Julie Lynn: Why does Escad wear spandex?
Niccolo strolled down the sunny cobblestone road leading into Gato Grottoes. The cool breeze, sunlight, and chirping birds were lost on him, his mind was set on one thing: Money. In particular, how to get some. Unfortunately, due to some contract complications, all he had to sell were some leotards left over from a ballet school in Geo...
"Come now, dear boy! We can't have that," he chided himself. "It's all in the salesmanship... They're... The height of fashion right now! All the rage with the..." He eyed the leotards again. "Lunatics. Never mind that angle, then." He pondered what else they'd be good for as he jaunted towards the shops nestled into the base of the treacherous Grotto cliffs. "Swimming in?" he thought aloud. "No, a Seajack'd probably attack you on sight..."
Just then, a figure caught his eye. Ah, just the right person to sell these to! She obviously had a ballerina's figure, and even Niccolo had to admit that those flowing locks were quite comely. He could barely contain his excitement as he approached her, the excitement of relieving a customer's wallet of its heavy load and leaving only a smile in its place. Usually Niccolo's, but he wasn't here to make people happy, though he'd never tell a customer that.
"Excuse me miss, I was wondering-"
"MISS?!" The ballerina turned around, brushing away a stray lock of hair that had strayed into her face. Niccolo couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something definitely odd about this one. Perhaps it was the oversized sword she leveled at him. "I. Am. Not. A. Miss."
"T-terribly sorry, sir!" Niccolo backed away, overturning his cart, laden with his ballet school haul. The girlish-figured swordsman eyed the outfits with scorn.
"And what," he demanded, "Are those?"
Niccolo's mind raced. Years of practice as a salesman leapt into readiness as he quickly spun a sales pitch. "Well, you see, they're, ah, stretch-adamantite crossweave super light armor! Protective as full Lorimar Iron plate mail, but in a much smaller, lighter package! Stain resistant and stylish, too! Good for fighting off dragons, demons, and rabid fangirls!"
Escad's eyes turned back to the overturned cart with a new interest. "And why would I want to wear something that makes me look like a pansy?"
Niccolo considered telling him that there wasn't much to worry about that, he ALREADY looked like one. But, he held his tongue; sales before disservice, after all. "Let me put it for you this way, good sir... With armor THIS tight, there won't be any doubt as to your gender whatsoever."
The response was immediate. "I'll take Two. Three. No, make that... Oh, give me the whole darn cart!" Moments later, Escad was strutting off with a mound of leotards that dwarfed even the Temple of Healing itself. Niccolo sat next to his cart, counting his earnings and wondering where his most recent customer would put his new wardrobe... But it was none if his concern, his work here was done. The smile trade didn't come easily, Niccolo knew. The only thing left to do was get out of town before Escad started getting comments on his new "armor".
Niccolo strolled down the sunny cobblestone road leading into Gato Grottoes. The cool breeze, sunlight, and chirping birds were lost on him, his mind was set on one thing: Money. In particular, how to get some. Unfortunately, due to some contract complications, all he had to sell were some leotards left over from a ballet school in Geo...
"Come now, dear boy! We can't have that," he chided himself. "It's all in the salesmanship... They're... The height of fashion right now! All the rage with the..." He eyed the leotards again. "Lunatics. Never mind that angle, then." He pondered what else they'd be good for as he jaunted towards the shops nestled into the base of the treacherous Grotto cliffs. "Swimming in?" he thought aloud. "No, a Seajack'd probably attack you on sight..."
Just then, a figure caught his eye. Ah, just the right person to sell these to! She obviously had a ballerina's figure, and even Niccolo had to admit that those flowing locks were quite comely. He could barely contain his excitement as he approached her, the excitement of relieving a customer's wallet of its heavy load and leaving only a smile in its place. Usually Niccolo's, but he wasn't here to make people happy, though he'd never tell a customer that.
"Excuse me miss, I was wondering-"
"MISS?!" The ballerina turned around, brushing away a stray lock of hair that had strayed into her face. Niccolo couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something definitely odd about this one. Perhaps it was the oversized sword she leveled at him. "I. Am. Not. A. Miss."
"T-terribly sorry, sir!" Niccolo backed away, overturning his cart, laden with his ballet school haul. The girlish-figured swordsman eyed the outfits with scorn.
"And what," he demanded, "Are those?"
Niccolo's mind raced. Years of practice as a salesman leapt into readiness as he quickly spun a sales pitch. "Well, you see, they're, ah, stretch-adamantite crossweave super light armor! Protective as full Lorimar Iron plate mail, but in a much smaller, lighter package! Stain resistant and stylish, too! Good for fighting off dragons, demons, and rabid fangirls!"
Escad's eyes turned back to the overturned cart with a new interest. "And why would I want to wear something that makes me look like a pansy?"
Niccolo considered telling him that there wasn't much to worry about that, he ALREADY looked like one. But, he held his tongue; sales before disservice, after all. "Let me put it for you this way, good sir... With armor THIS tight, there won't be any doubt as to your gender whatsoever."
The response was immediate. "I'll take Two. Three. No, make that... Oh, give me the whole darn cart!" Moments later, Escad was strutting off with a mound of leotards that dwarfed even the Temple of Healing itself. Niccolo sat next to his cart, counting his earnings and wondering where his most recent customer would put his new wardrobe... But it was none if his concern, his work here was done. The smile trade didn't come easily, Niccolo knew. The only thing left to do was get out of town before Escad started getting comments on his new "armor".