[center]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/diF6hFs.png[/img]
[h3]Plans Change[/h3]
[/center]
[hr]

As tempting as it was to crawl back under the rumpled patchwork when she returned to her quarters, Penelope resisted. There were shells that needed the sea scrubbed off, and her short journey back to collect them had an idea brewing. Talkin’ on barefoots and trades made her formulate what to do with her goods even more. Now there was a reason to have everything ready. But… there was a hitch or two in her plans now because of it.

Going to Greenleaf meant speakin’ with the captain. And likely Abby as well, because she’d certainly noticed when Penelope went poking around in the roster. Maybe Rex, too. Naw, Cal could tell the big guy, if it came up. The idea of the less than liberal, ‘least when it came to details, captain sharing anything made her smirk though.

But it quickly turned back into a pensive frown as she surveyed her goods she’d been spreading across the bed she’d tidied up. Today was her day to sell. Not the shells - that was all new and found here. But the things from other places in the ‘verse. Things she’d made. Barefoot folk would offer trades for it, not coin. The only problem was that Penelope liked the idea of both. True barefoot didn’t use coin for their goods, but they also didn’t make things out of what they found either. 

Hands on her hips, she puzzled it out. Scraps could go for a good trade. And she had some wholes left that she hadn’t touched yet - been saving them. Those, she reasoned, would have to work. Most barefoot wouldn’t want a made, an unnatural. A rare few - like her - would trade them proper. Near abouts good as coin.

Penelope bit her lip lightly, worrying at it with her fists in her hips digging in a bit while she thought. [i]Reckon I won’t sell today… Can wait to hawk the whole set in Greenleaf if’n there ain’t a barefoot joinin’ us. If there ain’t some sideways scheme brewin’ that I won’t know ‘bout till I’m in it.[/i]

The last bit wasn’t an unkindness towards Cal. She believed he’d hold his word - hoped he would anyway. It was more to do with the fact that being home was always tricky for other reasons. But that wasn’t here-and-now. Here-and-now was shells and showing Sam Hermie and relaxing with Abby later on. Maybe some fried fish and time spent makin’ up some more wares. 

Tonight, she’d think on what to say to the captain. He was a no-questions-asked sort of person, so likely she didn’t have to say much. It wasn’t like she had a warrant out on her. Though, if Cal was hoping to find work on Greenleaf, he’d have a better chance of getting it without eyes on him if Penelope Randell was not his pilot. Yeah, that’s what she’d say. Vague, just like he likes.

Now that worry was off her chest, she could set to work without it loomin’ over her. Usually, she just cast things off, but this was sort of serious. And she knew when to be serious, though most people thought she too detached to muster it up. To be bothered or to make a stand. But Rex had seen it first, then Cal. Weren’t no need to go about like that all the time, so she didn’t. Instead, she found harmonic tranquility in just being in the moment. 

With some plans, of course. That’s what landed her standing in a shop lookin’ over a series of different small handtools. The circuits in her old soldering iron went kaput on her, so that was a necessary purchase. But shops like these were a trap for a crafter like her. Versatility was a general rule of thumb, especially with her lifestyle, so she could talk herself out of a rock tumbler. What caught her eye was a mini-rotary cutter. Second-hand, but the blade wasn’t warped or dinged. And she always wanted one… 

She got back around midday, and decided the best place to do some work was in her usual spot since she’d already been out and about enough after all. Besides, she had to show Sam a real-life sea critter. Later on, she’d take Hermie back out to his home - she’d promised him that, and she was good on her promises. Humans, AI, and sea critters alike. Till that time came though, anyone needing her could find her in the avionics bay, her motley collection spread all around (neatly, at least, so no vents or panels were obstructed - couldn’t do that to the Girl). That was after she’d discovered the new spot Sam had been relocated to, of course, and showed off Hermie - who sat in his little dish of sand beside her while she chatted away with the AI about her trip to the beach. Sure, she could do it from the pilot's chair, but there was more space on the floor and part of her project involved that black box.