Seventh Ocean Media

On a magical island in the sky in a parallel dimension, you would think that they would have to fend for themselves when it comes to certain creature-comforts that we humans are accustomed to, right? Nine times out of ten, you would be right. However, the strong alliance between this particular Neverzone and the Neverscape has allowed many modern conveniences to flourish through Nevertribian hard work and Neverscapian magic.

In the center of the island, overlooking the Great Basin and the Oasis Canyon, a small cabin, rustic in design, contains modern conveniences that are accessible to all Neverbeings. Food, linens, books, art, Earthen treasures from the 1980s and prior; you can get it for the right price. That is the right half of the store, managed by Blackbirdwing Ironside. Over on the left side is the diner owned and operated by Celestin Sol, Blackwing’s combinoft and a close relative of the Nevertribe Lords.

What is the acceptable currency?

Currency Conversion Demonstration

Through appraisal and magitech transmutation, approved foreign currencies may be converted into equivalent Nevertribe denominations. The original currency is consumed during the conversion process and ceases to exist in its prior form.

Nevercoins are made of a variation of electrum using metals that are easier to acquire and are forged with a special reactive potion synthesized from Amberized Stardust. When you put different coins in close range, they can change into different denominations.

What if a traveler has no money?

No problem. The Nevertribe PX is insured against defaults through FairyDIC. Customers without valid currency may barter goods and services for equivalent store credit toward needed purchases.

Certain rare artifacts can also be evaluated and purchased by authorized PX personnel. Professional Treasure Hunters are often contracted by the Neverscape to recover historically insignificant objects and resources from eras where their removal will not adversely affect the timestream. Lost Dutchman’s Mine is considered one especially valuable source. While treasure hunters and merchants help keep the shelves stocked, the true strength of the Nevertribe PX has always been the generosity of the community itself.

One invaluable lifeline for travelers lost in the timestream or in poor health is the empathy of the Nevertribe and the Neverbeings of this Neverzone. Felidiae Falconne is one of the most skilled treasure hunters along the Great Myriad, and she has a saved tab of 15,000 Nevercoins for her personal canteen. The Tribe and the Neverscape Lords endeavor to repay account holders as quickly as possible, and doing so is part of the PX Mission Statement. In truth, few account holders are ever in a hurry to be repaid. If they wished to keep every last Nevercent to themselves, they could simply lock it away in a treasure chest protected by a soulprint padlock. Many Neverbeings instead choose to place portions of their savings with the Nevertribe PX because one meal or bottle of medicine may be all that stands between life and death for someone.

Notable Trades:

Ross Rattler and the Gold Ring:

When Demuria Mousette and her brother Dane invaded Ross Rattler’s dreamscape to test the sincerity of his soul, they concluded that their sister Dainty had indeed fallen in love with the right Neverbeing. Demuria later provided Ross with a valuable clue regarding the PX’s Chocolate-Covered Cheese gift packs. Although Ross was well-acquainted with Blackbirdwing, he refused to accept a tab or loan when he found himself short of the required value. Instead, he offered the gold ring he had once hoped to give Felidiae at the conclusion of their courtship before his accidental poisoning nearly claimed her life. Ross did not hesitate, though he silently prayed Felidiae might someday forgive him. He received the gift packs and the remaining balance in high-denomination Nevercoins. The trade, however, did not go unnoticed.

Dainty Mousette and the Cool Collection

In the previous example, there are eyes watching from outside the PX as Ross makes his noble sacrifice. Between Dainty and her siblings, their interesting finds as burrowers in abandoned places and neutral points along the time stream where something was thrown away or found its way to the Neverscape. Dainty bartered for the ring that Ross just bartered so that she could give it back to him, let it shine on his tail like Excalibur in the Stone of Destiny.

Tina Tortoise and the Orange Juice

When Celia the Neverspider was very close to dying of sepsis, she and Stratocaster came in for some food for Celia and the ToxAnoners keeping vigil. Strat had just sold his latest set of enamel pins and was more than solvent, but Tina wanted to do something meaningful for Celia, something that she did on her own. In a tiny little voice, she asked to buy a chilled OJ, but she then saw she was short for the payment.

Despite Strat’s insistence that him paying for it would not be a problem, Tina refused. Rather, she chose to barter the value of the Benevola doll that she wanted in her Gladdie Meal, and put it towards the OJ. It could have been the misty tears of love from her eyes, or the subtle look of sadness on her face, or any number of endearing traits, but whatever it was, Blackbird gave Tina the OJ and gave her a few small-denomination Nevercoins, which Tina initially refused to accept, but she was now dealing with powers far greater than hers, the grownups’ pride in her.

For Blackbirdwing, the transaction became one of the most memorable trades in PX history. While Tina believed she had failed to fully pay for the orange juice, Blackbird maintained that her willingness to sacrifice her own Benevola doll so that Celia and her friends could be happy constituted a far greater payment than the value of the drink itself. The grateful tortoise would later remember the gift fondly, though she never fully agreed with his assessment. See: Kristina Shellby Tortoise.

What products will one find at the PX?

The inventory shifts far too often to provide a steady model for the entire post, but apart from Celestin’s vegan foods, the PX is the home of the Neverhivian counterpart of the Earth game Yugioh (Yu-Bee-Go). Gummi candies are one of the most popular items that the Nevertribe tries very hard to keep a steady supply of, and there are a lot of imports from Earth that go through covert channels. Because of the nature of the ecosystem of Neverbeings reflecting the animals of Earth albeit in a more anthropomorphic lens, some things are substituted for others for the sake of the majority. Cinnamon is too hard on the stomachs of smaller, furry Neverbeings, so the PX carries the counterpart Nutmeg Toast Crunch. Cacao beans are toxic to canine Neverbeings, so often carob will be a recurring staple, including carobfee, the counterpart to coffee. The first is Neverhivian honey from the Royal Hive. Blackbird holds one of the few licenses granted by Queen Beeatrix allowing its sale through the PX, making it one of the store’s most reliable best-sellers. Next, there is the oddity that should not have been in the public light for as long as it has. Oz’s Sarsatonic, a special blend of root beer came from the Petraverse Neverzone when an abductee from Belfast Ireland and his common-law wife were held in bondage to the Overlord. Stavros Oz (nee Ozraelocles, born Stavros Disraeli) was master chemist for his time and it was only in the present-day era that the Overlord was toppled and Oz and Sonya’s daughter Mina was ascended into a Pan Knight Guardian named Petra Pan. The prevailing rumor holds that a group of time-sensitive benefactors introduced the recipe at carefully selected points in history where the river of time could absorb the disturbance. Whatever the truth, Stavros Oz and his family became the principal beneficiaries of the fortune the beverage generated.