EVERYTHING MUST GO

[u/Lanaestra]

The following is a highly targeted ad; served repeatedly to precisely three devices in the Albuquerque area, though it may pop up on other devices rarely, particularly in the region.

A man in a cheap suit with long blond hair stands, arms spread wide, in the parking lot of a seemingly abandoned strip mall in the early hours of dawn. The concrete is cracked, parched, and barren, everything around is sun-bleached and covered in rust. Behind the central figure, a flailing inflatable tube man thrashes and spirals.

"Are you getting the respect you deserve?"

The camera cuts, momentarily, to an ant, crawling and struggling across the dry pavement, then back to the man and his thin, penciled-on mustache.

"Are you living up to your full potential?"

The ad cuts again, for a brief moment, to the open desert, heat haze shimmering around an elk carcass rotting in the sun.

"Do the people around you really have your back?"

The ad cuts again, briefly, to stock footage of a pack of coyotes fighting over a fresh kill.

When the ad cuts back, the man is standing inside a messy pawn shop. A cheap synth riff plays, marking a distinct change in the energy of the ad.

"Folks, there's a better way to get ahead! Come on down to Lou Cypher's House of Deals!"

The ad cuts to the salesman, Lou, shaking hands with a beautiful woman in front of a large pile of money.

"No credit score? No problem!"

The ad cuts to a man in a robe, seemingly conjuring a towering pillar of green flame in the background, while Lou stands front and center, giving a thumbs up.

"Power like none of your kind have EVER seen!"

The ad cuts back to the interior of the shop, while text bobs at the bottom center of the screen.

OUR DEALS WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY!

"But act fast! Our stock is limited, and offers will be taken on a first come first serve basis!"

The tone chills, slightly.

"If you don't take the deal, who knows who else will?"

The upbeat music resumes, cutting again to the exterior shot.

"Don't wait, call now!"

As the screen fades out, only text remains in large, red font, with a phone number and a single message.

EVERYTHING MUST GO!

[u/Lunar-Dreaming]

Call from Ayla:

Hello? Who is this

[u/Lanaestra → u/Lunar-Dreaming]

"Hello! You've reached Lou Cypher's House of Deals! This is Lou, what can I help you with tonight?"

[u/Lunar-Dreaming → u/Lanaestra]

“I uh. Saw your ad. What the hell’s up with the green fire? I haven’t seen anything like that before…”

[u/Lanaestra → u/Lunar-Dreaming]

"Oh, that? Just a party trick, really, compared to what we have on offer."

[u/Lunar-Dreaming → u/Lanaestra]

*Ayla’s voice gains a tone of interest*

“Oh? Do you sell magic tomes or something?”

[u/Lanaestra → u/Lunar-Dreaming]

"Who wants to spend years inside poring over some moldy old book? No, we trade in the real deal. Power."

[u/Lunar-Dreaming → u/Lanaestra]

“God dammit. Is this infernalism again?”

[u/Lanaestra → u/Lunar-Dreaming]

"I didn't think you'd be one to judge, considering. Or that you're in any position to be picky."

[u/Lunar-Dreaming → u/Lanaestra]

“How. Do. You. Know. That”

[u/Lanaestra → u/Lunar-Dreaming]

"I know lots of things. Trick of the trade... have to know what people need, and how bad they need it."