“Rats! I had my little ol’ heart set on a MUSK MELON to close out my day,” says the BLADE OPERATOR, hopping down from the GRADER.
“I don’t have any money, so you can take this one,” you say, offering up the MUSK MELON that you still have on your lap.
“Really? Aw, you didn’t have to!” says the BLADE OPERATOR, gleefully tucking the MUSK MELON under their right arm. Digging in their left pocket, they produce a battered ten dollar bill.
“Would you be a gem and open the till for me?” asks the BLADE OPERATOR, gesturing toward the tackle box.
You oblige. The BLADE OPERATOR tosses in the ten and rummages around until they find a five dollar bill, which they slide into their pocket. You close the lid of the tackle box to find the BLADE OPERATOR facing you curiously.
“What the heck are you doing out here anyway?”
“I... I just kinda woke up in a field not far from here,” you say, not sure if you should mention the CURSED LINK. “And I don’t seem to have my phone or my wallet.”
“We all party a little too hard sometimes,” nods the BLADE OPERATOR sympathetically. “Hop in the cab. I’ll get you outta this rain and into town. I don’t have a cell for you to phone home, but I can get you somewhere where you can do exactly that.” The BLADE OPERATOR pronounces the words “phone home” in a voice similar to that of the titular character from the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. “Plus, I’m gonna need some help with this here MUSK MELON! Whaddya say?”
You shiver from the cold rain. Might as well get a ride into town. And a bit of fresh MELON doesn’t sound too bad either.
“Sure, that sounds great,” you say.
“Hop in! Let’s roll!” says the BLADE OPERATOR enthusiastically.
And so you hop in the GRADER cab.