Crystal

[sprent]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Gela, in the early evening
RECIPIENT: Youse guys
NOTES: Do go on ☺️

(Cheerfully, in a bright voice that is Nevarran eventually, after one parses through the vocal funk,) Hello!

My name's Gela Baynrac and I'm a bit new. I've spent round about a month here now- I think, haven't been countin'- but I belong to your wonderful Diplomacy division, and I've got a favour to ask of you all.

Any gossip about? Maybe what you're lookin' forward to in the next month, or anythin' curious overheard while visitin' our neighbours– that kind of thing. It's part of our job to keep records, and mine, as you can imagine, are sparse. So if you've heard anythin' especially delicious lately, I'd love to know about it too.

Naturally, the office is always open for reports if you don't wish to speak aloud! Go well.

Comments

[sprent]

(Hmm,) Splotchy, I think. I'd go see for myself, but cats make me sneeze.

Will they be adopted, d'you think? Or do they roam about.

[notathreat]

Maybe, maybe not. They're stable cats so they keep the mice out of the grain, y'know?

Sorry about them making you sneeze. That's gotta suck.

[sprent]

Oh, I know. Had a mouser of my own back home, an' I think she knew she made me sneeze. She liked to hide underneath my bed, far back, where I couldn't reach her.

Could still be there, for all I know.

[notathreat]

What was her name?

[Ellie tucks that little tidbit away, though- back home. Not something to ask about in public, maybe.]

[sprent]

(She seems relatively at ease recounting,) Minette! And also Minnie. And Emmy, and Min. A lot of names for such a small creature.

Are you allowed an animal in the Gallows?

[notathreat]

She sounds like a little shit.

[With utmost fondness.]

Yeah, plenty of people have 'em. Mostly dogs, I think. I know somebody's got a bird, but I think he just visits.

[exequy]

I have a bird.

[ He sounds defensive about it, for some reason, like he’s gotta defend his position as the bird man around here.

Realizing that, he tacks on an extra complaint: ]

And that Templar has twenty cats in his room. That’s why no one wants to spend time with him.

[notathreat]

What- what kind of bird is it?

[Why is she so surprised by this? She doesn't touch the cat situation. No need to confirm which templar.]

[exequy]

One of the messenger ravens. He—

[ A pause. He is trying to figure out how to make this sound tougher than “I have been caring for a traumatized bird.” Clearly he shouldn’t have said anything at all. ]

—retired.

[sprent]

(Oh nooooo, forever?) Sorry to hear it. Poor thing.

[exequy]

[ Sort of: ]

He's all right. He just startles too easily to be trusted with messages anymore.

[sprent]

(Warmly,) It's nice that you took him in. Is he a good roommate?

[exequy]

He chews on the furniture and shits on the floor, but he is better than any of you would be.

[sprent]

It's kind of you to offer to be my roommate but I quite like bunkin' by myself for once.

[notathreat]

[She sees you, Kostos.]

He sounds like an extremely good boy.

[exequy]

[ No she doesn't.

There is a long pause while his objective understanding that bragging about his pet bird is not the dark, gruff thing to do, in this situation, before, ]

He does tricks,

[ comes out of his mouth as if pulled by a hook. The hook is pride. He is an extremely good boy. ]

And he can say fuck.

[notathreat]

[Very impressed and deeply sincere.]

Please tell him I love him.

[exequy]

Talas, one of the rifters loves you.

[sprent]

She is. (Or was, because Gela hasn't seen the little thing for nearly six years. Honestly, she only just remembered about her now. Sorry, Minette.)

I s'pose there's more than enough room for them. But I'd rather have a bird, I think- or an insect.

[notathreat]

An insect?

[sprent]

Yeah, like a big spider or somethin'.

[notathreat]

Hmm. Hate that.

[sprent]

Hate what? The thought of holdin' a big spider in two hands? Havin' it crawl all over you?

[notathreat]

Super hate that.

[sprent]

They're quite nice you know, and very fragile. You have to be gentle with a spider.