portalhopping | video;

( When the feed comes up, Rikki isn't looking at the camera just yet. Instead, she's focused more on what she's currently doing, which is to say, keeping what appears to be a little glass figurine, but is actually, in fact, a levitating blob of water in the shape of a mermaid up in the air with the gentle movement of one hand, while using the other to subtly morph the shape of its tail just so. )

I don't suppose any of you happen to have any experience with e-commerce, have you?

( It's suddenly clear that the figure wasn't glass at all before when it suddenly solidifies and drops into Rikki's open hand just before she looks, finally, over at the camera. )

I'm not registering for some stupid stipend when I'm not going to stay here, so I might as well make my own money, and this little business thrived in Jeopardy, so why not here, as well? Only, I've never been very good at the whole technology thing. It would take entirely too many years to build up my reputation doing what I actually do back home to make any decent living doing that, so I've got to try something else. And yeah, I know I could do an Etsy shop or something, but they take a cut, and no thank you. I can pay you. Erm...not right away, but, on the first sale, you'll get a cut until I've paid off the debt, yeah? Any takers?

( Her eyebrows lift hopefully. Peter Parker had offered to help her back in Jeopardy, but this one doesn't know her and she doesn't know him, so she's not going to assume he'd be willing or even interested. For all she knows, he doesn't even know how to build a website like her one had done. Best to just ask around. Someone is bound to point her in a direction, after all. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hawk's hair has grown out since he arrived in Eglaf - the formerly hacked off mohawk still not dyed one of the ridiculous colors just yet, but he's rocking the style again as he starts he video up, flopping back on the couch in his apartment.]

So are you just looking for your own site set up with all of the bells and whistles for people to order and contact you from - display product and all that shit? I'm not, like, super familiar with e-commerce, but I'm really good at coding and I've built websites before back home.

[This is more than Hawk normally admits given some of the razzing of before and... well how lame does coding and STEM camp sound?]

I could take a whack at it for you?

( Rikki smiles a little at the kid who looks not too much younger than she was when this whole thing originally started for her. )

I like the hair, mate. But yeah, that's what I'm looking for. I don't want to have to go through Etsy or Shopify, I'd rather be able to handle inventory and orders fully on my own. Can you do that bit as well?

Thanks - it's finally grown out enough to do it again after the surprise buzz cut from hell.

[Hawk grins a bit.]

I think I can, yeah - do you wanna meet up soon so we can talk specifics about what you want? I'll bring my laptop and can show you some different options of how we could do this and everything?

( Rikki returns his grin. She's not really sure how to follow that up given the fact that she's never been particularly good at talking to people, especially people younger than herself, but then he answers her question and she doesn't really have to. )

Sure, yeah. Is there a good juice bar around here? Or is that not really a thing in this Earth's America either?

[The video starts and Stan is both focused and distracted at the same time - handing his toddler her sippie cup of juice before doling her snacks out to her at her boosted seat at the table.]

I'm not a tech guy, but if you need any help with the accounting portion of this at all and crunching numbers so that you pay taxes properly without losing too much of a cut of your profit, and so on, let me know and I'd be happy to help.

...oh, right, yeah that's something.

( She hadn't thought of that. She's always done her own books in the juice bar and when she was recovering deep sea artifacts, but back home, taxes work differently anyway. Rikki at least has the grace to look appropriately shamed for having failed to think of it ahead of time. )

I mostly did craft shows and commissioned work, so my website before was just a portfolio, and I didn't do much, but I did it all under the table. I reckon I ought to do it properly this time now that I'm an adult and I know better. What's your going rate?

Taxes are boring to most people - so it's never the first thought - don't worry about it, Rikki.

[Stan says, kindly as Olivia - in the background- chatters while shoveling her snack into her mouth eagerly.]

I can definitely help you do it properly this time - you're a small business so I won't charge you on the same scale that I am other clientele. Plus you're one of us, so let me get back to you after I take a look and adjust the set rates accordingly, especially since you're looking at start-up too.

Yes, well, they are, but this is my fourth business venture, if we count the time I did this on the other Earth as its own entity, and one of those businesses was a well-established Internet juice bar, for which I did my own books, so I really should know better. Only, in my defense, it's entirely different in America, the way you lot do things.

( She smiles a little at the little girl before giving the man a larger smile. )

That would be brilliant. I would really appreciate it. I reckon if I caught your name, I've gone and forgotten it already, so I'm sorry...what was it, again?