Quest Name: But Wait, There's More!

Details: A salesman's business partner has fallen ill, and he needs some help moving some wares fast. Help him sell out for the day and you'll get a cut of profit!

Word Count: 1400 Words

Modding: none
Reward: 50 Florence

"Alistair, my dear friend!" said the middle-aged woman as she barged into the shop. 

Standing straighter than he had a moment before, Alistair said, "Welcome to The Witch's Brew, how may I help you today?" Normally, he'd have said something like "Ma'am" or "Miss" in there too, but customers took it poorly when he didn't recognize them. 

"It's awful, just terrible," she said. "My wife's cousin's uncle's niece's dog, three times removed, has just died and she's absolutely inconsolable. I need liquid assets to help with the funeral costs, but I also just opened that shop in Aestellus! I can't be both places at once, and I can't just leave my new shop without its guiding light, but honestly it's mostly just tourist knick-knacks, the only way I can raise enough funds is by pushing my worthwhile merchandise here, on Caeluma, where folks go when they want to buy something." 

Alistair blinked. "I apologize, but I don't follow how I can help. I don't have any kind of luck-enhancing potion..." 

The woman shook her head. "Oh, Alistair, you're such a card!" She grinned waved a hand, dismissing his 'joke'. "I just need you for a day, I can line up others for the following days, but I'm in such a bind at this short notice. See, my normal floor manager is sick with some stomach bug, nasty contagious thing I hear, the cashier boy broke his arm, I guess it popped right out of the skin! He's absolutely useless now, and I need to hire a new cashier -- only until he's better of course! -- and of course all the family I'd normally ask is either helping console poor, sweet, dear Annie or they're trying just as hard to raise the funds too." 

"Slow down!" Alistair said, barely keeping his voice at a civil volume, if not in tone. "I... All right, so if I follow you, you're... asking me to mind your shop?" 

"Oh, yes, thank you so much--" the woman started. 

"I haven't accepted anything," Alistair interrupted. 

The woman knitted her brows and blinked her eyes at him. "Oh, please, Alistair, won't you? I never ask you for anything--" 

"I literally don't know who you are," Alistair said. 

This, at least, made the woman pause, and she gave him a hard look. "You really don't, do you?" 

"No."

The woman huffed. "All right, maybe I played the friendship card a bit heavily, but I am just across the street. My name's even in the shop's title -- Wynne's Wondrous Wares! You wish me 'good morning' at least like, once or twice a week when we get in at the same time?" 

Alistair shrugged. "I greet a lot of people. The doesn't mean I'll help you." 

Wynne huffed in annoyance. "I'll pay you, of course. Fifteen florence for the day, plus a commission for anything you can manage to sell." 

"Hm." Alistair put his hand to his chin -- devoid of any kind of facial hair, but still acting as if he were tugging at a goatee there -- and thought. "What's the commission at?" 

Glaring, Wynne answered, "Fifteen percent, as standard." 

"I'll be losing business by going over there, you know." 

"Bring some damn potions with you, sell them there." 

Alistair paused a moment longer. "I'll bring the potions, and get a thirty florence up front." 

"Twenty florence, and a twenty percent commission." Wynne said. 

Alistair said, "Twenty five percent, at least." 

Wynne sighed. "Fine, twenty-five percent. We agreed?" 

Alistair grinned, though it was forced. "Agreed, and thank you for doing business at the Witch's Brew." 

Crossing her arms, Wynne said, "No wonder you don't do more business. Great at haggling, less so at bedside manner." 

The grin dropped from Alistair's face. "Who's doing who the favor?" 

"I don't believe it counts as a favor if I'm paying you." 

Alistair shrugged. "All right, that's fine. I'd rather just man my own store, as usual, it's no skin off my nose." 

"I get it!" Wynne said, voice raised in irritation. "Fine, I also owe you a favor. Chill. Are we good now? Can I take you to the shop and go?" 

Alistair nodded. "I'll be just a moment to get some wares of my own to sell, then I'll be right with you."

About fifteen minutes later, Alistair was set up at the counter of Wynne's Wondrous Wares, with a few potions next to him -- exactly one bottle each of his stat-boosting varieties, two Moderate Healing, and ten Minor Healing Potions, and several boxes worth of tea. He couldn't make it here, he hadn't brought his kettle, nor did he see anywhere in the shop to heat water -- but he'd had the foresight to make teabags of his personal blends, and he could sell those easily enough. 

Looking around, it looked like Wynne's was a general store, aimed at the adventuring crowd. There were even a few potions, though they were all (thankfully) of the Minor Healing variety, and marked significantly higher than his own. 

A jingling of bells signaled the opening of the front door -- something Alistair hadn't gotten around to installing in his own shop yet, even though it took barely any effort. Regardless, that meant either Wynne had come back, unlikely, or the first customer of the day had arrived. 

Alistair sighed. It Begins.