things are heating up in henford...
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TRANSCRIPT:
The Gnome’s Arms
MAIRA and IMRAN: (giggling)
RAHMI: Maira! Imran! You’ve already lost your Voidcritter privileges for the weekend. Don’t make it for the week.
*Imran and Maira groaning* *bar chatter and friendly conversation*
THIAGO: Alright, fill me in—on a scale from ‘mild inconvenience’ to ‘angry mobs with pitchforks,’ how serious is this meeting supposed to be?
FIONA: It’s a town meeting, not a revolution. Keep your hair on; The Bachelor will still be on when you get home.
THIAGO: I do not watch--
WILLOW: (unconvinced) Kim looks pretty ruffled. She’s over there at the bar and she looks like she’s got a whole hive of bees in her pants. Reckon this’ll be a ‘nod along and move on’ meeting or a ‘full-blown debate’ kind of night?
WILLOW: (grinning) Five quid says a barstool gets thrown at someone tonight.
THIAGO: Oh, you’re on.
FIONA: That is if Sara--
MAYOR CHOPRA: (clearing her throat) Excuse me everyone! *The room starts to quiet*
MAYOR CHOPRA: I appreciate all of you for coming out tonight to a meeting regarding our beloved Henford. Our grocers and markets have always been a crucial part of our economy, and we need to make sure that it remains fair and stable.
MAYOR CHOPRA: That is why I am proposing a new small vendor permit fee and certain updated regulations for sellers in the town.
*The crowd is silent for a moment, stunned.*
*immediately angry chatter erupts from the townsfolk*
CECILIA KANG: There’s nothing small about a fee when we’re barely getting by!
*other members of the town just stare, quietly*
THOMAS WATSON: (angrily) You can’t slap fees on people selling honey and crops from their own land!
MAYOR CHOPRA: I understand the sudden change may be confusing and a little upsetting, but I don’t want--
KIM GOLDBLOOM: (speaking over the crowd) You always act like everything is a conspiracy, Cecilia.
KIM GOLDBLOOM: Let’s be honest—the market’s turning into a free-for-all. People are setting up wherever they please, taking up more space than they should, and don’t even get me started on the undercutting... I’ve been running my grocery stall for years, following the rules, paying my dues. But then you’ve got folks selling produce on the side for dirt cheap, no rules, no accountability. How is that fair to those of us who make a living from this?
WILLOW: (under her breath) Fair? (more loudly) You think charging people just to sell what they grow is fair? Some of these people aren’t running businesses, Kim. They’re just sharing what they have with the community!
KIM GOLDBLOOM: Sharing is one thing, undercutting is another. Maybe you don’t see it, Willow, but people like me—who rely on this market to survive—can’t afford to have half the town treating it like a hobby fair.
SARA SCOTT: Hold on, let’s not turn this into a personal thing. Mayor, what exactly are we talking about here? What kind of fees? What kind of rules?
MAYOR CHOPRA: Nothing drastic. A small permit fee, scaled based on how often someone sells. Casual vendors would pay a little more, while established sellers—like Ms. Goldbloom here— would pay less. We also want clearer guidelines on stall placements, crowd flow, and product safety. It’s about maintaining order, not driving anyone out.
WILLOW: (calling out) And who decides what’s ‘too big’ or ‘too often’? What if a single mum just needs to sell a few baskets of fruit here and there to make ends meet? You’re telling me she has to pay just for that?
KIM: I get it, Willow, I do. But people have to follow some rules, or we’re going to end up with a mess on our hands. It’s already heading that way...
MAYOR CHOPRA: The goal is not to push anyone out, Ms. Everwood. But markets don’t run on goodwill alone. If we want to keep it thriving, we need structure.
DEREK MCMILLAN: Doesn’t sound so bad. Keeps things from getting overcrowded...
IAN MCMILLAN: (snoring softly)
MAYOR CHOPRA: I will outline the proposed fees and criteria in the coming days. We’ll hold a formal town meeting next week. I encourage everyone to come and speak their minds!
MAYOR CHOPRA: I want this to work for everyone—but I also want a sustainable future for our market.
WILLOW: (fuming silently)
THIAGO: Would it be a bad time to cash in on that five quid?
WILLOW: (grumbling) Just give me five minutes and it’ll be me cashing in.
FIONA: Willow, no.