0363 - A set rate. - 2024.09.16

Comic!

Comment:

Value is not an inherent property of the universe.

A gold bauble or a piece of land or a year's labour are only as valuable as the people buying and selling agree that they are. Air is so cheap that it's free, but if you don't have any, you'd pay anything to be given more. Zoa's kisses are worth a kilocred if it can successfully charge a kilocred for them, they're worthless if it can't.

Transcript:

---------------------------------------------------------------
0363– 2167/07/07/11:16- sidewalk
LC: So, um… is that an option? What do you charge for a kiss?
LC: ...on the mouth?
Zoa: Y’know, it’s never come up. I don’t have a set rate for smoochin’.
----------------------
LC: Is… is that a prostitute thing? No kissing on the mouth?
Zoa: You’ve been watching too many-
LC: Right, yes, sorry, I know. But I don’t have any other kind of experience with this stuff, now, do I?
----------------------
Zoa: You could just ask me.
LC: Well, that’s what I’m doing now! I’m asking you. How much would you charge me for a kiss on the lips?
Zoa: Thousand creds.
----------------------
LC: What? Why so much?
Zoa: Hey, I have it on good authority that that’s how much you’re willing to pay me for non-sexual physical contact. Don’t blame me, blame the market!
---------------------------------------------------------------