Instead of posting a weekly update on my progress, I decided to post something else, a short piece I have written on what it would be like to work retail in a fantasy ans sci-fi setting. I’m thinking about making this a regular post, so feel free to comment your opinion.
Weed Killer
Working retail in a fantasy and sci-fi setting is slightly different than working retail in the normal world, but similar enough that you run into many of the same situations. Yeah sure, our customers can have unusual powers, and our merchandise can have different properties, but otherwise, it’s still selling stuff. We still have to straighten out our shelves, tell adventurers where to find the shoelaces, and occasionally deal with disgruntle do-gooders, and not so do-gooders. Different customer base, same principles.
Sometimes you see something ironic when you’re straightening out the store. We carry potions. Are these potions actually magical? I doubt it. I think a lot of wizards just have a better understanding of how the natural world works. But explaining that might put the wizards out of business, so they keep quiet. They don’t proudly explain how their creations are made, like a super genius or mad scientist would. Magical potions just sound cooler than chemicals. But I digress. We carry potions that are used for killing weeds. Yes, people have weed problems in fantasy and sci-fi settings too. We also carry fake plants. Not everybody has a green thumb. In fact, I suspect some of our more villainous clientele buy fake plants, because nothing can grow in their lairs. Regardless, I once found a bottle of our weed killing potion next to a fake plant. Did the customer realize the plant was fake, and put the weed killer there as a joke? Maybe, but even if they didn’t, I still thought it was funny.