Winter our discontent (RP)

- Persephone -

There is a queue of people to see Zhiyu at his fruit'n'veg stall in Covent Gardens. Some are there to buy produce, but there is a shop boy manning the till, and this is a separate queue.

What do you do?

"Okay, perhaps another time then? In any case, I’m truly very sorry for not being there yesterday. I really don’t know how it happened."

- Emma -

David listens dutifully, agreeing with your frustration, but not trying 'fix' the situation. You have not shared the details with him, so he does not know the situation, he does not know why she had to leave where she was staying before, nor what sort of work she was engaged in. He also does not suggest she return, trusting that your reasons for taking Sarah out of there were good.

What do you do?

- Persephone -

Head of the line is an old, Chinese woman, she hands Zhiyu a sheaf of papers. He indicates for her to sit beside him, then, as she leans in close, he reads the letter to her. It is not English and you can't hear the words, but you get the impression that he is relaying news from home. It takes a while. Next is similar, an old couple hand him paper, it appears he is interpreting their utility bill for them, explaining the costs and offering advice about some particular line-item. There is more like this, general life stuff, it puts you in mind of a village. Next is a girl who has clearly been crying, you can hear her loud voice as she alternates between demanding retribution for abandonment, and begging Zhiyu to find her boyfriend who is missing. Someone shows him something under their clothes, and he writes out a note, directing them to certain items in his stall and elsewhere.

Most of these seem to be one-sided translations. Only about one in every five people offer anything in return, but Zhiyu amicably dispenses his advice and services, gratefully taking what is offered when anything is.

You are near the front of the queue, but it has not gotten any shorter. Behind you is a long line, most of them Asian, but also a regal white woman, and some local beggars.

What do you do?

- Benji -

"OK, sure. No problem." Miriam says, she sounds a little extra miffed now, maybe she hoped for a little more effort from your side, and is disappointed you gave up so easily.

What do you do?

Benji makes a small, wordless noise of distress in response to Miriam’s tone. He doesn’t at all like when people are angry at him and, in this case, he doesn’t even fully understand what he’s done wrong. He’s pretty sure Miriam was lying about being busy but, beyond that, he’s not sure what he said or didn’t say to upset her. If she actually wanted to come over, why would she have pretended to be busy? Did she want him to accuse her of lying? That can’t be right. People don’t usually like when you point out that they’re lying, even when it’s obvious. He chases his thoughts around in bewildering circles for a few moments, trying to understand, before giving up and simply blurting out, "Are you mad at me? Why are you mad at me?"