UN: Zodiac | Midmonth Post

[kaisoumods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: Libra App
WHEN: March 14th
WHAT: Zodiac Network Post
WARNINGS: None!

[We've reached the second half of March. While the wind gusts are still blustering, the weather has now finally warmed up where once could safely describe it as spring. In fact, some green is even starting to sprout in areas. Long gone is the snow and ice, even if the nights are still chilly. And even better, the black hole on the edge of town has cleared up! Great!

Everyone's devices will emit a soothing wind chime sound as a new Zodiac post appears. The chime will sound even if you have your phone turned off or on silent, and will not stop until you read their messsage and comment to it.]



Fidelio, Basilio, Mollymauk, Luke, Hunter, Asch, Viktor, and MaoMao have joined the app. Say hi everyone!


Ardyn has left the app.

[The post then continues on as normal.]

Hello. Thank you for using the Libra App.

Why are there so many newbies this time? This gives me a bad feeling about the amount of overtime I'm going to need to do. Great.

Anyway, thanks for dealing with the Black Hole at the edge of town. Those weird gates are still around and the seers are getting increasingly frantic about the Fae coming- but at least ONE fire is out.

Speaking of the weird gates - we got information on those. Apparently the monsters in those are called Greed and they usually show up in places with a lot of bad stuff happens, but I guess the city and everyone's problems in this city has made that qualifier less important. Anyway, they like to show up when they sense a lot of strong negative emotions, so if you're going to break up with someone don't do it outside the barrier this month. I mean, unless you WANT them to get eaten by Greed...

EDIT: Because Janet can't identify a joke she's making me revise this- for legal reasons, Zodiac is not advising you have Greed eat your exes. Or coworkers. Happy?

But if you don't mind fighting monster and want to earn some quick cash, Zodiac will be happy to pay for any useful resources you find in the realm. Especially eggs, we'll pay top dollar for any eggs provided it won't hatch into a demon spawn. Not planning anything sinister, unless you count deviled eggs as such.

Bye.

[This is in fact the first time anyone has even heard that Jarry has someone in his life, including the Zodiac workers]


This post is sponsored by Atlantica Karaoke Bar! Got a song in your heart? Well just swim this way!

[Users will have the option to choose their own display names and user pics if they haven't already. If nothing is chosen, the app will use their real name and a quick photo taken of them from their camera's phone. Like always, there'll be no responses from Zodiac. And as always, feel free to keep backtagging the event logs!

The mid-month event log will be posted tomorrow! ]

Comments

[droptheious]

Hey! I'm plenty smart! I just didn't want you to have to pay for something you needed. Like, it doesn't feel great to charge someone for an arm.

[whiteshroud]

Varian, we've been over this.

Not only do we need the money- but by charging a fee for the arm, Ragna won't feel indebted to you.

Don't you want Ragna to be able to use his new arm without feeling guilty?

[droptheious]

[ He lets out a soft little whine. Oh no, boyfriend is here. ]

I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just... hard to ask for it.

[Because it means fielding the minefield of self-worth issues to be able to put a price on his abilities. ]

I mean... no. I don't want him to feel indebted or guilty. Of course I don't. [And they've HAD this conversation with Sam, he knows they have. ] Sorry. I know I need to get better at this.

[whiteshroud]

It's okay, I know. It's not easy for you to ask for these things.

How about we keep it simple? Just keep a record of the cost of the materials you buy for the arm, and a time log of how long it takes you to work on it.

And then we can figure out an hourly wage that'd fairly compensate your skills.

How's that sound?

[droptheious]

[ He lets out a slow, relieved breath as Jun offer a practical solution to this. He appreciates him so fucking much! ]

Okay. That's - that's a good idea. Very workable. I could really use help on that last bit, that's where I struggle.

[ Which at least Jun does know, probably better than anyone else here. ]

Thank you for being so understanding about this. I love you.

[whiteshroud]

I'll be glad to help you. We can talk to Viktor about how much he makes for his work to help get an idea.

[What they do is pretty similar, so that'd be a good guidepost]

Of course. I love you, and I love how kind and selfless you are. This is just making sure you get the respect you deserve.

[droptheious]

That's a good idea. I always struggle to put a monetary value on my time.

[Because he LOVES what he does, and he loves helping people with what he does. How does one even quantify a price on that? ]

Hah, thank you. At least one of us is good at doing that.

[Varian's so bad at looking for respect, the fact Jun looks out for it FOR him means the absolute world. ]

[whiteshroud]

Haha, well just think of it this way: every hour you spend working on a project for someone else is an hour you COULD'VE spent with me ... or working one of your robots. So some compensation is required to make up for that.

[Jun is aware that if anything in Varian's life matches his love for him, it's the robot army he's not-so-secretly building in the production area of the fortress]

You'd do the same for me in a heartbeat.

[droptheious]

...Well. I do like that logic. That's very sound logic! I really do love spending time with you.

[ ... ]

And...and the robots.

[Jun knows what he got into. He knows. ]

So thinking it in that regard does help! And of course I would! Any time.

[whiteshroud]

[He'll just giggle at that quiet admission]

Yeah, I know.

[To both those facts. And he loves him very much for it]

Good. So don't worry, you won't be alone in figuring out what you should get paid. We'll figure this out together.

[droptheious]

[At least Jun knows. He's accepted this. Sometimes (most of the time) his boyfriend really loves robots!! ]

I do appreciate it. I definitely need some help to get started on that. And... probably will need to be reminded to stop doing that. But I know you're good at that. You can always just throw me a telepathic warning. Or something at my head. Whichever you feel is more appropriate at the time.

[centralfiction]

There's plenty of shit people need that's gotta be paid for, idiot. Food, service, utilities, commissions, you name it. Are you gonna be the guy who tells someone who's your friend making shit this crazy for you "oh sure I'll just take it free and piss on the work you put in"?

[Extremely short pause for dramatic effect.]

Yeah, I didn't think so. So, don't let any asshole try and pull that on you. Jesus Christ, I swear...

[droptheious]

[He's gonna pause for a moment because wow that sure was a colourful way of putting it. ]

I mean... no. I just. I dunno. I struggle with this sometimes. [ Always. ] I don't like how it makes me feel. Asking people for money for things that'll help them. It's- it's a me problem. I'm trying to work on it.

If you decide you want one, I'll put together a price list of parts and labour, I'll put a discount on it, because again, I'm not charging someone full price for an arm, and... I don't know, you can fight it over who's paying for it.

[centralfiction]

That's only gonna get you so far. I'm not saying don't help people cause telling anyone on this app that is like talking to a brick wall. You can't help anyone if you don't help yourself, and getting paid for your goddamn work is one way you can help yourself and keep the real pieces of shit from fucking you over down the line.

[Ragna cares, he really does. He just will die if he goes for too long without swearing or being The Way He Is.]

My pain in the ass cousin's making me have his parents pay, they're crafters so they'll know quality when they see it. If you don't charge what they think the work's worth you're getting a huge tip anyway and you can't say shit.

[droptheious]

Yeah, me not helping people is never gonna happen. I need to be able to do something. I don't think I could bear not helping someone who needed it. [ The brick wall analogy works very well here! ]

And yeah... trust me, I know that one only too well.

[ He won't talk about the time he got manipulated by terrorists into nearly nuking a city, but oh boy is that one on his mind! ]

Oh, okay that explains a lot more now. And that seems like an unfair way of getting around my perfectly reasonable discount system.

[centralfiction]

Thanks for proving my point.

[Fucking brick walls, all of you.]

Take that up with them, not me. [Said with just the most passive, pushing things off on someone else tone.]

[droptheious]

I'm not disagreeing with your point, I do get it. But I can't be different.

[That's not... strictly true. He CAN be different. He knows that only too well. But he doesn't WANT to be that person ever again. So he stays here, this is a better lane than... that one.]

Oh trust me, I will!