Hunter steps in close to the desk, hand still out for the receiver. The clerk hesitates, then gives it over with a shaky breath as the voice on the line keeps pressing for names, dates, and compliance.
Hunter McCready
It is their list, not ours.
The vendors behind him go quiet. Joy stays in the doorway, small and rigid, watching every move. Hunter squares his shoulders and leans toward the phone, claiming the room before the clerk can pull it back into fear.
Sarah
I have the receiver here. State what you want in writing, or stop calling my office.
The Voice on the Phone
Tell the vendors the collective request is under review. Separate the signatures. Identify the organizers.
Hunter answers without letting the clerk take the lead again. He names the demand for what it is, a push to split them apart, and the room tightens around that truth. Joy watches him stand there, steady in front of the phone, while the clerk finally looks from face to face and sees how many people are listening.
✓ Quest Accepted
Force the office voice to reveal itself
✓ Quest Accepted
Keep the vendor collective united
“I look at the vendors behind me and nod, signaling them to stand their ground.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Hunter gives the vendors a small nod over his shoulder, calm and firm, and the line of people behind him straightens by instinct. Chairs scrape, shoulders square, and the room stops looking like a crowd.
Mrs. Gable
We are not splitting up.
Elias lifts his chin and folds his arms, taking the same stance without a word. Even the clerk notices it, because nobody reaches for the forms now.
Sarah
This is getting out of hand.
The voice on speaker goes quiet for a beat, then comes back thinner, less certain. The room holds its breath around the phone.
The Voice on the Phone
Then identify one organizer. One point of contact. That is all I need.
Hunter keeps the vendors in view, and the whole group stays put behind him, steady as one line. The clerk looks from face to face, but nobody offers a crack.
Quest Complete
Keep the vendor collective united
“I tell the voice im the organizer and that i will meet him any tume any where to settle this.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Hunter McCready
I am the organizer. We meet when and where I say, and we settle this face to face.
The room goes still again, but this time it is different. The vendor line does not flinch, it tightens behind him like a pulled rope.
Sarah
He said it out loud. There is no room left to hide behind the call now.
The Voice on the Phone
...You are the organizer?
Elias shifts his weight and Mrs. Gable glances toward Hunter, both of them holding the silence open instead of filling it. Joy stays by the doorway, watching without moving.
The Voice on the Phone
Fine. I will speak with you directly. Name the time.
“Tonight at the market”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +3)
Hunter lets the silence sit just long enough to make the room listen. Then he gives the answer plain, tonight, at the market office, face to face.
The Voice on the Phone
Tonight, then. You have my attention.
The words sharpen the air. The Clerk stares at the speakerphone, and her hesitation breaks into recognition.
Sarah
Wait. I know that voice.
She reaches for the handset, then stops herself. Her hand hovers over the desk, and the office calendar rattles softly under her fingers.
Sarah
It is the office manager's line.
That lands hard. Elias straightens. Mrs. Gable turns toward the door, and Joy's shoulders loosen by a fraction at the certainty of it.
On the speaker, the caller exhales once, then goes very quiet, as if someone else in the room has just heard the name too.
Quest Complete
Force the office voice to reveal itself
New Gift: Patient Listener