[SNEAK PEEK]Try Before You Buy
#3 of Sneak Peeks
Rin buys an earring.
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Try Before you Buy
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**By Limewah
Featuring RhythmPixel's character**
**18+
SNEAK PEEK**
Rin felt the bile in his throat as soon as he saw the stand on the street corner.
The fluffy lavender-furred kobold with long, fox-like ears resisted the urge to spit, it was too public of a place for that. But he could not abide scammers and shysters, and this stand absolutely screamed it.
It was painted with bright stars and suns over a blue backdrop, slightly chipped with wear and tear. A canopy folded out over the window of the stand, shimmering brightly - probably due to some low level enchantment rather than it being actually made of nice material.
And, of course, it had wheels on the bottom, currently locked in place, but definitely spry enough for a quick getaway whenever this snake-oil salesman's deception was revealed.
Rin was going to speed that process along
He peered carefully as he walked towards the cart, his shoulders hunched low, his nose downturned, his eyes glowering and fixated on the proprietor.
The handsome stallion behind the booth was currently sweet talking an old dog, arthritically bent and wheezing at some joke the salesman had just told. As Rin approached, the old biddy slowly hobbled off with a little wave.
The horse saw the kobold coming, and flashed a brilliant, pearly smile. His face was the colour of cocoa with a white-chocolate muzzle, and his hair was well coiffed, chocolate with streaks of white and gold highlighting it. He understood a good presentation, anyway.
"And a very fine day to you, sir!" the horse said, his voice an impressive baritone lilt. "Doctor Sunquake, artificer, potion-brewer enchanter extraordinaire at your service!"
The horse reached over the bar towards Rin, to take his hand.
Rin clenched his right hand, and the pearlescent crystal in the middle of the gauntlet began to subtly shimmer, as if light were scattering across it. Rin had half a mind to show this horse what real magic could do...
After he reached up and took Sunquake's hand, that subtle shimmer vanished, and the gem was opaque once again. The spell had been cast.
"Oooh, a very fine piece of equipment I see!" Sunquake said with a magnanimous grin; it didn't seem he was aware of Rin's trick. "I won't pry or be nosey, but I do see you've got a rather sizeable ether-crystal in that glove o'yours... very impressive, if I do say so myself!"
Sunquake stepped aside to gesture to his wares. "Well, if you just need a run of the mill healing potion, I've got plenty of those, but I've enchantments and artifacts galore in my little emporium!"
"Hm." Rin nodded. "Very nice. First question; do you do refunds?"
"Ab-so-lutely! I refuse to let anyone feel like I've bilked them; if I did that, I'd eventually run out of customers! Word travels fast nowadays!" Sunquake had no hesitation in his voice. But there was another way to get a sense of his honesty. That little spell the kobold cast had forged a little subtle connection with the colt's mind; if Sunquake lied, Rin would know.
He... wasn't lying this time.
Okay. Rin was still not trusting, but he'd hear this guy out.
"Show me what you have, then," Rin said, still on guard.
"I'd be quite happy to! I've got a few accessories that might pair nicely with that glove. Tell me, are you skittish about piercings? I might have just the ear-ring to synergise quite nicely with that crystal."
Before Rin could ask to see it, the ring was proffered to him, pinched between Sunquake's hoof-tipped fingers. It looked to be the same type of crystal, but carved into a small pearl shape and cradled in a little silver cage.
"Go on, try it on."
Rin could feel his fur standing on end slightly as he took it in his fingers - he could feel a little warmth from it, that subtle radiation of magical energy that one could almost taste in the back of their throat.
"What does it do?"
"Wouldn't you like to find out?" Sunquake said, that brilliant smile still plastered on his face. "Isn't surprise such a central part of trying out a new magical item?"
"It's not always a pleasant surprise," Rin said with an apprehensive scoff. That smile was inscrutable, but it wasn't hiding anything at the same time.
"Well, selling cursed items generally isn't good business," Sunquake said. Still no sign of lying, or hiding anything...
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