Winter our discontent (RP)

Zhiyu's kindness shocks Persephone to her core. She had been so certain she had brought nothing but pain to Wuhao and now to Zhiyu, but he thanks her. He is a truly good man, she marvels to herself.

She looks at him with deep empathy and admiration. When he wonders if he could have done something, she shakes her head No and says, "Take my word for it. Selling your soul to a demon leaves a stain so deep that no amount of reason can bring you to seek help from others, even people who want to help. They endow you with a feeling of hopelessness so overpowering that you feel you must accept your fate. After all, you signed the document, didn't you? Yeah, it is never the easy. So please, whatever you do, don't blame yourself. Don't beat yourself up. You couldn't have known, nor done anything if you had."

She feels deep indebted to this man for his kindness and understanding, allowing her not to hate herself quite so much. Finally, she says. "I am happy to answer any questions you have. And Zhiyu, thank you. I owe you a great debt that I can never repay."

So Henry didn’t know what the weekend was about either. He was probably so keen on joining their little club, that he didn’t insist on getting clear answers. If he only knew what these people were really about. He is out of his depth, and he doesn’t even know it.

"I’ve been thinking I should pick something new for the weekend" she parted the silk of her robe just a little wider. He couldn’t see her, but she didn’t need him to. It helped her get into the right headspace. Teasing and tempting him came easier that way. More natural. "I was hoping to blend in a little. Try to fit in, you know? " she paused, then added with a sight edge of disappointed in her voice, knowing he would pick up on the hint "Only problem is, I really can’t wait for things to be on sale…"

This was the opening she’d been waiting for. It didn’t look like Henry had given much thought to what he should be wearing either. He couldn’t just show up dressed like an aristocrat. He was new money, and trying to pass himself as something he wasn’t could easily end up a faux-pas.

"Dressing well for this is important" She needed him to understand the weight of it "You can’t just show up in one of your tailored business suits. You want to make the right impression. Look like you belong, but also stand out from the crowd in the best sort of way"

Her voice dropped to a more intimate note "You know I’ve been writing about fashion for The Independent, right? It’s really my thing. I’m sure I could help you pick out a few things that show them exactly who you are, without looking like you’re trying. Besides, you could use a few more options for other events, too"

She paused before tempting him some more "And while we’re at it… maybe we could pick out a few things for me, too. You do want me to look my best over the weekend, don’t you?"

"Two o’clock, at Harrods then" she eagerly agreed, picking the most extravagant department store that popped into her mind. "We’ll need some time to try things on. Maybe make a quick stop at the tailor"

Of course, she was already planning to arrive a couple of hours ahead to pick out everything for him in advance. Once he showed up, all he would have to do was try them on and choose what he liked best. And more importantly, pay for the clothes she planned to pick out for herself.

"You’ve already got the looks" she ended the call with a flirty tone "I’ll find you the clothes to match"

Satisfied with how things had gone, she smiled to herself as she stretched on the bed. A few moments later, she was on her phone again, swiping through her text messages. After checking if there was any word from Bev, she tapped on Teddi’s contact that Benji provided her with, and started typing:

"Hey, Teddi. It’s Emma; Eliot’s friend. I was wondering if you have time to meet right now?"

Emma didn’t make a fuss about Bev paying for the takeout (When did she ever complain when people bought her things?) But it did strike her as a little odd that Bev wouldn’t even take credit for it. It was strange, but she decided not to dwell on it. Bev probably had her reasons.

Guess there IS such a thing as a free lunch...

She didn’t miss Bev’s not-so-subtle attempt to be included in her plans for the day. But she knew it was better to keep things private. Henry wouldn't appreciate a third wheel tagging along on their shopping trip. Even if he would have been fine with it, Emma still wouldn't have extended the offer. She wanted Henry’s full attention. If Bev was around, it would be harder to get what she wanted of him.

"I’m getting ready for a weekend event I was invited to" she typed quickly, then added before Bev could ask if she could tag along "But we should definitely catch up when I get back! Let me know when you're free."

She hit ‘send,’, then frowned when she noticed Teddi left her on read. That simply wouldn’t do!

She tapped his contact and called him directly. It’s not like she could force him to answer his phone, but maybe it would be enough to let him know the matter was important, and that she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

When he asks her if she is hopeless, Persephone thinks for a moment and replies, "Not any more. I had felt that way, though, after I made the mistake of signing. But after I finally took the chance to open up and tell my friend, I've felt hope again."

When he asks why she feels indebted to him, she shrugs and says, "I had felt culpable for his death. I could have tried to stop him. I could have offered him more support. I was mostly thinking about myself the whole time. And here you are, having suffered a terrible loss, and you are spending your time helping me to feel better. I feel indebted to you because of your kindness, your selflessness, and youthful wisdom. Thank you."

Glancing over her shoulder, she stands and says, "And I have taken up enough of your time. You have many others waiting to see you. And me, I have to meet my friends. They are going to help me try to get out of this demonic contract. They have some experience with supernatural matters. And Zhiyu, again, thank you. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me."

Once they have concluded their conversation, she takes her leave, reflecting on what they discussed.

Emma only had the briefest interaction with Teddy. She didn’t really know what he was like as a person. She wasn’t even sure if he WAS a person, or a vampire like Eliot. At any rate, he sounded a bit off to her, but she couldn’t be sure if it was because he was agitated over his employer’s disappearance, because he didn’t want to talk with her right now, or that he generally had an abrasive personality.

She decided to be cautious

"It’s Emma. Eliot’s friend?"

She paused for a moment, to see if he would say something to indicate he recognized her. Maybe he couldn’t recall her by name, but surely by her appearance?

"We met at Eliot’s penthouse. A few weeks ago, remember? I was the blonde interviewing Eliot for my book"

She then shifted, trying to determine his state of mind "How are you doing?"

What did they mean by "in recovery"? She didn’t like the sound of it, but it was too late to backtrack now. Better to press, gather what she could while giving away as little as possible.

"Well, I was trying to reach Teddy because I haven’t been able to get in touch with Eliot. I thought maybe he might know where he is."

She paused for a moment before asking her own question:

"Sorry; What’s your relation to Teddy, exactly?"