(no subject)

[assistente]

FORM: sending crystal
SENDER: Seneschal Salvio Pizzicagnolo
RECIPIENT: ✨ RIFTWATCH ✨
NOTES: complaint box since it gets a brief mention

This is-- Salvio Pizzicagnolo, seneschal to the, um. Our base in Kirkwall. And Head of Base Operations. And, ah--

Well, that is. Our base. We, um. As we have stepped toward our particular organization's independence-- [a word he almost vomits on, but manages not to, thanks to an amazing amount of practice.] --we, um. Such a movement has tightened our resources. All of our resources. I have been reviewing our records, and--

Well. I come not to speak of the budget. Not at present. The, um. Instead, I speak of the resource of people. We-- We are all committed to this cause, or else we would not be here, and would not have remained. [Another line he's practiced.] But without the Inquisition-- Well, we have always run lean. If you will. But without the Inquisition, we are more lean still, and so--while we are all working, very much, at present, and there is real gratefulness, to be expressed there, truly--there is much to be done. Always.

So, um. I had thought to suggest--if we all took up a second position, or an extra task. One does not even need the training, or not all of the training, at least--only an interest would suffice--um, well, we could begin simply. But I have noticed, as of late, that the Gallows is very-- well. Dirty.

We cannot spare much for the way of cosmetics or vanity, and without raising funds, cannot oversee any drastic renovation, but I mean--in the coming week, I will organize a, uh, a squadron. Of sorts. For cleaning. Sweeping, dusting, airing out the bedding--turning mattresses in the dormitories, especially any that are unused--any hangings or rugs will need seeing to--fire-grates scrubbed, and-- well, it is very rewarding work, really. Keeps the hands busy. And then the finished product is uplifting in its own right. I have taken the liberty of creating a list, where anyone interested might sign their name--it is posted outside of the Base Operations office--and then we shall meet in the, um. In the main courtyard. Perhaps five days from now. And we will begin.

[He had brightened considerably as this part of his speech has gone on, cheered by the prospect of hard honest work. Back to unsure, now that it's over--]

Of course, none of this should overtake the serious work that we are all here to do. But. It is important, I think, in its small way.

That is-- Oh, the, um. Of course beside the sheet for signing up, for this task, or rather, these tasks, is the. The complaint box. I believe it-- it might be more important than ever, now that we are... independent. And. Um. "Riftwatch". We must be vigilant in our self-assessment. So. Please, use it for its intended purpose, but-- please, um. Please use it.

That is all. Yes. Thank you.

Comments

[heirring]

Do you ever get useful complaints, or are they all the kind that's very slight and situational and only ever applies to two or three people?

[assistente]

Well. Each complaint is always useful, of course. In its way. If someone felt compelled to express it, then there must be some-- use, to be extracted from it.

[heirring]

[A high pitched noise that sounds an awful lot like skepticism.]

I'm glad you think so.

[assistente]

Yes.

[He won't press on it. If he presses on it, he will learn her opinion. He may learn her opinion anyways. That is the sort of person that Poppell is: a person with opinions that you end up learning. Of course everyone has an opinion--even Salvio has them, often against his will--it would be easier if he did not--but if he doesn't ask--]

You do not agree?

[He had to ask. A compulsion. Like picking open a scab.]

[heirring]

Well-- [said delicately, as if attempting to parse what she means to say down to its most basic elements.] I think that given an anonymous box to put complaints into, it's far more likely that people will complain about the smallest little thing when the fancy strikes them. Like, oh, I don't know. Maybe I would say something about how the chairs in the dining hall are all very hard, and so its no wonder than no one eats here. Nevermind the question of the food.

--Which is mostly fine, actually. Except on Thursdays, but I think maybe that can't be helped. They're reusing Mondays bread for the crust of those pies, aren't they?

What I mean to say is wouldn't it be better if we all simply got together occasionally and let people say their complaints aloud and have them noted down that way? That way you'd be certain that no one was complaining about something they didn't think was very important.

[byblow]

Should we hold our complaints about the dirt until six days from now?

[assistente]

You... have a complaint, about the dirt?

Now?

[byblow]

Well, you know—a lot of things need sweeping and dusting and airing-out. The fire grates are horrible.

[assistente]

Oh--

[There's a soft rustle of paper as he fumbles to find a scrap to write upon.]

I had not thought the grates, um. That they were-- Well, they are in need of attention, of course, but. "Horrible".

[byblow]

We might say horrendous, or—

[ What's worse than horrendous? His behavior, probably. ]

—oh, this isn't even fun. You're too nice.

[altusimperius]

I have a complaint.

[assistente]

Oh?

Well. The, um. The complaint box. It is posted outside of the Base Operations office, and was-- emptied, recently, so...

[altusimperius]

The Gallows is too dirty.

[assistente]

Too... dirty.

Um. Yes. We, uh, well, the. The complaint box, if you would like to, to make an extra complaint. Or-- after. The work is done.

[filthydipper]

Should've changed our names to be something about scullions from the sounds of it.

[assistente]

Oh. That-- would not have been appropriate. I mean to say, we of course-- Well, there are chores, and things. To do. And we do not have the budget for... much more, than we have. At present.

As far as, um. Staff goes.

sorry work happened to me

[filthydipper]

What, we can't have a rota? Names in the helmet. Thought we were all in this together and all that.

Seems fair if we are. Equally dirty hands for all the dirty jobs. Literally and not.

[sarcophage]

This all sounds lovely, thank you.

[Slide in amidst the trolling to ingratiate himself with head of operations? Don't mind if he do.]

[assistente]

Oh. Really?

[Surprise colors his voice momentarily, before he coughs.]

Um. Well, yes. Of course. It is part of the running of this, um, of the. Of Riftwatch. No real thanks is required for such work.

[sarcophage]

Of course it is. You've just said it—you're running the place. Should we who live here not appreciate your labour? It takes very little effort to thank someone, and I think it's only fair that we do.

[assistente]

Oh. Um. Not-- running, precisely. Uh, I, uh. I had not meant to imply... that. Only that there must be a central--point of contact. As it were. Someone to organize.

The true labor is done by others. The. um. Well, of course, with this cleaning. And with others. I will help. Only it is not my, uh, my primary-- Well, th, thank. Thank you.

[aforethought]

What if we got nothing to complain on?

[ say, if someone encouraged you to complain, and one was now required to be contrary about it ]

[assistente]

Then, um.

[????? what]

I suppose you might, uh. Say nothing? Unless do you mean--you wish to complain, that you have nothing....

[Surely not, and so he trails off.]

[justice_is_blond]

Do you feel that our hands aren't busy?

[assistente]

Oh. Uh, no. No. Of course we are all quite busy, that is what I, um, well it is part of, at least, what I meant to say. In saying this. That we are all quite busy, busy hands, and all. so there might be, um. Some jobs. Or, even, well, chores. That need doing, and we are not, uh, staffed, specifically, to, um.

Well. Yes.