Thursday September 6th, 2018

The exercise:

Write about: the sales pitch.

3 comments:

Greg said...

So this prompt conjures a vision of you sitting on your couch, quietly disassembling and reassembling your assassin's weaponry (without ever looking at it, of course) while your handler facetimes you, pitching your latest assignment to you like a vacuum-cleaner salesman. Periodically your handlers says something like, "So, eradicating this stain, surgically, benefits not only the Canadian nation but also your 401k plan," and equally periodically you say things like "Put that back Max, I'll build you a trebuchet later."

The sales pitch
Tomasz stepped forward, reminding them both that he'd arrived with Grace. "I thought you already knew each other," he said, his eyes narrowed. His thumbs were hooked through his belt, which brought Lord Derby's attention to the fact that he carried a knife in a sheath there. Samual, who had seen this when Tomasz first arrived, bent his knees very slightly, adopting a slightly defensive stance.
"I knew Dignity," said Lord Derby. He stared off across the garden, in the opposite direction to the one Grace had taken. "A very appropriate code-name. I had not heard of Grace before we arrived here and you told us about her. And... I am puzzled. This is not someone I would expect Dignity to take up with. There is clearly a story here to be told." He sighed, and half-turned. Samual tensed, his gaze firmly on Tomasz, who in turn shied away from Lord Derby very slightly, his fingers tightening on his belt. "It is always so hard to know who to trust when time is so short."
"Milord," said Samual, trying to convey paragraphs of meaning into a single word.
"And I meet people who are actively trying to deceive me all the time. Trusting them is very hard to do. Sometimes I feel like I'm the recipient of a constant sales pitch, 'I'm a noble, tragic person caught up in circumstance and whirled about by Fate like a dancer at a country fair. Trust me. Believe me. Let me go free.'"
"Trust is an easy word to throw around," said Tomasz. He looked puzzled by Lord Derby's words, but his attention was also now on Samual, and he was slowly shifting to a defensive stance as well.
"Indeed, and actions speak louder than words."
"Milord!"
"Samual, we must make a decision here. I am not trusting everyone, nor do I intend to. But Tomasz has had the opportunity to hurt us badly several times and has not done so. A modicum of trust is in order.
Tomasz, I feel that Grace is an unreliable narrator and I do not think I can get the whole story from her. While she hunts for the zbornat I would like to visit the Temple of the King, as it seems meaningful to her."
Silence filled the seconds.
"Perhaps we can talk a little more about Lady Grace while we walk to the Temple," said Tomasz. "It's not far. Well, in truth, it's not far enough."

Am said...

“Have you ever felt lone in this world? Are you tired of wasting so much time and energy trying to be things you just can’t be on your own? Well look no further. Here at Crossroad Co., we have the deal of a lifetime. Premium souls, people Premium souls ripe and fresh, ready to inhabit your body and give you both the company and the skills you previously could only dream of.”
“These souls are one of a kind, and more so that just their unique personality traits and life experiences. Crossroad Co. is determined to sell you a product that has never been tainted by demonry and witchcraft. Our souls are hand picked by high-tier demons who have inserted themselves in the owner’s lives, both ensuring that the souls stay pure while also enjoying the simple things while their owners are alive.”
We promise that our souls will never be mediocre. They will fill you with live and the best companionship. We are so faithful in our selection process and extraction methods that we will give you a money-back guarantee should you not be satisfied with our product.”
This decade’s supply is limited. Contact Crossroad Co. now and receive not one, but two premium souls at the extremely low price of a centuries fealty.”

Marc said...

Greg - this (quite entirely fictional) scene makes me rather happy. Can't stop smiling while picturing it, actually :)

Fascinating scene here. You handle it deftly. Bravo!

Am - that is... quite the sales pitch. Not sure I'm sold, but I'm willing to listen to more... :)