were gentle until they finished biding their time.

[umslay]

"It would be bad business otherwise," Ales replied and held out another puzzle, slightly harder than the one Nanami held. "Less than 100 gil for the easier ones, but the difficult ones can go up to 300! I got only five of those with me here."

[scriptrix]

"You look old enough to me."

But then again, Levy's used to how things are at the guild back home. Cana's been drinking since she was like six years old.

"But if you'd rather just clean the place up, that's fine too."

[neverfirstclass]

"Mmmm, that's true. You wouldn't want to make a chocobo mad and want to kick you. That could do more harm than some of the monsters roaming around here. There's a reason most of them avoid attacking the birds. That and the smell I guess." The gyshal greens funk was strong and it clung to Cloud's work clothes too.

[has_been_faking]

Ed grinned slyly. "If they don't know what they want, use some context clues to figure out what they might like. Do they look tired? Try something to boost energy. Dry-looking skin? Some moisturizers. A warrior? Try some strength potions. A real puzzler? Try something more magical, like an invisibility serum or levitation potion. Start small, get their attention, and work your way up. If you push something too expensive up front, you're more likely to scare 'em off."

He leans back in his chair, looking happy to share decades of grifting salesmanship experience.

"What do you think? Any interest?"

[nomorecowbell]

"That makes sense," Nanami agreed. She took the puzzle, but this one was giving her more trouble than the last.

[nomorecowbell]

"Back home, you have to be at least twenty to drink," Nanami said. "I mean, some people do it anyway, but not at a bar."

[nomorecowbell]

"Is that them or the food?" Nanami asked.

[nomorecowbell]

"It does sound interesting. Do you mind if I try it out?"

[umslay]

This was good. Nanami had a hard time with puzzles in general, meaning that she would pick the easier ones. Those were simple to design and build.

"So what do you think? Could you sell these on the street on days I'm busy? I'll give you ten percent - no, lets start at 5 for a few days and go on from there."

[scriptrix]

"Wow... almost nobody in Fairy Tail waited that long," Levy reflects with a laugh. "I never really had much of a taste for it, myself."

[neverfirstclass]

"Both, really." Cloud chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "The greens are pungent on their own, but they also give the birds their smell. I honestly keep most of my work clothes here so I don't stink up my house too badly. You get used to it, but I don't want to cause problems for other people."

[has_been_faking]

"Sure! Hmm, it's been quiet today, so..."

He looks around, tapping his chin in thought. What would be a good test?

"How about this: go read some labels on the items on the shelves. Get acquainted. Then tell me what you'd try to sell me if I walked into the store, but didn't know what I wanted. How does that sound?"

[nomorecowbell]

"All right! Give me a minute then!"

[nomorecowbell]

"Adults were okay with that?" Nanami asked, surprised.

[nomorecowbell]

"And still people ride them." Sure, horses smelled, but not like this.

[nomorecowbell]

"I'll have to think about it. I'm still examining my optiuons."

[umslay]

"Think, think, sure. But if you want to keep going at that, you'll have to pay for it."

[neverfirstclass]

"Yeah...though the smell really only lingers on the rider if you do it a lot. If you just ride them sometimes it's not a thing." Chocobo Knight may not be the job for you, Nanami.

[scriptrix]

"Where do you think she got the money for all that beer?" Levy asks, laughing again. "...It's, uh. Not as bad as it sounds."

[nomorecowbell]

It sounds pretty bad...

[scriptrix]

Well... I guess it's different anywhere you go. Ahaha...

[nomorecowbell]

I guess. I've only been to Japan and India before I arrived here.

[scriptrix]

It's fun to travel, though. There's always so much to learn about the local culture and their history.