CRYSTAL;

[heirring]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Wysteria de Foncé
RECIPIENT: All y'all
NOTES: Potential discussion of human experimentation, drug use, etc

Greetings, Riftwatch. This is Madame de Foncé speaking. I will be brief.

[Presumably this is met with a round of skeptical noises from every corner of the Gallows.]

This is a formal request for a last slate of volunteers for my inquiry into the effects of lyrium in the anchor shard. Any member of the company with a shard is more than welcome. A sheet has been posted on the notice board in the dining hall, alongside a thorough description of the risks associated with the work. The language of this posting has been reviewed by a number of highly qualified members of this company, and you may take it as fact.

[Have they approved the specific language? Who can say. Certainly Wysteria doesn't specify.]

Trials are to begin promptly, and I require at least one native Theodosian with an anchor and would prefer to have one or two additional Rifters included in the study. All participants will be thoroughly briefed at each stage of the work.

Should you have any questions, you are welcome to extend them. Do not vandalize my pages on the board. Thank you and good day.

Comments

[pathlit]

[ He does, actually, spend a bit of time at this notice board reading through the waiver material, with a quick apology and a Go ahead to anyone who might be waiting to review it themselves or add their name to the sheet.

Eventually: ]

Jayce Talis

[grindset]

Jayce Talis

[pathlit]

[ After his conversation with Wysteria: ]

Jayce Talis J. Talis

[grindset]

›crystal, private;

[heirring]

[A reasonable number of hours after someone has scratched a name out, in which someone else might have scurried over to survey her results and noticed a troubling update to The List:]

Mister Talis, why have you withdrawn yourself from my study?

›crystal, private;

[pathlit]

[ Jayce is mid-bite into a sandwich of one (1) meat-protein, one (1) cheese-protein, and nearly any vegetable available in the Gallows that lends itself to being crammed between two pieces of bread when this troubling question arrives. ]

--huh? Wh-- I haven't?

[heirring]

Oh really? Then why has your name been crossed off?

[pathlit]

... great question? [ Insert the background noise of a dude removing his legs from their propped position on the edge of the table. ] That wasn't me. I'm still game.

[heirring]

—Oh. [This pinched, offended sound in her voice deflates.] Well. Very good then.

[No, wait. Back to being irritated. Cue, a brief outraged soliloquy to which Jayce is merely witness.] Damn them! I asked that the pages not be vandalized! It must be Abby. She was thoroughly put off by the whole idea the last time I made mention of it. Are the two of you close, Mister Talis? You must scold her. It will be more effective if you do it.

[pathlit]

[ unsurepuppet.jpg ]

The names— were they all crossed out, or just a selection?

[heirring]

Just yours. Come, where are you? You must meet me in the courtyard. At this hour, we're sure to catch her coming or going if we wait on the ferry slip for only a few minutes.

[pathlit]

I don’t think that’s necessary; I doubt she’s involved. [ If she were the guilty party, then why only cross off one name? ]

Don’t worry about it. If I’m backing out, you’ll hear it directly from me.

[heirring]

Maybe she has only just started crossing names off at random, and will return later to do the same to another name so as to limit suspicions that it's one hand doing the crossing. It's what I would do if it were me.

[Wysteria, don't just say you're a conniving little sneak.]

Not that I would cross anyone's name off any list, of course.

[pathlit]

Right, of course. I’ll rewrite my name next time I’m down there.
See if any other names have been crossed off, then, too.

[heirring]

Yes, well— I suppose that will do. It would be good to have a second set of eyes on the look out for sabotage, thank you.