Skire Prompt: Spirit of Gifting (Weekly)

Ronald perched comfortably in his chair. The legs on Gravent chairs were much taller on average than those typically used by other species. Besides the increased ease in landing from a hovering position, most Gravents could use the extra height.

The Crook on the other side of the desk chose a kneeling position. Even the smallest Crook was comparable in size to the largest Gravent, and this one was on the larger size. The ceilings in Gravent buildings rarely put up much of a challenge for even larger species, however, as they typically needed to be built quite high to account for the space needed to fly. Failing that, areas designated for the very large Dramasks could be used instead. Ronald always chose carefully when deciding where to meet clients for deals such as these.

“You know what I want.” the Crook said. They looked a bit ridiculous on the other size of the small, Gravent sized desk Ronald used for signing agreements and the like. Most Gravents would be intimidated in a similar situation, especially when the Crook was flanked by the two equally large protection members. Ronald wasn’t afraid, however. Ronald had exactly what the Crook needed and they both knew it.

“Oh, of course I do.” Ronald replied. “You had a successful company once, only for it to be cruelly ripped away from you when you were banished. Your competitors picked up the pieces while you were gone, and now you need an edge to regain your place in that market.  I’ve heard that exact story one hundred times before, you know.”

He paused for a moment, eyeing the frustration in the Crook’s expression.

“What I haven’t heard yet, however, is what you plan to offer me in return.”

The Crook gestured toward one of their protection members to the side, who carefully placed a briefcase on the desk, then unlatched it to reveal its contents.

Ronald could hardly believe it. Inside the briefcase were a selection of chocolate bars, but not just any chocolate bars. A short lived flavor from long before Ronald even dropped from the cloud, one with a white chocolate and a red dyed caramel filling. If that wasn’t enough, the wrapper was a one time factory defect, where the logo was printed upside down. He looked back up at the Crook and smiled.

“I believe we can come to an agreement.”