merchantabouttown:

“Yes. You. Are you not going to come up? Keep the crowd waiting?” Perry put rather bluntly; the women seemed awkward, she could upset the onlooker, perhaps he had chosen the wrong person…no, Perry decided to trust his instincts, something about her stood out, and that something would help him sell his goods. He once again beckoned the woman to him, repetition implied importance.

“I bet you’re wondering to yourself, my dead crowd, that strange woman over there, why, she’s right! Why cannot I open the box myself? Why must I, Peregrine Marquand, seller of delights, ask a random person to do such an inane task? The answer is simple, because destiny says so. I already know what’s in the box, but I feel something tell me that you, my dear, are destined to open it, to reveal it to this crowd here!”

Perry thought about his choice of words, a classic tactic really, make those interested in your goods feel like they were meant to have them, whether or not they were meant to was another matter entirely, still this girl seemed at least interested, so why not give it a try?

“Afraid of the unknown, are we? All you have to do is open it.”

A curious white brow perked up at the situation being presented to her. A merchant requesting her part in something. How odd. Did he not know that just the action of choosing her from the crowd is probably enough to scare some people away?

Nonetheless, it amused her, and she was a curious woman as much as any other, and maybe a little more. So, she takes slow steps toward the man hearing the whispers echo around her like an acapella. Except… not as beautiful, of course.

“Right, destiny. I don’t believe in destiny, by the way.” Commenting in a ‘matter-of-factly’ manner, she lets her eyes rest upon the peculiar box. And before long, the caution and suspicion returned to her scarlet hues. There could be anything in that box. Some kind of mechanism that shoots projectiles, perhaps? Or a carefully placed dagger with a spring booster that might penetrate her chest, even?

“Afraid? Tch! No way.” Even though the dangers of the unknown kept her guard up and ready, she’d be able to sense if something was going to cause her harm, so she was confident in reaching out her hand and slowly - both to be careful, and to cause suspense within the crowd, she knew it would benefit the man to play along - very slowly, opening the box. “… There.”