"Ooh, look! Shiny!" -- OohLookShiny
[AN: You forgot to sign, but you kind of gave it away with the title there.]
Priff reached out to restrain the Human before ze even turned to look, saying, "Human Will. No." The main problem with Human Will was that they so very often lived up to their name. Whatever a Human should not do, that Human will.
"But it's so shiny," protested Human Will.
"Yes, it is shiny," agreed Priff, urging Human Will further away from the glittering display. "It is also expensive and very likely to be fragile. Do you yet understand why you should not touch?"
Human Will sighed and monotoned, "Because it will cut into your profit margin."
"Very good," Priff cooed. Humans could learn, after all. It was just that their impulses came directly from a Deathworld with relatively little in the way of potable water. Therefore, they were attracted to anything that reflected the light in interesting ways. Priff had yet to encounter a valid explanation as to why they wanted to attempt to mate with anything alive and potentially cogniscent. "So you are keeping your hands...?"
"In a non-threatening position, close to my body," sighed Human Will. They were immediately distracted by yet another shiny object. "Oooohhh..."
"Hands," prompted Priff. Ze knew, without looking, that Human Will was reaching for it. "Focus."
Human Will's job was to keep Priff safe in the Edge Territories, which included this particularly chaotic marketplace. Smug merchandisers here knew about Human predilections and purposely displayed shiny things so that a Human could potentially ruin expensive stock in the process of reaching for the glittering object.
One such merchant was selling shiny objects to other merchants and doing a roaring trade.
On one hand, selling hir finds here could be immensely profitable. Edge Territories accepted barter as well as Galactic Alliance Time, and some merchants bought and sold trade tokens according to the relative worth. The exchange market was a Human concept, and it was little surprise that the Humans were rather good at it. On the other hand, doing such deals meant visiting hives of scum and villainy such as this one, which meant having a Human along.
Human Will was a good bodyguard. Their distraction capabilities also meant that they were constantly observing their surroundings. Looking briefly at a lava lamp also meant they were taking in the surrounding crowds. Thin slicing their way through perils that Priff didn't have the time or the instincts to notice.
Fortunately, Priff had learned the signs of a Human about to look with their hands, and a strategy to easily prevent it.
"Oooohhhh!"
"No."
Un-fortunately, doing so was also dancing on Priff's last nerve.
"Aaawww..." protested Human Will.
"Get me through this trade chain and I shall take you to a Deathworlder Playground where you can obtain grilled meat."
Human Will brightened. This seemed like a deal worth keeping his flakking hands in his Powers-damned pockets for a change.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / ratmaner]
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