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"There is no need to be angry at these people, Zuko," he said softly as the employee walked away. He rested a hand on the boy's back. "They have their job to do. When you worked in the tea shop, you had a job to do as well. Perhaps I should open a new tea shop here..."

So Zuko would have to work with customers again. It had been good for him, after all.

"Uncle, he keeps trying to sell us that popular expensive phone even though I've been clear I want this one...! It's better if you have the same phone as I do so neither of us is confused!" He's missing the point; or rather, as they so often are, they're arguing two points, and Zuko's focus is on his perspective in this situation, a clearcut goal that is not being achieved. That aggravates him maybe more than it should, but he was already on a frayed last nerve. He doesn't even realize how angry he's coming off as.

Practicing his people skills at work again would help him; he'd not yet found a restaurant job here in Avalon, relying on quests and... other means... to support himself. And surely Azula's not by his side encouraging him to take up his lucrative career as a busboy again, or even better, shoot for the stars as a waiter! He's indeed becoming out of touch again, though, and it shows in how he's so easily aggravated by a couple of failed sales pitches. Not like Zuko was ever great about hyping up daily specials in the teashops, though...

"Because that is his job, Zuko. And possibly, given that he knows more about this than we do, because he is trying to help. If your friend was trying to sell drinks to people, the one you told me about. If he offered his cheap fake tea that you mentioned for a small amount of money, and a proper jasmine tea for more, and you had to work for him.. wouldn't you also try to convince people to buy the jasmine tea? We do not know enough to know if they are pushing because they are told to, or because they are right. The answer is to observe, prince Zuko, and to learn which it is. But in neither case is it a cause for anger. At worst, they are doing what they must in order to continue to get paid. At best they are doing that as well as genuinely trying to help us. Perhaps the other one is easier to use, perhaps not. But we will not learn by losing our temper."

"Hrmm..." Zuko grumbles, absorbing the man's advice, a part of him storing this principle away in his back pocket. Even if he has a lackluster response to Iroh, though, the scowl on his face is actually one of contemplation, not dismissal. He's internalizing the idea in a brief silence as the quieter worker sits, smirking softly to himself overhearing the men's exchange; it's a bit touching, even he can see. And just at this moment, the other worker comes along, carrying the phone Zuko'd requested in a brand new box. Zuko's quick to respond as soon as he returns.

"The Pineapple ePhone you were trying to sell us— I don't have a lot of money, but... is it more intuitive than this phone? My uncle is not used to this technology, we don't have anything like this in our world; I only want us to have the same phone so it'll be easier for him to get used to it. It's easier for me to help him if I know his phone works just like mine," Zuko explains in a suddenly more cool and even-tempered tone of voice, which draws a look of surprise over the man's face. Meantime, his coworker who's witnessed this whole change, can't help but let that smirk turn into a secret grin, unnoticed by Zuko, smitten at seeing this grumpy young boy apply this newfound insight with such quick turnaround.

"Oh, um—! Y-Yes? It's quite intuitive! These standard models work more or less the same, but there are more accessibility features on the ePhone... ...a-and as I'd been saying, there is a promotion going on with the ePhones, if you sign up for a monthly payment plan... There is no payment plan offered with this standard model, so it'd be full price upfront; but with the ePhone's installment plan, though you'd be deferring payments into the future, you could even get two ePhones now and you'd be spending about the same amount today... if not a little less... ...while still being on the cutting edge of New Camelot's technology," the worker explains, catching his speed shakily as he launches into the spiel that the prince had so rudely interrupted, of course flashing a winning smile at the end. The slick sales pitch feeling his bright smile gives Zuko is annoying afresh, but before the feeling can set in, the quiet coworker who'd been endeared by the pair finally pipes up.

"And they'd both come with protective cases for just a few Gold more. For, uh, any other dragon-related accidents..." Everyone in this room knows it was no dragon that ruined that phone; what happened, exactly, remains a mystery to the experts here, but that much is clear, and the quiet worker can't hide his amusement.

Zuko looks to his Uncle expectantly; Iroh was right, of course. He always is, it seems to Zuko. He feels a little sheepish now...

"...Uncle, what do you think?"

"I think that I will have to find a way to earn money myself to help pay for these, if we are going to match, Zuko." He looked to the employees. "If we do get these new devices, will you be able to teach us how to use them? Perhaps on less valuable versions of them?"

"Uncle, there's no reason to use firebending, or magic, or anything — just your fingers! And don't drop it!" Zuko was doing well, but he can't hide a bit of exasperation at that request.

"But if you do drop it!" the quieter coworker pipes up again, more perky now, teasingly. "The cases are cast with protective magic. Here, no need—"

His cheerful coworker is already at the computer, ringing things up and preparing the sale, and the more teasing fellow goes ahead and starts unboxing a couple ePhones from below the counter. He pulls a case out from the drawer, too, a random slim but sturdy looking thing, and slips it on one of the phones. He hands that one to Iroh, and the other uncased one to Zuko, and then whips out his own Pineapple ePhone as an example to follow off of, showing indeed he follows his own advice. Zuko looks surprised to see that, having been so certain these guys were just trying to pitch them a sale. The man leans over the counter to draw closer to them so they can both see, and Zuko holds his uncased phone in his hands uncertainly.

"Okay, um— how do we save his money? From the old phone. Is it all gone?"

The salesmen both look at each other in confusion at the mention of this again. But the one demonstrating suddenly has a lightbulb moment.

"Oh! The gold isn't in the phone itself — it's not physical money, it's digital currency. It's still attached to your account. Your money hasn't disappeared, sir," he explains, looking to Iroh with a smirk, smitten with himself for having figured it out.

"Ah! Uncle, you still have your money!" Zuko's actually awash with relief, his face lighting up... well, relatively, for Zuko standards.

"Digital... currency?" What exactly did that mean? Though he was pleased at how Zuko was now behaving and reacting, so whatever it was, he intended to see the best in it.

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12 years late, hello, lol, sorry

Re: 12 years late, hello, lol, sorry

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