"I-It's not like I'm really interested in this stuff..." A flustered, embarassed girl spoke to the shopkeeper, clutching a mysteriously cloth covered box.
As the two of them spoke, you could look around as you were surrounded by an assortment of strange and mysterious items on display here... or rather, what was left behind after those who had bought said items had "returned themselves" them under suspicious circumstances. It was a woodsy gift shop, built out in the middle of nowhere that you had ran into on a trip out to the outbacks of your town on a hiking trip to escape from civilization.
All outside the pavillion were the marks of the woody west, entire gates made entirely out of hundreds of deer antlers, log cabins for local history figures, settlers, and people still living in them. Juxtaposed with ancient historic buildings and settler's wooden cabins right next to a few modern fast food places and pancake and waffles breakfast diners next to local fish fries, scotch cones,
You could wander through the cursed gift shop, looking over strange pairs of rumored to be haunted wolf fur cloaks, pairs of 4 progressively smaller fur bras, magical jewelry, tiger rings, cursed mascot suits, and all sorts of overpriced hob nobs and tourist traps.
Some of the other items included: shrunken animal heads from some ancient tribe, potions for increasing your strength (which would also change your intelligence); magic amulets which would allow you to fly, and promises of longevity tinctures with a life span measured in centuries instead of days. As well as energy potions that promised you the strength of a horse, enchanted mirrors that showed whatever image you wanted; and so much more!
There was even one particular section devoted entirely to cursed armor pieces, including helmets and breastplates.
It looked like it belonged in a museum—a place where people came just to gawk at these relics from ages past. And yet there were still many customers browsing around, seemingly unaware of their fate.
The store owner seemed unperturbed by the situation, however. He'd been selling his wares since before anyone could remember, and he didn't seem concerned about anything any longer.
His name was Mr. Moharrah. A man with white hair, glasses, and a face full of wrinkles, he stood atop a large counter covered in various items. There were piles upon stacks of books stacked up against him, along with several shelves containing countless trinkets, charms, and mystical artifacts.
Mr. Moharrah was currently speaking to the girl who'd come in first. She wore her black hair tied back in a ponytail, and she held herself proudly. Her expression wasn't exactly friendly, but neither was it hostile either. If anything, she appeared quite confident.
The young woman was dressed casually, wearing a simple pair of jeans and boots. She had a leather jacket slung over one arm too, though whether it was for warmth or style, only she knew.
"Now then," said Mr. Moharrah, leaning forward slightly. "What can I do ya for today?"
He smiled politely, waiting patiently until the girl finally replied.
"...I want to return something."
Her voice was calm, composed, and very clear. But there was a hint of tension beneath it, almost as if she expected to have trouble doing so. This caused Mr. Moharrah to tilt his head curiously.
"Oh? Well now, is that so?"
After giving a little sigh, the girl took out a small box from within her bag. Inside was a necklace made of gold, decorated with tiny jewels and a single ruby set into its center. On top of it sat another object, wrapped tightly inside a cloth. When she opened both objects up, Mr. Moharrah gasped softly.
"Ahh!"
In truth, this was not the first time he'd ever seen such an artifact. Its beauty was unlike anything else in his collection, and it certainly caught everyone's attention. After a moment, Mr. Moharrah carefully placed the two items down on top of his counter, making sure to keep them safe while he asked the girl questions.
"So tell me, Miss—"
"Natsuki."
She answered without hesitation, and Mr. Moharrah nodded respectfully.
You had a moment to cut in, look around the shop, or continue listening to the conversation. Which would you pick?