Abella's Boutique
Observer
As you walk into Abella’s, you come up short as a dextroluma brushes past you as they exit, clearly pissed.
Observer
You hear them on the phone to someone saying that they waited for over an hour and Abella never came to the counter.
Observer
That sounds unlike her…
Observer
Some other would-be shoppers seem to be on their way out as well…
Observer
Wandering the store, it all seems in order to be open - so why is she not out on the floor?
Observer
…you find Abella asleep at her sewing machine in the back, resting her head on it like a pillow.
Observer
She must have fallen asleep while working on something…
Observer
You’d like to just let her sleep, but this seems bad for her business, so you gently shake her to try waking her.
Observer
It doesn’t work.
Observer
After several tries, you manage to wake her up by pouring cold water down her back.
Abella
“AIEEEEE!”
Observer
It was a little funny even though you felt bad for doing it…
Abella
“What are… Wait…”
Observer
She stares at her hands, and her face falls.
Abella
“Did I fall asleep working again…?”
Observer
You politely explain conditions when you entered the shop and again suggest - more forcefully than the last time you tried it - that she needs to get at least one other employee.
Abella
“I…”
Observer
You point out that if this keeps happening, it will impact her reputation very negatively, and she’ll probably lose customers.
Observer
Her shoulders slump.
Abella
“I guess I’m not exactly an energetic young centenarian any longer… Maybe…”
Observer
She gets up to go help customers, seemingly still sluggish, and you go to browse, trying to keep an eye on her.
Observer
Hopefully she’ll take the idea seriously…
item
