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+---- Thread: I'm mister [wild prizes] -- charm earring (/showthread.php?tid=15597)
I'm mister [wild prizes] -- charm earring - Colortheory - 04-25-2022
[font=trebuchet ms]New crewmates, she'd been told, needed to get a charm earring.
As far as rites-of-passage went, ear piercings seemed standard. She'd never had her ears pierced, but to her understanding, they were common in many different societies. It almost seemed a little... basic for a crew of pirates, but then again, she supposed the exciting stuff would be reserved for the "jungle juice" ritual.
...Well, and who was she to turn down jewelry, really?
"I've got a deal for you," Colortheory said as she walked in, presenting the blacksmith with her bag. Non-waterproof as it may have been, now that it was dry, it was a fine piece of leather-work. "I'll give you this bag in exchange for a charm earring."
The blacksmith looked back at her with a raised brow. "...Uh, miss, the charm earring is free."
Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head. "Preposterous. You would forge a solid gold earring, in fires hot enough to kill a man, for free?"
"Well, it's not like we don't get any return on our labor," the blacksmith commented. "You and the others provide us with the fruits of the forest and sea. In exchange, we provide you with the fruits of the furnace."
She tilted her head. "...is one hour of hunting for one hour of smithing really a fair exchange? The forest is much less likely to kill me than the furnace is to kill you." When the blacksmith gave her a look, she frowned and held out her bag. "Well, how about this? I, Colortheory the Radiant, would like to offer you this gift as thanks for your services."
The blacksmith glanced aside with a strained smile, almost as if she was trying not to laugh. "...Fine, then," she said finally, "I will... accept this gift from you."
A few minutes later, Colortheory left the smithy with a newly-pierced ear, her bag left in the care of the blacksmith. Truthfully, the piercing had only hurt for a moment, and even that moment's pain was tempered by satisfaction. ...Gift, token of appreciation... as far as I'm concerned, that was a barter, a fair exchange of goods and services.
With a smile, she adjusted her glasses and looked out over the docks. I suppose I'm officially a crewmate now? All that remained was the "jungle juice," and that would come in due time.
/tl;dr: Colortheory gets her charm earring (after arguing with the blacksmith about trying to sell her bag, because she's pedantic about trading goods and/or services)