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

[exsecutus]

[It's a mystery, don't worry too much about it.]

And thank the Maker for that.

Nevarran?

[sprent]

What gave it away.

You are, too. Where in Nevarra?

[exsecutus]

Antiva City. I've been unwelcome in Nevarra longer than I was welcome.

[sprent]

(Quietly,) I've only just started bein' unwelcome in Nevarra, so maybe you can give me some tips.

[exsecutus]

Learn to like fish for dinner.

What did you do?

[sprent]

Well, I like anythin' for dinner, so that's easy enough.

It's not very excitin'. Had a fallin' out with my family; they don't want me around any more. So I left. The rest of Nevarra could care less, but I've soured on the place, so here I am. (Not as far away as she could possibly get, but pretty damn far.)

[exsecutus]

[Narrowing eyes @ all of this, interesting, interesting, interesting.]

Miss it?

[sprent]

(No it isn't!!!)

Nope! (popping the p,) I've been travellin' instead. Loved bein' on the road. Have you done any, or did you come straight here?

[exsecutus]

[ (¬_¬ ) ]

I went to Antiva City first. Learning to like fish. I've done enough traveling in between then and now. Enough to be suspicious of anyone who professes to love it.

[Like, ew.]

[sprent]

(Genuinely surprised,) Why wouldn't I? I get to see all sorts of things I never saw growin' up. I love where I've been.

I think you might be too facetious for travel, serah.

[exsecutus]

No, it's that your sincerity is poisoning me.

Seeing things is overrated. Travel is annoying. Romanticizing it is the act of a boring person seeking meaning. It's sleeping in shitty bed after shitty bed--or on the ground--getting eaten alive by insects--bad food--mud on your boots, or in your boots--noise, and people--so many people, each of them worse than the last.

[sprent]

(Wonderously,) The word you're lookin' for is 'positivity'. (Perhaps he's never heard it.) Obviously not everythin' was pleasant all the time, but I found the good outweighed the bad. I don't regret it.

(Although she regrets what put her in that situation in the first place. Mud in the boots pales in comparison.)

[exsecutus]

The good can never outweigh the bad.

You don't regret a "falling out" with your family that caused you to quit an entire country?

[sprent]

(Lightly,) What a terrible life you must have.

[exsecutus]

Well, I do live in fucking Kirkwall. A terrible life comes with the territory.

[sprent]

It could be worse. You could live in Orlais.

[exsecutus]

[Very seriously (and no, he didn't laugh just before this):]

I would eat poison.

[sprent]

I will keep this in mind, should I ever need to poison you.