dealsinshipping | 02

[Christmas has come and gone, leaving Varrick a little disappointed. Sure, the late present he got from Santa was… nice... but it wasn’t at all what he was hoping for. Maybe the mistletoe tally was to blame. Maybe if he’d scored a few more points, he would’ve gotten the thing he’d put at the top of his list to Santa.

So as he sat on the wooden seat of his new canoe (which was actually his old canoe; he’d recognize those scratches anywhere) he made a personal note not to rely on Santa anymore. Of course, without Zhu Li around to put that note on paper, he’d forgotten about it within minutes and it took him a two additional days to remember what it was that he’d wanted to do.

Finally, on the 4th of January, he flips open his journal and starts writing in a loopy, cursive manner.]

Wanted: Personal assistant.

Requirements: Must be by my side at all times. Must know how to write and read. Must not question my authority. Must be able to follow commands at a second’s notice. Must have a good sense of fashion. Must be able to make tea. Must be able to move a canoe from a second floor apartment to the river. Massage skills preferable but not mandatory. Good singing voice preferable but not mandatory.

Payment for services will be delivered in the form of

[For the longest moment, Varrick has to think about how to continue that sentence. In fact, he spends so long pondering about it that he starts to absentmindedly scribble on the paper. Then, finally, he jots down:]

I’ll think of something later. Open to suggestions.

Sincerely,
Varrick

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It sounds more like a slave than an assistant.

[She pauses, and her frown is almost audible.]

...Yes, that's me. Do I know you?

Of course you know me! [...] Unless you're like Bolin and you don't know me yet, but you should still know of me. A guy can't just run the biggest shipping enterprise in the world and go unnoticed!

Yes, I'm like Bolin. He knows more about the future than I...

[Pause. Wait a moment...]

...You're Varrick?

Yes, I'm Varrick. In the flesh, as a matter of fact.

...Huh.

[She's not really sure what to say to that.]

So why do you know me? My father never introduced us.

He didn't need to! You were the one who came to me after you took over Future Industries! Best decision you ever made, if I do say so myself. Hiroshi didn't have the vision to expand his efforts in such a global scale, but you and me? We're gonna do great things together!

[Of course, there's also that bit about Future Industries' bankruptcy and Varrick buying her out, but... Eh. That's not important enough to mention.]

[There's a long pause before she says anything because this is all new information. She knew a few things about the future, Bolin had spilled some of it...but...]

If you say so.

[Sorry Varrick, she hasn't even thought about her father's company in Months, honestly.]

I guess that means we win, at least.

Win? Win what?

...Against the Equalists?

Equalists? The Equalists are old news- ancient history! Nobody thinks about these guys anymore!

Well they aren't to me.

[She says this a little quietly, and then she sucks in a breath because there's no point in sulking about it.]

So when did you arrive? And why do you need a personal assistant? You can't run a shipping empire here.

I got here ages ago. It must've been- [He breaks off when he casts a glance at the calendar. ...Really?] ...Oh. It's only been a month.

See, this is why I need a personal assistant. I've got so much buzzing through my skull, it seems like I've been here for an eternity.

Get used to that. Time just seems to slip away here sometimes.

[She laughs softly.]

You don't need a personal assistant. You need a notebook.

Can a notebook whip up a pot of tea and hand me my towel when I get out of the shower? I don't think so.

Zhu Li was indispensable! She was my rock! ...So naturally, I need to replace her as soon as possible.

No, but you're perfectly capable of doing those things yourself.

At least I hope you are.

And I'm sure she'd be just thrilled to hear how quickly you'd find someone else.

Hey, it's a dog eat dog world out there! Zhu Li knows that! If she wanted to defend her job, she should've been here. [Huff huff. This not a roundabout way of saying he misses her, no sirree.]

Besides, just because I'm capable of doing those things doesn't mean I want to.

None of us can control being here. Would you really want her trapped here too?

[Asami can be heard moving around now, getting back to work, and there's the sound of what might be a blow torch.]

We all do things we don't want to do here.

Shared misery is halved misery. Besides, ain't it best if we all help each other out, here?

[Not that he has any ideas on how to help other people, but he already knows how they can help him, so that's half the notion right there.]

But it doesn't sound like you want to help. It sounds like you want someone else to help for you.

Hey, I'd repay the favor! ...Somehow.

[Lack of money is still a big problem here.]

How? You can't ship anything anywhere here.

Maybe I can! Maybe the Malnosso are in need of experienced shipping magnates outside the barrier!

[He can dream, okay?]

...Sure. But I doubt it.

Besides, there's no money here.

02 | [Written]

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