crystal; ota

[aberratic]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Ness Tavane (tadfool)
RECIPIENT: Errbody

[ the sending crystal comes on, and a feminine voice clears their throat; she is clearly entirely new to this, and perhaps to public speaking in general, but she wants to make a good impression!! ]

Hello, Riftwatch. My name is Ennaris Tavane, I'm a recent arrival to your organization. If Ennaris is a mouthful, Ness will also do! I wanted to introduce myself, and I also have a request, should anyone be willing to assist me.

I've joined the Diplomacy division [ cuz damn do y'all seem to be the most in need of bodies ] and am eager to get my feet beneath me as far as work there goes. I can read and write with proficiency, and am an excellent note taker, should those skills be of use to anyone. I... can scribe, [ said with all the enthusiasm of someone admitting to being physically capable of mucking out the stables, yes, but— ] though my real skill lies in research and compilation of disparate sources of information. I'm happy to offer my assistance to anyone who needs it while I suss out what jobs need doing and where my skills would best be applied.

As for my request, I was hoping there might be someone—or even multiple someones—who would be willing to tutor me in history. I have several gaps in my knowledge, and would prefer to fill them in as quickly as possible. Please feel free to reply back to me here, on the crystal, or to get with me privately if you're interested. We can discuss compensation, though I admit I've not got a terribly deep purse at the moment.

Erm. Thank you for your attention. Have a good day? Binder's knots, feels like I'm talking to air...

Comments

[sumptus]

All right, no nobody'd send a spy here to learn Orlesian table manners.

Val Royeaux, maybe. Churneau, if you want to be a little less obvious. Better yet, recruit an Orlesian governess north. But the only thing worth the risk of getting into Riftwatch -- and more importantly, getting back out again -- is information you can't get anywhere else.

[ Not that he's, you know, thought about it extensively or anything. ]

[aberratic]

That's true.

[ and, not for nothing, interesting that he's thought about it enough to have ready opinions. but she's decided she believes he's not a spy, at least, if not trusts him, so there must be another reason for that.

probably. ]

So why are you interested in things like that, filtered through someone who knows even less about this area than you?

[ the question isn't meant to be probing, but ness realizes that it could be at about the same time that she realizes that she is also, effectively, convincing caius that she's not worth trading information with.

she blinks, eyes wide with the realization, then chuckles, a little nervous. ]

Not that I'm not willing to pass things along to you! I'm just curious! You don't have to say, if you don't want to.

[sumptus]

No, it's-- [ probing, yes, something he wants to talk about at length, no, but, ] fine.

[ She is agreeing to help him, after all. And if he can't wholly dispel the possibility he might be a spy (is anyone really a spy, before they turn?), he can at least try to put her mind at ease. The last thing he needs to be is a suspected spy. ]

We don't learn very much about the South. I don't think Southerners realize exactly how little.

[ And he's not eager to inform everyone. ]

But you, no one expects you to know anything. I just think that's a more useful place to start -- from scratch, without anyone assuming you already know half the rules or eat babies for breakfast or whatever.

[aberratic]

[ she relaxes in relief, the habitual smile beginning to spread back across her face before it's replaced with furrowed, befuddled brows. ]

Is that literal? Do people really think Tevinters eat babies?

[ because look, she understands that broadly the country is the enemy of the moment (of the year, the decade, the centuries) but people are always just people, no matter where they're from, and people don't tend to eat babies. ritual cannibalism, occasionally, consuming vanquished foes to absorb their power, not unheard of, but babies—

she might be taking this too seriously, cutting humourous hyperbole off at the knees by interpreting it literally and confusing herself. well—moving on, then, let's not linger on a stupid question. ]

I do have some notes on customs, etiquette, that sort of thing, but I didn't bring them with me. I can go to my desk and fetch them, if you want them now?

🎀

[sumptus]

[ The broad-handed, shrugging gesture he gives her is probably enough of a giveaway. Who knows But he's not serious, nor does he doubt she can come to that conclusion on her own. ]

Don't worry about it, [ shaking his head, easy. ] We're already here. Let's get you up to speed on Tevinter first — the parts that aren't pure gossip.