predilection
noun
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“And you’re sure this will work?” Tamrin asked. He looked at the pendant critically.
He was not an expert on magical items, but it seemed magical enough. And the shop keeper swore it would work. Of course, if it did, it was far under priced, which made Tamrin wary. But he always heard stories about small shops selling wondrous items to the right person. Maybe he was just the right person to own this particular item.
“Of course it will.” The shopkeeper said. “I guarantee its function. The hard part will be setting everything up.”
“What do you mean?”
“This pendant is actually two pieces. You keep the main piece, and give the other, small piece to the target.”
“Please don’t say it like that. You make it sound like I’m an assassin.”
“My apologies, but it is the correct term. Anyway, you give it to the…intended recipient. Then, you simply wait. The magic takes a day to really set in. After that, the person will begin to see you more favorably. A person who hates you will simply dislike you. And a person who likes you will like you a lot. The longer the two pendants are active, the more favorably the person will see you. And then…”
“And then she falls in love with me.” Tamrin said hopefully.
“Quite so, young man. And, best of all, she will not even notice she’s under the effects of a spell. That’s why this is so much better than a…”The shopkeeper’s lips contorted as he forced the next words out of his mouth. “Love potion. Those might be fast, but they’re obvious to anyone with eyes and a bit of sense, and they’re so temporary. With this pendant, the effects are subtle. So much so that nobody but a trained mage will notice. And they’re much more permanent.”
It sounded perfect. Exactly what he needed. To win the heart of his beloved, he needed something like this. It was not like he had much else going for him. He looked at the ornate pendant again, already picturing the perfect life it could give him.
“Perfect, I’ll…”
“Before you buy it,” The shopkeeper interrupted. “I am legally obligated by the Mage and Enchanter’s Council to give you a few warnings. First, this is not mind control. It simply makes her see you more favorably, makes it more likely she’ll treat you well and like you. It does not make her obedient, nor does it change her personality in any way. Second, should the use of this item produce any issues in any way, I am not legally responsible for the well being of you, the intended recipient, or the item itself. Third, the use of magic items in general may, in rare cases, cause unintended side effects, and their use comes at your risk. Understand?”
“Uh, I think so? Yes?” He was interested to hear more on those side effects, but somehow he did not think he would get a list. More likely, he would just be told to check with the local Mage Council branch office.
“Wonderful! In that case, that will be 2,000 gret.”
Expensive, yes, but still less than it was technically worth, provided it worked as intended. Tamrin had been saving for years for a chance like this, and he was not going to waste it.
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If you had an item like this, who would you use it on? And would you even need to?
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