064. Down By the Seaside

[samson]

[Dictated somewhat lazily.]

Alright, I haven't mentioned this in awhile and with the like... revolving door policy the castle likes to do, figured I should say something. Name's Brock, I have a little bit of land sort of southwest of the castle, off the main road to the city.

There's a community garden there if you don't feel like wishing for food or paying the townspeople with fake magic money. Which I totally get, by the way; it feels a little, uh... dishonest. Anyway, the garden's there for anybody who wants to use it. Just don't take everything without putting some work in too, alright?

I got a greenhouse too, in case you want to grow something out of season. There's also a smokehouse but I don't want anybody putting weird mystery meat in there so that's sort of off-limits, okay?

That's about all I wanted to say.

[A pause. Apparently he remembered something else, so--]

Oh, uh, if you see a little dude around the garden, that's just Frodo. So don't scare him or anything. He works for me.

[Vereesa.]
Hey. I'm guessing you went with everybody on that expedition, right? You back yet?

Comments

[gottaknockhard]

Maybe she was scamming you.

[Putting a positive spin on losing another one... Look at him trying.]

[samson]

[......]

Damn it, I put an addition on her shop.

[gottaknockhard]

That sounds like a pretty common scam.

[samson]

No middle schooler knows enough about engineering to set up an alarm system. Damn it.

At least it was just like a labor exchange and not actual money...

[gottaknockhard]

[He didn't mention the part where she a kid. Ed was brilliant and all, but you've got to watch the attention spans of those types.]

Maybe I can screen them for you next time.

[samson]

[A... pause...

Is Spike being serious about this? He can never tell.]

Do you think you can handle that?

[gottaknockhard]

[He may be calling his bluff.]

Interrogating kids?

[samson]

I think you said 'screening.' Anyway, no, you're right. That's dumb.

[gottaknockhard]

[Same principle.]

Yeah, you wouldn't make that mistake again.

[samson]

[He probably will, actually. For being as paranoid as any good spy ought to be, Brock is exceedingly trusting.]

Yeah, I'll make sure not to hire any 13 year old girls for electrical work.

[gottaknockhard]

Is the shop still around?

[What does a 13 year old sell, anyway...?]

[samson]

I don't know. I don't think the castle wipes the stuff in town when people leave, so it might be.