Portalocity Office | 13 Griffin Way | Thursday

[playsforkepesh]

Today Sam could be found behind the counter of the Portalocity office, squinting at an email in bemusement.

"'We will now be offering a new premium service to gold and platinum-level (or universal fine metal equivalent),'" she read aloud, "'reducing travel time within trips. No more walking to Starbucks! Customers need only tell us when to schedule their intra-trip portals to the tourist destinations that they would like to visit, and learning other cities' and planets' metro systems will be a thing of the past. 72 hours' advance notice required.'"

Then there was a breakdown of the pricing.

"Riiiight," Sam said.

DISCOUNTED DESTINATIONS
Asteroid B-612
Bishop Rock
Rhode Island

Comments

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[playsforkepesh]

Talk to Sam

[playsforkepesh]

Re: Talk to Sam

[filleauloup]

It had been a while since Éponine had stopped in, but she was all about distracting herself from brooding too much over childhood memories right now.

She poked her head through the doorway and asked, sounding mildly scandalized, "D'you know we've got holiday things up at the post office already?"

Re: Talk to Sam

[playsforkepesh]

"I told you they'd start rolling in soon, didn't I?" Sam laughed, looking up from her omni-tool. "It's a whole load of sparkly bright red envelopes and stamps with reindeer on them, isn't it?"

Re: Talk to Sam

[filleauloup]

"You did, and there's snowmen and trees and all sorts of other silly things besides," Éponine conceded, but continued indignantly, "but I didn't expect it to be more than a month early! I wanted to wait a bit before we put up the signs and things, but they said no, we've got to have them up now so that people know well ahead of time, and it's silly, but there it is."

She pulled a rubber-banded stack of letters (it was a big stack; there had been a lot of junk mail lately) out of her bag as she came in. "Anyhow, I thought you ought to know you were right about that."

Re: Talk to Sam

[playsforkepesh]

"I often am," Sam joked mock-haughtily, then cracked a smile. Thoughtfully, she mused, "Well, I suppose the argument that people need warning does hold more validity here than in your typical town, however. Surely there are people living here who've never heard of Christmas at all."

Re: Talk to Sam

[filleauloup]

"Never heard of Christmas," Éponine echoed slowly, frowning. It had never occurred to her before, but it did make sense. "That's possible, since after all most of these American holidays are a mystery to me, and that's only a different country, let alone an entire world."

She handed over the stack of letters and remarked, "Well, that's plenty of time to prepare, anyhow. For the lines as much as anything, since I'm told they'll be dreadful."

Re: Talk to Sam

[playsforkepesh]

"Ah, yes," Sam said with a knowing nod. "Holiday shopping. I suppose I should count myself lucky that I'm so far from home -- barely anyone to send gifts to. But you've got quite the bunch of acquaintances here, haven't you?" She was sympathetic. Having friends was the toughest, Éponine.

Re: Talk to Sam

[filleauloup]

"Well, if you do, you've got only to let me know and I'll see to them so you don't have to wait in line," Éponine offered, then half-smiled, sardonically, for a moment. "I suppose it's a good thing I'll be spared the trouble of that myself."

If she had a clue how to find Azelma, she might have tried, but that was more trouble than she was willing to go to.

And then the rest of it sank in. "Goodness, I haven't an idea where to begin getting presents for people here." Was she going to have to spend money for it? Because she wasn't too enthusiastic about that part.

Re: Talk to Sam

[playsforkepesh]

"I appreciate it," Sam said with a smile, "but I think I'll just make your life easier and send any gifts I might need to send back home via portal." Aw yeah.

"Éponine, I believe you've just stumbled upon one of the great perils of being social," she noted, tapping her chin in thought.

Re: Talk to Sam

[filleauloup]

"If only I had known it was a risk, perhaps I wouldn't have bothered to get to know people," Éponine complained jokingly. Mostly. "Well, too late for that now."

She'd just have to start sneakily figuring out what people might want.

"But what sorts of things do you like as presents?"

Or sometimes not so sneakily.

Re: Talk to Sam

[playsforkepesh]

"Oh! Me?" Maybe naively, Sam hadn't expected this conversation to go in this direction. "I really don't mean to put you out..."

Re: Talk to Sam

[filleauloup]

"Catch me asking, if it was a bother! No indeed, I wouldn't go to the trouble if it didn't suit me," Éponine declared. "Really, now, I don't fancy giving people things they don't like. It's inconvenient all around, so may as well make sure, hmm?"

OOC

[playsforkepesh]