crystal.

[elegiaque]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Gwenaëlle Baudin
RECIPIENT: All y'all.
NOTES: There's a new junior dad in town. Tell her all about your sick magic weapons and how buff or noodly your little nerd arms might be. (Happy to do action spam here or in her inbox for any office threads!)

Alright, Riftwatch, I assume I don't need to introduce myself,

( possibly because she hasn't been paying strict attention to recent arrivals, but she is certainly not herself a new face, )

but if you have somehow mistaken my accent for Alexandrie, this is Gwenaëlle Baudin, and if you haven't noticed my taking up the office, I am now your acting Captain of the Watch. ( because they are still pretending that dad might come back (with smokes) and that rowntree's appointment might be temporary. she has already begun studying nevarran, but she isn't all that optimistic about when she's going to need to know it by. ) I've started with inventorying our armoury, and as such I have a couple of requests to make of, primarily, those of you not in Forces. If you are in Forces, I need to know if you possess any personal weaponry of note that we should be taking into account. You can provide details by crystal, book or at my office. If you are not in Forces, I would like to know that, but disclosure is voluntary unless your division head decides to make it mandatory.

( yes, she checked with rowntree before announcing it's mandatory for forces. )

Further, if you are not in Forces, I'd like to have an overview of the combat readiness of our ( nerds ) general non-combatants and what their, your needs are. If you'd like particular training, or if you specifically wouldn't. If you're going to be particularly vulnerable in the sort of emergency we recently experienced, or if it'd be useful for me to be aware that you won't. Again, we can have these conversations by whatever means suits you.

( there's a brief pause. )

And to be clear, I'm not assuming all diplomats and researchers need to be provided personal fainting couches, and you will not be considered clever for getting up in arms about having your toughness questioned. If you would like to be provided a personal fainting couch, ask the Seneschal.

Comments

[elegiaque]

I can do if you're interested.

( she'd wanted to take the temperature, figure out what's in demand and how much, before she starts figuring out how to manage it. )

And— ouais. Well, in a roundabout sort of way, it was Abby's idea.

-> private;

[dissolving]

Gonna have her pick us an Ambassador next. I'm banking on Noose.

[ private: ]

Reckon 's a matter of time before it comes up, but wouldn't call it a priority.

[ he's got other ways to kill people. just — fuck not having your toughness questioned, if admitting a shortcoming encourages anyone, well. it's worth it. ]

More concerned on the Anchor. Dunno if that's under your, uh. Desk.

private ∞

[elegiaque]

( diverted from what was probably about to become a spirited debate on whose dog would make the best ambassador, )

That depends on why you're concerned about it.

[dissolving]

[ vysvolod is disqualified for nepotism ]

It's doing,

[ if he sounds uncomfortable, that's because he is. it's one thing to know this might happen, to want it to happen, and another to find yourself casting,

well. call it what it is, call it magic. ]

The shield bit.

[elegiaque]

( it would be super mean to make fun of the templar for doing magic. it's fucking heroic that she pauses long enough not to immediately do that. )

Alright, then, yes, that does fall under my purview. ( sort of. well, falls within the realm of the things she's specifically asking about, and it's not as if there's anyone here who has more experience than she does with this, specifically— ) You'll need to practise with it, which we can do.

[dissolving]

I haven't — dunno if silencing'll cut it off, don't want to test with a Rifter or mage. 'S too many variables. But it reacts to lyrium, so.

[ he should probably find out ]

[elegiaque]

( given that red templars exist, it strikes her briefly that they haven't tested this before,

but then, who'd they test it on? and with what templar? )

You can try it on mine.

[dissolving]

Thanks. Think 's just you and Fromme, and between you and me, she's got crazy eyes.

[elegiaque]

I don't know that I've crossed her path. How crazy?

[dissolving]

Y'ever meet someone just don't seem to blink?

[ seem to because she probably blinks a perfectly normal amount. anyway: ]

Know I didn't sign on Forces, don't mean to change that. Only, you end up with holes in shifts, let me know.

[elegiaque]

I'll rope you in if I need you.

( which is more likely than it isn't, everything being as it is. )

Why'd you choose diplomacy?

[dissolving]

Shortest hands.

[ that's true. but they're all short, it's not really why. and it's gwen. he's admitted worse: ]

And — dunno. Been at a sword half my life. Know there's more to it than that, [ a life. ] Be a waste not to try.

[elegiaque]

Huh.

( it seems unlikely that's all she thinks, but it's all she says. )

[dissolving]

[ just for this, this excruciating pause in which he considers whether the chantry hasn't gone far enough in limiting magical communications, he's making griffon ball happen and she's going to enjoy it. ]

Why'd you pick Forces?

[elegiaque]

( okay well someone wants the armpit, i guess, )

My aunt was running it and I didn't think she'd force me into the field to die.

[dissolving]

So, it worked.

[ she's not dead ]

[elegiaque]

Ouais, not how either of us thought it was going to.

[dissolving]

You ever think you'd want something like this? Captain. Before Abby told you so.

[elegiaque]

( a hum— )

Years ago I went for Seneschal, which probably would have led down a vastly different path if it had worked out at the time, which it didn't. I think it's,

Someone has to do it. I can. So. Abby asked me if I was going to try for Commander, and that seemed, um— a bit much. But this made sense.

[dissolving]

Well, you got the boat.

[ if not commander, then vice admiral, ]

I'm sure Seneschal Baudin's fine, but I never met her. You're a good pick for this. Know the place in and out.

[elegiaque]

( same office, so, split the difference. probably a bit less likely the other desk has ever been fucked on, though. )

I think I'm just very practical.

( well, in incredibly specific ways. )

[dissolving]

Huh.

[ a nudge at those specific ways. or maybe only revenge. ]

[elegiaque]

( b-, more effective if he let it cook for longer— )

If I can do something, there's not much point to not doing.

[dissolving]

Then you get it — someone has to do it, you can, and I wanna be someone that can. I can already fight. In between, maybe I can still be useful.

[ when you die in the field on fantasy meth, do it with an associate's degree in PR ]

[elegiaque]

( she thinks, that wasn't the part that puzzles me, but she also doesn't think now's the time, necessarily, to get into the other part—

the templars get lumped together, but they aren't all the same animal. that she thinks so is not necessarily kinder than lumping them all together. )

Well, we're shorthanded everywhere, but most of all there. Anyone willing's an asset.