[ WP ] You run an RPG pawn shop . You haggle with adventurers who try to sell loot they 've acquired .

It was always the arms first, then legs, then more gruesome adventurers toyed with the body while others would just get it over with. This was the third body this week, hundred twenty-first this month ( something about vacations tended to up the number ), and an uncountable number each year. 
 
 `` Glad we could haggle on this piece, let's do it again some time,'' the ruddy looking thief gloated as he ripped the gold chain off its stand and cheerily walked out of the shop. It used to be I would stare daggers at them after they did this. It also used to be that I mourned the loss of inventory, pride, and body parts. But now, now this was a perfect system. Adventurer comes in, if they're assholes they kill me, steal things, then fence it for a tenth the price and it `` miraculously'' shows back up in my storehouse for another greedy fool to try again the next day. The biggest problem, of course, was the back-alley magic fees to maintain the facade, but I could live with it so long as the process did n't have any hitches. 
 
 Two hours later I'd finally polished the blood off the back mantle when I heard the chime at the front. `` Hello?'' the soft spoken greeting was surprising for this side of town. More oddly, it accompanied a strange and sickening gurgling and scraping with each step across the floor, followed by the more usual clinking, squishing, and sloshing. Rounding the front shelves, a young, slight, almost pallid woman appeared in view. `` Are you the shopkeep?'' 
 
 `` Why yes, Vlorium, just like the sign says. What can I do for you today?'' As I introduced myself, I calmly tossed the bloody rag into a bucket underneath the display. Sometimes that impressed adventurers not to waste my time... sometimes. `` Well,'' she said dragging an absolutely massive bag into view, `` I think I might have some things to trade.'' The streak of blood and bile leaking from the bottom did n't phase me so much as its color. Jet black fluid with orange bubbles slowly rising and spotting its surface. I swallowed just a bit. 
 
 `` My brother was here a few weeks ago and said this was the best shop for an ID.'' She shifted the bag further into view and uncinched its tie, spilling out a half-hundred trinkets, weapons, and jarred organs. `` I just got my wizarding license last week and, my god, it's amazing what you can find out in the world! I do n't have half a clue what all of this, would you mind helping me?'' I still could n't see to the bottom of the bag, but despite my apprehension I forced a smile and pointed back at a list board, `` Yes of course, happy to do that, standard fee of course.'' 
 
 `` Why yes! Here it is,'' she pulled a small sack of coins from her waste and counted out the fee. Staring at the growing stack of cash on the counter, a small voice started up in my head. `` You seem pretty sharp, most folks can barely recognize an granat, much less count the pennies to it.'' She smiled sheepishly, `` well, I heard you did n't like to wait on such things, so I may have counted it out ahead of time.'' I arched an eyebrow, `` who did you say your brother was again?'' She waved it off, `` Oh, he's just simple rogue, no one of consequence. He just liked your efficiency, that's all.'' The little voice grew louder, I could taste the slightest touch of bile, but I pushed it down. `` Your name then?'' She looked up quickly, still measuring stacks of coin by touch, `` Anessa, lovely to meet you.'' With a curt nod she indicated she was finished. Quickly looking through the piles, it seemed like enough for whatever she may have brought, and I stepped from behind the counter, `` Let's see what you have there. Well, right off the bat I can say that those daggers are n't half-bad, Xvisish if I know the make, and quality at that. Typical market value is at least 20 granats a piece, or for a matched pair a full 100. That bauble over there, that's a Litrigan tusk ring... a lower tusk ring. Hope you had gloves on when you picked that up.'' That received a shudder from her, and an unconscious hand wipe on her tunic, `` yes... yes... the smell alone... I threw away the gloves afterwards.'' I chuckled, `` Sadly that was actually a bad idea, that's what makes the Litrigan valuable. God knows why, but some old wives tale has a tea of it. I feel more sorry for the alchemists guild, they have to brew the damn stuff.'' There was a slight gagging noise behind me, but I ignored it and kept sifting through the pile, pointing out valuables and items that were only valuable in the same old wives shops. Behind me she organized separate piles, almost neurotically, into their proper value. The voice in my head was still buzzing, now accompanied by a second admiring one, `` apprentice worthy,'' openly whispered. She took no notice and kept sorting and re-sorting. 
 
 `` Mind if I pull out the rest of this?'' She waved her hands in assent and returned to her own work, now labeling each item. I pulled the bag up by its side and dumped the rest of the materials out. Tears nearly welled up. This was an absolute treasure-trove, some of the most incredible pieces I'd ever seen. `` This, it's amazing! Are you selling some warlock's heirlooms? Did you ransom a king?! I mean Xyst, there's an honest to god Muorian firework here!'' She turned, smiling a little more deviously now, `` Well... I did find a few Croal stashes... and I may have snuck into a certain Letsh-lord's castle...'' I caught my breath, `` You did n't! My god, one week in and you're already going to be a legend! I could n't put a number to half this stuff, it's beyond valuable...,'' my hands were scrabbling through the pile now, the voice in my head gone, my words tumbling out, `` I know an auctioneer... a great one... on the sun-side of town. Please, let me get in touch with him and I'l...'' my voice stopped in my throat. There was a small leg at the bottom of the pile. To anyone else it'd just be an unknown body part. Some small, furry, curled up chunk of flesh from just another creature out in the forest. My own leg twitched... and my jaw gaped... and I realized with a deep, sinking sensation that I had n't heard the sound of her re-arranging things for a good 10 seconds. 
 
 `` My brother also disappeared after he met you. Then I saw him on the street, only he did n't see me. Or rather, he did n't recognize me. Funny that.'' Her voice was somehow both innocent and menacing at the same time. `` And I went around the other shops and they said that this place seemed to have a lot of turn-over.'' 
 My leg twitched again, and my arms twitched. `` I can explain...,'' I croaked out as I slowly turned to look at her. The air swirled and shimmered, the sudden gusts that only occur when something very unnatural was about to happen. `` I'm not like them, I swear... this was an accident.'' She smiled viciously, `` Do tell?'' 
 
 `` The original... he just collapsed in the warehouse... and it was a free body.'' The air began to hum and glow, plasma arcing across the woman's fingers. `` I just took the shop over, you know, for his kid's sake.'' The arcing began to change shades, oscillating from an eerie blue to angry red, `` Oh, I'm sure. And the others. The hundreds of others? The Kids?!'' I fell back, my legs pushing me backwards until I felt the cool wood of the shelf behind me. `` There are bandits, and thieves... you know this part of town. Things happen. I just took advantage... that's all... please,'' tears welled up in my eyes. `` You know what always gets me about your kind?'' she stepped forwards, her hand outstretched, slowly reaching towards my chest. `` There's always an excuse, always a reason why you're not at fault.'' 
 
 `` It's not, I swear, it's not, oh god, oh god, please! I'm not like them!'' I did n't realize how loud my crying was until I realized that I'd stopped using his head to speak. `` Oh, it is. You say that until you need a new one, and there's nothing convenient around. And you just ca n't go back to living in some aristocrat's pet, no you need to keep really living. With us. In us!'' Her hand reached his chest, I could see the searing flesh melting away until the crackling glow had reached my eyes. My actual eyes. 
 
 I never knew we could scream. 

