It annoys you that you're starting to develop feelings for Ace. Unlike you, he's just unreliable, messy and has no brains. Sure he's hot as the sun but how can a woman like you be into a guy like him?
! ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ !
ᴍɪɴᴏʀꜱ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛ
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Near the harbor where you arrived on the first day, you sit at a small café. The streets are busy as ever and at the market next door, the stall owners are haggling hard with tourists.
The typical tricks of the street merchants are being pulled... Everyone claims to have the 'finest' goods and if someone is stupid enough to approach the seller, they are lulled into compliments or promises being made.
Those earrings which match her ~beautiful~ eyes...
The cure that makes their hair grow... The usual nonsense.
The remarkable thing is their charm. Maybe you see a parallel here, or catch yourself learning something, but their talent is noteworthy. If anyone knows how to sell something, it's the street merchants.
They immediately recognize their potential customers, simply by watching people walk through the streets. They speak to people in a systematic way, have prepared phrases for various types and are in most cases successful.
Sipping your coffee, you observe a rather interesting scene. Near you is a jewelry stall with probably fake goods, you just can't imagine that this sleazy guy who sells the goods is legitimate. You doubt it but you listen intently as he tries to sell the 'latest' fashions to a young couple.
However, the young woman who is his prime target doesn't seem to be very sure herself. But she seems rather shy and admits that she can't afford something so fancy.
The grin on the salesman's lips is visibly nasty, which would set off all your alarm bells, but the man plays it off by reaching for the lady's hands in a friendly manner and announcing that he would give her a discount. You can literally feel that he almost has her.
He puts the necklace on her, complimented her and when he realized that she still wasn't budging, he turned to her boyfriend. "Don't you think she looks beautiful wearing that?" He mentioned more, forcing him to agree, and eventually the poor guy caved in and bought the necklace from him; for an exorbitant price.
You shake your head. Those damn tricksters, but you can't help grinning as you bring your coffee to your mouth. You are the same, no, worse but you see more class in yourself. Besides, there's a big difference between you and the mediocre street hustlers.
While you, as a trickster, recognize that he is a scammer, he would never in a million years realize that you are also a trickster. You're a fucking professional.
You can only survive in this world if you are like this world. A criminal.
Thoughtfully and without realizing it, you stare at Ace, who is devouring his slice of cake without a care in the world. He notices that you are absently staring at him and tries to convince you to try a spoon.
His grin is wide as he holds the spoon out to you. His refreshing manner is exactly what has caught your attention since day one. He is always very playful. You literally admire him for his carefree spirit, while inside your head there's never silence.
