*A tall, blonde woman walks to the address given to her via groupchat: not as much an address as a space between addresses, really. She walks down the alley to an unmarked door and considers it for a second. She had considered bringing something to defend herself with, considering she had never met this trader before, even over text, but decided not to.*
*Sage Fournier knocks on the door.* Hello?
[The door opens, just a crack. Sage sees a masked and goggled face through the crack, motionless for several seconds. Impossible to see what was going on behind the tinted goggles, but presumably a judgment of some sort was being passed. The door closed again, and Sage could hear muffled discussion for a mere few seconds before the door opened again, all the way, and she was granted permission into Regina Maria Rodriguez-Cortez's shop.]
[Lady Regina is wearing a bright blue lacy top, unbuttoned nearly to her navel and tucked into tan shorts. The sleeves come halfway down her gesticulating forearms as she gives her security spiel.]
So what is it that I can do for you, ma'am? :}
*Sage watches as the door opens and closes again. She waits patiently, tapping her foot, until the Lady Regina comes back out and gives a spiel about how her store is very, very secure. Paranoia, for sure, but probably very reasonable all the same.*
*That'll put the fear of the End into her! She nods at the end of it, face serious.
I, uh. *She gestures to her backpack.* I have a couple of artifacts I would be willing to trade, and wanted to look around.
Ooh! :}
[Her grin is no more genuine, but there is an air of excitement at the prospect of new acquisitions. She gestures behind the counter with her free hand.]
I don't allow personal browsing--sticky fingers, you understand, and dangerous consequences--but if you have an idea in mind of what you want, I can find something to suit you. :}
Let's begin with yours though! What did you bring in, today?
*Sage nods and takes her backpack off, putting it on the counter, and taking out artifacts as she mentions them.* First, I have this piece of string. *It looks like a white piece of string, though if you hold it up to the light it seems to shimmer like a spider's web.* Very unimpressive-looking, I know, but if you put it between you and any fire, it will not come past the line. It works for both normal and supernatural fire. I don't remember where I found this; I've had it for a while and I think I found it in a really boring place.
Second, I have a water bottle. *It is a blue, stainless steel water bottle.* If you drink out of this bottle, everything that you put in it will taste like the best version of that drink you've ever had. If you drink things not in the bottle, they taste awful. However, drinks from this bottle don't quench your thirst. You will drink and drink and it will taste great but you'll die. Desolation/Web combo, I guess? I took it from a guy after I Compelled him.
And third, I have a bell that, according to the woman I took it from after Compelling her, makes anyone who rings it die the same day. I think it's supposed to be like a death knell, or like an ally of mine's power. *The bell is a small one, like one you'd ring to get a cashier's attention.* Oh, and you have to do it deliberately, fortunately. You have to push the thing on top or wiggle it firmly.
*Sage steps back and looks up at the Lady.* Well, what do you think?
[The air of excitement remains, but the Lady keeps a stiff upper lip, not letting any reaction show. A practiced pokerface.]
Oh, I'm interested in any or all. :} I can trade, or if you're in need of cash, I'm willing to purchase with liquid assets.
*Sage can sense the air of excitement, and knows that the Lady is keeping a straight face. Not showing any reactions on purpose. She doesn't really care; it's just a routine assessment.*
Okay. Do you have any you would, uh. Particularly like to sell me? If you want a specific category, I'd get more use out of ones that are good in a fight.
[Ah. One of those customers. "Um, I want the dessert that's tastiest." Wonderful. Her smile does not change.]
What do you tend to fight? That would help me find something suitable for you. I'd like us both to be happy with what we get!
*Sage is oblivious, as intended. Something does stick about her last sentence, but she figures that doesn't matter.*
Hmm. It kind of depends. That's a really bad answer, but the only trend I can think of is that it tends to be one-on-one stuff. Physical combat.
[There is a brief pause. Maybe two seconds. Someone astute to that sort of thing would be able to tell that there is a certain Energy in that pause. A certain Vibe in the way her practiced expression doesn't change at all.]
… Well! As far as recent acquisitions go, I have a dagger! Those pierced by it will hunger and/or Hunger in a very insatiable sort of way, to the point of rapid starvation. Of course, it may make them desperate, but as far as killing the unkillable, I think it's a very solid option.
[While talking, she'd retrieved an ornate box, and opened it for presentation. Inside was a massive serrated tooth, the root wrapped in a leather strap to protect the wielder's hand. She laid another, thinner and longer box atop it, and opened it to reveal a plain black stiletto knife.]
This one, on the other hand, was created unintentionally. I retrieved it from a Slaughter avatar who no longer had any use for it, and it seems that being his weapon of choice for so long, spending so long soaking in the blood of things that cannot die, it…well, it got good at that! It pierces the incorporeal, the false… Shadow people, ghosts, that type of thing. Admittedly, the more you're in contact with it, the greater your bloodthirst grows, which can become a positive feedback loop if you let it, so. Don't let it!
On the other hand. If these are too. Hrm. Brutal for you. If you'd like to pretend that murder is something a little classier.
[She gestured at a guard to watch the two items she left on the counter while she retrieved a third. She rummaged around inside a cabinet, then another, and eventually returned with a small silk pouch that clinked as she set it on the counter. She opened it and pulled out a shining garrote, a length of chain with metal handles at either end.]
Once this one is fastened around the throat of someone, they can't fight back. Their limbs will go slack, and peacefully into that final goodnight they'll go…
*Sage doesn't really notice the energy in the pause, but only because there is a certain weird energy she's been feeling the whole time that she can't quite place. Also, she's not really paying much attention to that.*
*She looks at the items and decides on one. The silk thing seems useful, as well as the dagger. The stiletto knife seems too risky.*
I would be interested in the dagger and the garrote, please. I'm assuming it's a one-for-one trade. *She is completely fine with that, just making sure that's what's happening. Again, weird energy.*
Hm! I daresay, the dagger is a very unique thing, and could go for an absolutely outrageous price should I put the effort in to hunt down the correct buyer. If you want it and the garrote, I'll have to insist on all three of your artifacts in turn... :}
*Sage raises her eyebrows. She is offering all of these for sale, so this isn't exactly a no-go. But the string is the only thing effective for the kind of one-on-one combat and/or rescue operation kind of thing she does. She's not much of a purveyor of cursed objects. It's not her style.*
*She does like the string. She's had it for a while; it's the one thing making her hesitate. But she's the kind of person that when two choices are presented selects both, so if the string is the price, then so be it.*
*After a few moments of consideration, she nods.* Okay. Deal. The dagger is unique, I agree, and worth all three of these artifacts. *She gestures at them.* It's a good deal, I think.
I would agree! :} One that you, I'd say, are getting the better half of, but I digress. All sales are final--
[As she spoke, she was filling in the blanks on a custom sales receipt laden with terrible clipart.]
--subject to my discretion, exchanges are not accepted, and for all further business inquiries you can reach me via mail at the address on the bottom! Sign, please. :}
[The bottom of the receipt, below the blank signature area for Sage's name, was The Lady's "address."]
["The Lady Regina Maria Rodriguez-Cortez (and associated entourage)"]
[That was it in its entirety.]
